This fruity jam is a little more on the thin side but so, SO good! Top a cake with it, some pancakes in the morning for a fruity breakfast or even just on some whipped cream as a nice evening treat!
*can be replaced with other berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries), if you prefer but water and sweetener quantities may vary
Place strawberries and water in a sauce pan and place on medium heat. When strawberries are soft, mash using a potato masher. Add the sweetener and mix. Turn the heat down and let the sauce simmer till it thickens
Tip
Make this with the strawberries that are starting to go mushy in your fridge and store in a mason jar.
Chicken is definitely one of my favourite meats because of its versatility. Roast it, fry it, BBQ it — you name it, you can do it with chicken. The only problem is that it is one of those proteins that can easily be dried out with improper cooking. However, if you fill it with cream cheese and some other goodies & wrap it in bacon, it is almost guaranteed to be delicious (regardless of your cooking proficiency).
This recipe is one of my family’s favourites! The chicken is so succulent and flavourful and then paired with bacon and cream cheese? Heaven!
Ingredients
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup Spinach leaves
1/2 cup Cream cheese
Salt & pepper, to taste
8 Chicken thighs, boneless & skinless
8 strips Bacon
Directions
In a food processor, add your spinach, cream cheese, garlic, salt & pepper. Blend till forms a paste. On each chicken thigh, place 1 heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese-spinach mixture. Roll meat around mixture. Wrap one strip of bacon around each meat/mixture wrap. Be careful with this step to try and seal the mixture into the meat with the bacon. Repeat for remaining 8 chicken thighs. In a preheated oven at 350F, bake the chicken thighs on a baking pan. Broil chicken thighs to crisp up bacon for 5-10mins or until bacon looks cooked/crisp.
Leftovers are probably one of my favourite things. They’re already prepared, packed with seasoning and since you’ve made it, you know the nutritionals. This little dish is something I just threw together with the leftover half a spaghetti squash I had after making my Spaghetti Squash Lasagna a few days prior.
**All ingredients below are estimations as I did not measure anything when making this**
Ingredients
Half a medium spaghetti squash (already baked & removed from skin)
1/3 cup organic Heavy cream (I use Nutricor Organic 35% Whipping Cream)
2-3 Tbsps Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 Tsp Garlic powder
Pink salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Fresh basil (garnish)
Directions
In a pan over low-medium heat, add the heavy cream, pepper, garlic powder and salt. When it starts to simmer (make sure not to burn it!), add the gorgonzola. Mix till incorporated and sauce has started to thicken. Add in your spaghetti squash and mix so that all the spaghetti squash noodles are coated. Serve with fresh basil and sprinkle more salt & pepper as needed.
Halloumi is a firm cheese that I recently discovered late last year. Since the discovery, I’ve been quite obsessed with it, often making fried or grilled halloumi with my eggs in the morning or ordering Halloumi frites from one of my favourite cafés.
This morning, when I discovered I’d still had halloumi and was preparing my usual, eggs + bacon + halloumi, I thought.. Why not bacon-wrapped halloumi? After all, bacon-wrapped anything is incredible and halloumi is delicious on its own.. Awesome + Awesome must equal double awesome. Right? Well… Success!
Preheat oven to 400F, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Stretch each strip of bacon and cut in half width wise. Sprinkle with FlavorGod Spicy Everything & black pepper. Wrap each halloumi piece with half a strip of bacon and sprinkle with FlavorGod Honey BBQ. Repeat with remaining halloumi and bacon. Place on baking sheet and bake for 10-14 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Sprinkle with fresh flat parsley to add some freshness.
Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE is a registered dietitian and clinical diabetes educator with expertise in using carbohydrate-restricted dietary therapy for diabetes and obesity as well as other conditions. She began her blog The Low Carb Dietitian in the hopes of providing people with accurate & useful information so they could improve their overall health and well-being through good nutrition. I’m so glad that she decided to share a recipe from her new book The Low Carb Dietitian’s Guide to Health and Beauty. Make sure to check her out on her Instagram, Facebook, Twitter & Blog for more information.
Fatty Fish: Benefits for Our Health and Our Looks
The positive effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosohexaenoic acid (DHA) on heart health, mood, and inflammation have received a lot of attention in the media and were the basis for the “Eat Fish Twice a Week” campaign that began back in 1989.
Sardines and herring have very high levels of these omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and the lowest levels of mercury due to their small size. Larger fish accumulate considerably more mercury in their fat stores as a result of living longer and eating many fish over their lifetime. But what if you don’t like sardines and herring? These fish do have an undeniably strong taste. Fortunately, salmon is also an excellent source of omega 3 PUFAs (particularly wild Alaskan sockeye salmon) with low mercury content, and all seafood contains at least a small amount of DHA and EPA.
While it’s true that flaxseed and chia seeds are a good source of an omega-3 fat called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), this is a short-chain fatty acid that doesn’t have the same properties as the long-chain fats EPA and DHA. Although the body can convert ALA to EPA and DHA, it’s a very inefficient process that declines with age. In order to get the many benefits of long-chain omega-3 fats, I recommend eating fatty fish several times a week.
More good news: Fatty fish is not only healthy for our brain, heart, and GI health but can actually help improve our appearance as well.
Potential health & beauty benefits:
Reduced risk of heart attack and cardiovascular disease
Improvement in bipolar disorder and other forms of depression
Reduced frequency and size of colonic polyps
Protection against the effects of sun exposure
Improvement in moderate to severe acne with regular intake
May reduce inflammation and counteract signs of aging
Recommended amount to consume on a weekly basis: 12-16 oz (340-450 grams)
Recipe: Salmon with Basil Cream Sauce
Number of Servings: 4
Ingredients:
For salmon:
4 salmon filets (6 oz each)
¼ cup olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
For cream sauce:
10 fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 cloves garlic
½ cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
Sea salt and fresh ground Black Pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat grill to high. Rinse salmon under cold water, drain, and blot dry. Brush salmon on both sides with olive oil. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Combine basil, wine and garlic in a blender and process until a smooth puree forms. Transfer to a small heavy saucepan. Stir in cream. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, taking care not to let cream boil over. Stir frequently for 10-15 minutes, until sauce is reduced by half. Add butter and lemon juice, continuing to stir.
Once the butter is incorporated into the cream mixture, remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.
Grill salmon until it just starts to fully flake. Remove from heat. Spoon sauce over salmon and serve.
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.
As you all know if you’ve been following me for a bit, Emily from Low Carb Genesis has been visiting from the UK! We’ve been having a blast exploring the city and all the awesome things it has to offer. We ended up at this cute little restaurant/café called Le Bon Vivant. Emily ordered the special “Bacon bombs”, which basically comprised different ground meats all wrapped in bacon and then BBQ sauce.
They were absolutely delicious but it got me to thinking… How could I make these keto-friendly? As meaty as they were, they still contained bread crumbs and were coated in sugary BBQ sauce. I also couldn’t stop thinking about how yummy these would be with some cheese.. and that’s how this recipe kind of came about. These bacon bombs are a much healthier option, being both gluten-free and low-carb.
Ingredients:
250g of Mozzarella cheese, cubed
900g of ground meat (I used a mixture of pork and beef)
1/4 cup of Parmesan, grated
2 eggs, whole
Oregano, to taste
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 package of bacon
Method:
In a large bowl, mix the ground meats, the eggs and parmesan. Do not over mix or you’ll get tough burgers! Add in oregano, salt and pepper and mix a bit more. Make a little meat patty (approximately the size of your palm), place a cube of cheese in the middle and wrap the meat around the cheese. Make sure the ball is perfectly round and then wrap a strip of bacon around the ball.
Use a tooth pick or wooden skewer to keep the bacon around the meatball during cooking. Repeat for all remaining meat. Grill meat balls for about 15-20m (depending on size of balls) on the upper shelf so they do not get direct heat and burn.
Make sure to cut one ball open to ensure that the meat has been properly cooked prior to consumption. Garnish with chopped fresh green onions if desired and serve with mustard or LCHF friendly BBQ sauce.
Serves 8 (with the serving size being two balls each).
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.
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
