PSMF AND CHICKEN AND ZUCCHINI PASTA WITH GRAVY

 

So here I am again.  I'm sort of beginning a trial of the Protein Sparing Modified Fast.  Sort of I say, because I am desperate, I'm needing something to give me a new start and back to doing keto/low carb in a more healthy way, and still learning this, so if you are a pro at it, please be kind.  There are many ways of doing this from all my YouTube viewing and reading and so forth, and I've come up with my own modified view... my own plan, which is what I usually do with any way of eating.

This is not technically a "way of eating" or a lifestyle, however.  It is a quick fix, a jump start, a fast fat loss method, not one you do long term.  I'm not really liking the very low fat part of it, but it's temporary.  I can live with temporary and whatever helps me get back to my norm, and helps me get rid of my newly acquired food addictions. 

If you are not doing PSMF, but low carb or keto you can do this recipe and add more fat too it... like some butter to the gravy which will make it even richer.  

This is not a great recipe creation by any means, it's pretty simple and not much creativity went into it, but I thought I'd share it because we all need some inspiration and ideas now and then for a quick, simple meal.  Quick and simple is what I do these days.  

So here ya go:

                      

* Exported from MasterCook *

                  Chicken with Zucchini Pasta and Gravy

Recipe By     :Ginny

Serving Size  : 1     Preparation Time :0:00

Categories    : below 500 calories              chicken and turkey

                main dish                       PSMF

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method

--------  ------------  --------------------------------

  8         ounces  boneless skinless chicken breast -- cut into thin strips

  4         ounces  zucchini -- made into angel hair pasta

  1/2      cup  water

  1/2      teaspoon  chicken base, Better Than Bouillon

   seasonings to taste - whatever you like

Cook chicken breast in non-stick pan sprayed with cooking spray after seasoning as you like.  

As the pan becomes dryer but there are scrapings on the bottom add 1/2 cup water and let the chicken continue cooking.  

Remove chicken, add more water if necessary, scraping up all the goodness in the pan.  Add chicken bouillon, and simmer while whisking until bouillon is dissolved.

Sprinkle xanthan gum over top while continuing to whisk and and simmer.  

Simmer until reduced and thickened.  

Microwave Zucchini pasta for 2 to 3 minutes, until just heated through.  Don't overdo it or it will be too soggy.

Place chicken on top of zucchini and pour gravy over the top.  

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Per Serving: 270 Calories; 3g Fat (11.8% calories from fat); 54g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber;

SCOOPABLE, LOW CALORIE AND LOW CARB VANILLA ICE CREAM THAT TASTES GOOD

 

YESSSS!!! I finally made ice cream I was not disappointed in.  This is so very easy and it is both low calorie as well as low carb.  I have not posted in a long time.  Just other things in my life right now and my hobby has taken a back seat but every now and then I surprise myself and decide to share a recipe again.  I've had a lot of ups and down with my diet in the last few years and changes - one of them being weight gain.  I set out to analyze a lot of the ways I was doing things.  I did put on some "covid quarantine weight" as it seems most did. What else was there to do but bake and eat?  

I also, after having Covid, seemed to have a change in my blood sugar.  I'm now on insulin.  I can no longer control blood sugar with diet alone. Even eating a very low carb meal I have to have insulin or it raises too high.  I'm not going to try to figure out all the science behind what happened to me or didn't happen.  I know I've had a lot of cheat days... emotional eating days, too many low carb treats and desserts and snacks.  What I have figured out, for me...maybe not for you or anyone else, but for me... I have to eat low calorie as well as low carb, and I cannot eat a lot of things like low carb breads, low carb sweets etc.  But occasionally it helps me to have something sweet that won't spike me.  I've put on weight and it is near impossible for me to lose it, it seems.  I'm working on it.  Keto alone makes me gain weight.  (Don't get angry - YMMV)  I tried intermittent fasting... guess what?  I gained weight.  Can you believe that?  Looked at carnivore and no way... not for me. 

What spikes me?  It seems everything does these days, even protein.  I have read that covid can change your diabetes, and even cause diabetes in some people.  Perhaps that had something to do with this, but I can't say for sure.  I can just make guesses.  But I'm learning what works for me.  

So anyhoo, as I'm re-learning how to eat according to this "new" body of mine, I'm trying to find things that are both low calorie, low carb, and filling.  Pretty tough to do sometimes, but not impossible.  And in the summer time, I need ice cream.  And I have found that if I don't make my own I WILL eat the real stuff if it is available.  I cannot resist cold ice cream on a hot hot day which we've had a lot of.  So all the keto ice creams out there both store bought and home made are always so high in calories or they just taste bad and aren't worth it.  So I decided to try once again. 

This is the simplest ice cream.  If you have an ice cream maker, it is very quick to make.  I hope if anyone out there is still reading my blog, that someone will also find this a blessing in this summer heat.

                 

                          Almond Milk Ice Cream

Recipe By     :Ginny Larsen

Serving Size  : approximately 6 - 1/2 cup servings

Categories    : desserts

--------  ------------  --------------------------------

  1 1/2           cups  almond milk, unsweetened, vanilla, Silk

  1 1/2           cups  half and half

     1/2           cup  allulose sweetener

     1/2           cup  other sweetener

   1 tbsp   vanilla extract  

     1/4      teaspoon  guar gum, Bob's Red Mill

     1/4      teaspoon  xanthan gum, Bob's Red Mill

     1/4      teaspoon  salt

     1   tablespoon  sugar free vanilla instant reduced caloried pudding mix -- (Optional, but seems to add something) I used Baker's Corner brand, from Aldi.

In a mixing bowl combine almond milk, half and half, allulose, other sweetener, (I used stevia/erythritol extract - about 1/2 tsp. to equal 1/2 cup).  Add more sweetener after tasting according to your desire for sweetness.

Using whisk attachment, whisk with electric mixer on low.  Sprinkle guar gum and xanthan gum over mixture and whisk on low some more.  Add salt and sugar free pudding mix. Mix for another minute or so.  

Follow instructions for your ice cream maker and pour into your freezer container and churn.  It takes about 15 minutes in mine.  It will come out a soft serve.  Scoop into containers to store.  6 - 1/2 cup servings approximately.  

Store in freezer.  It will still be scoopable the next day.  The allulose, guar and xanthan gum both, and the salt are what keeps it soft and scoopable.  

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Per Serving: 90 Calories; 8g Fat (75.4% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 

SMOKEY BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP (Instant Pot)

I just recently was gifted by an anonymous gifter with an instant pot!  Someone just decided to bless me out of the goodness of their heart and I am indeed being blessed.  I threw this together quickly this morning to have for my lunch. It turned out so good that I had to write it down and share it with you all.  I know I haven't shared a recipe for a long while, but now and then I do pop in.  I have a few more ideas coming also, so stick around. I'm still here.  I just like to share when I can.  This is very rich and creamy and satisfying, especially now that it is getting colder and soup weather is upon us.  So I hope you try it and enjoy!

If you don't have an instant pot this can easily be made on the stove top in a pot.  Just cook it a little longer before adding the cheese and then add that at the end.

However you do it, it's a pretty easy and quick soup to throw together.

                 

                Smokey Broccoli Cheese Soup (Instant Pot)

Recipe By     :Ginny Larsen
Serving Size  : 4 
Categories    : Instant Pot                     stews and soups
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  12            ounces  frozen broccoli flowerets
  1         tablespoon  minced garlic
  8             ounces  Philadelphia Light Cream Cheese -- softened well - I did 30 sec. in microwave. (or use any full fat cream cheese)
  3               cups  Beef Bone Broth, Sam's Choice, organic
  1           teaspoon  onion powder
  1           teaspoon  salt
  1           teaspoon  Italian seasoning
  1           teaspoon  Paprika -- (smokey paprika if you have it)
  4             ounces  smoked cheddar, red apple cheese -- shredded.  If you do not have smoked cheddar, use shredded cheddar and add 1 tsp. of smoke flavoring.

Steam the broccoli for 7 minutes. Place in food processor and pulse until you have small pieces of broccoli.

Spray instant pot with non-stick spray and press the saute button.  Add garlic and cream cheese. With spatula, keep whisking until the cream cheese is melted and smooth.  Slowly add beef broth while whisking.

Add the broccoli flowerets, the onion powder, salt, Italian seasoning, and paprika.  Stir together.

Press cancel to turn off the saute, and place the cover on. Make sure it is set to seal not venting. Mine automatically does this. Press Pressure Cook or manual, and set the time to 8 minutes. When the time is up do a quick release.

Remove the cover, press saute and add the shredded smoked cheddar.  Bring to a boil again all the while stirring.  Press cancel on Instant Pot and serve your soup.

Sprinkle some bacon bits on top if you desire.

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Per Serving: 287 Calories; 19g Fat (57.2% calories from fat); 21g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 50mg Cholesterol; 1545mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Serving Ideas : Makes about 4 or 4 1/2 servings

9g net carbs per serving with 4 servings

CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE

What can I say about this?  It was just so rich and wonderful and chocolate.  I would think of this as a special occasion treat - a very special special occasion treat. Be careful. It's easy to have treats like this throw off your whole diet.  Even if low carb, they should not be every day foods.  I made this today for our Father's day dinner for my husband.  You definitely need others to share this with, and they will be very thankful that you shared it with them.

                   


Chocolate Cream Pie

Recipe By     :Ginny
Serving Size  : 8   


4  ounces  unsweetened baking chocolate squares -- (1 box) chopped into small pieces.
1 1/2  cups  heavy whipping cream -- separated into half each
1/2 cup  Swerve confectioner's sweetener -- (Or equal amount of other confectioner's sweetener)
2  tablespoons  xylitol -- ground to powder in coffee grinder
1  tablespoon  vanilla extract
CRUST
1 cup  almond flour
1 cup  ground pecans
1/4  cup  Pyure Sweetener
1/4  cup  melted butter
1 teaspoon  vanilla extract

CRUST: Preheat oven to 325F. Grease 10-inch pie plate. In mixing bowl combine almond flour, ground pecans, Pyure sweetener, melted butter, and vanilla.

Mix together well with a fork.  Spread in bottom of pie plate and up the sides. Bake 10 minutes. Set on wire rack and let cool.

FILLING: In a microwave dish combine chocolate and 1/2 of the cream.  Cook on high in microwave 30 seconds at a time, for about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring after each 30 minutes, until smooth.  Cool to room temperature and stir in sweeteners and vanilla.

In another bowl beat the rest of the cream until peaks form. Beat in the chocolate mixture on hiigh speed 1/3 at a time.  Pour into crust.

Chill in refrigerator 6 to 8 hours.  Serve with whipped topping if desired.

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Per Serving: 412 Calories; 42g Fat (86.2% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber

NOTES : 6g net carbs

KETO CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

I've made many different low carb/keto chocolate chip cookie versions over the years, and here is one more.  I really liked the way these turned out for flavor and texture.  They are slightly crunchy on the outside and moist and chewy on the inside.  It depends on what you prefer in a chocolate chip cookie. Some like a hard crunch.  This is not that.  I tend to like my cookies softer.  It's what I grew up with as a kid. I have warm memories of helping my mom make her homemade cookies and loved the soft cookies that came out of the oven.  These will not flatten completely.  I used Pyure sweetener which is a combo of erythritol and stevia.  I think if you use all erythritol (double the amount) you would get a flatter cookie if that's what you want.  I like these just the way they came out.  So I thought I'd share.  There are so many good keto/low carb chocolate chip cookie recipes out there that it's hard to decide on what to try!  I just decided to open my very old Betty Crocker Cookbook and adapt the recipe from there.  I cut it in half, and adjusted the amounts a bit, and voila... turned out great.               

                          CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Recipe By     :Ginny Larsen
Serving Size  : 23   

1/2  cup  soft butter
1/2  cup  Pyure sweetener
1  teaspoon  blackstrap molasses
1  large  egg
1  teaspoon  vanilla
1 1/4  cups  almond flour
1  teaspoon  xanthan gum
1   scoop  whey protein isolate, Isopure, unflavored
1/2  teaspoon  baking soda
1/2  teaspoon  salt
127 grams  Lilly's dark chocolate premium baking chips, 55% cocao -- (half 9 oz. bag)

Preheat oven to 375F.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In mixing bowl add butter, Pyure sweetener, and blackstrap molasses. Beat with electric mixture until smooth and well combined.

Add egg and vanilla and beat some more to incorporate.

Add almond flour and xanthan gum. Beat  together.

Add whey protein, baking soda, and baking chips.  With wooden spoon mix together until it forms a dough. 

With cookie scoop, scoop out 12 balls on first cookie sheet and 11 on another.  You should come out with 23 cookies altogether.

Bake for 9 to 10 minutes.  Leave sitting on cookie sheet after removing from oven until completely cooled.  They will "finish" while they cool. 

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Per Serving: 87 Calories; 8g Fat (67.6% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber

NOTES : 1g net carbs per cookie