Roasted Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

ingredients

• 1 large bunch broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 tablespoon oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
• 3 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth or chicken stock or ham broth
• 1 1/2 cups aged cheddar, shredded
• 1 cup milk or cream
• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

directions

1. Toss the broccoli florets in the oil along with the salt and pepper, arrange them in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast in a preheated 400F/200C oven until lightly golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat, add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the broth and broccoli, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
5. Mix in the milk, cheese and mustard, let the cheese melt and season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Puree the soup with a hand blender or in a food processor or blender and enjoy!

Slow Cooker: Implement step 1, optionally implement steps 2 & 3, place everything but the milk and cheese in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-10 hours or on high for 2-4 hours before mixing in the milk and cheese, letting the cheese melt and then pureeing the soup.
Option: If you like a thicker, creamier and healthier soup use pureed white beans instead of the milk or cream.
Option: Start the soup out by cooking 4 strips of bacon, use the grease to cook the vegetables instead of the oil and serve the soup garnished with the crumbled bacon.
Option: Add diced ham.

From: http://www.closetcooking.com/2010/03/broccoli-and-cheddar-soup.html

Lemon Rosemary Chicken Bake

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 lemons, 1 sliced and 1 zested and juiced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

Instructions

1. For the marinade: combine rosemary, lemon juice, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large zip-lock plastic bag and mix well. Add chicken breast halves, seal bag and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, turning the bag once or twice.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
3. In a large cast-iron skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sweet potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, until the potatoes start to become tender. Stir frequently to avoid burning. Remove from heat.
4. Arrange chicken breast halves and lemon slices evenly in the same pan. Drizzle some of the remaining marinade over the sweet potatoes. Bake uncovered for about 40-45 minutes, or until chicken and potatoes are fully cooked. Enjoy!

From: http://yummyaddiction.com/lemon-rosemary-chicken-breast/

Healthy Pumpkin Cookie Dough (for one)

Healthy Pumpkin Cookie Dough For One

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup protein powder of choice (I tried a brown rice blend, casein brand and paleo brand)
• 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour (can substitute for coconut flour or almond flour for paleo version)*
• 1 T + granulated sweetener of choice (optional)**
• 2 T nut butter of choice (I used cashew)
• 1 T pure maple syrup
• 1 T + dairy free milk of choice
• Dairy free chocolate chips or other add-ins of choice (optional)

Instructions

• 1
  In a mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, protein powder, flour of choice and sweetener and mix very well.
• 2
  In a small microwave-safe dish or stovetop, melt the nut butter with the maple syrup and add to the pumpkin mixture until fully incorporated.
• 3
  Using a tablespoon, add dairy free milk of choice until desired consistency is reached.

Notes

• * Depending on which flour you use, you may not need the dairy free milk
• ** I used sweetened protein powder so omitted. Adjust accordingly
• The longer it sits in the fridge, the thicker it becomes. I love prepping it the night before purely for this reason- I find I don't even need the extra dairy free milk.
• This can be frozen and thawed before consumption.

the big man's world http://thebigmansworld.com/

Low Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse

Ingredients

• 2- 8 ounces packages cream cheese
• 1- 15 ounce can pure pumpkin puree ( not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• pinch salt
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1-2 teaspoons vanilla liquid stevia or to taste
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a KitchenAid or stand mixer blend cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until whipped and fluffy about 5 minutes.
3. Taste and adjust sweetener to your liking if needed.
4. Pipe into serving glasses and top with cacao nibs if desired.
5. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

From: http://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/low-carb-pumpkin-cheesecake-mousse/

No Bake Lemon Cheesecake (Low Carb)

NO-BAKE LEMON CHEESECAKE 

1 packet unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, juice of 3 small lemons
24 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 cups granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda *
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 teaspoons lemon zest
1 drop yellow food color, optional
1 cup heavy cream, whipped 

Whipped cream or Whipped Topping for garnish, optional

In a small pot, sprinkle the gelatin over the lemon juice and let soften 5 minutes. Heat and stir over low heat to dissolve the gelatin completely. Beat the cream cheese, Splenda and vanilla until creamy. Gradually beat in the gelatin mixture and lemon zest then beat until fluffy. Beat in the food coloring until well blended. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Pour into a 9-inch pie plate and chill until set, about 5-6 hours. Garnish with whipped cream or Whipped Topping, if desired. This tastes even better the next day.

Makes 8 servings
Can be frozen, but the quality will suffer

* If you're using liquid Splenda, I suggest mixing it with the lemon juice/gelatin mixture before adding it to the cream cheese. That will help it to be more evenly distributed.

With granular Splenda:
Per Serving: 439 Calories; 41g Fat; 8g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 12g Net Carbs

With liquid Splenda:
Per Serving: 409 Calories; 41g Fat; 8g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 5g Net Carbs

From: http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/nobake_lemon_cheesecake.html

Sour Cream Biscuits (Low Carb)

Pre-Heat Oven to 425.

• 4 cups of Carbquik
• 1 Cup of Sprite Zero
• 1 Cup of Sour Cream (I used low fat)
• 1 Stick of Butter

Melt Butter in a 9X9 baking dish. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Divide batter into 6 even balls and place in baking dish, making sure to get some of the butter between each biscuit. Bake until golden brown.

From: http://mysouthernaccent.tumblr.com/post/52460556737/low-carb-sour-cream-biscuits

Low Carb Broccoli Bites

Low-Carb Broccoli Bites

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

16 oz Chopped Brococoli
3 Eggs
1 cup crushed French’s Fried Onions
1 1/2 cups 2% Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Salt & Pepper

Mix all ingredients well, adding salt and pepper to taste. Line Cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using hands form into balls. Bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

Yields 20.

From: http://mysouthernaccent.tumblr.com/post/96870274075/mysouthernaccent-low-carb-broccoli-bites

Chicken Bacon Chowder (crock pot)

Low Carb Chicken Bacon Chowder

• 3 large Chicken Breasts
• 1 pkg of Bacon
• 2 cups of Chicken Broth
• 1 8oz pkg of Cream Cheese
• 2 Cups of Heavy Cream
• 2 Tbs Butter or Margarine
• 2 cups of frozen Seasoning Blend or ½ large onion, ½ bell pepper and 1 stalk of celery chopped. 
• 2 4 oz cans of steams and pieces Mushrooms or 8 oz of fresh sliced Mushrooms
• 2 Tsp minced Garlic
• 1 Tsp Salt 
• 1 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1 Tsp Basil 
• 1 Tsp Thyme
• 2 Tsp Garlic Powder

Turn Crockpot on low and put vegetables and 1 ½ cups of Chicken Broth in the Crockpot with Butter and a pinch of Salt, cover. Cut Bacon into small pieces and cook until very crisp. Remove from pan and put aside. Leave 2 Tbs of Bacon grease in the bacon and place Chicken Breasts in the pan to sear on both sides. Remove Chicken and cut into small cubes. Use remaining ½ cup of Chicken Broth to de-glaze the pan, pour this into the crockpot. Add Bacon, Chicken, Heavy Cream, Cream Cheese and Seasonings, stirring until well blended. (Hint: I usually will sit the Cream Cheese on the stove while I am cooking, so the heat will soften it quicker and make it easier to mix in.)

Cook on low setting for 6 Hours. You will need to stir well before serving, as it will separate while cooking.

Garnish with fried onions and cheese!

From: http://mysouthernaccent.tumblr.com/post/40879725960/low-carb-chicken-bacon-chowder