Category Archives: Healthy

Pizza Stuffed Mushrooms

Here’s a delicious and simple appetizer that even your guests on
gluten-free, Ketogenic, Paleo and Atkins diets can enjoy.

Ingredients:

  •  24 mushrooms
  •  4 tablespoons tomato sauce
  •  1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  •  Your favorite pizza toppings (pepperoni, sausage, bell pepper, onion, tomato, basil, etc.)

Directions:

  1.  Remove stems from mushrooms and clean mushroom caps with a damp paper towel.
  2. Place mushroom caps on a lightly greased baking sheet and fill with tomato or pasta sauce.  My favorite is Trader Joe’s
    Bruschetta.
  3. Top with mozzarella cheese and your favorite pizza toppings.
  4. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and nicely browned.

Enjoy!

TIP:  If cooking for only a few people, use large Portobello
mushrooms to create personal sized crust-free pizzas.  Bake the mushrooms for 5 minutes before adding toppings.

 

Green Chile & Cheese Egg Muffins


These quick and easy egg muffins are great for a brunch or for breakfasts on the go throughout the week.  There’s no flour, so they are gluten free and great for Ketogenic and Paleo diets.

Ingredients
 15 eggs
4 oz diced green chiles, drained
4 green onions, sliced
2 cups grated cheese
2 tsp of your favorite seasoning
(I use Spike Seasoning)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Set 12 silicone baking cups on a baking sheet and coat with
nonstick spray.

2. Put onions, chiles and a generous bit of cheese in each cup.

3. Beat the eggs and spices until well combined.

4. Carefully pour a little of the egg mixture into each cup, letting it
settle a bit and then adding more.  Using a fork, gently mix the
ingredients in each cup.
   

5. Top with remaining cheese and bake until puffed up and nicely browned, about 25 to 35 minutes.

These last in the fridge about a week — well, not in MY fridge,
because I eat them sooner!

This is a slightly modified version of a recipe I found on
KalynsKitchen.com, a website I highly recommend!

 

Texas Style Ham Rolls

A unique and simple appetizer that is also perfect for your
Ketogenic and Paleo guests.

Only Three Ingredients:
Cream cheese
Ham slices
Texas style okra pickles

Directions:

1.  Spread cream cheese onto a slice of ham.

2.  Cut okra pickles to fit the width of the ham slice.

3.  Roll up the ham around the pickles.

4.  Slice into 1/4″ rounds.  The slices don’t need to be identical, but the more consistent the size, the prettier they are on the platter.

That’s all there is to it.  Enjoy!

Chicken Cauliflower Casserole

Chicken Cauliflower Casserole

This Cauliflower Casserole was a big hit with my brunch guests while helping me to stay true to my ketogenic lifestyle. The recipe came from CavemanKeto.com, and I highly recommend his website for wonderful recipes to support ketogenic and paleo diets.

Ingredients:

10 to 12 chicken thighs
1 head of cauliflower, chopped
16 oz cheese, shredded (I used a Mexican cheese blend)
6 green onions, chopped
6 thick slices of bacon
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium green pepper, sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 oz heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bake chicken thighs and shred or cut into cubes (I baked them in a large baking dish with a little water at 350° for 60 minutes.)
CCC--chicken thighs in water   CCC--cooked chicken

2. Brown the bacon and cut into small pieces.
CCC--bacon

3. Cook the cauliflower (I used the microwave on high for 5 minutes).
CCC--cauliflower

4. Sauté the peppers and onion slices until tender.
CCC--onions and peppers

5. Combine all the ingredients (except 4 oz of cheese) in a very large bowl.

6. Press mixture into a large greased casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese.
Chicken Cauliflower Casserole--ready to bake

7. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes at 350° and then five minutes more without the foil.
Chicken Cauliflower Casserole--serving

You can prepare the casserole ahead and refrigerate overnight, but let it sit at room temperature 20 minutes before baking.

 

DIY Protein Bars

DIY Protein Bars

Chewy, crunchy, yummy and good for you!  And even with 11 ingredients, it’s simple because all you do is combine the ingredients, press into a pan and freeze.

INGREDIENTS:
1½ cups rolled oats
¾ cup whole almonds
½ cup dried blueberries
½ cup pistachios
⅓ cup ground flaxseed
⅓ cup walnuts
⅓ cup pepitas
¼ cup sunflower seeds
⅓ cup maple syrup or honey
¼ cup apple sauce
1 cup almond butter

DIRECTIONS:

  1.  Mix first eight ingredients together.
    DIY Protein Bars - dry ingredients
  2. Add honey and apple sauce and stir.  Add almond butter and stir.
  3. Line a baking dish with waxed or parchment paper.  Spoon mixture into the dish and spread it evenly.DIY Protein Bars - mixed
    DIY Protein Bars - pan
  4. Freeze for one hour and then cut into bars.DIY Protein Bars - sliced

Will last up to a week in the refrigerator or up to a month in the freezer.

 

Love Yourself Taco Soup

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This taco soup is hardy, healthy, simple, inexpensive, and
oh-so-yummy.

A one-cup serving of this recipe has only 186 calories, 25 carbs and 3.5 grams of fat.  It also provides a whopping 61 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber.  I top it with 1 tablespoon of sour cream which adds only 30 calories and 3 grams of fat — so worth it!  AND it only cost $1.29 per serving!
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It is based on an old Weight Watchers recipe, but I’ve added a few things to make it even healthier:  kale, tumeric and
cardamom.  Among the many benefits, kale adds fiber and antioxidents, tumeric is anti-inflammatory and aids with healing and
alleviating arthritis, and cardamom aids digestion, immune system and blood pressure.  In this recipe, I used two cups of kale, which seemed about right to me.  I used 1 teaspoon each of turmeric and cardamom with no noticeable taste, so I would increase those next time to get more of the health benefits.

The sodium content is higher than I like at 815 grams per one-cup serving because of all the canned ingredients and the packaged
seasonings.  You could reduce the sodium level dramatically by cooking the beans yourself rather than using canned beans and by using your own seasonings instead of the packaged ones.  Since my emphasis is on simplicity, though, I’ll just buy low sodium versions of the canned ingredients next time.

So here’s the recipe as I prepared it:

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 lb. lean ground turkey
2 c kale, de-stemmed and chopped
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cardamom
15oz can black beans
15oz can kidney beans
15oz can cannellini beans
15oz can corn
28oz can diced tomatoes
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  1. Rinse and drain beans.
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2.  Sauté the onion in olive oil over medium heat for just a few minutes, until it begins to become translucent.
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3.  Add ground turkey and cook until browned.

4.  Add seasonings and mix well with the turkey.

5.  Add red pepper and tomatoes.

6.  Add the kale and mix in until it begins to wilt.
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7.  Add all the rest of the ingredients and combine well.

8.  Add a cup or two of water to desired consistency.

9.  Turn up the heat until the soup comes to a boil then cover and
reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes.

Enjoy guilt-free yumminess.  And please share your ideas for making it even better.

To Print Recipe:  Love Yourself Taco Soup