Chicken Parmigiana is an Italian classic that usually involved breading chicken breasts with bread crumbs, frying that up and then baking the whole dish with tomato sauce and cheese. As delectable as this dish sounds, it unfortunately, is not low-carb and gluten-free friendly.
Luckily, Emily and I were craving this last night and so I just took to the kitchen. The final product turned out absolutely delicious – not sure if that was because I hadn’t eaten all day or if it was amazing but regardless, here is the recipe.
Ingredients:
1 egg, whisked
1 Tbsp Flavor God Garlic Lovers
1/3 cup Parmesan, grated
4 Chicken Thighs
2Tbsp Olive Oil
Aluminium foil
1/2 cup Tomato sauce
1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated
Method:
In a bowl, whisk the egg. In another bowl, mix together the Flavor God and Parmesan. For each chicken thigh, first coat in egg and then coat in Flavor God/Parmesan mixture. Place all chicken thighs on aluminium foil covered baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake the chicken in preheated oven at 350F for 35 minutes. In a 8×8 baking dish, place the chicken thighs and cover with the tomato sauce and then the cheese. Broil the cheese on the top rack of the oven for 5-7minutes or until golden brown.
Starting your morning on the right foot can make all the difference in how you face the day ahead. Why not start that day with a protein-loaded, delicious and comforting dish of Sweet Potato Protein Pancakes. Waking up on a Sunday morning to the smell of maple syrup and hot cakes reminds me of childhood.. Here’s a healthier, adult-friendly alternative that won’t make you deviate from your diet.
Now, I know. Sweet potatoes? Low-carb? Before you freak out. There are only 2.9g of carbs per serving (2 pancakes) so yes, they are low-carb, gluten-free, paleo-friendly and of course, keto-friendly.
In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients. The batter should be thin like normal pancakes but with chunks of butter. In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, put some coconut oil to cook and fry like normal pancakes. Top with some coconut butter and/or butter and this makes for the most, delicious breakfast or brunch.
When I first started this blog a little over a year ago, the idea was to track and record what my family & I consumed on a regular basis. I don’t know when or how it happened but somehow, the JessPaigeLCHF blog became more than that. It became a gateway to a world that, over a year ago, I had no clue existed. Through my many social media forums, I’ve acquired friends all strewn over the planet we call home. Never would I ever have imagined I could be able to connect with so many brilliant people that would make me strive to better myself, increase my knowledge and spur new ideas.
Hence, when Emily Maguire from Low Carb Genesis reached out to me by e-mail on a sunny day in September of 2014, I never could have imagined I’d be meeting her in my hometown just a mere 11 months later. We corresponded daily and tried to set up Skype call after Skype call but with the time difference, it was difficult to coordinate. Luckily, when she decided to start her LCHF world tour, one of the many places that she decided to visit was Montreal!
From Scotland to Montreal
We decided on Mandy’s Salad Bar, a quaint little gourmet salad bar in the heart of Westmount, for our first meet up. It was so surreal! Chitchatting while in line awaiting our October Salads with bacon & egg, I quickly got to hear of all the incredible people she’d met along her LCHF world tour. We discussed our reasons for following a low-carbohydrate diet, how flawed the nutritional dogma is among other things. We ate Justin’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups in the park (so addictive!) and just had an overall blast.
Myself & Emily
Omnivore World Tour 2015 & Periscope
The Omnivore World Tour, an international culinary festival in which approximately 2 dozen local and international chefs come to offer their best dishes, was on show in Montreal… How could two foodies not go? We decided to go on the Saturday and check out the scene.
The whole exhibit could be described in one word: delicious. Or.. maybe two: delicious & non-LCHF, haha. As Em and I went around tasting & periscope-ing (Is that a word?) our experiences, our taste buds were transported to heaven. Her and I both agree that our favourite experience was from Chef Marc Alexandre Mercier of Hotel Herman. It consisted of “brouillade d’oeuf, esturgeon fumé, caviar de mullet”. In English, that’s egg foam, smoked sturgeon and mullet caviar with some black Périgord truffle shavings on top all served in an egg shell.
While the dish was not the most visually appealing, you need to trust us when we tell you it was: out-of-this-world good (and bonus! Keto-friendly). Make sure to watch my Periscope videos (just search jesspaigelchf in the Periscope app) so see us at the event & what our reactions were.
Another dish that I got the pleasure of tasting was made by Chef Christophe Parasiuk from Restaurant Manitoba. His dish was composed of: “champignon homard, écrasé de pois verts et arroche, nori, salicorne et plantain maritime”. In English, that’s lobster mushrooms, crushed green peas, nori, samphire greens & maritime plantains. I particularly enjoyed the lobster mushrooms in this dish, so exquisite and, I’m pretty sure.. sautéed in butter.
We really wanted to taste the Lamb Barbacoa from William Cody & Gil MacNutt but they were completely out by the time we got through the line.. We still went home with our bellies full & massive smiles on our faces.
See all the foods we tasted on my Instagram or watch our reactions live on my Periscope account.
Cut the cauliflower into florets and place into a large bowl. Chop the fresh dill. To the bowl containing the cauliflower, add the fresh dill and the onion. Season with olive oil and white vinegar and salt, to taste.
Bon appétit my Keto friends
Faux-tato Salad with Coddled Eggs and Hollandaise sauce
This is by FAR my favorite recipe ever! Words cannot begin to describe how much I love this eggplant lasagna: cheesy, gooey, hearty and delicious. What is there not to like? to all you low-carbers, I STRONGLY suggest you try this one!!!
Prep time: Bake time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
3 medium sized Eggplant, sliced
1 Onion, fried
Mushrooms
1 Small can Tomato sauce, low carb
1 container Cheese, cottage
500g Cheese, Cheddar or Mozzarella, grated
Parmesan
Olive oil
Wash the eggplant and cut off the ends, slice it into thin, lasagna-thick noodles and steam for 5 minutes. Coat each Eggplant slice with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and bake until soft at 350F. While that cooks, chop the onion and the mushrooms and fry in a pan. Add a bit of the tomato sauce to the pan with the mushroom-onion mix, to give it slightly pastey consistency.
**You can layer anything into the lasagna, usually I put in minced meat and/or bacon.
Layering:
Coat the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of pizza sauce, then eggplant, cheddar, onion-mushroom-tomato sauce mixture, another layer of eggplant, repeat. On the top, cover with cheese and parmesan. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 15 minutes at 400F and then put on broil without the foil for 5 more minutes.
Hi all! My name is Elviira. I’m a former music scientist and computational linguist but I changed my career completely after starting my Low-Carb, So Simple blog a few years ago. I’m now a professional food blogger, author and photographer. I have been self-studying nutrition and different diets basically from the age I started eating 🙂 I’ve had severe health problems but after finding the gluten-free low-carb way to eat, those problems have been just bad memories.
Cooking has been always my passion. On my journey from a strict raw vegan to a conscious omnivore, I have collected an extensive collection of hundreds of diet books and cookbooks, still relentlessly digging into new studies and old traditions. On my blog, I share simple and healthful recipes with mouthwatering photos, hoping to help other people heal themselves and live healthy lives, full of energy and happiness.
I feel myself lucky because I have been able to turn my passion into profession. Several thousands of people visit my blog daily, and the blog has currently over 140,000 Facebook followers.
As I’m a native Finn and currently reside in Finland, I also blog in Finnish on www.alakarpisti.com whenever I have time.
When Jess asked me to write a guest post, I didn’t hesitate for a moment. I find her blog and Facebook pages very inspirational. Jess has got a great attitude and her friendliness is genuine and sincere. I wish her luck in her studies and business. I hope we can do more collaboration in the future!
Without further ado, I present to do you, Spicy Salmon for One by Elviira Krebber…
Spicy Salmon for One
Spicy Salmon for One
This Jamaican-inspired dish combines spices and lime juice into piquant paste which crowns the super healthy salmon. This superb single-serving dish is quick to make and sure to please! Adjust the fieriness to your liking by increasing or reducing the amount of cayenne pepper.
Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon organic paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried organic thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground organic cumin
1/4 teaspoon organic onion powder
1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) organic cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) unrefined sea salt
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice from organic lime
7 oz = 200 g wild caught salmon fillet or medallion
1 tablespoon organic extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Mix the spices and the salt with the lime juice in a small cup until the mixture forms a thick paste. Spread the paste over the salmon fillet.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil.
Place the salmon carefully on the skillet, the saucy side top.
Cook, covered, until just done and easily flaked with a fork. Don’t cook too long, otherwise the salmon will be dry.
Fall is one of my favorite times of the year and one of my favorite berries is also in season during that time – cranberries!!
Here is a lovely seasonal jam option for all you keto and paleo lovers out there.
Ingredients:
300g cranberries, whole, fresh or frozen
1 cup of water
1 cup of sweetener (I use erythritol) (paleo option: 1/2 cup honey)
1Tbsp psyllium husk, ground
In the stove top, add the cranberries and water to a medium sized pot. When the cranberries soften, use a potato masher to crush the cranberries. Add the sweetener and mix. Add the psyllium husk and mix. Let simmer until thicker. Fill a 16oz mason jar.
Bon appétit my keto friends!
Serves 25-30. (1 Serving = 1Tbsp)
Nutritional information for 1 serving: 4 cals, 0g fat, 1.1g carbs with 0.6 fiber and 0.4g sugar. 0g protein. Net carbs: 0.5g
If you’re like me, Thanksgiving is one of my absolute favorite holidays (along with Christmas, of course). What’s not to love? A delicious turkey roasting in the oven with all the garnishes, spending quality time with my family, perfect autumn weather and let’s not forget all the pretty leaves changing colours. Unfortunately, many of the Thanksgiving traditional foods and desserts are loaded with processed sugars which, I guarantee, will knock you off track.
Here is a little somethin’, somethin’ I have been working on. Say goodbye to those sugar-filled, high glycemic index holiday treats and hellooooo to my sugar-free, low carb cranberry sauce! This cranberry sauce tastes like the sugar filled one except it won’t spike your blood sugar. Don’t let the holidays set you back. Are you ready for Thanksgiving?
JessPaige LCHF low carb Cranberry sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup Cranberries, fresh & whole
1-2 Tbsp erythritol
Water
In a sauce pan, add the cranberries and keep it on low-medium heat. Add water (just enough to cover the cranberries). Mash the cranberries and add the erythritol. Constantly stir and let simmer till it thickens.
Enjoy and remember if you try my recipes, please post a picture either on my Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #jesspaigelchf.
Nutritional information for the whole batch: 44 cals, 0.12g fat, 11.59g total carbohydrates with 4.4g fiber & 3.84g sugar, 0.37g protein. Net carbs: 7.19g
"Do you find ketogenic foods are more expensive than regular ones?"
When people ask me this question, my answer is that in my experience, they are not more expensive. Why do you ask? Well prior to my low carb journey, I ate a variety of foods ranging from lean meats to processed food. All the foods I currently eat now, I ate prior to low carb (except I chose the lower fat options). Sure, processed food is cheaper than whole foods if you are only consuming dried pastas and pre-cooked meals but in my experience, if you look for deals, you can ALWAYS find them. Nowadays, my grocery bills are actually lower than they were before because I actually consume less food. Gone are the days of constant hunger pangs, night snacking and meals every few hours. If I have a bulletproof coffee in the morning, I will stay satiated till about 2-3pm without requiring any other food. My friends are always astonished that I’m not hungry but it’s true.
Another thing to keep in mind is that leaner cuts tend to be more expensive since most people look for “low fat”. Pork bones, shoulder, etc. all are cheaper than super lean cuts like beef tenderloin.
Ok, now on to the grocery tips… (Don’t forget to check the Notes section for this week’s grocery list!)
Tips for low carb grocery shopping:
1) Make a list.
It’s simple, fail to prepare or prepare to fail. If you go to the grocery store and just browse for what you need, you’re much more likely to buy something on impulse. The likelihood of that product being low carb is lower than if you have a list.
2) Eat before shopping or bring yourself a snack.
Are you trying to torture yourself by looking at all the delicious food options without having eaten? Seriously. You’re more likely to grab for something that isn’t ketosis friendly as all ready-made food tends to be loaded with refined sugars and starches. Pack yourself a quest bar or something portable at the beginning of the day.
3) Browse the flyers prior to your grocery excursion.
Flyers are a wonderful way to check out what is on sale/lower price. A lot of these products are considered lost leaders (they are so cheap the store actually makes little to no profit on them, they are there only to attract you to the store) — Take advantage of that!
4) Buy seasonally.
If you live in a northern country like I do, try to purchase things that are seasonal. The produce will be fresher, richer in nutrients, taste better, you’ll be supporting local businesses not to mention, it’ll be cheaper! It’s a win-win.
5) Buy in bulk.
You know those staples that you use on a regular basis? Well Costco just became your best friend. Eggs, cream cheese, almond flour, coconut oil, you name it. They have it. It’s significantly cheaper to purchase things that you will constantly be using from a warehouse club.
The leaves are turning gorgeous shades of orange, red and yellow and… the pumpkins are in season! I don’t know about all of you but fall is definitely my favorite season. What is there not to love? Cozy, sweater weather with delicious pumpkin treats and a hot mug of tea?
Ok, ok.. enough about why I love fall.
Mini Pumpkin Keto Cheesecakes
Here is the pumpkin cheesecake recipe you have been waiting for!
Ingredients:
2 cups of cream cheese
1/2 cup of pumpkin puree (See how to make puree here)
1/2 cup erythritol, granulated
1 Tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, large
1 Tbsp pumpkin spice
In a large bowl, cream together cream cheese, pumpkin puree, erythritol, vanilla and pumpkin spice. Mix each egg in one at a time. Pour batter into 4-6 small greased ramekins and bake for 35-45 minutes in a preheated oven at 350F.
