Black Soy Beans and Peppers

Black Soy Beans

What the heck is a photo of beans doing on a Low Carb blog?  I'm sure that's what you are thinking if you've never heard of black soy beans.  They are the lowest carb bean of them all!  I've yet to try these magic beans but recently went to Sprouts with the sole intent to pick up some Eden Organic Black Soy Beans.  Boy am I glad I did as these are just like "regular" black beans!  I doctored them up quite a bit as I wasn't sure what the taste was going to be like so I wanted to use some ingredients to help blend it better.  If you like your beans with tomatoes and peppers and such, then this recipe is right up your alley!  If you like your black beans a little simpler, I think these black soy beans will make you quite happy as well.

5 STARS
4 servings
5 net carbs per serving

2 tsp olive oil (or sauteing oil of choice)
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped (I used a handful of frozen mixed peppers that I chopped)
1/4 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 can black soy beans, drained
1 can tomatoes with green chili, drained (check labels as some store brands have less net carbs than the Rotel name brand)
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp Splenda (optional)
salt to taste

Saute the green bell pepper, onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft.  Add all remaining ingredients and simmer until everything is thoroughly mixed and warmed throughout.

Celery Root "Potato" Chips

Celery Root "Potato" Chips

Oh these were good.  I mean GOOD kind of good.  Celery Root (aka celeriac) made chips that were extremely close to homemade potato chips.  They do have a bit of a celery aftertaste but it just reminded me of celery salt, which I LOVE so that was kind of a bonus.  I had my 11 year old try them and he declared them awesome....until I told him what they were and he then decided they were "weird" and didn't want anymore.  The Hubs said they were a hit and really enjoyed.  The 2 year old didn't like them and said they were "yuck".  The 15 month old scarfed them while screaming "french fries!" the entire time.  They would be good with a variety of seasonings depending on what flavor of chip you want.  I went with a light sprinkle of seasoning salt and thought it was a perfect flavor to go with the celery salt taste these have naturally.  These will be in my regular snack rotation for sure! *INDUCTION FRIENDLY*

5 STARS
4 servings
4 net carbs per serving (this will vary depending on how big your celery root is)

1 celery root (celeriac)
frying oil of choice (coconut, canola, etc)
seasoning salt to taste

Chop the celery top off of the celery root.  Peel the root with a paring knife (I tried a potato peeler and it was a bit too difficult).  Cut the root ball into 4 pieces to be easier to work with.  If you have a mandolin, use it to get even slices.  If not, try to cut each potato chip with the same thickness to ensure they cook evenly.  Add 1 1/2 - 2 inches of oil in large skillet (cast iron works great for this type of recipe if you have one).  Heat oil on high.  It needs to be very hot so test it by putting a tiny scrap of celery root in to see if instantly starts sizzling before adding your celery chips.  Once your test chip sizzles, fry celery root pieces (you will probably need to do in batches as they won't all fit in your pan) until they turn lightly brown with some darker brown along the edges (like kettle chips).  Watch them closely as they quickly go from a perfect crisp chip to burnt nastiness.  Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel covered plate.  Immediately sprinkle with seasoning salt.  Fry next batch of chips and continue the process.

Bell Pepper Rings filled with Eggs and Mozzarella

Bell Pepper Rings filled with Eggs and Mozzarella

Another meal in the series of Atkins.com meal suggestions!  As a bit of an experiment I used the Atkins.com Customize-able Meal Planner and have been following it as closely as possible for my meals during the last week.  You can see my entire week of planned Induction meals HERE.

I'm a bit unsure as to how to review this recipe.  I mean, the flavor of red bell pepper along with the egg and cheese were fabulous.  However, these were a pain in the you-know-what to cook where the eggs were cooked through.  The bottoms burnt because I had to cook them so long to get the tops of the eggs cooked and not clear/slimy.  Next time I will chop up the red bell pepper, saute a bit to soften then mix together with eggs as a bell pepper scramble.  If you don't like scrambled eggs then I would saute chopped bell peppers, place on a plate and then top with eggs cooked to your liking. *INDUCTION FRIENDLY*

3 STARS
1 serving
5.1 net carbs per serving

1/2 medium bell pepper
2 large eggs
1 tsp canola oil
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Cut bell pepper in half across the middle, then cut two 1-inch rings.  Remove seeds and ribs.  Place rings in saute pan with oil over medium-high heat.  Place an egg in each ring and cook until desired doneness (do not flip).  Top eggs with cheese and cover pan and cook 1 more minute until cheese has melted.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Re-posting Recipes

Just a quick note: Please feel free to post my recipes and even my photos on your blog or Pinterest or anywhere else as long as you LINK BACK TO ME.

I have had a handful of people courteous enough to ask me this question before they post.  There have also been numerous people that have posted my recipes (or their re-creations of) but DO LINK BACK.

Recently I have come across a few blogs that are claiming my recipes as their own, some even using my photos.  This is alarming to me as I would never walk into your classroom, erase your name and write mine on a report.

I don't mind sharing and I find it flattering that any of you would want to share my recipes and/or photos on your pages.  I only mind when my work is being represented as someone elses.

Long story short:  Please feel free to post my work, just let people know that it's my work!  Thanks!

Lemon Pepper Wings

Lemon Pepper Wings

Oh my these were good!  I was in the mood for some wings and these really hit the spot.  So tangy and lemony and peppery, yum.  Wings are one of the greatest things about being low carb / Atkins and it's so fun to play with different flavors for them.  I get giant bags of them at Sam's Club (like Costco) to always have in my freezer.  If you are looking for some other fun wings flavors, I've made PARMESAN CRUSTED (my favorite), SALT AND VINEGAR (can't beat the tang on these), as well as BUFFALO WINGS (you can't go wrong with a classic) in the past.  *INDUCTION FRIENDLY*

4 STARS
2 servings
1 net carbs per serving

16 defrosted wings and drummettes
1/4 cup salted butter, melted
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 1/2 tsp lemon pepper
juice of half a lemon
pepper to taste

Bake wings in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 1 hour.  I put them on a foil lined cookie sheet that I spray with butter flavored Pam.  They should be fully cooked and the skin crispy when done.  Meanwhile, mix butter, seasoned salt, lemon pepper, lemon juice and pepper together in a medium sized bowl.  Once wings are fully cooked, toss them in the lemon pepper sauce.

*You can also deep fry them for 12 minutes at 400 degrees but we actually prefer the oven method.

Beef and Bell Pepper Saute

Beef and Bell Pepper Saute

Another meal in the series of Atkins.com meal suggestions!  As a bit of an experiment I used the Atkins.com Customize-able Meal Planner and have been following it as closely as possible for my meals during the last week.  You can see my entire week of planned Induction meals HERE.

This was a very simple and yummy meal.  The original recipe calls for a red bell pepper but I used some defrosted frozen mixed peppers.  Either way is fine, depending on what you have available.  This is a recipe that I've actually made a couple of times since it's so easy and filling.  Nothing that is WOW worthy but a good basic meal. *INDUCTION FRIENDLY*

4 STARS
1 serving
5 net carbs per serving

5 ounces ground beef
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper (or frozen mix)
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Saute ground beef in skillet over medium high heat for 1-2 minutes.  Add scallions and bell pepper.  Saute until beef is browned and peppers are soft.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Drain grease if necessary.  Plate meal and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.