I love sugar snap peas. I like the fresh ones right out of the bag, just to snack on, I like them sautéed with a bit of garlic and olive oil, tossed in a salad, a stir-fry you name it. But this has got to be one of my favorite recipes. In fact I have to be very very careful because I've been known to eat the whole bag… Yikes.

Sesame Snap Peas

• 1 bag fresh or frozen baby sugar snap peas ( I use the frozen for this and save the fresh for snacking and salads)
• 2 tsp. sesame oil ( light not toasted)
• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
• Salt and pepper to taste (I no longer season with salt due to mom's sodium restrictions)

1. Steam peas until tender crisp
2. While they steam, toast sesame seeds in a dry pan
3. Add sesame oil to hot skillet ( I use the same one I toasted the seeds in it) and sauté peas for a couple of minutes
4. Season to taste and sprinkle with sesame seeds

Try not to eat them all, everyone else at your table might not be so happy!

Take care, God bless and have a great weekend!

Vikki

If you read my blogs often you know how much I love Mexican food. This quiche is inspired by one of my favorites, chilies Rellenos. It has many of the same ingredients, but it's light and creamy and perfect for breakfast or lunch. Also, makes a very nice side dish to go with grilled chicken or steak.

Chiles Rellenos Quiche

• 3 slices of bacon, cut into thin strips
• 2-3 green onions, chopped
• 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup mayo
• 1 sm. Can of chopped green chilies
• 4 lg eggs
• 1 cup milk ( I use hood calorie count down)
• ½ cup shredded Colby jack cheese ( or cheese of your choice) Separated
• 2 tbsp. carbquik ( not a must but makes it a bit more stable)

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Brown bacon in small frying pan and set on paper toweling to drain
3. Spray a glass pie plate and snip green onions into the bottom, then sprinkle on the bacon
4. In a med mixing bowl, mix cream cheese, mayo and chilies.
5. Wisk in carbquik, will be a bit lumpy like pancake batter but that's ok
6. Beat in eggs milk and ½ the cheese.
7. Place pie plate on foil covered baking sheet
8. To keep from disturbing the bacon and onions pour the egg mixture over a large spoon into the pie plate
9. Carefully (pie plate will be very full) place in the oven for 40 -45 minutes
10. When center is set sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted
11. Let set a few minutes before cutting

Since it's only 4 eggs eating half the whole quiche is not out of the question, but I cut mine in 4 large pieces.

We all know the best way to eat and feed our family is to cook fresh healthy foods.  But often times we don’t know how to prepare them so that our family will enjoy them.

We hear all the time to eat plenty of green leafy veggies.  Greens can be bitter and hard to cook properly.  I’ve tried many times over the years and I just do not like turnip or collard greens.  I know a decidedly un-southern girl thing to say, but the truth none the same.  I love spinach with a passion but I knew there had to be other milder greens out there that I would like.

I’ve used kale in soups before but never tried to just cook them as a green veggie on their own.  Surprisingly it turns out you can use your favorite spinach recipe just cook a bit longer.

When you buy it at the store it’s a big bunch of greens all tied together and looking wild.  Once you get it home, untie it, dunk them in a sink full of cool, clean water and give them a good wash.  Then drain, spin or dry in your favorite method.  I put mine in a lingerie bag, toss it in the washing machine set to spin.  Once cycle through and you have nice dry greens.  I do the same thing to spin out my lettuces too.

Then simply wrap in paper toweling and store in a zipper bag until your ready to prepare.

So here is simple and easy cooking technique to use on your next bunch of kale.  Which by the way is really inexpensive.

Ingredients:

• I bunch of kale, washed and trimmed*
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 med. onion, diced
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• nutmeg
• salt & pepper
• Optional: 1 tsp. bacon drippings and fresh shaved parmesan cheese.

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat
2. Add garlic and sauté a few seconds before adding onions
3. When onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant add your first bunch of kale.
4. Put as much as you can get in the pot and stir to coat in flavored oil.
5. Add bacon drippings if using
6. Once the first batch has cooked down add more, keep adding a little at the time until it’s all in the pan
7. Add a tbsp. of water if needed to keep from burning.
8. Season with fresh ground pepper but save salt until the end.
9. Cover and let steam until kale is tender.
10. Season with salt and fresh grated nutmeg. Top with fresh shaved parmesan if using. 

It should be a deep dark bright green.  The nutmeg gives it a little depth, the parmesan gives it a nice salty, nutty flavor. If you don’t have fresh you can certainly used dried if you have it.  Same for the parmesan cheese, though it doesn’t melt as well as fresh.

*To trim kale cut away large tougher stems and chop into bite sized pieces.  Smaller tender stems are fine.  Just chop with the greens.

Now you have no excuse not to eat your greens.  They are cheap, easy to cook and most of all VERY Very healthy!

As  low carber I’m always on looking for new and yummy ways to fix non-starchy veggies.  One day I was thinking that turnip fries would be good, but before I knew it, I’d cooked up a pan full of hash.  It was so good I thought I’d share it with you.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tbsp. bacon drippings
• 1/4 med. onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 lg. green pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced or mushrooms
• 2-3 small, cut into even sized pieces, par boiled.
• seasonings of choice- I used cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic and of course salt and pepper.

Method:

1. If you haven’t already, cube up turnip into equal sized pieces and par boil (boil  in water that has salt and a tsp of splenda added, just until starting to get tender, but not done)
2. heat skillet over medium heat and add bacon drippings, onions and peppers, sauté a couple minutes and add mushrooms
3. Sauté until mushrooms are giving off their water and starting to shrink.  Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add turnips and continue  cooking until turnips are fork tender ,adding a tsp or so of water if needed.
5. Add spices, sauté another minute.

Serve hot with pork, chicken or even a burger.

This year for Christmas dinner, we are having our normal Ham and Brisket. I am making my sister and niece a great big broccoli rice casserole, because as my sister says it wouldn't be Christmas without it. Since I don't eat rice, I'm making mom and I Squash Casserole.

The rest of the dinner rounds out to be my Mom's baked mac & cheese, Mom's famous fruit salad (yes ma'am you better bet you bottom dollar I'll be indulging in a little of this), deviled eggs, rolls for the carbivores and bread for sandwiches if they wish and desserts. Cindy gets her Pineapple cream cheese pie and I'm making a low carb Apple crisp, and strawberry cheesecake. Yes, I know I said I was going to make a cranberry cheesecake, but I was out voted in favor of strawberry.

My niece is supposed to bring some kind of dessert, but I'm not worried about it. The cheesecake and apple crisp will be much more than I need, that is if I get any cheesecake. Since we will be having Christmas Eve dinner with just the three of us, I fixed small casseroles to be baked tomorrow and large ones for Christmas day.

I hope you have a very merry Low Carb Christmas!

Squash Casserole

Ingredients:

• 3-5lbs squash, I've used both crookneck and zucchini both work well
• 1 stick of butter
• ½ med onion, finely diced
• 1 cup binder I use half and parmesan cheese (kind in green jar) and plain pork skins
• 2-3 tbsp. sweetening power I used ¼ tsp. fiberfit
• 2 eggs
• Dash of salt and heavy on the black pepper

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350
2. Clean, trim and slice squash
3. Add to a steamer basket or steam in microwave, just to fork tender
4. While squash is steaming, melt butter in large skillet or Dutch oven
5. When squash is tender add to skillet with butter and add onions and sauté until onions are translucent; season lightly with salt and pepper ( I like lots of black pepper)
6. Take off burner add sweetener, binder and eggs
7. Pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish and top with more parm/pork skin mix
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned, let set before serving

I don’t know if you noticed or not, but I’m rather addicted to cranberries.  I tend to add a few to everything.  They are so good, so nutritious and give other dishes a gorgeous ruby color.

I made these for Thanksgiving, but ended up serving them with dinner the night before.  Oh well maybe next year.

Cranberry Chayote Fried Apples

• 2 chayote squash, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup cranberries
• sweetener of choice
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• Dash of salt
• Butter

Melt the butter in a large skillet and saute chayote and cranberries until tender (may take a while), sprinkle with sweetener of choice (I like a little erythritol because it thickens a bit), salt and cinnamon.  This is good both hot and cold from the fridge. And it’s such a pretty color.  The sweetness of the sweetener and the tartness of the cranberries is just perfect!  It’s a great side dish for chicken or pork.

Between computer problems and whatever is wrong with me I’ve not been able to spend the time on my blogs as I would like. I have several recipes that I want to get posted here and updates, ideas and other such things on my other blogs. But good intentions doesn’t fill pages.

While I would like to chat a bit and let you know how things are going, time prevents such chatter, so let’s get to the point. Thanksgiving is this week and trying to keep it low carb isn’t the easiest of tasks. Thanksgiving and the foods associate with it or rich in tradition. Each family possesses their own version of what the perfect Thanksgiving foods are. For my family, it’s just not thanksgiving without my mom’s cornbread dressing. So that’s the one dish that I’m not even going to try to replace. We will have our traditional dressing. Each of us has to determine what they are willing to give up and what they are not. I’m having dressing…giggle

However, some dishes are easily traded in for lower carb foods. I will be making the traditional baked sweet potatoes for the non-low carbers, but it’s just too high in carbs and I picked my cheat food. I recently found Gold Nugget squash, it’s a lower carb winter squash that looks like a baby pumpkin and has the texture of a baked sweet potato. So here is how I intend to prepare it.

Gold Nugget Squash Casserole

Ingredients:

· 1 lg or 2 medium gold nuggets squash

· Butter

· salt

· Cinnamon

· Splenda or other sweetener

· Candied nuts

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375

2. Rinse the squash off well, cut in half and remove seeds ( don’t forget to save the seeds they are better than pumpkin)

3. Place cut side down on a foil cover cookie sheet and roast squash until fork tender, about 30 minutes depending on the size.

4. Remove from oven and let rest until cool enough to handle

5. Peel the skin off and place the squash in a bowl, mix in the butter, cinnamon and sweetener.

6. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.

7. Turn the oven down to 350, spoon in a small baking dish and cover with foil and bake until heated about 15 minutes

8. Top with candied nuts and pop back in the oven about 5-10 minutes longer.

I am putting this together Wednesday afternoon and popping it in the fridge. I can bake and top with the nuts on Thursday.

I made up my cranberry sauce today. It’s actually better after it sits in the fridge a day or two. Here’s how I make mine

Vikki’s World Famous Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

· 2 bags of cranberries, fresh or frozen

· The zest of one orange

· salt

· The juice of one orange

· 1 ½ cup equivalent of your favorite sweetener

· 1 ½ cup water

· 1 tsp. Thickenthin/not sugar if not using erythritol or xylitol

Method:

1. Wash and pick through both bags of cranberries.

2. Place in a large sauce pan over medium heat

3. Add the zest and juice of one orange

4. Add water

5. Add sweetener

6. Bring to a boil and continue cooking until the peels pop.

7. Stir in salt and Thickenthin if using

8. Taste for sweetness, if you feel it needs a bit more add another shake of salt first, before adding more sweetener. Remember salt brings out the sweetness.

9. Let cool, place in a bowl in the back of the fridge at least over night.

I’m also making a coconut cream pie for dessert. It could still use a little tweaking, but I’m out of time right now. So I will post the recipe when I have it worked out a little better. If I have time I’m going to make the Banana Split dessert off Low Carb friends. But, instead of bananas and pineapple I’m going to use strawberries and just do one layer of whipped cream.

We will have the traditional roasted turkey and gravy as well. I’ll be cooking up a pot of country style green beans too. That should round out the table just fine.

Whatever your traditions are, I hope you have a fabulous and relatively low carb Thanksgiving!

I have to admit to being a complete cranberry freak.  I love them.  They are tart and astringent and perfect as a side to most any white meat.  They are beautiful little orbs in varying shades of red.  Each little gem is packed with goodness your body needs and being a berry they are lower in carbs than other fruits.  What’s not to like.  Last year I was determined to stock up on enough cranberries that I could enjoy them throughout the year.  Every time any one went to the grocery store during the time before  Thanksgiving until Christmas when fresh cranberries are available, I had them pick me up a couple of bags.  I ended up with 12 bags of treasured jewels in my freezer.

However, I seem to suffer from that dreaded “out of sight, out of mind” disorder and I used maybe on bag through out the year. So this year I didn’t need to buy any.  But I plan on using them up this year in all sorts of wonderful ways.

So here we are at Thanksgiving time again and it’s time to make the cranberry sauce for this years Thanksgiving dinner.  I always make a huge batch because we really like it, and because I like to have some left over to go with grilled chicken, pork chops  and of course the left over Turkey.

I’ve never understood why anyone would ever eat that canned stuff when fresh made cranberry sauce is worlds away better and so darn easy to make!  While I know everyone had their own little tricks or tips basic cranberry sauce is nothing more than cranberries, sweetener of some kind and liquid, all simmer together until you have this glorious ruby colored bowl of delight.  But I thought today I’d share my recipe for the sugar-free version that my family and I love so much.

Vikki’s s/f Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 bags cranberries
• the zest of one orange or 1-2 tsp. dried that you rehydrate in hot water
• the juice of one orange or 1/4 cup DaVinci's s/f orange syrup
• water
• sweetener to taste
• Optional: thickening agent of choice, gaur gum, Thicken Thin, Xanthan Gum or Jennifer Eloff’s Thickening Agent from one of her wonderful cookbooks.

Method:

1. Wash cranberries very well and pick out any bad ones that might be mixed in, there are usually several smashed over ripe berries mixed in.
2. Place the berries in a large heavy saucepan, add orange zest and juice  and enough water to come about half way up the berries.
3. Turn heat up and let come to a boil then reduce heat to a low simmer and let cook until the cranberries pop.  Add sweetener.
4. For tart berries start with 1/2 cup of sweetening power, for sweeter sauce start with 1 cup.  Taste and adjust as needed.
5. Allow the berries to simmer until they start to thicken.  Will coat the back of your spoon when they are ready. 
6. If you like a thicker sauce sprinkle with a little thicken agent.
7. Pour up in a bowl and refrigerate over night… if you can wait that long.

Once you’ve made home made you will never want to open a can of cranberry jell stuff again.

Besides serving left overs with grilled white meats why not top off a cheese cake?  Believe me when I say it’s to die for.  Not into cheese cake, then spread a little on low carb toast, spoon a little over low carb ice cream, top off a cup of yogurt.  Make a terrific trifle with Jennifer Eloff’s pound cake, one of my flax bread recipes or any cake you like.  Layer up cut of pieces of cake with the cranberry sauce and fresh whipped cream in pretty glasses to impress the most finicky of guests.

How ever you use it, ENJOY this beautiful seasonal berry!

Whenever I make these, I make 6 servings and freeze 3. But, in order for the 3 I freeze not to fall apart after freezing I don't cook the squash before hand. So, you will notice that the ones for the freezer are slightly different.

Stuffed Squash

Ingredients:

• 3 squash, any mix of yellow and zucchini
• 3 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• ¼ cup My parm/bread mix
• Shredded cheese
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Cut squash in half lengthwise.
2. Using a spoon scrap out squash, so you have a shell left, reserve the insides of the squash
3. Place 3 of the halves in a steamer basket and steam until tender set the other 3 aside.
4. Brown the bacon in a medium skillet. When the bacon has browned, add onions and the reserved squash. Sauté until everything is tender is tender.
5. Stir in the Parm/bread mix.
6. Drain the steamed squash and lightly salt.
7. Place steamed squash on a foil wrapped baking pan, I like a rack but it's not necessary. Place the 3 raw squash on another foil covered baking pan that you have lightly sprayed.
8. Stuff all the squash with the cooled stuffing.
9. To the steamed squash with cheese and bake at 450 ( I used my toaster over and placed it on broil). Bake until browned.
10. Cover the raw squash with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. When frozen, wrap each individually and store in a freezer bag. When ready to use, thaw, top with cheese and bake as directed above. Will last in freezer for 3 months

These are so good, this was the first time I added the bacon. I was trying to get my sister to eat squash. Guess what? It worked she really liked them.

I had planned to make eggplant parmesan when I got the 2 eggplants, however with the temp steadily going up this week, the idea of turning on the oven for even a few minutes was more than I could face. We really like fried squash and since I fry the eggplant for the parmesan anyway, thought I would give it a try it. It was fantastic!

Fried Eggplant

Ingredients:

• 1 med. Eggplant, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup of my Parm/bread crumb mix
• Salt
• Enough Coconut oil just to cover bottom of skillet

Method:

1. Slice eggplant into even slices and place on paper towel covered baking sheet.
2. Generously sprinkle with salt, and let rest for 20 – 30 minutes
3. Pat slices dry.
4. Heat oil in skillet, until hot
5. Dip eggplant in beaten egg, then parm/bread mix.
6. Carefully place in hot oil and fry on both sides until brown.
7. Drain more paper toweling serve hot with or without ranch dressing for dipping

Even my picky eater liked these.

Zucchini and yellow squash are plentiful this time of year. Both are healthy foods but how do you cook them? I have baked them into casseroles, grilled them, and roasted them, heck I've added them to everything from eggs to meatballs. However, sometimes simple is the best. Here is a recipe even my picky eaters will eat.

Sautéed summer Squash

Ingredients:

• 3 medium sized squash, any kind you like or mix and match
• ¼ of a small onion
• 1-2 tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 tbsp. butter
• Seasoning of choice, I like "Mural of Flavor" from Penzeys
• Salt and pepper
• 1-2 tbsp. parmesan cheese * Optional

Method:

1. Slice all veggies uniformly. I like them cut pretty thin, but it's a personally preference
2. Heat olive oil in large non stick skillet
3. Add veggies, seasoning and sauté for a few minutes to get a little color on the squash.
4. Cover and let simmer until done. You can add a tbsp or two of water if you like, but I find the squash and onions let go of enough liquid to cook them.
5. Add butter when done and sprinkle with parmesan cheese if using.

I usually don't use the cheese because they are so good without, but sister likes them better with the cheese. This is very versatile in that you can use whatever squash you have. I've used just crookneck or mixed with zucchini. Patty pan would be excellent if you can find it. I haven't had any in years but this is how we fixed it.

Sometimes the simplest cooking style gives the best results.

1-2 lg. bunch of fresh or 1 bag frozen chopped broccoli

½ cup chopped onions

3-4 slices of bacon, chopped

½ cup shredded cheese of choice

2 boiled eggs, chopped

½ cup toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds (could use whatever nuts you prefer too.  Very good with cashews but they are fairly high in carbs)

* ½ cup cherry tomatoes cut in half* optional

Mayo, vinegar and mustard to taste

If using fresh broccoli blanch in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes.  If using frozen, microwave 2-3 minutes.  The goal is to make the broccoli a little bit tender but not to actually cook it.

Place the chopped bacon in a skillet and brown.  Place on paper toweling to drain.

Chop broccoli into bite-sized pieces, stir in, onions, bacon, cheese, tomatoes (if using) and eggs.

Mix mayo, mustard and vinegar to make a dressing.  I start with a couple tablespoons of mayo and add the other ingredients to taste.  I usually add a dash of red pepper or so and maybe some dill or thyme.

Pour the dressing over the salad and pop in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors marry.  Sprinkle on the seed just before serving.

I have saved the bacon till the end too, but I like the flavor it gives the salad when it's mixed in from the beginning, but it doesn't retain it's crispiness.  So, that's a matter of taste as well.

I have to admit that when summer time comes I crave pasta salad.  It's cool and filling and you can put absolutely anything you like into one.  It can be a side dish or the main course. You can experience add a few ingredients and whoosh your to Mexico, Italy or Greece. You can add fiber and nutrients in the form of fruits and veggies galore and everyone eats it up never complaining about eating their veggies. But being on low carb, there is the pasta issue. There are several ways around this issue; there are shirataki noodles of course. But in the case, their inherit chewiness might not work, but I haven't tried it yet. Then again you could just make your favorite pasta salad and leave the pasta out, maybe adding chunkier veggies and meats instead. Alternatively, there is Dreamfields Pasta.

Dreamfields Pasta being very controversial at best, is one of those "products" that is a personal choice and something you need to use with care.  Some people have reported blood sugar spikes making it the same as regular pasta for them. Others have reported wonderful results. It is definitely a YMMV (your miles my vary) product.

Mom's bgl's have starting spiking sometimes after she has it, so we use even less of it.  However, we really do like it, so we haven't eliminated it all together, yet.

I came up with this recipe to feel like you were having pasta but really only eat a small amount.  She had a small spike but not too bad and she only took half her prescribed insulin.

Broccoli Pasta Salad

• 1  13 oz bag of chopped frozen broccoli
• 1 1/2 oz. Dreamfields pasta ( I used 3 but it was actually too much)
• 1/4-1/3 cup salad dressing ( I  used Penzeys Italian Vinegar and Oil seasoning to make creamy Italian
• Add ins

Method:

1. Prepare pasta according to the package directions
2. Put broccoli in a colander and run hot water over to thaw slightly. Then cut into little bite sized pieces.
3. Just before pasta is done add broccoli to the pan of pasta. I added about 2-3 minutes before the pasta was done.
4. Drain both and let cool
5. Mix everything and refrigerate

Add ins I used:

• Diced onion, red pepper, celery, a few piece of finely sliced pepperoni and mozzarella chopped into tiny little cubes.

Other possible add ins:

• Diced squash, mushrooms, olives, pimentos, banana peppers, bacon, ham, any kind of cheese you enjoy or have on hand.

*Note: This was even better the next day.

Just about every low carber has their favorite Pureed Cauliflower, often called faux Potatoes. I'm no exception, except to me they still taste like cauliflower so I don't try to pass them off as potatoes. Besides Cauliflower is way cooler than starchy sticky potatoes AND they don't turn into wallpaper paste when they cool off.... a great plus in my book!!

Ingredients:

• 1 20 oz package of frozen cauliflower, cooked until tender.  I microwave mine for about 6-7 minutes
• 4 oz cream cheese, no need to soften
• 2 tbsp. of butter
• 1 heaping tbsp. sour cream
• 3 dribbling tbsp heavy cream (yes that is a real measurement, at least in MY kitchen)
• Salt, fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp ground mustard
• 1/2-1 tsp. cayenne pepper, I go for the high side, but I like it spicy

Method to the madness:

1. Place cream cheese, butter, sour cream and cream into a bowl and microwave until hot and melted.  Mix well.
2. Dumb hot cauliflower into your food processor and pulse until at "riced" state
3. Pour hot cream mixture over cauliflower, along with seasoning and pulse until pureed.  (Will not become completely smooth)
4. Check seasoning and serve warm.

Reheats wonderfully so left overs are great.

Try whatever seasonings you like, add cheese, garlic or minced onions.  The variations are endless.  But plan went well with my Bourbon Apricot Pork Chops.

Updated recipe.  Salting leaves this salad rather tough.  So skip the salting method and just make your dressing a little thicker. 

Ingredients:

• 2 large cucumbers
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 3-4 tbsp. mayo
• dill
• Salt

Preparations:

• Peel cucumbers, Split in lengthwise, remove seeds and slice into even slices.
• Mix sour cream and mayo together, season with dill to taste.  Add a dash of salt.  Mix cucumbers and dressing together.
• Refrigerate at least an hour.

I wanted something different when making coleslaw last night, so I added some s/f DaVinci's  Pineapple Syrup it was a hit.

Ingredients:

• Green and/or red cabbage sliced thinly
• Carrot, grated
• Jicama, grated
• Mayo
• Organic unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar
• Pineapple Syrup
• Salt & Pepper

Method:

• Mix as much of each veggie as you like into a large bowl ( the cabbage will wilt and shrink as it absorbs the dressing)
• Mix mayo, vinegar, syrup and seasoning until you have a dressing you like.
• Pour over the slaw stirring to mix well.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

I used 3/4 a head of green cabbage, 1/4 a head of red cabbage, 1 carrot and 1/2 cup grated jicama.  I wanted to have plenty for the rest of the week.  It was a big hit at my house.

While on WW I use to make a lemon honey carrot dish that was to die for.  I don't like cooked carrots but these were wonderful.  With the weather warming up I've really been hungry for carrots.  Why?  I have no idea but the sweet crunchy carrot seems to just go with summer.

Since carrots are a little high in carbs, I've been racking my brain for something I could add to the carrots that would go well with the glaze and help cut the carbs.  Finally yesterday, it hit me, Jicama!  And I had one in the fridge too!

So here is what I came up with.  It was perfect.  Everyone loved it and could be made with just the Jicama if you want to make this lower in carbs.

Ingredients:

• 5 oz. carrots, cut into even sized coins
• 5 oz jicama, cut into even sized sticks
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1-2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
• 2-3 tbsp. lemon juice, I used bottled
• 2-3 tbsp. Imitation Honey*
• Salt and pepper

Preparations:

1. Peel, clean and chop carrots and jicama
2. Melt butter in a small skillet and melt
3. Add ginger to butter and cook just a second or two to flavor butter
4. Add veggies and let saute in the ginger butter until just before browning. 
5. Add lemon juice and let simmer until tender crisp.  I like mine more crisp than tender...giggle
6. Drizzle honey over the veggies and baste veggies in the glaze.  Cook just a few  more minutes until the glazes thickens slightly.

Carrots 2 net carbs per oz

Jicama 1 net carb per oz.

lemon juice is 1 net carb per tbsp.

Hope that helps figure your carb totals.

* I buy Honey Tree imitation honey.  It's a sugar alcohol but I don't use it that often.  Steele also makes one from what I understand.  I get the Honey Tree at my Wal-Mart. If you don't have you could use a s/f syrup such as DaVinci's maybe the pancake syrup, but it will not be as thick but you could thicken with a little gaur gum.

 I had never had garlic coleslaw until a new chicken place went in several years ago.  My experience with coleslaw was always sweet.  I like it sweet of course, my mom makes great coleslaw, but this new version, so creamy and garlicky was wonderful.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 head of green cabbage
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots (about half a med)
• 2 cups purple cabbage
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1-3 large cloves garlic (I like it very garlicky)
• apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. sweetener* optional (but if the garlic is a bit bitter it helps.)
• Salt & pepper

PREPARATIONS:

1. Shred both cabbages and grate carrot.  Mix in a large bowl.
2. Mince garlic finely, add a few sprinkles of salt, then with the back of the knife mash into paste
3. Place the garlic in a bowl add mayo and mix well. (this makes a great salad dressing too or spread for roll ups.)
4. Add enough vinegar to make a dressing for the slaw.  Pour over slaw until, mix well and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
5. Will last in the fridge for at least 3 days. 

Many people think beans are not doable on a low carb eating plan,  But they are a  good source of fiber.  I don't eat them often and I don't eat but about 1/3 cup.  But we were having company tonight and they are BIG eaters.  So I made 2 large cans plus a regular sized one. I'm writing this recipe for one regular sized can, but if you find yourself with company like I did, it's easy to double or even triple.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup onion, finely minced
• 2 strips of bacon, cut in bite sized pieces
• 1/3 tsp. Black Strap molasses ( only 1.67 net carbs)
• 3 tbsp. yellow mustard
• 2 tbsp. vinegar, I use organic cider vinegar
• 1 drop sweetzfree  or sweetener = 1 tsp.
• 1 16 oz can pinto or red beans

Preparations:

1. Pre-heat oven to 300
2. Add bacon to a hot skillet, let fry.
3. When bacon is turning brown, add onions.  Fry until bacon is brown and onions are browning, but not burnt.
4. Remove from heat and add molasses, vinegar, mustard and a sweetener
5. Stir in beans making sure they are all coated in the "sauce"
6. Poor into a sprayed baking dish and bake 20 minutes at 300.