Really warm weather will soon be here, so here are three low-carb recipes to get you started on your summer body.
Cashew chicken
3 raw chicken thighs boneless, skinless
2 TBS canola oil (for cooking)
1/4 C cashews
1/2 medium green bell pepper
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 TBS rice wine vinegar
1-1/2 TBS soy sauce
1/2 TBS chili garlic sauce
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS sesame oil
1 TBS sesame seeds
1 TBS green onions
1/4 medium white onion
salt and pepper
Heat a pan over low heat and toast cashews for 8 minutes. Toast them until you start to see some browning. Remove and set aside. Dice chicken thighs into 1-in. chunks. Cut onion and pepper into equally large chunks. Increase heat to high and add canola oil to pan. Once oil is up to temperature, add chicken thighs and allow them to cook through.
Once chicken is nearly fully cooked. Add pepper, onions, garlic, chili garlic sauce and seasonings (ginger, salt, pepper). Allow to cook on high for 2-3 minutes. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and cashews. Cook on high and allow liquid to reduce down until it is a sticky consistency, There should not be a lot of liquid in the pan upon completing cooking. Serve in a bowl, top with sesame seeds and drizzle with sesame oil. Makes three servings, 6.7 net carbs for 1/3 of this.
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Low carb chocolate muffins
1/2 C peanut flour
1/4 C cocoa powder
1 oz. 100% bakers cocoa bar
1 oz. Lily’s Chocolate
1/4 C Splenda sweetener
1/4 C heavy cream
4 large eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
4 TBS butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
Start by combining dry ingredients. Thoroughly mix peanut flour, cocoa powder, Splenda, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, combine heavy cream and butter with a hand mixer.
Once combined, add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until combined. Add all of bakers chocolate and half of Lily›s chocolate and fold together. Scoop into muffin tins and top with remaining Lily›s chocolate. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Test with a toothpick. There are just 2 carbs per muffin.
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Low carb cheeseburger casserole
2 lbs. ground beef
2 cloves large garlic
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 lb. bacon cooked and chopped
8 eggs
1 6-oz. can tomato paste 6
1 C heavy cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
12 oz. grated cheddar cheese divided
Brown ground beef with garlic and onion powder. Drain excess grease, then spread beef on bottom of 9×13-in. casserole pan. Stir bacon pieces into cooked beef. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, tomato paste, heavy cream, salt, and pepper until well combined. Stir 8 ounces grated cheese into egg mixture.
Pour egg mixture over beef and bacon. Top with remaining 4 ounces of grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on top. There are 3.8 net carbs per serving for 1/12 of this.
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Thought: Did you know diet stands for – did I eat that.
If you would like to share a recipe with me, just send it to the J-T or email it to me.
(Melanie Behrens – melb@marysvillejt.com)