Ranch Crusted Chicken

Oh, man! This one is delicious. My whole household loves chicken and sometimes it gets repetitive to eat chicken too often. This is a great way to help get rid of the boring grilled chicken blues. It's a simple recipe and only calls for a few ingredients. The chicken ends up so flavorful, and it's the juiciest chicken I have ever eaten.

What you'll need: 

1 cup mayo (Kraft in our home)
3 tbsp ranch dressing seasoning (Hidden Valley Ranch in our home)
3 chicken breasts, tenderized and cut in 1/2
bread crumbs (crushed up pork rinds in our home)
parchment paper

What you'll do:

In a bowl, mix the mayo and the ranch dressing seasoning together. In a separate container (preferrably with a flat bottom), add your pork rind crumbs. Take your chicken and dip it in the mayo/seasoning mix. Then, once it's coated, dredge it in the pork rinds. Place each piece on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, making sure to cook each piece all the way through. Remove from the oven, let it cool, and enjoy!

Real Verses Imitation Crab Meat

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 2 cup (62.0 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 45 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 5.0g 8%

Cholesterol 35mg 12%

Sodium 350mg 15%

Total Carbohydrates 1.0g 0%

Protein 9.0g

Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 0% Calcium 20% • Iron 4%

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

(Real Crab Meat)

Nutrition Facts

Size: 85g

Amount per Serving

• Calories 80 Calories from Fat 0

% Daily Value *

• Total Fat 0g 0%
• Saturated Fat 0g 0%
• Monounsaturated Fat 0g
• Trans Fat 0g
• Cholesterol 5mg 2%
• Sodium 640mg 27%
• Potassium 0mg 0%
• Total Carbohydrate 15g 5%
• Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
• Sugars 6g
• Protein 5g

(Imitation Crab Meat)

The first label is from Geisha canned crab. It is genuine crab that you can find in the same area as the tuna at most local grocery stores. The second label is from an imitation crab meat that can also be found at the local grocery store, however, it is usually in the seafood section (frozen foods). While there are many differences in nutrition of real crab and imitation crab, the two most noticeable things to me are the sodium counts, as imitation crab has almost twice as much sodium as the real crab, and the sugars that have been added to the imitation crab. The real crab has 1 carb, as opposed to the imitation crab that has 15 carbs. The price difference is negligible, also. It's definitely worth it to find the real crab, even if you have to go to more than one store.

When You Fall off the Wagon...

There are many times that you give into temptation and have something that you shouldn't when you are trying to live the low-carb lifestyle. Even though there are times like this, the way you handle them can make all the difference. It's really easy to eat something that you shouldn't, and then decide to just pig out. You do this because you think that because you already had a lot of carbs, there really is no point in trying to stay low-carb. This isn't a good idea, and here's the reason why.

Studies have shown that the consumption of carbs can lead to the craving for more carbs. That makes sense if you think about it. I know that when I eat something chocolate to satisfy my craving, it ends up with me eating more chocolate, and then more chocolate, and then more chocolate, and so on, and so on. This is true of all foods that are higher in carbohydrates. The more carbohydrates that you consume, the more carbohydrates that you want. It's a cycle, and it continues.

On the other hand, protein has been shown to make you feel full, and not feel like you need to eat and eat and eat. So, the moral of the story is: When you fall off of the low-carb wagon, don't just lay there. Jump back on like you never missed a beat!

Ham Deviled Eggs

This one was a pretty interesting recipe that I tried. I was slightly hesitant to sample this one, but I took a chance. These easy snack foods were delicious, and they are easy to make in phases and keep in the refrigerator for a day, or two. First, you need to boil your eggs. For my method on boiling eggs, see this previous post. You will need the following ingredients:

6 boiled eggs

3 to 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise

2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons of finely minced ham

salt and pepper to taste

Peel the eggs and cut each one in half. Remove the yolks and mash them with the mayonnaise and mustard. Stir in the ham until it is well combined. Season the mixture to your liking and use it to fill each half. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate overnight.

My Method for Boiling Eggs

Boiled eggs are great to keep on hand when you are avoiding carbs. Here is a little tip for boiling eggs. I usually boil my eggs at night. I put them in the pot of cold water and place them on the burner, which is turned on high. As soon as the water begins to boil, I take the pot off of the burner and put a lid on it. I leave them sitting for about 10 minutes, and then pour the water off and replace it with cold water for about 15 minutes. I put the eggs into a baggy and leave them in the refrigerator overnight. I either eat them plain over the next few days, or turn them into deviled eggs the next day.

That's Amore

As long as I can remember, I have always pulled the toppings off of a pizza and throw the crust away, instead of just eating it like a normal person. This tends to amuse people who see it. I guess it's pretty common for a child to do it, but a 29 year old mommy doing it seems to cause a little more commotion. Fortunately, this led me to a great idea. I make a pizza topping for myself when I am cooking for one. If I did this for my husband for dinner, he would be speechless, and not in a good way. Because of this, I make sure that this is only something I do when it's just me eating dinner.

I take a cake pan and line it with a layer of pepperoni. I then spread a small amount of tomato sauce with meat in it across the top. I sprinkle a heavy amount of cheese on top, and then I bake it in the oven at 350 degrees. When all of the cheese is bubbling, I pull it out of the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Sometimes I sprinkle Parmesan cheese on, sometimes I don't. This makes a great meal, and I have leftovers for the next day.

Because of the carbs in the tomato sauce, I won't be eating this during my two week induction, but I will be adding it in after. These are also things I generally have in the refrigerator, so it makes for an easy meal. Enjoy!

Crock-Pot Chicken Parmigiana

If you miss Italian food due to the whole low-carb/no pasta thing, have I got great news for you. It's an Italian meal, involving a few easy steps, and the ever-so-lovely crock-pot. This one is a little work, so you want to make it on a day that you know you will have a little extra time in the morning. This isn't one you can rush. By the way, notice ingredient that is number eight on the list...drum roll please...it's eggplant.(my new favorite)

You will need the following ingredients:
6 whole chicken breast (or 6 halves)
2 eggs
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup pork rind crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese grated
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 small eggplant, peeled, cut into
3/4-inch slices
1 can (10 1/2oz) low carb pizza sauce
12 slices Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

Cut whole chicken breasts into halves. In bowl, beat egg, salt, and pepper. Mix pork rind crumbs and Parmesan Cheese into separate bowl for dredging the meat in. Dip chicken into egg then coat with crumbs.

In large skillet, sauté chicken in butter or margarine. Arrange chicken and eggplant in crock pot with eggplant on bottom. Pour pizza sauce over chicken. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Add Mozzarella cheese 15 minutes before serving. Top with Parmesan cheese.

If you want my opinion, which I hope you do since you are bothering to read my blog, it's the crumbled pork rinds that make the meal. Very crunchy, flavorful.

Not a Crock-Pot Recipe

I must say, I am enjoying all of the wonderful low-carb meals that can be made in the crock-pot, but yesterday, I was watching The Victory Garden, (yes, I'm a PBS nut, and my husband makes fun of me all the time) and it was a look back at past episodes. One of the scenes was cooking with vegetables from the garden. He began to make something with eggplant, which, I have to admit, I don't recall ever tasting it. However, after watching him make his meal with eggplant, I immediately went to the store, bought an eggplant, and made dinner. This recipe is a new low-carb take on an old favorite. It's a wonderful low-carb lasagna with eggplant in place of the noodles. It's pretty simple to make, and it was delicious.

You start by cutting an eggplant into slices that are a little less than 1/2 an inch wide. From an average sized eggplant, you get 7-10 slices. He did not peel the eggplant, but next time I make it, I will peel after I cut it. It makes it easier to eat. Next, you grill the eggplant for about 3 minute on each side, seasoned with a little salt and pepper, and some extra virgin olive oil that has been brushed on . Then, layer the eggplant, spaghetti sauce (with or without meat), and mozzarella cheese. Mine was like this: eggplant, sauce, cheese, eggplant, sauce, cheese, eggplant, sauce, cheese. Depending on the size of the eggplant, and the baking dish, you may not get that many layers. Once you have finished layering the lasagna, place it into an oven that has been preheated to 450 degrees, and bake it for 15 minutes. This is the quickest lasagna I have ever had, and now that I know it's good, next time, I will be adding ricotta cheese, and other ingredients to make it my own.

Crock-Pot Pork Ribs

This is the recipe for the simple, yet delicious, crock-pot pork ribs. This is one of the easiest recipes that I have found, so far. You throw all of the ingredients into the crock-pot, set it, and "forget about it."(imagine that in my thick, yet unimpressive, Italian accent)

You will need the following ingredients:
3 lb. Pork country-style ribs cut into serving pieces
1/3 c Flour
2 tb Oil
1 1/2 c Apple vinegar
1 c Water
1 tb Salt
1/2 ts Pepper
2 lb. Small zucchinis, cubed
16 oz Carrots; cut into 2" pieces
1 lg Onion; coarsely chopped
1 sm Cabbage; shredded
1 ts Caraway seeds

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on LOW for 5 hours. Pretty simple, huh? Enjoy.

Shrimp In Tomato And Feta Sauce

Everybody loves seafood, or at least I do. I could live the rest of my life on seafood alone, and be ecstatic. Unfortunately, in order for seafood to be low-carb, you usually have to prepare it in the most boring way: baked with a little lemon juice. In my quest for more crock-pot recipes, I came across a great one that has shrimp and feta cheese. It has a few steps, and you do need an extra 15 minutes, but I think it's worth the work.

You will need the following ingredients:
2 T Olive oil
1 Onion, chopped
1 Clove garlic, minced
28 Oz Canned Tomatoes1 Can Tomato puree
6 Oz Tomato paste
1/4 C Dry wine or vermouth
2 T Parsley, chopped
1 t Dried oregano
1/4 t Fresh ground pepper
2 Lbs Jumbo shrimp -- peel, devein
3 Ozs Feta cheese, 1/4" cubes

Heat oil and add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.Add the tomatoes, the puree, the tomato paste, wine, parsley, oregano and pepper.Cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours on LOW. Increase the heat to HIGH and add the shrimp. Cook just until the shrimp are firm and have turned pink, about 15 minutes.Stir in the feta cheese and serve immediately.

Sounds fantastic, doesn't it? Enjoy!

Crock-Pot Cajun Chicken

This is the first crock-pot recipe I tried. It's simple enough, and had great flavor. It was flavored well, but not too spicy. Enjoy!

You will need the following ingredients:
1 1/2 lb boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1" pieces
1/8 tsp garlic powder
5 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 large onions, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 to 2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried whole basil
1 tsp dried whole marjoram
1 tsp dried whole oregano
1 head of cauliflower

Sprinkle chicken with garlic powder. Combine tomatoes and remaining ingredients except cauliflower in a crock-pot, chicken on top and sauces and herbs poured over chicken and vegetables. Cook on high for 5-7 hours. Serve over steamed cauliflower.

Do It For Real

An important thing to remember when being on the low-carb eating plan is that each time you eat something high in carbs, it's like sabotaging your weight loss. When you are on a low fat diet, and you eat a greasy cheeseburger, all it does is make your fat grams for that day higher than they should be. On the other hand, when you are on the low-carb way of eating, and you eat a hot fudge Sunday, it not only makes your carb count for that day high, but it also starts your eating plan over at day 1. If you recall, days 1-3 on the low-carb lifestyle are induction days, which means very low-carb, and very high protein. It takes up to 3 days for remaining carbs to completely leave your system, and because of that, you start over anytime that you eat something you shouldn't. You have to do the low-carb plan for real. Don't do it half-a**ed.

It may sound like it's not worth doing the low-carb thing, because you can't have something sweet, even if you really need it. This is not the case. It's completely worth working to stay low-carb. The pros of this way of life far outweigh the cons. You feel better, you look better, and it's healthier.

What you need to do is always have a low-carb treat on hand. That way, when you feel like you just have to have something that is not generally on the low-carb lifestyle, like Breyer's Carb Smart ice cream, or Atkins pasta, there is something in the cabinet or freezer for you.

The low-carb lifestyle does take some getting used to. You do have to adjust your life a little, but it is totally worth it. Cheating on the low-carb lifestyle is something that is not worth it, however. Stick to the guidelines of this way of eating, and you will see the changes that you are hoping for.

Great Greek Chicken Recipe

I, for one, love Greek cuisine. Greek cuisine is just the best food around. I could eat it all day, every day. The main problem with this is that Greek cuisine is not very low-carb friendly. For example, the first encounter I had with Greek cuisine was at my sister-in-law's brother's engagement party.(a little confusing) We were in the midst of a huge celebration, and the waiters started bringing out the food. Can I just say, it was fantastic! The part that I remember the most, however, was the first thing they brought out. It was a side salad with this awesome greek vinagrette. The best part, though, was when you got to the bottom of the salad. It took me a few minutes to realize what I was tasting. It was a wonderful layer of potato salad beneath the salad. At that point, I was sold. Since then, I have enjoyed Greek cuisine every chance I get. If there is a Greek festival within 200 miles of my home, I convince someone to go with me. I absolutely love Greek food. The problem is that they are usually full of carbs.

There are, however, some lower-carb foods that can be found at a Greek table. They often use a lot of feta cheese, which I also happen to love. I recently found this recipe for Greek Chicken at a diabetic recipe website, and it was very easy to make. It was also delicous.

You will need the following ingredients:

2 Lemon, fresh

1 cooking spray

6 Chicken, broiler/fryer, leg, with no skin or bones

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp ground oregano

The recipe is simple.

1 Cut 1 lemon in half. Slice the other lemon thinly and set aside.

2 Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly coat a shallow baking pan with olive oil-flavored cooking spray.

3 Place chicken in pan and brush with extra-virgin olive oil and juice from halved lemon. Drizzle with oregano and lemon slices.

4 Bake chicken for 50 to 60 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center when cut with a small knife.

5 Remove from the oven and serve hot.

I like to serve mine with a sliced tomato and feta cheese salad. I loved this recipe when I made it. Hopefully, you will, too.

Suit Up

When you decide to go into the battle taking place between you and carbs, it is important to get out your armor. The armor that you need for this battle is knowledge. You need to research low-carb living, and make sure that you understand what it's all about. There are many different books out there that are dedicated to low-carb dieting.

Research around, and find the version of the low-carb diet that will be the most successful for you. You want to choose the one that will help you to lose weight in a timely manor, but at the same time, you want to choose one that you and your willpower have a chance of sticking to.

Find certain foods that are low in carbs and appeal to you most. You may find that there are foods that if you keep them on hand as often as possible, you have more success. Pepperoni slices are a good example of this. They, along with a few slices of cheese, are convenient and low-carb/high protein. Snacks like this can keep you on track throughout the day.

Another helpful tool for this battle is a menu plan for the week. The hardest thing about being low-carb is trying to find a spur of the moment meal to eat. If you plan in advance, your chance of succeeding is much higher.

Just remember, never go into battle without your armor. Make sure you understand what low-carb is, and why you can benefit from it.

Feeling Hungry?

Recent studies have proven something that should make all low-carbers very happy. Food that is high in protein helps you to feel full for longer. This means that when you consume a meal that is low in carbs and high in protein, you will not get hungry as fast as if you had a meal high in carbs. This translates into higher energy, as well. We all know that when we are hungry, it seems as though our energy is down. You focus on your stomach growling, instead of whatever it is you should be doing.

Interesting that it has taken us this long to figure this out, though. What is it that people say about Chinese food? You eat it until you are full, but thirty minutes later you are hungry again. Now think about the average meal at a Chinese restaurant. Your side dish is either fried rice, or lo mein, which is noodles. (carbs, carbs, and more carbs) Your entree usually has some kind of meat, but it is often battered and fried. You can add wontons to your meal, which is basically pastry dough with cream cheese. Finally, you end your meal with a fortune cookie. At the end of the meal, you are stuffed beyond belief. You think to yourself, "I'm never going to be able to eat again." What happens within an hour? You are starving, go to the refrigerator, eat your leftovers, and start the cycle all over again. Don't think that I am bashing Chinese food. I enjoy it every now and then. I am simply stating that Chinese food is proof that a high protein count makes you feel full longer than a high carb count.

When you get hungry early in the afternoon, and you know dinner is far away, try this. Eat a few chunks of cheddar cheese, or make a few deviled eggs. Or, if you feel like it, have a little bit of both. After all, it's low-carb, high protein, and you'll feel full until supper time.

Friday's Taco Salad

Friday's meal is for Mexican Night...Ole'! For Friday, a nice taco salad will do wonderfully. You can pretty much freestyle this one. Whatever ingredients you like in your taco salad can be used, as long as they don't break the low-carb theme we have going. For my taco salad, I use the following ingredients.

This should serve 4
2 pounds ground beef, which cooks down to about 1.5 pounds
1 large onion, chopped
1 packet Old El Paso taco seasoning (mild)

Ingredients for one salad:
1/2 cup tomato, chopped
1 cup of lettuce
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp sour cream

Brown the beef, along with the onions, and add the seasoning mix as directed. Spoon some of the beef into a bowl, and add the rest of your ingredients. If there are other ingredients you wish to add, that's fine. You can also make some guacamole, or tortilla chips to accompany this salad. Feel free to do what you want with this meal. It's Friday night!!

Thursday's Stir Fry with Shrimp

Thursday's meal is a stir-fry with shrimp. Shrimp are extremely high in protein, which is great for weight loss. You will need the following ingredients. With stir-fry, you can add or delete ingredients as you like.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1 pound uncooked, cleaned medium-sized fresh shrimp
6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup shredded fresh spinach leaves
1/4 pound fresh English Peas
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Begin by heating a large skillet or wok on high heat for 2 minutes with oil. When it is hot, add the onion and celery and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the shrimp, sliced mushrooms, and minced garlic, and continue to stir-fry for 1 minute or until the shrimp turn pink. Lastly, add the shredded spinach and English peas and stir-fry for 30 more seconds. After combining the cornstarch, water, and reduced-sodium soy sauce, add it to the shrimp mixture. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally over medium-high heat, until the mixture thickens. Serve immediately. This is a great meal to bring the family together. It's got the vegetables already in there, so there is no need for a side dish. Enjoy, and remember, tomorrow is Friday!

Monday's Pork Tenderloin

Monday's meal is a pork tenderloin. It's a fairly easy recipe that goes great with green beans and a mixed greens salad. The ingredients you will need are as follows.

2 pork tenderloins, about 2 pounds
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, or about 1 tablespoon dried
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, halved
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking pan with foil, spray with cooking spray and place in oven. Trim fat from pork tenderloins and butterfly the meat, cutting them nearly in half lengthwise. Open the pork tenderloins and lay out, pounding to flatten with the palm of the hand or the bottom of a heavy skillet. Chop rosemary if using fresh. Rub pork tenderloins all over with cut sides of garlic halves then olive oil, then sprinkle rosemary on both sides. Remove baking pan from the oven and place pork on hot tray. Return to oven and roast for about 20 minutes (about 155° to 160° internal temp). Remove and let stand 5 minutes, then slice. Serve and enjoy. Happy Monday!

Fuel from Food!

I am a 5th grade teacher, and as most everyone knows, the FCATs are coming up all too soon. I am going to use that as an excuse for my blog posts being so few, and far between. I promise to get back into gear now. Anyway, they begin on Tuesday, and for 5th graders last over a week. At school today, a reminder went home with the students to give to their parents about making sure to eat healthy for the week. When I read over it, after I had passed it out to my class, I was immediately impressed, and also knew I was definitely doing the right thing with low-carb.

The heading to the handout said "Make sure your students have the best FCAT Fuel." It went on to remind parents that there are certain foods that are considered Brain Foods. These Brain Foods are what parents should be feeding their children for dinner on the nights before the FCAT. The list had all of my favorites. It included nuts, fish, beef, chicken, eggs, green vegetables, and of course dark chocolate. These are the foods that are said to improve brain function. Is there anything that you notice about them? I'll give you a minute. Yep, that's right. They are all vital parts of the low-carb lifestyle.

The best part about this handout is that is specifically states that parents should avoid feeding their children pasta, corn, rice and potatoes, and any complex carbohydrates that burn through your energy just trying to digest them. I was very happy to see something like this. So many people fight the "low-carb craze." It seems unnatural to them, because they have grown up on carbs. What they don't realize, though, is that it is the healthy choice for most people. Hopefully everyone will catch on, and our country won't be famous for its high percentage of obese people.

Have You Had Your MUFA Today?

Some of you are thinking, this gal has gone off her rocker. What the heck is a MUFA? Others may know what I am talking about. A MUFA is something that I have had in my diet for a long time, but until recently, had no idea how important it was. MUFA stands for monounsaturated fats. I have always consumed these MUFAs while living the low-carb lifestyle, but I never knew how improtant they were. After watching an interview with the authors of the book The Flat Belly Diet on Rachael Ray's show earlier this week, I pieced together some information.

I researched The Flat Belly Diet, and what it was all about for the past few days. The way the diet works, is you consume four meals that should be four hundred calories throughout the day. With each of these four meals, you are to eat a MUFA. The important part is, though, your MUFA must count as part of your four hundred calories, not in addition to those calories.

There were some things about The Flat Belly Diet that I disagree with. It seems that The Flat Belly Diet is geared towards being low-calorie, more so, than being low-carb. Well, you know me, I'm loving the low-carb lifestyle. I don't feel that low-calorie is the way to go for my personal body type. So, I decided to take some of the suggestions, and leave the others behind. I decided that I am going to try my best to incorporate a MUFA into each meal. It seems I have more success when I am eating more MUFAs anyway.

If you don't know what a MUFA is, I will give you the list. MUFAs, again, are monounsaturated fats. The four categories of MUFA that I like are oils, nuts and seeds, avocados and olives, and chocolate. Oils are specific, like Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Grape Seed Oil, and Soybean Oil. If you sautee your chicken in one of these oils, and put it on a mixed green salad with cheese and eggs, you have done great with a low-carb meal, and including your MUFA. The nuts and seeds category includes a lot of different snacks. Peanuts, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, and sunflower seeds are all on the list. These can be a quick snack, or you can add them to your meal. Pecan Encrusted Tilapia is a great way to include your MUFA, and be high protein at the same time. The avocados and olives category is pretty self explanatory. Olives make a great snack with some cheese. Avocados are great to add to your salad, or you can make a tasty guacamole to dip your low-carb tortilla chips in. Finally, my favorite, but least often consumed MUFA is chocolate. Dark chocolate, especially, is a good MUFA. Living low-carb, though, you must try not to have an abundance of chocolate, as it is not a low-carb food.

I like the idea of eating more MUFAs throughout the day, and I am thankful for having been reminded of this by The Flat Belly Diet on Rachael Ray. Hopefully this MUFA information, and list, can be of help to you on your journey towards living low-carb.