Low Carb Archives - Simply Sells Kitchen

Chickpea, Tomato, & Cucumber Salad

Sandra Sells — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 17:03:25 +0000

Spring is here and summer is on the way, so it’s time to start making those fresh salads! We love a greek salad which is what I have made versions of this chickpea tomato and cucumber salad for years. However, I’ve never written down the recipe until now as it can be made in so many different ways. Fast & Fresh I think a fresh salad doesn’t always have to be just lettuce and ranch dressing. Salad can have many textures and vegetables, and a depth of flavor that will have you begging for seconds. One of the benefits of this recipe is that it can handle being stored in the fridge for several days. In fact the chickpea tomato and cucumber salad gets even better over time. This salad is so simple it can be made right in your favorite wooden salad bowl or an easy to store container. We sometimes store ours in a mason jar, especially when food prepping for the week. We love pouring this salad over a hearty grain like farro, quinoa, couscous, or even brown rice. Other times, we like to throw a few Kalamata olives in and pour it over a bed of lettuce to make a delicious cool salad. Recipe Start by washing your vegetables and peeling and chopping them. Drain the chickpeas (dry them if you prefer). Combine everything in a bowl or container, add the feta cheese and mix or shake it all up. Put all the Greek salad dressing ingredients in a mason jar, and then shake it to mix. Drizzle the dressing on top of the salad and stir or shake the dressing and salad mixture until combined. Wow! The lemon and garlic in the dressing makes this salad so fresh and flavorful! One of the amazing things about it is the lemon in the dressing helps delay the browning of the avocado. I hope that you make this for your next meal or gathering!

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Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Sandra Sells — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 16:47:55 +0000

This delicious vegan chocolate pudding is so silky smooth, rich in flavor, and full of nutrition. You can’t even taste the avocado! As a mother tricking your kids may not be the nicest thing to do, but if it is for their own good it’s not so bad, right? Haha! Well, I am a firm believer in keeping things nutritious for my family. I also love to let them live and enjoy foods in moderation that are delicious. Currently i’m in a clean up the pantry phase in my home. Keeping the thought that nutritious eating can include desserts helps both myself and my kids keep a better overall attitude. Health and fitness are a priority to us but can sometimes be our greatest struggle in our very busy lives. I always try to limit processed foods and am constantly recreating our kids’ favorite food dishes, like french fries. This is especially true for my son who could out eat anyone in the french fry department. 😅 Just a few swaps and you have delicious fries that are a much healthier leaner version. Healthy vs Not Healthy There are such things as good fats and bad fats, good sugars and bad sugars. The kind of ingredients you include in your diet are like building blocks to your health. Usually, we tend to think fats make you fatter, but your body requires a certain amount of good fat. Olive oil and avocados are easily accessible and loaded with omega-3 fatty acids. This is great for heart health and brain function. Avocados are a monounsaturated fat and provide essential nutrients to your body so why not make a dessert out of them! We also love to make our delicious sweet corn guacamole during avocado season. It is also good to think about the natural and least processed sugars when being nutritionally minded; perhaps leaning towards fruit-based sugar or those that are lower on the glycemic index. I do believe sugar is sugar in all forms, but the impact to your body is on a spectrum. Some great choices that we love in our family are date syrup, coconut sugar, agave, pure maple syrup, monk fruit, and honey. Children’s bodies grow and develop quickly. It is so important to make sure they are getting all the nutrients they need. Even as adults we need to make sure we take care of our bodies for long term health. Making smart choices is extremely important! With that in mind, we want to share a favorite in our family. It has a few surprising ingredients that make an extraordinarily rich and luxurious dessert. The Recipe So without further delay, we share our fantastic avocado chocolate pudding! This recipe is vegan, gluten free, and is customizable to fit any lifestyle. The best thing about it is putting all the ingredients in the food processor and no cooking necessary! In my book, that is a big win! Add in your avocados, cocoa powder, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla, and then pulse the ingredients until everything is combined. Open the food processor and scrape down the sides. Place the lid back on and blend about 30 seconds, until completely smooth. Sometimes, instead of maple syrup we use alternative sweeteners such as honey, date syrup, or agave. All the ingredients provide great taste and flavor. Chill the pudding in the refrigerator for about an hour, and then enjoy! You can serve the avocado chocolate pudding in little ramekins with your favorite dairy or vegan whipped cream toppings and a few raspberries. This pudding can compete with any other pudding or chocolate mousse. Other toppings we really like to use are shredded coconut, chia seeds, and whole medjool dates. Delicious! ☺️

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Hearty Kale Salad w/Lemon Tahini Dressing

Sandra Sells — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 22:20:54 +0000

I am always looking to stay healthy, and I love a good salad. I’m always looking to make salads more creative and indulgent, and to make a meal out of them. However, sometimes during the rush of the work week and when time is of the essence my salads often result in a bit of a boring and bland bowl of greens. Ultimately, I want the health, nutrition, and volume to fill you up all in one big bowl. This kale salad does not dissapoint! Kale and health benefits I never thought much of kale while growing up. It was not a leafy green my parents introduced to us. Like most of us, I grew up with the typical romaine or mixed greens you get easily packaged from the store. The new health craze several years ago popularized kale when people started turning them into kale chips. The millennial generation seems to be quick to support the next trending foods that have a big nutritional impact. I tend to gravitate to those new health trends quite often. Honestly, ever since trying kale chips, I have loved the kale craze! I found a whole new love for the crunchy leafy green. Don’t get me started on avocado toast – that is still a big deal in my house! So, kale … yum! It can be roasted, sautéed, or eaten raw in salads. We have also added kale to our smoothies (tip: don’t add too much to your smoothie as it becomes very bitter). Kale has a deep earthy taste and firm leaf crunch that is so hearty and yummy in a salad. It offers a nutritional explosion of vitamins A, K, B6 and C, calcium, potassium, copper, and manganese. It is a great option when making a salad, to give your body a boost. The first time I had a Caesar salad with kale leaves as the lettuce, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the swap out from traditional romaine lettuce. Kale really holds the dressing well, and surprisingly stays extra crunchy after an extra day in the refrigerator if you happen to make too much. When transforming a salad into an indulgent experience, kale absolutely takes the win. I often want to decrease calories in recipes, and I know that using a little oil and vinegar does well in lieu of a creamy dressing. The inspiration behind the salad I recently went on a quick trip with my family to Savannah, Georgia. The town was a dream! There is so much old history and beauty everywhere. I highly suggest a trip there if you get a chance. We ate at some great little places and cafes. One afternoon, I was inspired by a kale salad from one of the restaurants called B Matthews Eatery, and I instantly knew I wanted to try and recreate it at home. The salad was a delicious combination of kale, dried cranberries, almond slices, steamed edamame, crumbled goat cheese, and a zesty lemon vinaigrette dressing. So, in my effort to whip up this salad, I started thinking of what kind of dressing I would add. I have a most amazing recipe for a vegan tahini lemon garlic dressing and I knew instantly it would work! It almost reminded me of a Caesar dressing with a lemon acid kick. Lemon Garlic Dressing Simply Sells vegan tahini lemon garlic dressing will be a highlight to any of your salad recipes. It’s a must try and an entertainment staple. Tahini is a Middle Eastern ingredient made with ground sesame seeds and turned into a creamy paste. Tahini is often used in foods like hummus or halva. You can usually find it at most supermarkets or Middle Eastern food stores. I’ll link our favorite tahini, which we love. The dressing is a combination of lemon, garlic, creamy tahini, Dijon mustard, and rice wine vinegar. The toppings I add are very similar to the salad we had in Savannah, with only a few swaps and additions. I really love to be inspired by restaurant experiences! They can so often give you fresh ideas and creativity for new foods you may never try! The Recipe To prepare the kale wash it thoroughly and rip the leaves from the stems (or ribs) that run through the center. I love using my OXO salad spinner to get the leaves nice and dry to keep the salad extra crunchy. After rinsing the leaves, I roughly chop up the leaves, making sure they’re not too small. Mix together the prepared kale with the lemon garlic tahini dressing and lay it on a large platter. I prefer using a platter because it creates a canvas for the beauty that this salad can be. Layer the dried cranberries and some sliced almonds. I steamed some shelled edamame beans, let them cool, and then add them on top. I do like to use non-GMO and organic ingredients when I can, especially when it comes to soy products. The color combination of ingredients is so very appealing to the eye. I use feta cheese crumbles instead of goat cheese for the sake of my husband’s taste buds. He’s not a huge fan of goat cheese, however, it tastes amazing either way – its up to you. What really sets this off is the addition of french fried onions. They make it so delicious! This salad is a great option to make ahead, and also great to bring to a potluck. Kale leaves really hold up in the vegan tahini lemon garlic dressing and can even be enjoyed the next day. If serving the salad the next day, try to add the toppings when served. This is a great salad to enjoy in any season! One side dish that we like to make with salads is roasted sweet potato slices. Slice the sweet potatoes and layer them on a greased sheet pan, and the drizzle them with olive oil. Sprinkle them with garlic powder, dried parsley, salt, and pepper to taste. Roast them in a preheated oven at 420°F for about 15-20 minutes or until desired crispness and brownness. Serve them alongside your salad.

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Almond Flour Cheddar Biscuits

Sandra Sells — Sat, 03 Oct 2020 18:54:03 +0000

Biscuits traditionally have deep roots in southern kitchens across the USA; however, they first came to America from England before evolving into what we’ve come to know and enjoy today. In American Revolution and Civil War times “beaten biscuits” (a much less fluffy version) had their place. For those in New England there were “sea biscuits”, a variety that were extra whipped and portable to keep for long journeys or lunches. I can speak from deep experience and as Kodi’s wife that there is a special place in his heart for biscuits – the dense, flakey, and buttery kind. A few years ago, Kodi and I took a trip to Nashville, a region that we really love and have been to many times. During this particular instance we went driving and decided to dine at a restaurant called the Loveless Cafe. You could tell the cafe was a special place in Tennessee and was definitely a tourist site. It specializes in delicious southern cooking and the most indulgent comfort food – buttermilk fried chicken, country ham on biscuits, okra, pie, preserves, they have it all! We ended up purchasing their cookbook from the gift shop that day. That was a very naughty idea – haha! We spent lots of time skimming through the book, finding ourselves dreaming of how we could overindulge in an entire red velvet cake. It is highly inspiring as everything looks very delicious. In an effort to have his cake and eat it too, Kodi decided to experiment a little bit with a basic buttermilk biscuit recipe and switch out some of the ingredients to lessen the carb load. He came up with a biscuit recipe that was not lacking in flavor and, thanks to almond flour, is really enjoyable. We choose the Kirkland brand unblanched almond flour from our local Costco, but any other brand should do just fine. The recipe is especially great for those who are looking to reduce carbs and not eat gluten in their diet. However, regardless of what your diet is these biscuits are legit! The inspiration was part Loveless Cafe and part cheddar bay biscuits from good old Red Lobster. Using different flours can cause a different result in the final product so we did add a bit of xanthan gum to help keep the gluten texture and flavor like wheat flour. You do not get the sponginess of all-purpose flour but the full buttery, flakey biscuit experience is definitely present. We then took it to another level and made them with sour cream instead of buttermilk and added shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Hallelujah, we have a winner! We enjoy them right out of the oven with cold butter right on top that slowly melts as you bite right in or cutting them in half and enjoying them with eggs. Substituting savory ingredients with fresh butter and jam is always an excellent choice! These biscuits are very versatile, just like the everyday biscuits you’ve come to know and love. Try these almondy biscuits and let us know what you think.

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Lemon Curry Lentil Stew

Sandra Sells — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 05:45:40 +0000

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Paleo Banana Pancakes

Sandra Sells — Sat, 30 May 2020 16:28:51 +0000

This is a weekend must on our recipe list. You mean you can have your pancakes, eat them, and not feel guilty? Yes, absolutely! We love to eat the little low carb, paleo, pillowy wonders for breakfast. Our kids love these paleo banana pancakes just as much too! Breakfast in our house during the weekdays usually consists of a quick cup of coffee to go. Time is essential when trying to start your day, am I right? Haha! However for the weekends when we have more time to spare, this paleo banana pancake recipe is our tried and true. There’s nothing like waking up in the morning to the smell of fresh pancakes on the griddle. It always gets you in the right mood to start your day off happy. Recipe For this recipe, we use our favorite paleo store bought mix Birchbenders. You can usually find this at Costco or order it on Amazon. It doesn’t compromise the homemade taste whatsoever, I promise. Honestly for a family it makes for an easy and nutritious breakfast. Not to mention the kids always love a good stack of pancakes. We use ripened bananas and put them into our KitchenAid stand mixer. Mix them until they are fully mashed and creamy. Add in the eggs and whip until fluffy in consistency. Then its pretty much throw and go! Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix until combined. You should now have the perfect pancake batter. On a griddle or pan add some butter, then a scoop of pancake batter at a time. Make the pancakes large or small, whatever makes you happy. Flip the pancakes when they start to bubble on the surface and cook for another couple minutes. Remove the paleo banana pancakes from the griddle and top with you favorite toppings. We love fresh berries or vegan whipped coconut cream. Go ahead, give them a try, and you’ll be glad you did.

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