November 16th, 2009 § 0
Fifteen minutes after I turned on the oven and the stove, I was sitting down and enjoying my dinner. This really is the epitome of a quick weeknight meal, and it’s just perfect for those nights that you’re exhausted and hungry.
Check the label on the bottled pasta sauce, but there are a number of decent sauces available that don’t have added sugar. Of course, homemade works great, too.
November 13th, 2009 § 0
I’ve never been a fan of traditional Mexican food – beans have never been my thing, but give me some fajita or taco meat, and I’m a happy girl. Luckily for me, these are some of the easiest Mexican dishes to de-carb. Both are great served over a bed of lettuce for a salad, rolled up in low carb tortillas, or even covering a couple tortilla chips. Yes, you read that right. I told you I was a bit of a low carb rebel.
I discovered an easy cast iron recipe in Martha Stewart Living, just perfect for making outside on the grill. (You can make these inside, but get your kitchen fan ready…) Now really, why didn’t I think of that? It’s a simple 3 step process with few dishes to clean:
1. Prepare garlic chili oil and heat while working on Step 2.
2. Light gas grill, place cast iron pan on grate (if using a charcoal grill, you’ll switch steps 1 and 2). Chop vegetables and chicken, grate cheese, prepare guacamole and salsa, if desired.
3. Cook the fajitas.
November 12th, 2009 § 0
Desserts like these show that you can have your low carb treats and eat them too. Custards are great because they don’t require much change to the recipe, and the cooking process dissolves the erythritol, getting rid of that cooling sensation that many of us simply aren’t big fans of.
As always, with a dish like this that has chocolate front and center, use good quality chocolate. You don’t have to spend your savings, however. Most grocery stores (that I’ve seen, anyway) carry Lindt Excellence, which is fabulous and affordable.
For anyone who hates using a water bath when baking a custard, this recipe is for you. You’ll have to stand at the stove and stir for about ten minutes, but that’s a small price to pay for not having to wrestle with a large pan filled with hot water.
This make-ahead dessert would be a fabulous end to a holiday dinner.
November 8th, 2009 § 0
When I’m tired of eating meat and eggs all of the time, I turn to stuff mushrooms. Portobellos are so versatile and make a wonderful base to serve gobs of melted cheese. You can forgo the spinach-ricotta mixture and simply top with tomato sauce and cheese, if you like, for a pseudo-pizza, but these are so delicious I’d try them at least once.
Even better, you can always stuff just two of the caps with the ricotta mixture, and make “pizzas” out of the others. Save the remaining ricotta and use it as a filling for omelets the next day – it’s spectacular.
November 7th, 2009 § 0
Though I’m not a big fan of eggs in the morning, I’m always on the lookout for interesting, and easy, ways to make them as a main course for dinner. This particular recipe really fit the bill in that it adds a bunch of vegetables and cheese, two of my favorite things to eat.
Because it’s so rich, this quiche doesn’t seem all that much like special diet food. Granted, the crust is missing, but how many times does the quiche’s crust end up soggy anyway? You won’t even miss it.
November 7th, 2009 § 0
I did my one week weigh-in yesterday…down 10 pounds! I know that doesn’t mean much of anything during the first week of low carbing, because your kidneys let go of so much water, but it’s still motivating. Since the beginning of the year, I’m down 20 pounds, and I’m able to fit into a few clothing items I haven’t worn in quite awhile. Double motivation. 
November 5th, 2009 § 0
I confess, I made this particular pie a few months back. But, because it’s both sugar-free and gluten-free, I simply had to share the recipe here.
Rich desserts tend to be the easiest to de-carb while maintaining all of the flavor you’ve come to expect. Because these desserts get most of their flavor from fat, rather than starch or sugar, they maintain their flavor and structure.
I’ve served this pie to those not watching their diets, so it’s a great treat for everyone.
November 4th, 2009 § 0
I have some very exciting news! For the past year and a half, give or take, I’ve had to take daily medication for my heartburn. I was never officially diagnosed with GERD, but I’m pretty sure that’s what the problem was.
I happened to run out of the medicine the day before I started low carbing again. After just four days of dialing back the carbs, my symptoms disappeared completely. I could tell the pain was lessening with each day, but Dr. Eades (of Protein Power fame) had mentioned in one of his books that GERD could clear up in as little as two weeks. Needless to say, the four days astounded me!
I should also mention that my symptoms never disappeared with any other nutrition approach I’ve tried: not calorie counting, not a Mediterranean-style diet, not Weight Watchers. Oh, and it got worse when I ate a vegetarian diet.
Talk about getting a positive message from your body!
November 4th, 2009 § 0
This salad proves that you can cook a quick, delicious meal while watching your sugar and starch intake. I used a bottled teriyaki sauce because it tastes great and only has 5 grams of sugar in a tablespoon. Because I use the sauce as a condiment, adding just a little to my salad or stir-fry, I can get away with using it.
Don’t get me wrong – I have made plenty of sugar-free teriyaki sauce in the past, but frankly, I wasn’t all that crazy about it. When I realized what a carb bargain the right sauce could be, I was sold. Incidentally, the sauce I use (available at most grocery stores, I would imagine) doesn’t contain HFCS, which is a big plus for me.
November 3rd, 2009 § 1
After trying (and failing on) every diet known to humankind, I’ve decided to go back to the only approach that ever both worked for me, as well as made me feel fabulous. You might be wondering why I abandoned it in the first place, if it made me feel good and lose weight. Good question.