Bacon and Blue Sliders

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One of the most popular burgers on typical restaurant menus are blue or Swiss cheese burgers topped with bacon, mushrooms, and caramelized onions.  I think it's a winning combination because there are a lot of different textures and flavors when those toppings are paired together, and most adults like those flavors on a juicy burger.  I wanted to play off that American classic with today's sliders by adding a ring of red and yellow bell peppers to the outside of the burger.  The bell pepper brings another level of sweet to balance out the salt in the cheese and bacon.  I love all of these flavors combined together, and I'm sure you will too! I began by gathering my ingredients above and pre-heating the oven to 350°F. Next I sliced the tops off of each bell pepper, removed the seeds and cleaned out the inside, and then sliced each pepper into three 1/2 inch thick slices.  You should have 6 total slices between two peppers. I also thinly sliced my onion and set it aside [Continue reading...]

Zucchini Roll-ups

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Autumn is here and with the cold weather comes cravings for comfort foods.  I have wanted to try to make this recipe inspired by lasagna roll-ups for some time, and now that the weather is getting colder it seemed like the perfect opportunity!  One of my favorite dishes my mom makes is traditional lasagna roll-ups; I love the spinach and ricotta filling that she uses and wanted to keep that in my low carb version, and I'm so glad I did!  I can see this being a staple in my kitchen throughout the fall and winter as it is a wonderful replacement for high carb pasta. I started by gathering my ingredients and pre-heating the oven to 400°F. First I sauteed the fresh baby spinach in a tablespoon of butter until the leaves were wilted.  You could use frozen spinach in place of this, just be sure to thoroughly drain the excess liquid after it has defrosted. Next I made alfredo sauce by melting butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  When it was melted, I added the heavy cream [Continue reading...]

Cheesy Cheddar Bites

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Football season is in full swing and nothing goes better with football Sundays than snacking.  It can be the downfall of many people when there are tempting snacks around the house.  I think it's important to find a variety of snacks that are easy to make and can be your go-to treats on days when you feel like grazing.  For some of us, eating our feelings is the only way to cope with our football team's current record, so it's a good idea to prepare low carb snacks that will help keep you on track.  I have some wonderful ketogenic dip recipes on my blog that I love to make for the ultimate snack, but today's cheddar bites are going to be a touchdown at your next gathering.  Not only do they make a great snack, these would be wonderful with a spaghetti squash or zoodle recipe for dinner as well. First I gathered my ingredients and pre-heated the oven to 400°F.  Chances are you already have all of these ingredients if you follow a low carb diet, which makes this recipe even [Continue reading...]

Bacon and Leek Stuffed Mushrooms

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It's been a minute since I've done a stuffed mushroom recipe for this blog, so I thought this would be the perfect week to post one.  Stuffed mushrooms are one of the most versatile, easy-to-put-together dishes I can think of, and they always taste great.  Practically any combination of cheese and meats or veggies work with stuffed mushrooms; previously on this blog I've posted tuna melts, asiago & rosemary, and pepperoni & cheese stuffed mushrooms, and I love all of those recipes, too!  I first stumbled upon the bacon, leek, and goat cheese combination in a non-low carb recipe for crostini, and that was the inspiration for creating the same flavors in a ketogenic-friendly dish. I began by pre-heating my oven to 350°F and gathering my ingredients shown above. Next I cleaned the mushroom caps with a damp paper towel, and gently removed the gills with a spoon.  Mushrooms are fragile so you want to be careful you do not push too hard and break the cap.  I also removed [Continue reading...]

Broccoli Alfredo Spaghetti

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I'm not the only person desperately wishing it was October, am I?  Sorry to all you summer-lovers out there; I am so over this heat and humidity.  Give me 65 degrees, grey clouds, and maybe a light misty rain and I am super happy.  I think that's why I enjoy fall and winter foods (aka comfort foods) the most, but rarely want to eat them in summer when it's sweltering outside.   Even with the alfredo sauce, this recipe is much lighter than a traditional heavy pasta dish but still brings the same level of comfort, and is something I can enjoy all year round.  If you follow me on Instagram you know my obsession with roasted broccoli is real (I eat it probably 2-3 nights a week every week) so I decided to come up with a new way to incorporate it into my weekly menu. I began by gathering my ingredients and pre-heating the oven to 400°F. I split the spaghetti squash open lengthwise, removed all the seeds, drizzled with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, turned it over so it [Continue reading...]

Shrimp Stacks

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I've been craving sushi lately, but was not in the mood to deal with rolling seaweed.  I remembered this awesome "tuna roll" I once had at a restaurant called Yardhouse, which was like a giant deconstructed spicy tuna sushi roll.  Imagine my surprise when this showed up at the table - definitely not what I expected when ordering a spicy tuna roll, to say the least.  Since it is summer and has been absolutely sweltering here in the northeast, I did not have the desire to cook something in the oven this week, so the idea for a deconstructed low carb spicy shrimp stack was born. I started by gathering my ingredients shown above.  I love purchasing pre-cooked shrimp from the store although they typically only last a few days in the fridge.  It makes cold dishes like this so much easier than purchasing raw or frozen shrimp. Next I roughly chopped florets off a head of cauliflower and placed them into my food processor.  I ground them down until they were a rice-like consistency, [Continue reading...]

Breakfast Sandwiches

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One of the reasons many people turn to fast food (aside from it being a quick, cheap meal) in the morning is for the breakfast sandwiches.  Obviously those quick meals are not low carb-friendly, but I am here to say you can still enjoy breakfast sandwiches while eating low carb foods.  It may not be as fast to make these and eat them fresh, but you could probably batch-cook several of the bread halves, store them in the fridge for a few days, and then put them together fresh each morning.  These are delicious and very versatile! I began by gathering my ingredients above and pre-heating the oven to 325°F. In a large mixing bowl I beat two of the eggs with the olive oil until combined.  To that I added the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, parmesan cheese, cheddar jack cheese, salt, and pepper.  I mixed all the ingredients together until it was a dough-like consistency. I filled my Wilton Donut Pans with the dough by scooping it into a Ziploc bag, [Continue reading...]

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

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Sometimes the most straight-forward, easiest recipes are the best, especially when you are looking to add a dish or two to a party or holiday menu without a whole lot of extra work.  I think meatballs are a great dish to serve to guests or even make large batches of and store for personal consumption.  They are easy to make, easy to cook, and there are so many flavor combinations that to try that you could make a new variety each week and never repeat a recipe.  So many people (myself included) love buffalo chicken and spicy foods, so I thought that would be a great recipe to bring you today. I began by gathering my ingredients shown above. Next I finely sliced the scallions into small pieces. In a large mixing bowl I combined the ground chicken, scallions, blue cheese, almond flour, egg, salt, and pepper.  I mixed everything together until thoroughly combined and let it set up in the fridge for 30 minutes or so. In a large pan I heated the olive oil over medium [Continue reading...]

Crispy Sprouts Fritters

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It's kind of a personal mission of mine to figure out every possible way I can eat Brussels sprouts.  I'm still not sure how I feel about steaming them, but I love roasting them and my Creamy Brussels Bake is always a hit, even with non-low carb eaters.  I have big ideas for future recipes using my favorite mini cabbage, but today I decided to whip up a batch of these fritters for you first.  These are extremely easy to put together but taste like you worked on them all day, and would be perfect for breakfast, appetizers, snacks, or dinner.  I love versatile meals! I started by gathering all of my ingredients for the fritters. Next I used a large, sharp knife to thinly slice each of the sprouts.  First I cut off the stems, removed the outer leaves, and then sliced the Brussels sprouts.  Since these are not being roasted, you want them to be thin so the heat from the pan makes them as tender as possible. I also finely minced some yellow onion.  You want the pieces to be [Continue reading...]

Grilled Chicken and Spicy Avocado Zoodles

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Summer time usually means grilling season is upon us.  Living in an apartment, I don't have a standard grill on my balcony, however I have been utilizing my trusty George Foreman grill more and more lately.  I love how quickly it pre-heats, how fast the food cooks, and how delicious everything tastes when it's done.  Summer also means avocados are usually in their prime.  Avocados are a wonderful low carb food; although a bit high in total carbs, the fiber content and healthy fats make it a staple in the diet of many keto-ers. Combining my love for chicken and pasta inspired today's recipe, and I think it's the perfect summer low carb meal! I started by gathering my ingredients shown above.  Before making this recipe, I marinated the thin-sliced chicken breasts in a combination of 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2tsp of the spicy peri-peri sauce from Nandos.  You can use any hot sauce you have on hand.  I seasoned each piece of chicken first in salt and pepper, then dipped them into [Continue reading...]