Spicy Loaded Chicken Breasts

Spicy Loaded Chicken Breasts = Chicken breast + bacon + cheese topped with banana peppers.

Add your favourite toppings and BOOM you are good to go! 

I love loaded chicken breasts, they are so simple and they leave you feeling so full!

To cut carbs I like to use dry rubs on my chicken breasts for flavour, I then bake them while making the bacon. Once the bacon and chicken breasts are ready I put the oven on broil, place the bacon on the chicken breasts and add shredded cheese to the top. You can garnish the breasts with your favourite toppings, I like to add a little zip with banana peppers but you can also add chopped tomatoes and other toppings to make it your own personalized loaded chicken breast. :) 

Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Chicken Hugs

My apologies, it has been quite a while. You can catch up on my cross-country move, change in professions, puppy adoption and travels here.

Right now, I've got a creation that was inspired by mean post-workout hunger and very little time. We used 3 chicken breasts, a cup of cheese, 6 slices of ham (you could use any sliced deli meat) and 4 slices of bacon. It made 4 entrees, we each had two and we were very full after!

I'm not sure what to call this; "Chicken Hugs" comes to mind or "Reverse Chicken Cordon-Bleu" (I realise it is a different). Regardless here is what you need to do to make this meaty treat for yourself.

1. Cook yourself up some chicken. I blackened mine a little with some chili pepper spices and hot chipotle salt, but if you want to go a more Italian route you can season with garlic powder and traditional Italian spices.

On a separate ban half cook a piece of bacon for each entree you plan on making. Remove when half cooked.

2. Let your chicken cool after cooking and then rip it up into strips. I was able to use an entire small chicken breast in one of my entrees but it was tiny.

3. Lay out an entire piece of sliced ham on a baking sheet.

4. Lay down a bed of shredded cheese.

5. Lay down a layer of chicken with an inch or so to spare on each side to allow the ham to wrap over top.

6. Sprinkle more cheese on top of the chicken.

7. Wrap the layer of ham over the top of the chicken. As you can see for some of mine I double wrapped using two pieces of ham. Stick a toothpick through all the layers to hold it together.

8. Wrap your half cooked bacon around the ham with the ends coming together at the top.

9. Sprinkle more cheese on top.

10. Place pan in oven and allow to cook until the bacon is crisp and the cheese has melted.

11. Remove from heat and enjoy!

Bam, there you go! My unnamed chicken creation! To simplify the process we stuck out bacon I our George Foreman grill for a quick half cook and used chicken breasts we already had made. We had plenty chicken left over from the 3 breasts to make a salad as well!

"Protinis" A Great Snack When You Are In A Pinch!

I was in a pinch on Saturday. I had locked myself out of my office and had a meeting a half an hour after working out, I did not want to leave my protein needs in the hands of the gym staff and pay an arm and a leg for a carby protein shake. I hustled around town to the grocery store where I thought I would find a premixed shakes that are hot right now but Safeway only had cold chocolate milk.

I geared up to by some meat and dig in when I happened to pass by a new product called “Protinis” by Maple Leaf Foods. I was in awe. There are multiple flavours of “Protini” but I have stuck with the Glazed Oven Roasted Chicken & Apple flavor because out of all of the varieties at my local Safeway it is the one with the lowest amount of carbs.

I quickly downed both of the “Protinis” in the package; I was impressed at how good the cold chicken and dried apples were. Nutritionally there are 80 calories in each of the Glazed Oven Roasted Chicken & Apple packs with 5 grams of carb, 1 gram of fibre and 4 grams of sugar. Protein wise they definitely do not measure up to a shake but there are 11 grams of protein in each pack of the Glazed Oven Roasted Chicken & Apple.

They are a little pricey, but nice little treats when you are in a pinch. I plan on packing them for road trips, hikes and any instance when I know I am going to be hard-pressed to find low-carb quick food fixes. I hope gas stations start stocking them!

Here are all of the different flavours of “Protini” on the market right now:

 

From http://www.protinis.ca/en/product.html

Try them out and save a little money with this "Protini" coupon! 

Low Carb Lemon Cheesecake

Sorry!

Things have been super crazy busy lately so I have been onto the old favourite quick and easy recipes.  I did manage to stock up on dessert last week with a treat--- lemon cheesecake! I have been back at the gym now for fourteen weeks for nearly 70 workouts!

When I made this recipe it made twelve square mini-cheesecakes. It also made a six-inch round cheesecake. I have cut this recipe in half for you so that hopefully you don’t make too much! I still have one in the freezer. 

Crust:

1 ½ cups of almond flour

1/3 cup of melted butter

½ tablespoon of stevia (or your favourite sweetener)

½ teaspoon of cinnamon

½ teaspoon of coco powder

1.     Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

2.     Combine almond flour, melted butter, spices and sweetener in a medium bowl.

3.     Once mixed well, press crest into the bottom of pan.

4.     Bake for ten to twelve minutes.

5.     Allow time to cool.

Cheesecake:

½ package of lemon flavoured sugar-free Jello

½ cup of boiling water

1 8oz package of softened cream cheese

1/3 cup of stevia (or your favourite sweetener)

½ teaspoon of vanilla

½ teaspoon of lemon juice

¼ cup of cream

1.     Dissolve half a package of sugar-free lemon Jello in a half-cup of boiling water. Cool and allow thickening but not setting.

2.     In a separate bowl combine softened cream cheese, sweetener, vanilla and lemon juice. Beat until smooth.

3.     Whip cream until stiff peaks form.

4.     Fold in cream cheese mixture.

5.     Pour the cream cheese filling over crust.

6.     Chill for at least two hours.

I garnished mine with fresh raspberries because the grocery store was out of blueberries (crazy, I know). I would like to make a blueberry garnish, or I would use sugar-free blueberry syrup if there were one available here in rural BC.  Raspberries worked too!

Nutritional information to come

Cheesy Jalapeño Low Carb Biscuits

Things have been crazy over the last couple of months. All of my boyfriend's hard work eating right and working out has payed off! He has dropped over 100lbs since we started keto and has now officially sworn into the military. He will be heading to basic training in less than two weeks so we have been cutting pretty hard and I have even been hitting the gym for moral support. We only get to workout together once a week, but it is nice to be on the same page. I have been back in the gym for 6 weeks now and I have worked our 34 times. Leaving little time for innovative cooking, while Kev is at Basic I will have more time to post.

I really like these biscuits. They are great to have in the fridge for a quick snack. I have been putting a little pizza sauce on them and melting more cheese on top for a pizza-style snack. 

Letting them sit really does make a HUGE difference. I tried them as soon as they came out of the oven but found that they needed that time to really finish melting together with the shredded cheese. 

Unfortunately biscuits will never be low calorie if you want them moist and flavourful. To save some calories you can use lower calorie cream cheese, nix the bacon grease and maybe skimp on the butter a bit. 

Ingredients:
-1 medium jalapeno
-1/2 teaspoon chili pepper
-1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
-3 eggs
-1/3 cup coconut flour
-(optional) 1/2 tablespoon bacon grease
-1 tablespoon of cream cheese
-1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used tex-mex)
-1/3 cup melted butter   
Procedure: 
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove the seeds and chop up the jalapeno.
3. In a bowl combine dry ingredients. 
4. Blend the wet ingredients and the jalapeno. 
5. Mix the wet and dry ingredients until there are no lumps.
6. Fold in cheese. 
7. Spoon out the batter into nine equal units in greased pan.
8. Bake for 15 minutes. 
7. Brush tops of the biscuits with melted butter. 
8. Let sit for at least half an hour.
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 141
Fat: 12.3g
Carbs: 3.3g
Fibre: 1.8g
Sugar: 0.5g
Protein: 4.6g

Low Carb Shamrock Protien Shakes

 When I was a kid I was obsessed with Shamrock Shakes from McDonald's. I has been a lifelong problem. I even had Shamrock Shake stickers on my dorm room mini-fridge at university.


While we were on vacation Kev had a Shamrock Shake on his cheat day and I have been craving one ever since.

So, I altered some Shamrock Shake recipes I found online to make it a low carb treat. We are only a week away from St. Paddy's Day, so get your fill now or drink it anytime of year!

Here it is in all of its high calorie glory. I really liked it using half-and0





Ingredients:
1/2 cup of half-and-half cream
1/2 cup of water
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
1/4 teaspoon of mint extract
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 ice cubes
2-3 drops of green food coloring (optional)
*you can sprinkle grated dark chocolate on top for a tasty garnish

Procedure:
Mix all together in a blender and boom, a low carb take on McDonald's Shamrock Shake!

Nutritional Information: To come.
This will vary depending on what brand of protein powder you use. You can safely add a little bit of water in most cases.
Calories:
Fat:
Carbohydrates:
Sugar:
Fibre:

Almond Flour Chicken Strips

We make these bad boys all the time, they are so easy and quick to make. Perfect for after work or a quick lunch. We usually cut up chicken breasts into strips but you can also use pre-cut chicken from your grocer too (this tends to be more expensive). We like them to be a little spicy, so we add a teaspoon of chili powder to the mix, if you are making this for children you may want to nix that part of the recipe. 

When we started making these chicken strips we would give them an egg bath, but we have actually found that it doesn't help breading them and that it is just as easy to dip them in almond flour. 

Ingredients: 

2 Chicken Breasts 

2/3 Cup of Almond Flour

1 Teaspoon of Chili Powder (optional)

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Procedure:

1. Cut chicken into strips or bites, whatever size you would like. 

2. Heat coconut oil in a pan on medium heat.

3. Mix almond flour and seasoning in a medium bowl. 

4. Press both sides of each chicken strip in the dry mixture. 

5. Fry in coconut oil until full cooked inside and golden on the outside. 

These are great with pretty much any dipping sauce! 

Nutritional Information (per serving, makes two servings):

Calories: 355

Fat: 21.7g

Carbs: 8g

Fibre: 4g 

Sugar: 1.3g

Protein: 34.7g  

Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Personal Pies

This is still a work in progress... Thanksgiving Day I was jones-ing for pies and this was my best option at the time with the amount of ingredients I had around the house. I will be the first to admit these pies are a work and progress, not exactly a traditional replacement for pies. But, I will continue to make them tastier... I would love a low carb fruit personal pie (it is my current project).

Add some sugar free whipped cream and these pies should hit the spot in a pie craving. 

This recipe should make four personal pies. 

I found my Wilton personal pie presses at the dollar store, I am betting you can also find them at Bed Bath and Beyond. 

Crusts

1 1/4 cups almond flour

1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced

1/4 cup ice water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg (for egg wash)

1. Combine almond flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture, large chunks that look should form. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. I used a non-stick pan greased with coconut oil to bake these pies. 
3. Spread pie crust over press, or into pan. I used Wilton 'Mini Pie Presses' to make my personal pies. 
4. Fill the inside of the personal pie with 2 tablespoons of filling.
5. Brush dough edges with egg wash.
6. Bake or fry your personal pies. I baked mine for 15 minutes. 

Filling

1/2 90% dark chocolate bar

2 tablespoons of unsweetened almond butter

1/2 cup of heavy cream

1/2 cup of sweetener (this time I used boxed Twin)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

     1. Chop up chocolate in a medium bowl.

     2. In a sauce pan combine almond butter, cream, sweetener and salt.

     3. Stir until smooth, and the sweetener and salt have dissolved. 

     4. Stir this mixture into chopped up chocolate.

     5. Let sit for 10 minutes.

     6. Refrigerate until ready to use in the pies. 

Nutritional Information:

To Come... 

Spicy Jalapeño Butter Shrimp

We love to switch up our seafood mid-week. 'Spicy Jalapeño Butter Shrimp' is one of our favourite ways to prepare shrimp, it is SO quick and SO easy. Perfect to make when you get home from work in a hurry to eat. We have started throwing jalapeños into the pan when we make the shrimp, but they are optional.

We often use the shrimp as a side with other things like Flatout Mini Pizzas. 

Ingredients:

-1lb Bag of Shrimp

-1/4 cup of butter

-1/2 can of Jalapeños (optional)

-salt & pepper to taste

-1 tsp. chili flakes

-1-2 tsp. chili powder

-1 tbsp. coconut oil

*season to taste, if these seasonings are too much for you reduce them

Procedure

1. Thaw shrimp (if frozen).

2. Heat coconut oil in pan on stovetop at medium heat.

3. Add butter to the coconut oil.

4. Add thawed shrimp to the pan.

5. Add seasoning to the shrimp and butter.

6. Cook shrimp for 5-10 minutes (this may vary by stove/will be different if you are using precooked shrimp).

7. Add jalapeños (optional). Let sit for 2-5 minutes. 

Nutritional Information: 

(to come)

Bacon Cheddar Cauliflower Fritters

I have a hard time adding cauliflower into the mix in my meals. I am not a huge fan its the taste, but I
love the potential it has for substituting foods like potatoes in my diet.

One potato product I really, really missed was breakfast hash browns. I love them loose and McDonald's style and this recipe is spot on with producing the texture of grated potato hash browns.

Now, this recipe is time consuming. Give yourself a good hour the first time you make it.

It should make twelve fritters.

Ingredients
-5 slices of crispy bacon
-1 medium head of cauliflower
-1 jalapeño
-3 eggs
-1 teaspoon of onion powder
-1 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (I use tex-mex)
-1 tablespoon of shredded parmesan cheese
-3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of almond flour
-salt and pepper
-coconut oil (for the frying pan)

*serve with salsa and/or sour cream

Procedure
1. Prepare 5 pieces of bacon, make sure it is crispy and easy to break up!
2. Steam cauliflower florets until tender. I did this on a frying pan and it took 7-8 minutes.
3. Rinse cauliflower with cold water and mash it like potatoes. Try to break up all of the big pieces.
4. Place cauliflower in a colander let water drain for 10 minutes.
5. Remove seeds from jalapeño and chop it up into small pieces.
6. Whisk together eggs, jalapeño, parmesan cheese, bacon, 2 tablespoons of almond flour and a dash of both salt and pepper.
7. Drain cauliflower and add to egg mixture. Whisk together.
8. Add cheddar cheese and the rest of the almond flour to the mixture. Whisk together well.
9. Heat coconut oil in a skillet or pan, make sure it is covered well.
10. Add batter in your desired size, I recommend a heaping tablespoon.
11. Press each cake down with a fork and fry until golden brown.
12. Flip.
13. Remove and place on paper towel.

Alternatively, you can fry your batter up in a loose fashion. It does not look as pretty, but it is a great alternative if you like it crisper (or with breakfast). You can add salsa to the mix if you make in the loose fashion.


Nutritional Information (per fritter)*
Calories: 170
Total Fat: 14.1g
Carbohydrates: 3.7g
Fiber: 1.5g
Sugar: 1.1g
Protein 8.5g

*This will vary depending on what type of bacon you use and minor changes on exact amounts of cauliflower used. I used very thick bacon, an easy way to cut calories (etc.) is to use a thinner cut of bacon.

Fried Pepperoni, The Easiest Night-In Snack

I used to hate pepperoni, now I love it.

Its greasy greatness, the perfect treat if you are staying in and want a quick snack.

Ingredients
-100g of your favourite pepperoni (I used cheddar pep in my photos)
-coconut oil
-sour cream, salsa, mustard or ranch for dip

Procedure
1. Cut up your desired amount of pepperoni into thick (or thin) rounds.
2. Heat coconut oil at a medium-high on stove top.
3. Fry pepperoni until crisp.
4. Place pepperoni on paper towel and let sit for a couple minutes to allow grease to run off.
5. Serve with selected dip.


Nutritional Information (per 100g)*
Calories: 493
Total Fat: 43.0g
Total Carbs: 0g
Protein: 21.9g

*This is approximate, different brands and makes of pepperoni may have different nutritional values.

Flatouts: Making A Packed Lunch Possible Again!

As you may have read I started my keto life in Calgary, Alberta. It was a big change when I moved back to Halifax, Nova Scotia four months later. I had shed some serious pounds and was fully committed to my new low-carb life.

There was one tiny problem... I had gotten used to having some special products found at diabetic resource stores that I could not buy in Nova Scotia. One of those things was super high fibre tortilla bread.

But, after being back on the east coast for about eight months I discovered Flatout's "Foldit"at my small town grocery store. I was THRILLED.

Not only do they taste great, they are loaded with fibre!

Finally, I could have the sandwiches again. Not that I missed them that badly (once and a while the odd clubhouse craving will spark but that is about it). My real problem was packing lunches for internship and school. Everyday I would fuss over leftovers (if there were any left from the night before) or have to buy lunch (costly when you make $0).

I am so excited to have Flatout products in my life. They still have some carbs, but they keep me under my 20g a day limit. I have found them in both Nova Scotia and in supermarkets in Alberta (yes, I am back in Calgary now).

The entire line available in Canada and one of my favourite uses, mini pizzas! 

For more information about Flatouts including where you can find them visit www.flatoutbread.com!

In Need Of A Good Read? 4 Books To Reaffirm Your Heathy Diet

Starting a list of great reads to help inspire your low carb or keto diet. These books are great when you need a little proof that you're not crazy and that how you are eating is more than just a fad.

If you have any suggestions please add them in the comments section.

1. 'Wheat Belly' by Dr. William Davis is a great resource to help you get started with cutting carbs. It specifically talks about the problems associated with wheat in our diets and gives lots of anecdotal evidence from Davis's own practice. 

I like this book because it uses common language and is easily accessible for the average person who just wants to know more about foods in their diet. 

I think everyone in my family has now read Wheat Belly. I would pass this book on to anyone looking for more information about losing weight, so many people can benefit from this book and cutting wheat from their diets. 

Wheat was the starting point for me, once I stopped consuming breads and pastas I saw a huge change in my body and my personality. As I read Wheat Belly I recognized things that had changed that were similar to Davis's patients in the book. It really opened my eyes and reaffirmed my choice to be more selective about the foods that I put into my body. 

2. 'Salt Sugar Fat : How The Food Giants Hooked Us' by Michael Moss is an informative look at three giants that determine what and how we eat food. I really like this book because it reveals some of the common sense reasons why we want to eat the food we crave. It talks about how the processed and junk food industries develop customers from people who need to eat to live; to large lusters who desire their next caloric fix. "Mouthfeel", "bliss point" and other key terms take us inside our own minds and connect why we want these conveniences foods and how we became hooked on them.

Now, this read isn't keto/low carb bible. But, I think it sheds light on important points to consider no matter what diet you are on. The summer that I decided to cut carbs and go keto I lost 45lbs. I ate McDonald's twice a day (I worked for McDonalds... no buns, no fries, no pop), did it work? Yes. Was it good for me? Not so much. I had worked for McDonald's the previous summer and ate it at least once a day (bun, fries and many lattes). Just because things work, doesn't mean they are the best for your health overall. 

This book takes you inside the minds of the food industry titans and makes you reevaluate your super market purchases. It is a wise read that will make you rethink every commercial you see geared towards children, happiness and low costs. 

3. 'Good Calories, Bad Calories' and 'Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It' by Gary Taubes are great reads, but are very heavy. You will put your book down and think about what you have read and then want to immerse yourself again. These are two big books that pack a lot of punches, their information is intricate and detailed. I wouldn't recommend starting your nutritional education with one of these books because they are so heavy. Start with something like 'Wheat Belly' and then move into these books once you have a foundation of knowledge about diet.

With that being said, these books are of a different breed than 'Wheat Belly'; they provide more statistical information and are at a deeper level than just anecdotal evidence. I think if you are going to sit and read either of these books there is a good chance that you have already seriously committed to knix-ing problem parts of your diet. To me, these books are preaching to the converted. I wouldn't buy it for someone who was not already involved in the keto or low-carb scene.