To be honest, I have not had a lot of time to try new recipes. I have pinned several in Pinterest that I will be trying out in the future, but for right now my priority is being with my dad. I mentioned a few posts ago that he had taken a fall and broken his pelvis. He's in an assisted living facility and I try to visit him at least once a day, sometimes twice. On the bright side he is getting better and his break has healed enough that this next week he will be beginning physical therapy!
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| Dad and I. Celebrating his 82nd Birthday! |
Just yesterday we celebrated his 82nd birthday and he was in a wonderful mood. Happy and talkative, enjoying his family and eating Nopales (cactus) which is his favorite dish. My sister made them for him and now that I think about it, Nopales are low carb, I sure wish I liked them but unfortunately I don't like them or mushrooms either.
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| My dad holding his containers of Nopales (Cactus) cooked with scrambled egg and onion. |
One new thing that I have found and tried and really like are Persian Cucumbers! I love any kind of cucumber but especially these as I am not really fond of all the seeds in the middle and hate scooping them out before I slice them. With the Persian Cucumbers I found I didn't have to. They are super crunchy and I like to dust them with Pico De Gallo powder, which is very spicy and then drizzle them with a bit of lemon. So delicious and low carb. Really satisfies that craving for chips and salsa!
Another new item I tried was courtesy of my co-worker and co-partner in this low carb lifestyle, Angelica. She made the most delicious low carb lasagna! Yes, you heard right, low carb lasagna! But Alicia, you say...pasta is very high in carbs! I know, I know! But not when your pasta is made from Zucchini! This photo doesn't do this dish justice, but trust me it was fabulous!
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| Low Carb Zucchini Lasagna! |
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| Easy Cajun Skinless Chicken Strips |
One of the things I do miss eating on a low carb lifestyle is burritos and tacos. But I found a great new way to kinda/sorta eat a burrito and/or taco. Use a leaf of lettuce! In the photos below I show you several different fillings that I've tried and they were all 100% delicious!
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| Shredded Beef Romaine Lettuce Taco with Green Beans and Roma Tomatoes |
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| Beef Carnitas Romaine Lettuce Tacos |
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| Chicken Salad Romaine Lettuce Tacos with Slices of Cucumber |
Didn't those all look delicious? And so easy. Almost anything you can wrap in a tortilla you can wrap in a lettuce leaf.
This next dish tastes much, much better than this photograph would lead you to believe. The original recipe calls them Buffalo Balls. They are from an awesome low carb website, I Breathe...I'm Hungry!
I followed her recipe almost to the letter, the only thing I changed is that I added Parmesan Cheese as I didn't have and don't particularly like Blue Cheese. They were really delicious and my co-worker/friend/co-low carber Angelica really loved them as well. You use Frank's Red Hot Sauce...this stuff is fabulous! Meatballs are a really easy way to eat low carb.
And last but not least...a low carb tip for you. A quick and easy Breakfast or mid morning or mid afternoon snack are hard-boiled eggs. I usually just peel two in the morning, cut them up and put them in a plastic container, add a dollop of mayo and some salt and pepper and head out the door. At snack time I just open up the container, mix everything up and eat. Easy, tasty, flavorful!
So there you go. Hopefully I redeemed myself from missing previous low carb wrap ups and we will see what this next week hold for me. Have a good one!
Glad to see you are back, and glad to hear that your dad is getting better.
ReplyDeleteI am probably one of the few weirdos in the world that like cucumber seeds. Not the seeds themselves but there is a gel around the seeds that I find very tasty. Only extremely large cukes have undesirable seeds to me.
My wife however despises the seeds. She would peel out the seeds which to me took out much of the good taste. She bought some seedless cucumbers which don't even look like a cucumber, they are very long, with a slightly ridged surface and a rather small diameter.
http://johnvenaproduce.com/products/105
I was doubter, but these things are very tasty and while not exactly seedless, the seeds are very small and barely noticeable. They are sold in a plastic wrapper (see the photo at the above site) rather than being waxed.
My wife loves them and they seem to be easier to digest. They are pricey compared to normal store cucumbers, but I think worth the difference in price.
We maybe talking the same thing:
http://www.specialtyproduce.com/index.php?item=4860
These look like our seedless cukes. The other pictures of Persian cucumbers on Google images looked different but these appear to be the same. Anyhow for those who can't find Persian cucumbers, if you see these long cukes wrapped in plastic, give them a try, I think you will like them.
Oh! I love those as well. Those are English Cucumbers and they are delicious, my favorite. But you are right, they are pricey. If I was only going to eat one cuke once in a while I wouldn't mind spending the extra money on them, but I eat a lot of them and the Persians seem to be much less expensive.
ReplyDeleteEvery once in a while though, as a treat I will buy the English ones because you are correct and the seeds are almost non-existent.
I'll have to check the store for the Persians. I don't recall of ever seeing them, but then again I have never looked for them. I got to get back to eating some kale also.
DeleteWhat I should do is put in a garden, but with my back and knees, no way. So it is off to the store.
How do you eat Kale? I've tried making them into Kale Chips and it was not my cup of tea. I have had Kale in the Zuppa Toscana soup at Olive Garden and love it, kind of a licorice flavor. I know a lot of people eat it raw as a Kale salad but I have yet to try it.
DeleteI think you are supposed to steam it. Although the folks on TV make smoothies with it and fruit. When I went through my kale thing before, I just made salads with it. Tastes something on the order of broccoli but very chewy. It is supposed to be excellent for you.
DeleteI will have to definitely try it. When I make salads I throw everything but the kitchen sink in there! The only thing I don't like is raw spinach in salads, I love cooked spinach but not raw!
DeleteI'm so glad your dad is doing so much better and Happy Birthday to him.
ReplyDeleteAll your low carb meals look great and thanks for sharing some of the Buffalo balls with me. I enjoyed them.
Thanks for all the food you share with me Angie and for being my partner in crime in our low carb lifestyle! Enjoy your vacation and come back energized and ready to hit the low carb way hard and heavy!
DeleteGreat picture of you and your father! Despite age and its problems, your Dad looks quite handsome.
ReplyDeleteI like your hairstyle, and your happy smile as you lovingly keep your Dad close to you.
Thank you DUTA! Dad has always been a handsome man! Thank you for the complement and for visiting! Always a pleasure and an honor!
DeleteThis is all so new to me. I am like a hamster in the wheel spinning trying to navigate the blogger website! Thanks for your comment on mine!!
ReplyDelete