Guilt Free Gourmet

Fruit & Veggie Snacktime

2014-02-06T12:25:00.000-08:00

One of the big issues in living a low carb lifestyle, as I have found from my own experiences and from talking to others, is finding snacks to eat. There's a good selection of choices that are tasty and will satisfy you, helping keep from giving in to those high carb junk foods.

Some of my favourites are pretty easy to prepare though you'll want to refrigerate them. Uncooked vegetables and fruits can give a crunchy and refreshing snack. Just make sure they're high in fiber and low in sugars/carbohydrates.

Some suggestions for easy fruit/veggie snacks are:

Veggies

Brocolli
Cauliflower
Carrots
Celery
Cucumbers
Peppers
Pickles
Tomatoes

Fruits

Blackberries
Blueberries
Cranberries
Kiwis
Raspberries
Strawberries

Most people will find that eating a bunch of plain vegetables all the time will get old really fast. I like to try out sauces that aren't filled with sugar as dip for my vegetables.

Look for sauces with as low carbohydrate count as possible and especially without added sugars or starches like flour and cornstarch. I enjoy a variety of hot sauces as my main dip, but you can use special made low sugar ketchup and salad dressings, ranch, mustard, home-made sauces, or other sauces you can find with a low carb count.

Here's an example of a couple snacks I enjoyed myself.

Fresh vegetable plate with hot sauce for dip

Fruit/Berry plate with whipped cream

Feel free to email sauces or dips you have found as well as other low carb snack ideas to gfgourmet@hotmail.com

Sugarless Eggnog

2012-12-24T21:41:00.002-08:00

One of my favourite parts of the Christmas holidays is Eggnog. It is absolute heaven. The only problem is that if you buy it in the store, even the low fat version is loaded with sugar. A low carb eggnog is one of the first recipes I started playing around with when trying to find a way to make my low carb lifestyle permanent and not just a crash diet that could never be sustained. It was a recipe that I made several times when I felt a desire to have something high carb and festive. This recipe is delicious and rich (better I think than store-bought eggnog) and satisfies that need for something festive without the high carbs that you will regret. This recipe is a real quick and easy one so if you want, you could be having some guilt-free eggnog 10 minutes from now.

Prep Time: Under 10 minutes(includes gathering ingredients)

- A good blender(I like my Ninja)
- 5 eggs
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups crushed ice and water
- 3/4 cup sweetener
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt

Here's everything you'll need

Put the sweetener, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and
salt in the blender and shake it up a bit

Add everything else: the ice water, cream, vanilla and eggs

Turn on your blender until well blended

It should be nice and frothy on the top

Serve and top with a little bit of nutmeg shaken on top

For those looking for a more adult eggnog, this recipe
works great to add a little of your favourite alcohol to

Guilt Free Gourmet on Social Media

2012-12-10T23:55:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a while since I've made any posts here on guilt free gourmet but that's about to change. I will start making regular posts very soon. If you want to keep in the loop on new posts, you can check out the new guilt free gourmet social media pages. I have now made pages for:

Pinterest

http://pinterest.com/guiltfreegourm/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Guilt-Free-Gourmet/189974341030794

and Twitter
https://twitter.com/GuiltFreeGourm

Chipotle Chili

2011-03-11T17:29:00.000-08:00

Chili is one dish that goes great with eating a low carb very well as it is mainly meat and spices. It is not exactly a very precise recipe and it is pretty hard to screw up but I have put in approximate amounts for the spices. With how flexible the recipe is, you can adjust it to your taste preferences. Also, I use black soy beans as they have very few carbs and lots of fiber which makes these the lowest carb beans around. If you don't have the Ground Chipotle Pepper, the recipe will be fine without it but I really recommend it as it has tons of great flavour to add.

Ingredients
- 2-5 pounds of beef or pork(ground, shredded, doesn't matter)
- Can of tomatoes
- 1-2 onions
- Several peppers
- Onion Powder (2-6 Tbsp)
- Garlic (1-4 Tbsp)
- Mexican Chili Powder(3-8 Tbsp)
- Ground Chipotle Pepper (1-3 Tbsp adjust for heat and flavour)
- Crushed Chilies (1-3 Tbsp adjust for heat)
- Can of black soy beans (Optional)

Get all your ingredients together, I used 5 lbs
of ground beef for this recipe

Chop up the onions

Throw them into a large pot with some oil on high heat

Add the meat after frying the onions for a bit

Shake plenty of onion powder on as well as the garlic


Be generous with the chili powder and throw some of the other spices in

Cook until browned, mixing well

Crack open a can of tomatoes

And dump those in


Mix it up and let it cook off some extra moisture Let it cook for 10-30 minutes

Get your peppers cut up if not done already

Throw all those peppers in there

And keep it cookin'

If you are adding beans,
get those ready
No offense to any Texans

And add them

Now just let it cook and taste it
occasionally to see if it is done.
If you want, add more spices to improve
the flavour if it needs any tweaking

Crispy Coated Chicken Strips

2011-02-15T18:34:00.000-08:00

This is a quick and easy low carb dish that is one of my favourites. They make a great leftover lunch for the next day or even a quick snack right out of the fridge(tastes pretty good even when it`s cold). This really takes care of any cravings I get for shake 'n bake or coated chicken.

Ingredients:
- Several chicken breasts thawed out
- 1 Cup Crushed Pork rinds
- 2 Tablespoons Unflavoured Protein Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Ground Almonds(Almond Flour)
- 1 Tablespoon Psyllium
- 1/2 Tablespoon Parsley
- 1/2 Tablespoon Onion Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
- Couple shakes of seasoning salt and pepper

- 1 or 2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 375 F

Get these things together

Crush the pork rinds

Mix ingredients for the coating together

Mix it well

Cut your chicken into strips

Add the eggs to the chicken and mix

Take the strips out of the egg and coat them

Get them totally covered

And put them on an oiled pan

Throw them in the oven at 375 F

Take them out 30-40 minutes later or
whenever the chicken is done and the
coating is crispy enough for your taste

Serve with side dish(es) and enjoy!

Almond-Flax Fiber Muffins

2011-02-09T02:36:00.000-08:00

While experimenting in the kitchen I came up with this recipe that reminds me of a bran muffin a lot. It is great for baking up a bunch to take to work/school for lunches or snacks.

A little butter on top is great

Ingredients
- 1/3 Cup Flaxseed Meal
- 1/3 Cup Ground Almond(Almond Flour)
- 1/3 Cup Unflavored Protein Powder
- 1/4 Cup Sweetener
- 1 Tbsp Psyllium Husks
- 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Tbsp Baking Powder

- 1 Egg
- 3 Tbsp Cream
- 3 Tbsp Oil
- 3 Tbsp Water

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Combine the dry ingredients

Add the wet ingredients and mix until consistent

Oil the muffin pan(s) you are using

Pour the mix into the muffin pan and throw in oven

Peeking in the oven..

Pull them out after 15 or more minutes
when the muffins have browned

Now give it a try

Make sure to enjoy

Guilt Free Cheesecake

2011-02-04T17:09:00.000-08:00

This here is a cheesecake recipe that is a great tasting and makes very convenient treat when cut into slices and then frozen for later. I prefer mine with berries and whipped cream, but it is good enough to eat by itself too.

Great with wild blueberries

For the crust you will need:

1 1/2 Cups Ground Almonds/Almond Flour
2 Tbsp Sweetener
2Tbsp Melted Butter

For the filling you will need:

2 Packages Cream Cheese
3 Eggs
1/2 Cup Whipping Cream
1 Tsp Vanilla
4 Tsp Lemon Juice
2/3 Cup or so of sweetener(We used 1/2 Cup Splenda, 1/8 Cup of Xylitol, and a bit of Stevia

Start off by making the cheesecake crust. Turn on the oven to preheat at 325 F.

Melt the butter

Then add the almond and sweetener and mix well

Pour crust into cake pan

Press into the bottom of the pan

Throw it in the oven at 325 F for 10-15 minutes

Now grab this stuff

Soften the cream cheese and throw it in a bowl

Beat the cream cheese and add eggs 1 at a time

Add everything else and beat it

Beat until mixed thoroughly

Pull out your almond pie crust

Pour the filling in

Throw it into the oven for an hour at 325F

Pull it out and set it aside to cool and set

It's ready a few hours later after sinking a bit

Enjoy!

I like mine with whipped cream and blueberries

A little sprinkle of xylitol too. Mmmm...

Meatloaf with Cauli-Tater Crust

2011-01-27T11:30:00.000-08:00

This is a real good dish for those people who are real big meat 'n potatoes lovers but want something without the tons of starchy carbs.

Ingredients you'll need are:

For the meat:

- 1-2 lbs Ground Beef

- 2-4 Tbsp Onion Powder

- 1-2 Tbsp Garlic

- Crushed Chilies to taste

- Few shakes of salt and pepper

- 2 or 3 eggs

For the tomato paste:

- 1 can of tomatoes

- 2 Tbsp Onion Powder

- 1 Tbsp Garlic

- Couple teaspoons of sweetener

For the Cauli-tater topping

- Large head of cooked cauliflower

- 2 Tbsp Cream

- 2 Tbsp Butter

- Several shakes of salt and pepper

- 2 Tbsp Onion Powder

- 1 Tbsp Garlic

- 1/2 Tsp Xanthan Gum

You'll need these for the tomato paste and beef

Here's what you'll need for the crust

Throw the ground beef in a pan to fry

Add the spices and continue to brown


Mix the tomatoes, spices, and sweetener in a pot on high

Let it boil away while you occasionally stirring

When the beef is done cooking...

Pull out a casserole dish

Add and mix in the eggs

Throw in the tomato paste

Mix it up real good and
flatten it out a bit on top

Throw it in the oven
for 15-20 minutes

Make sure you have your cauliflower cooked by this point and set the oven to preheat to 400 F.

Throw your cauliflower in a
blender or food processor

Add the other ingredients and blend until smooth

Put the cauliflower topping on top of the meatloaf
I also put some Parmesan cheese on too


Put it back into the oven until the crust is sufficiently browned

Pull that meatloaf out

And enjoy!

Low Carb Turkey Dinner

2011-01-19T20:32:00.000-08:00

There are certain times of the year that most people find it very hard to stay away from the starchy high carb goodies that are traditional to serve. You know what I'm talking about, a nice turkey dinner on Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just whenever turkeys go on sale at the grocery store. Stuffing and potatoes are usually what throw off the low carbers but finding better alternatives is not impossible. In this post I will go over alternatives for mashed potatoes and stuffing, the highest carb parts of most turkey dinners. This should be cooked along with a big turkey and of course some gravy.

For the mashed cauli-taters you'll need:

- Head of cauliflower

- 2 Tbsp Cream

- 1 Tbsp onion powder\

- 1/2 Tbsp Garlic

- 1/2 Tsp Xanthan Gum (improves texture)

- Couple large dollops of butter

- Salt & Pepper

Throw the cauliflower into a blender or food
processor

Add the cream and
blend until smooth

Throw butter in a pan and melt on medium

Add the blended cauliflower, onion powder,
garlic, and xanthan gum along with a few
dashes of salt & pepper

Mix well over a medium heat for a few minutes and serve

Here's the stuffing which should either be eaten or covered and refrigerated right away otherwise it can dry out, although that can be fixed with some gravy.
You will need:
- 2/3 Cup Unflavoured Protein Powder
- 4 Tbsp Almond Flour
- 1/2 Tbsp Psyllium Husks
- 1 Tbsp Parsley
- 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
- 1 Tsp Poultry Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp Onion Powder
- Chopped Celery & Onion

- 1/3 Cup turkey drippings or chicken boullion and oil
- 2 Tbsp Cream
- 1 Egg

Throw all the dry ingredients into a bowl

Chop up the onion and celery

Throw the onion and celery into an oiled pan on a high heat

These are the liquids you will need

Add the liquids to the dry ingredients and mix well

Add the mix to the pan and turn heat down a bit

Cook like you are making scrambled eggs and it will form into clumps

Cook until it reaches a bready, stuffing-like
texture and serve


Throw your newly made stuffing & cauli-taters on a plate with some turkey, gravy, and maybe some other low carb veggies and most importantly, enjoy!

Guilt Free Protein Pancakes

2011-01-15T02:42:00.000-08:00

Here's a super easy recipe for pancakes that I came up with that is very low carb and makes some tasty pancakes.

- 1/4 Cup + 1 Tbsp Unflavoured Protein Powder
- 1/4 Cup Almond Flour
- 1/4 Cup Sweetener (Splenda, Xylitol, etc)
- 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
- 1 Tbsp Psyllium Husk (not required)
- 1 Tsp Baking Soda
- Dash of Cinnamon (optional)
- 2 Tbsp Cream
- 2 Tbsp Oil
- 2 Tbsp Water
- Splash of Vanilla
- 1 Egg

Dry ingredients here

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl

Here's the liquids

Get that pan oiled and on medium heat

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well

Pour spoonfuls of the batter into the pan

Flip when bubbles start to appear and
remove pancakes when both sides are browned

Serve with your choice of toppings
I used from top going clockwise:
whipped cream and strawberries,
butter and sugarfree syrup, and
butter with xylitol and cinnamon

If you have any leftovers, cover them or
put them in a bag and put them in the
microwave for later

Ginger Pork and Green Onion Cakes

2011-01-15T00:15:00.000-08:00

Here's a sweet and spicy recipe for an Asian ginger pork with a side of green onion cakes. The best part of all, they don't have many carbs at all. The green onion cakes have hardly any at all.

For the Sauce
- 1/4 Cup of sweetener(I used a mix of xylitol, splenda, and powdered stevia)
- 2 Tbsp garlic
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 2 Tsp ginger
- 1 Tsp crushed chilis
- 1/4 Tsp xanthan gum(this thickener can be left out)
- 3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1/2 Cup Water

For the rest
- 1 to 2 Carrots peeled and sliced up
- 1 to 2 Peppers (Sweet, Anaheim, etc) sliced up
- 5 or so green onions
- Spicy Peppers (if you like that extra burn)\
- Pound or so of pork (or beef) shredded

Start off by prepping the veggies

Shred the meat

Get the ingredients for the sauce ready

Put all the dry ingredients for the sauce together

Grab the liquids

Add the liquids and mix

Get the pot/pan oiled and on high heat

Throw in the green onions or scallions

Add the pork and cook with 1/2 of the sauce

Add the rest of the veggies


Cook with the rest of the sauce until veggies are tender

For the green onion cakes you'll need:

- 5 or more green onions
- 3 Tbsp Margarine
- 3 Tbsp Almond flour
- 1/4 Cup Unflavoured whey protein
- 1/4 Tsp baking powder
- Dash or two of salt
- 1 Egg

Grab these dry ingredients

Grab some green onions and cut them up really small

Put the margarine in a bowl

Add the dry ingredients

Mix thoroughly

Add the egg and mix well

Mix in shredded green onions

Oil and heat a pan on medium and add some dough

Brown cakes on both sides

Serve and enjoy!

Cheddar Whey Garlic Biscuits

2011-01-13T14:15:00.000-08:00

Like just about anyone who has ever been to Red Lobster, I love the Cheddar Bay biscuits that they serve in bottomless baskets. Unfortunately, they are filled with tons of highly processed carbohydrates/starches and as such you can find quickly that you’ve eaten about a hundred and could probably still pack down a few more. In fooling around in the kitchen, I have come up with a delicious recipe for low carb garlic cheddar biscuits that have hardly any carbohydrates (even less than commercial low-carb biscuit mixes) and are extremely filling. Well enough chit-chat, let's get cooking.

Mmmmmm.....Biscuits....

-          1 cup cheddar cheese
-          3/4 cup unflavoured whey protein
-          1/4 cup butter
-          3 tbsp cream
-          1/2 tbsp psyllium husks (can be left out)
-          2 tsp baking powder
-          1 tsp parsley
-          1/4 tsp baking soda
-          1/4 tsp garlic salt
-          1 Egg
-     (Optional) couple tablespoons of almond flour

Here's the ingredients you'll need except for the egg

Right now's about when you should start your oven to preheat to 350 F.

First put the butter, garlic, and parsley in a bowl

Mash that all up until it's nice and blended

Add the cream and egg and mix that all up

Add the rest of the dry ingredients and combine

This is where you would add a couple tablespoons of almond flour optionally to improve(in my opinion) the texture. Obviously this should be left out if someone with almond/nut allergies will be eating any of the biscuits.

Once combined, add the shredded cheddar and mix well

Portion onto a greased cookie sheet and put in the oven

Melt a tablespoon or so of butter in the microwave and add a few shakes of parsley and garlic salt

After around 7-10 minutes, or whenever the biscuits start to brown around the edges, pour a bit of the melted butter onto the tops of each biscuit. Put the biscuits back in the oven

Wait couple more minutes or until whenever the biscuits look best to you and take them out. You'll probably want to try one right away. Be careful, they're hot.

The biscuits go really good with steak or as a side to many low carb meals. Add pre-cooked pieces of bacon to the mix and the biscuits make a great snack for whenever. I would recommend putting the biscuits that you do not eat immediately into a bag and into the refrigerator. When you want to eat them later, I recommend throwing them in the microwave for a quick warm up.