This is a variation on the quiche I made last week  It's a little bit heartier and more of a lunch quiche than breakfast quiche.  I was pretty happy with how it turned out.

Low Carb Bacon Cheeseburger Quiche

4 slices bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb hamburger
8 large eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
salt & pepper to taste

1) Preheat oven to 425.  Spray down a 9 inch deep dish pie pan with non-stick spray and place on a cookie sheet.
2) Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry in a pan until crispy.  Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
3) Fry the onions and hamburger in the bacon grease until the burger is brown.  Use any seasonings you desire to season the meat as it's cooking.  I just used basic salt & pepper.
4) Add bacon bits back to the hamburger mixture then layer on the bottom of the pie pan.
5) Beat eggs, cream, and salt & pepper (just a pinch of each) together in a bowl.
7) Stir cheese into the egg mixture.
8) Pour egg mixture over the hamburger mixture in the pie pan.
9) Transfer cookie sheet with the pie pan onto the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes.  You want the middle of the quiche to be just firm, so that it still jiggles slightly.
10) Cut into 8 wedges and enjoy.

I haven't calculated the nutrition counts yet, but it's definitely low enough in carbs to be safe for induction.  I ate mine with a little bit of reduced sugar catsup.

This was a fairly simple quiche that I put together for breakfast.  Most quiches are easy enough to convert to low-carb--just make it without the crust.  You can adapt this recipe fairly easily, swapping out different meat, veggies and cheeses, as long as you keep the egg/cream/cheese proportions the same.  This allows the quiche to remain somewhat moist and still bind nicely.

Low Carb Ham & Swiss Quiche

2 tbs butter
1 medium onion, chopped
8 or so button mushrooms, chopped
8 oz cooked ham, diced
8 large eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of thyme
2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded

1) Preheat oven to 425.  Spray down a 9 inch deep dish pie pan with non-stick spray and place on a cookie sheet.
2) Saute onions and mushrooms in the butter, until soft and done to your liking, then layer on the bottom of the pie pan.
3) In the same pan, briefly fry the ham if you desire (I like it to get a touch brown), then layer on top of the mushrooms and onions in the pie pan.
4) Beat eggs, cream, and spices together in a bowl.
5) Stir cheese into the egg mixture.
6) Pour egg mixture over the other ingredients in the pie pan.
7) Transfer cookie sheet with the pie pan onto the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes.  You want the middle of the quiche to be just firm, so that it still jiggles slightly.
8) Cut into 8 wedges and enjoy.

When you first look at the wedge, you might think that it is not enough.  However, we both found one wedge to be very filling.

Approximate Nutrition Information Per Serving (as calculated by DietPower):
Calories: 346, Fat 29.6 g, Cholesterol 306 mg, Sodium 569 mg, Potassium 283 mg, Carbohydrate 4.35 g, Dietary Fiber .451 g, Sugars 1.53 g, Protein 17.3 g

Better Half was craving shepherd's pie last weekend, so I decided to make two versions: his normal high-carb version and a low-carb version for myself.  The obvious answer to transforming this into low-carb fare is to use fauxtatoes in place of the mashed potatoes and substitute some green veggies for the corn/peas/carrots combo seen in traditional shepherd's pies.  Many probably use green beans, but I am not a huge fan.  While I don't despise them, I would not shed a tear if I never ate another green bean in my life.  I decided to try something different and used mushrooms, onions and brussel sprouts.  I was quite pleased with how this turned out!

Low Carb Shepherd's Pie

1 lb ground beef
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2-4 tbs bacon grease, butter or oil of choice
4 oz mushrooms, roughly chopped
1/2 small onion, diced
10 or so brussel sprouts, roughly chopped into quarters
Double batch prepared fauxtatoes (this is Dana Carpender's recipe, which is what I basically follow)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) Brown the ground beef in a skillet, and season with the garlic powder, salt and pepper (add more or less to taste).
3) Drain the beef (not because the fat is evil but because you don't want the pie to be greasy) and place in a layer on the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.
4) In the same skillet, melt 1/2 the the bacon grease and saute the mushrooms and onions until soft.
5) Layer the mushrooms and onions on top of the beef in the casserole dish.
6) In the same skillet, melt the remaining bacon grease.
7) Saute the brussel sprouts, stirring frequently, until they begin to turn dark brown. Don't worry that they are falling apart.
8) Layer the sprouts on top of of the mushroom/onion mixture.
9) Layer the fauxtatoes on top of the sprouts.
10) Top with the cheddar cheese
11) Bake in oven for about 30-40 minutes, until the cheese just starts to brown.

Makes about 6 servings.

Carb counts coming as soon as I get my lazy butt in gear and input everything into my software.

I have no idea how this recipe holds up to a truly authentic recipe, since the only Italian wedding soup I'd ever eaten came out of a can.  I've been craving soup lately with the cold temperatures and needed a change from clam chowder (though I still love that recipe).  I whipped this up last weekend and was very pleased with the results.

Italian Wedding Soup
For the meatballs:
1 lb sweet Italian sausage (ground)
1 lb hamburger
1 cup parmesan cheese (I used the canned, not fresh)
1 tbs dried basil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 large eggs

For the soup:
2 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 stalks celery, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional but I think it added a nice touch of flavor)
10 cups chicken stock
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
3 large eggs
1 bunch of fresh baby spinach, approx 5 oz, roughly chopped (I just bought the prepackaged stuff in the salad section)


To make the meatballs:
1) Preheat over to 350 degrees.
2) Mix all ingredients in a big bowl, until everything is fully incorporated (I just use my hands).
3) Form into roughly 1 inch sized meatballs.  The size is really personal preference.  While I actually enjoy the soup with a bunch of very small meatballs, I had no patience to follow through and made slightly larger meatballs.  You really want them to at least be small enough to fit on a spoon.
4) Place meatballs on a cookie sheet and bake in oven for about 30 minutes, until browned.

To make the soup:
1) While the meatballs are browning in the oven, add the olive oil to a heavy stock pot and heat on medium heat.
2) Saute the onion, celery and garlic in the olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes.
3) Add the dry white wine and chicken stock to the pot and stir, bring to a low boil.
4) Whisk the eggs in a bowl.  Once the soup is boiling, slowly drizzle the beaten eggs into the soup while stirring in a circular motion.  The egg will form thin strands that substitute nicely for pasta and also thicken the soup (just like Chinese egg drop soup).
5) Once the meatballs are brown, add them to the pot and stir.
6) Reduce heat, add the remaining spices and spinach and simmer until the spinach is limp.

I do not have the nutrition information yet, but this makes about 8 good size servings of soup and there are aren't many carbs in the entire pot. 

I think my mom came up with this recipe because she had a bunch of mushrooms she needed to use before they went bad.  This probably isn't her exact recipe but is fairly close (I lost the email she sent with the recipe when my computer died).  My mom and I are not very good at measuring when we come up with recipes.  We generally throw in a little of this, a bunch of that, a smidge of this, etc.  It's been an effort for me to actually pay attention to how much of everything I throw into a new dish, both for the sake of sharing my recipes and also logging them accurately into my diet software. 

This soup was nice and hearty and made a very filling meal all by itself.  I estimated it at 4 servings, which turned out to be pretty nice sized bowls.  If you are only eating it as a side to a meal, you should divide it into smaller portions.

Mom's Mushroom Clam Chowder
1/2 small onion
1 stalk of celery
4 oz mushrooms (I used 1/2 portabella and 1/2 button)
2 cloves of garlic
4 slices bacon
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup clam juice (1 bottle was 1 cup)
2 10z cans of clams (I used 1 can chopped and 1 can whole baby clams)
2 tsp celery salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg or allspice (Mom's secret ingredient)
pinch of cayenne pepper
low carb thickener of choice (guar gum, xanthum gum, Thicken Thin-Not Starch)

1) Chop onions, celery and mushrooms into chunks.  The size of the chunks is really up to you.  I diced my celery and onions fairly fine and left the mushrooms a bit chunkier.
2) Dice garlic.
2) Slice bacon into chunks.
3) Toss bacon into the bottom of your soup pot and fry until crisp.  Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel.
4) Toss the celery, onions and mushrooms into the pot and saute in the bacon fat. 
5) Once veggies are soft, toss the garlic in and cook for a few minutes.
6) Add cream, clam juice, spices and bacon.  Stir and heat on medium heat.
7) Once the soup is warm, use thickener of choice to thicken the soup.  The best way to do this is to add a little bit of thickener at a time (I put mine in a salt shaker), whisk and wait a minute.  Repeat until the soup is the desired thickness.  It's best to be patient adding the thickener, because if you add too much it'll become gummy and nasty.
8) Simmer for about a 1/2 hour then serve and enjoy.

Nutrition Information per serving (as calculated by DietPower):
Assuming 4 servings:
Calories 413, Carbohydrates 7.79 g (Fiber 1.72 g, Sugars 1.15 g), Fat 37.2 g (Saturated 21.7 g, Polyunsaturated 1.83 g, Monounsaturated 11.1 g, Trans 0 g), Protein 14.9 g, Cholesterol 157 mg, Sodium 400 mg, Potassium 526 mg

I was craving chicken nuggets and came up with this recipe.  It's nothing extraordinary and others have probably come up with similar recipes.  However, they turned out pretty good, were very filling and satisfied my craving.

Low Carb Chicken Nuggets
1 package chicken tenders (approx 1 lb)
2 eggs
1 cup almond flour (I used Bob's Redmill)
3 tbs herbs and spices (I used a garlic & onion blend)

1) Slightly beat eggs in a decent sized bowl (I used a big square shaped tupperware container).
2) Mix together almond flour, herbs and spices in a big mixing bowl.
3) Rinse tenders under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
4) Cut tenders into nugget sized chunks.
-- Do the following 2 steps in a few batches
5) Dredge the nuggets in the egg.
6) Throw the dredged nuggets in the almond flour mixture and toss until the nuggets are evenly coated.
7) Place coated nuggets into a big Ziploc bag and put in the refigerator for at least an hour.
8) When ready to fry, heat the oil to about 350 degrees.  You can either deep fry or pan fry, just until the centers are no longer pink.  It only take a few minutes.  To test, fish the biggest chunk out of the oil and cut into it.

This made about 4 10 piece servings.  When I first made them, I made an initial batch immediately and put the rest in the refrigerator.  While the first batch turned out decent, the ones that I made later from the refrigerated nuggets were much better.  I used peanut oil and deep fried them.  I'm beginning to learn that peanut oil is not a great oil to use (high O6 content), but I'm not sure what to use as an adequate O3 substitute yet.

I used ranch dressing as a dipping sauce.  Next time I'm going to make a lemon pepper version.  I've resigned myself to the fact that I'll have to come up with my own lemon pepper spice mixture, because all of the commercial brands I've seen are loaded with sugar!


The nutritional information is a rough estimate of using 1/2 the egg mixture and 1/2 the almond mixture, not including the oil used for frying:
Calories 189, Carbohydrates 3.1 (Fiber 1.5 g, Sugars .596 g), Fat 8.74 g, Protein 26.6 g.

This is a de-carbed version of a traditional "Mom's Meatloaf."  It is pretty similar to the meatloaf that my mom used to make, with a few changes.  I always cook meatloaf in the crock pot, mainly because it's easier for me with my work schedule.  If you want to go that route, the best thing to do is to make a couple of  tinfoil "handles" to facilitate lifting the meatloaf out of the crock at the end of the day.  Basically, just take a couple of long strips of folded foil and place them in the bottom with the ends hanging over the top of the pot.

Low Carb Meatloaf
2 lb ground meat (I use 1 lb ground beef and 1 lb ground pork)
1/2 small onion
1 stalk of celery
4 average size button mushrooms
2 eggs
1/4 cup reduced sugar ketchup
1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 tbs garlic & onion seasoning (I have a blend that has no sugar.  Be careful of the various blended spices because most of them add sugar.  Of course, if you don't have a blend, you can use a combination of garlic salt and onion powder.) 
1 tbs dried oregano
1 tbs dried basil
1 tsp black pepper
2-3 tbs bacon grease, heated just slightly until it's a liquid (optional) **

1) Spray slow cooker down with cooking spray.
1) Process onion, celery and mushrooms in a food processor until finely diced (I don't like big chunks of veggies in my meatloaf).
2) Throw everything together into a big mixing bowl and mush together.  I just use my hands.  Make sure everything is blended well, especially the eggs.
3) Form into a loaf that will fit your slow cooker.
4) Place loaf into slow cooker.  Drizzle the bacon grease on top.  Cook on low for about 8 hours.

In my house, it usually cooks for about 10 hours with great results. After I remove the meatloaf, I take the drippings from the crock and pour them into a sauce pan and heat it on medium heat.  I stir in about 1/2 cup of tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of beef broth and mix it all up with my stick blender to make a nice sauce for the meatloaf.  Mashed cauliflower makes a nice accompaniment to round out the meal.

This makes 4 generous portions of meatloaf.  Better Half loves meatloaf, so he eats really big servings.  I think you can divide this into 6 and it'll still be reasonable sized servings.

** When I do cook meatloaf in the oven, I place a couple strips of bacon on top.  This doesn't work in the slow cooker because the bacon just gets mushy and sticks to the top of the meatloaf.  I always store bacon grease in a mason jar in my fridge, so I have plenty on hand.  The bacon grease adds a touch of flavor to the meatloaf, but it's by no means necessary for the meatloaf to turn out great.

Nutrition Information per serving (as calculated by DietPower):
Assuming 5 servings:
Calories 582, Carbohydrates 4.82 g (Fiber 1.29 g, Sugars .854 g), Fat 41.6 g (Saturated 15.9 g, Polyunsaturated 3.01 g, Monounsaturated 18.1 g, Trans 0 g), Protein 44.9 g, Cholesterol 246 mg, Sodium 390 mg, Potassium 805 mg

This is a pretty easy recipe I threw together that I like to serve as a side dish.  I usually only eat 2 at a time because they are very rich and filling.

Low Carb Stuffed Mushrooms
8 average size button mushrooms (the 8 oz packages usually have 8 mushrooms)
3 slices bacon
1/4 medium onion, finely chopped (this worked out to be about 1 oz of onion)
3 oz cream cheese (I used the garden vegetable flavor), softened.
1 oz shredded cheddar cheese
Garlic salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1) Gently wipe off any dirt from the mushrooms using a paper towel or mushroom brush (do not wash!).
2) Remove the stems from the mushrooms, leaving a hollow in the mushrooms to hold the stuffing.
3) Finely chop the mushroom stems.
4) Fry the bacon in a skillet until crispy.  Remove the bacon, wrap in a couple of paper towels and allow to cool.
5) Toss the onion and mushroom stems into the bacon grease.  Sprinkle on a couple dashes of garlic salt and saute until the onion is clear.
6) Crumble or chop the cooked bacon pieces.  I like the pieces to be fairly small so I don't end up with huge chunks of bacon in my filling.
7) Mix the bacon pieces, sauteed onions and mushroom stems, cream cheese and shredded cheddar together in a bowl.
8) Stuff each mushroom cavity with a generous spoonful of the cheese mixture. 
9) Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, until the mushrooms release their juices.
10) Finish off for a few minutes under the broiler to brown the tops of the mushrooms.

Experiment with different flavors of the cheeses.  I think next time I might try spinach and artichoke cream cheese with parmesan cheese in place of the cheddar.

Nutrition Information for each mushroom (as calculated by DietPower):
Calories 69, Carboydrates 1.33g (Fiber .254 g, Sugars .522 g), Fat 6.11 g (Saturated 3.5 g, Polyunsaturated .344 g, Monounsaturated 1.94 g, Trans 0 g), Protein 3 g, Cholesterol 17.3 mg, Sodium 78.6 mg, Potassium 91mg

I whipped up some induction friendly crab cakes last night.  I was experimenting a bit, but these turned out really great.  Better Half even gobbled them up, not even realizing they were low-carb. :)

For crab cakes, stay away from the imitation crab.  It can be full of carbs (texturizing ingredients)!  I usually get my lump crab meat from Wal-Mart in the refrigerated seafood section.  My Wal-Mart sells it in pouches (similar to tuna) and also in 1 lb containers.  I've made crab cakes before with canned meat, and it'll do in a pinch, but I much prefer the refrigerated kind (I'm sure I'd prefer fresh crab meat if it was available in Denver).

I added cream cheese to make the mixture hold together better, and I think it was a worthy addition.  These would be good with some minced bell pepper as well, but alas, Better Half doesn't care for peppers so I left them out.

Low Carb Crab Cakes

1 lb lump crabmeat
2 oz spicy pork rinds, ground into 'crumbs' (use your food processor or coffee grinder)
2 eggs
3 oz cream cheese (I used the chive flavor)
1 tbs mayonaise
1 tbs dijon mustard
2 tsp seafood boil & grill seasoning (something like Old Bay)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
a couple dashes of salt

1) Drain and rinse crabmeat, then dry as much as possible.  I put it in my colander and used the back of a big serving spoon to push as much liquid out, then drained on some paper towels.
2) Throw the crabmeat in a big mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.  I put on latex gloves and just mushed it all together with my hands. 
3) Form into 6 patties (these were pretty nice sized patties, and I was impressed by how well they held together).
4) Heat oil of choice over medium heat.  I used peanut oil in my electric skillet, but I think I'll try them in butter next time.
5) Fry for about 5 minutes per side, until the cakes develop a nice brown crust.  Then gently remove them and drain on paper towels.
6) Enjoy with your favorite sauce.  Better Half used traditional tartar sauce, and I used a mustard sauce that I whipped up on the spot (about 1 tbs mayo, 1 tbs dijon mustard, the juice of 1/2 lemon).  We each ate 2 cakes (Better Half added some fried potatoes but I just ate the cakes).  They were very tasty and filling.

Nutrition Information for each cake without the oil (as calculated by DietPower):
Calories 203, Carboydrates .684 g (Fiber 0 g, Sugars .157 g), Fat 12.5 g (Saturated 5.37 g, Polyunsaturated .681 g, Monounsaturated 2.17 g, Trans 0 g), Protein 21.4 g, Cholesterol 149 mg, Sodium 498 mg, Potassium 275 mg

I never really thought of my deviled eggs as anything special or noteworthy, but they are one thing that are requested frequently when I'm asked to bring something to a gathering.  When I make them for the two of us at home, Better Half gobbles them up so quickly that I generally only get one or two before they are gone.  I'd make them more often if I didn't have to peel the darn hard boiled eggs first!  I often eat a couple of these for breakfast, along with a Dannon carb control yogurt.

Low Carb Deviled Eggs

Ingredients
12 hard boiled eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground mustard seed
1/4 tsp black pepper
Paprika

1) Peel your hard boiled eggs and split them in half, removing the yolks to a separate bowl. 
2) Add all ingredients except paprika to bowl and mash together with a fork until everything is fully incorporated into the yolks.
3) Fill the egg yolk halves with the yolk mixture.  I use a spoon and don't worry about fancy presentation by piping it prettily into the cavity. 
4) Sprinkle with paprika.
5) Eat a couple before everyone else gets their grubby hands on them and they disappear!

I usually end up with 22 egg halves from this (inevitably, one egg white is destroyed while peeling).  These eggs are a little tangy with the additional mustard--just how we love them.  If you want less mustard flavor, increase the mayo and decrease the mustard by equal amounts.  Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your taste. 

Nutrition Information for each half (assuming 22 halves, as calculated by DietPower):
Calories 57, Carboydrates .519 g (Fiber .0356 g, Sugars .253 g), Fat 4.66 g (Saturated 1.12 g, Polyunsaturated .379 g, Monounsaturated 1.05 g, Trans 0 g), Protein 3.6 g, Cholesterol 116 mg, Sodium 140 mg, Potassium 42.4 mg,

Since eggs are a low carb staple, and I've been making many hard-boiled eggs for salads and deviled eggs lately, I thought I would post my 'recipe' for making a perfect hard-boiled egg in Denver. 

I am sure that if you followed these instructions at a lower altitude, you would end up with a nasty overcooked egg.  However, these turn out perfect here--the whites are firm but not rubbery, the yolks are a nice creamy yellow without a tinge of green.

1) Place eggs in the bottom of your pot and fill about half way with cold water (enough to cover your eggs plus a couple extra inches).
2) Discard any eggs that float (that means they're bad!).  If they're just 'standing', they're still okay.
3) Do not salt your water.  Salting the water causes the water to boil at a higher temperature, and my method works for the lower boiling temperature.
4) Heat on high.  As soon as the first 'hard boil' breaks the surface, set your timer for 15 minutes.
5) After 15 minutes, place the pot in the sink and turn on the faucet.  Allow cold water to pour into the pot for several minutes.  This gently brings the water temperature down.
6) Once the water is cool, pour ice into the water to cool the eggs down the rest of the way and cease any cooking.  Allow to sit in the ice water for several minutes.
7) Peel and enjoy. :)

This recipe was born in my household when my Better Half informed me that it was tradition in his household to eat sauerkraut and porkchops for New Year's. Apparently, eating this will ensure good luck for the upcoming year. I have always loved sauerkraut so had no qualms about trying it for myself. The other strange addition to BH's sauerkraut was butter. Butter? It sounded odd, but I'm willing to try most things once (and I do love butter!). I came up with this basic recipe which we now eat quite often as it's too good to reserve for New Year's alone. Plus, the recipe is induction friendly.

Low Carb Slow Cooker Pork Chops & Sauerkraut
This recipe makes 4 servings.

4 boneless pork loin chops (I use the thick chops, about 6 oz each when raw)
1 package or jar of sauerkraut, drained but not rinsed (we use the Hebrew National brand)
5 tablespoons butter
1 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
1/2 cup of broth or water.

Use 1 tbsp of butter to grease the bottom of the slower cooker. Place chops in a single layer in the slow cooker. Evenly spread the sauerkraut in a layer over the pork chops, then sprinkle the caraway seeds over the sauerkraut layer. Place the remaining tablespoons of butter on top of the sauerkraut. Pour the broth (I've used both chicken and beef with good results, but water will be fine if you are out of broth) around the edges of the chops so that there is some cooking liquid in the bottom of the crock. Cook on low for several hours.

Since I generally throw this in the slow cooker in the morning before work, it cooks for about 11 hours in my house., but it should really be ready to eat within 4 to 5 hours. After pulling the chops and sauerkraut out, I usually make a tangy gravy out of the remaining liquid by whisking in a little bit of guar gum until it has thickened (to keep the guar from becoming a goopy lumpy mess, I place it in a salt shaker and sprinkle it over whatever liquid I am thickening while whisking continuously).

If you are not a big fan of the sour flavor of the kraut, you can rinse it first and the flavor will be extremely mild by the time it is done.

Approximate Nutrition Information Per Serving (as calculated by DietPower):
Calories: 553, Fat 38.6 g, Cholesterol 155 mg, Sodium 832 mg, Potassium 844 mg, Carbohydrate 4.69 g, Dietary Fiber 3.19 g, Sugars 1.85 g, Protein 45.9 g