Meyer lemon chicken with fresh cranberries

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There's nothing I love more than a simple roast chicken recipe that fits into my low carb ketogenic diet and is also drop-dead gorgeous.

Meyer Lemon Chicken with Fresh Cranberries cooked in my cast iron skillet is just beautiful, isn't it? Golden chicken skin. Orange-yellow Meyer lemons from my backyard tree. Ruby-red cranberries. I love looking at it. Eating it is pretty heavenly, too.

I made this yesterday for our very small Thanksgiving lunch. We had a change of plans this year because my 15-year-old son got sick. We were supposed to travel to northern California to visit my in-laws, whom I adore. But we didn't want to bring them his germs, and he wasn't feeling up to making the trip. So my husband went to share the holiday with his parents, and the teen and I stayed home and spent the day in our pajamas. I made him hot honey lemonade and soup, and we both had roast chicken for lunch.

I bought a bag of fresh cranberries because they were so beautiful...but then, in my current mode of avoiding sugar, juice, and most natural and artificial sweeteners, I wasn't sure what to do with them. News flash: cranberries without sugar are like tiny red lemons. I love the tartness paired with savory chicken thighs and didn't miss the sugar at all.

Notes: Frozen cranberries would work fine, as would regular lemons instead of Meyer lemons. Don't skimp on the salt and pepper.

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Meyer Lemon Chicken with Fresh Cranberries

by Erika Kerekes November-24-2017

Roast chicken thighs with fragrant Meyer lemons and fresh cranberries for this drop-dead stunning skillet dinner. The cranberries are very tart, but that's what makes the dish work. Resist the urge to add sugar - you don't need it.

Ingredients

• 4 large chicken thighs, skin on, bone-in
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 Meyer lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh cranberries

Instructions

Heat the oven to 325 degrees F.Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken thighs liberally with salt and pepper on both sides.Lay the chicken skin side down into the hot skillet. Cook without moving for 5-7 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crisp.Turn the chicken thighs over and turn off the heat. Lay one beautiful slice of Meyer lemon on top of each piece of chicken. Scatter the remaining lemon slices and the fresh cranberries around the skillet. Slide the skillet into the oven. Roast the chicken for 50 minutes, until it is cooked through and the lemon slices on top have begun to caramelize.Remove the skillet from the oven. Serve immediately.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 55 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 4 servings

Keto mushroom quiche with zucchini blossoms {low carb}

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When I decided to switch to a ketogenic, low carb diet to control my type 2 diabetes, one of the things I thought I would never be able to eat again was quiche. "Crustless" didn't appeal to me as a genre. How to make a keto quiche without that traditional flaky crust? Could it be done?

After a year of experimenting, I'm here to tell you that low carb quiche made with this almond flour crust is really, really good.

The crust is so easy: You mix almond flour, grated parmesan cheese, an egg, salt and pepper, and some olive oil with a fork until it comes together. Then you press it into your pie pan or tart pan, fill it, and bake.

For quiche, I look for leftovers. Any chopped cooked vegetables will do. This quiche includes sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions and zucchini flowers. Delicate yellow zucchini blossoms are readily available at the farmers market during the summer; farmers pick the male flowers (the ones that don't turn into zucchini) to keep the plants productive.

Most restaurants serve zucchini blossoms stuffed, battered and deep-fried, but I like to chop them and use them in zucchini flower quesadillas, pasta or scrambled eggs. In the quiche they have a very faint zucchini flavor with a tiny peppery bite. And they're gorgeous!

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Keto low carb mushroom quiche with zucchini blossoms

by Erika Kerekes August-8-2017

In this ketogenic quiche, a low carb crust made with almond flour cradles a rich savory custard dotted with mushrooms, caramelized onions and zucchini blossoms. Serve for breakfast, lunch or a light supper.

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond flour (fine)
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 7 eggs, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced or chopped
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 10 zucchini blossoms, stems removed, roughly chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Instructions

Make the crust: Using a fork, mix together the almond flour, grated parmesan cheese, 1 egg, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 cup olive oil in a large bowl. When the mixture comes together, turn it into a large pie plate or square baking dish, making sure the dough covers the bottom of the baking dish evenly and goes up the sides at least an inch. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.Cook the vegetables: Put remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have released all their liquid and both the mushrooms and onions are softened and starting to turn brown around the edges. Remove from the heat and let cool 5 minutes.Scatter the grated cheddar cheese over the bottom of the crust. Top with the cooked mushrooms and onions, then the chopped zucchini blossoms.In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 6 eggs, heavy cream, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and mustard until smooth. Pour the cream mixture over the vegetables.Place the baking dish on top of a baking sheet lined with foil (just in case anything bubbles over). Slide the baking sheet into the oven. Bake about 45 minutes, until the center is just set - you'll be able to tell when you shake the pan and the center no longer wiggles - and the quiche is starting to brown around the edges.Remove the quiche from the oven and let cool. Do not cut into the quiche until it has reached room temperature - you want the custard to set fully.Serve at room temperature for best flavor.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 1 hour 5 mins Yield: 8-10 servings

I cut out sugar and carbs to treat my type 2 diabetes, and here's what happened

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(Are you trying to cut down on sugar too? You might like this free ebook I put together with some of the sugar-busting tricks I've collected - click here to get it.)

In August 2015, more than a year and a half ago, I got the doctor's call I'd been dreading: diabetes.

After an hour of full-on weeping and feeling sorry for myself, I dried my tears and decided to do something about it.

Luckily, one of the first videos I found was the one above from Dr. Sarah Hallberg, an M.D. who runs a diabetes clinic in the Midwest. Her argument is amazingly sensible:

To lower your blood sugar, stop eating the foods that raise your blood sugar the most (carbohydrates) and add more of the foods that don't raise your blood sugar at all (fats). 

So that's what I did. That very day, I decided to say goodbye to sugar and carbohydrates, including grains, starchy vegetables, legumes, and most fruits. I started eating a low carb high fat (LCHF) diet. I eat protein, fat, and non-starchy vegetables. And that's just about it. (Click here for more details on what I eat.)

Here's what happened when I cut out sugar and carbs - the good and the bad. Brutal honesty ahead.

With my older son Emery on an early morning hike

The good things are very, very good.

Elevator door selfie

• My blood sugar went down and has stayed down. Within three months it was normal. Now, after more than 18 months of eating this way, it's lower than it's been since I was in my 20s.
• I lost weight - more than 40 pounds - although that was not my goal. Not having diabetes was my goal.
• I no longer have to take medications for diabetes and acid reflux, and I was able to reduce other meds as well.
• I have much more energy, and it's steady throughout the day. I don't get the after-lunch nap craving anymore.
• I sleep better.
• My breath is better.
• I have had to replace my entire wardrobe, including my underwear, because it got too big. Twice.
• I am rarely hungry and it doesn't take a lot to fill me up.
• My feet don't hurt anymore.
• My digestion is much more regular. I know a lot of people get constipated on a low carb high fat diet, but I have not had that problem.
• My dentist and dental hygienist tell me that my teeth and gums are much healthier than they were a few years ago. Fewer cavities, less plaque, less gum recession.
• I feel good about my body. Some things are still annoying (triple chin that will probably never go away, relatively big belly, stretch marks, thin hair) but they bother me much less. When I look in the mirror, my first thought is "I look healthy."
• I rarely crave sugar or carbs. When I tell you that the white-flour foods used to make up 90 percent of my diet, I am not exaggerating. I never imagined that I would not only be able to live without them, but would not mind living without them. Truly, I do not mind.
• I feel proud that I've taken control of my health. This spills over into other areas, too. I'm proud of myself in general.
• Overall, I'm in a much better mood.

The bad things have required some adjustment but aren't too bad.

There's a lot of meat in my life these days

• Our family meals have become somewhat repetitive. Protein, vegetable, salad. Protein, vegetable, salad. Feeding people is one of my favorite things in life (that's why I started Not Ketchup, my condiment business - feeding people on a large scale!), so serving boring family meals makes me cringe. My husband and kids haven't complained much, but I fear they're just being polite.
• I have missed out on social opportunities with my family. We used to spend a lot of our family time on food-centered outings, exploring the various ethnic cuisines of Los Angeles. My husband and sons still go from time to time. I choose not to participate in most of those now, not because I'm afraid I'll be tempted, but because they just don't interest me as much.
• I am less motivated to blog about food. I've been writing In Erika's Kitchen since 2008 and have gotten great pleasure over the years in creating recipes and photographing delicious food. But because food is no longer as big a part of my life, I'm not as interested in writing about it. This makes me sad. 
• My skin looks worse (to me). After years of being heavier, the skin on my face and certain parts of my body is looser now that I've lost weight. Although I am not into the idea of plastic surgery for myself, I see why it appeals to some people.
• It is actually harder now for me to buy clothes, not easier. When I was bigger, plus sizes fit fairly reliably. Now I am oddly shaped, still carrying more weight in my middle than in other places. Things that fit me in the middle are way too big on top and in the seat and legs. Only certain styles flatter my body. Alterations are expensive.
• I'm irritated with myself that it took me so long to make these positive changes. I try to focus forward - glad I finally saw the light! - but in dark moments I think about all the years when I could have been feeding my body differently and thus perhaps avoided some of the damage I'm now trying to undo.
• I am no longer an easy dinner guest. Or house guest. Or travel companion. 
• My eyesight has gotten worse. Of course, I'm 50, so that was bound to happen at some point. Might be coincidence.
• Our food bills have gone up. Without cheap fillers like rice, beans, and bread, our family meals are more expensive. On the other hand, my health costs, both present and future, have gone down, so I try not to worry too much about this.
• I eat more meat than I'd prefer. In a perfect world I probably wouldn't be vegetarian, but I always enjoyed non-meat proteins like beans. Now they raise my blood sugar too much. I try to work in more fish, but it's not my favorite. 
• "On the go" food is more challenging. I can't assume I can pick up a snack wherever I am. I have to bring my own. I keep emergency low carb protein bars in my purse and car.
• I've gotten a little preachy, especially with my kids, about what I believe to be the dangers of excess sugar and carbohydrate intake. I don't want to be the Food Police, but given their genetics (sorry, guys) I feel compelled to try to influence their eating habits. 

Overall, of course, I'm glad I made the lifestyle changes I did. Because good health > diabetes. Period.

Have you ever tried giving up or cutting back on sugar and carbs? What changes did you notice? I'd love to hear about your journey.

Conquering diabetes: A gift to my family

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These three men: That's why I need to deal with my diabetes

Someone asked me recently why I have been so motivated to get my diabetes under control when so many people fail to take it seriously.

See the three guys in the photo above? They are the reason.

And it's not some kind of fluffy "I need to be here for my family." I mean, YES, of course I want to continue to live, and I want to live a healthy life, and I want to see my grandchildren someday and all that.

But there's a much more concrete reason I need to take responsibility for my health, keep my blood sugar under control and try to avoid the long-term damage diabetes can cause in my body.

I do not want to be a burden on my family.

No one does. No one wants their spouse or children to have to take care of them.

And sometimes it happens, and we get sick, and it's beyond our control. If we're lucky it doesn't happen until we're very old and we've lived a long, meaningful life.

But diabetes, if uncontrolled, can quickly lead to all kinds of awful and debilitating problems. Heart disease. Kidney disease. Infections that require toes to be amputated. Blindness.

And diabetes is something I can control, at least for now.

So if I choose not to control it...

...if I ignore it, eat candy (and other stuff), fail to exercise, and let my blood sugar run wild...

...isn't that me telling my husband and kids that I don't care about them?

Isn't that me putting a pretty big burden on them that I can choose to avoid?

Taking control of my health is my responsibility as a parent and a wife.

Celebrating our 20th anniversary

Over the past few months I watched one of my friends take care of her husband. Complications of his diabetes led to kidney disease, heart problems, and I think a stroke. He died recently.

I was and am extremely sad for my friend and her kids. Their loss is huge.

But watching the toll it took on my friend - who went from working mother and wife to working mother and wife and full-time caregiver in an instant, who saw her entire life turned upside-down - made me even more determined that I was not going to do that to my husband.

When I get on the elliptical every morning, I'm doing it for me. But I'm also doing it for Michael. If I keep my diabetes under control, maybe he'll never have to spend his afternoons driving me to dialysis.

When I avoid sugar, bread and pasta, I'm doing it for my kids. If I keep my blood sugar under control, maybe they'll never have to push me around in a wheelchair because I had to have my toes amputated.

To be clear, I know that some health problems are beyond all control. If I were to get cancer or some other serious, unavoidable illness (God forbid), I know my family would take care of me.

But diabetes is not beyond my control. There are things I can do, and am doing, to keep it at bay.

It's the least I can do for my family.

Bacon cheddar cookies (low carb, gluten free)

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What kind of cookies do you make for people who don't eat sugar, prefer to avoid artificial sweeteners, follow a low carb diet, and generally aren't too fond of dessert? (Like, um, ME.)

I make Bacon Cheddar Cookies. Or "cookies," if you prefer. They're bite-sized, crumbly, full of umami, and completely addictive. With only five ingredients, these little nuggets are the perfect cookie-like treat for those who prefer savory to sweet.

Serve these Bacon Cheddar Cookies with a glass of wine, champagne or Prosecco. You can use fancy cheese (my favorites are made by Cabot and Kerrygold) or buy pre-shredded cheddar cheese at the grocery store. Either way, these Bacon Cheddar Cookies will be a huge hit.

Note: For the cookies in the photos above, I used pre-shredded mild cheddar cheese, and the anti-caking agent in the pre-shredded cheese keeps the cookies from spreading. If you use a higher fat cheese that you shred yourself, your cookies will spread more and get brown, crisp and crumbly around the edges. Don't worry: They will still be delicious, even if they don't hold together quite as well.

Bacon Cheddar Cookies

Makes about 36 2-inch cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups almond flour (fine is better than coarse)
• 6 pieces bacon, cooked, cooled and crumbled
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line three sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. Put all the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Blend on medium speed until everything is blended well and a stiff dough forms, about 1 minute. (If you prefer to mix by hand or with a hand-held mixer, that's fine; just make sure you mix it aggressively enough to get a cohesive dough.)
3. Using a generous teaspoon of dough for each cookie, roll the dough into small balls. Place the balls on the prepared sheet pans, pressing them down slightly.
4. Bake the cookies about 15 minutes, until the edges are starting to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet or on a rack.

Gluten free | Diabetic friendly | Low carb | Grain free | Sugar free

My health transformation story in DR. OZ THE GOOD LIFE

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I share my health transformation story in the November 2016 issue of Dr. Oz The Good Life. 

The editors added the phrase "kick diabetes to the curb" and I've adopted it. Because that's exactly what I'm doing: giving diabetes a huge boot in the rear end and keeping it Out. Of. My. Life.

Enjoy the article. I think they did a great job. I've told the writer, Lambeth Hochwald, that she managed to capture my story exactly the way I would have written it myself. Which is the biggest compliment one writer can give another.

Read it online: 'I Ate My Way to Healthy:' Erika's Weight-Loss Success Story

Cream of mushroom soup

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The key to good cream of mushroom soup is a really good blender

There are three secrets to an aromatic, smooth, ultra-delicious cream of mushroom soup:

1. High-quality chicken stock, homemade if possible
2. Butter
3. A high-powered blender

We eat a lot of mushroom soup, especially now that I am following a low-carb, high fat diet to control my diabetes. And yes, I am in love with an appliance. Why are you smirking? A kitchen appliance. Get your mind out of the gutter.

My Vitamix blender is my sweetheart, my crush, the apple of my eye.

An immersion blender is handy when you're making soup because you can puree it right in the pot. But it never gets totally smooth. I've made this cream of mushroom soup many times with an immersion blender, and while it tastes fabulous, it's always got a little texture to it. But the Vitamix produces cream of mushroom soup as smooth as milk. The cream I added just gilded the lily.

I'm a convert. The Vitamix is expensive (I bought it at Costco for about $400) but I think it's worth it. There's a lot of soup in my future.

Note: No one paid me anything or gave me anything to write this post. I bought my Vitamix with my own hard-earned money. And I intend to keep it for a good, long time. The link included in this post is an Amazon affiliate links, so if you click and buy anything, I will get a (very small) commission.

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Cream of mushroom soup

by Erika Kerekes November-19-2011

The better your blender, the smoother your soup will be. Flavorful Baby Bella mushrooms (also known as crimini mushrooms) add more personality than standard white button mushrooms, but use any mushrooms you like.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 pound Baby Bella (crimini) mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped (use the stems too!)
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions

Add the butter and oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. When the butter melts, add the chopped onion and saute about 4 minutes, until the onion is softened. Add the mushrooms and chicken stock. Bring the soup to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer gently about 30 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft.Transfer the soup to your blender, working in batches if your blender isn't big enough to hold the whole pot. Puree the soup in the blender until very smooth, 1-2 minutes depending on the manliness of your appliance. (Alternatively, puree the soup in the pot with a hand-held immersion blender.)Return the soup to the pot, add the cream, and stir just until steaming. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 55 mins Yield: 8-10 servings