With Easter weekend upon us again (oh, how time flies!), I’m busy cooking up a whole bunch of Easter-themed recipes. Here’s a cute and quick recipe that is sure to please the small children in your life.
Hatching Chicks Breakfast
Ingredients
6 fresh chicken eggs, hard boiled
2-3Tbsp of homemade mayonnaise
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
12 pepper corns
1 Carrot
Cut open the egg in a zig-zag form about 1/3 from the top of the egg. Remove yolks and add to a bowl with the mayonnaise. Mix together yolks, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Stuff egg whites with yolk mixture and place top half of egg white on top. Place 2 pepper corns in the yolk mixture in the place of eyes. Chop the carrot into thin slices. Cut 2 slices of carrot into the shape of webbed feet (see image for a visual) and cut another slice into the shape of a beak. Repeat for all 6 eggs.
Tip
Begin cutting open the eggs when they are completely cool. It makes cutting them in a specific shape easier than when they are warm.
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.
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.
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.
One of the easiest, low carb meals I have made. This is my go-to meal when I’m strapped for time. Hope you all enjoy and don’t forget to #jesspaigelchf if you try one of my recipes!
Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
10 bell peppers, any color
1 package of minced meat
1/2c. – 2/3c. Salsa (didn’t measure it, sorry)
1/2c. Mozzarella, shredded
10 Tsp Parmesan, grated
Cut bell peppers in half, remove stem and seeds. Steam in the microwave till soft (time varies depending on strength of the microwave but it should not be longer than 3-7 minutes). In a pan, add the minced meat and cook it till done. Remove fat from the meat and add salsa (about 1/2-2/3c.). Mix well. Place the halved peppers on a cookie sheet. Stuff each pepper with a couple of spoons of the salsa/minced meat mixture. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella on top and parmesan on top of that. Just before serving, place in oven on broil for 3-5 minutes or until cheese has melted. Serve with sour cream, fresh salsa and salad.
Serves 6.
Fyllda Paprikor
Ett av de enklaste, låg Carbmåltider som jag hargjort. Dettaärmin gå tillmåltid närjag äront omtid. Hoppasni allanjuta ochglöm inte att#jesspaigelchfom du försökeren av minarecept
Ingredienser:
10paprika, valfri färg
1paket medmaletkött
1/2c. –2/3c. Salsa(inte mäta det, sorry)
1/2c. Mozzarella, strimlad
10Tskparmesan, riven
Skärpaprikai hälften, ta bortstjälkochfrön. Steami mikrovågsugntillsmjuka(tiden varierarberoende påstyrkan imikrovågsugn, men det bör intevara längreän3-7minuter). Ienkastrull, tillsättköttfärsochkoka dentillsgjort. Ta bortfettfrån köttetoch tillsättsalsa(om 1/2-2/3c.). Blanda väl. Placerahalvepaprika påencookie blad. Stuffvarjepaprika medettparskedar avsalsa/köttfärsblandning. Strörivenmozzarellapå toppenochparmesanpå toppen av det. Precis innanservering, läggiugnenpåhalstrai 3-5minuter eller tillsosten har smält. Serveramedgräddfil, färsk salsaochsallad.
Essential fatty acids are fats that are not readily synthesized by the human body, meaning they are only available when consumed. Two essential fatty acids required by humans are linolenic acid commonly known as omega-3 and linoleic acid commonly known as omega-6. These essential fatty acids serve many functions in the body, one of them being the formation of eicosanoids. The function of these eicosanoids varies from muscle contraction and relaxation to immune responses to injury and infection. A normal balanced diet rich in leafy vegetables, oils, fish and nuts should provide these essential fatty acids in abundance, thus preventing their deficiency. However, a healthy balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids needs to be maintained as an overconsumption of omega-6 can result in cardiovascular disease, cancer, inflammation and autoimmune diseases to name a few. Nuts, grains and beans tend to have a high omega-6 to omega-3 ratio (i.e. walnuts 1 to 0.24 and soybeans: 1 to 0.13), while cold-water fish such as salmon tend to have a much lower omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, 0.018 to 1 (Hamilton, E.M., et al., 1985). To increase your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, increase your consumption smoked salmon and other fatty fish.
Low carb Salmon & Avocado Sushi
I am a HUGE sushi fan, no. That does not even begin to describe how deep my love for sushi runs. This delicious replacement really hits the spot.
Prep time: 25 minutes Cook time: 10-15 minutes
Lowcarb sushi
Ingredients:
500g of cauliflower, riced
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 Tbsp of rice vinegar
1 Avocado, sliced
50g salmon, smoked
Cream cheese, whipped
4 Nori papers
In a pan on medium heat, add the cauliflower rice and the butter, sauté for about 10-15 minutes, you don’t want to overcook the cauliflower. Let it rest until cool. While the cauliflower rests, coat the nori papers with a very fine layer of cream cheese so that it is all coated. Add the rice vinegar to the cauliflower and stir. Take the rice mixture and pat it onto the cream cheese (make it thin), then at the edge of the nori, place the slices of salmon and avocado. Roll like normal sushi, cut and serve!
Bon appétit my Keto friends!
Makes 4 rolls with 12 pieces in each roll.
Nutritional comparison:Nutritional information for 1 serving of Salmon & Avocado sushi: 247 kcals, 5.2g fat, 43.9g carbs with 1.3g fiber and 0g sugar, 7.8g protein; Net carbs: 42.6gNutritional information for 1 serving of Healthified sushi: 334.6 kcals, 28.5g fat, 6.2g carbs with 1g fiber and 0g sugar, 11.5g protein; Net carbs: 5.2g
Omega-3
Essentiella fettsyror är fetter som inte är lätt syntetiseras av kroppen, vilket innebär att de är endast tillgängliga när de konsumeras. Två essentiella fettsyror som krävs av människor är linolensyra känd som omega-3 och linolsyra känd som omega-6. Dessa essentiella fettsyror tjäna många funktioner i kroppen, en av dem är bildandet av eikosanoider. Funktionen av dessa eikosanoider varierar från muskelsammandragning och avkoppling för immunsvar mot skador och infektioner. En normal balanserad kost rik på bladgrönsaker, oljor, fisk och nötter bör ge dessa viktiga fettsyror i överflöd, vilket förhindrar deras brist. Men en sund balans mellan omega-3 och omega-6-fettsyror måste upprätthållas som en överkonsumtion av omega-6 kan leda till hjärt-och kärlsjukdomar, cancer, inflammation och autoimmuna sjukdomar för att nämna några. Nötter, frön och bönor tenderar att ha en hög omega-6 och omega-3-förhållande (dvs. valnötter 1-0,24 och sojabönor: 1-0,13), medan kallt vatten fisk som lax tenderar att ha en mycket lägre omega-6 till omega-3-förhållande, 0,018 till 1 (Hamilton, EM, et al., 1985). För att öka din omega-3 och omega-6-förhållande, öka din förbrukning rökt lax och annan fet fisk.
Låg Kolhydrat Lax & Avokado Sushi
Jag är en ENORM sushi fan, nej. Som inte ens börja beskriva hur djup min kärlek till sushi körningar. Denna läckra ersättare verkligen träffar plats.
I en kastrull på medelvärme, tillsätt blomkål ris och smör, stek i ca 10-15 minuter, vill du inte att koka blomkål. Låt den vila tills den svalnat. Medan blomkål vilar, belägga de nori papper med ett mycket tunt lager av fäskrost, så att allt är belagt. Tillsätt riset vinäger till blomkål och rör om. Ta riset blandningen och klappa den på färskrost (gör den tunn), sedan vid kanten av nori, placera skivor av lax och avokado. Rulla som vanligt sushi, skära och servera!
Bon Appetit mina Keto vänner!
Gör 4 rullar med 12 st i varje rulle.
Närings jämförelse:Näringsvärde för 1 portion lax och avokado sushi: 247 kcal, 5,2 g fett, 43.9g kolhydrater med 1,3 g fiber och 0g socker, 7,8 g protein; Netto kolhydrater: 42,6 gNäringsvärde för 1 portion friska sushi: 334,6 kcal, 28,5 g fett, 6,2 g kolhydrater med 1 g fiber och 0g socker, 11,5 g protein; Netto kolhydrater: 5,2 g
Fructose is a monosaccharide (simple sugar) that is found commonly in fruits and vegetables. Although this type of sugar is all-natural and is seen as healthy, excess consumption has been shown to cause to insulin resistance, obesity, higher LDL cholesterol levels (bad cholesterol) resulting in metabolic damage and early forms of diabetes as well as CVD (cardiovascular disease). The work carried out by Dr. Robert Lustig, a professor at the University of California at San Francisco, has demonstrated that after consuming fructose, it is turned into free fatty acids (FFAs), VLDL (the worst form of cholesterol) and triglycerides — all of which are stored as fat. These fat droplets are stored in the liver and muscle tissue resulting in fatty liver disease.
Foods rich in fructose: pears, apples, grapes, dates & watermelon, etc.
Foods poor in fructose: blueberries, strawberries & citrus fruits
Mini Nut Butter (Protein) Cups
JessPaigeLCHF low carb Reeses’ Pieces cupsNut butter protein cups
Ingredients
16 mini muffin tins
Bottom
2 Tbsp almond flour (replace with vanilla protein for protein kick, may need to add more coconut oil if you do)
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp erythritol
Middle
1/4 Tsp nut butter (per mini cup, varies to taste)
1/4 Tsp Walden Farms caramel spread * (optional)
Top
4 Tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened
4 Tbsp coconut oil
2 Tbsp walden farms chocolate (or honey for paleo option)
Mix together ingredients needed for the bottom, pour into mini muffin tins and place in freezer until hard (approx. 5 minutes). Add the nut butter (and caramel spread) in center of bottom layer the bottom. Freeze. Mix together ingredients for the top and pour till the muffin tin is filled. Place in freezer until frozen and enjoy!
Bon appétit my Keto friends!
Serves 16.
Nutritional comparison:
Nutritional information for 1 serving of mini Reese’s pieces cup: 70 kcals, 3g fat, 10g carbs with 1g fiber and 8g sugar, 2g protein; Net carbs: 9gNutritional information for 1 serving of healthified version: 80 kcals, 7.8g fat, 1.6g carbs with 0.4g fiber and 0.1g sugar, 1g protein; Net carbs: 0.7g
Frukos
Fruktos är en monosackarid (enkel sockerart) som är vanligt förekommande i frukt och grönsaker. Även om denna typ av socker är helt naturliga och ses som hälsosam, har överkonsumtion visats orsaka till insulinresistens, fetma, höga LDL-kolesterolnivåerna (det onda kolesterolet) vilket resulterar i metabola skador och tidiga former av diabetes och hjärtkärlsjukdom (hjärt-och kärlsjukdomar). Det arbete som utförs av Dr Robert Lustig, professor vid Universitet av Kalifornien i San Francisco, har visat att efter att ha förtärt fruktos, är det förvandlas till fria fettsyror (FFA), VLDL (den värsta formen av kolesterol) och triglycerider – – som alla lagras som fett. Dessa fettdroppar lagras i levern och muskler resulterar i fettlever.
Livsmedel rika på fruktos: päron, äpplen, vindruvor, datum och vattenmelon, etc.
Livsmedel fattiga i fruktos: blåbär, jordgubbar och citrusfrukter
Mini Nut Butter (protein) Koppar
Jordnötssmör karamell koppar
Ingredienser
16 mini muffin burkar
Botten
2Msk mandelmjöl (ersätt med vanilj protein för protein sparkar, kan behöva lägga till mer kokosolja om du gör)
2Msk kokosnötolja
1Msk erytritol
Mitten
1/4Tsk mutter smör (per mini cup, varierar efter smak)
1/4Tsk Walden Farms karamell spread * (tillval)
Topp
4Msk kakaopulver, osötad
4Msk kokosnötolja
2Msk walden gårdar choklad (eller honung för paleo alternativ)
Blanda ihop ingredienserna som behövs för botten, häll i mini muffin burkar och plats i frysen tills hårt (ca 5 minuter). Lägg muttern smör (och karamell spridning) i mitten av bottenskiktet i botten. Freeze. Blanda samman ingredienserna till toppen och häll tills muffin tenn är fylld. Placera i frysen tills fryst och njut!
Bon Appetit mina Keto vänner!
Tjanar 16.
Närings jämförelse:Näringsvärde för 1 portion mini Reese pjäser kopp: 70 kcal, 3 g fett, 10 g kolhydrater med 1 g fiber och 8 g socker, 2 g protein; Netto kolhydrater: 9gNäringsvärde för 1 portion friska version: 80 kcal, 7,8 g fett, 1,6 g kolhydrater med 0,4 g fiber och 0,1 g socker, 1 g protein; Netto kolhydrater: 0,7 g
