ErinAriele's Low Carb World

This will be a versatile homage to the lifestyle that helped me lose over 50 pounds! Including quick exercises, products I can't stop using, helpful tips and recipes I love!

[erinariele]

We had a giant bag of broccoli that needed to be used so I decided to make some Broccoli cheddar soup in the Instant Pot.

I got the base recipe from here: https://www.cookingcarnival.com/instant-pot-broccoli-cheese-soup/. I altered it to make it low carb and here is that recipe.

Ingredients:

For Soup base

*2.5 cups Fresh Broccoli Cut into small florets

*2 tsp Onion Powder

*1/2 tsp diced Garlic

*2 tbsp salted Butter

*2 Bay leaves

*2 cups water

*2 tbsp Better Than Boullion Vegetable Broth

For Roux

*2 tbsp Salted Butter

*3 tbsp Carbquick Flour (or you can use coconut or almond flour instead)

*1.5 cup Half and half

To Finish

*2 cups Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded around 6 oz.

*Salt to taste

*1/4 tsp Pepper powder

*1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard

*Parsley for garnishing Optional

Instructions:

For soup base

*Turn on the Instant Pot on saute mode and melt butter. Add Garlic, bay leaves, and onion powder. Saute them for about a minute.

*When they get aromatic add Broccoli, water, and vegetable stock. Stir. Cover the IP, and place the vent valve on the sealing position. Press the manual/pressure button and set it for 3 minutes under high pressure.

*Once the timer goes off natural release for 5 minutes and then quick release the remaining pressure.

For Roux

*Heat butter in a pan. Add Carbquick, and cook it for about a minute, stirring constantly.

*Now add half and half, Whisk constantly and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Make sure the mixture is lump-free.

*Turn the IP on to saute mode, add the Roux, salt, pepper, and the dijon mustard, mix and cook for about 2 minutes or until soup starts bubbling.

*Turn off the IP or place in warming mode. Now add the cheese, and mix thoroughly. Serve Immediately!

*Enjoy!

Please post your pictures and I hope you enjoy this, it was great with some low carb bread and perfect on a rainy day!

XOXO

erinariele

[erinariele]

My 2018 goals include trying recipes that previously scared me. I have had this recipe pinned for 2 years. I finally decided to try it! I am so glad I did! I got the recipe here, but made a few changes: https://lowcarbyum.com/boston-cream-cheesecake-recipe/ Ingredients: Cake Layer: *1 and 1/3 cup Carbquick *1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder *1/2 teaspoon salt *1/2 cup butter softened *3/4 cup Splenda *2 eggs *1 teaspoon vanilla *3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk Cheesecake Layer: *3 blocks cream cheese (8 ounces each), softened *3/4 cup Splenda *2 teaspoons vanilla extract *3 eggs *1 cup sour cream Chocolate Layer: *6 tablespoons heavy cream *3 ounces low carb dark chocolate I used Trader Joe’s dark Belgian Chocolate *1 tablespoon butter *6 drops liquid Stevia Instructions: Cake Layer: *Preheat oven to 350° *Grease a 9 or 10 inch springform pan, set aside. *Sift together flour (there will be pieces left in the sifter, I crumbled them and then sifted them), baking powder and salt. *In bowl of stand mixer cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth. *Add flour mixture and milk in alternating amounts, starting and ending with flour. Stir until just blended. *Pour in springform pan. Bake for 25 minutes until center is set and toothpick comes out clean. Cheesecake Layer: *Lower oven temperature to 325* *In bowl of stand mixer beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together on medium-high speed until smooth. *Separately whisk eggs with a fork in a small bowl, add beaten eggs to cream cheese mixture on low until just combined. Stir in sour cream. Pour mixture over cake in the springform pan, spreading to cover. *Bake for 45-50 minutes until the outside edges appear set when gently shaken. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. *Loosen the edges of cake from the pan by running a butter knife around the cake.Allow cake to cool completely. Cover cake and chill for at least 4 hours (I chilled mine overnight) Chocolate layer: *When cheesecake is chilled heat heavy cream in a small saucepan until it almost comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted. Stir in butter until smooth. *Chill for 15 minutes and then spread over top of cake. *Chill until ready to serve. *Enjoy! I am so glad I tried this, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be it was just time intensive (it needs to chill for at least 4 hours) and I wanted to eat it right away! Also, check out ‘low carb yum’ for some pretty sweet desserts that are low on sugar and carbs!!! Thanks for reading and please send me photos of your cheesecakes! XOXO erinariele

[erinariele]

I made this and it was delicious, end of story! Everyone will love this, even if they don’t eat low carb! I got this from https://lowcarbyum.com/no-bake-peanut-butter-cheesecake/ but I changed a few things around. Ingredients: Crust: *1 1/2 cups almond flour (I used carbquick and it did not taste that good so stick with the almond flour) *1/3 cup cocoa *1/4 cup Stevia *5 tablespoons butter melted Stabilized whipped cream: *1 teaspoon gelatin *4 teaspoons cold water *2 cups heavy whipping cream *3 tablespoons Splenda Filling: *16 oz cream cheese room temperature *1/2 cup Splenda *1 tsp vanilla extract *1 1/4 cups peanut butter Chocolate Ganache: *3 tablespoons butter *3.5 oz low carb chocolate (I used Trader Joe’s 72% cacao Belgian dark chocolate, it’s our favorite) *1 tablespoon Splenda or 4 drops liquid Stevia *1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract Instructions: Crust: *Mix crust ingredients in 9-inch springform pan. *Press down to form crust. Stabilized Whipped Cream: *In a small pan, combine gelatin and cold water; let stand until thick. *Place over low heat, stirring constantly, just until the gelatin dissolves. *Remove from heat; cool (do not allow it to set). *Whip the cream with the powdered sweetener, until slightly thick. *While slowly beating, add the gelatin to whipping cream. *Whip at high speed until stiff. Set aside. Filling: *Mix cream cheese, sweetener, vanilla, and peanut butter in a large bowl with electric mixer until well combined. *Gently fold in stabilized whipped cream. Pour filling over crust and smooth top with rubber spatula. *Refrigerate while you make the chocolate ganache. Chocolate Ganache: *Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler. *Stir in powdered sweetener and vanilla. *Pour chocolate sauce over top of cheesecake *Refrigerate at least 4 hours or until firm. *Run knife along edge of cheesecake in pan, then remove springform side. *Enjoy! I made this how I described but next time I think I will just make the ganache the crust and omit the other crust completely. The cake is so rich and decadent! It’s such a nice treat that lasts for days! Thanks for reading and please send me photos of your cheesecakes! XOXO erinariele

[erinariele]

We had an eggplant and it needed to be cooked. I was also in the mood to try something different-Welcome the birth of the Eggplant Lasagna Tower.

Ingredients: *1 Eggplant, Peeled and Sliced about ¼ inch thick *4 eggs Beat *Grated Parmesan Cheese *2 Tablespoons each of Oregano, Onion Powder, Salt, Red Pepper Flakes, Italian Seasonings, Adobo Light, and Black Pepper *Trader Joes Rustico Sauce, or other low carb Marinara *2 Tablespoons Butter *½ Cup Heavy Cream *3 Cloves Garlic, Minced *2 Cups Half and Half *1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella

Instructions: *Preheat Oven to 375F. *In a bowl place the beaten eggs. In another bowl add the parmesan and all spices. *Take an eggplant slice and cover with the parmesan cheese, then dip it in the eggs, then back in the parmesan cheese. *Place that slice on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. *Repeat for all the slices. *Bake the eggplant for 20 minutes, if needed flip halfway through. *While the eggplant is cooking make the cheese sauce. *In a large saucepan on med-high heat, place 2 tablespoons butter and minced garlic and melt. *Add In half and half and heavy cream and bring to a soft boil. *Add In Mozzarella cheese, lower to medium-high heat and stir constantly. Once the cheese is melted turn to medium heat and let it simmer, stirring every few minutes. *While the cheese sauce is simmering heat up the tomato sauce. *Once the eggplant is done take a large slice and place it on a plate. Add a spoonful of marinara, and then a spoonful of cheese sauce. Repeat for how high you want it. End with some more marinara and cheese sauce on top. *Repeat for how ever many towers you need. *Enjoy!

Kevin really enjoyed this recipe and I enjoyed that it was lower in carbs. Please be aware that Eggplant isn’t completely low carb, just lowER carb, so I made my tower smaller with the smaller pieces.

Thanks for reading and please send me photos of your tower pictures!

XOXO erinariele

[erinariele]

When we were in Hawaii I had a banging Tortilla Salad that wasn’t low carb but the bowl was so flaky and crispy I wanted to see if I could make it low carb-I did, and it tasted exactly the same!! For this recipe I am only going to tell you how to make the bowl, then you can fill it with whatever you want! Ingredients: *Low Carb Wrap *Vegetable Oil Instructions: *Put about 2 cups of oil in a pot. *Place oil in a pot on med-low heat. *Once the oil starts turning turn the heat up to medium. *Use tongs to grab a tortilla and place it flat in the oil. The whole thing will want to float but use your tongs to hold down the middle part to form a bowl. Hold it in place for 20-30 seconds. *Take it out and place it on a paper towel to soak up the extra oil. *Fill with deliciousness! *Enjoy Thanks for reading and please send me photos of your Fried Tortilla Bowls! XOXO erinariele

[erinariele]

These were soooo yummmmmy! As soon as we ate them I wanted to run back to the store to get more jicama to make more! I got this recipe from Low Carb Yum, check out their other recipes too! Ingredients: *2 cups jicama sliced (about 1/2-1 inch thick. they shrink in the baking process) *2 tablespoons olive oil *3/4 teaspoon sea salt divided *1 teaspoon onion powder *1 teaspoon cumin *1 teaspoon smoked paprika *1 teaspoon chili powder *1 teaspoon oregano *1 teaspoon adobo light *1 teaspoon black pepper Instructions: *Pregeat oven to 400F. *Peel jicama and slice into french fry pieces. (I got mine already sliced at Trader Joe's!) *Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon sea salt into medium pot of water. Bring to a boil. *Boil jicama fries in boiling water for 10 minutes. *Drain in colander. *Place drained jicama pieces into a large mixing bowl. Coat with olive oil, then sprinkle on 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, and the rest of the spices. *Blend in spices. *Spread fries onto oiled baking pan. *Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes, turning halfway through baking time, until fries are crisp. *Enjoy!! You can lower the carb count by using Parsnips or Radishes instead of jicama. No need to boil those either! Thanks for reading and please send your low carb French fry pics!! XOXO erinariele

[erinariele]

So refreshing for a summer salad side! It also happens to be super easy to make! Ingredients: *2 Small Cucumbers (I used 2 small Cucumbers from the farm) *3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar *1/2 Cup Sour Cream *3 Tablespoons Half & Half *5 Tablespoons Fresh Dill Instructions: *Thinly Slice Cucumbers (you can leave the skin on if you want or peel it off), I used my kitchen aid mixer to do this. *Add all the ingredients into a bowl and mix until it's well incorporated. *Enjoy!! We had a small portion as a snack but this is a great dish to bring to picnics or BBQ's, and it's great as a side dish. Cucumbers tend to be higher in carbs than expected so be careful to count your macros and allow for this dish!! Please send me your summer salads pictures and thanks for reading!! XOXO erinariele

[erinariele]

Another Hasselback chicken meal. I am loving how easy and delicious they are!!! Kevin says they look fancy too so-bonus! Ingredients: *2 Chicken Breasts *4 oz of Muenster Cheese *4 Slices of Bacon *Oregano, Parsley, Red Pepper Flakes, Minced Garlic, Salt, and Pepper to taste Instructions: *Preheat oven to 350F. *Cut slits in the chicken, short ways, without cutting all the way through to the bottom of the chicken. You'll have 5-8 slits per breast. *Stuff the slits with cheese and bacon. *Add the spices on top. *Place the Chicken Breasts in a greased casserole dish. *Bake for 30 minutes. *Enjoy! Hasselback Chicken is the easiest thing to cook and you can alter it to any taste! Thanks for reading and please send your Chicken dishes! XOXO erinariele

[erinariele]

Super easy side dish that can be made with any vegetable! Ingredients: *2 Cups Broccoli *1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, Grated *Olive Oil *Minced Garlic, to taste *Salt and Pepper Instructions: *Preheat Oven to 350F. *Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and drizzle olive oil on the pan. *Drop Broccoli on the pan and drizzle more olive oil on top. *Cover with Cheese, Garlic, salt and pepper. *Bake for 20 minutes or until the florets get crispy on the edges. *Enjoy! I first made this in my last post with asparagus and it was so good! Thanks for reading and please send me pics of your side dishes! XOXO erinariele

[erinariele]

This was the first meal I ever made for Kevin, and tonight I made it for his mom. Suuuuuuper easy to make and can even be prepped ahead of time! Ingredients: *1 Chicken Breast per person *Pepper Jack Cheese *Spinach, raw *Cajun Spices (I used Salt, Pepper, Paprika, Chili Powder, Oregano, Thyme, and a little Garlic Powder) Instructions: *Preheat oven to 350F. *Using a sharp knife, make slits in the chicken breasts that are about 3/4 inches wide, making sure not to cut all the way down through the bottom of the chicken breast. You will have about 4-8 slits per chicken breast, depending on on the size. *Season the chicken with all the spices. *Stuff the slits with the cheese and spinach. *Bake for 30 minutes in a casserole dish, uncovered. *Enjoy!! I prepped this earlier in the day, covered with tin foil, and stuck it in the fridge. When it was time I popped it in the oven! So much yum and tastes like it took a lot longer to cook! Thanks for reading and please send your Cajun dishes!! XOXO erinariele

[erinariele]

Easy, less than 10 ingredients, and deeeeeeeelish!

Ingredients: *2 Chicken Breasts *10 oz of Mushrooms, Sliced *4 Cloves of Garlic, However You Would Like Them (I made mine minced; sliced or whole would also work) *1 Cup Grape Tomatoes, Sliced *1 Cup of Fresh Mozzarella, Cubed *Fresh Basil Leaves, To Taste *Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions: *In a large sauté pan, not frying pan, drizzle olive oil and heat on medium high. Add Chicken, Mushrooms, Garlic, and salt & pepper. Cover. *Once there is significant liquid turn down to a simmer. *Once chicken is cooked, add tomatoes. Cook for another 5 minutes, uncovered. *Add Basil Leaves, Fresh Mozzarella, and more salt and pepper, keep uncovered. *Cook until the Mozzarella starts to melt. *Serve and Enjoy!

This is one of my favorite dishes and for a very large serving there are about 5 net carbs and 420 Calories.

Thanks for reading and please send me pics of your Caprese dishes!

XOXO erinariele

[erinariele]

Decided to make something different tonight. So I made Meatballs and mushrooms in a homemade vodka sauce. I never made vodka sauce before. It can get more complex but I made it pretty simple! Ingredients: *Meatballs (frozen, fresh, however you'd like) *Mushrooms, quartered *1/2 cup vodka (I used grey goose because it's what I had) *1 Cup Heavy Cream *1.5 Cups Low Carb Tomato sauce (I use Trader Joe's Rustico-3 carbs per serving) *1/4 Onions, diced *2 Tablespoons Butter *2 Tablespoons Red Pepper Flakes *3 Cloves Garlic, Minced *Salt and Pepper to taste Instructions: *Pop the onions in a sauté pan with the butter and sweat. *Add the onions to a large pot, with the garlic, meatballs, Spices, and Tomato Sauce. Simmer for 30 minutes. *Add the cream and vodka. Stir and simmer for another 30 minutes. *Add the mushrooms and simmer for another 20 minutes. *Enjoy! This was delicious! We ate it all and both had seconds!! Thanks for reading and please share your vodka recipes! XOXO erinariele

[erinariele]

Tonight I channeled the olden days of when I worked at the Olive Garden and devoured Zuppa Toscana all day, every day! Kevin has never had it 😱(I didn't believe him but he insists) I adapted this recipe from Low Carb Yum (She's amazing!) and made it slow cooker style because I love me some crock pot recipes. Ingredients: *1 pound Ground Sausage, Browned *1/2 small onion chopped *2 cloves garlic, minced *64 fluid ounces chicken broth *1 Package radishes, thinly sliced *10 ounces of chopped Kale *1 cup heavy cream *3 slices cooked bacon chopped *1-2 teaspoons salt adjust to taste *1 Pinch Ground Black Pepper *1/2 Teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes Instructions: *Add broth to the Crock Pot. Turn Crock Pot on low. *Brown sausage with onion and garlic in small pan. Add to crock pot (Oil and all). *Stir in radishes, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, to crock pot and stir. Cook on low for 4 hours. *After 4 hours mix in cream, kale, and cooked bacon. *Cook on high for 1 more hour. *Enjoy! This was awesome because the radishes take on the taste of the soup but have the texture of potatoes. If I didn't make it myself I wouldn't have believed they were radishes. Thanks for reading and please send me your pics of your soup!! XOXO erinariele

[erinariele]

Decided to try a lower carb option for my mozzarella sticks! I’ve been stricken with my carbs and the spring roll wrappers I use aren’t low enough for my liking. This worked out to less than 1 carb per mozz stick! That’s much better! Ingredients: *8 String Cheeses, Cut In Half (Polly-O is zero carbs) *2 Eggs, Beaten *1 Cup Parmesan Cheese (the powdered kind) *1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning *1 Clove Garlic, Minced *1Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (optional) Instructions: *Mix Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and minced garlic in a medium bowl. *Dip each string cheese into the egg mixture and then into the cheese mixture. *Dip the string cheese in the egg mixture and roll it in the cheese crumbs again. *Press the cheese crumbs into the cheese using your fingers. I then rolled them in my palms to make sure the coating was tight. *Place the coated string cheese into the freezer for one hour. This helps hold the coating in place while it’s frying! I put mine on parchment paper in a small baking sheet. *Pour about half a cup of oil into a frying pan, and let it get HOT. *Place 4-5 string cheese halves into the pan. *Cook until golden brown on all sides. *If the crumb mixture falls off the string cheese, wait until the oil is hotter. *Serve with a low carb Marinara or Tomato Sauce (Trader Joe’s Rustico is 3 carbs per ¼ Cup) *Enjoy! These were amazing. What I’ll do in the future is make a whole batch of them and just freeze them. Then I can pull them out when I want one or two. The coating process takes a while and this will break it down for the future! I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading! Please send me your mozz sticks pictures!

[erinariele]

Craved a sweet Frozen Drink, so I made one! Ingredients: *Dry White Wine (the dryer it is the less sugar is in it and the lower in carbs it is) *Ice *Frozen Strawberries *Stevia Instructions: *Add all ingredients to a blender and blend! *You can adjust according to how sweet you want it or how much you are making. *Enjoy! This hit the spot! I will be enjoying a glass or two of this tonight! Yummm

[erinariele]

NOM NOMS!! I had a craving for something a little sweeter today (Everyone is posting their high carb green donuts for St. Patty's Day). This hit the spot and then some!!!! Oh man was this good! Let's get started! (This will make what's pictured-two stuffed French toasts) Ingredients: *4 Slices Low Carb Bread, Crust Cut Off (I use Great Low Carb Cinnamon Bread) *1 Cup Fresh Blueberries *1/8 Cup Splenda *1 Ounce Cream Cheese, Softened *1 Tablespoon Butter, Melted *1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract *2 Eggs *Heavy Cream *A pinch and 2 Tablespoons of Stevia Instructions: *Place blueberries with a Tablespoon of water in a small frying pan and place on medium heat. *Stir every few minutes but let it cook until the blueberries leak juices and look a little deflated. *Once the Blueberries deflate add the Splenda to the Blueberries and stir. Lower the heat and stir every few minutes. *While the Blueberries are cooking grab a bowl, a mixer and mix together the cream cheese, vanilla extract, melted butter, 2 Tablespoons of Stevia, and some heavy cream. You can add as much or as little heavy cream until you get the amount you want (I always make extra of the cream to store for later, so I use probably close to a cup). *Mix until it is a whipped cream consistency. Place aside. *Add two eggs, a pinch of Stevia, and 2 Tablespoons of heavy cream in a smaller bowl. Whisk together. *Take a slice of bread, add the blueberry mixture in the middle. Wet the outer edges and place another slice on top. Push edges together to form a pocket around the Blueberries. Repeat with the other slices of bread. *Take the bread and dip in the egg mixture and then place on a frying pan on medium high heat. *When one side is cooked flip carefully. *Place French toast on a plate, top with remaining Blueberries, and the cream. *Enjoy!!! This was very delicious and I will probably be making it all weekend!! Thanks for reading and send me your French toast pictures!! XOXO erinariele

[erinariele]

I made this tonight and I. Can't. Stop. Eating. It. It is so good! It is a slow cooker recipe but I finished it in the oven because I was running out of time before we had to leave. I will post the slow cooker recipe below. Ingredients: *1/3 cup coconut oil *1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract *1 tsp stevia *2 cups raw almonds, walnuts, or any other nut *2 cups raw sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds *1/2 Cup Dried Unsweetened Cranberries *1/2 cup granulated Pyure sweetener *1 tsp ground cinnamon *1 tsp salt Instructions: *Turn Crock Pot to low and add coconut oil and allow it to melt. *Once melted add vanilla extract and stevia. *Stir well before adding nuts, seeds, and cranberries. *Stir the granola mixture well to make sure all is coated. *Whisk Pyure, cinnamon, and salt together then sprinkle over the nut and seed mixture. Mix well. *Cover and cook on low 2 hours or until you can smell them and they appear browned and toasted. Slow cooker heat varries so keep an eye on it, you don't want it to burn (Some people say they only need an hour and a half or even less). *Stir every 30 minutes. *Pour and spread out onto a baking pan to cool. *Keep stored in a covered container in the fridge. *Enjoy!! Because I was in a rush to get out of the house I had it in the crock pot for a half an hour, then I put them on parchment paper, on a cookie sheet. I preheated the oven to 375F and cooked them for about 10-15 minutes. I cooled them in the fridge while we were gone and they came out awesome! We ate so much of it but there is still a substantial amount left. I will definitely be making this a lot! Such a tasty treat! Thanks for reading and please send me your granola pics!! XOXO erinariele