Baked Salmon & Asparagus

Salmon is very easy to make. A lot of people get scared to cook it but the truth is, there isn’t a much faster food, that tastes delicious around. The trick is getting the right Salmon. You want wild salmon bought from a good market. You can buy fillets or steaks. It should not smell fishy at all.

Asparagus Ingredients and Instructions

1 LB Fresh Asparagus Spears

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 TSP Himalayan Sea Salt (or Air Dried Pink Salt is even better)

1/4 TSP Fresh Ground Black Pepper

2 TBS Olive Oil or Coconut Oil

1/4 Cup Butter or Coconut Oil

Trim asparagus spears by breaking off the hard end and carefully peeling the hard layer off the stems with a vegetable peeler. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat, turn up to medium high stir in olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic but don’t allow to brown. Add in the asparagus and cook for 10 minutes turning often to ensure that asparagus is evenly cooked and coated with seasonings.

Baked Salmon Ingredients and Instructions

(4)  3 ounce Salmon Fillets

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Olive Oil to Drizzle

• On a non stick baking sheet place seasoned fillets skin side down.
• Drizzle with olive oil.
• Bake at 450 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes until fish flakes easily.

Serve with asparagus on the side.

Cabbage Wraps

There are many versions of cabbage wraps. These are low carb, delicious and easy to make. Enjoy them with some sour cream. They’re really an entire meal, but if you want to fix something on the side try cucumber salad. You can also mix this up by serving the cooked filling (just sauté it all in pan) with raw cabbage leaves to wrap the fillings right at the table, or you can cook it and serve hot like below.

Ingredients:

Filling

2 lbs Ground Meat (turkey, chicken or beef is excellent)

1/2 Cup Onion, chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

2 Large Eggs, lightly beaten

3 TBS, Sugar Free Chili Sauce

1/2 TSP Sea Salt

1/4 TSP Black Cracked Pepper

1/4 Cup Oats (try to get steel cut oats)

Sauce

2 TBS Coconut Oil

1/2 Cup Red Onion, Chopped

1 Clove Garlic, minced

1 28 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes (read can for sugar)

1 Cup Tomato Sauce (read can for sugar content)

2 Carrots Shredded (real ones – not the little pre-cut shapes)

Directions:

• Cook the sauce first, sauté the onion, carrots and garlic in the coconut oil.
• Cook until the onions are caramelized adding more oil if the pan gets dry.

Add in the Diced tomatoes

Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is a staple in most low carb homes. It can be made in advanced and saved. You can also save the individual ingredients in the fridge in a slotted container so that you can make a fast deconstructed chicken salad meal any time you want to.

Ingredients:

2 Cups Cooked Chicken, cubed

1/2 TSP Spicy Mustard

1/4 Cup No Sugar Mayonnaise (or drained plain yogurt)

2 TBS Low Sugar Pickle Relish

1 TBS Onion, minced finely

1 Stalk Celery, minced finely

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients together in large container with a lid.
• Store in fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.

Variation:

Add 2 to 4 chopped hard boiled eggs. Serve in a lettuce or cabbage leaf or just serve on a bed of baby spinach leaves with some baby carrots on the side.

Easy One Skillet Breakfast

Here is another easy low carb breakfast recipe. It’s all made in one skillet. Using a large iron skillet for many one dish meals will make your life easier. A well-seasoned iron skillet can be used for breakfast, lunch and dinner without sticking and clean-up is simple.

Ingredients:

8 links lean turkey sausage

2 Sweet potatoes, Chopped

2 Cups Greens, Chopped (Collards or Kale)

8 Eggs

Swiss Cheese

2 Avocados Sliced

Fresh Parsley

Hot sauce (if you desire)

Coconut Oil

Directions:

• Melt 2 TBS Coconut oil in pan, throw the links, potatoes, and greens into pan. Cook until the meat is done and the potatoes are tender.
• Crack 8 eggs over all in pan very carefully, leaving like fried eggs, and not missing. Salt & Pepper to taste.
• Pop into the oven on 350 degrees for about 8 to 15 minutes until whites of eggs are set and yolk is set how you like it.
• Sprinkle with Cheese and Parsley. Serve at the table with hot sauce.

Low Carb Breakfast Frittata

Making a frittata is easy and fun. All you need is a few ingredients, eggs, meat, cheese, and a large iron skillet. You’ll love making this easy breakfast and you and your family will enjoy eating it. Try making it on a Weekend Morning.

Ingredients:

1 Red Onion, diced

1 Bell Pepper, diced (red are my favorite)

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

12 ounces Mushrooms, sliced

1 Cup Sausage, can use links, or ground

1 Cup Cheese, Grated (Cheddar is excellent)

8 Eggs, cracked, blended with 4 TBS Heavy Cream (buttermilk)

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

• In the large iron skillet, sauté all the ingredients together except for the cheese and eggs.
• Put the sausage in first, add in the rest of the veggies onions and peppers first, cooking until done to your liking.
• Spread it all out in the pan. If there is a lot of grease from the sausage you can drain it, if desired.
• Sprinkle everything with the cheese, let it start to melt, then add the egg mixture, ensuring that it covers all the meat and veggies evenly.
• Cook until you see the eggs starting to set, then place in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes.
• If done, you should be able to cut the frittata easily without the eggs spilling.
• Sprinkle more cheese on top, salt and pepper if you like, run under broiler for a moment to brown and crisp up the top.

Great with sliced tomatoes on the side.

Low Carb Cheesecake Bites

Ingredients:

1 8 oz package cream cheese, soft (or plain yogurt drained)

1 Egg, room temperature

1/2 TSP Vanilla Flavoring

1/2 TBS Lemon Juice

1 Cup Xylitol or Stevia

1/4 Cup Heavy Cream (buttermilk)

Directions:

• Line a mini muffin pan, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Using a high speed blender, blend cream cheese until fluffy, add egg, blend again, add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.
• Fill each muffin cup with about 1 TBS cheesecake mixture.
• Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes until set and edges are slightly brown.

 Variation:

Skip the egg, beat all ingredients with a high speed blender, chill and serve in dessert cups with melted dark chocolate (or Carob) drizzled over top and a strawberry for decoration.

Low Carb Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder

3/4 Cup Heavy Cream (or buttermilk)

1/2 Cup Xylitol or Stevia

12 Ounces Plain Drained Yogurt

1/2 TSP Vanilla Extract

• Combine chocolate, cream, and sugar into a sauce pan.
• Cook until stirring with a whisk until combined and thick. This takes about five minutes.
• Set aside off heat to cool. In a separate bowl using a fork, mix together the yogurt and vanilla until completely mixed.
• Slowly fold, using a plastic spatula the chocolate mixture into the yogurt mixture in small increments until completely combined.
• Store in fridge for about two hours until firm.

Serve in dessert dishes with berries and a low carb cookie on top.

Fried Green Tomatoes

I love to use fresh parmesan and grate it myself.  It is waaaay better than the  “shaky” kind of parmesan cheese in a jar but, it is up to you. This is such an easy dish to make you will want to make it often.  Safflower oil is a good “high heat” oil but, you can use olive oil (it will just lose some of it’s benefits)  You can do it in an iron skillet or non-stick skillet.

Ingredients & Directions:

1/4 High Heat Oil

1/2 TSP Sea Salt (Pink is best)

1/2 TSP Black Pepper

1 Large Egg

1 TBS Heavy Cream

1/2 Cup Almond Flour (just take dried raw almonds and blend in coffee grinder or magic bullet until flour)

Green Tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese

• Sprinkle sliced tomatoes with salt and let sit for about 5 minutes while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
• Whisk together egg and heavy cream in a small bowl.
• In another bowl, mix together the almond flour, parmesan cheese and pepper. Heat oil over medium high heat in large non- stick skillet.
• Dip each slice of tomato into the egg, then into the flour mixture.

Coat evenly the place in the hot oil to brown for about 4 minutes each side. Drain on paper towels.

Pan Burgers

You don’t have to give up burgers when you are no eating white carbs. Rather than serving them with a bun, serve without the bun with all the toppings you love like mushrooms, onions, and cheese.

Ingredients:

4 TBS Coconut Oil, melted in plan

1 Clove Garlic, crushed

1 Onion, sliced in strips

1 LB Mushrooms, sliced

1.5 LBS Ground Sirloin

2 TBS Balsamic Vinegar or No sugar Steak Sauce

1/4 Cup Dry Cooking Sherry

Salt & Pepper

Other Seasonings

8 Ounces Swiss Cheese, sliced

Bring ground meet to room temperature, put some salt & pepper or other seasoning plus the vinegar or sauce into meat. Form into patties.

• Get out two pans, iron skillets work great, as do other nonstick skillets. In each pan place half the coconut oil, let pan heat up.
• In one pan put the garlic, onion, & mushrooms.
• In the other pan place the patties.
• Cook about 7 minutes on each side without turning. Turning too soon will cause the patty not to have a nice caramelization on the outside.
• In the other pan, cook until the onions & mushrooms are caramelized.
• When the onions are done, pour 1/4 cup dry sherry into pan to bring up any bits and pour all together over the patties in the other pan.
• Cook until thickened, put sliced cheese on patties, cook until melted.

Serve.

Fresh Herb Infused Cucumber Topped Asparagus Salad

3 lbs freshly picked asparagus, trimmed

1 bunch green onions

3 cups fresh small cucumbers, scrubbed clean

1 Tbsp fresh parsley

1 Tbsp fresh chives

1 Tbsp fresh mint

2 tsp fresh tarragon

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp sea salt (or pink)

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup light olive oil

• Fill a large pot with water and salt and bring to a rapid boil.
• Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl with ice and water and set in sink.
• When water boils, quickly cook asparagus until just crisp-tender, only about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Remove and quickly put in ice bath to cool and stop cooking.
• Drain well and set aside.
• Chop green onions and put in large bowl.
• Scrub cucumbers, trim ends, cut lengthwise, then slice thin and add to bowl with onions.
• Add all the fresh herbs to the bowl and mix together well; keep cool.

Make dressing by whisking together the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, mustard, salt, and black pepper, then slowly start streaming in oil, whisking steadily, until dressing is creamy.

• Pour dressing into onion cucumber bowl and toss to combine.
• Arrange the asparagus on salad plates and spoon the dressed onion cucumber mixture over the top.
• Taste and salt if desired.

Roasted Veges

Roasted Veges are my favorite way to eat veges.  You can combine any combination of veges.  Just keep in mind that the ones like zucchini and peppers will cook a lot faster that one like cauliflower so plan accordingly.  You can always add them later. The key is to roast quick and high temperature.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of broccoli or cauliflower
• 2 cups of Brussel sprouts
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 large apple
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
• Sea salt & Black Pepper

Directions

• Wash and peel the sweet potato.
• Chop the broccoli or cauliflower into bite size pieces.
• Slice the apple into chunks and coat with lemon juice.
• Melt the coconut oil in a baking dish.
• Add all of the vegetables and apple.
• Spread in a single layer – IMPORTANT to get good roast
• Season to taste with the salt and black pepper.
• Roast at 375 -425 15-30 minutes or until done.

Variations:

You can mix and match your vegetables for this dish. You might like to include slice onions, red pepper, asparagus spears, carrots, squash.  Use whatever vegetables are in season to create a tasty mixed veggie dish your entire family will enjoy. Also add whatever seasonings you want like garlic etc.  Can also add many different variations on herbs.

Veges should come out slightly darkened and with a sweeter taste.

Garden Fresh Grilled Eggplant Salad

4 small or 3 medium eggplants

Sea or Pink salt

Extra virgin olive oil

2 large roasted red bell peppers

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/2 cup thinly sliced whole scallions

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

3 Tbsp chopped fresh mint

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup light olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

• Prepare eggplant by washing and cutting into 1/2 inch thick slices, then sprinkle with kosher salt,
• Place on a large rack over a tray and allow to drain for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Set grill to medium-hot.
• Brush or drizzle and rub olive oil on eggplant slices, then set on hot grill and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, turn slices and grill another 5 to 7 minutes or until tender.
• Remove and put on cutting board and dice.
• Get out a large salad bowl and put eggplant pieces in and add all the vegetables and toss to combine.
• Drizzle in the balsamic vinegar and olive oil and toss; then season with sea salt and pepper, toss again, taste, and adjust seasoning.

Top with the crumbled goat cheese and serve immediately.

Garden Slaw With Tender Broccoli Flowers

1/4 cup sliced raw almonds, toasted

1 bunch mature broccoli stems (may substitute cabbage slaw)

2 carrots, peeled

3 Tbsp light olive oil

3 Tbsp rice vinegar

3 Tbsp honey

3 Tbsp Plain drained yogurt

1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp fresh black pepper

Fresh broccoli flowers for garnish (fresh, cleaned, and stems removed)

• Start by toasting the almonds; put them in a small skillet, without oil, over medium heat and shake until almonds start to get golden brown.
• Remove and set aside.
• Make slaw by peeling the tough skin off the broccoli stems, then using the peeler, make curls out of the tender insides of the broccoli stems. Put in bowl.
• Use the peeler to make curly slaw out of carrots, add to bowl.
• Make dressing by whisking together the remaining ingredients until smooth; then pour the dressing over the slaw.
• Add the toasted almonds, tossing to combine.
• Let stand for 30 minutes, tossing several times.
• To serve, spoon portions onto individual salad plates
• Top with fresh cleaned broccoli flowers for garnish and flavor
• You will have enough salad for 4 to 6 people.

Nutty Summer Squash Buckwheat Salad

2 cups uncooked buckwheat

4 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

4 small summer (yellow) squash, thinly sliced

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 lemon, juiced

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbsp olive oil

salt and black pepper to taste

• Put the buckwheat, water, and salt in a large pot and bring it to a boil; reduce heat and cook at a slow boil for 6 to 7 minutes; drain well and put into a large salad bowl and refrigerate until just cooled down.
• When cool, add the summer squash, garbanzo beans, walnuts, and Parmesan cheese into the bowl and toss together.

Add the lemon juice, parsley, olive oil, salt, and pepper and stir gently until just mixed and serve immediately.