Grilled Italian Chicken with Zucchini and Summer Squash

I have been wanting to post all week but have been feeling not so good and just doing a good deal of resting, Yesterday was the first day since Sunday that I even cooked and ate dinner. IT was amazing if I do say so myself.  I had post for the first time since Feb, I think was the last time when I first started the Low Carb Lifestyle. IT was amazing, oh did I already say that. LOL  5 Stars

It's not the prettiest plate of food but I will tell you it was awesome. 

Grilled Italian Chicken with grilled zucchini and yellow squash over fettuccine. 

I marinated my chicken breasts in Good Seasons Italian salad dressing in one bag and then in another storage bag I marinated the zucchini and summer squash in the same Italian salad dressing. If you use the tip of the tip to poke slits in the 

zucchini and summer squash it helps in letting the salad soaked into the squashes.  Grilled and why they are grilling cook up your pasta of choice, well mine was Low Carb pasta by ThinSlim Foods.  I discovered them a couple months ago cause one of my problems with this lifestyle is the endless eggs for breakfast and I love bagels, that is the one thing I miss the most. 

They have great bagels to. I tried their bread, I don't care for it but I do love the bagels. Now the pasta was good. It's not like eating real pasta but it was good and tasted good too. Check them out. 

Pancakes

Since going on this lifestyle change I have been in the search for the best pancake or substitute for a pancake. That tastes similar to a pancake. Now I know it will never be like the pancakes that I love to eat but it could be close. These where really good but and there it is again a little too sweet for me. I don't like syrup on my pancakes I like just having butter on them. And these were a bit sweet so next time I will just cut the sugar in half. I am using beet sugar now. Just got my first bag yesterday and I have to say other than being sweeter than sugar so far my digestive system is not having a hissy fit with it. And my pallet likes it too and that is all the maters besides being low glycemic.

Syrniki - cottage cheese pancakes. I really did like them a lot. I got to have them with my sausages. Some left over for tomorrow too. that I like a lot. 4 Stars

Sorry been kind of busy lately, had some crochet projects to finish. But I have been still plugging along with my low carb/high fat lifestyle.
I have tried some interesting recipes to say the very least the last couple weeks.
You know sometimes I wonder if the reviews people leave are real? For things you buy and the ones people leave on the blogs. Cause let me tell you, I tried a recipe that everyone on the blog loved and I found it to be not the most pleasant thing to eat. LOL
Then I wonder if it's just my palette or that maybe they have been doing this lifestyle so long that this stuff tastes good. But I don't see how.  Need someone else who this happens too.
These are the recipes I have tried in the last two weeks.

Peanut Butter Bread

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/248401735674166316/
now don't get me wrong I am a peanut butter freak and could eat it every day, but this bread wasn't good for me. I think it was over baked to begin with. Cause it was dry and didn't nearly rise as much as theirs did.  2 Stars

Zucchini and Corn - NOW this was delicious. I loved it.  5 Stars

Peanut Butter Breakfast Bars  - By Low Carb Diet 

These I loved too, they are really good. I enjoyed them at night for my snack. Kept me filled up  5 Stars  I am addicted to these LOL 

Paleo and Gluten Free Tortillas from Paleo Newbie 

now these I didn't like at all. the texture was very different and not sure how to explain it. When you pull pieces of it off it reminded me of silly puddy, the way it pulled apart.  1 Star

3 Ingredient Paleo Naan Bread by My Heart Beets

this was an utter failure for me too. It was the same as the tortillas, they stretchy texture and it was gritted too from the almond flour and that is one texture that I am having a very hard time getting use too. 1 Star

Orange Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse by DJ Foodie

Now this was good, I enjoyed it very much, The only thing I didn't care for is the cocoa powder taste but that I can work on.  3 Stars

Magic Peanut Butter Pudding - by Low-Carbing Among Friends - Volume 3

Now this is to die for, I absolutely loved it and could eat it everyday LOL  5 Stars

Sunday I made Enchiladas for me for dinner, hubby not a fan the way I made mine but made him two with just taco meat and cheese LOL BORING, 

Chili Gravy Enchiladas by Macheesmo 

this was really good, me I didn't care for all the chili powder but that is fixable. It really made some great enchiladas. I add corn and black beans to my taco meat with lots of cheese. they were yummy  4 Stars

Bacon BBQ Sauce - this I made on Sunday too cause my plum tomatoes where going bad.  This is by the Kitchen Whisperer 

I haven't used it yet on meat but I did taste it, it's a bit sweet for me which I can fix the next time but it was really really good. Can't wait to bbq with it. 

Update - Aug 13 th - This stuff is to die for. When you BBQ with it, it's not too sweet on the meat. This I could use over and over again. 5 Stars 

Thursday I am planning on making Chicken Breast with Mushrooms Onions Dijon Mustard Sauce from a Family Feast

now doesn't that look yummy 

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 6 ounces each (1 ½ pounds)
¼ cup flour  to make low carb I will be using carbquick
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups sliced button mushrooms
1 cup sliced red onion
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
1 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ cup white wine
2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
¼ cup chicken stock
¼ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter

Instructions
In a medium bowl, place four, salt and pepper and mix. Dredge chicken in four, shake excess and set aside.
In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat until hot. Add chicken breasts and brown 3-4 minutes per side. If all four pieces will not fit, cook in two batches. Remove chicken to a platter and set aside.
Heat pan back up to high and add mushrooms and cook for about three minutes until just starting to brown. Reduce to medium high and add onions and rosemary. Cook for two to three minutes. The mushrooms will give up some liquid when the onions are added. Add both mustards, and wine and scrape up bottom. Add parsley, stock, cream and butter and mix to combine. Add chicken back in and cover with sauce. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook just until the chicken is cooked through (depending on size). Serve with sauce over each portion.

Turkey Chorizo Burgers

Here are my dinner plans for the rest of the week, well there could always be changes LOL. But I find if I have a meal plan in place I don't stress out so much as to what to fix for dinner and then do I have all the ingredients. Usually on Wednesday's I sit and plan the next weeks meals and do my grocery shopping lists at the same time. Then I have all the ingredients I need to make that weeks dishes. I also find that we have a lot less waste especially when it comes to the fresh veggies. And the most important part is to write it down LOL I have been know to buy ingredients and then forget what I wanted it for. Like a jar of artichoke hearts, haven't a clue why I needed them.

Tonight for dinner we are having I am kind of combining 3 recipes here.
   Turkey Chorizo Burgers original recipe here Table for Two Blog
   and seasonings from the recipe Tex Mex Turkey Burger recipe here on PackMomma and the sauce from this recipe Chorizo Burgers with Cool Ranch Pepper  Sauce on On Recipe.

Cool Ranch Pepper Sauce

• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbl Buttermilk Ranch Seasoning
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 whole roasted red pepper, seeds removed
• 1 Tbl butter
• 1 Tbl olive oil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 
  
• Instructions

1. Place the butter and oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
2. Sauté until translucent and caramelized. ~10 minutes.
3. When the onions are done, place the onions (leaving behind the juices), roasted pepper, buttermilk, ranch, mayo, paprika, cayenne and cumin in a food processor pulsing until well combined.
4. Transfer to a lidded container and place in the fridge while the burgers cook.

Turkey Chorizo Burgers

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• ½ pound chorizo sausage
• (seasons from Tex Mex Burger)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 small bell pepper (any color), seeded and finely chopped
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• Salt and Pepper
• If you want your burgers on the hot spices side you can add these, I didn't don't do hot 
• 1 tsp sirracha sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp cayenne hot sauce
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• cheese of your choice, I am using American 

Instructions

I am cooking my on the stove as it is a bit too chill yet to grill outside. 

1. Preheat grill to high heat.
2. In a large bowl, gently combine ground turkey and chorizo and all the seasonings then form four ½ inch thick patties (mine were definitely way thicker than this so try to keep them on the thinner side so it won't be so hard/messy to eat) and using your thumb, press down the center of the burger to keep the patty from puffing up when grilling. Don't over mix 
3. In place the patties on the grill and cook for about 7-10 minutes or whenever the meat thermometer reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the center of the burger. Turn the grill to low heat and place the cheese slices on each patty and let it melt gently, about 1 minute

The Sauce is to die for, I give that 5 Stars. the Burger themselves weren't right, have to adjust the seasonings when I try them again. 3 Stars 

Jicama

I try jicama yesterday for the first time. I had read on the net that some of the low carbers use jicama in place of potatoes. So I wanted to see if they could replace potatoes cause I do know mashed cauliflower was gorgeous, I didn't like it at all.  So I try it using this recipe

ONION GRUYERE POTATO STACKS

I used one jicama in place of the potato in one of the tins, I also used the larger muffin tin to make them. I know jicama takes longer to cook than potatoes.  but it was really good. I enjoyed it. Also what I did different was since I was cooking the potatoes along with my ham I didn't cook my onions ahead of time. I chopped them fine, added in dry thyme, salt and pepper and the butter in a small dish. Then put a teaspoon in each layer when I was making them.  5 Stars

Ingredients

• 5 baking potatoes
• 2 onions, chopped
• 6 TBS butter
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheese, Gruyere or cheddar  I used Smoked Gouda with Bacon
•        Gruyere is quite expensive here. 
• kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper
• heavy cream or half and half
• cooking spray
• thyme sprigs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Thinly slice raw potatoes. I use a Mandoline but they can be carefully hand sliced into thin even slices. Set aside.
3. Melt butter (about 4 TBS) in a large skillet and saute onion over a low heat until translucent and slightly golden. Add 2-4 TBS butter in the pan and melt the butter. Set aside.
4. Grate cheese. Gruyere is my favorite but cheddar works great too! Set aside.
5. Spray all twelve muffin cups of a regular size muffin pan.
6. Add 1 slice of potato to the bottom of each muffin cup. Salt and pepper. Add 1 more slice of potato. Top each potato evenly with 1/2 TBS onion and butter. Add 2 more potato slices. Sprinkle 1/2 TBS grated cheese evenly over potatoes. Add 1 more potato slice and salt and pepper. Add 1 more potato slice and evenly add 1/2TBS of onion and butter. Add 1 or 2 potato slices and top evenly with remaining cheese.
7. Pour 1 TBS cream over each potato stack. Do this for each stack.
8. Bake for 35 minutes until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
9. Run a sharp knife around the edges of each muffin cup and pop each stack out with a fork.
10. Garnish with thyme.

Chocolate Low Carb Doughnuts

I hope everyone had a Happy Easter, all was great here. I have found out if I could keep my butt off Pinterest I would have more time or enough time to blog every day LOL.

I finally have a low carb/high fat recipe of my own, well sort of LOL
How about some Chocolate Donuts. OMG they were so good. My 11 year old picky daughter really like them a lot. But told me next time not so much chocolate, cause they were really chocolaty, oh but so good.
Here is a picture of my doughnuts, not the pretties but you can eat them and that is all the mattered.

ignore the date on the picture my camera has issues 

The original recipe comes from here 

Buns in my Oven 

now this recipe is not low carb 

here is my recipe for this doughnut which is low carb 

Chocolate Low Carb Doughnuts 

For the donuts:

• 1 cup carbquick 
• 1/4 cup of Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup 
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional) didn't add these to my doughnuts
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 6 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/4 cup heavy cream 
• 1/4 cup olive oil but you could use coconut oil 

For the glaze:  I didn't make the glaze cause my sugar replace is Agave and not fond of glazed doughnuts anyways 

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 6 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

To make the donuts:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the carbquick, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and baking soda.
3. In a small bowl, beat together the vanilla, egg, sour cream, milk, SF chocolate syrup and oil.
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.
5. Spoon in a greased donut pan.
6. Bake for 8 minutes or until the tops spring back when you touch them.
7. Let the donuts cool in the pan before glazing.

To make the glaze:

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the sugar, milk, and vanilla until well combined. Remove from the heat.
2. Dunk the donuts in the glaze to fully coat and place on a wire rack to set.
• That is it, they are really easy to make, I got 9 doughnuts out of the batch.