THAI CHICKEN SALAD WRAPS

LOW CARB CHICKEN SALAD WRAPS

Chicken salad is a summer staple and if you are like Olivia and I you may be looking for a slightly different twist on your usual recipe.  Olivia discovered this  recipe at www.lowcarbyum.com and it  is loaded with not only the bright flavor of ginger but with the crunchy texture of the broccoli slaw.  Wrapping all of this deliciousness up in a crisp piece of your favorite lettuce or putting it on your favorite bread or even eating it alone or stuffed in a tomato can be a great hot summer day meal.  

Make the break from your usual chicken salad and give this flavor filled recipe a try.  You'll find yourself going back to it again and again.
-Nanette

Ingredients

Salad:

10 ounces chicken cooked, I used two 5 ounce cans

16 ounces coleslaw mix or broccoli slaw

1 large green onion

Dressing:

• 
  

6 tablespoons coconut aminos or tamari or soy sauce

4 tablespoons peanut butter or other nut/seed butter

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons avocado oil

15 drops stevia liquid or 1 tablespoon bulk low carb sweetener

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger minced

Instructions

• Mix salad ingredients in large bowl. Set aside.
• Blend together dressing ingredients. Pour over salad. Toss to ensure salad is evenly coated with dressing. Garnish with sliced green onion.

LOW CARB BROCCOLI SALAD

LOW CARB BROCCOLI SALAD

This fantastic recipe came from www.lowcarbmaven.com and it is a winner.  Olivia added cubed cheddar cheese, bacon, and some sunflower seeds to the original recipe to give it a bit more texture and flavor.  The sesame oil seems to be one of the distinguishing flavors in this recipe and gives the whole thing a nutty flavor that blends beautifully with the sweetened mayo and subtle white vinegar. If you are looking for something slightly different and yet low carb to add to your summer picnic or gathering, give this a try.  You will definitely find yourself with an empty serving bowl when the meal is finished.  Enjoy summer food!
-Nanette

Ingredients

• 1 pound broccoli florets about two big heads and stalks cut and trimmed
• 1/4 pound bacon
• 1/2 bunch green onion
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 3 tablespoons Swerve or powdered erythritol or stevia glycerite to taste
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Optional:

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries, raisins, dried currents, gogi berries, chopped walnuts, slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.

Instructions

• Cook and crumble the bacon.
• Trim and cut broccoli into bit sized pieces.
• Slice the scallions.
• Mix the ingredients for the dressing.
• Assemble and toss with dressing just before serving. Garnish with your favorite topping. Makes 8 cups with 1 cup per serving. Net Carbs 2.4 g.

VANILLA CARAMEL ICED COFFEE

VANILLA CARAMEL ICED COFFEE
  When I was younger, I really had a distaste for iced coffee.  I found it to be bitter, rather flat, and worst of all COLD.  I know that may sound odd since it is technically iced coffee, but instead of tasting like a delightfully creamy, cool confection, it tasted to me like hot coffee that had, unfortunately, just gone cold.
  Fast forward to today.  Olivia made a batch of iced coffee for me as part of my birthday celebration, and when I tasted it, I was hooked.  This recipe is not only cold and refreshing, but it is creamy, smooth, and just sweet enough to be delicious (I like my hot coffee unsweetened).  I quickly became hooked on this drink.  It is low carb and stores extremely well in the refrigerator.  I am a big fan.  Thanks Olivia for getting your mom hooked on this one!  Enjoy summer with an iced coffee featuring Trim Healthy Mama ingredients.  Look for them on the THM website.
Nanette

Vanilla/Caramel Iced Coffee THM-FP

• 5 cups brewed cold coffee
• 3 tablespoons THM Gentle Sweet
• 3 cups almond milk
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons THM Vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon THM Caramel Extract
• 3 cups ice cubes
• additional ice

In a large glass pitcher combine all ingredients but ice. Blend well with an immersion blender or mix all ingredients except ice in your Ninja Blender Jar to blend. Add ice. In each drinking glass place 5 ice cubes. Fill glass with iced coffee. Serve. 8 servings.

LOW CARB HORSERADISH BACON VEGGIE DIP

LOW CARB HORSERADISH BACON VEGGIE DIP
Looking for a great springtime dip for vegetables or chips?  Thinking it is hard to find a low carb version?  Well here is a winner.  Olivia found this recipe on a web site called www.lowcarbmaven.com.  It has all the springtime fresh taste of horseradish, green onions, and dill weed with, of course, a touch of garlic.  This recipe is a delightful mix of sweet, tangy, and savory flavors.  It will wake up your taste buds and give your mouth something to sing about.  Why not give it a try for your next carry in, game night, or perhaps an appetizer for Easter?  You'll find yourself making it more than once.
-Nanette

LOW CARB HORSERADISH BACON VEGGIE DIP

 Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Fage Greek Yogurt 2% or sour cream
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• 1 tablespoon green onions, minced
• 1 tsp Sukrin Melis Icing Sugar (or Swerve Confectioners)
• 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Chop bacon and crisp in a pan over medium heat. This takes about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, gather the other ingredients and mince the green onions.
• Blend all ingredients together and refrigerate overnight.  Makes 1 1/4 cups. Serves 6 at 3 tbsp each. 

 

LOW CARB CROCK POT VEGGIES AND ROAST

L0W CARB CROCK POT VEGGIES AND ROAST

Olivia created this recipe herself and with great success.  The radishes turn into "radishtatoes" that are very similar to potatoes.  When I first heard of this idea my thought was a negative one I will admit.  Olivia assures me the sharp flavor of the radishes disappears when they are cooked and they are an excellent low carb alternative to potatoes. 

This dish contains lots of delicious low carb vegetables and tons of protein.  Since we aren't quite there in terms of grilling season in this part of the country (it is snowing today), this warm and satisfying dish may be just the comfort you need until warm weather fare becomes the norm.  Enjoy!
-Nanette

LOW CARB CROCK POT VEGGIES AND ROAST

1 bag of whole radishes, left whole, but trim the ends and wash
1 bag of baby carrots, left whole washed
1 large purple onion, cut into chunks
2 smaller (or 1 large) English post roast
ground rosemary
garlic powder
onion powder
salt
pepper
2 cups beef broth
olive oil

1)  In a crock pot, add a crock pot liner for easy clean up.  Dump the radishes in the bottom followed by the carrots and lastly the onions on top.

2)  Generously season both sides of the roasts with the spices listed above.  Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium high heat.  Quickly sear both sides of the roasts. Remove the roasts to the crock pot and sit side by side over the veggies.

3)  Turn the pan up to high and quickly add the beef broth to the pan, using a spatula to scrap any of the yummy bits of seasoning off the bottom.  Pour this mixture over the beef.

4)  At this point you have a choice.  You can immediately turn the crock pot on, or you can put the crock pot in the fridge overnight and turn the meal on for the next day.  I refrigerated mine until the next morning.

5)  To cook, cook on low for 8 hours.  The meat falls apart and the meal is delicious!

MAC AND CHEESE LOW CARB CAULIFLOWER DISH

MAC AND CHEESE LOW CARB CAULIFLOWER DISH
I have to say Olivia's journey into low carb cooking has been an astonishing one.  She has lost a great deal of weight, she is living healthier than ever, and she has created some fantastic recipes along the way.  I won't lie and tell you that every low carb recipe I've ever tried (most of them recipes I found somewhere on the internet) have been home runs.  Some are poor substitutes for the real thing, but many are delightful and good enough to satisfy the urge for the high carb real thing. 

Eating low carb requires a mindset that is open to making healthy choices and is not prone to be what I would call a "food snob" when it comes to trying something new.  This recipe for low carb "mac and cheese" substitutes cauliflower.  No it is not going to have the starch that is one of the things that makes real mac and cheese appealing but it is a flavorful substitute that may satisfy your craving and keep you eating healthy dishes.  The choice of cheeses take this "mac and cheese" to new flavorful heights and make  it a very flavorful dish.  Hope you enjoy it!
Nanette

MAC AND CHEESE LOW CARB CAULIFLOWER

*approximately 11 cups cauliflower pieces in a little larger than bite-sized pieces, washed
*2 cups unsweetened almond milk
*1 cup fontina cheese, shredded
*2 cups smoked gouda cheese, shredded
*1 small container marscapone cheese
*1 cup shredded parmesan
*garlic powder
*white pepper
*paprika
*salt

1) Place the cauliflower pieces in a glass bowl with about 1/2 cup of water.  Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 3 minutes, or until the cauliflower just begins to steam.  Remove and dump in a greased baking dish, making sure to drain and discard the water.  The goal here is to just slightly steam the cauliflower, NOT to cook it and make it a mushy mess.

2)  In a large pan on medium heat, warm the milk.  Once the milk starts to steam just a bit, dump in the gouda, fontina, and marscapone cheeses.  Stir continuously until the mixture becomes a cohesive sauce.  Add the spices at that point.

3)  Pour the sauce over the cauliflower.  Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes.

4)  Remove the pan from the oven and remove the foil.  At this point, you might notice oil from the cheeses separated floating on top of the mixture depending on the cheeses you used.  I used a spoon and took some of the visible oil off, which was easy.  You do not have to do this step.  Sprinkle the parmesan over, and return the pan to the oven for another 10 minutes or so until it is golden and bubbly.

5)  Serve!  This recipe also makes wonderful leftovers!

LOW CARB CINNAMON ROLL COFFEE CAKE

LOW CARB CINNAMON ROLL COFFEE CAKE

This great recipe comes from a website called All Day I Dream About Food.  Olivia told me about this site and I wanted to make a nice coffee cake for hospitality hour at church.  This recipe fit the bill.  A number of people in our congregation are diabetic and I wanted to find a recipe that would be yummy yet good for them to eat.  The coffee cake has a nice texture, a great cinnamon center, and delicious cream cheese icing.  Grab a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy this cake.

-Nanette

Ingredients

Cinnamon Filling:

• 3 tbsp Swerve Sweetener
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Cake:

• 3 cups almond flour
• 3/4 cup Swerve Sweetener
• 1/4 cup unflavoured whey protein powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 tbsp melted butter

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 3 tbsp cream cheese softened
• 2 tbsp powdered Swerve Sweetener
• 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325F and grease an 8x8 inch baking pan.
2. For the filling, combine the Swerve and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.
3. For the cake, whisk together almond flour, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
4. Stir in the eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract. Add the almond milk and continue to stir until well combined. 
5. Spread half of the batter in the prepared pan, then sprinkle with about two thirds of the cinnamon filling mixture. Spread the remaining batter over top and smooth with a knife or an offset spatula.
6. Bake 35 minutes, or until top is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.
7. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon filling mixture. Let cool in pan.
8. For the frosting, beat cream cheese, powdered erythritol, cream and vanilla extract together in a small bowl until smooth. Pipe or drizzle over cooled cake.

Recipe Notes

Serves 16. Each serving has 5.4 g of carbs and 2.2 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 3.2 g.