lil carb Pesto Spaghetti Squash

Watch me cook this easy side! Click the video below!

This is the perfect light summer side dish!  Plus if you're like me and love your pesto this recipe is great to incorporate it into a very versatile side! Perfect for a picnic also because it tastes great at any temperature!  I love making this at any time of the year by using a good quality jarred pesto too!  Just make sure to check your labels for the carb count.
I listed the ingredient amounts this way because everyones squash is going to be a little different so you may need the whole 8oz of pesto and you may not. Just keep adding until it looks and taste perfect for your taste!

*To get my homemade pesto recipe click HERE!!

lil carb Pesto Spaghetti Squash- Serves 4 (as a side dish)
1.5-2 lb spaghetti squash
6-8 oz of pesto, jarred or homemade
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Parmesan cheese
1/8-1/4 tsp red pepper flake (optional)

First cook your spaghetti squash- for this size I pierce mine about 10 times and microwave for 5 minutes then turn over and microwave another 5 minutes. Then let sit and rake out into "noodles".

In a large bowl add in about 1/2 of the pesto and mix in with the spaghetti squash noodles.
Keep adding pesto until the noodles are well coated.  Top with crushed red pepper, toasted almonds, a couple extra drops of pesto and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Enjoy this recipe cold, room temp, or warm! 

lil carb Cinnamon Roll Coffee

I love fancy coffee drinks. They always taste amazing! But they come with a price tag of high calories and high carbs. I decided to try to make a simple coffee drink at home to satisfy my fancy coffee shop drink craving and this recipe works! It tastes sinful and decadent BUT it is low carb.  

Great for your morning cup or a pick me up in the afternoon- that's exactly when I have been drinking this!

These are my favorite kind of recipes- simple, easy, and low carb!  

Plus if you make this at home you are also saving $$!  

lil carb Cinnamon Roll Coffee- 1 serving
16 oz of black coffee - hot or iced
2 squirts of liquid stevia, or your favorite liquid sweetener.
2 Tbsp half and half
1/2 tsp cinnamon, plus extra for presentation
Whipped cream, optional

Buy or brew your coffee.
Add in your sweetener and half and half.
Mix.
Spoon cinnamon into coffee and stir, the cinnamon will not fully dissolve but mix it the best you can.
Top with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon.

Hint: If you get coffee at Starbucks you can make this drink by ordering a black coffee and going to the sugar/milk kiosk in the cafe- there they have cinnamon and half and half just remember to bring your favorite sweetener!

lil carb Italian Dressing

I love this salad dressing!  I have been making it for years and it really is perfect. Everything seems to taste better when it's homemade and salad dressing is so super easy to make why not make it at home? Plus it sounds better when you say "I made this dressing"- lol!  Plus these ingredients are probably already in your pantry!  There's really not much more to say- you need to stop reading this post and get in your kitchen and whip up this dressing!

lil carb Italian Dressing
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 Tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp paprika
1 packet of Truvia OR 1 tsp of your favorite sweetener
Juice of 2 lemons
1/8 tsp Italian seasoning
1-2 garlic cloves- cut in half (based on garlic preference)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a salad dressing jar (like my pic), mason jar, or small bowl.
Whisk or shake until combined.  I let mine sit in the fridge overnight to really develop all the yummy flavors! Let dressing sit at room temp for a few minutes before serving and shake well before pouring.
Great on salads, grilled veggies, steamed veggies, pasta salad, potato salad, broccoli salad- whatever you like!

Chats with Kat - Low Carb Drinks

Let's be honest- water can get boring sometimes. But sometimes it can be hard to follow in a low carb lifestyle when one sugary drink could be your entire carb count for the whole week!  I have learned that it is really important to read your food labels and try new things!  In the video below I share with you my favorite drinks of the moment.  I'm sure this list will change and update so check back for even more Chats with Kat! 

lil carb Roasted Broccoli

Roasted veggies are my absolute fav!  They are super easy and cook in the oven in one pan. It's a win win! I especially like the flavor you get from the sun dried tomatoes in this dish- it is just delicious!

lil carb Roasted Broccoli Side Dish- Serves 2

3 cups raw broccoli, cut into small florets

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp red pepper flake (optional)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 pepper

1/4 Italian seasoning 

2 heaping Tbsp sun dried tomatoes, sliced

2 Tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Toss the broccoli and sun dried tomatoes in the olive oil on a baking sheet lined with tin foil.

Sprinkle on all of the seasoning and toss again.

Bake for 10 minutes, stir.

Bake for another 10 minutes, stir.

**I bake for an additional 5 minutes because I like my veggies crispy. Bake until you are happy with the texture.

Lastly toss in the parmesan cheese and let sit for 1 minute then serve.  ENJOY!

lil carb Whiskey Sour

Watch me make my fav cocktail!

My all time favorite drink in the entire world is the Whiskey Sour! Whenever I am out it is my drink of choice. The problem with creating this drink at home is you're probably thinking you need a fancy sour mix and a simple syrup... but you don't! The beauty of this recipe is the ingredients are SO simple but this drink has all of the complex flavors from a signature whiskey sour drink but without the extra calories, carbs, and heartburn inducing sour mix. You will be pleasantly surprised with how amazingly simple and tasty this drink is!!!  I get so excited about this drink because it is truly spectacular!!!



lil carb Whiskey Sour- makes 1 drink
1 shot of your favorite whiskey or bourbon
1 shot of cold water
juice of 1 lemon
2 quick squirts of your favorite liquid sweetener--I use Skinny Girl Stevia-------->
Ice cubes
lemon peel or lemon slice for garnish*

Fill a rocks glass with ice.
Add 4-5 ice cubes to a shaker.
Add in the whiskey, water, lemon juice, and liquid sweetener.
Shake well.
Strain into your glass, garnish with lemon peel or slice and sip away!

*Maraschino cherry- You can garnish with a cherry as well just keep in mind-- 2 grams of carbs per cherry!

ENJOY!

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!!  I still can't believe it's May already! Almost half way through the year! Even though it's a rainy day here in New Jersey you can still celebrate with some Mexican food!  Check out my links below for the lil carb recipes and how-to YouTube videos! And most importantly- have a wonderful 5-5!

Margarita Recipe

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Mexican Style Frittata

Taco Chili

Cilantro Lime "Rice"

lil carb Lemon Alfredo Sauce

I am ready for Spring! If it's not going to snow I have no use for the cold. I am ready for tank tops and warm weather! When Spring begins I like to start cooking with Spring flavors and to me that is fresh vegetables and citrus and grilled chicken! That is exactly what this meal is.  The sauce is the focus of this post because once you have a great sauce- the sky is the limit to exactly what you can make with it.  If you're not watching your carbs this sauce is also just a really tasty alfredo with a kiss of lemon that brightens it right up. Add this to pasta or even chicken and rice... really anything you want!

lil carb Lemon Alfredo Sauce- Serves 3-4
1 cup heavy cream
3 Tbsp butter, divided
2 Tbsp cream cheese, I use chive and onion flavor
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup fine grated parmesan cheese
1 lemon, zested & juiced
red pepper flake (optional)

Over medium/medium high heat add the cream and butter and warm up until lightly bubbling around the edges. Whisk in the cream cheese until melted. Add in the salt, pepper, garlic powder and whisk. Add in the zest and juice of one lemon and whisk until combined. Then add in the parmesan cheese and a sprinkling of red pepper flake if you are using.  Let simmer for a 3-5 minutes until thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
Serve immediately with your favorite veggies, pasta, rice, or any recipe that requires an alfredo sauce! See how I used it below:

I cooked a medium size spaghetti squash in the microwave by piecing it about 10 times with a knife (carefully) then I microwaved it for about 5 minutes and then flipped it over and cooked for another 5 minutes then I cut it open, discarded the seeds and removed the flesh with a fork to create "noodles"
I also took about 20 asparagus spears and 8 oz of sliced mushrooms, tossed them in olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast them in the oven at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes until they were brown and crispy. Then I had Jason grill up some chicken and I served the chicken, asparagus, and mushrooms over the cooked spaghetti squash and top with my Lemon Alfredo Sauce!  Perfect Spring dinner!  Even better as leftovers too! ENJOY!