Low Carb Stuffed Peppers

No breading, but just as good! I did not take a picture, I will next time though!

Low-Carb Stuffed Peppers
recipe not adapted from a website. i did this a bunch when i had gestational diabetes.


Yield: 4 servings

Notes from Marie: 
 - I made these ahead of time and froze. This is a good recipe to do this with.
 - Keep in mind when you cook frozen meals to check the internal temperature, for this one it should be 165!
 -I recommend pulling this one out of the freezer either the night before you plan to make it or the morning before so it thaws out some. I ended up having to cook this almost 2 hours at 350 to heat correctly!

Ingredients:
4 Green Bell Peppers (I usually use green, but I have used red and yellow too. Keep in mind that the color of the pepper does affect the flavor, fyi!)
Marinara Sauce (from the Introduction page)
1 medium Yellow Onion, diced
1 head of cauliflower
1/2lb ground turkey
1/2lb ground pork
Italian Mix Cheese

Seasonings:
Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Minced Garlic
Italian Seasonings (from Chicken roll ups recipe)

Directions:
1) Turn the oven on 350 and start a medium pot of water boiling on the stove. Be sure to add salt!
2) Cut up the peppers = Cut the tops off (don't cut the bottoms off! I have to tell myself this everytime because it's a habit to cut both off!), but keep them! Don't throw them out! Use a spoon and scrap the seeds out of the middle.
3) Put the peppers in the boiling water for about 5 minutes.
4) While the peppers are in the water, dice up the tops of the peppers.
5) Put a saute pan on the stove on medium heat. Add some oil.
6) Add 1 tbsp minced garlic. Let cook for about a minute.
7) Add onions and peppers to the pan. Cook until tender.
8) Add both the turkey and the pork to the pan.
9) Remove the peppers from the water and place upright in an oven safe dish. If you plan on freezing, I recommend adding marinara to the bottom of the dish first. This way you don't have to worry about pulling out frozen sauce and portioning. It will all be in the bottom of the pan.
10) Cook the pork and turkey until brown. Be sure to break apart with a fork while they are cooking. Those meats tend to clump together.
11) Take the cauliflower and cut a little off each side. Finely dice.
12) Put the cauliflower, meat and veggie combo, and a little marinara in a bowl. Throw in a little bit of Italian Mix cheese. Season with salt, pepper and Italian Herbs. Mix very well!
13) Take the mixture and put into each pepper. I put a little in each and then push down. I repeat this process until the peppers are pretty filled. I even let them overflow a little.
14) Cover the tops with cheese. At this point I wrapped the dish in plastic wrap and put in the freezer.
15) Cook in the oven for about 10 minutes, just to make the peppers more tender and to melt the cheese.
16) Put one on a plate and top with marinara.
17) Enjoy! 
 
Next time I make this:
 - I have perfected this one over time as well. I made these many many times while I had gestational diabetes.

I hope you like this recipe. If you have you own ideas and improvements to them, just comment so I can try them myself! :)

Spaghetti Squash Pasta

Not the same as pasta, but pretty dang yummy!

Spaghetti Squash Pasta with Parmesan Meatballs
recipe not adapted from a website. something i've wanted to do for a while.

Yield: 4 servings

Notes from Marie: 
 - This is not the same as pasta, obviously, but it's a pretty decent substitute.
 - You can do any toppings you would like. I just picked these because I thought they sounded yummy!
 - I always use my pastas as a "Let's clean out the fridge" day too. So the toppings I have aren't necessarily what you need to put in yours. Go through your fridge and use any vegetables that might go bad soon and voila! Pasta toppings!

Ingredients:
1 whole Spaghetti Squash (They look like really fat Yellow Squash, fyi!)
Marinara Sauce (from the Introduction page)
1 medium Red Onion, sliced
1 whole fennel bulb, thinly sliced (leftover from my Asian vegetables)
2 leeks, thinly sliced (also leftover from my Asian vegetables)
6 mushroom (also leftover from my Asian vegetables)
1lb ground pork
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Italian Mix Cheese

Seasonings:
Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Minced Garlic
Italian Seasonings (from Chicken roll ups recipe)

Directions:
1) Turn the oven on 425.
2) Cut the Spaghetti Squash in half. Warning: this is nowhere near as easy as it sounds. Be sure you have a really sharp knife and make sure its long! I typically force the knife into the middle and then force it around in a circle. I find that the easiest way to do this. I will take a picture next time (which will be really soon!)
3) Scrape the seeds out of the center. This is just like a pumpkin (hooray for Halloween year round! lol!) Be sure to get all the seeds out!
4) Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place the halves on it. Be sure to place them meat up! Drizzle olive oil over the squash and season with salt and pepper.
5) Cook for approximately 30 minutes. Then put on a plate and put in the fridge. Leave the oven door cracked, and drop your temp to 350. If you don't leave the door cracked, your oven will never cool down in enough time.
6) While the squash is cooking (about 10 minutes), dump your pork into a bowl. Mix in 2 tbsp parmesan cheese, 1 tbsp Italian Seasonings and 1 egg. Mix well.7) Form those into meatballs and put in the oven for approximately 20 minutes.
8) While meatballs are cooking, put a saute pan on medium heat on the stove with oil.
9) Add 1 tsbp of garlic and let cook for about a minute. Then dump in all your vegetables.10) Pull the spaghetti squash out of the fridge.
11) Take a fork and separate the strands from the flesh. Flip the fork with the inside facing down and lightly scrap the flesh towards the inside of the squash. I'll take a picture of this next time too! Do this all the way around until all the flesh is off the squash. Referring to it as flesh is strange... But I'm not sure what else to call it! Do this on both sides.
12) Put the spaghetti squash strands in the bowl and toss with some marinara. Toss in the sauteed veggies (hope you didn't forget about them!) and mix well.
13) By this point the meatballs should be done. Take them out of the oven and let cool.
14) Put the squash and veggie mixture into bowls and put meatballs on top. Sprinkle Italian Cheese mix on top. 
15) Enjoy! 
 
Next time I make this:
 - I might use a different meat on the meatballs. I was thinking turkey next time.

I hope you like this recipe. If you have you own ideas and improvements to them, just comment so I can try them myself! :)

Loaded Cauliflower

Mike and I both really enjoyed this recipe. People who know me, know I'm not a fan of mashed potatoes, but I imagine this is similar to loaded potatoes. So yummy and good... Not necessarily the best thing for you... But it's Low Carb! :)

Loaded Cauliflower

Yield: 6 servings

Notes from Marie: 
 - If you want to go healthy, avoid the bacon, ranch and butter, but that's what makes it so yummy...
 - I made turkey meatloaf with mine. That's what the other thing on the plate is. I'm not giving you that recipe, because I never put the same stuff in it. I did however use chopped up cauliflower to sub out the breadcrumbs.

Ingredients:
1 whole head of Cauliflower
6 Scallions
Ranch Dressing
1/2 Stick of Butter (melted)
Cheese (I used the Italian Cheese blend from Aldi, but I would recommend cheddar because it fits with everything better)
2.5 oz bag of Bacon Bits (I use the REAL bacon bits, not those cheap gross fake bacon things. I also usually find my bacon bits at Walmart. I can find it at Aldi's sometimes, but not often)
 



Seasonings:
Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Garlic Powder

Directions:
1) Turn the oven on 350.
2) Cut the cauliflower into florets. Just like you would with broccoli, but keep in mind that cauliflower is harder than broccoli.
3) Place the cauliflower florets in a 2 quart oven safe dish and combine with the 1/2 stick melted butter.
4) Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix well.
5) Cook for about 30 minutes.
6) Pull the cauliflower out of the oven and dump about 3/4 of the bacon bits in. Mix everything up.
7) Top with cheese and put back into the oven for about 10 more minutes.
8) Allow about 5 to 10 minutes for it to cool and then drizzle the ranch over the top.
9) Enjoy!

Next time I make this:
 -I want to use cheddar cheese, but besides that, I wouldn't change anything else. It's sooo yummy! Mike and I couldn't stop eating it!

I hope you like this recipe. If you have you own ideas and improvements to them, just comment so I can try them myself! :)

Kielbasa and Brussel Sprouts

I love love love love this recipe. It includes some of my favorite foods... kielbasa, mustard, onions & brussel sprouts.

Kielbasa and Brussel Sprouts
recipe adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/kielbasa-with-brussels-sprouts/detail.aspx

Yield: 6 servings

Notes from Marie: 
 - If you don't like brussel sprouts, you could do this with broccoli or even kale. Mmm... Kale would be delicious with this.
 - You could also do just the kielbasa and onions, with something like mashed potatoes on the side, or mashed cauliflower if you're sticking with the low carb.

Ingredients:
2 packages of Kielbasa (I used the turkey based ones, they are much much healthier)
16 ounces of Brussel Sprouts (Aldi has plastic containers of brussel sprouts. I typically just buy one, I'm pretty sure it's 16 oz, it might be 14 though)
1 medium Red Onion, sliced
1 can of Beer (I used Yuengling. I like the flavor)
Mustard (I used a Spicy Brown/Whole Grain Mustard that includes horseradish. It's sooo good)

Seasonings:
Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Minced Garlic

Directions:
1) Turn the oven on Broil.
2) Clean and cut the brussel sprouts. This means: Cut the stem off. Cut in half.
3) Drizzle olive oil on a cookie sheet and put the cleaned and cut brussel sprouts on it. Season with salt and pepper. Put in broiler for approximately 15 minutes.
4) While the sprouts are in the oven,  put a saute pan on the stove under high heat. Pour in some oil and heat for about a minute. Put about 1 tbsp of minced garlic in.
5) Cut the onion into slices. Here's how: Cut the top off. Cut in half. Peel the skin off each half. Cut the end off and cut the onion from side to side in a rainbow formation. Then you have nice sliced onions. Toss into the pan as you finish each.
6) Cut the kielbasa up. I usually cut it in half, right down the middle and then cut those halfs in half. Then I cut them in half lengthwise and slice. Add to pan.
7) Season with salt and pepper. Pour in about 1/2 of the beer. You can drink the rest if you'd like. ;)
8) Drizzle the mustard over the pan. I can't tell you exactly how much I use, but it's a decent amount. Stir.
9) Take a handful of flour and put into the pan. Stir. This will quickly thicken the sauce.
10) Take the brussel sprouts out of the oven and add to pan. Stir.
11) Put some in a bowl and enjoy!

 
Next time I make this:
 - I have perfected this recipe to how I like it. It took a couple times. I wouldn't make an changes to it.

I hope you like this recipe. If you have you own ideas and improvements to them, just comment so I can try them myself! :)

Zucchini Pizza Bites

Sorry for the delay in putting more recipes up! I have had a baby with an ear infection and now I am sick myself! I have 6 or 7 recipes I need to post so stay tuned!!

Zucchini Pizza Bites
recipe adapted from: http://kalynsprintablerecipes.blogspot.com/2010/08/grilled-zucchini-pizza-bites

Yield: 16 pieces

Notes from Marie: 
 - This would definitely not be good freezer recipe.
 - You can put whatever toppings you would like on them, but remember that there is not a lot of room, so don't go too crazy!

Ingredients:
Zucchini
Marinara Sauce (for the recipe, look at the Introduction post)
Italian Cheese Mix (Again, I used the Aldi brand)
Pepperoni, Cut into 1/4's
Sliced Red Onions
Basil Pesto
Goat Cheese
Diced Chicken (I used leftover Chicken Roll ups)
or whatever toppings you would like

Seasonings:
Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil for a quicker clean up.
3) Cut the ends off the zucchini. Then cut the sides off, so your zucchini is more of a square. Then cut that in half length wise, then width wise. You will end up with 4 pieces per zucchini. Continue to do this until you have all the pieces you would like.
4) Season with salt and pepper.
5) I made two different types when I made mine. I put the marinara on half of the pieces and the basil pesto on the other half.
6) I put the pepperoni and onions on the marinara ones and I put the goat cheese and chicken on the pesto ones.
7) Lastly I covered them in cheese. The best part!
8) Put in the oven for 20 minutes. We liked the little bit of crunch from the zucchini, so if you prefer not to have that, then cook it longer.
9) Let cool for about 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Next time I make this:
 - Personally Mike and I liked the marinara better than the pesto.
 - Next time I would like to do a variety of toppings.

I hope you like this recipe. If you have you own ideas and improvements to them, just comment so I can try them myself! :)

Zucchini Lasagna

Here's the recipe I did for Wednesday. Not the most attractive photos in the world. I'll be sure to take better ones next time.

Zucchini Lasagna

Yield: 9 pieces

Notes from Marie: 
 - This is a good meal to make ahead of time and freeze.
 - If you want a more extreme healthy version, sub yogurt instead of the ricotta cheese.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound Ground Pork
1/2 pound Ground Turkey
4 Zucchini, slice thin with the mandolin (For notes on slicing, look at the Chicken and Zucchini Roll Ups recipe)
1.5 cups Italian Cheese Mix (Again, I used the Aldi brand)
3 cups Ricotta Cheese
1 egg
Marinara (for the recipe, look at the Introduction post)

Seasonings:
Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Italian Herb Mix (See Chicken and Zucchini Roll Ups recipe)
Minced Garlic

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) In a saute pan, heat up some oil. Add about 1/2 tbsp garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
3) Add the ground pork and turkey to the pan and brown.
4)Season with salt, pepper, and about 1/2 tbsp Italian Herbs. Stir!
5) In a bowl, combine the ricotta, egg and 1/2 tbsp Italian Herbs. Pour into the pan with the meats and mix. Don't let cook, just mix together.
6)In a 2 quart oven-safe dish, use the sliced zucchini to cover the bottom. Be sure there is no part of the dish showing. Cover with a layer of marinara sauce. Then a layer of the ricotta and meat mixture. Top with Italian Cheese. Repeat process until the pan is full.
7) Last layer should be a layer of zucchini. Top with a thick layer of cheese.
8) Put in the oven for 45 minutes. I recommend putting a cookie tray with foil over it underneath the dish. Mine decided to boil over...
9) Let stand for about 15 minutes before serving. Here's what mine looked like:

Personally I enjoy the burned cheese on the top. It's soooo good! But if you don't like it, put it in the lower part of your oven. Enjoy!
 
Next time I make this:
 - I want to put looooots more vegetable in it. I want to do both squash and zucchini slices. Add mushrooms and onions.
 - I want to use less ricotta and more Italian cheese.
 - I want to use ground turkey breakfast sausage instead of the turkey.
 - I want to use more marinara.

I hope you like this recipe. If you have you own ideas and improvements to them, just comment so I can try them myself! :)

Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetables

Here's my Tuesday recipe. I'll put up a picture next time I make it. I forgot to take one...

Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetables
teriyaki recipe from: http://carzycook.com/showthread.php?tid=5684

Yield: 3 servings (well, me and mike servings that is...)

Notes from Marie: 
 - If you are a vegetarian, these vegetables would be fantastic with tofu for asian style vegetables.
 - If you want a more extreme low-carb version, use Splenda or another artificial sweetener.
 - Do NOT marinade for longer than instructed. I marinaded my chicken for too long.

Ingredients:
6 chicken breasts Again, the portioned broken-down chicken breasts, not the gigantic ones!
1 medium yellow onion
1 bulb of fennel
1 leek
6 mushrooms

Seasonings:
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
1 bottle Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Fresh Ginger, minced
2 tbsp Minced Garlic
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar 

Directions:
1) In a bowl, combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 3/4 cup soy sauce (about 2/3's a bottle), 1 tbsp garlic and 1 tbsp ginger in a bowl. Stir until the sugar is no longer sticking to the bottom of the bowl.
2) Put the chicken in the marinade, cover and let marinade for at least 3 hours.
3) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
4) In a saute pan, heat up a little bit of oil and sear the chicken. I always sear my protein before I put it in the oven. Searing it helps keep the meat moist and juicy. :)
5) After searing the chicken, put it in an oven-safe pan along with the leftover marinade and cook it for 15 minutes.
6) While the chicken is cooking, slice up the onion and mushrooms. Throw them in a saute pan with some oil and start to cook them.
7) Use the mandolin and slice the fennel and the leek. Throw into the pan with the onions and mushrooms.
8) Use the rest of the garlic and ginger to season. Add pepper, about 2 tbsp of soy sauce, and a 1/2 tsp of sirachi (if you want). Salt it not needed for this because of the soy sauce.
9) Saute until all the vegetables are cooked.
10) Take the chicken out of the oven, plated with a drizzle of the teriyaki sauce over the chicken and then Dinner time! :)
 
Next time I make this:
 - I will definitely only let the chicken marinade for 3 hours.
 - I want to add cabbage and carrots to the vegetables. I feel like I wanted a large variety of vegetables with it.

I hope you like this recipe. If you have you own ideas and improvements to them, just comment so I can try them myself! :)