Low carb stuffed peppers with Fruitchup

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Low carb stuffed peppers are one of my favorite meals. Bell peppers make such a tidy receptacle for a stuffing made of ground beef, vegetables, and cheese! I make these almost every week and often pack one in my lunchbox to take to the office. This is one of those easy, delicious low carb recipes that fits perfectly into my keto diet.

Use any vegetables you have around—I particularly like using spinach and cauliflower rice. My secret ingredient is prepared spinach artichoke dip, which is made with cream cheese and serves as a perfect base to hold everything together. And then, of course, I include some Fruitchup, my delicious fruit-sweetened tomato ketchup (the best Paleo ketchup you'll find!), which goes into the mixture and gets painted on top before the final shower of cheese.

More of my favorite low carb recipes:
Lemon chicken with fresh cranberries
Keto mushroom quiche with an almond flour crust
Pork belly "fries"

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Low carb stuffed peppers with Fruitchup

by Erika Kerekes January-28-2018

Low carb stuffed peppers are filled with ground beef, cauliflower rice and cheese, then topped with Fruitchup Paleo ketchup before baking. A delicious keto dinner recipe.

Ingredients

• 6 large bell peppers
• 1.5 pounds ground beef
• 2 cups cauliflower rice (raw)
• 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup prepared spinach artichoke dip or softened cream cheese
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup Fruitchup paleo ketchup
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cut the tops off the bell peppers, then scoop out the seeds and ribs. Set aside.Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish large enough to hold the peppers snugly (standing up).In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, cauliflower rice, spinach, onion, spinach artichoke dip or cream cheese, 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Fruitchup, and salt and pepper to taste. It's easiest to use your hands.Using a spoon or your hands, stuff each pepper with the meat mixture. Set the peppers in the baking dish. Spread the remaining 1/4 cup Fruitchup on top of the peppers, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.Bake the stuffed peppers about 1 hour, until the meat mixture is cooked through and the peppers are soft. Serve immediately.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 15 mins Yield: 6 servings

Grain-free apple cinnamon muffins with pecans {paleo, gluten free, dairy free}

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Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post and I didn't get anything for free. I paid for the product mentioned below with my own hard-earned money and am mentioning it because I really like it and love supporting my fellow food entrepreneurs.

I love to bake. Because I now follow a low-carb diet to control my type 2 diabetes, I mostly bake for other people. But my family has gotten so used to keto, sugar-free, low carb meals that they actually prefer baked goods made without grains and with much less sugar. These Paleo Apple Cinnamon Muffins are full of shredded apples and nuts and contain a little bit of coconut sugar, so they're perfect for those of us who prefer less sugar in our lives.

Recently I discovered Birch Benders Paleo Pancake & Waffle Mix, which I adore. The primary ingredients are cassava starch, coconut flour and almond flour. It's not completely low carb, but it's much lower than similar baking mixes made with wheat. This mix makes an excellent base for muffins. I've also used it for savory pancakes and savory waffles.

Because of my diabetes, these Paleo Apple Cinnamon Muffins are a "once in a while" treat in my own diet. But I'm happy to feed them to my family anytime!

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Paleo Apple Cinnamon Muffins

by Erika Kerekes December-10-2017

Healthy grain-free muffins that aren't too sweet. Paleo, gluten free, dairy free, low in sugar.

Ingredients

• 1 large or 2 medium apples, peeled
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup avocado oil
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cups Birch Benders Paleo Pancake & Waffle Mix
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 12 whole pecans, for decoration

Instructions

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick baking spray.Using a hand-held cheese grater, shred the apple into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the eggs, oil, coconut sugar, almond milk and cinnamon. Whisk together until well combined.Add the Birch Benders Paleo Pancake & Waffle mix and chopped pecans. With a large spoon, mix gently until all ingredients are combined. Let the batter stand about 5 minutes.Scoop the batter into the muffin tin, dividing evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Lay one whole pecan on top of each muffin.Bake 20 minutes, or until the edges are brown and the muffins are cooked through. Let cool in the muffin tin 3 minutes, then use an offset spatula or knife to remove the muffins to a rack for cooling. Eat and enjoy.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: 12 muffins

Almond cheddar tea biscuits {keto, low carb}

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Disclosure: I received this particular block of cheese from Cabot as a gift, although I also buy quite a lot of it on my own dime.

I've been cutting back on grains lately, but that hasn't stopped me from craving cookies and crackers.

And then I made a miraculous discovery.

Replace the all-purpose flour in my Parmesan Smoked Paprika Crackers with almond flour or almond meal and you end up with low carb cheese crackers (or cheese "cookies," as I prefer to call them) that are even more delicious than the originals.

These Almond Cheddar Tea Biscuits are also keto, low carb, gluten-free, grain-free, and the perfect snack for people following a LCHF (low carbohydrate, high fat) way of eating.

Here's the basic recipe. I used Seriously Sharp Cheddar from Cabot Creamery, one of my favorites, but you can use any shredded hard cheese - Parmesan, Gouda, Jarlsberg, or any strong cheddar cheese. Feel free to add herbs or spices to suit your taste.

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Almond Cheddar Tea Biscuits {Keto, Low Carb}

by Erika Kerekes September-14-2015

Crisp, crumbly and extra cheesy, these easy cheese crackers contain three ingredients and bake for just 15 minutes. A perfect snack for those eating grain-free, gluten-free, low carb or keto.

Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup almond flour or almond meal
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (substitute any shredded hard cheese)

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Blend all ingredients together in a bowl with a wooden spoon or hand mixer, or use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix (aggressively if you're doing it  by hand) until a smooth dough forms.Roll 1-inch balls of dough between your palms and place on two lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each dough ball. Flatten the balls slightly with your fingers. Bake 15 minutes, or until the edges of the crackers start to brown. Cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then remove the crackers to a rack to finish cooling.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 20 mins Yield: about 24 crackers

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