Keto Instant Pot Jambalaya

We (and by we, I mean everyone currently in house except the baby) have been following a keto diet plan.  I probably have a few extra recipes to add since we've definitely formed some favorites, but for now... this Keto Jambalaya recipe is the very best adapted recipe I created since we started about 6 weeks and (for me) 13+ lbs ago.

First, you should know I adapted this recipe from Café Delites. If you like peppers, okra, celery and carbs, you should go there and try her version. But, if you're trying to eat keto and like jambalaya, mine is pretty darn good.

Ingredients

• Andouille Sausage - I used about 6 brats, sliced into rounds
• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast - I used two great big ones
• Shrimp - I bought a small-ish bag of deveined, tail-off frozen shrimp
• Onion - 1 medium, chopped
• Cajun Seasoning - 2 TBS, divided
• Butter - 2 TBS
• Garlic - I used about 4 moderate squeezes of garlic paste.
• 14 oz Can of Crushed Tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Dried Thyme
• 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/2 tsp Hot Pepper Sauce
• 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 3 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 4 cups Riced Cauliflower

Directions

1. Cook all the meat. 
• Sausage | Cut up the sausage into rounds and throw the pieces into a large frying pan with the cut up onion.  Cook on medium heat for a while--until the edges of the sausage are all browned and the whole pan is sizzling.
• Chicken | I hate--and I do mean hate--dealing with raw chicken. So, you can cook it however you want, but I tend to take the giant breasts (bought frozen), throw them into a pot with water and boil for a while to get them "not slimy any more." Then, I cut the chicken into smaller pieces, add about a 1/2 TBS of the Cajun seasoning, and cook it until it's all browned and yummy looking.
• Shrimp | Throw your shrimp into a small pot. Add butter, garlic, and 1/2 TBS of Cajun seasoning, and cook it until it looks done.
2. Add the following to the Instant Pot (you can do this while the meat is cooking): tomatoes, 1 TBS Cajun seasoning, black pepper, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire, broth, and cauliflower. As the meats are done, dump those in, too.
3. Stir all the ingredients well, put the lid on the Instant Pot. Close the pressure valve, and if your Instant Pot has a Soup button (like mine does), press that.  It will pressurize and then cook for about 30 minutes.  I let mine depressurize on its own and then it sat on Keep Warm for about 45 minutes. 
4. Serve with low carb corn bread, a fried low-carb tortilla, or by itself.

I'm not sure how many this serves--maybe 8 or 10? It's a little spicy, has great flavor, and keeps well in the refrigerator. I'm also not totally sure of the carb count or macros or whatever, but I know it's low carb enough and delicious.

"Fried" Bananas

• 1 banana
• non-stick cooking spray
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 TBS water
• 1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)
• Cinnamon (to taste)

Slice banana into approximately 1/8" slices. Spray pan, add bananas in a single layer to the pan, and put it on Medium heat. Spray tops of bananas with non-stick spray.

While the bananas are heating, mix together the honey and water (and vanilla, if desired).

Let the bananas cook until they are browned on one side. This usually takes longer than I expect... but I might just be impatient because I cannot wait to eat these once I get started. When one side is brown, carefully flip all of the banana slices over. Continue cooking until both sides are nice and brown (like in this picture).

Add the honey/water mixture to the pan and watch it bubble up. Let it cook until all of the moisture has cooked off. Dust with cinnamon. I add just a little because too much can make them a bit bitter, but you definitely want a little hint of it on there. It tastes kind of "flat" without it. Serve warm.

I'm not even the biggest banana fan in the world, but I still love these little babies. They are soooo delicious, and at only 1 P+ per recipe, they're my new "go to" evening snack!


This recipe was adapted from a recipe found at The Chrohn's Journey Foundation. I modified the recipe to my tastes and dietary goals. I do not have, nor do I know anything about, Chrohn's Disease, so I make no claim to my modified version being Chrohn's-friendly. The image was taken with my cell phone camera in my own kitchen.

Zucchini Oven Chips

• 1/4 cup smashed up Ritz crackers
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 TBS milk (I used almond milk)
• 2-1/2 cups thin-sliced zucchini (about 2 small)
• cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425.

In a medium bowl, combine cracker crumbs, parmesan, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Stir with whisk.

Place milk in shallow bowl. dip zucchini slices in milk, and dredge in cracker/seasoning mixture. Place coated slices on ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray; place rack on a baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

Crispy Edamame

1 (12 oz) package frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans)
1 TBS olive oil
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper (to taste)

Mix all ingredients so that edamame is coated. Spread evenly on cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes at 400.

Green and White Chicken Chili

Prepare the Chicken

• ~1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 TBS onion powder
• 5 tsp chopped garlic (I use the kind that comes in a jar)
• 1 jalapeno pepper (I use several pickled/jarred chopped peices of jalapeno)
• 2 TBS ground cumin
• 1 TBS ground coriander
• Cilantro: 1 cube, 1 tsp of paste, or 2 TBS fresh, chopped

Add the chicken to a pan and cover with water. Start cooking over medium-high heat. Add onion powder, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, coriander, and coriander. Boil together until chicken is fully cooked and tender.
Remove from heat and let cool a little. Cut up chicken breast into chunks and add to large pot or crockpot. There should be some yummy spices hanging out in the pan used to cook the chicken. Go ahead and empty everything that was in with the chicken into the new pot.  [Note: You could cut up the chicken before cooking it, but I hate touching slimey raw chicken, and doing it "my way" prevents me from having to touch it much while it's still raw.]


Cook the Chili

• 1 cup tomatillo salsa
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cans (15-oz each) cannellini or Great Northern beans
• Cilantro: 2 cubes, 2 tsp of paste, or 4 TBS fresh, chopped
• 1/4 cup lime juice

Now, add the salsa, the chicken broth, 1 can of cannellini (drained), cilantro, and lime juice to the pot. Take the second can of cannellini and dump half into the pot. Smash up the remaining half of cannellini--to use as a thickening agent--and dump that in the pot.

If cooking in a pot on the stove, simmer on medium-high heat for at least 10 minutes before serving. If cooking in a crockpot, set for 8-10 hours on low heat and leave to cook all day. I've done it both ways. The stove way works great if  you want to eat immediately, but you get the best flavor out of cooking it all day.


Serve it Right

• Light sour cream (I only use Daisy Lite. All other light sour cream is too runny for my tastes.)
• Shredded cheese (I use 2% reduced fat.)\
Fritos corn chips

Fresh shredded cilantro

Before serving, add a tablespoon or two of light sour cream to each bowl and stir it up. This step makes the chili less watery and adds a nice creaminess.


Top with shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, and corn chips. Enjoy the best chili you've ever eaten. Seriously, it is delish.


Nutrition Info

Although I can never seem to eat just one bowl... let's assume it makes 8 servings. Given that assumption, you're looking at about 6 WeightWatchers PointsPlus (including the sour cream) per serving, plus however much cheese and fritos you enjoy with your meal.

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken

Before I dive into the ingredients and how-to, let me just say that this meal was so delicious that after a couple of bites my husband said, without prompting: "This may be the best taco I ever ate."

Then, my parents unexpectedly stopped by and I fed them. And my dad, without knowing what my husband said, told me: "This maybe be the best taco I ever ate."

Yep, the exact same comment. Without prompting or collusion. What are the chances?! It's like a certified double-blind study. These really might be the tastiest tacos ever.

 Ingredients:

• 1.25 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast (completely thawed)
• 20 oz salsa - I used Pace Picante (Medium)
• Juice from 1 lime
• Fresh, chopped cilantro - about 1/2 cup
• 1.25-oz package taco seasoning
• 2 TBS chopped jalapeno peppers (I used the kind in a jar, but fresh would be good too)

Directions:  
Throw all the ingredients in a crockpot and cook it for at least 6 hours on low. I set mine to cook on low for 8 hours, and since I was at work, it sat on warm for probably another 4.5 hours, which didn't hurt it at all. In fact, it made the chicken extra tender.

It made 5 servings (10 tacos).

Each person got two small/medium soft flour taco shells filled with some of the chicken mixture (smashed up with a fork to shred it a bit), shredded 75% reduced fat Cabot cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro, light sour cream, and lettuce.

For two tacos and all those fillings, it was 9 P+. You could reduce the point count a great deal by making a taco salad out of it or using small corn tortillas. However you serve it, if you like Mexican food, you'll like this chicken. I promise.

Southwestern Egg Rolls with Avacado Ranch

For the egg rolls:
 - 2 cans shoepeg corn, drained
 - 1-15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
 - 4 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry with paper towel
 - 1 c. fresh cilantro, picked and chopped
 - 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese (I use 2% reduced fat or Cabot 75% reduced fat)
 - 1-7oz can diced green chiles, drained
 - 1 TBS onion powder
 - 1 tsp ground cumin
 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
 - 1 tsp salt
 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
 - avocado (optional, but if you choose to include them, you can use anywhere from 2 to 6 of them: peeled, pitted, and chopped into pieces)
 - 1 package of egg roll or wonton wrappers

Preheat oven to 425F. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

In a large bowl mix everything together (except--obviously--the wrappers). 

Use a spoon to scoop filling onto the wrapper. Starting at a corner, carefully start to roll the wrapper. When it’s slightly rolled, tuck in the two sides and continue rolling to the last point. Wet your finger with water and dab a bit on the corner to seal the roll. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling, placing them slightly apart on the baking sheet.

Lightly spray the tops of the egg rolls with cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes, flipping them at least once during baking.

Makes 48 mini rolls (wonton wrappers) or 28 regular rolls (egg roll wrappers). The tiny little wonton wrappers are tedious, but very tasty and the right size for bite-size party snacks. If you go with wonton wrappers, you will very likely need to leave them in the oven longer than 15 minutes. In my experience, the bake-time for the egg-roll size is more like 20-25 minutes. You'll know they're done when both sides are brown and starting to crisp.

For avocado ranch:
 - 3/8 cup light mayonnaise
 - 3/8 cup light sour cream
 - 3 Tbs milk
 - 1/2 Tbs olive oil
 - 1/2 Tbs lemon juice
 - 1 tsp onion powder
 - 1/4 tsp salt
 - 1 avocado, peeled and pitted

Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. Use immediately.

These were TRULY delicious. Both times I've made these, husband told me they tasted better than an appetizer ordered in a restaurant. High praise from an "eat out addict" like my love.  I used wonton wrappers the first time and egg roll wrappers the second.  They were truly good both ways: nice and crispy, so flavorful and delicious. But I will admit that loading the wonton wrappers got very tedious, so I'll probably stick to the bigger egg roll wrappers unless I'm making them for a party.  I was shocked by how "ranch-like" the avacado ranch was, since there's not actually any ranch in the ingredients list.  It was fresh and delicious. 

**Recipe adapted from a similar item found at cake&allie.**

Fruit and Oat Cookies

Ingredients:
 - 3 super-ripe bananas
 - 1 c. unsweetened applesauce
 - 1.5 c. old fashioned oats
 - 1/2 tsp cinnamon
 - 1/3 c. Craisins

Preheat oven to 350. 

Mush the bananas up good and mix them in with the applesauce.  Dump in the oats and cinnamon and mix well. Then add in the Craisins and mix until the dough looks relatively even. 

Drop the dough onto a cookie sheet in large spoonfuls. (I made fairly large cookies--the dough divided into 12 individual cookies.)  Bake for 35 minutes.

I really liked these and so did my mama.  Tastes like  a bowl of fruit oatmeal, but you don't need a bowl.  Husband doesn't like bananas much, so these were a "no go" for him. I'm looking for a replacement mushy fruit to make him some healthy cookies, too (it won't work with just the applesauce... in fact, that was pretty nasty.)  At only about 1 WW points per cookie, these are great on-the-go breakfast treats. 

Variations:

1. Chocolate Chip Pecan. Instead of cinnamon and craisins, try adding 1/3 c. of mini chocolate chips and 1/3 c. of pecans. Boosts the WW points to 2 per cookie, but totally tastes like real dessert!
2. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. 2 bananas mashed up, ~1/3 c. peanut-butter (made with PB2). Mix well. Add 2/3 c. unsweetened applesauce and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix well. Add 1 1/2 c. oats, 1/4 c. nuts, and 1/4 c. mini chocolate chips. Mix well and let dough rest for 10 minutes. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. BEST VERSION SO FAR. 2 P+ per cookie. Taste best while still warm.

Kelly's Healthified Kitchen

I've been trying to come up with a way to post my favorite recipes from the Healthified Kitchen to my recipe blog without stealing credit.  It seems like such a shame to copy and paste Kelly's recipes into my own blog when her presentation is so much better than mine (I mean, she has real pictures of each dish, and she has bazillions of healthy, delicious meals posted).  In my dreams, my recipe blog is as fabulous as hers.  But, alas, I am lazy and forgetful.  I hardly ever remember to take a picture of my creations, let alone upload them if I do snap a shot.  And I don't cook nearly as much as she does, either.  So, here's the solution.  Below are links to my favorite Healthified Kitchen recipes.  I'd be cheating visitors to my page if I didn't send you to her page so you can experience it!

• Honey Lime Enchiladas - 6 PointsPlus per enchilada (makes 10 enchiladas)
• Chicken and Cheese Crescent Pockets - 11 PointsPlus per pocket (makes 4 servings)
• Chicken and Mushroom Risotto - 9 PointsPlus per serving (makes 6 servings)

Easy Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 bag mixed frozen veggies
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 packet of McCormick's brown gravy mix (or white gravy mix)
• 1 packet (4 servings) instant mashed potatoes
• Seasoning: garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, etc. (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. 

Brown the Meat.  Begin browning ground beef.  Add garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper while cooking (if desired).

Cook the Veggies.  While the meat is cooking, prepare the frozen veggies according to the package directions.  I used a mix of green beans, corn, and carrots because husband doesn't hate any of those. I also bought the "steam in bag" variety, purely by accident, but they were delicious and super easy. When the veggies are done, drain them (if necessary), and put them in a fairly even layer in the bottom of a casserole dish.

Make the Gravy.  Just follow the packet instructions.  Dump the packet mix in with a cup of water and blend/stir with a whisk over medium heat until boiling.  Then continue simmering for another minute.  Once the meat is done, dump the gravy in the pan with the meat and mix them together.  Then dump the meat/gravy mix over the veggies in another even layer.

Make the Mashed Potatoes.  Again, just follow the packet instructions.  The ones I bought were pretty simple.  Add 2 cups of boiling water to the potato mix, cover, wait 5 minutes, fluff with a fork.  You can either spread the potatoes over the meat layer or use a froster to make the dish more decorative.  Either way, fully cover the meat layer with a potato layer.

Bake on middle-to-top row for at least 35 minutes, or until potatoes begin to brown.  Serve hot.

At 6 servings, this recipe comes out to about 6 WeightWatchers PointsPlus.  That's amazing for a totally instant meat and potatoes meal!

This recipe is my own invention. Husband loves shepherd's pie, but I'd never even tried making it. I found a recipe in a Hungry Girl cookbook, but it had a lot of replacements, and I knew that would just disappoint husband.  So, I decided to invent my own healthy version of this meal, and husband really loved it. Said it didn't taste like diet food at all.  I call that a winning recipe!

Scott's Hodgepodge Chili

- 1 can Rotel tomatoes
- 1 can Campbell's minestrone soup
- 1 can Ranch Style beans
- 1 lb ground beef (I use lean)

Combine tomatoes, soup, and beans in large pot.  Cover and turn on medium-low heat.  Brown and drain ground beef.  Add meat to pot with other ingredients.  Stir.  Simmer on medium-low heat for 15 minutes (or until warm enough to serve).  Serve with Fritos, shredded cheese (I use 2%), and sour cream (I use light).

Actually tastes better the second or third day, so I usually double or triple the batch!

Easy Taco Soup

- 1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained (I use lean)
- 1 can black beans, undrained
- 1 can kernel corn, undrained
- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 small, diced onion
- 1 envelope Taco Seasoning
- 1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing powder


Add all ingredients to crock pot.  Cook 4-6 hours.  Garnish with sour cream (I use light), shredded cheese (I use 2%), and chips (I like fritos or baked Tostitos).

Daddy's Perked-Up Picante

- 12 oz. Pace Medium Picante sauce
- 1 c. picked cilantro
- 1 tsp. garlic pepper
- 1 TBS Weber Roasted Garlic and Herb seasoning
- 1/4 tsp hot sauce


Put all ingredients in blender and grind til well combined.

Best Banana Pudding

- vanilla wafers
- 4 to 6 bananas (2-3 for a small pan)
- large pack of vanilla pudding mix (small pack for small pan)
- 3 c. milk (less milk for small pan)
- whipped cream

Layer wafers on bottom of dish.  Cut up bananas and layer on top of wafers.  Mix pudding with milk, according to package directions, and layer on top of bananas.  Add cool whip on top.  Sprinkle with crushed vanilla wafers.

I had this at a company potluck and loved it.  Come to find out, the guy's wife made the whole thing with sugar-free vanilla pudding, skim milk, and light cool whip.  It was absolutely delicious, so there's no reason to add extra fat and calories by using full-flavor ingredients! Yeah, and Yum!

Garlic Meatloaf

Sending lots of love to e-mealz for this one, but I modified it enough (a whole lot, really), so I claim it as my own! My husband's favorite!

- 1 egg
- 1/4 c. ketchup mixed
- 1/4 c. A-1 Steak Sauce
- 1/4 tsp California Style garlic salt
- 1/4 tsp California Style garlic pepper
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1/4 c. quick cooking oats

Preheat oven to 350.  In a small bowl, mix ketchup with A-1 until you can't tell they were ever two different sauces.  Mix together half of the ketchup/A-1 mixture and the rest of the ingredients.  When the mixture looks the same throughout, put it in a sprayed loaf pan, spreading it and flattening it out to fill the pan.  Top with other half of ketchup/A-1 mixture.  Bake 1 hour 10 minutes at 350.

Makes 4 servings. 6 WeightWatchers PointsPlus per serving.

I usually serve 1/4 of the loaf with a point-free veggie (like broccoli) and corn on the cob (at only 2 points per ear) or a baked potato.  The left-over meatloaf is actually better than the first night, so it's a double treat!

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread

This was FANTASTIC banana bread.  It's not the most diet-friendly item in the world, but it could certainly be worse!  And with whole wheat flour and honey instead of sugar, at least I feel like I'm eating healthier... even if it's not technically low-fat or low-cal.

Gotta give credit where credit is due, so instead of pretending this is my recipe, here's the link: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/whole-wheat-banana-nut-bread/detail.aspx

I'm following Weight Watchers, and 1/12 of the loaf is 5 points.  I liked it with Brummel & Brown Butter, which is ZERO points as long as you don't glob it on (1 pointplus for 1 TBS).

Bekah's Black Bean Salsa

- 1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
- 1 can shoepeg corn
- 2-3 tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 purple onion, chopped
- 3 T chopped cilantro
- 1 pkg Good Seasons Italian dressing mix
- 1/4 c. white vinegar
- 1/2 c. canola oil (Bekah cut the oil to 1/4 c., and it was delicious!)
- lime juice & chopped garlic to tast (optional)
Mix all ingredients; best if refrigerated over night. Serve with your favorite chips or crackers.

I ate this on Baked Tostitos, and it was perfect!  Again, this is a fabulous Bekah recipe, and I am so grateful she shared it with me.  I can't wait to make this for my next get-together!