Category: Dinner

Low Carb Spinach Wraps

spinachwrapsSince going Keto, I’ve missed sandwiches and wraps, so I’m always on the lookout for a low carb replacement.  Today I tripped across a simple recipe I could adapt for spinach based wraps that I can use for lunches or even burritos! #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Quick & Easy Spinach Wraps

  • 1/2 – of a 16 oz bag of Frozen Spinach (defrosted)
  • 3 Large Eggs
  • 1/2 tsp Psyllium Husk Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Xanthan Gum
  • 1/8 tsp Freshly Ground Sea Salt
  • 1/8 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 1/4 Cup Mozzarella Cheese
  • Olive Oil Cooking Spray
  1. Defrost spinach, then squeeze out all of the water.
  2. Put the spinach and all other ingredients in your blender or Vitamix.
  3. Process for 1-2 Minutes, gradually increasing your speed, until all ingredients are combined and very smooth.
  4. Add in 1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese.  Blend another 15-30 Seconds.
  5. Lightly spray a small skillet with the olive oil spray (I used a 6 1/3″ Le Crueset Skillet) and put on stove with flame set to medium-high heat.
  6. After about 30 seconds, lower heat to medium and pour about 1/2 of the batter in the middle of the pan.
  7. Using a spatula spread the batter out to make a tortilla shape – the mix will be thick but not unspreadable, just keep spreading until you have created an even, thin disc.
  8. Cook for 2-3 minutes, you should see bubbles popping like when cooking a pancake, or until the edges start to shrink away; check if cooked by lifting the edge: if it lifts easily, you can now flip your tortilla over and cook the other side for about another minute.
  9. Remove from pan, cool on a wire rack, and fill with your favorite sandwich or wrap fillings.

Cool completely and make sure wraps are dry before storing in a sealed container, between pieces of parchment or waxed paper, in the refrigerator.  Can be frozen in zip bags as well.

Nutrition Information per wrap (makes 3 large wraps):

  • 168  Calories
  • 6 g  Fat
  • 3 g  Carbs
  • 9 g  Protein

Skip the Take-Out Beef & Broccoli

Clean eating isn’t hard if you put a little thought into it.  I love Chinese take-out but hate all of the carb-heavy thickeners and calorie bomb, sugary sauces that are used in restaurant fare.  A few tweaks, and a little make-ahead prep, lets me put this weeknight staple on the table in under 15 minutes after work!  The substitutions I made are also #KetoFriendly, which is something this busy Keto girl definitely loves. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

BeefAndBroccoli

Keto Beef & Broccoli

  • 3 TBLS Low Sodium Soy Sauce
  • 2 TBLS Olive Oil (I used garlic infused)
  • 2 TBLS Toasted Sesame Oil
  • 2 TBLS Clam Juice
  • 1 TBLS Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Freshly Grated Ginger
  • 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (or more to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients EXCEPT the Xanthan gum and set aside.

  • 1 Pound Lean Beef Sirloin, Boneless Ribeye, Flat Iron, or Flank Steak, sliced very thinly across the grain
  • 2 Cups Broccoli Florets
  • 1 TLS Olive Oil
  • 2 Crushed Garlic Cloves (I use 2 tsp jarred crushed garlic)
  • 1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Sea Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 TBLS Sliced Green Onions  (Scallions)
  • 2 TBLS Sliced Almonds (if desired)
  • 1 TBLS Toasted Sesame Seeds (if desired)

Put the sliced beef and 1/3 of the marinade in a quart sized zip bag, seal and put in the refrigerator to marinate for 4-6 hours (while your’re at work all day) or overnight.

Do ahead tip:  Stir fry the broccoli until it’s just crisp-tender (3-4 minutes) in 1 – 2 TBLS olive oil over medium-high heat, then remove from pan to a large zip bag or covered bowl and put in the refrigerator.

When you are ready to assemble your dish, using a large skillet, (I use my 4.5 quart high sided Dutch oven) heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Discard the marinade and place the beef into your pan.  If you’ve sliced your beef nice and thin, it should take only 2-3 minutes per side to brown.  Remove the beef to the bowl with the broccoli and add the reserved 2/3 marinade, salt & pepper to the pan.  Cook for about 2 minutes then stir the Xanthan Gum into the sauce.  Cook another minute or two, or until the sauce has thickened to a desired consistency and add the meat & broccoli back to the pan to coat in the sauce and warm through.  Add the Green Onions in the last few seconds of cooking.

Serve over cooked cauliflower rice and top with sliced almonds & toasted sesame seeds if desired.

Nutrition Information (Serves 6)

  • 203 Calories
  • 14 g Fat
  • 1.3 g Carbs
  • 15.5 g Protein

Coconut Lime Cauliflower Rice

Lime-Coconut-Cauliflower-Rice

A new spin on a Keto staple.

This recipe is so versatile that it could be:

 

  • A side dish for chicken, seafood, beef, pork, or grilled vegetables
  • A base layer for a sweet flavored (like Keto Sweet & Sour Chicken) Asian inspired main dish bowl
  • A bed for kebabs
  • A layer in a cold chicken salad
  • A taco or burrito ingredient, or even
  • Chilled and served as a “rice pudding” type dessert.

Tip:  This dish is better a day (or at least a few hours) after it’s been made and refrigerated, then reheated.

Coconut Lime Cauliflower Rice

  • 1 TBLS Butter
  • 1 Clove Garlic, Crushed into a Paste (I use jarred, crushed garlic)
  • 1 Medium-Large Head Cauliflower, Riced (About 6 Cups)
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 Cup Lite Coconut Milk
  • 1 TBLS Lime Juice
  • Zest from 1 Lime

Heat the butter and garlic in a skillet over medium heat.

Steam the riced cauliflower in a microwave steamer for 3 minutes.  Add the cauliflower rice to the skillet, sprinkle with salt and cook for 2 minutes before adding in the coconut milk and lime juice. Cook the rice for 8 minutes stirring frequently until the rice has completely softened and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Sprinkle the rice with lime zest before serving.  #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Nutrition Information per serving – 6 Servings

  • 68 Calories
  • 2.5 g Fat
  • 6 g Carbohydrates
  • 2 g Protein

 

Keto Sweet & Sour Chicken

Because many of the sauces are so full of sugar and corn starch and the dishes are so carb heavy, with rice or egg noodles as a bed for the featured protein, most traditional Chinese food is very unfriendly to those following a #KetoLifestyle.  This kid-pleasing dish is one of the few I’ve been able to adapt without ruining the spirit of the original.

1

Keto Sweet & Sour Chicken with Broccoli

  • Olive Oil Spray
  • 1 Pound Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
  • Juice and 1 + 1/2 tsp Grated Zest of 1 Medium Orange
  • 12 oz Small Broccoli Florets
  • 1 Orange or Red Bell Pepper cut into 1/2″ – 1″ chunks
  • 3 TBLS Rice Vinegar
  • 2 TBLS Low Sodium Soy Sauce
  • 1 TBLS Xanthan Gum
  • 2 TBLS Honey
  • 1 TBLS  Crushed Garlic
  • 1/4 tsp Dried Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
  • 2 TBLS Sliced Almonds
  • 1 Green Onion, Chopped
  • White Sesame Seeds

Whisk vinegar, soy sauce, and Xanthan gum in a small bowl.  Stir in the salt and red pepper flakes and set aside.

Spray large skillet with Olive Oil Spray and heat over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 6-8 minutes.  Remove chicken from pan.

Add juice from the orange and cook for 15-30 seconds, stirring up any browned bits fro the pan.  Add broccoli & bell pepper and cook about 4 minutes, or until they’re just crisp-tender.

Add the honey and garlic to vinegar mixture, then add to the pan and bring to a boil.  Cook about 1 minute, stirring continuously until the sauce begins to thicken.  Return chicken to the pan and continue cooking for another minute, stirring to make sure that all of the broccoli and chicken are well coated with the sauce.  Remove from heat and stir in slivered almonds, chopped green onion, & orange zest.

Serve over steamed or stir-fried cauliflower rice.  Top each serving with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and, if you like more spice, additional red pepper flakes.

Nutrition Information (6 Servings)

  • 163 Calories
  • 3 g  Fat
  • 7 g Carbohydrates
  • 19 g Protein

Nutrition Information (4 Servings)

  • 244 Calories
  • 5 g  Fat
  • 11 g Carbohydrates
  • 29 g Protein

#ThisGirlLovesToEat

Garlic Cauliflower Gnocchi

4I’m all-in on my #KetoLifestyle, but there are certain things I enjoy, like bread and pasta, that I miss incredibly.  I love zucchini, but I can’t accept zoodles as a legitimate replacement for pasta.  Trader Joe’s makes a great cauliflower gnocchi, but it’s not Keto friendly, so I set out to adapt a regular gnocchi recipe to one that fits into my Keto lifestyle.  It’s also a great recipe for anyone following a Gluten Free diet.

Garlic Cauliflower Gnocchi

  • Medium Head Cauliflower
  • 1/2 Cup + 2 TBLS Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Dried Basil
  • Olive Oil Spray

Combine the flour, salt, garlic powder and basil in a bowl and set aside.

Remove the stem from the cauliflower and cut it into florets. You want 5 cups of florets.  Put the cauliflower florets in a food processor (I use my Vitamix) and pulse until it’s riced into crumbles.

SistemaLargeSteamerUsing a microwave-safe steamer (I use the Sistema 6 Cup [Large] Microwave Steamer) cook the cauliflower 7+1/2 to 10 minutes on high – you want the cauliflower done but not soggy.

TIP:  If you don’t have a microwave steamer:  Place all of the cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl and cover it with a paper towel. Microwave for 5 minutes. Remove the cauliflower and spread it on a towel to cool.  Once cauliflower is cool enough to work with, wrap in a towel and squeeze the water out.

Place the cauliflower back in the food processor (Vitamix). Blend until creamy.

Put the drained cauliflower into a large bowl (I used my stand mixer with the dough hook attachment) and add the dry ingredients.  Mix together until your dough comes together.  TIP:  Do not add more flour – it’s OK that the dough is sticky at this point.

Transfer the dough to a floured bread board or counter top. To make the dough easier to work with, you’ll want to add an additional tablespoon or two (no more than that) of flour as you roll the dough. Shape it into a ball, then wrap it in a piece of waxed paper and refrigerate the dough for about 15 minutes.  Take the dough out of the refrigerator and slice it into 4 equal sections.

Roll each section out until you have a rope about 1-inch thick.  Slice the dough into 1/2″ squares with a sharp knife.

I do a two part cooking process.  First I boil the gnocchi in rapidly boiling, salted water for 6 minutes.  Next you have the choice of how (if at all) you want to brown up your gnocchi.  I prefer to brown it to give the gnocchi a nice seal – you can decide on the degree of brownness you like.

To Sauté the gnocchi:  Using olive oil cooking spray (for the least added calories and fat), generously spray a skillet and, working in batches, place a single layer of gnocchi in the pan and then give them a light coating of olive oil spray on the exposed side.  Cook about 5 minutes per side if you like them crisp and deep brown.  You can reduce the time for lighter brown, less crispy, more traditional gnocchi.

To Oven Roast the gnocchi:  Line a cookie sheet with foil and lightly spray it with olive oil cooking spray.  Place your boiled gnocchi down in rows, spray the tops with olive oil spray and lightly season with salt & pepper.  In a preheated 425° F oven, bake for 12 minutes then turn the gnocchi over, return to the oven and continue cooking for an additional 10-12 minutes.  This will give you a nice, crispy, medium brown gnocchi.

To Serve:  I melt some butter in a skillet and add some freshly chopped basil and garlic to the butter and sauté for about 3 minutes over medium heat until the butter just starts to brown a bit.  Drizzle the sauce over the piles of gnocchi and serve immediately.  Alternatively, these hold up great in a spicy marinara sauce with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese too.  #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Nutrition Information per serving (Serves 4)

  • Calories   100
  • Net Carbs 6.75 grams
  • Fat             2.5 grams
  • Protein    5 grams

Spicy Bacon Baby Potatoes

petitepotatoesBeing Keto doesn’t mean you can’t have ANY carbs, in fact, depending on the stage you are at in your weight loss journey, you can actually enjoy a fair amount of carbs as part of your lifestyle maintenance.

At this point in my journey, I am enjoying 20 to 40 grams of carbs a couple of days a week, especially when I want a real sandwich, sweet potato, or something fun like this mini-potato recipe.

One trick I use to control my carb portions is to only prepare small amounts so I am not tempted to gorge myself on them and derail my health goals.  This recipe is perfect for doing just that.

Nutrition Information for this entire recipe (2 servings)

  • Calories 290 (145 ea)
  • Fat 18.5 grams (9.25 g ea)
  • Carbohydrates 22 grams (11 g ea)
  • Protein 7 grams (3.5 g ea)

The potatoes are an excellent source of potassium (more than a banana) and vitamin C.  Petites are also a good source of vitamin B6 and are fat, sodium and cholesterol free.

If you prefer these to be Vegetarian, omit the bacon.  The Vegetarian nutrition information is:  Calories 219  Fat 13.5 g  Carbs 22 g  Protein 3 g

Spicy Bacon Baby Potatoes

  • 5 oz (About 1 Cup or 20) baby/petite potatoes, cut in half lengthwise
  • 4 Slices Bacon, diced while raw (I use kitchen shears)
  • 1 TBLS Olive Oil
  • 1 tsp Chopped Garlic
  • 1/2 tsp Dried Red Pepper Flakes (+/-)
  • Freshly Ground Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

In a skillet heat the oil and red pepper flakes for about 1 minute on medium heat.  Add the bacon and the potatoes.  Cover and cook for about 4 minutes.  Remove the lid, turn the potatoes and finish browning the bacon.  Remove the bacon to a paper towel to drain.  Add the garlic to the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, cover and cook for 3 – 4 more minutes.

When potatoes are fork tender (total of 7-8 minutes cooking time), remove them to a small serving bowl and add the bacon back in.  Toss to distribute and add more red pepper flakes if desired.  Serve warm.  #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Pizza Egg Cups

5

I love bacon, but this #KetoGirl needs to switch things up once and a while to avoid breakfast boredom.  Enter pepperoni and breakfast is a whole new ballgame.

These are easy to prepare and a nice change from routine bacon and egg cups!  I only make a few at a time because they are a stronger flavor that I don’t really want to eat for breakfast every day during the week.  When I make these I change up breakfast with hard boiled eggs, berries and fat-free Greek yogurt, a 2 egg-veggie scramble, or breakfast pizzas.

Pepperoni Pizza Egg Cups

  • 12 Slices Unsulphured Deli Pepperoni, cut in half (I buy a pound at a time from the butcher at Whole Foods)
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 2 TBLS Milk or Heavy Cream
  • 1 Slice Provolone Cheese, cut in quarters
  • 1 TBLS Diced Green Onion
  • 2 TBLS Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Line 4 cups in a 12 hole muffin tin with the pieces of pepperoni.  Place the muffin tin in the oven and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove pan from the oven and move the semi formed pepperoni cups to new holes.  Sop up the grease from the holes they cooked in.

Place one 1/4 piece of the cheese within each pepperoni cup and the green onion between the 4 cups.  Put the pan back into the oven for 3 minutes.

Lightly beat the eggs with the milk and divide them between the 4 cups.  Sprinkle the top of each with the cheddar cheese.  Bake for an additional 9 – 10 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked through, and then remove from the oven.

Immediately loosen and remove the egg cups from the pan.  Serve immediately or store in a tightly covered container.  Reheat in microwave for 30-45 seconds.  #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Keto Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole

cheeseburgercasserole

Your family will have no clue this is Keto!  Throw a green salad alongside and it will be just like eating a bunless burger at a restaurant!  I had barely put this on the plates before my family was scarfing it down and asking for seconds.  Next time I will definitely need to double this recipe!

Keto Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole

  • 1/2 pound thick cut bacon cut into 1/2″ chunks
  • 1/2 small red onion chopped fine
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 pound 90/10 ground sirloin
  • 2 dill pickles chopped
  • 2 Roma tomatoes chopped
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 TBLS tomato paste
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2+1/2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • Cajun seasoning (if desired)
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • Frank’s Red Hot Sauce

Cook the bacon and onions in a high sided dutch oven or over sized skillet.  Drain, put into an 8 x 8 baking dish, and put into a pre-heated 350° F oven. Season the beef with the Cajun seasoning, and brown it with the garlic in the same pan used for the onion & bacon.

Combine the eggs, whipping cream and 1 Cup of the cheese and set aside.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the browned meat from the pan to get as much of the grease/liquid out as possible.  Combine the meat with the tomato paste and then layer the meat mixture on on top of the bacon.  Next add tomatoes and pickles to the top of the meat layer in the pan.  Pour the egg mixture over the top of everything (Do NOT stir).  Top with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 15 – 22 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and browned on top.  Let the casserole set 5 – 10 minutes before cutting.

Mine served 6 very generous portions. Serve with Frank’s Red Hot sauce. You could also make it fancy and top with lettuce and some diced tomato & avocado. This recipe is definitely a keeper.  #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Air Fried Coconut Shrimp

You might be able to tell I’m obsessed with my air fryer.  It’s so stinkin’ easy to use, clean up, and it’s great for healthy cooking!  The best part of having the air fryer is that the possibilities with it are endless.  All I’ve had to do so far is go to Google for recipe inspiration.  Today’s ingredient: raw shrimp.

airfriedcoconutshrimp

Coconut Shrimp with Honey Lime Sauce

  • 1/2 Cup Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour
  • 1+1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 2 Large Eggs (I use Eggland’s Best)
  • 2/3 Cup Unsweetened Flaked Coconut
  • 1/3 Cup Panko Crumbs
  • 24 Medium Peeled, Deveined Raw Shrimp, Tail-on
  • Olive Oil Cooking Spray
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/4 Cup Honey
  • 1/4 Cup Lime Juice
  • 1 Serrano Chile, thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp Chopped Fresh Cilantro (Optional)

Stir together flour and pepper in a shallow dish.  Lightly beat eggs in a second shallow dish.  Stir together coconut and Panko in a third shallow dish.  Holding each shrimp by the tail, dredge shrimp in flour mixture, making sure not to coat tail; shake off excess.  Dip in egg, allowing any excess to drip off.  Dredge in coconut mixture, pressing to adhere.  Coat shrimp well with cooking spray.

Place half of the shrimp in air fryer basket in a single layer, and cook at 400°F until golden, 6 to 8 minutes, turning shrimp over halfway through cooking.  If you have larger shrimp it may take up to 10 minutes.  Season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.  Repeat with remaining shrimp and salt.

While shrimp cook, whisk together honey, lime juice, and Serrano chile in small bowl. Sprinkle shrimp with cilantro, if desired.  Serve with sauce.  Note: If you are keeping to a Keto lifestyle, skip the honey based sauce and just squeeze a bit of lime juice on instead.

Serving size 6 shrimp.  #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Nutrition Information per serving (Shrimp only – no sauce):  Calories 213  Fat 11  Carbs 9  Protein 14

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

Cooking Frozen Chicken Breasts

airfriedchickenSometimes, when you haven’t planned ahead, you get backed into a corner trying to make dinner with no thawed meat.  If you have a bag of #FlashFrozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts in your freezer, you don’t have to #ThrowInTheTowel and call for a pizza.  With your air fryer you can still salvage a quick and healthy dinner and look like you planned it all along.

Usually air frying thawed boneless chicken breasts at 375° F, takes about 13 minutes.  When they are frozen I kick the temperature up and add 6 to 12 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the breasts.

4 breasts fit in my Dash 6 quart air fryer, so I place them into the basket, set my temperature to 400° F and set the timer for 18 minutes. 

Open the fryer at about 8 minutes to turn the breasts over (for even browning) and continue cooking.  Check each chicken breast at about 14 minutes, by slicing into the thickest part of the breast, in order to ensure that is well-done.  Mine weren’t quite done at 14 minutes, so I added another 4 minutes and they came out perfectly browned, juicy and ready to decide what to do with them.

I can shred the breasts and turn them into #ChickenTacos,  cut the breasts into strips to top a #ChickenSalad, cut them into chunks and toss with some Buffalo sauce to eat as a snack, leave the breasts whole to serve alongside some vegetables for a healthy, low carb dinner, or leave them whole and make a #ChickenSandwich on grilled sourdough or a hamburger bun.  Once the chicken is cooked, you’re limited only by what other ingredients you have on hand. #ThisGirlLovesToEat