Jo and Sue

I've seen several recipes called "marry me" chicken that were all wildly different. This one I have adapted from a video I watched on Tik Tok. The person sharing it didn't give amounts, just what ingredients they used. I have written down what I used but it is definitely a recipe that can be changed to suit your preferences. I made this dairy free by using coconut milk but you can substitute another milk if you don't like the taste of coconut milk, as it does come through a little in the sauce. I think oat or almond milk would probably work just fine, although may not be as rich. 

This comes together fairly quickly, can be doubled for a larger crowd, can be made ahead and reheated, and is super tasty and easy to make. 

1 jar sundried tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

oil from the sundried tomatoes

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 head garlic, chopped

2 cups chicken bone broth (or chicken broth)

1 cup coconut milk

1 - 2 tsp cornstarch

2 - 3 cups spinach, chopped

salt, pepper, red pepper flakes

4 chicken breasts, halved horizontally

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp paprika (or smoked paprika) 

Mix together the flour and spices. Dredge the chicken in the mixture set aside.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add half the oil from sundried tomatoes to the pan. Cook chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan, add the remaining oil from the sundried tomatoes to deglaze the pan. Be sure to scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Add in the onions, garlic, and sundried tomatoes. 

Let the chicken simmer in the sauce over low heat for about 5 - 8 minutes. Chicken should read 165 F (74C) when it is fully cooked. 
Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste. Serve hot over rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta 

From start to finish (including prepping veggies) in about 30 - 40 minutes. 

A delicious, dairy free recipe that also works super well for meal prepping as it freezes well. 

We have a few recipes for healthier lasagna recipes on the blog. You can find them by searching "lasagna" in the little search box at the top left of the screen. This particular recipe is keto friendly, gluten free, and very VERY filling. Fathead dough mimics regular lasagna noodles so you get the taste AND texture of lasagna. Fathead dough is a popular keto friendly substitute for quite a few other doughs. Again, search "fathead" in the search box at the top of the page for more ideas on how to use it.

According to MyFitnessPal, this lasagna is: 518 calories, 40 fat, 8 carbs, 0.5 fiber, 35 protein, so 7.5 net carbs per serving. Recipe, as written, makes 8 servings. 

NOTE - you can make this in a 9 X 13 pan or in 8 individual 4 x 5 containers. 

 8 oz cream cheese, room temp

2 cups mozzarella, shredded

1/2 cup parmesan, shredded

salt & pepper

3 eggs, beaten

1 Tbsp oil

1/2 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 lb ground beef

salt & pepper

3/4 cup low/no sugar tomato sauce (I use Raos)

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 cup mozzarella, shredded

1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

1/2 cup parmesan, shredded

parsley

Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, set aside. 

Prepare noodles - Place cream cheese, mozza and parmesan, salt & pepper in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring well in between, until melted and mixed well. Add in beaten eggs and beat until well incorporated. Batter will be lumpy. 

Pour onto prepared cookie sheet and spread evenly. 

Bake at 350 until firm and lightly browned on top, about 15 - 20 minutes. 

Let cool before cutting into pieces. 

If using a 9 X 13 - cut into 3 equal pieces. If using the 8 individual containers, cut into 24 pieces. 

While "noodles" are cooking, prepare the meat sauce.

Heat oil in a pan, add in onion and garlic until softened. Add in tomato paste, beef, and salt & pepper. Cook until beef is browned. *If there is a lot of grease, drain it off.

Add in the tomato sauce and stir well. Remove from heat.

Assemble lasagna:

Layer 1: 1/3 of the noodles, 1/3 of ricotta, 1/3 of meat sauce, 1/2 of mozza

Layer 2: 1/3 of the noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta, 1/3 of the meat sauce, 1/2 of the mozza

Layer 3: last of the noodles, last of the ricotta, last of the meat sauce, and then the toppings of mozza, parmesan, and parsley. 

Cook at 250 until bubbly and cheese on top is melted, about 30 or so minutes. Time differs depending on if you use one pan or individual pans. You just want it to be bubbly and melty. 

Serve hot.

I make this in individual pans because it makes it easier to share with family and easier to freeze. If you make it in a 9 x 13, cut into 8 pieces. Of course, you can cut it into however many pieces you want, but the nutritional info is for 8 servings. I usually serve it with cucumbers or salad or tomato slices for a delicious keto friendly/low carb dinner. The serving sizes may seem smallish but with how rich it is... they are just the right size, IMO. 

Sometimes you need to step outside your comfort zone and just try something new. 

We don't generally eat rice in salads but after trying this recipe that will be changing. The textures and flavors and colors of this salad are amazing. It does take a little bit of prep but nothing too crazy. 

If you are looking for something different to bring to a potluck or family dinner, try this! Mom brought it to her church dinner and they loved it. A healthier alternative to the usual heavy macaroni or potato salad. 

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp honey

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp dried dill 

juice of 1 lemon

salt & pepper

1 cup brown rice, uncooked

2 bell peppers, diced

1/2 cucumber, diced

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1 (341 ml) can corn 

1 small purple onion, diced

1 (540 ml) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3 cups spinach, chopped

1 (210 ml) jar sundried tomatoes, drained and chopped

1/2 cup feta (divided)

1/2 cup pine nuts (divided)

Whisk together dressing ingredients until well mixed. Set aside.

Cook brown rice as per package instructions. Let cool.

In a large bowl, mix together cooled rice, peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, corn, onion, chickpeas, spinach, sundried tomatoes, and 1/4 cup of the feta and pine nuts. 

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat. 

Chill, covered, until ready to eat - at least 2 - 3 hours. When ready to serve, sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup feta and pine nuts. 

Easy peasy, good for a crowd, full of healthy ingredients, and, most importantly, super delicious!

As with most salads, you can sub ingredients or switch them up to suit your preferences. Throw in some olives if you like olives, add more spinach or less corn.... you get the point! 

The next time I make this I might at some chicken and just have it as a meal instead of a side. 

If you are looking for keto, diabetic friendly, gluten free cookie with a little crunch then you have come to the right place. These Keto Almond Biscotti are super tasty and will definitely satisfy a cookie craving. 

The nutritional counts on these are: 110 calories, 10 fat, 3 carbs, 2 fiber, 3 protein. That’s 1 net carb per cookie! 

(Recipe makes 32 cookies)

I made these fairly small, about finger size, but you can make them a little longer if you prefer, just watch your bake time. I enjoy these with my coffee or tea in the afternoon for a little 1 net carb snack. 

They are easy to switch up if you want to swap out the nuts and cranberries for sugar free chocolate chips or maybe even pumpkin seeds. That will change the nutritional counts a little but they will still be low carb/keto friendly. 

3 1/2 cups almond flour

1 tsp baking soda

Pinch salt

1/2 cup almonds (or pecans), finely chopped

2 Tbsp dried cranberries, chopped

 1 tsp cinnamon

2 eggs

1/2 cup keto honey or pancake syrup

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 325. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, set aside. 

Combine the almond flour, baking soda, salt, almonds, cranberries, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, keto honey (or syrup), butter, and almond extract. 

Stir together and form into 2 logs about 1 inch wide and 8 inches long on top of the parchment paper.

Bake at 325 for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. 

Using a serrated knife, cut the logs into slices approximately 1/2 inch wide. Place cut side up on the cookie sheet. 

Return to oven, reduce heat to 250, and bake 15 more minutes. 

Gently flip the cookies over and bake another 10 or so minutes, until they are golden brown. 

If you like your biscotti super crunchy then leave them in longer. 

These cookies are a little more crumbly than regular biscotti so can be frustrating to cut. If you find you are having trouble just cut them a little thicker. 

These keep very well covered, at room temp, for several days or they can be frozen for up to 3 months. 

The nutritional counts are going to change a little depending on what brands you use so, as always, if you are strictly tracking macros you will want to enter the recipe into your own counter. 

This year for Christmas I decided to try something new. I had never had mochi before and I saw several absolutely delicious looking recipes on Pinterest and knew I had to give it a try. 

I ended up searching through several dozen recipes because there are a million different ways to make it. I combined a few to come up with this one and the family was pretty happy with the results. 

I will definitely be making this for future dinners. It takes a little time to roll all the balls out but is otherwise super simple! 

3 cups mashed yams (about 2 medium)

2 cups cornstarch 

2 cups tapioca flour

1 Tbsp salt

Olive oil

4 Tbsp soy sauce

4 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp sugar 

2 tsp fish sauce

2-3 tsp gochujang 

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp cornstarch

1/3 cup chicken broth

Green onions

Sesame seeds

Boil yams until very soft  - about 20 minutes. Let cool completely. 

Mix the cooled, mashed yams with the cornstarch, tapioca flour, and salt. Mixture should form a firm yet pliable dough.

If it is too sticky, add a bit more tapioca flour a little at a time. If it is too dry, add a little water. 

Pinch off grape sized pieces of dough and roll into balls. Place on parchment paper lined sheet. 

If you don’t want to use all of the dough you can freeze it for a later time. 

Once the balls are ready bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop about 1/4 of the balls in (not too many as you don't want the water to stop boiling). 

Boil until the balls float to the surface - about 3 - 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the mochi from the water and drop into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside. Repeat until all the balls are cooked. 

Toss in a little bit of olive oil to prevent the balls from sticking together. 

At this stage you can refrigerate the balls until ready to make the sauce and serve. 

When ready to eat - prepare the sauce.

Place soy sauce, water, sugar, gochujang, fish sauce, garlic, and sesame oil in a large pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add in the mochi and stir to coat. Whisk together cornstarch and chicken broth and add to pan. Turn heat to low and cook until heated through, stirring often.

If sauce thicken too much, add a bit more chicken broth. 

Remove from heat and sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds. 

You can make this with potatoes, sweet potatoes, or yams. The yams give them that beautiful orange color. A great recipe to use up leftovers.  

I sampled the mochi without the sauce and they taste just like plain yams. It’s the texture that makes these so intriguing. Chewy and sticky and deliciously different. 

The gochujang adds so much flavor but it also adds heat. Start with a little and add more as you like it. I went with about 1 Tbsp total and it was just spicy enough. 

We love trying foods we haven’t had before and this one is definitely going into regular rotation! 

Flatbread is a favorite around our house because it’s easy to whip up with minimal ingredients, it’s inexpensive, and it’s delicious with any toppings! I had a friend ask me to make some gluten free flatbread for her so I took a couple recipes from online and tweaked them and mixed and matched them to come up with this one. FYI - I use either Bob’s Redmill or Cup4Cup brand gluten free flour blends, I’m not sure how others would work.

From start to finish, it took me under half an hour to make these. 

You get a total of 8 approximately 8” flatbreads. 

1 1/2 cups plain, 0 fat Greek yogurt

8 tsp olive oil

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 cups Gluten Free Flour Blend (I use Cup4Cup)

Olive oil

Extra gluten free flour

Optional: parsley 

Whisk together Greek yogurt and olive oil. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. 

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until stiff, but not too sticky dough forms. If too dry, add water a spoonful at a time. If too sticky, add more flour a spoonful at a time. 

Divide dough into 8 pieces.

Roll each piece out on a floured work surface to approximately 1/4 inch thick. 

Heat cast iron pan over medium low heat. (A non-stick pan will work but cast iron is better if you have the option). Brush pan with a little olive oil and fry one flatbread at a time. Each side takes about 2 minutes. You may need to adjust the heat - too hot and it will burn, too cool and you won’t get the color and crispness. 

When done, remove from pan, brush with a little more olive oil, and sprinkle with a little parsley. This is optional - you can leave it plain if you like. 

Repeat with remaining flatbreads, brushing the pan in between each one with a little oil.

Serve immediately. 

I love these with tzatziki or hummus. They are just the thing to serve with a curry too. 

They will last, covered, on the counter for a day or two or you can freeze them for a month or so. Just pop them in the oven to reheat.

Sliced into triangles they make the perfect potluck dish or appie. 

These have a lovely, slightly chewy, slightly crispy texture. If you eat them plain they have that hint of gluten free flour taste to them but it’s not at all noticeable when served with a dip. 

I used a garlic olive oil which is great for adding extra flavor. You could even add some minced garlic to the dough if you want it more savory. 

I fell in love with this meal after I had it at a friend’s house. They were kind enough to share the recipe with me and give me permission to share on the blog as well. 

It is chock full of flavor and can easily be doubled for meal prepping. 

According to MyFitnessPal it is: 480 calories, 34 fat, 11 carbs, 3 fiber, 25 protein, and 8 net carbs per serving. (Recipe makes 5 servings) 

The counts are going to vary a bit depending on what sausage or brands you use so, as always, I recommend entering ingredients into your own nutritional calculator for more accurate tracking, 

5 kielbasa sausages, sliced

2 bell peppers, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 cups Raos marinara sauce

1 cup mozzarella, shredded 

Turn on broiler. Place sliced kielbasa in a single layer on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Broil until browned, flip over, and broil until other side is also browned. (You can also do this on a barbecue) Remove from oven and set aside. 

Preheat oven to 375. 

In a frying pan over medium heat, cook pepper, onions, and seasonings until softened - about 5 minutes. 

Stir in the cooked kielbasa. 

Stir in the marinara sauce and then spoon into a 9 x 13 pan, or 5 individual serving pans if meal prepping. 

Top with the mozzarella cheese. 

Bake at 375 until bubbly and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. 

Serve hot. If freezing for later, let cool completely before covering and freezing. It will also last for a couple of days, covered, in the fridge. To reheat from freezing: place in preheated 350 oven until heated through. Can also be placed in microwave safe dish and microwaved. 

I double it quite often as my keto clients love it. It’s a great freezer meal for when you are short on time. 

I realize I didn’t put how big the kielbasa sausages were - I don’t actually know the size. I use the ones that are about 6 inches long and, when sliced, are about 1 (heaping) cup of slices…. Hopefully that helps. I’ve also used the large rings of kielbasa and measure a serving as about 1 cup of slices. 

Let us know if you give this a try! I absolutely love the flavors and textures of this dish 😊