Low Carb Recipes for the Holiday Season

Believe it or not, the holiday season is upon us!  And if you are anything like me and my family you can't wait to eat and eat and eat your way to the new year. You're trying to eat healthier you say?  That doesn't mean you need to be eating a boring salad while your family is eating a delicious turkey and all of the fixings. You can indulge in a healthy way too. The recipes below will help you do that. Didn't find what you are looking for?  You can find many more on my Pinterest boards.

Bon appetite!

Green Bean Casserole

Sweet Potato Mash 

Keto Sausage Balls

Pork Rind Stuffing

Broccoli Gratin with Swiss and Parmesan 

Almond Flour Cheddar Biscuits

Low Carb Eggnog 

No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake Bars

May (Low-Carb, Gluten and Nut-Free) Menu

How is it even May?  This year is just flying by, but I am glad that summer is almost here.  My

Not a short list of allergens.  

family and I have several fun weekend trips and special events planned.  Now that I am aware of what all of my allergies are, I'm going to have to really plan on what I eat (or when I don't eat) on the road.  Staying low carb, gluten free and high fat while I traveled has always been tricky, but doable, but with so many allergies to fruits and vegetables, my options are even more limited.  Luckily, I always have intermittent fasting to fall back so if I need to fast longer than normal (16 hours a day), I can.  You can bet I'll be putting together a list (in blog form too) of what to pack so I don't cheat (too much).

May is shaping up to be an extremely busy, but fun, month for us.  I have 3 races (Cinco de Miles, Gate City Half Marathon and Boston's Run to Remember).   There is also Mother's Day and my daughter's first ever dance recital.  Not that this is any different from usual, but I am going to try to keep my recipes as easy and quick to cook as possible.

Since I do have so many races this month and the weather should be better, we'll most likely pick up some pre-marinated meats from our local butcher shop, Mr. Steer, to grill so I didn't include recipes for those nights.





Are you ready for this month's list?

• Pork Egg Roll in a Bowl
• Taco Bake
• Sloppy Joe's
• Buffalo Chicken Jalapeno Popper Casserole
• Mongolian Beef
• General Tso's Meatballs
• Beefed up Meatloaf
• Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken with Vegetables
• Grilled Ginger Soy Pork Chops 

And, just to make my nutritionist happy, I'll be adding lots of vegetables to my diet as well.  Veggies, veggies and more veggies!

Here is a new one I'd like to try:  Roasted Spiced Radishes.  

Low Carb Italian, Chinese and Mexican Recipe Roundup!

As you can tell by glancing at this month's menu, my crock pot will be getting a workout!  February kicked off my half marathon training and I just barely had the time let alone energy to make dinner every night or even every other night.  Not good for me as an athlete because if dinner wasn't ready after a run then I was tempted to grab something quick and easy, and not necessarily healthy just to refuel my body.

I don't have a link for my corned beef recipe because, well, it's in my head.  It's the same one I've been using for years and I don't know measurements and such plus it is not quite low-carb.  But what are holidays if not a good time to cheat (with limits)?

Low Carb Italian Dinners

• Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken 
• Chicken Parmesan
• Lasagna in a Bowl - Single serve recipe

Low Carb Mexican Food

• Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas 
• Mini Tex-Mex Chicken and Cheese Pies
• Southwest Beef and Bean Casserole



Chicken Tortilla Soup

• Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Low Carb Chinese Food

• Slow Cooker Paleo Sesame Chicken
• Crockpot Beef and Broccoli 

American Low Carb Food

• Knock Your Socks Off Slow Cooker Chicken and Sausage
• Texas Slow Cooker Beef Chili
• Cheese-Filled Mini Meatloaf
• Cheeseburger Soup

St. Patrick's Day Dinner (March 17)

• Corned Beef
• Low Carb Shephard's Pie 

Easter Dinner (March 27)

• (Really Freaking Good) Umami Roast Beef Dinner
• Honey Glazed Baby Carrots (Higher carb because of the carrots and honey)

Cheese-Filled Mini Meatloaf

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Stuffed Bell Peppers (Low Carb)

The basic ingredients.

About a year ago when I was re-dedicating myself to the low-carb lifestyle, I stumbled upon a multitude of recipes for stuffed bell peppers.  The recipes seemed easy enough, which as a working mom is super important to me, and none of the ingredients were exotic, another plus.  I found them great for lunches as they were easy to reheat.  Also, I played around with what I stuffed them with.  Sometimes I used cream cheese and mayo.  Other times I used cream cheese and sour cream.  I'd switch up the crumbled bacon with pepperoni if I didn't have any on hand.  Point is, once you start making these you can switch up the ingredients as much as you want and really make them your own to fit your taste.

Ingredients

• 8 Ounces of cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese 
• 2 Tablespoons of full fat mayonnaise
• 2 Green (or really, any color) bell pepper
• 2 slices of bacon, turkey or pig, your choice
• 2 teaspoons of garlic powder (optional)
• Any additional low carb toppings that you would like!

Directions

The finished product!  Yum. 

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
• Soften the cream cheese and then mix it with the Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise and garlic powder.
• Slice open and clean out the peppers of all seeds.  
• Spoon in the mixture into the open-faced peppers and add any additional toppings you might want.
• Place the peppers onto a greased cookie sheet and put into pre-heated oven for at least 25 minutes.  I like mine a little crispier so if you do too you might want to put them in for longer.  
• Let them cool down for a bit before enjoying.
• These re-heat wonderfully for lunch the next day.  

A List of Zero Carb Foods to Help Get You Into Ketosis

If you are just starting out on your low carb journey, there are many resources on the internet to help you get started.

When I first got started many years ago I printed out a handy list of foods that were allowed in the first step of any low carb diet- this step helps you get into and remain in ketosis (burning fat instead of sugar).

While the list below isn't the same, I find it to be very comparable to the one I had and a quick check of the website it is linked to, StartLowCarb, is very helpful too.

The only modification I would make on this list is to stay away from margarine, it is man-made and not nearly as good for you as butter.  As for alcohol, I would limit it to 2 drinks per day if you are trying to lose weight.

Yes, butter is good for you.  Just because a food is high in dietary cholesterol does not mean that it is going to raise your cholesterol.

Low Carb, High Fat and Nut Free Swedish Meatballs!

Tonight I am making these Swedish Meatballs from The Ketogenic Cookbook.  I can't wait to try them out!  I'll be serving them over zoodles (zucchini noodles).

Looks like meatloaf but tastes like Swedish meatballs!

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds grass fed beef
• 1/4 pound ground pork
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup minced yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos or wheat-free tamari sauce
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 ounces of cream cheese
• 1/3 cup beef bone broth
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. In a large bowl combine,  ground beef, ground pork,  egg, tomato sauce (check the carb count),  minced yellow onion,  coconut aminos,  dry mustard,  garlic minced, of fine sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and liquid smoke (not sure what this is and I haven't found it in the local grocery store yet).  Mix until well combined.
3. Shape into 1.5 inch meatballs and place on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake the meatballs for 45-60 minutes, until cooked through and browned.
4. Meanwhile, make the sauce:  Place butter in a saucepan and heat until the butter sizzles and brown flecks appear, stirring constantly to keep the butter from burning.  Reduce the heat to low.  Stir in  cream cheese,  beef bone broth,  Parmesan cheese and ground nutmeg.  Simmer for at least 15 minutes.  The flavors open up if you simmer longer.
5. When the meatballs are done, remove them from the oven, place them on a serving tray, and serve with the sauce.