Enjoy July 4 celebration with low carb recipes

Happy Independence Day.

This is the time of good food, fellowship, and fun. Just remember to make sure you have low carb options for your snacks and meals.

Pack sliced vegetables such as carrots, peppers, cucumbers and squash. Bring your favorite low carb dressings, olive oil or just good old salt and peppers. Keep pork rinds and rice cakes for your salty cravings. Both have a variety of flavor choices so you don't have to be bored with them.

Pack flavor bombs, dark chocolate pieces or fruit for your sweet options. Be sure there is grilled, broiled, or air fried meats. Here's some recipes to help with the planning.

 

Low Carb Cole Slaw

1 head of green cabbage

2 to 3 carrots

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup unflavored Greek Yogurt

1/4 cup Swerve or low carb sweetener of choice

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or white vinegar

2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard

Start by cutting the cabbage in half. Remove the core and wash it well. Also give the carrots a good scrub. Set the cabbage aside and allow the water to drain out.

Using a hand grater or a food processor, shred the carrots and place in a large mixing bowl. Shred the cabbage in the food processor if you have one. If you don’t have one big enough to put cabbage in, just sliced it thinly with a knife.

In a bowl, mix the granulated sugar and the cider vinegar together. Stir until most of the it has been dissolved. Add the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. Mix until well blended.

Pour the dressing over the cabbage/carrot mix and stir to coat. Transfer the coleslaw to a large container with a cover. Or simply cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

 

South Western Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes | Low-Carb

4 sweet potatoes

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 c shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

To begin, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Wash the sweet potatoes and poke them several times with a fork. Set them on a baking sheet and bake for 50-60 minutes or until they are cooked. Once they are done, remove them from the oven, but do not turn it off yet.

While they are baking, cook the ground beef, onion and pepper together in a skillet, breaking up the meat as it cooks. When it is cooked, stir in the salt, pepper, cumin and smoked paprika.

Carefully cut a slit in each potato and scoop most of the insides into a bowl, leaving about a half inch layer of potato on the inside of the skin.

Add the meat mixture to the bowl with the sweet potato and stir it together to combine.

Spoon the mixture back into the potatoes and bake for 10 more minutes.

After they have finished baking, spread the shredded cheese.

 

Low Carb Broccoli Casserole

22 oz. frozen broccoli florets

1 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup onion diced

2 cloves garlic minced

salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp thyme fresh

4 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded, plus extra for sprinkling over top

4 eggs beaten

Defrost broccoli according to package instructions. Put in a colander to drain.

Melt butter in small skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté' until onions are soft (about 8 minutes). Transfer to a medium-sized bowl.

Add broccoli, cheese, eggs, thyme, salt and pepper to bowl. Stir to combine. 

Pour contents into a greased casserole dish. Top with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. 

Allow to sit 5-7 minutes before serving.

 

Low-Carb Blueberry Cobbler

3 cups fresh blueberries

1 tablespoon orange juice

2 tablespoons sugar, divided

¾ cup almond flour

¼ cup coconut flour

¼ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Stir blueberries, orange juice and 1 tablespoon sugar in an 8-inch-square glass baking dish.

Combine almond flour, coconut flour, salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a medium bowl. Add butter pieces and, using your fingers, incorporate into the dry mixture until crumbly. Add egg and vanilla and stir until fully incorporated. Dollop the biscuit topping onto the berries.

Bake until the berries are bubbling and the topping is browned in spots, 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving with sugar free ice cream.