Kelp Noodle Alfredo

Clearly I am missing pasta a bit because as soon as I finished my leftover Eggplant Parmesan with Spaghetti Squash, I found myself wanting more noodles. This time I decided to do a low carb twist on Fettuccine Alfredo using kelp noodles in place of pasta. I even made the sauce from scratch! (original recipe can be found here) Now I have sooo many dishes to clean. I really need to find myself a man who can tolerate my cooking, and who doesn't mind doing dishes... Hell maybe he will even do laundry--then I would truly be living the dream! Next time I might add a little red pepper or something to give it some kick, but all in all, for eating a plate of seaweed, it was delish! I served this with chicken (seasoned with McCormick's Original Chicken Seasoning) and spinach sauteed in olive oil and garlic. 

Ingredients

• 1 package Sea Tangle Kelp Noodles
• 2 tbsp. butter (I used Smart Balance Original Buttery Spread)
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp. white pepper
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 tsp. parsley
• black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Add package of kelp noodles to boiling water--let cook for 15-20 minutes
• In a small saucepan, melt butter.
• Add heavy whipping cream, garlic, and white pepper, and bring mixture to a simmer--stir often.
• Add Parmesan cheese, and simmer sauce for 8-10 minutes, or until sauce has thickened and is smooth.
• Add mozzarella and stir frequently.
• Stir in parsley and black pepper.
• Drain kelp noodles, add sauce, and stir well. Simmer on medium-high heat until noodles have softened (stir often so that sauce does not burn).

Like I said, I served this with chicken and spinach. The Kelp Noodle Alfredo would be great all by itself, or with any combination of protein (chicken, sausage, steak) and/or vegetable (spinach, broccoli, squash, eggplant). Be creative!

Eggplant Parmesan with Spaghetti Squash

I had a very bad experience cooking eggplant once, and to be honest, I have avoided it like the plague for years. Recently, I was inspired by a friend to give eggplant a second chance, and tonight was a success! I think the trick is to bake, grill, or fry it before actually dressing the vegetable up to cook. I suppose the only way that the eggplant could have been any better is if it were breaded and deep fried, but hey, you win some, you lose some! Fair warning about the amount of ingredients that I used... I sorta "Rachel Ray'd" it, and didn't measure anything. As long as your eggplants are covered in sauce, and then covered in cheese, you really can't go wrong with this awesome vegetarian dish!

Ingredients

For spaghetti squash:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 tsp. basil (or other desired seasoning)

For eggplant:

• 1 eggplant, sliced in ~1/2 inch thick slices
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• 1 cup tomato sauce (I used Classico Tomato and Basil.. I'm a fan of this brand because there aren't any added sugars)
• 6-8 oz shredded mozarella cheese (I used shredded mozarellan and provolone)
• 3-4 oz shredded parmesan cheese
• Italian seasoning to taste

Instructions

For spaghetti squash:

• Preheat oven to 375 F
• Take a fork and pierce the spaghetti squash a few times.
• Place in a baking dish in the oven for 1.5 hours (I only cooked mine for 1 hour, and my squash was still a little crunchy.. so give it the full 1.5 hours)
• When the squash is tender, remove from oven. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tbsp. of butter in a pot, and add 2 cloves of crushed garlic.
• Slice squash in half, and discard center with the seeds. 
• Scrape the spaghetti squash flesh with a fork, creating long strands--Add these to the melted butter and garlic mixture, and saute.
• Add dried herbs of your choice (I used basil).

For eggplant:

• Preheat oven to 375 F (your spaghetti squash will already be cooking at this temperature)
• Slice eggplant into ~1/2 inch thick slices
• Season slices with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil.
• Heat frying pan to medium-high heat, cooking slices of eggplant until slightly brown on each side.
• Place these slices in a single layer on a 9x13 baking pan (these can also be layered in a smaller baking pan between sauce and cheese)
• Season with italian seasoning.
• Top the eggplant slices with spoonfuls of tomato sauce.
• Spring a layer of mozarella cheese, followed by a layer of Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in oven for about a half hour, or until the cheese just begins to brown.
• Serve over spaghetti squash.
• Top with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Pancakes

Last weekend I placed my first order with netrition.com, and was very pleased with the prices (minus Atkins bars, those were a bit pricey compared to Walmart), shipping costs ($4.95 flat rate shipping!), and speed of delivery (as promised, my order arrived in two business days). I ordered two 3 lb boxes of Carbquik, and 10 bags of Kelp Noodles! So exciting. It's been a while since I have had a box of Carbquik handy, so naturally, I have been experimenting, and all I can say is that these pancakes are GOOD! I followed the recipe on the side of the Carbquik box (adding about a tbsp. of Splenda, and a tsp. of vanilla extract), and wow! I served them with Sugar Free IHOP Syrup, but if you're avoiding sugar alcohols, these pancakes are buttery and delicious plain.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Carbquik
• 1/8 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup water (or use 3/4 cup half-and-half instead of cream and water)
• 1 stick butter (melted) --I used Smart Balance Original Buttery Spread
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons water
• Vegetable oil sprays
• 1 tbsp. granulated Splenda
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Sugar Free IHOP syrup (optional)

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Adjust water as needed to make a smooth, pourable batter
• Mix just enough to combine all ingredients. Do not over mix. 
• Ladle portions onto sprayed griddle or frying pan heated to medium high heat. 
• Flip when bubbles form and edges are cooked.
• Serve with sugar free syrup if desired.

Stuffed Zucchini

Zucchini is such a versatile vegetable! I'm amazed when I think back to "not liking" zucchini prior to getting creative with low carb cooking a couple years back. Now I use zucchini for everything... mini pizzas, lasagna, alfredo, in stir fry... the possibilities are endless. I found this recipe for stuffed zucchini on Kayotic Kitchen, and followed their recipe exactly. They make for a tasty (and healthy) side dish or appetizer to any meal! Making them was a little tedious (particularly scooping out the zucchini guts), but I still very much enjoyed my stuffed zucchinis. Leftovers also even reheat well in the toaster oven!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp sour cream
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tomato (chopped)
• 1 tsp thyme
• 2 zucchinis
• 1 onion (chopped)
• olive oil
• cheese
• pepper
• bacon (optional).. yum!

Instructions

• Scrub zucchinis, then cut length wise. I cut the ends off of the zucchinis.
• Spoon out the zucchini pulp until you have remaining "zucchini boats". Place the pulp in a bowl and give it a good chop. 
• Add 1/2 chopped tomato.
• Saute chopped onion in olive oil.
• When the onions are almost done, add 1/4 tsp. curry powder. Cook for 30 seconds (not any longer, or the curry powder will turn bitter).
• Cook and crumble a few slices of bacon (optional)
• Add 1 tsp. dried thyme, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 heaping tbsp sour cream, a good pinch of pepper, the zucchini pulp, the tomato and crumbled bacon in as well.
• Fill zucchini boats with the mixture, sprinkle with cheese, and bake for 20 minutes at 400 F.

Creamy Tomato Soup

Still in that boring class. The picture that I'm posting with this tomato soup was taken prior to getting back on the low carb horse. Ergo, the croutons. But the soup is delicious without the croutons... I promise. I'm obsessed with Panera Bread's Creamy Tomato Soup. It is so good, and thick, and creamy, and cheesy, with a slight kick. Perfect for a cold day. Perfect with a salad. Perfect all by itself. Heidi's copycat recipe at Housewifery was spot on. I did add about 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, like the comments suggested... Yes, yes, YES! The soup is a little on the chunky side, so depending on your preference, you might want to run it through a blender when you're all done.

Ingredients

• olive oil
• small onion, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 28 oz can crushes tomatoes
• 1 tsp. Splenda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
• 4 oz heavy whipping cream

Instructions

• Coat bottom of large sauce pan with olive oil over medium-high heat.
• Add small shopped onion and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add spices. 
• Remove from heat and stir.
• Add crushed tomatoes and return to heat.
• Add Splenda and salt.
• Add 2 cups of water.
• Bring to a boil and let simmer for 15 minutes.
• Add Parmesan cheese, stir.
• Add heavy whipping cream.

Crock Pot Pot Roast

I am sitting here in the most boring lecture in the history of lectures, so I decided that it would be an excellent time to post about this amazing crock pot recipe. I broke my crock pot a couple months ago (don't ever try to re-heat something in the pot on the stove.. bad life choice), but this is a regular in my rotation. The recipe is originally from Crepes of Wrath. Naturally I do not use potatoes in my recipe. Instead, I throw in a bag of fresh green beans. I'm also not sure whether to file this under Main Courses or Soup. It eats like an main course, but at the same time, you're going to want to serve this in a bowl with a spoon!

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 lb boneless chuck roast
• 32 oz low-sodium beef broth or stock
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp. honey (I know it's carbs, but 1 tbsp=17 carbs... But this recipe yields 4-6 servings).
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 3 tsp. allspice
• 2 tsp. rosemary
• 5 large sized carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 large onion, sliced thinly
• 1 bag of fresh green beans
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Spray your crock pot generously with Pam or line it with a crock pot liner.
• Pour the beef stock, balsamic vinegar, honey and tomato paste into the crock pot. Stir it together and add in the paprika, allspice, rosemary, salt and pepper to taste.
• Toss in half of the vegetables and place your chuck roast on top of everything. Toss in the rest of the vegetables and stir everything all together as best you can, making sure that the beef is mostly submerged in the broth.
• Set the crock pot on low and cover. Let it cook for 6-8 hours on low. If you can, check on it every so often and give it a little stir (this isn’t necessary if you are away from the house).
• When ready, move the roast to a cutting board and slice to serve. Mine pretty much just fell apart right in the crock pot. Serve with the vegetables and juices from the meat and broth.

Avocado Chicken Salad Salad

After my Colby Jack Cheese and Avocado Omelette this morning, I had half of a leftover avocado that I wanted to use before it went brown.  I also had some leftover roasted chicken breast that wasn’t getting any younger in my fridge. I was very pleased with the result! It was so flavorful that I didn’t even use any dressing on the salad—and trust me, I love my dressing. 

Ingredients

• 6-8 oz fully cooked roasted chicken breast
• ½ avocado
• 1 tbsp.  Smart Balance Light Mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Mix
• 2 sticks of celery, chopped
• Fresh spinach
• Cucumber
• Black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Place fully cooked roasted chicken breast in the food processor. Pulse a few times until desired consistency (I kept mine a little chunky). Canned chicken would also work fine.
• Stir in the mayonnaise, and mash in the avocado. Mix in the Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Mix.
• Serve over a bed of spinach and cucumbers.  Sprinkle with fresh black pepper.

Almond Cookies

Low carb desserts can be tricky! Nut flours and butters are usually a good starting point for any low carb dessert in place of flour. For this recipe, I used Bob's Red Mill Almond Meal/Flour. Whole Foods usually sells this, but sometimes you can find it cheaper at Walmart (I bought two bags!)  These almond cookies actually tasted like legitimately "bad for you" almond cookies! Guilt free! I wouldn't have minded them a tad sweeter, but when my friend who is usually quite critical of my culinary adventures sampled them this afternoon, his eyes popped, and he actually told me that they were "great!" and "don't change anything!". This recipe was modified slightly from justcallmetoni in that I used Granulated Splenda, opposed to their suggested Splenda Sugar Blend which actually contains sugar.

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/2 cup Granulated Splenda
• 1/2 cup softened butter (I used Smart Balance Original Buttery Spread)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 egg
• 3-4 small pieces of sugar free chocolate

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• Melt butter. Add remaining ingredients and mix together.
• Form dough into walnut sized balls and place onto ungreased cookie sheet. The oil from the butter and almond flour grease the sheet as the cookies bake.
• Bake for 5 minutes. Press down lightly with fork, then continue to bake another 18 minutes. The cookies do not brown.
• Let cool on sheet for 5 minutes before removing.
• Drizzle with sugar free chocolate (I melted 3 squares of Sugar Free Hershey Bars in a zip lock bag, took scissors and snipped a tiny corner off the bag, and drizzled over the cookies.

Almond Crusted Parmesan Paprika Chicken

Honestly, grilled chicken breast gets boring reeeally fast when you’re counting carbs. But there are ways for that chicken breast to get its groove back! This recipe uses crushed almonds, Parmesan cheese, and paprika to crust chicken breasts, resulting in a crunchy chicken tender-like taste! They are even better, and crispier, the second day after toasting them in the toaster oven. I think that they taste wonderful plain, but would also be an excellent base for a chicken Parmesan recipe. Just splash on some marinara sauce, and top with some mozzarella for an Italian twist on a classic.

Ingredients

• 3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin (6 pieces total)
• 1-2 egg whites (I use All Whites 100% Liquid Egg Whites)
• 1 cup unsalted almonds
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp paprika
• black pepper to taste
• cooking spray

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 350 F
• In a food processor, roughly process the almonds. You want the consistency to be more course than almond flour/meal. 
• Stir in Parmesan cheese, paprika, and black pepper.
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the thin sliced chicken breasts onto the sheet, and paint the tops with egg whites. Sprinkle almond-Parmesan-paprika mixture evenly over the chicken.
• Spray the chicken with cooking spray
• Bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts, or until chicken is cooked thoroughly.
• For the last couple minutes, try turning on the broiler to give the chicken an extra crunch. Be careful not to burn.
• If you have leftovers, these toast up quite nicely in the toaster oven.

Colby Jack Cheese Omelette with Avocado

One of the avocados that I bought yesterday was feeling just about ripe this morning, so I decided to take a different twist on this otherwise pretty standard low carb cheese omelette for breakfast. Sometimes you just want something different, and the addition of avocado was just what the doctor ordered! Avocados are a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamins C,K, folate, and B6. Not to mention, antioxidants such as lycopene and beta-carotene are better absorbed with the healthy monounsaturated fat avocados have in abundance.

Ingredients

• 1 jumbo egg (the yolk helps everything hold together better, unlike a pure egg white omelette)
• 2 egg whites (I like to use All Whites 100% Liquid Egg Whites)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp Smart Balance Original Buttery Spread
• 1/4 cup shredded colby jack cheese
• 1/2 avocado, diced

Instructions

• In a mug, beat 1 jumbo egg with 2 egg whites. Add black pepper and stir.
• Melt butter in a frying pan, add egg mixture, when ready, flip and cook the other side.
• Flip back to original position, add colby jack cheese to half of the omelette, and fold over.
• Transfer to plate, top with diced avocado.

Thai Peanut Chicken

This Thai peanut chicken is the recipe that my mom requests every time I am home, even if we aren’t actively low carbing. Even my dad compared this to something from The Cheesecake Factory (I’m going to assume he was maybe talking about their Bang-Bang Chicken and Shrimp?) Naturally, if my amateur cooking is being compared to a dish from The Cheesecake Factory, I am feeling like a superstar! This recipe is also stupid easy, and pretty much fool proof. It’s great on romaine lettuce wraps (as pictured), as a noodle dish (of course, with the ever versatile Kelp Noodles), or all by itself.

Ingredients

• 3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• ground ginger (to taste)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• olive oil
• 1 bag shredded cabbage/carrots (try Fresh Express 3 Color Deli Cole Slaw)
• 1 can water chestnuts, rinsed and drained
• 4 sticks of celery, sliced and chopped
• head of romaine lettuce

Sauce

• 6 tbsp peanut butter (I use Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter, which does not have any added sugars)
• 4 tbsp warm water
• 4 packets of Splenda
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 4 tbsp soy sauce

Instructions

• Combine ingredients for peanut sauce, set aside.  Sauce will be thick.
• Heat oil, garlic, and ginger in a wok or non-stick pan.
• Add chicken, stir-frying until thoroughly cooked.
• Add water chestnuts and celery, stir. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Add bag of cabbage/carrots, tossing and cooking until cabbage begins to slightly wilt.
• Drain as much liquid off as possible.
• Add sauce, coat chicken and vegetables evenly.
• Serve on lettuce wrap (or with kelp noodles, or solo!)

Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Soup

This decadent soup was inspired by Chef Michael Smith, substituting my beloved Kelp Noodles for the rice noodles that the recipe called for. I also made some other substitutions such as Ground Ginger in place of a small knob of frozen ginger, cilantro leaves without the roots, and lime juice minus the zest and leaves. When I made this, a friend came over to sample, and he was thoroughly impressed–he said that it tasted like an authentic soup from a Thai restaurant! I should make this again while the weather is still cool. It really is quite delish!

Ingredients

• 2 14 oz cans of coconut milk (I used A Taste of Thai coconut milk.. the full fat stuff!)
• 1 heaping tbsp Thai curry paste
• 2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 2 stalks lemon grass, halved lengthwise, woody leaves removed
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp Asian Gourmet Ground Ginger (this wasn’t powdered… I found it in the International section of my grocery store).
• large handful bean sprouts
• 1 package Sea Tangle Kelp Noodles
• 1 bunch cilantro leaves, rinsed well
• 2-3 green onions, thinly sliced
• sprinkle or two salt or soy sauce

Instructions

• Scoop the thick coconut cream from the top one of the cans into a large stockpot set over a medium-high heat.
• Melt the cream, add the curry paste and stir for a few minutes until they begin to sizzle.
• Add 1/3 cilantro roots and chicken and saute until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Add the coconut juice from the first can and all the contents of the second can along with the chicken broth, carrot, lime leaves, lemon grass, ginger, fish sauce and lime juice.  Simmer for 20 minutes or so.
• Stir in the bean sprouts. Add the kelp noodles, gently pushing them beneath the surface of the broth. Turn off the heat and let stand until the noodles soften, about 5-10 minutes.
• Stir in most of the cilantro leaves. Remove the lemon grass stalks. Taste and season with a touch more salt (or soy sauce) as needed.
• Garnish with the green onions and remaining cilantro leaves.

Shrimp Stir-Fry with Kelp Noodles

This is one of my favorite recipes, and my old faithful wok has never disappointed me in stir-frying. This can be made with shrimp (as pictured), or chicken, or both–you really can’t go wrong! As for the Kelp Noodles, I’m sure that you are skeptical–I was too… but let me just say that they fry up to taste a little bit like lo mein noodles in this recipe. Nom! They can be difficult to find, but I have purchased them in the past at Whole Foods. You can also order them online from various websites. They are a million times better than those rancid smelling Shirataki noodles, and absolutely shine in this dish!

Ingredients

• 1 lb frozen shrimp, thawed, de-veined, and de-shelled
• olive oil
• 1 package Kikkoman Stir-Fry Seasoning Mix
• 1 can diced water chestnuts, rinsed and drained
• 4 sticks of celery, sliced and chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 package Sea Tangle Kelp Noodles

Instructions

• Bring pot of water to boil, add kelp noodles and reduce heat–let them cook for 15-20 minutes.
• Add 3 tbsp warm water to Kikkoman Stir-Fry Seasoning Mix, set aside.
• Turn wok to high and heat oil, add shrimp, and cook until shrimp are pink.
• Add diced water chestnuts and chopped celery, cook for 1.5 minutes.
• Add chopped zucchini, cook for an additional 1.5 minutes.
• Drain as much water as possible before adding kelp noodles and sauce mixture.
• Add kelp noodles and sauce, saute for 2 minutes.

Italian Sausage, Spinach and Squash in a Garlic, Basil, and Crushed Red Pepper Sauce

Today I was craving sausage.. and garlic.. and cheese.. and all over Italian goodness, minus my arch-nemesis pasta (of course), and so this simple, nifty creation was born. I couldn’t decide whether to make a red meat sauce, or an Alfredo sauce, or a seasoned oil based sauce, but the latter prevailed. Perhaps in the future I will try these other possibilities, but for today I chose to use dried basil, crushed red pepper, garlic, and olive oil, and I am quite satisfied with the result!

Ingredients

• 1 package of Italian sausage (I used Hillshire Farm Hot & Spicy Italian Style Smoked Sausage)
• olive oil
• 5 cups of fresh spinach leaves
• 1 large zucchini
• 1 large yellow squash
• 2-3 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper (can use more if you want more of a “kick”)
• Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Grill Italian sausage, cut up, and set aside.
• Saute fresh spinach leaves in olive oil and 1 clove of crushed garlic until leaves have wilted. Set aside.
• Cut up zucchini and yellow squash. Saute in olive oil, dried basil, red pepper, 1 clove of crushed garlic, and juices from the cooked spinach until tender.
• Add spinach and sausage. Simmer for an additional 2 minutes.
• Top with Parmesan Cheese