Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash with Pesto and Parmesan

Spaghetti squash is delicious with pesto and Parmesan and this Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash with Pesto and Parmesan is low-carb and gluten-free. It makes a nice winter side dish if you're avoiding higher-carb vegetables.



(Makes about 6 servings, recipe created by Kalyn.)

Ingredients:
1 large spaghetti squash (6-8 lbs.)
1-2 T olive oil (depending on how big your squash is)
1-2 tsp. Italian Herb Blend (or use other seasoning of your choice)
3 T basil pesto (more or less to taste)
1 cup + 1/4 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Wash outside of spaghetti squash if it's dirty, then cut squash in half lengthwise. Use a sharp pointed spoon to scrape out seeds and stringy gunk that's around the seeds.

Cut ends off squash if desired, then rub inside surface with a small amount of olive oil and Italian Herb Blend. Put squash on baking sheet that you've sprayed with non-stick spray. Roast squash, starting to check after about 40 minutes and removing when squash is still firm but strings apart fairly easily into spaghetti-like strands.  (It took about 50 minutes for the large pieces of squash I had.)

Let squash cool a few minutes if needed, then scrape out strands into a plastic bowl or baking pan and discard skins. Gently mix in pesto and the cup of coarsely grated Parmesan cheese, season with salt and fresh ground black pepper, then pour squash/cheese mixture into a gratin dish and top with 1/4 cup more Parmesan cheese. Bake 20-30 minutes more, until mixture is slightly bubbling and cheese is melted and starting to brown. Serve hot.
source:http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2009/02/recipe-for-twice-baked-spaghetti-squash.html

Baked Chicken with Curry Sauce

Years ago when my niece Kara got married we had a recipe shower, and her future mother-in-law shared this recipe for chicken breasts with a creamy sauce.  It's one of those simple recipes that really do taste good, and when I first started the South Beach Diet I ate this fairly often for an easy dinner.  Nowdays I rarely cook with canned soup, but I can see from the stats that this recipe does have some fans despite the fact that it's gone for six years without a photo!



When I made this a few days ago to take photos, I did it the way I used to, cutting the chicken into pieces so the sauce would cover it as it was cooking.  No matter how you make it, this isn't the most photogenic dish, but I hope the photos help show that it really is pretty tasty.

(Makes 6 servings; recipe from Kara's mother-in-law.)

Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
1/4 cup mayo (use real mayo, it's only 1/4 cup)
1 cup low fat sour ceam
1 can cream of chicken soup (Campbells, not low fat or low sodium)
2 tsp. sweet curry powder, more or less to taste
(for curry powder, I like Penzeys Sweet Curry)
1 T fresh lemon juice

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Trim all fat and tendons from chicken breasts. I like to cut each breast crosswise to make 4-5 pieces, which gives more surface for the sauce to penetrate, but this isn't necessary.

Put chicken into glass casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray. (Use the smallest size casserole which will hold all the chicken.) Mix other ingredients in bowl, then spread over chicken. Bake 40-60 minutes, until bubbling and slightly starting to brown.  I usually check it at least once and separate the chicken pieces so the sauce is running down between them.  Serve hot
source:http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2005/04/baked-chicken-with-curry-sauce.html

Alice Springs Chicken Casserole/low carb/

My brother-in-law Kelly's version of Alice Springs Chicken from Outback Steakhouse inspired this low-carb Alice Springs Chicken Casserole.

Alice Springs Chicken Casserole
(Makes  4-6 servings, recipe inspired by a version of Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken created by my brother-in-law Kelly)



Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
stock or water for cooking chicken, enough to cover
(I used water with some Better than Bouillon Organic Low-Sodium Chicken Base.)
1/4 tsp. dried sage (for cooking chicken)
1/4 tsp. dried thyme (for cooking chicken)
1/4 tsp. onion powder (for cooking chicken)
1 pound brown mushrooms, washed and thickly sliced
2 tsp. olive oil
4 oz. lean ham or Canadian Bacon, diced small
1 jar (14 - 15 oz.) Alfredo sauce (Check labels and use the sauce with the lowest carbs you can find.)
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
1/2 cup grated reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated reduced-fat Four-Cheese Mexican blend

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Spray three-quart casserole dish with  olive oil or non-stick spray.   (I used my favorite Anchor Hocking 12 Cup Bake and Store Casserole Dish.)

Cook chicken breasts in barely simmering stock (or water with chicken soup base) plus thyme, sage and onion powder until chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.  Let chicken cool, then pull apart into bite sized pieces and layer in bottom of casserole dish.

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan and saute mushrooms until all water has been released and mushrooms are lightly browned, then layer mushrooms on top of chicken.  In same frying pan, saute diced lean ham or Canadian bacon a few minutes, just to release flavor and slightly crisp it. Layer Canadian Bacon on top of mushrooms.

Whisk together the Alfredo Sauce and sour cream, then pour sauce over the mixture in casserole dish, letting sauce run down to bottom of pan.  Sprinkle over the Mozzarella and Four-Cheese Mexican Blend.



Cover with the lid (or foil if your casserole dish doesn't have a lid) and bake about 20 minutes, until the cheese is mostly melted. Uncover, and bake another 20-25 minutes, until cheese is slightly browned and casserole is bubbly.  Serve hot.  This freezes well and can be reheated in a microwave or in a pan on the stove.
source:http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2006/01/alice-springs-chicken-casserolewho.html

This Zero Carbs, Four-Ingredient Bread Is Breaking The Internet And Best Weight Loss Program

Bread without gluten, carbs, and hardly any sugar? No way, you say? Well, think again.
In a recent trend currently exploding on Pinterest, so-called ‘Cloud Bread’ is becoming a bit of a phenomenon. The bread, named after its cloud-like texture, is, unlike most other breads, not only low-carb and high in preotein, but also completely gluten free.



Sounds too good to be true? Yeah, we thought so too – until we made some.

With four simple ingredients – eggs, cream cheese, cream of tartar, and sweetener – you can easily whip up your own batch. And while the combination of the aforementioned four might not sound all that appealing, it actually yields melt-in-your-mouth patties that work equally well as hamburger buns as it does toasted and topped with whatever you fancy.

And Cloud Bread is also getting the thumbs up from a variety of health experts who claim the health benefits from eating the buns are impressive.

Speaking to Women’s Health about the new foodie trend, UK based dietitian Deborah Malkoff-Cohen said: “Cloud bread contains numerous nutrients not found in traditional bread, including vitamin A, vitamin D, phosphorus, choline, and selenium.”

And you don’t have to stop at four ingredients if you don’t want to. “Experiment with your batch by adding nuts, seeds or spices and topping it with a variety of ingredients, such as avocado and bacon or strawberries and cream cheese.”

Be aware though, that Cloud Bread lacks one important thing we need to get enough of through our diet: Fibre. Meaning, if you swap your regular loaf for this, it is important that you get adequate fiber from other sources, like fruit, veggies, and other whole grains.



3 eggs, separated
3 Tablespoons cream cheese
¼ teaspoon baking powder (or cream of tartar)

Optional: 1 Tablespoon Honey or some natural sweetener, salt, garlic powder, rosemary

Directions

Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius

Separate the eggs, there must be no yolk in the white.

In one bowl, mix together the egg yolks, cream cheese and honey until smooth.

In the second bowl add 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder (or cream of tartar if you prefer, I just didn’t like the taste of cream of tartar) to the whites and beat the whites on high speed until they are fluffy, form a nice peaks and hold their peaks. Beat the egg whites until like a whipped cream consistency.

Slowly fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites and mix carefully, you don’t want to break the fluffiness of the egg whites too much.

Do this as quickly as possible or the mixture may start melting – Spoon the mixture into 10-12 even rounds on the baking sheet, sprinkle with rosemary or your favorite spices and put it in the oven.

Bake for 17-20 minutes on the middle rack. Then broil (cook the top) for 1 minute and watch it until they become nice and golden brown. At this point make sure you watch them so they don’t burn

Remove from the oven and let cool and enjoy!
source:http://www.hashtaghealth.net/

Low Carb BLT Wraps

Enjoy the flavors of a BLT sans bun with our lettuce wrap version which encases savory bacon in a refreshing blanket of lettuce and tomatoes. A smear of lemon aioli escalates lettuce wraps to another level. Serve with a hardboiled egg for more calories and protein.



Ingredients

4 slices (40 grams) uncooked center-cut bacon (certified gluten-free if necessary)
1/2 medium (30 grams) lemon
1/4 cup (60 grams) reduced-fat mayonnaise (certified gluten-free if necessary)
4 large basil leaves, finely chopped
4 large Bibb lettuce leaves
2 medium (180 grams) Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 large (50 grams each) hardboiled eggs, peeled and sliced
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Directions

Cook bacon until desired doneness. Set aside on paper towels so excess fat can drain.

Grate 1/4 teaspoon zest from the lemon into a small bowl. Squeeze about 1 teaspoon lemon juice in bowl. Stir in mayonnaise and basil.

Spread 1 tablespoon mayonnaise mixture on each of 4 lettuce leaves. Top evenly with tomato, egg, and bacon. Sprinkle with pepper. Wrap leaves around filling.

Nutrition Information

Serves: 2 |  Serving Size: 2 lettuce wraps (includes 2 slices bacon, 1 egg, 1 tomato, and 1 tablespoon aioli)

Per serving: Calories: 280; Total Fat: 16g; Saturated Fat: 4g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 207mg; Sodium: 464mg; Carbohydrate: 12g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugar: 7g; Protein: 12g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 121mg; Iron: 6%; Vitamin A: 11%; Vitamin C: 11%; Calcium: 3%

source:http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/

How to Make Homemade Low-Carb Pasta

You can enjoy a cozy, comforting bowl of pasta while still sticking to your low-carbohydrate diet. Several methods exist for making homemade low-carb noodles, none of which require any special equipment. Once you've prepared your pasta, top it with your favorite hearty sauce, herbs and cheeses for a satisfying meal.



If you have a pasta maker, use it. If you don't have one, don't worry: You only need a set of measuring spoons, a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and a rolling pin to roll the low-carb pasta dough into thin sheets. Grab a high-powered blender or food processor to make quick work of mixing the dough. Or, gather a mixing bowl or two and a large spoon or spatula to combine the ingredients.

Swapping wheat flour for a lower carbohydrate alternative flour such as full-fat soy flour lowers the carb count while boosting the amount of protein in your pasta. For every 2 ounces of soy flour, which works out to roughly 1/2 cup of unsifted flour, use 2 extra-large, room-temperature eggs and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix until everything's combined before turning the dough onto a piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Roll the dough out 1/4 inch thick, or as thin as you can get it. Slice the pasta dough into strips or shapes; arrange the noodles in a flat layer on your parchment paper and let them dry for an hour. Or cook the noodles immediately in boiling water for approximately 2 to 3 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.

You can make pasta without using any flour at all; simply use cheese, eggs and any seasoning you may want to include. This low-carbohydrate pasta doesn’t reheat as well as traditional pasta, so only make as much as you need for a meal. Fan easy, no-boil noodle, blend 2 eggs for every 1 ounce of cream cheese. Add a little salt and pepper or any herbs or seasonings you like. Pour the mixture into a greased baking pan and bake it for approximately 8 minutes in an oven that’s been preheated to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove it from the oven; let it cool for 5 minutes and slice it into fettuccine-like slices that are approximately 1/8 inch thick. Top with your favorite sauce.




Replacing pasta with fresh vegetable "noodles" lets you have all the deliciousness without the high carbohydrate count. One of the fastest pasta swaps is steamed or sauteed broccoli slaw. You can transform zucchini into noodles by julienning it with a mandoline or a julienne peeler, slicing it into ribbons with a vegetable peeler or cutting it into spaghetti-like noodles with a spiralizer. Spaghetti squash works well, although it requires a bit more work. Prepare spaghetti squash by cutting it in half, removing the seeds and baking it on a baking sheet with the cut-side facing down. Bake it in an oven that's been preheated to 400 F for 30 to 45 minutes, or until it's tender. Use a fork to scrape the spaghetti-like strands onto a plate or serving dish and top it as desired.

SOURCE:http://www.ehow.com/how_4922991_make-homemade-low-carb-pasta.html

Carb Free Cloud Bread

These are a delicious home-made bread replacement that are practically carb free and very high in protein. They are just like heaven so I call them clouds. Compliments of Kristin Patterson.



DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Separate the eggs very carefully, there must be no yolk in the white.
In one bowl, mix together the egg yolks, the 3 T. of Cottage Cheese OR Cream Cheese and the one packet of Sweetener until smooth.
In the other bowl add 1/4 teaspoon of Cream of Tartar to the whites and beat the whites on high speed until they are fluffy and form nice peaks.
Very carefully fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites until mixed, but try and not break down the fluffiness of the egg whites too much.

Spray two cookie sheets with Pam or other fat-free cooking spray.
With a large spoon, "scoop" the mixture into 10 even rounds on the sheets (about the size of the top-half of the McDonalds hamburger bun; roughly 3/4 inch thick and 4 to 5 inches across).
Bake on the middle rack. Here is when you have to watch them, because the cooking time the same on any two batches. It is somewhere around 1/2 hour, but it could be less or more. You just need to watch them until them become nice and golden brown (again, the color of a McDonalds bun).
Remove from the pans and cool on a rack or cutting board.

While warm they are crumbly and similar to cooked meringue - but don't let this fool you! Once completely cool, seal them in a ziplock storage baggie or a tupperware over night. They will totally change their consistency, to something much more like bread - a softer texture that is nice and chewy. If you do not like softer chewy bread, then eat them as they are, nice and crisp.
Since the sides that were facing the pan are perfectly flat, you use these to spread things on, or make sandwiches, or even as a burger bun! The choice is up to you, and you will be quite amazed at how much like a bun these really are!

INGREDIENTS                              

3 eggs, separated
3 tablespoons whole milk cottage cheese or 3 tablespoons cream cheese
1⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 (1 g) packet artificial sweetener


SERVINGS     5

YIELD         10 halves

UNITS           US
source:http://www.food.com/recipe/carb-free-cloud-bread-411501