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Lower Carb Blueberry Muffins

I wasn’t really sure that I liked Birch Benders Paleo  for pancakes and waffles.  Sure lots of people like it, and it is okay with some extras added.  Where it really shines for me is for use as a muffin base.  I’ve made a couple different muffins with the Paleo and they’ve all come out yummy.   Give it a try!

Lower Carb Blueberry Muffins

A great blueberry muffin recipe that is lower in carbs than your average muffin.

Course Bread
Keyword Blueberry, Breakfast, low carb, Muffin
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 98 kcal

Ingredients

Muffin

  • 2 cups Birch Benders Paleo Mix
  • 2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 3 tbsp Truvia baking blend
  • 1/2 cup Milk
  • 1 stick Butter melted
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1 tbsp Sour Cream
  • 1 1/2 cup Blueberries

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Lightly grease muffin tins.

  3. Mix Birch Benders mix, baking powder, Truvia and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl.

  4. Add milk, butter, eggs, vanilla and sour cream to the dry ingredients and mix well.

  5. Spoon into muffin tins.

  6. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

  7. Let cool and enjoy.

Recipe Notes

I've used dried unsweetened blueberries too.  Just soak them in warm water and drain before using in the recipe.

Nutrition Facts
Lower Carb Blueberry Muffins
Amount Per Serving
Calories 98 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 49mg16%
Sodium 84mg4%
Potassium 122mg3%
Carbohydrates 9g3%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 1g2%
Iron 1mg6%
Calcium 56mg6%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Vitamin A 308IU6%
Net Carbs 7g14%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Enjoy!

Until next time,

Dee

#lowcarb4ever

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The Versatile Chicken Salad

I love chicken salad! A friend of mine makes phenomenal chicken salads and actually makes a living doing it. I can never compare to the chicken salads she makes, but I do make a very good salad that I have discovered is pretty darn versatile on it’s own or as a base for chicken casseroles. I thought I would share those recipes with you!

I thought I had made pictures of all these, but apparently they are missing. I wanted to post the recipes. As soon as I find pictures, or make new ones, I promise to add them on here!

Basic Chicken Salad

A versatile chicken salad

Course Salad
Cuisine Southern
Keyword Chicken Salad
Prep Time 30 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 138 kcal

Ingredients

  • 5 cups Chicken Breast Cooked, boned and cut into chunks
  • 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp Mustard
  • 1 cup Celery Chopped small
  • 1/4 cup Onion Chopped very small
  • 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
  • Salt To taste
  • Pepper To taste
  • Garlic Powder To taste

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.

  2. Cover bowl and allow flavors to meld for at least 2 hours.

Recipe Notes

  • If you have a Costco near you, the rotisserie chicken breast is exactly five cups for this recipe.  I use this often when I don’t feel like roasting or boiling chicken breasts.
  • You can use light mayonnaise, but I use the original Hellman’s Mayonnaise.  You can save some calories and fat this way.
  • If you like a little more mayonnaise, add it in.  Some people like more, some people like it barely there.
  • If you don’t like as much onion, lower the amount to about 1/8 cup.
  • I use Paula Deen’s House Seasoning that I always have on-hand instead of individually using the salt, pepper and garlic powder.  I then lightly cover the whole mixture in the bowl and that seems to be the right amount to my taste.  Maybe a teaspoon or so.
  • Eat plain or on lettuce or in a large wedged tomato.  If you have found breads like ThinSlim, Sola or other lite breads that fit into your carb counting, then by all means, this works great as a sandwich too.
Nutrition Facts
Basic Chicken Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 138 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 44mg15%
Sodium 143mg6%
Potassium 258mg7%
Carbohydrates 1g0%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 13g26%
Iron 1mg6%
Calcium 6mg1%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Vitamin A 63IU1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Now then, it is just my husband and I at home. We will eat about half of this chicken salad and then just can’t eat anymore. I then take the rest of the chicken salad as a base for one of two casseroles: a Chicken Broccoli Casserole or a Mexican Chicken Casserole.

First up is the Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Casserole.

Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Casserole

A delicious casserole using a chicken salad base

Course Main Course
Cuisine Southern
Keyword Casserole
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 223 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2.5 cups Chicken Salad See recipe
  • 4 cups Broccoli pieces or crowns
  • 1 can Mushroom Soup
  • .5 cup Mayonnaise
  • 2 cups Cheese grated
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Lemon Juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Steam the broccoli until broccoli almost fork tender and drain.

  3. Mix broccoli, soup, mayonnaise, salt, lemon juice and 1/2 cup of cheese into the chicken salad base.

  4. Put mixture into a casserole dish sprayed with non-stick oil.

  5. Top with the remaining cheese.

  6. Bake for 40 minutes until cheese bubbly and starts to brown.

Recipe Notes

  • I like to use sharp cheddar cheese.
  • Basically, the seasoning added here is to season the broccoli that was added.
  • I like to add sliced almonds into the recipe.
  • I love how lemon juice “brightens” dishes.
  • You can serve this over riced cauliflower.
Nutrition Facts
Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Casserole
Amount Per Serving
Calories 223 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 43mg14%
Sodium 474mg21%
Potassium 254mg7%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 12g24%
Iron 1mg6%
Calcium 154mg15%
Vitamin C 28mg34%
Vitamin A 410IU8%
Net Carbs 3g6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Next is a Mexican casserole that I could honestly eat all portions of it in one sitting!

Poblano Chicken Casserole

A delicious casserole using a chicken salad base

Course Main Course
Cuisine Southern
Keyword Casserole
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 200 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2.5 cups Chicken Salad See recipe
  • 5 Poblano Peppers
  • 1 cup Salsa Verde
  • 2.5 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese grated
  • .5 cup Pecans chopped

Instructions

  1. Set broiler on high.

  2. Cut poblano peppers in half, seed and place skin side up on a baking sheet.

  3. Broil poblano peppers for about 5 minutes. The skin should look charred and bubbly.

  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  5. Let the peppers cool and then remove the skins.

  6. Mix pecans and 1 cup of cheese into the chicken salad base.

  7. In the casserole dish, spray with non-stick oil and layer the peppers in the bottom. (or you can cut in strips and layer or add into the chicken salad itself.)

  8. Layer chicken salad mix on top of the peppers. (Or you could mix poblano strips into the chicken salad.)

  9. Spread salsa verde over top of the chicken salad mix.

  10. Top with the remaining cheese.

  11. Bake for 30 minutes until cheese bubbly or longer if you wish the cheese to brown

Recipe Notes

  • You can swap out the pecans for almond or walnut pieces.
  • You can serve this over riced cauliflower.
Nutrition Facts
Poblano Chicken Casserole
Amount Per Serving
Calories 200 Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 43mg14%
Sodium 343mg15%
Potassium 272mg8%
Carbohydrates 5g2%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 12g24%
Iron 1mg6%
Calcium 180mg18%
Vitamin C 41mg50%
Vitamin A 563IU11%
Net Carbs 3g6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I hope you all enjoy these recipes!

Until next time… #lowcarb4ever

Dee

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Low Carb Almond Poundcake

Low Carb Almond Poundcake

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Almond Cake
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 16
Calories 290 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Almond Flour
  • 3/4 cup Coconut Flour
  • 3/4 cup Truvia Cane Sugar Blend
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
  • 8 ounces Cream Cheese softened
  • 2 tablespoons Sour Cream
  • 6 Eggs large
  • 3/4 cup Milk
  • 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Almond Extract
  • 8 ounces Butter melted

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Grease or use nonstick spray on a bundt cake pan.
  3. Melt butter and set aside.
  4. In a mixing bowl, mix flours, Truvia, salt, baking powder, baking soda and xanthan gum together and set aside.
  5. With a mixer in a separate mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese and then add sour cream and mix until smoothly blended.
  6. Add eggs slowly, one at a time until smoothly blended at each stage.
  7. Add milk and extracts and blend until smooth.
  8. Add the butter and blend until smooth.
  9. Pour thick batter evenly into the bundt cake pan.
  10. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  11. Let cool for 10 minutes and then turn cake out onto a cookie rack to cool completely.
  12. Cut and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

  • You can lower the glycemic index even more and a few carbs by using Erythritol. (Swerve, Sukrin, etc.)
  • You can find Xanthan Gum practically everywhere now. Walmart, Whole Foods, Earth Fare, Fresh Market and many regular grocery stores.
Nutrition Facts
Low Carb Almond Poundcake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 290 Calories from Fat 234
% Daily Value*
Fat 26g40%
Saturated Fat 12g75%
Cholesterol 109mg36%
Sodium 261mg11%
Potassium 111mg3%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 7g14%
Iron 1.1mg6%
Calcium 92mg9%
Vitamin A 660IU13%
Net Carbs 5g10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Low Carb Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Low Carb Crustless Pumpkin Pie

This low carb pumpkin pie recipe is sort of a mix of 5 different recipes, including my mom's and turned out great! 

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 115 kcal

Ingredients

  • 15 ounce Pumpkin canned
  • 3 Eggs beaten
  • 1/4 cup Truvia white sugar blend
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon ground
  • 1/2 tsp Ginger ground
  • 1/8 tsp Cloves ground
  • 3/4 cup Heavy Cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

  2. Spray a pie pan with Coconut Oil Spray or other non-stick spray. (Not olive oil!)

  3. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.  It mixes well by hand.  It helps if you beat the eggs before adding them.

  4. Pour mixture into pie pan.

  5. Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean.

  6. Allow to cool at least two hours and then chill in the refrigerator.

  7. Serve cool with a low carb whip cream or a modest amount of Reddi Whip (that is within your carb allowance).

Recipe Notes

  •  I couldn't stop eating it! 
  • It held its shape great!
  • I didn't miss the crust at all!
  • Honestly... I hoarded this!
  • This pie was traveling a long distance and so I used an aluminum pie tin.  It worked fine and the sides did not adhere to it because of the non-stick spray.
  • There is another version of this I am going to try with another egg and more cream.  I'll let you know how that goes!
  • Just double this recipe for two pies!
Nutrition Facts
Low Carb Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Amount Per Serving
Calories 115 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 91mg30%
Sodium 105mg5%
Potassium 220mg6%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 3g6%
Iron 0.7mg4%
Calcium 38mg4%
Vitamin C 5mg6%
Vitamin A 4940IU99%
Net Carbs 4g8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Back for the Fall!

I took a hiatus for a few months.  A little Rest and Relaxation.  I’m ready to start writing for you and myself again!

I look forward to exploring the world of low carb living and especially healthy habits for those with diabetes and metabolic issues!

Dee

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