Computer says NO!

I'm having some issues with my pc. It has a mind of its own and has other plans then I do.
I am still cooking and for now writing my recipes on paper. I hope we can fix it quickly.

Chicken, Strawberry Salad

I got the inspiration for this recipe while testing recipes for Dana Carpender's new cookbook. I found out the only way strawberries do not cause cravings is when I eat them with a savory dish that includes protein and fat.

Servings: 2

1 oz pine nuts (30 gram) 0.3 oz basil leaves (10 gram) about a cup of fresh leaves 1 clove  garlic 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp olive oil 10 oz chicken breasts (300 gram) 7 oz lettuce 2 oz strawberries 2 oz brie Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 Toast the pine nuts and put half of them aside to sprinkle over the salad. 2 Mix the other half of the pine nuts with the basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender to pesto. 3 Add the balsamic and stir. 4 Cut the chicken in a few smaller pieces for faster cooking. 5 Rub the chicken with olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper. Grill in a grill pan or tabletop grill. When it's done leave it to rest. 6 Slice the lettuce into thin strips and place on plates. 7 Slice the chicken into strips and put them on top of the lettuce. 8 Wash the strawberries and cut them into halves (or quarters, depends how big they are) and put them on top of the salad. 9 Drizzle the pesto-balsamic dressing over the salad. Sprinkle the left over pine nuts over the salad. 10 Cut the brie in thin slices and put on the salad.

Tips The fist time you make it don't put all the dressing on, you might not like it that strong.

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 475 calories, 288 calories from fat, 32,6g total fat, 119,1mg cholesterol, 355,7mg sodium, 784mg potassium, 7,3g carbohydrates, 1,9g fiber, 4,7g sugar, 37,5g protein, 5,5g net carbohydrates.

Recipe Type: Main Dish, Salad Source Author: Saskia van der Zanden Web Page: Sizzling-lowcarb.blogspot.nl

Avocado Summer Salad

I absolutely love spicy food but sometimes I am in the mood for something mild. For those hot summer days you don't need the extra spice this is a perfect salad. This also makes a great lunch on the go but only if you can keep it cool. Leaf Chicory is also known as Belgian or French Endive. If you can't find it you can use radiccio instead.

Servings: 2

7 oz Leaf Chicory ( 200 gram) Hart removed 1.7 oz radishes 5 oz Avocado ( 150 gram) 1 lb chicken breasts (450 gram) 2 tbsp   mayonnaise 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp vinegar (distilled) ½ tsp curry powder 1 tbsp olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1  Cut the chicken into a few pieces, That way they cook faster. 2 Mix the olive oil with the curry powder and some salt and pepper to taste and rub it into the chicken pieces. 3 Grill or bake the chicken. 4 Cut the avocado in half and remove the stone. Dice and sprinkle with the lemon juice. 5 Mix the mayo with, water, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. 6 Slice the chicory and radishes in thin strips and mix with the mayo dressing. 7 Mix the avocado carefully into the chicory. 8 Serve with the chicken on the side or if it's a lunch on the go cut the chicken in small strips and mix with the salad.

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 297 calories, 205 calories from fat, 23,8g total fat, 26,5mg cholesterol, 166,3mg sodium, 759,8mg potassium, 12,8g carbohydrates, 6,7g fiber, 1,8g sugar, 10,6g protein, 6,1g net carbohydrates.

Source Author: Saskia van der Zanden Web Page: Sizzling-lowcarb.blogspot.nl

Lemon Meringue Pie

I love Lemon and Meringue so what better to make then a Lemon Meringue pie right?  I am not completely sure about the Meringue on top yet so if you have any comments or idea's please let me know. Servings: 12

Crust 2 oz butter, at room temperature 2 tbsp Splenda 1 egg 1 ½ cup Almond Flour Filling 5 egg yolks 2 tbsp Splenda 1 tbsp lemon zest 1½ tbsp lemon juice 1 cup cream ( I used 200 ml wich is ½ cup and ⅓ cup) Meringue 5 egg white ¼ cup Splenda ⅛ tsp cream of tartar

Crust 1  Preheat the oven at 160°C (320°F) 2 Whisk the butter using an electrical mixer, add the sweetener. Then add the egg and when that's fully incorporated add the Almond Flour 1/2 cup at a time. 3 Cover the bottom of a Spring form pan with parchment paper and press the dough in with the back of a warm, wet spoon. Make sure you get an edge of about ½ inch up the side 4 Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Let it cool and harden a bit before the next step. Filling 1 Preheat the oven at 180°C (356°F) 2 Whisk the egg yolks with sweetener, add the zest and juice of 1 lemon and whisk until fully incorporated. 3 Heat the cream till it starts to boil. 4 Add the boiling cream little by little to the eggs while whisking do the egg doesn't start to curdle. Then transfer the mixture back into the pan that you used to heat the cream and put it back on the stove. Keep whisking constantly while the mixture thickens. 5 As soon as it looks like custard and starts to bubble pour it onto the crust and put it in the oven for 15 minutes. Let it cool and set a bit before the next step. Meringue 1 preheat the broiler 2 Whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar and sweetener to stiff peaks. 3 Put it onto the pie and place it under the broiler for about 5 minutes, but keep checking on it all the time. Get it out when the pie starts to change color.

Tips Best when served cold. I use Tagatesse, a tagatose based sweetener for all my recipes but that is not easy to find for everyone. Because the sweetness is just as strong as Splenda I use that for writing my recipes. But you can of course substitute it for the sweetener of your preference. I have made this into 12 servings but you might not agree. If you cut the pie into 10 servings they are 3.1 nc per serving

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 218 calories, 176 calories from fat, 20,4g total fat, 126mg cholesterol, 39,8mg sodium, 59,2mg potassium, 4,2g carbohydrates, 1,6g fiber, <1g sugar, 6,5g protein, 2,6g net carbohydrates.

Recipe Type: Cakes, Pastries, and Desserts, Dessert, Holiday

Shaslicks

One of my all time favorite barbecue food on a stick. We call them Shaslicks, but I have heard they are called Kabob's in other places.

Servings: 4

1 lb Pork (450 gram) 3.5 oz bacon (100 gram) 1.5 oz Green bell pepper (45 gram) 1.5 oz Red bell pepper (45 gram) 1.5 oz Onion (45 gram) 1 tsp paprika ¼ tsp salt ⅛ tsp pepper 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp Lea & Perrins Worchestershire sauce

1  Cut the pork into 40 more or less equal dices. You need 5 dices per Shaslick. 2    Mix the olive oil with the paprika, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce and stir in the meat. Let it absorb the flavors for at least 30 minutes. Several hours would be best if you have the time. 3  While you are waiting, cut the peppers and onion in 8 pieces. and fold the slices of bacon in the same size. 4  Thread onto 8 skewers alternating between meat and veggie's 5  Grill on the barbeque, tabletop grill or use a grillpan.

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 188 calories, 139 calories from fat, 15,5g total fat, 32,2mg cholesterol, 406,7mg sodium, 246,2mg potassium, 3,5g carbohydrates, <1g fiber, 1,6g sugar, 8,5g protein, 2,7g net carbohydrates.

Recipe Type: Barbecue, Main Dish, Meat

Source Author: Saskia van der Zanden Web Page: Sizzling-lowcarb.blogspot.nl

Chicken Sate

This is a great recipe for on the barbecue but it can just as easily be prepared in a skillet. Serve with Sate sauce, Indonesian style peanut sauce and pickled vegetables called Atjar

Servings: 5

1/4 cup  Olive oil 2 tbsp  Soy sauce 1/2 tsp  Ginger 1/4 tsp  Garlic powder 1/2 tsp  Cumin powder 1/4 tsp  Lemongrass powder 1/4 tsp  Laos 1/4 tsp  Tumeric 1 tsp  Dried red onion 1/2 tsp  Sambal Oelek ( chilli paste ) 1/8 tsp  Chili powder 1/8 tsp  Cardamom 1 tbsp  Lemon juice 2.4 lbs  Chicken breast, diced 3/4-inch

1 Put all the ingredients into a ziploc bag and add the chicken pieces. 2 Let it Marinate at least15 minutes but a few hours would be best. Overnight wouldn't hurt but it is not nessesary 3 Put the meat on skewers and place on the barbecue or just fry in a pan over medium heat. Serve with Sate Sauce (peanut sauce)

Tips You could garnish it with some peanuts if you like. I did do for the picture but those are not included in the nutritional value. Leftovers are great in a salad for lunch the next day.

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 83 calories, 20 calories from fat, 2,2g total fat, 35,1mg cholesterol, 434,2mg sodium, 142,5mg potassium, 1,7g carbohydrates, <1g fiber, <1g sugar, 13,7g protein, 1,5g net carbohydrates.

Recipe Type: Barbecue, Poultry

Source Author: Saskia van der Zanden Web Page: Sizzling-lowcarb.blogspot.nl

Sate Sauce

This is an Indonesian style Peanut sauce that goes great with meat and vegetables.

Servings: 8 Yield: 2 cups

1/2 cup Peanut butter 1/4 cup Cream 2 tbsp Soy sauce 1/8 tsp Ginger 1/8 tsp Garlic 1/8 tsp Cumin 1/8 tsp Lemongrass powder 1 tbsp Lemon juice 1/8 tsp Laos 1/8 tsp Coriander powder 1 pinch  Tumeric 1 pinch  Chili powder 1/8 tsp Cardamom 1/2 tsp Sambal Oelek (or chili paste) 1 tsp Splenda, or other sweetner 1 tsp Dried red onion 1 pinch  Pepper (optional) 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 1/4 cup Water

1 Put all ingredients, except 1/4 cup of water, in a saucepan and heat, while stirring till it starts to bubble, but do not boil. 2 it is too thick add the rest of the water.

Tips Be careful with the water it cannot be taken out and the sauce should not be boiling. When the sauce is left boiling the oil in the peanut butter will separate from the peanuts. If that happens add a bit of cream and whisk vigorously and cross your fingers it will mix again. Otherwise scoop off the oil and just don't tell anyone.

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 31 calories, 21 calories from fat, 2,4g total fat, 5,1mg cholesterol, 284,7mg sodium, 50,4mg potassium, 1,6g carbohydrates, <1g fiber, <1g sugar, 1,1g protein, 1,3g net carbohydrates.

Sweet and Sour Cucumber

This is a side dish that goes well with Asian food. This makes me think of the Indonesian Atjar, but it's definitely not an authentic Atjar recipe.

Servings: 6

2 cups vinegar (distilled) 7 oz red bell pepper seeded and sliced ( 200 gram, 1 ) 14 oz cucumber, seeded 3 tbsp Splenda 1 tsp curry powder

1 Cut the cucumber in 4 pieces, slice in quarters, take out the seeds and slice in small strips 2 Cut the bell pepper in strips of the same size. 3 Put the cucumber and red bell pepper in a heat proof bowl 4 Heat the vinegar in and sweetener to boiling point, mix in the curry powder and pour over the vegetables. Ready in about 10 minutes. Drain the liquid before serving.

Tips I calculated the Nutritional info with 2 tbsp of vinegar because you drain it before serving. This goes perfect with Chicken Saté and Peanut Sauce and another vegetable dish. Like Sambal Goreng beans or a salad with bean sprouts.

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 20 calories, 2 calories from fat, <1g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 2,9mg sodium, 169,9mg potassium, 3,9g carbohydrates, 1,3g fiber, 2,3g sugar, <1g protein, 2,6g net carbohydrates.

Recipe Type: Side Dish, Vegetables

Source Author: Saskia van der Zanden

Mediterranean Chicken and Zucchini

Zucchini is one of those vegetables that can be used for so many different things. Both sweet and savory. I love it. I also use it as substitute for spaghetti and as pizza crust.

Servings: 4

1.8 lbs chicken breasts (700 gram) 3 oz prosciutto, thinly sliced (85 gram) 5 Tbs olive oil divided 1 ½ tsp oregano, divided 1 ½ tsp thyme 1 lbs zucchini, unpeeled, and cut in 1/2" slices (450 gram) 10.5 oz Tomato slices (300 gram) , about 4 tomatoes 3.5 oz mozzarella's (100 gram) 1 clove garlic Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 Slice the chicken breasts lengthwise so you get long strips. Put them in a zip-lock bag and add 2 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp oregano, ½ tsp thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Let the chicken sit in the marinade for at least 15 minutes. 2 Grill the Zucchini in a grill pan or table top grill to give it nice grill marks. this will also soften the zucchini already so it doesn't need a long time in the oven later. 3 Preheat the oven on 355°F (180°C) 4 Mix 2 tbsp olive oil with 1 crushed clove of garlic, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp thyme, salt and pepper to taste. 5 Put the grilled zucchini in an oven dish and pour the olive oil with the herbs over it and gently coat all sides. 6 Stick the tomato slices in between the zucchini slices and put the halved mozzarella's over it. 7 Put the dish in the oven for about 15 minutes. 8 Bake the chicken in a skillet or on the grill, when it's completely cooked (about 10-15 minutes) wrap them with a slice of Prosciutto

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 327 calories, 213 calories from fat, 24g total fat, 51,2mg cholesterol, 777,5mg sodium, 734,4mg potassium, 8,1g carbohydrates, 2,5g fiber, 5,1g sugar, 20,9g protein, 5,7g net carbohydrates.

Source Author: Saskia van der Zanden Web Page: http://sizzling-lowcarb.blogspot.nl Copyright: Saskia van der Zanden

Greek style Meatballs (Keftedakia)

Because I just love Greek food, I just had to make up my own version of Keftedakia. I prefer to use a mix of 50% beef and 50% pork for meatballs because they will be more moist then just beef alone. Of course you can use what you prefer, or even lamb.

Servings: 4 (or 3 if you have a hungry man)

½ Lbs ground pork (240 gram) ½ Lbs ground beef  (240 gram) 4 oz Feta cheese crumbled (aprox 100 gram) 1 medium  egg ⅛ tsp nutmeg ½ tsp cinnamon 2 tsp oregano, divided 2 tsp parsley, divided ½ tsp garlic powder, divided 1 tsp Mint, dried 2 tbsp olive oil 1 Lbs canned tomatoes Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1  Mix the meat with the egg, nutmeg, cinnamon, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp parsley, ¼ tsp garlic ½ tsp mint, salt, pepper and the crumbled feta cheese. 2  Make 12 little oval shaped meatballs 3  Warm the Olive oil in a skillet and bake the meatballs on all sides 4 Add the tomatoes, the rest of the oregano, parsley, garlic and mint. Add salt and pepper to taste. 5  Bring it to boil and turn the heat low. Let is simmer for 10 minutes until the meat is cooked. The sauce will have turned lighter because of the Feta cheese

Tips This is great with a Greek Salad on the side or even with green beans. I made this recipe for 4 servings but if you are big meat eaters you will want that extra meatball and end up with 3 servings.

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 454 calories, 340 calories from fat, 37,6g total fat, 149,5mg cholesterol, 405mg sodium, 366,4mg potassium, 2,5g carbohydrates, <1g fiber, 1,3g sugar, 25,2g protein, 1,9g net carbohydrates. Salad not included

Almond Cookies

Base recipe for a low-carb cookie.

Servings: 18

1 1/2 cup Almond Flour 4.5 oz butter, softened 1/4 cup Splenda

1 Make sure your butter is room temperature before you start. 2 Soften the butter with a whisk or electrical mixer and add the Splenda. When that's fully absorbed ad the almond flour and mix well. 3 Put the mixture on a piece of parchment paper and form it into a roll and twist the ends. 4 Place in the refrigerator for about and hour to firm up. 5 Preheat the oven on 320°F (160 °C) 6 Take the roll out of the fridge and place on a cutting board. Remove the paper and cut into 18 slices. 7 Put the cookies on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, leave some space in between because they will become a bit bigger and bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Let them cool down before taking them off the paper.

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 257 calories, 241 calories from fat, 27,7g total fat, 61mg cholesterol, 3,1mg sodium, 6,8mg potassium, 2g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, <1g sugar, 2,2g protein, 1g net carbohydrates.

Degree of Difficulty Degree of Difficulty: Very easy

Cooking Times Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 12 minutes Inactive Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Oven Temperature: 350°F

Coming Soon

Finaly I have my software ready to use.
All I need to do now is figure out how to make awesome looking posts.
I am so excited to finaly get started.

Starting soon

I am trying to get my new recipe program started. Ofcourse that doesn´t just go as planned.
The blog still needs a lot of work too but I think I´ll just try and figure it all out as I go.
Can´t wait to really get started.