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Saturday, November 23, 2013

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP, LC, GF

PIN: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/774124909797093/
I looked outside this morning and it was a beautiful sunny day.  Said I to myself, "Good day for a walk!" I checked my Weather Bug however, and discovered it was 7 degrees F out there with a -7 degrees F windchill.  Quickly I changed course and decided to spend some time in the kitchen warming up the house with something good.  Hot sounded really good today.


CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP                    

1/2 Crepes recipe (Below)
32  ounces  chicken stock -- (organic or homemade)
10  ounces  canned chicken -- (or use left over chicken or turkey)
1/4 cup  chopped onion
1 small  carrot -- shredded
1 stalk  celery -- chopped
1/2 cup  green pepper -- chopped
1 tablespoon  minced garlic
1 teaspoon  sea salt
1/2 teaspoon  basil
1/2 teaspoon  thyme
1/2 teaspoon  onion powder
1/8 teaspoon  cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons  cold water
1 envelope  knox gelatine, unflavored

Cut egg noodles out of "Egg Noodles or Crepes" recipe, (OR you can use zucchini noodles, or shredded cabbage - nutrition info will vary).  Set aside.

In large pot, add chicken stock, chicken, (OR turkey), onion, carrot, celery, green pepper, garlic, salt, basil, thyme, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.

Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.  While soup is simmering, in small cup, add cold water and sprinkle gelatine over the top and let it dissolve.

After soup has simmered 15 minutes, add gelatine mixture and stir.  Add noodles to soup and simmer 1 more minute.

Nutrition information is for entire recipe.

Copyright:
  "©ginnyslowcarbkitchen.blogspot.com"
                                    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per recipe: 695 Calories; 26g Fat (36.5% calories from fat); 77g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber

EGG NOODLES OR CREPES
                     
2 tablespoons  heavy cream
1 tablespoon  cream cheese -- softened
1 teaspoon  coconut flour -- (Bob's Red Mill is what I used)
1/8 teaspoon  salt
3 eggs -- (use 4 eggs if making lasagna noodles)

Mix heavy cream, softened cream cheese, coconut flour, and salt in a small bowl, and beat until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth.

For lasanga noodles--line a 9 x 13" cake pan with parchment paper, and spray well with non-stick cooking spray.  pour mixture into pan.  Bake 350 degrees for 10 min.  I make double and pour into 2 cake pans and bake.  When done cool completely, use one pan for bottom layer.  Layer meat sauce and cheese layers on top.  Peel the other "noodle" out of the other pan, rolling it up.  Layer it on top of meat and cheese, and add another layer of meat sauce and cheese toppings.

For Crepes--Pour 3 tablespoons of the egg mixture into a hot buttered 7-8" skillet, and swirl around until mixture coats the bottom of the pan.  Cook until eggs are set but not browned.  Flip and lightly cook other side.  Use as crepes in recipes with fillings, or cut into strips to make noodles.

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6 SERVINGS/Per Serving: 64 Calories; 5g Fat (74.1% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 115mg Cholesterol; 89mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat.



Friday, November 22, 2013

TIME TO ENJOY THE BOUNTY AND GIVE THANKS!

It's that time of year again! So many ideas out there it's hard for one to know where to start!  Most of us tend to have the same traditional meals each year, but when low carb and gluten free it can be a challenge and somewhat depressing not to be able to have our favorites. But with such an array of choices out there, there is no need for deprivation on the holidays whatsoever!

Carolyn Ketchum from "All Day I Dream About Food" has a Thanksgiving Roundup for us to make it a little easier to find some great low carb choices to make. She has 30 delicious low-carb recipes to choose from.
30 Great Low Carb Recipes for Thanksgiving
There are many choices to choose from for every part of your meal from the stuffing to the dessert and everything in between!  A few of my own recipes are shared.

My Pumpkin Chiffon Pie


My Spiced Cranberry Sauce


My Browned Butter Squash


A couple more of my favorites are Butternut Squash Pie


OR
Pumpkin Cheesecake



HAPPY COOKING! And HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY - from our house to yours.







Sunday, November 17, 2013

HOMEMADE COLD CEREAL, SF, GF, LC

I don't really need cold cereal all that often.  Once in a great while though, I am in the mood for it.  I've been seeing some great ideas lately online, so I thought I'd put them together and come up with my own variation of cold cereal.

This fit the need for sure.  First I saw this recipe of "Frosted Flakes" and I happened to have just bought some coconut chips from my local health food store from a bulk bin.  Then I saw this recipe from Kent Altena about toasting coconut.  I sort of took a bit of each recipe, and put together my own tweaks.
PIN: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/774124909760602/

I also decided to add a few things to the mix to make it stretch farther so I'd have a nice bag of cereal for the week if I want it. So I took the almond thins recipe that is all over the internet, and made it with half flax and half almonds and added some sweetener and some cinnamon and some Capella graham flavor drops.  If you don't have them, and don't want to order them, not to worry.  You can make it without, but I just really like that graham cracker flavor.

So this filled about 3/4 full a gallon sized bag, as you see.  I also added some cashews, but when I saw the amount of calories and carbs I was racking up, I decided to leave them out of the recipe and next time I won't add them. You can if you choose.  I have to say this was really filling and kept me all morning so that even by lunch time I was not feeling particularly hungry.

The dried cranberries in the recipe are from this recipe.


HOMEMADE COLD CEREAL, SF, GF, LC         

COCONUT LAYER:
3 cups  coconut chips
1 tablespoon  coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon  EZ-sweetz Stevia and Monk Fruit -- (OR other liquid sweetener drops to equal 1/4 cup)
Cinnamon -- (I just sprinkled it over all, did not measure, perhaps a tsp.)
GRAHAM CRACKER LAYER:
1/2 cup  flaxseed meal, golden
1/2 cup  almond flour
1 egg white
1/4 teaspoon  EZ-sweetz Stevia and Monk Fruit -- (OR other liquid sweetener drops to equal 1/4 cup)
16 drops  Capella Flavor Drops, graham cracker concentrate -- (optional, but if you have them, it gives it a graham cracker flavor)
1 packet  Truvia
           
1/2 cup  Dried Cranberries, whole, SF
1 cup nuts (optional--not included in nutritional info)

COCONUT LAYER: Preheat oven to 350F.  Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil.  Spread coconut chips out on cookie sheet.  In small bowl, place coconut oil and EZ-sweetz Stevia and Monk Fruit, and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds to melt.  Drizzle over coconut flakes and stir until oil is well mixed over all.  Sprinkle with cinnamon, and stir together again. Bake about 4 minutes.  Remove and stir.  Bake another 3 minutes, or until golden brown.  Be careful not to burn!  Spread on paper towel and let cool.

GRAHAM CRACKER LAYER: Preheat oven to 325F.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. In food processor, add flaxseed meal, almond flour, egg white, EZ-sweetz Stevia and Monk Fruit, and Capella Flavor Drops.  Process until it is mixed well and makes a stiff dough. Place onto parchment paper. Top with plastic wrap, and roll out very thin, especially in the center so that it is evenly rolled out.  Sprinkle with packet of Truvia.  Cut into small pieces with a pizza cutter.  Bake 10 minutes.  Remove any on the edges that are done, and put back in, baking 2 to 5 minutes at a time, checking to make sure it does not burn, removing those on the outside that are done, and putting back in until all are crisp and lightly browned.  Let cool.

Mix cooled coconut flakes and graham cracker pieces together.  Add dried cranberries.  Mix well.  Add chopped nuts if desired (optional).

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About 7 -1/2 cup servings/Per Serving: 343 Calories; 32g Fat (77.8% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber

NOTES : 6g net carbs per serving



Friday, November 15, 2013

MAPLE FLAVORED SYRUP AND ONE BIG FLUFFY PANCAKE

PIN: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/774124909749193/
I've been wanting to do a maple syrup recipe for quite a while now, and had one in my mind that I had tried before but it needed some tweaking.  A reader asked me if there was a maple syrup anywhere out there that didn't have sucralose or malitol in it but sweetened with erythritol and stevia.  I didn't know of any.  And most of those low carb syrups out there are way too expensive for me to want to ever have syrup with my pancakes anyway, if I did find one.  It gets pricey to eat this way sometimes!  You either pay the price or go without and eat boring food.

A boring food eater I'm not.  I like good taste.  This syrup turned out very rich and full of flavor.  It does not taste like a diet syrup.  I thought it was too thin at first but when I compared it with syrups from the store, it is the same consistency.  If you heat it, it will be thinner, if you serve it cooled, it is a bit thicker.  If you want thicker than what it is I'm thinking (though I have not tried it yet) that you could do 1/4 cup butter instead of 2 tbsp. and 2 tbsp. arrowroot instead of 1.  The arrowroot adds only a trace of carb per serving, as well as the blackstrap molasses in this recipe.  The carb count is very low per serving.  I didn't use xanthan gum because I don't really care for xanthan gum.  It takes away the flavor and sweetness.  This has all the flavor and sweetness.  Then there's the pancake...


This pancake was the cakiest pancake I've ever made! I was not going by any recipe, just started adding this and that and wow! This is one thick fluffy pancake. I realized I forgot to add any oil to the recipe when it was all done but I don't think it needed it.  Low carb flours tend to be so oily anyway.  But if you think you want it, by all means add a tsp or so of oil.  I'm trying to add more flax into my diet again.  I know some people think flax is bad and some think it's a miracle food.  I tend to go with what my body tells me.

 Digressing just a bit here, coconut oil is the big healthy oil for the day.  I gave it a good try. I really did.  I ate lots of coconut oil trying to see how it would help me.  It did not lower my blood sugar. It did not help me lose weight.  It did not give me energy.  I really gained nothing from using it except a few more pounds.  I do still use it but in moderation.  I cook with it, because I like to.  One thing I've always noticed about flax is that I get an immediate sense of energy and well-being whenever I use flaxmeal and/or flax oil.  I just do.  If you don't and you think it's bad, that's ok.  But I ALWAYS, when using it, feel wonderful and healthy.  When I'm run down, I go back to my flax! I've had nothing but health benefits from it and that immediately and noticeably.  I've seen wrong information posted on the oil being destroyed when baking with flaxseed, which according to the Flax Council of Canada, this is not true.  Here is an informative article about that: http://www.flaxcouncil.ca/english/pdf/stor.pdf  and more information: http://www.flaxcouncil.ca/english/index.jsp?p=sitemap
and many studies proving the health benefits:
https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/benefits-of-flaxseed#1

So I've begun kefir/flax oil smoothies again, and using flaxmeal in my baking again.  It was flax oil and flaxseed that lifted me out of my chronic fatigue bed and my brain fog years ago, after reading about Dr. Joanna Budwig's diet, and how she cured many of cancer and other debilitating diseases with it. Though I did not follow all of her diet I did incorporate the flax oil/cottage cheese or kefir into my diet as well as using flaxseed meal.  It's what cleared the lumps from my cystic breasts.  It's been nothing but good for me in so many ways.  No other omega 3 oil has done the same or given me the same results, and coconut oil has not either.  So to each his own! I believe we should all find what our bodies tell us works!  If all kinds of information on the internet tells me something different than my body is telling me, I listen to my body.

Ok, so I got that out of my system! Ha!  On to the recipes!

MAPLE SYRUP *Updated 6/22/2019
                 
2 tablespoons  butter
1 cup erythritol, or 1/2 cup Pyure + 1 Tbsp xylitol (or a similar sweetener equal to 1 cup sugar)
1 tablespoon  arrowroot
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum (optional, but will thicken a bit more)
1/8 tsp salt
1 teaspoon  blackstrap molasses
2 cups  water
1 teaspoon  maple flavoring

In medium pot (one that has room for this to boil up high), add butter, sweeteners, arrowroot, and blackstrap molasses.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

VERY slowly add water, just a bit at a time and stir.  This will boil up fast as you add the water so it's important to add it very slowly as you stir.  When all the water is added boil stirring for about 30 seconds.

Remove from heat and add maple flavoring.  Cool completely. Store in the frig.  Stir before serving.

© Ginny's Low Carb Kitchen
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Per Serving: 31 Calories; 3g Fat (81.8% calories from fat); trace Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber

If using xylitol:  35 Calories; 3g Fat (69.8% calories from fat); trace Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber

NOTES : 8 - 1/4 cup servings approximately

ONE BIG FLUFFY PANCAKE

1/4 cup  flaxseed meal, golden -- (2 tbsp of seed ground in a coffee grinder)
1 tablespoons  Biochem Whey Protein Isolate -- or whatever brand you have.(edited from 2 tbsp. after making it again-11/23/13) (I now use Isopure whey protein Isolate which has zero carbs per serving - 6/22/2019)
1 teaspoon  psyllium seed husk powder -- (freshly ground husk is best)
1/4 teaspoon  baking powder
1/4 teaspoon  baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg
2 tablespoon  kefir -- (or yogurt or buttermilk or sour cream will do) (I now use unsweetened almond milk, vanilla flavored 6/22/2019)
2 tbsp Pyure granulated sweetener (equal to 1/4 cup sugar) (edited 6/22/2019)

In small bowl combine flaxseed meal, whey protein isolate, psyllium powder, baking powder, and baking soda.  Whisk together well.  Add egg, kefir, and sweetener. Whisk together until it is a smooth batter. If need add enough liquid to bring to consistency you prefer. The thicker the batter, the thicker the pancake.  If you wish you can add a tsp. of oil.  I made it exactly as written above and it was a very cake-like pancake.

Cook on a griddle on one side until bubbly and drying on the edges.  Flip, cook other side until done.

Copyright:
  "© Ginny's low carb kitchen"
                                    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

1 Serving: 276 Calories; 17g Fat (55.5% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 14g Dietary Fiber

NOTES : 1g net carb




Tuesday, November 12, 2013

CHICKEN PEPPER STIRFRY WITH PUMPKIN SPICE SALSA


Wonderful Fall flavors in this very easy stir-fry just blend together to make a delicious experience for your taste buds! My family loved it, so even though it turned out a bit higher carb than what I usually make or post, I decided to post it anyway.  I normally stay around 12g carbs or less per meal, but this was worth a little extra and so healthy besides with all the vitamin C and nutrition of peppers.

PIN--> http://www.pinterest.com/pin/774124909732611/

This recipe uses a salsa that I found at Aldi's.  If you have an Aldi's near your house you should be able to find it there.  Another reason I hesitated to post this recipe, since the sauce may not be available to all, since I've only seen this brand at Aldi's.  It was so good though, that it has inspired me to try to come up with my own Pumpkin spice salsa recipe.  That's for the future!  I must!
                   

CHICKEN PEPPER STIR-FRY WITH PUMPKIN SPICE SALSA
         
8 ounces  chicken breast -- cut into strips
   onion powder -- to taste
   garlic powder -- to taste
1 red  pepper
1 yellow  pepper
1 green  pepper
8 ounces  sliced mushrooms -- (I used portabellos)
16 ounces  Specially Selected Spiced Pumpkin Salsa -- (I got it at Aldi's)

In a large skillet, over medium high heat, melt some coconut oil or butter, or both.  Add chicken strips, sprinkle liberally with onion powder and garlic powder (I didn't measure, just sprinkled on), and fry until browned.  Remove onto a plate and set aside.  In same skillet, add more oil if necessary, and add red pepper, yellow pepper, green pepper and mushrooms.  Stir fry until vegetables are cooked but still crisp.


Add chicken back into the skillet.  Stir all together. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

  ©11-7-2013, Ginny Larsen
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6 Servings/Per Serving: 124 Calories; 3g Fat (23.7% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber