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.

Fast & Easy Chicken Parmesan
Serves 1

1 chicken breast
Good bottled marinara
Shredded mozzarella
Shredded Parmesan
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

1. Heat the broiler and heat a non-stick, oven-proof skillet over medium high heat.

2. Slice the chicken breast in half lengthwise with a very sharp knife (alternatively, you could pound the chicken breast so it’s very thin, but this method is simply faster). Season both sides with salt and pepper.

3. When pan is very hot, drizzle with a little olive oil and add the two halves of chicken. Flip the breasts over when the underside has a nice brown color, about 2 minutes. When the second side has also browned (about another two minutes), add two spoonfuls of marinara to each breast and top with the mozzarella and parmesan.

4. Throw the pan under the broiler and broil until the cheese melts. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for about a minute or so. Remember – the pan handle is HOT!

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.

Chicken Fajitas
recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living, June 2009

Ingredients
for the garlic oil:
3 T extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp lime juice

for the fajitas:
1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breasts (or thighs)
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 small red onion
1 T canola oil
low carb tortillas, if desired

for garnish:
shredded cheddar cheese
salsa
sour cream
guacamole

Instructions
1. Prepare the garlic oil. In a small saucepan, combine the ingredients for the garlic oil and heat over low heat for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. While the oil is heating, light a gas grill on high heat and place cast iron frying pan in the grill to heat up (you want this pan screaming hot). Slice the peppers and onions into thin slices and place on a plate. Slice the chicken into thin slices, season with some salt and pepper, and place on a plate or pie plate. Prep the garnish ingredients, and remove the garlic oil from heat.

3. Take the chicken, peppers & onions, canola oil, and a large bowl to the grill with you. Pour about a tablespoon or two of canola oil into frying pan (remember, this pan is very, very hot – do not touch, even with a pot holder!). Add the peppers and onions first and cook, stirring frequently with a heatproof spoon or spatula (silicone or wood will work best), until the peppers start to soften. Add chicken, and cook until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove the chicken mixture to a large bowl. Pour garlic oil over chicken and stir to coat. If using tortillas, you can either throw them directly onto the grill for a few seconds, or use a gas burner (I use my side burner) – simple toss the tortilla directly over the flame for a few seconds, and flip. It will only take a minute or so to warm all of the tortillas. (Alternatively, you can also wrap all tortillas in foil and place in a 300* oven while you’re cooking the chicken mixture.)

Serve chicken mixture over tortillas, or on a plate, with desired garnishes.

Guacamole

1 avocado
1 plum tomato, seeded and diced
1 tsp minced shallot
2 tsp lime juice

Cut the avocado in half and scoop out the flesh into a small bowl. Add diced tomato, shallot, and lime juice; stir to combine. Immediately cover with plastic wrap (put the plastic directly on the guacamole) until ready to serve. Store any leftovers in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap.

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.

Chocolate Pots de Crème
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

10 ounces 72 or 85% bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped*
5 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons erythritol
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups heavy cream
¾ cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon instant espresso powder mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Place chocolate in heatproof bowl; set sieve over bowl and set aside.

Whisk yolks, erythritol, and salt in medium bowl. Whisk in heavy cream and half-and-half. Transfer to medium saucepan and cook over medium-low, stirring constantly, until thickened. The custard should register about 175*F on a candy thermometer.

Immediately pour custard through sieve and allow the custard to sit for five minutes to melt the chocolate. Whisk gently until smooth, then whisk in vanilla and espresso. Divide among 8 dessert cups or ramekins and tap on counter to remove air bubbles.

Cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate a minimum of four hours, or up to 3 days. Let stand at room temperature 20-30 minutes prior to serving. Garnish with berries or currants, if desired.

*The higher the percentage of cacao, the lower the carb content. I used 72% for this recipe because I was sharing with a friend who was not restricting his intake of sugar.

Nutritional Analysis, not including the chocolate: 36.5 g total carbohydrate; 4.6 g carbohydrate per serving.

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.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
adapted from Treat a Week

4 portobello mushroom caps
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces fresh spinach leaves
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/8 cup fresh parmesan, grated
1/4 teaspoon garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Remove stems from mushroom caps. Wipe down mushrooms with a damp paper towel to remove dirt.

In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat and sauté garlic until fragrant. Add spinach and cook untiil wilted.

In a small bowl, mix ricotta and parmesan. Season with garlic, dried basil, pepper, and salt. Mix well. Add egg and stir to combine.

Add spinach to cheese mixture and mound into mushroom caps. Top with mozzarella.

Bake in a small pan for 15-20 minutes until the mozzarella has turned golden brown.

Cool for 5 minutes and serve.

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.

Crustless Quiche

2 T butter
8 oz chopped mushrooms
2 sprigs thyme
1 c sliced zucchini
½ c chopped red bell pepper
5 oz pkg baby spinach
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
4 large eggs
4 oz half and half
4 oz heavy cream
1 cup shredded mozzarella or gruyere
2 T shredded pecorino romano or parmesan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch pie dish and set aside.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and thyme and cook, stirring until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper. Add the zucchini and red pepper and cook until tender. Add the spinach and fold to get the warm vegetables on top of the spinach. Cook until it wilts. Transfer the vegetables to the buttered pie plate.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until combined. Whisk in the half and half and heavy cream. Whisk in the mozzarella and pour the egg mixture over the vegetables, evenly distributing the cheese as much as possible. Sprinkle the pecorino over the top.

Bake the quiche until puffed and golden brown, about 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.

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.

Peanut Butter Silk Pie

1 1/2 cups roasted peanuts
1/4 cup whey protein powder
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons Splenda

1 cup creamy peanut butter
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup Splenda*
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
16 ounces whipping cream, divided
1 tablespoon Splenda*
1/2 cup sugar-free hot fudge sauce**

Preheat oven to 325*F.

In a food processor, combine peanuts, protein powder, and Splenda. Process until crumbly. Add the melted butter and pulse until well blended.

Spray a 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray. Press the peanut mixture into the pan and up the sides. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until brown around the edges. Refrigerate.

Measure out 1/4 cup whipping cream and set aside.

Whip remaining cream with 1 tablespoon Splenda and measure out 2 cups worth of whipped cream. Set aside.

Cream peanut butter, cream cheese, Splenda, and vanilla. In three batches, fold in the 2 cups of whipped cream. Spread the peanut butter mixture over the cooled crust and build the edges up slightly. Refrigerate.

Microwave the reserved 1/4 cup of cream until it boils. Add the hot fudge sauce and stir until combined. Reserve a tablespoon of the mixture. Spread the remaining hot fudge over the peanut layer and refrigerate for one hour.

Spread the reserved whipped cream on top of the fudge layer and drizzle with reserved fudge topping. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*If using Splenda makes you nervous, you can substitute erythritol or xylitol. You will still be able to detect a hint of the cooling sensation associated with these sugar alchohols, but it’s not terribly overpowering.
**I used Smucker’s, but any hot fudge sauce will do.

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!

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.

To make this salad for one person, here’s what you need:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
Lettuce of your choice
grated cheddar cheese, about 1/4 cup
3 baby carrots, shredded
1 tablespoon sliced green onions, optional
1 tablespoon prepared teriyaki sauce
Salt & Pepper

One hour beforehand: In a medium size bowl, sprinkle the bottom with salt (you can use a mix of potassium salt and regular sea or kosher salt, if you like). Fill the bowl with cold water and stir to dissolve the salt. Add the chicken breast and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 45-60 minutes. Remove the chicken from the brine and dry it thoroughly with paper towels. Season each side with salt and pepper.

Heat a saute pan over medium high heat. Drizzle about a tablespoon of oil in the pan and heat until the oil shimmers. Place the chicken breast in the pan and sear it until it no longer sticks to the bottom. Flip it over and sear the second side for a minute, then cover the pan. Cook the chicken for 10 minutes, then check the temperature with an instant read thermometer. Remove the chicken to plate when the temperature reads 150-155*F. Cover tightly with foil (shiny side down); carryover heat will cook the chicken the rest of the way and help keep it moist. Allow the chicken to stand for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the salad. In a large salad bowl, add a few cups of the lettuce of your choice. Add the carrots and green onions, if using. Top with grated cheddar.

Slice the chicken breast against the grain and place on top of the salad. Drizzle with a tablespoon of teriyaki sauce.

The simple answer is that I simply wasn’t ready for a new me (I’ve been overweight since childhood), and I listened to the current nutrition establishment. In the years since I’ve packed the weight back on, I’ve had a change in mindset: I no longer want to lose weight strictly for vanity reasons, now, my health is the primary factor. And yes, I do want to look better, but it’s no longer the driving force.

As far as the nutrition establishment, it seems they keep floundering. While they do that, I will listen to my own body and use it as my guide. Here’s what I learned: starch makes me sleepy, lethargic, and irritable. But, I have to be flexible enough to include a little here or there to keep life interesting and fun. I’ve also learned that sugar is my heroin – just a little taste has me wanting more and more, especially when it’s combined with starch. That combination also has a very calming effect on me, but it’s short-lived. See, sugar is just like a drug!

I suppose you could say that I’m dieting right now, but since I don’t ever plan on abandoning what I’m doing, it’s not really a diet. It’s my life, with very little sugar and starch. I keep a daily food diary, and at the end of the day I do tally up my carb intake, but that’s more of a guide for me than anything. Right now, I’m eating about 30-40 g of carbohydrate a day, not including fiber. I eat protein and fat with every meal and try to include a fruit or vegetable with each meal. I feel amazing, I no longer think about food all day long, and my entire outlook has changed.

I like to think of myself as a fairly accomplished cook and baker, willing to tackle anything in the kitchen. Now, I’m throwing my efforts into creating interesting meals that meld with my lifestyle and continue to allow me to lose weight. I started this blog to share the recipes for anyone who needs to restrict their carbs, whether for weight loss or health reasons. If you’re wondering if watching your carb intake might help your health, here’s a quick way to possibly make that determination: if you feel you need a nap after a plate of pasta, but you feel energetic and alert after a steak, this lifestyle just might be for you, too.

I welcome any feedback on the recipes, or even my progress, but please keep any criticism constructive! I hope you enjoy my blog.