Low Carb Recipes for the Christmas Holiday

I think better questions should be: What can I cook for my low carb diet? Are there any recipes that actually taste good?

Here's some excellent Christmas recipes (or any time of the year recipes that fit the low carb mode. I have collected the recipes over the years and these are some of my favorites for the Christmas holidays. If you want to stick to your low carb diet and still feel like you're celebrating, I invite you to try this Christmas recipes!

Appetizers
Party Salmon Log
1 lb. canned red salmon, boned, drained
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese
2 tsp. grated onion
1 tsp. prepared horseradish
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. liquid smoke
1/2 c. chopped pecans, walnuts or macadamias
3 tbs. snipped parsley
Combine salmon with everything except nuts and parsley.
Shape mixture into an 8x2" log.
Roll in nut/parsley mixture

Crabolicious!
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
1/3 cup fine Ground Pork Rinds
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon chopped chives
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 slices bacon cut in thirds
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
Remove cartilage from crabmeat. Combine all ingredients except bacon. Mix thoroughly
and then chill for 30 minutes.
Portion crab mixture with a tablespoon. Shape into small rolls.
Wrap bacon around crab rolls and secure with a Toothpick.
Place crab rolls on a broiler pan. Broil about 4 inches from source of heat for
8 to 10 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Turn carefully. Broil 4 to 5 minutes longer.
Makes 30 hors d'oeuvres

EGGS AND CHEESE
Chicken Egg Foo Young (one recipe serves 4 people)
8 eggs
1 cup shredded string beans
I cup shredded celery
1 ½ cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup sliced mushrooms, canned or fresh
1 cup shredded onions
Salt and pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly and divide into 8 portions. Grease
hot skillet well; fry both sides until golden brown.
Feel free to substitute pork, lobster or shrimp as your meat.

Florentine
1 lb. creamed cottage cheese
1 pkg. frozen, chopped spinach
1/4 lb. butter or margarine
6 large eggs
1/2 lb. grated Swiss cheese
1/2 lb. Feta cheese
Nutmeg to top and a dash of hot pepper sauce to taste
Beat eggs.
Add cheeses and butter and mix well.
Cook and drain spinach well.
Add to egg/cheese mixture.
Add nutmeg and hot pepper sauce.
Pour into greased 3 quart baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Cut into squares.

Crepes
2 eggs
1T oil
2 T. protein powder
1 packet sweetener
Heavy cream to desired consistency (usually just a couple of tablespoons).

Mix all items well with an electric beater (you want it foamy).
Drizzle very thinly into heated medium sized frying pan (nonstick works best, use spray
or oil otherwise)
You can double and triple this recipe with no problem.
This recipe makes 2-3 Crepes
depending on the size of the pan.
You can stuff them with cream cheese or even meat!
Of course cheese too.

MEAT
Pepper Steaks with Brandy Mustard Sauce
4 Filet Mignon steaks
4 tablespoons coarsely ground pepper ( I like to use a 3-pepper blend)
2 tablespoons butter (I like unsalted)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup brandy
2 tablespoons coarse ground mustard (Grey Poupon Country Dijon works well)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Put the pepper on a big plate, roll the steaks in the pepper till completely covered. Press
the pepper into the meat. Let rest a couple of minutes
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a heavy skillet until VERY hot.
Add the steaks and cook until done the way you like them.
Remove the steaks from the pan, deglaze it with the brandy, scraping up any
browned bits on the bottom.
Add the mustard, stir till blended, then add the cream and stir again till smooth.
Plate the steaks on individual plates, and pour ¼ of the sauce over each steak

Baked Ham with Cucumber, Tarragon, and Mushroom Sauce
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
4 large mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced thin crosswise (1 ½ cups)
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh tarragon + sprigs for garnish
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/4 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
3/4 lb. ham steak, trimmed
In a skillet, melt butter over moderate heat until foam subsides. In it cook mushrooms,
stirring, until they begin to give off their liquid. Add cucumbers and cook, stirring, 3-5
minutes, or until cucumber is slightly softened. Stir in chopped tarragon, cream, and
mustard, and cook until thickened slightly. Put ham in a baking dish and spread with
cucumber mixture. Bake in the middle of a preheated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes, or
until heated through. Garnish with tarragon sprigs

Tuscan Parmesan Pillows (serves 6)
1 ½ lb. ground beef round
3 cloves garlic; crushed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
1 cup Parmesan cheese; grated
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
1/3 cup chopped parsley
Lemon wedges
Mix meat-mixture ingredients (first 6) until well blended.
Shape into twelve 1 ¼-inch thick patties. Let stand 15 minutes.
Heat oil and butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
Add patties and cook until well browned on both sides and no longer pink in center, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with remaining parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.

Oyster Stew
1 8oz can Oysters in juice
(I use Pacific Pearl Cove brand, 2g carbohydrates per serving [1/4 cup])
3/4 cup Whipping cream plus juice from oysters and water to make 2 cups liquid (it needs to look like the consistency of milk)
1/2 stick butter
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Pepper to taste
In a pot over medium heat melt butter, add seasonings, add liquids and bring
to a simmer.
Lower heat and add oysters, do not boil oysters they will get rubbery and terrible tasting when overcooked. It is ready to eat when the oysters are warmed through.

POULTRY
Chicken in Garlic Sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
2 ½-3 pounds chicken, cut in small serving pieces
Salt
2 tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup water
Juice of 1 lemon
Few strands saffron or ¼ teaspoon turmeric, diluted and crushed in very
small amount of water
Heat oil in large skillet.
Add chicken pieces and cook over moderate heat until golden brown.
Place chicken pieces in large, shallow casserole. Salt.
Pour off all but 4 tablespoons of oil in skillet.
Add garlic powder.
Stir in water and bring to boil.
Pour over chicken.
Add lemon juice and saffron.
Cook, covered, over low heat about 15 minutes or until meat is tender.
Serve, spooning sauce over chicken.

Chinese Chicken
3 lb. chicken
4 Tbsp. tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. dry sherry
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1/3 tsp. chili powder
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 inch piece green ginger, grated
Wash and dry chicken.
Combine the rest of the ingredients together and mix well.
Add the chicken, coat well with the marinade.
Allow to stand several hours or overnight in refrigerator.
Place chicken in a baking dish and pour over marinade.
Cover dish with foil.
Bake in a moderate oven 1 ½ hours, remove foil
Bake a further 30 minutes, brushing frequently with marinade.

Ranch Chicken
4-5 Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (Buttermilk)
1/2-1 lb. Bacon
2 c. Mixed Shredded Cheese
Arrange chicken breasts at bottom of casserole dish.
Sprinkle dressing packet on top.
Lay bacon across to cover and top with cheese.
Bake covered for 45 min at 350 degrees.
Bake uncovered open for an additional 15 min.

SWEETS
Chocolate Fudge
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons Splenda
In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt butter.
Add heavy cream and cream cheese, and whisk until smooth.
Add Splenda, and adjust for taste. (Add a little more if you need too)
Heat until bubbling, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat, and stir in cocoa and vanilla.
Blend well. Pour into a small buttered dish.
Place in the refrigerator to set for 3 to 4 hours. Cut into 8 pieces.

Chocolate Kisses
1 pint whipping cream
6 oz. cream cheese
2 tbsp. sour cream
¼ cup half & half
1 package sugar-free chocolate pudding
Whip up cream.
In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, half & half, and chocolate pudding.
Blend with the whipped cream.
Place in a pastry bag with a star tip (or use a zip-lock bag with a hole cut in the corner)
squeeze Hershey Kiss size bits on to a sheet pan covered or waxed paper.
Place in freezer until solid.

Chocolate Peanut Cups
8 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese
1/4 pound (1 stick) butter
1/4 cup Hershey's cocoa
1/4 cup Peter Pan peanut butter
1/4 cup cream
30 Equal tablets dissolved in a little water.
Put cream cheese and butter in bowl and microwave for one minute.
Add remaining ingredients and blend thoroughly.
Spoon into mini muffin pan to make 12 cups and refrigerate until firm.
If you have trouble getting them out, set the muffin pan into a shallow roasting pan with very hot water in it for a few seconds, then pop them out with a knife.
Store in refrigerator.