lil carb Greek Frittata

Watch me cook this amazing Frittata!

Add another frittata to my breakfast list!  This one is inspired by Greek flavors and was actually created after I made my Greek Style Chicken Platter.  I had so many yummy ingredients that I decided to play around and make a frittata.  Once again you will hear me say that this is truly the easiest breakfast meal prep out there. Weekday breakfasts are so busy for Jason and I that having slices of yummy frittata in the fridge are truly a lifesaver!  So- get to the store and grab a few ingredients to make my Chicken platter for dinner and then my frittata for breakfast. You'll be thanking me!  hehe

lil carb Greek Frittata- Serves 6
 1/3 cup white onion, diced
1/4 cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped
3 Tbsp sundried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 of a lemon, tested
8 slices of bacon**, cooked and broken into bite size pieces
1/8 tsp oregano
2 Tbsp half and half
7 eggs, beaten
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/4-1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese- depending on how much cheese you like

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Spray a 9 inch pie plate (mine is glass) with non stick cooking spray.
Into the pie plate add in your raw onion, kalamata olives, sundries tomatoes, bacon, and lemon zest.
In another bowl crack your eggs and beat them with the half and half, oregano, a pinch of pepper and a tiny pinch of salt.
Once they are well mixed add them right to the pie plate.
Using a fork make sure the egg mixture coats all the ingredients.
Then top with the feta cheese.
Bake for 25 minutes then remove the fritatta from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes.
Then cut up, squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on top and ENJOY!

*This will keep in the fridge for about 5 days so feel free to heat it up all week long for a quick breakfast on the go!
**Make this vegetarian by omitting the bacon!

lil carb Ginger Lime Chicken

Chicken marinades are my favorite things to create because with a good marinade you can totally transform chicken to be any flavor you want.  Definitely fun and SO easy.  This marinade was made with a few fresh ingredients- which are right up my alley- and it is the perfect dinner for a summer night.  I like to make this with my coconut cauliflower rice- it is heavenly!  Make this recipe and you will likely add it to your dinner rotation!

Ginger Lime Chicken- Serves 4
1/3 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh chopped ginger, skin removed and chopped
2 Tbsp fresh chopped garlic
2 limes, zested
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 large chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise or 4 small chicken breasts

In a small bowl or measuring cup add in your oil, ginger, garlic, lime zest, salt and pepper. Then add in the juice of both limes. Whisk everything together well.
Put your chicken in a baking dish or a resealable plastic bag and pour almost all the marinade in. Reserve about 3 tablespoons of marinade.
mix the chicken around so that it is well coated in the marinade and then refrigerate for 2 hours or preferably overnight.
*If you only have 30 minutes you can still make this! The flavor will not be as strong but it is still do-able!

After the chicken has marinaded grill it, bake it, sauté it, whatever you prefer and then... ENJOY!

This chicken goes phenomenally with my lil carb Basil Coconut Cauliflower Rice! Just take a look at how perfect that looks! IT tasted even better if you can believe it!

lil carb Classic Tuna Salad

Watch me make this recipe!

*Spoiler Alert* - - -Tuna salad is not a new recipe- I have not invented anything new here. I am well aware of this haha BUT I wanted to share how I make tuna salad with everyone because whenever I make it I always get asked what exactly I put in it.  Lately I have been making a batch on Sunday and Jason and I have been eating it for lunch during the week on top of salads or I like mine with just a couple chunks of tomato. YUM!  It is a really great thing to use in meal prepping and
a nice way to switch up your protein. Plus I think tuna is a staple in any low carb diet so here it goes!...


lil carb Classic Tuna Salad
2 cans of tuna, I use Solid White Albacore in water----->
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp Mayo
1 tsp spicy brown mustard, I use Guldens----->
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp pepper
Salt to taste

Open your tuna cans and drain out the water well.
In a medium sized bowl add your tuna, red onion, celery, mustard and 1/4 cup of mayo.  Mix well. Add the additional 2 tbsp of mayo or even more until you get the desired creaminess. I find that 2 extra tbsp is perfect for me.
Then add in the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, pepper and a pinch of salt.
Mix again and taste. Add more salt until it is seasoned to your liking.
Enjoy!

lil carb Kale Side Dish

Watch me prepare this easy side dish!

I just love cooking with fresh vegetables.  One of my 'flavors of the week' for veggie sides lately has been kale. Not only is it a gorgeous green that is able to hold up to all different dressings and meals but it has so many tremendous health benefits.  Being that kale is a super food I enjoy cooking with it a few times a week. My old trusty recipe is a simple kale sauté that anyone can do with just a handful of ingredients. This dish sounds simple but the flavor is anything but!

lil carb Kale Saute- Serves 4
8 cups kale leaves, tightly packed
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/8- 1/4 tsp red pepper flake (optional)
Salt & Pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon (1/2 tsp worth)

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
Sauté the garlic for about a minute.
Add in the kale, in batches if you have a small skillet like me.
Continue to add kale, stir, let wilt, and then add more until all of your kale is in the skillet.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and the red pepper flake if you are using.

Serve as an additional side dish with my lil carb Salmon Entree!!

lil carb Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers

    

Watch my YouTube video on how to make these!

I have yet to find a low carb sloppy joe recipe. Every one that I came across had brown sugar, granulated sugar, or BOTH in the recipe.  This will not do for me because I love me some sloppy joes!  SO... I began recipe testing and you all will flourish in my rewards of this perfect recipe. Dare I say this is the best sloppy joe mixture I've ever tasted?! Well it is.  I stuffed mine into peppers but you could easily take this healthy sloppy joe recipe and add your favorite hamburger bun for the traditional sandwich. SO GOOD- you need to make this asap- it might seems like quite a few ingredients but most of these ingredients I had in my pantry and fridge already- and don't be scared of the steps- I wrote everything out the way I did so that it would be easy to follow.
Get in the kitchen and whip this up tonight!


lil carb Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers- Makes 4 peppers
1 lb ground beef, Use 90/10
4 bell peppers, any color you prefer

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup chopped carrots
3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp paprika
1/8-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper , to taste (optional)
Pinch of allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup low sugar ketchup
2 cups low carb tomato sauce (the cans that say tomato sauce, not marinara sauce)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
_______________________________________
Start off by preheating your oven to 400 degrees.
Cut off the very top of the peppers with the stem and reserve.
The bottom of the peppers remove the seeds and the cores from the inside.
Put the pepper bottoms in your oven for 8 minutes to soften them up.
Then take them out of the oven and set them aside while you make your sloppy joe filling.

Take the pepper tops and cut around the stem - chop up the good pieces so that you have about 1/2 cup of chopped bell pepper.
Chop all your other veggies and get them done before you heat your skillet.
In a large skillet over medium high heat add in 2 tbsp olive oil.
Then add in your carrots and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Then add in the onion, chopped up pepper tops, and celery.
Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently for 8 minutes until the veggies soften. Lower your heat if the veggies start to get dark brown.
Add in the garlic and stir constantly for 1 minutes so the garlic does not burn.
Remove the veggies from the skillet  and put into a small bowl and set aside.
In the same skillet raise the heat to high and cook the ground meat until it is cooked through.
Drain off any excess fat.
Lower the heat back down to medium.
Add the cooked veggies back into the skillet with the ground meat.
Add in the dried thyme, paprika, cayenne (if using), allspice pinch, salt and pepper.
Stir to evenly distribute the spices.
Then add in the red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well.
Then carefully stir in the ketchup and tomato sauce.
Let this mixture bubble up and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat and it will become nice and thick.
Stir often.
After 10 minutes fill your 4 pepper bottoms with the sloppy joe mixture and top each one with about 2 oz of cheese.
I use a square baking dish to help them stand up and bake at 400 degrees for 6 minutes then pop under the broil for 1-2 minutes until your cheese is brown and bubbly.
Let sit for a few minutes - they will be very hot.
Garnish with some fresh chopped parsley then.....ENJOY!

lil carb Peaches and Cream Sherbert

Watch me whip up this dessert! Click the video above!

Summer is here!  Which means where I live I can get the most gorgeous peaches you have ever seen. Jersey Peaches are ah-maze-in-gaaa! I decided to come up with a way to use this fresh, in-season fruit and still try to keep it relatively low carb.  Peaches have natural carbs of course and this recipe is about 10 grams of carbs per serving (depending on the size of your peaches).  Which isn't really that bad in the grand scheme of desserts. Plus I cannot deprive myself of seasonal fruits and veggies- it would be a crime! I don't make this every day but if you're looking for a healthy way to stay low carb and have some fruit- this recipe is where it is at!!


lil carb Peaches and Cream Sherbert- Makes 6 servings
6 peaches, peeled & cut into chunks (discarding the pit and stem)
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup cold water
2 squirts of liquid Truvia OR your favorite liquid sweetener
3 Tbsp heavy cream

In a blender add in all the ingredients and blend for about 2-3 minutes until all the peaches are blended into a smooth consistency.
Now- there are 2 options to making this into sorbet:

1. Add the blender mixture into a tuber ware container and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Then add to your ice cream maker and turn on.  It takes about 10-15 minutes for my ice cream maker to get to a nice sorbet consistency.
Serve with some whipped cream and you have the perfect summer, sweet treat!
Store in a tuberware in your freezer and follow #2 directions the next time you want a bite!
-OR-
2. Add the blender mixture into a tuber ware container and freeze for at least 4 hours.
After the mixture has become frozen take out and let sit at room temp for about 20-30 minutes then it will be easy to scoop out.
Serve with some whipped cream! ENJOY!

How to Make Spaghetti Squash Noodles

Spaghetti squash is a vegetable I never ate before I started my low carb journey but now we eat it ALL the time!  It is a perfect substitute for pasta and you get your veggie serving as well!  It is super simple to make too!  Just a few minutes and you are ready to go!

How to Make Spaghetti Squash Noodles- makes 4 servings:

2 1/2 lb Spaghetti Squash

Microwave

Pierce squash with about 8-10 knife holes.  Microwave on high for 5 minutes then flip squash over and microwave another 4 1/2 minutes.  Let sit in  microwave of 1 minute.  Remove with oven mitts, cut in half, scoop out seeds and mushy center and "rake" out the flesh to resemble noodles.

What to make with Spaghetti Squash Noodles?!
Check out some of my recipes!

lil carb Pesto Spaghetti Squash

lil carb Lemon Alfredo Sauce

Use with K. Harts Marinara Sauce

lil carb Spicy Sausage Diner

lil carb Extra Saucy Shrimp Scampi

lil carb Meat Sauce

lil carb Zucchini Gratin

If you're in the mood for a laugh watch my video on how I made this side dish and see exactly how I pronounced gratin- hehe!

I posted this recipe many moons ago and decided that it needed a revamp.  I also recorded the how-to video on how I make this side dish so I am reposting today!
Yes, very exciting!
This side dish is SO good- and it is actually how I fell in love with a young lad named Gruyere... jk its just cheese and not a person BUT this cheese is relatively cheap and it is super flavorful.  I always buy the smoked version. I have made this with regular gruyere that hasn't been smoked and I am sorry to say it does not taste the same.  Still good, just not as amazing as the smoked cheese.  Get that if you can!
This recipe is also a perfect way to use your overabundance of zucchini- a great way to utilize in-season veggies!

lil carb Zucchini Gratin- serves 4
1 Tbsp butter
1 lb of fresh zucchini, grated
1/2 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt & pepper to taste
1/4 tsp- 1 tsp nutmeg*
1/2 cup half and half OR Heavy Cream
4 oz smoked gruyere cheese, grated

Grate zucchini and place in a colander.  Sprinkle with salt to release moisture. Let sit 5- 25 minutes then squeeze to drain out liquid.  
Sauté onions and garlic in 1 tablespoon of butter for 2-3 minutes and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add zucchini and sprinkle with nutmeg*.  Cook about 2 minutes until zucchini is warmed through. Check for seasonings- add more salt, pepper, or nutmeg if needed. Next add the half and half and stir until thickened- about 2 minutes- taste one more time for seasoning. Put in a greased baking dish and top with the grated gruyere cheese. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes and then place under the broiler for a minute or 2 to brown the cheese.  Serve immediately. 

*Nutmeg seasoning amount is up to you- taste as you go but be careful because if you add too much nutmeg there is not much you can do. Watch my video above for how I like to add and taste.*

ENJOY!

lil carb Pepperoni Pizza Bites

Watch me make these bites!

Pizza, Pizza Pizza!  My craving for pizza will never be satisfied for as long as I live. Sooo I decided to come up with a fun snack that tricks my tummy into thinking I'm eating pizza.  By using some traditional pizza flavors and a low carb pizza sauce for dipping you do not have to feel guilty about eating my pizza bites!
The recipe is for 2 bites- because let's be honest- when the pizza craving hits, you just need a few minutes to throw these babies together.
But by all means, multiply this recipe as many times as you need to until you get the amount of pizza bites you are in need of.


lil carb Pepperoni Pizza Bites- makes 2 Bites
2 Tbsp shredded pizza blend cheese OR mozzarella cheese
1/8 tsp italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
1/16-1/8 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
2 slices of pepperoni

Low carb pizza sauce for dipping- I use Raos brand- MY FAV!------->
(Check your labels! This is the lowest carb brand I have ever found!)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
I use a silpat on a baking sheet ( you can find the one I use HERE )
Using a tablespoon measure put 1 tablespoon of cheese on your baking sheet in a neat pile. Then make a second one using the other tablespoon of cheese.
Divide the seasoning between both cheese piles and then top with one slice of pepperoni on top of each pile.
Bake for 7 minutes.
Let cook briefly after they are done baking them move them to a plate or serving platter.
Serve along side a small bowl of pizza sauce and ENJOY!

lil carb Spice-Rubbed Oven-Baked Chicken

Click above and watch me make this recipe!

Everyone has their own go-to chicken dish.  I realized I have never shared mine!  So here ya go! I use a handful of spices that most people already have in their pantry to create a quick spice rub and then bake my chicken thighs in the oven. Thighs are so good! They are easy on the wallet and I love the juicy meat and how crispy the skin gets in the oven. This is the perfect weeknight meal for a tasty but easy dinner.  Serve along side your favorite veggies and you have a complete meal.
The aioli is optional but at my house we love sauces and dipping so this works out perfect :)

lil carb Crispy Baked Chicken
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

Spice Rub
2 Tbsp olive oil
&
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika- whatever you have)

Aioli
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp reserved grease from baking the chicken
pinch of pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
I like to trim the excess skin off of my chicken thighs with kitchen sheers- just to clean them up a little bit. This step is optional.

Mix the spices in the Spice Rub list in a small bowl.  Add in the olive oil and mix well.
Massage the spice rub/olive oil mixture all over the chicken thighs- making sure to get under the skin and use all the spice rub.
Place the thighs on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 60 minutes.
*Check your chicken to make sure that it is cooked- ovens vary and the size of your thighs might not be the same as mine.
Once your chicken is cooked pour off 1 tablespoon of the leftover chicken grease into a small bowl.
Add in the mayo, lemon juice, and pinch of pepper from the Aioli list above and mix well.
Serve the thighs with a drizzle of aioli, ENJOY!



PS- This chicken goes amazzinnng-aaah with my lil carb Roasted Fennel!