Ham and Cabbage Soup

This was something I made last night that is not only low in calories, but low in carbs AND pretty low in fat (for those who might need to know that). It turned out DELICIOUS and hubby REALLY liked it. It was easy and you can eat a hearty portion of it without fear of ruining "your day".

3 pork shanks (try to get shanks instead of hocks as these have more meat)
10 cups water
4 teaspoons chicken bouillon
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 dashes hot sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup diced carrot
22 ounces cabbage, chopped
11 ounces lean ham

1. Put all ingredients except cabbage and lean ham into a 6 qt pot. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 2 hrs. Remove shanks, let cool, and retrieve meat from them, and then put the meat back into the pot. Add the lean ham and the cabbage at this time.

2. Simmer until the cabbage is soft, about 20-30 minutes.

Makes 12 - 1 cup Servings:

Calories: 100

Fat: 4

Sat. Fat: 1

Carb: 5

Fiber: 2

Protein: 10

Thai Chicken Broccoli Salad

I made this last night for dinner and was really worried my DH wouldn't like it. Ever since he quit smoking two years ago his tastes have changed QUITE a bit. We don't like super spicy things, so this just barely had a zing. You could certainly add more red pepper flakes if you wanted to make it MUCH spicer.

We he came home and took a bite, he said "It tastes like it has peanut butter in it". I said "Yes, dear, Thai food uses peanut sauces" and he wrinkled his nose. He did go back for 2nds which is kind of unusual for him, but he'd only give it a 5. Although this is from a man that gives Hamburger Helper a 10. So take that for what it's worth. I definately gave it a 8 or 9. It was DELICIOUS!!!

4 ounces dreamfields Pasta ( this is the low-carb pasta we use - I do NOT gain weight eating small amounts of it)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
11 ounces Chicken Breast
3/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups broccoli florets
6 each green onions
1/4 cup peanut butter, natural
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Cook pasta according to the directions, making sure it's al dente. Omit Salt. Drain

2. Add coconut oil to pan and heat over med-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering add the chicken. Stir fry the chicken for 5 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.

3. Add broccoli and 2 tabl of water to the pan. Cover the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Uncover and add the bell pepper and the green onions and stir fry for 2 minutes longer. Everything will be tender crisp. Add the chicken to the bowl of pasta and put the vegetables on top.

4. Meanwhile, combine the peanut butter, 2 tabl of VERY hot water, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and garlic powder in a small bowl. If it doesn't get creamy then microwave it for 30 seconds. Stir til creamy. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Serves 4

One serving:

Calories: 365
Fat: 17
S. Fat: 5
Carbs: 12
Fiber: 3
Protein: 24

Hummus

I've been looking for a store bought hummus that's tasty but would you believe that most major brand have High Fructose Corn Syrup in them!! Aggg - that means, I'll have to make my own. I figure it would be hard to find Tahini (sort of like Sesame butter) in my small town but was pleasantly surprised to see my local small town grocery has a nice health food section and there it sat on the shelf! So here's my version of Hummus. I LOVED it and I made my friends at the local Starbucks - of whom most had never HEARD of hummus try it and they LIKED it!! I also gave them a piece of my "homemade" LC tortilla made into a "chip" (Mission Carb Balance Tortilla - toasted in the oven with garlic powder on it).


1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1/4 cup water
14 ounces chickpeas, canned
1/2 cup tahini
1 teaspoon salt


PLACE all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth, scraping the sides occasionally.


Makes 2 Cups
2 tabl = 1 serving

Calories: 75
Fat: 4
S. Fat: 1
Carbs: 8
Fiber: 2
Protein: 3

Carbquik Pancakes

Again, real pictures, no doctoring up. I made these straight off of the box. I used coconut oil to fry in. As in regular pancakes the first ones turned out kind of greasy but the rest were sort of "strange" looking. I thought they tasted fine. My husband noted the crunchy ones tasted like "pancake dust". LOL With sugar free syrup they were a fair substitute. I'm still going to look for a "real" texture. These would be VERY band friendly as they were a bit on the flat crunchier side!


2 cups carbquik - LC Baking Mix
1/8 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup water
1 stick butter, melted
1/8 cup water

Stir together and cook following directions on the box.

Made 8 pancakes - 1 pancake:

Calories: 234 (a little on the high side for me)
Fat: 20
S. Fat: 10
Carbs: 20
Fiber: 16
Protein: 8

Cream Cheese Crockpot Chicken

Cream Cheese Crockpot Chicken

This is a creamy delicious dish that even your non-low-carb friends (isn't that about everyone we know! LOL) will love. We serve it over a very SMALL amount of Dreamfields pasta (like 2oz of cooked pasta).


4 each Chicken Breast - skinless boneless
3 each Chicken Thighs - bone-in with skin (my hubby LOVES the skin)
2 tablespoons butter
1 package Italian Dressing Mix - Good Seasons
7 ounces chopped onions, frozen
14 ounces condensed cream of mushroom soup
8 ounces lowfat cream cheese
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 dash salt
1 dash pepper


1. Brush chicken with butter and sprinkle with the dry Italian seasoning mix/ (I did two layers in my crockpot to make sure that the Italian seasoning got on all the chicken and not just those pieces on top.) Do this on both sides.

2. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or cook on high for 3-4 hrs.

3. About 45 minutes before done, brown the onion in the butter and then add the cream cheese, soup, and chicken broth to the saucepan. Add the crushed garlic and stir all ingredients until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Drain some of the liquid in the crockpot (about half) and pour sauce mixture over chicken and cook an additional 30-45 minutes.

5. Remove chicken to platter and stir sauce before ladling some over the chicken and serving the rest in a gravy boat. Serve over faux rice or LC pasta.

For 4oz of meat and 1/4 cup of sauce:

Calories: 307
Fat: 21
S. Fat: 8
Carbs: 6
Fiber: Trace
Protein: 26gms

Sour Cream Spinach

This is a new recipe for my family by Dana Carpender's 15 minute Low Carb Recipes.

Wow!! All I can say is this was FABULOUS. I mean it, it's going to be a favorite and used over and over again! My husband, who does not like spinach said "Hmm, tastes like yard greens". So he didn't eat it! LOL But please remember he doesn't like cooked spinach. So take the cue that if you have a non-spinach lover, this one will NOT win them over. But if you like spinach, you'll most likely like this.

It has a very slightly tangy taste and creamy all at the same time.

Sour Cream Spinach

10 ounces frozen spinach
2 ounces frozen onions
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Take spinach out of packaging and put in microwave safe bowl. Add a couple tablespoons of water, cover and zap it on High for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, start sauteing the onion in the butter over medium-high heat.

When the microwave goes "ding", check to see if the spinach is done - you want it good and hot right through, but not cooked to death. If there's still a cold spot in the middle, stir in and put it back for another 2 minutes on High.

When the spinach is cooked and the onion is translucent, drain the spinach and stir it into the onion, combining well. Stir in the sour cream and the vinegar, heat it through without letting it simmer, then serve.

1/3 recipe yields:

Calories: 106

Fat: 8

Sat. Fat: 5

Carbs: 7

Fiber: 3

Protein: 4

Low Carb Sausage Gravy with Carbsquik Biscuits

I wanted everyone to get a REAL view of what the Carbquik biscuits REALLY look like and not a doctored "food stylists" version. They don't puff up much and I followed a recipe and they recommended a certain amount of time and it was TOO long. They could have been LESS done for my taste. Also next time (and I will update at the bottom of this blog when I do it) I will use Baking POWDER rather than the baking soda that was recommended.

Overall I couldn't believe I was eating a REAL biscuit. I was in heaven. Seriously, I haven't had a biscuit in a LONGGGGGGG time. Mainly because my band does not tolerate it well, but this was dinner, so my band was looser, and honestly I should have eaten ONE less egg and biscuit and I would have had plenty to eat. Whoops - oh well, kind of a high calorie day. I did have some Jok n' Al Blueberry Jelly - I'll be giving a review of that soon! :o)

LC Sausage Gravy

1 pound Sausage - Jimmy Dean
2 cups 2% Calorie Countdown Milk
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons carbalose Flour

Crumble sausage and cook in large skillet over a medium heat, until browned. Mix in the flour until completely dissolved. Slowly, stir in milk then cook the gravy until it thickens and starts to bubble. Add some season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top biscuits with the hot gravy and serve. Place the leftovers in the refrigerator.

My husband who is a HUGE HUGE HUGE biscuit and gravy fan found this quite appetizing. OK, he liked it. He really did, I promise and I LOVED it!!! OMG, to eat a biscuit with jelly. I was in HEAVEN!!! Oh and the sausage gravy was delicious too!

1/2 cup serving:
Calories: 257
Fat: 23
Sat. Fat: 8
Carbs: 3
Fiber: 1
Protein: 10

CARBQUIK BISCUITS

2 cups carbquik - LC Baking Mix
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/8 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat oven to 350. Place dry mix in mixer bowl. On low speed, slowly add liquid until dough forms. Do not overwork the dough (mine was rather crumbly so I squeezed it a bit).

Place on counter covered with light layer of Carbquik. Roll into a 1/2" thick sheet. But with 1/2" circles ( a glass worked fine for me). Place on a greased cookie sheet. Brush with butter.

Bake for 15 minutes and check or until golden (watch them, they'll be golden inside and out if you cook too long). Brush with butter when done.

Yields 9 biscuits - 1 biscuit was:

Calories: 152
Fat: 11
Sat. Fat: 5
Carbs: 18
Fiber: 14 (wow what a fiber PUNCH)
Protein: 7

Szechuan Chicken

I took this from another low-carb website that I believe is no longer blogging/podcasting. I tweaked it myself and this is what I came out with:

Szechuan Chicken

4 each Chicken Breast - (like the kind you get in bags at Walmart - frozen but defrosted)

3 tablespoons almond meal
3 tablespoons coconut flour - Bobs Red Mill
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
5 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 drop liquid splenda
1/4 cup water
4 green onions, cut 1" long each
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (we are wimps when it comes to heat - but this wasn't even enough for a zing - I'd probably do more next time).

Cut the chicken into 1" cubes. Roll around in the mixed together almond meal (flour) and coconut flour. Heat up oil in pan. Cook chicken in oil until browned. Add the remaining ingredients and cook an additional 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. At the end stir in the cayenne and the green onions. Cook an additional 1-2minutes.

I served this over Dreamfields pasta (we just DON'T like the faux rice). You could serve this over brown rice if your carbs allowed for it. Or just eat it plain as well. It is NOT saucy. It's sort of pasty. Reminds me of a peanut butter sauce (not in taste - but texture). I liked it and would give it a 6 - my husband gave it a 4. That means "dear I appreciate the effort but don't make this again- hey how about a hamburger instead?".

Nutritional Information for 4oz of meat with clinging sauce NO noodles are in this count:

Calories: 274

Fat: 14

Sat. Fat: 8

Carbs: 11

Fiber: 3

Protein: 27

Tinkerbell's Jello Salad

If you have noticed we're Disney fans and I LOVE Tinkerbell. When I found this recipe on the internet I was SO excited. I've added the pineapple myself, but it's good without it as well. I give the counts for both with pineapple and without.

Tinkerbell Jello Salad


1 package artificially sweetened LIME Jello (diet)
2 cups water
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup cabbage, finely chopped
1/3 cup pecan, finely chopped
1/2 cup crushed pineapple in juice (unsweetened)


1. Cook jello by package directions (only using 1/2 cup of cold water if you use the pineapple - otherwise follow the directions and use 1 cup of cold water). Add mayonaise and cabbage, pineapple (with liquid) and pecans. Stir well.

2. Keep stirring as it hardens or the cabbage and pecans will float to the top.

1/2 cup serving WITH pineapple:

Calories: 128
Fat: 13
S. Fat: 2
Carbs: 4
Fiber: 1
Protein: 1

1/2 cup serving withOUT pineapple:
Calories: 121
Fat: 13
S. Fat: 2
Carbs: 2
Fiber: 1
Protein: 1

Butter Baked Chicken

Anyone love Cracker Barrel's Butter Baked Chicken? It's available on Tuesday nights. OMG, it's wonderful. So I was on a quest to make a lower-carb version of it for my family. Here is what I came up with. Let me know if you try it and how you liked it:

Butter Baked Chicken


4 3/4 pounds Whole Chicken - Cut Up Fryer TYSON
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup coconut flour - Bobs Red Mill
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup butter
10 1/2 ounces cream of chicken soup, condensed
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup water


1. Melt butter in a 13x9" pan by putting the butter in the pan and putting it in the oven (I had to use a 13x9 and an 8x8 to get my super big bird cooked). Dip chicken in 1/2 cup of evaporated milk. Roll in mixture of flours and spices and place in pan(s) skin side down. Bake in 425 degree oven for 30 minutes.

2. After 30 mintues, take out the chicken and turn over. Mix up the 3/4 cup of evaporated milk and the soup and the water. Pour AROUND the chicken - not covering it. Cook another 30 minutes or until the chicken registers done on a thermometer.

For a 4oz serving and 2 tabl of gravy:

Calories: 313
Fat: 22
S. Fat: 8
Carbs: 6
Fiber: 1
Protein: 23

Now these nutritional totals are from what you REALLY use (you don't use all the flour or milk).