Soup, Soup, Soup, Low Carb Soup

We interrupt this blog for a late-breaking, low carb news bulletin. Houston shut down in a state of emergency as temperatures plummet below 32°.

Mac N Cheese Zoodles (aka Low Carb Macaroni and Cheese)

Shannon Harding's Mac N Cheese Zoodles from
The Low Carb Dish

My friend Shannon Harding from The Low Carb Dish, a low carb Facebook Group I belong to reminded me about a one-time-true-love. Blue box macaroni and cheese. Yes, I’m a child of the 60-70s and I adored the blue box as soon as I was allowed to taste it (which wasn’t often—Mama was a scratch-cook). I love the Brady Bunch, Leave It To Beaver, and yes, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Is it any wonder I’m fluffy?

Korokke - Beef and Fauxtato Croquettes Rule School!

Japanese Korokke - Delicious Low Carb Beef and
Fauxtato Oven-Fried Croquettes

It’s a funny thing how life goes. You’re walkin’ along, minding your own beeswax and things fall into your lap in heavenly accord. That’s what happened last week during a FB session. I saw the heavenly of heavenlies. Japanese Korokke.

If you’re like me, you just said, “Runnnhhhh?”

And your next thought was, “What tha hayull (Texan for h-e-double hockie sticks) are Korokke? They sound like some new-fangled Russian food.”

But you and I would both be wrong.

R-O-N-G, wrong.

Low Carb Cream Gravy – The Southern Elixir Of Comfort and Life!

Southern-style Low Carb Cream Gravy...mmmmMMM!

Ok, claiming that Low Carb Cream Gravy is the Southern cure-all for anything is risky business these days--even for us DFSWs (Delicate Flowers Of Southern Womanhood). We don’t want to get in trouble…but, will say that Cream Gravy, when made properly—aka low carb, makes foods taste better! Especially if those foods also happen to be Oven Fried Anything (like Fluffy’s Oven Chicken Fried Steak) or Roasted Smashed Fauxtatoes!

Oven Chicken Fried Steak - The Dinner of Southern Champions!

Oven Chicken Fried Steak with Cream Gravy and
all the fixin's is low carb and loverly!!

Dang! Sometimes a recipe is so versatile you just have to shout it from the rooftops. So here goes!

I LURRRRRVE (Texan for L-O-V-E) Fluffy Chix Cook Low Carb Bread Crumbs!

There I shouted it.

Low Carb Bread Crumbs are so versatile. They work like a champ on everything from Oven Fried Zucchini, to Oven Fried Green Tomatoes, Oven Fried Okra and Onion Rings, Oven Fried Fish, Oven Fried Chicken and yep, you guessed what’s next…Oven Chicken Fried Steak.

No. I am NOT kidding.

Roasted Smashed Fauxtatoes

Roasted Smashed Fauxtatoes a great low carb, keto side.

Cauliflower, perhaps the most beloved veggie in the low carb universe, gets prepared soooo many ways in the blogosphere: roast it, toast it, slice it, dice it, send it through a blender…get the picture? Cauliflower is a low carb darling, maybe the poster child! On any given day millions are making mashed cauliflower in their kitchens—avowing it’s resemblance to mashed taters. Swearing allegiance to it!

Atkins Day 14 - The Final Day of 2 Weeks of Inspiring Induction Meals! Ends With (da da duhhhhhh) Crack Slaw!

Jambalaya Crack Slaw is a twist on normal
Crack Slaw made with ground beef. Jambalaya Crack
Slaw features chicken, sausage and shrimp.

Unless you were just dropped off the turnip truck last week, you’ve heard about Crack Slaw. Heck, maybe you’ve even made it. The recipe is legion and has been flying around the low carb world as long as I’ve been around (over 14 years) and maybe longer.

It’s an unlikely recipe for such fame. It’s simple food. Maybe even peasant food. But it has the 3 mysterious components that when combined, goes viral with enthusiasm: cheap, easy, delicious. That’s it.

Atkins Day 13 - The Mighty Juicy Loosey

The Big Nasty = The Mighty Juicy Loosey, low carb,
keto, Atkins Induction-friendly and lovin' life.

First of all I have to apologize to the academy. My pic of the Mighty Blue Cheese Juicy Loosey is an old image. I was too incredibly, PSYCHOLOGICALLY starved at the mere thought of this beauty, there was no way I wasn't gonna sit down and enjoy it piping hot and melti-licious as soon as it came off the fire.

There I said it. By the time these bad boys were off the grill and on our plate, it was as if my tummeh was sayin’, “Get. In. Mah. Belleh!”

NOW!

And who am I to argue with “the man?”

Atkins Induction Dinner - Day 12 (Chicken and Sausage Cobb Salad)

Chicken and Sausage Cobb Salad with Balsamic Dressing

We enjoyed another salad last night, just so we can prove to all the haters that Atkins Induction is filled with salads! Salads, salads, salads! (Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!) NOT! You can eat your 12-15g of Net Carbohydrate Foundation Vegetables any way you want them: as salads, as raw veggies, as cooked veggies! Just make sure you eat ‘em each day!

Atkins Induction Day 11 - A Newbie's Guide to Meal Planning!

Well whaddayaknow! We DO eat salads during Atkins Induction!

When you first start out on Atkins Induction, meal planning may feel daunting. How do you count carbs? How do you know you won’t run out too soon? How do you know WHAT to eat!? Oh my! Intimidating! You only have 20g of Net Carbs during Atkins Induction? As I’ve demonstrated on my fasting days (not part of Atkins Induction), it’s easy to eat 20g of net carbs in a single meal! The CHALLENGE is figuring out how to spread those carbs over an entire day – 3 meals and possibly snacks if you need them!

Venison Meatloaf Makes a Great Atkins Induction Dinner!

Venison Meatloaf - a GREAT Atkins Induction Meal

I love windfalls. Completely unexpected, we were blessed this week with a windfall of epic proportions! A friend brought us a package of ground venison, some venison backstrap, and wild boar steaks along with a bit of venison sausage. I couldn’t believe our good fortune! You see, we grew up with hunter-gather daddy who loved to hunt and fish. Most of our meat was shot, caught, or wrestled to the ground with pure skill and cunning! And Dad was feeding a family with 2 growing boy, plus 3 daughters with healthy appetites, in addition to Mom and WaWa (Dad’s mama). So that was no easy feat to bag enough wild game for that size a family. But he did it. Successfully!

Atkins Induction Day 9 - It Needed Eatin'

The perfect bite...Atkins Induction-friendly Taco Bell
Enchirito Copykat.

In Texas we have a saying, “He needed killin’.” It’s known as the “Texas Defense.” And it’s a doozy!

Over the years, I’ve modified the Texas Defense to my own needs. It’s become the primary mantra of my inner Fluffy Chix (you know, the diva one or aka my inner-DFSW)—and you may not know, I actually have 3 mantras, cuz if one is good, then three have to be much better. As you know, a DFSW is a delicate-flower-of-southern-womanhood. “It needed eatin’.” Is the Fluffy Chix Cook’s Texas Defense, and refers to any item in the pantry, fridge or freezer just achin’ to be murdered and “et,” as we say in Texas.

Atkins Induction Dinner Day 8 - Pan Roasted Lemon and Thyme Scented Brussels Sprouts Rock the Casbah!

Lemon and Thyme Scented Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Who says simple equates to boring? Sometimes I’m the most grateful for the simple, quick meals we throw together and enjoy in all their glory! This entire meal came together in less than 20 minutes from icebox (that’s Texan for refrigerator) to table. Of course I did have quite a bit of help from the grill-meister, Denny Crane who made FANTASTIC Moroccan Pan Seared Chicken Fingers while I made the Lemon and Thyme Scented Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts!

Atkins Induction Day 7 - Lucky Leftovers Rule!

Lucky Leftovers = BBQ Pulled Chicken and Cheese
Open Face Sandwiches with tomato and red onion
and Turnips Greens with Ham in Potlicker

Leftover Jalapeno Cheese "Corn" Muffins can be
make Induction-friendly and are winners!

Remember the Jalapeno Cheese "Corn" Muffins from
Day 1 of Atkins Induction?

I hear a lot of people grousing about “having to eat leftovers.” A friend’s hubby is very vocal about eating leftovers (or rather, NOT eating leftovers.) But learning to love leftovers is in your best interest. It’s convenient, saves food loss, saves electricity and labor time cuz you can cook once and eat many times, and it helps you adhere to your eating plan. In short, leftovers are “no brainers.” In fact, we love and depend on them so much, I call them “lucky leftovers.”

Rotisserie Chicken Makes a Great Dinner With Leftovers

Atkins Induction dinner - Rotisserie Chicken

I’m not above eating prepared rotisserie chicken. The HEB rotisserie chicken is really delicious, moist, convenient, and isn’t too jam-packed with questionable ingredients. And I will confess—when I’m swamped, or pooped, I buy it. And lick my fingers after every bite!

Put Induction Friendly Tortillas Back On The Menu - Atkins Induction Day 5

Coconut Pumpkin Tortillas are Induction-friendly

Sundays in our house always come with a big breakfast or brunch and endless hot cups of coffee. It’s our time to leisurely decompress and enjoy visiting with each other, having amazing coffee and delicious food. There is no diet mentality, not even when we’re doing Atkins Induction. Not at brunch nor any meal. Deprivation optional is our philosophy.

Fajitas Make An Easy Atkins Induction-Friendly Meal

Chicken Fajitas make great Induction-friendly meals.

We had dinner at my sissy's house. Most people just beginning Atkins Induction would look at going to dinner at someone's house with more than a bit of trepidation and fear. Oh my gosh, what if the hostess serves a meal filled with carbs? How do I tell my hostess that I'm dieting? Or worse, I don't want to let anyone know I'm on a special diet or that "whacky, fad diet, Atkins." How do you handle eating out--at a restaurant or someone's house without a lot of fretting?

Atkins Induction Day 3 - Chicken Piperade, A Quick Weeknight Dinner

Chicken Piperade- a fancy name for Pepper Chicken

Chicken Piperade is a fancy pants name for chicken and peppers. It’s quick, easy to make, makes terrific leftovers (freezes and reheats well), cheap, and tastes like you cooked for hours instead of 30 minutes.

Chicken Piperade is also flexible. You control the carb count of the dish by deciding how many portions of the veggies to serve along with the chicken—so for those of you afraid of consuming 9-12g of net veggie carbs in a meal, it’s easy to just cut back on your veggie serving size.

Egg Skillets - BRINNER Is An Atkins-neer's Best Friend

Here is a recipe (a non-recipe, really) near and dear to my heart. On days when I just don't feel like cooking or have a lot going on, simplicity is the name of the game and getting food on the table in the quickest amount of time is the object. Those are the days I adore BRINNER (Breakfast as Dinner).

2014 Atkins Induction - Day 1

Start the New Year right! Low carbohydrate nutrition tastes great!

Slow cooker "barbecue" pulled pork is easy and
makes great leftovers.

Many of you know I follow a low carb, alternate day fasting diet where I eat a calorie restricted level every other day and eat an Atkins-style OWL diet the rest of the time. It's worked very well for me because of a few health issues: recovering from late stage hormone positive breast cancer, PCOS (pre-surgical menopause)-which is now considered Syndrome X, asthma, diabetes type 2, and familial Parkinsonian tremor, among other fine diseases of metabolism. I have familial hypertension and am on inhaled asthma drugs and also take a hormone inhibitor for cancer therapy which is called an aromatase inhibitor. Any one of these diseases has weight gain listed as a side effect of the disease and the medicine that controls it.