Crispy Pepperoni Chips

fried pepperoni?!
Originally uploaded by misfitgirl

Since eating better, I've noticed that I've been missing textures. I know that probably sounds weird, but there's just something about the light fluffy texture of fresh bread or the crunch of a potato chip. At the same time, chips are a good scoop too -- dips, chili, etc.

I decided to look around for low carb chip substitutes and I stumbled up Crispy Pepperoni Chips over at the Food Network. Honestly, the recipe couldn't be more straight forward -- take sliced pepperoni and put it in the oven until crispy. They definitely were crispy and worked well as a chip and a cracker. I ate them with cream cheese but next time I might find a low carb dip to add a little more flavor.

Through this recipe hunt, I found out that the Food Network used to have a low carb show, Low Carb and Lovin' It. Apparently it was on during the height of the low carb craze when every food related company was trying to cash in.

For all those who have struggled to lose weight and failed: Meet George Stella, the low carb chef. Once weighing in at 465 pounds, George transformed his life with controlled carbohydrate eating. Now he shares his secrets to successful weight loss, proving that the low carb lifestyle doesn’t have to be boring.

It is a shame the Food Network doesn't have the old episodes of the show available on their website, I'd love to watch them.

Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes”

Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes”
Originally uploaded by Ozma of Oz and the Wogglebug

Lately for dinner, I've been having the same dinner: two cans of tuna, mayo, cheese and lettuce. While that's good and satiating, I noticed that I was slowly growing bored of it. To add some variety, I tried salmon but that didn't work out too well. Last night I had a bit of an eureka moment when I saw that sliced steaks are 0 carbs. I don't know why it was surprising -- I was just expecting lots of sugary additives.

What goes with steak? Potatoes! But those are strictly out on the low-carb eating plan. I googled around a bit and stumbled upon a recipe for Creamy Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes.

1 bag frozen cauliflower florets
4-6 oz of cream cheese (to taste)
1/4 cup heavy cream
2-4 oz of butter, softened (to taste)

I made these tonight and they certainly look like mashed potatoes, but thats where the similarities ended. The first batch had too much cream cheese and both batches were really watery, so I didn't have to add any cream. I'd recommend trying them, but don't try to pass them off as potatoes at your next dinner party.

Zucchini Noodles

Raw Zucchini noodles
Originally uploaded by Valerie's Adventures in Living

Since the bulk of my current eating plan includes vegetables, I've been looking for new, interesting ways to prepare vegetables. I love stir fry over rice and tomatoes in pasta, however, I can't eat rice or pasta right now. I was pretty excited to find this recipe for zucchini spaghetti noodles.

I love zucchini, although I usually eat it breaded and friend. This version is at least fried with olive oil and garlic. It requires a matchstick blade for a mandolin, which isn't something that I have, but the article mentions that they're pretty cheap. I might pick one up to give this recipe a try, especially since another blogger loves the noodles.

...we are... eating zucchini again and with no complaints...uh-huh...it was tasty, light, filling, zesty...

Crunchy Beans

The last time I tried corn nuts, I thought I was going to crack my teeth. These Roasted Garbanzo Beans are a crunchy alternative that I've found to be a great addition to my eating plan since most beans have the same, squishy texture. I made them last week and found that they aren't exactly corn nuts, since they don't crunch the whole say through. I will also warn that they were pretty mushy when I reheated them in the microwave. All in all, I'd recommend eating them fresh out of the oven (let them cool first!) and sharing with friends to finish off the whole batch.