Apple and Avocado Pudding (gluten free)

This four-ingredient recipe is the perfect way to end any meal. It's so refreshing and yet so simple.

Ingredients 

2 fresh avocado
2 medium apples
2 tsp lemon juice  
2 tbsp water  

    
Directions

1. Peel and pit avocados. Cut into chunks. Place in food processor or blender.
2. Core apples. Cut into chunks. Place in food processor or blender with avocados.
3. Turn on food processor or blender to purée fruit. Add water in steady stream, through food tube until desired consistency is reached.
4. Transfer to serving dishes.

Servies 6 

Per serving: Calories 134, Carbs 13g, Fiber 6g, Sugar 6g, Fat 10g, Potassium 327mg, Protein 1g. 

Quinoa and Salmon Cakes

This recipe is a unique way of using quinoa. The lemon sauce is what makes this an absolute hit! Only 4 grams of carbohydrates per cake with 1 1/2 teaspoons of topping. Easily make this recipe vegetarian by omitting the salmon.


Cake

1 1/4 cup water
3/4 cup organic quinoa
8 ounce wild Alaskan salmon, chopped
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 cup coarse dried breadcrumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
1/2 cup finely chopped dill
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
About 6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (for cooking)

Lemon Sour Cream Topping
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions
1. Bring water and quinoa to boil in a medium sauce pan. Reduce heat to maintain at a simmer; cover and cook until water is absorbed (10-15 minutes). Transfer the quinoa once it's done to a bowl to cool (about 15 minutes).
2. Prepare topping by combing ingredients in a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. To finish cakes, add the salmon, eggs, breadcrumbs, scallions, dill, lemon zest, and pepper to the cooled quinoa. Damp your hands and mix ingredients together by hand. Once well mixed,  form  about 32 small cake patties. (May have to damp hands several times to prevent sticking). Heat oil in a large skillet and cook patties until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes each). Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of lemon sour cream topping.

Low carb roasted chicken with balsamic vinegar

Between the sweet and tangy sauce and the crunchy skin, this is one of my favorite recipes. Each serving offers 2 grams of carbs. Serve with brown rice and vegetables for a delectable meal.

Ingredients: 

1- 3lb Chicken (or about 2 lbs of boneless chicken)
Bay leaves
Black pepper
Salt
3-4 Tablespoons olive oil
3-4 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Tuck 1-2 bay leaves between each piece or under the skin at various sites. Sprinkle each piece with salt and pepper and arrange it in a roasting pan. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and an equal amounts of melted butter. Enough to coat. Roast the chicken in the oven for 11/2 hours or until desired wellness.

Once the chicken is done, pour off the fat and discard the bay leaves. Put a saucepan on medium heat and add the wine and balsamic vinegar. Boil for 1-2 minutes to reduce and serve next to or over chicken. Serve warm.

Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

This appetizer is smooth, yet tangy, and absolutely fully of flavor. Good for any occasion and great because it's only 3 carbs per serving! 

Ingredients:

Recipes by asweetlife.org

8 oz. goat cheese, softened

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 pints large cherry tomatoes (about 1-inch in diameter)

Directions

In medium bowl, combine the goat cheese, garlic, basil, salt and pepper and set it aside.

Using a sharp knife, cut the very tops off of the cherry tomatoes.  Carefully cut around the ribs inside to loosen and scoop out seeds and interior membranes.  I found it best to use a very small spoon to scoop.

Using another small spoon, place 1 tsp or so chevre mixture inside each tomato, allowing some to protrude out of the top.  Alternatively, place chevre mixture in a pastry piping bag fitted with a medium tip and pip into tomatoes.

Pumpkin Pie 4 All!

4 grams of carbs!? It's true-- this Pumpkin Pie is good four everyone with only 4 grams of carbs per serving. (Pssst...It's sinfully delicious.) 

Ingredients

Filling                  
12 ounces  Philadelphia 1/3 less fat cream cheese -- (or regular cream cheese)
7.6 ounces  Nestle Media Crema table cream
1 cup  sweeteners of choice -- (ie: 1/2 tsp. ez-Sweetz Stevia and Monk fruit, and 1/2 cup  Swerve)
15 ounces  pumpkin -- (1 can)
1 teaspoon  cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon  salt
1/2 teaspoon  ginger
1/2 teaspoon  nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon  cloves

CRUST
1 cup  almond flour -- (such as Honeyville)
1/2 cup  flaxseed meal, golden
1/2 cup  whey isolate, vanilla flavored -- (I used Biochem, <1g carb per serving)
1/4 cup  butter -- melted (OR coconut oil)
1/4 cup  sweetener of choice -- (I used 6 packets of Truvia)



Directions

Crust: Preheat oven to 320F. In 10-inch pie plate combine almond flour, flaxseed meal, whey isolate, butter, and sweetener.  Mix all together with a fork until it looks like crumbs.  Press down and up the sides of pie plate.  Bake 10 minutes.  Cool.

Filling: In large bowl combine cream cheese, table cream, and sweeteners.  Beat with electric mixer until very creamy and smooth, about 1 or 2 minutes.  Add pumpkin, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmet, and cloves.  Continue beating about 2 more minutes, until well incorporated and thick and creamy.  Spread into pie crust.  Chill thoroughly for about 6 hours or overnight for best results.  If you're in a hurry place in your freezer for 2 hours. 

12 Servings/Per Serving: 243 Calories; 21g Fat (79.3% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber

Eggplant Casserole

This eggplant casserole is stacked with flavor. It's amazing that it only contains 3.3grams of carbs per serving. Bon appetit! 
Ingredients:

• 2 eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices.
• 10 slices provolone cheese
• 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
• 8 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
• 4 oz grated parmesan, or romano cheese
• 2 lbs ground meat (turkey or lamb is best)
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
• olive oil
• Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon ground cinammon
• 4 oz can no-sugar-added tomato sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of a 9x13 pan with olive oil.

Put a bit of olive oil in a frying pan and saute chopped onion, celery garlic and about 1 tsp of Italian seasoning. Saute for about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for another 5 minutes. Add the ground meat and cook until meat is no longer pink (or exclude for a vegetarian version). Drain any grease. Add can of tomato sauce and cinammon and simmer for about 3 minutes.

Mix the shredded mozzarella, grated parmesan, ricottta cheeses in a small bowl, and set aside.

In the meantime, salt the eggplant slices on either side and let them rest for about 10 minutes. Afterward, saute them for about 5 minutes (or until tender) in a well oiled pan.

Put half the salted eggplant slices (one eggplant) in the bottom of a large ungreased pan. Sprinkle with Italian seasonings. Layer one half of meat/tomato mixture over the eggplant. Layer half of the the provolone cheese and half the grated parmesan/ricotta/mozzarella mixture and spread over the provolone cheese.

Repeat the layering, add additional Italian seasoning. Bake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes at 325°F.  

Carrots Gone Wild

These carrots will have you and your friends raving. They are bursing with with flavor and add a great pop of color to any plate. 

Recipes from TheOrganicKitchen.org

Ingredients
½ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
Zest of one lemon, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs carrots
10 small shallots
1 T fresh thyme leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper, to taste





Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss the parsley, lemon zest, and garlic in a bowl, cover and set aside. Peel carrots and cut them into 3-4 inches segments. If the tops of the carrots are really thick, cut them in half lengthwise as well. Put the carrots into a large bowl with shallots and thyme, Drizzle with olive oil until all the veggies are glistening with oil. Sprinkle pepper. Toss. Arrange in a single layer on a parchment covered cookie sheet. Roast till tender and slightly browned 45-50 minutes, or longer if you like them browned. Serve warm along side any of your favorite dish. 

Mango Kale Salad

Ingredients

1 bunch kale, stalks removed and leaves     

     thinly sliced

1 lemon, juiced

1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons honey

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 mango, diced

2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds 

   (optional)

Directions

1. Combine kale, juice of half a lemon, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt in a medium bowl. Using your fingers, massage the kale until it is soft and silky, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
2. Mix together juice of other lemon half and honey together. Whisk in 1/8 cup olive oil. Drizzle on top of kale. Add mango and pumpkin seeds. Toss and serve.

Low-Carb Chicken Kebab

Ingredients

Diabeticgormet.com

• 12 oz. chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut into 12 even pieces
• 1 zucchini, cut into 8 slices
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 8 pieces
• 8 cherry tomatoes       

                Marinade

• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard (spicy brown may be substituted)
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste       

                Dressing

• 12 fresh mint leaves
• 1 cup frozen peas, cooked
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• Juice of one lemon

Directions

Put all ingredients for the marinade into a gallon size bag. Close the bag tightly and shake to mix, then add the chicken. Let sit for several hours or over night. 
When the chicken is marinated, skewer the red zucchini, and cherry tomatoes with the chicken. Cook either on a grill or on a grill pan on the stove. While their cooking, combines the ingredients for the dressing. Once the skewers are complete, lightly brush the dressing onto the kebabs; serve warm. 

Per serving: Calories 200, Protein, 21g, Sodium 105g, Fat 8g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Carbs 3g.

Grilled Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

Cooking spray

2 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips
2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
6 ounces cubed grilled skinless chicken breasts, cooked without salt, all visible fat discarded
1 small yellow summer squash, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 small tomatoe, diced
1/2 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
1 teaspoon salt-free all-purpose seasoning blend
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shredded low-fat Cheddar cheese

Cooking Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the tortilla strips in a single layer on the baking sheet. Lightly spray with cooking spray and bake for 10 minutes or until crispy.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the remaining ingredients except the Cheddar to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. Serve warm, sprinkled with the crisped tortilla strips and shredded cheese.



Per serving: Calories 163. Total fat 3.0g. Saturated fat 1.0g. Trans fat 0.0g. Polyunsaturated fat 0.5g. Cholesterol 24mg. Sodium <1g. Carbohydrates 16g. Fiber 3g. Sugar 5g. Protein 19g.