Low carb Keto Chicken Tacos

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos with Kale Slaw and Homemade Low Carb Tortillas

We started a ketogenic diet about 8 weeks ago.  And though we love the weight loss results, we have been challenged to cook no carb dinner entrees that seemed well rounded and left us feeling like we had more than just meat.

Then we put together these slow-cooker chicken Low carb tacos with a kale slaw.  And they were dynamite!

Even rivaled the full-on carb tacos at Lloyd Taco Factory in Buffalo that we love so much in our carb gobbling days.

So here's the 3 part recipe -

 

(don't be intimidated - slow cooker does the work for you and then it's just last minute prep.)

        slow cooker chicken

        kale slaw

        homemade no carb tortillas

 

Slow Cooker Chicken (adapted from West African Chicken Stew in Ketoclarity)

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 medium onion diced

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 bay leaf

1 can crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup water or more as needed

1/4 cup of almond butter (no sugar added)

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Minced parsley (sprinkle)

optional butter - if desired for added fat

1.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and brown over medium high heat in the coconut oil.  (This can be done on stove top or in your slow cooker on high heat.)  Brown the chicken on both sides - about 10 minutes.  Transfer to a platter.

2.  In same pot (your slow cooker), cook onion and ginger until soft - about 5-7 minutes.  Then add garlic, cayenne, bay leaf and cinnamon and cook for about a minute to enhance the spice flavors.  Add tomatoes and water- stirring.  Place chicken into this sauce (which is in your slow cooker) and set your slow cooker on low-medium - which depending on your style of slow cooker is usually in the 4-6 hr range.  Note: you may increase your water as this cooks to make sure you have plenty of sauce developing.

Kale Slaw

Fresh kale

Cider vinegar

Drizzle of olive oil or coconut oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Squeeze of a 1/2 lemon

Sprinkle of red pepper flakes to desired heat

1.  Wash, devein kale and pat dry. (I make extra of this easy slaw - as it basically goes with everything.)  Roughly chop or julienne the kale into ribbons.

2.  Toss kale with the vinegar, oil, lemon juice.  Season to taste with the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

No Carb Tortilla Wrap

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp of almond milk or non dairy milk of choice

1/4 tsp lemon juice

1/4 cup Coconut flour

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp dried egg whites or protein powder

4-6 egg whites (depending on size of eggs and desired consistency of the batter

water as needed to achieve crepe like consistency

Combine milk and lemon juice and set aside.
Sift together dry ingredients.  Add milk mixture and egg whites and whisk well.  Allow to site for 5-10 minutes to thicken.  Adjust thickness of batter with water.

Preheat a crepe pan or 8 inch skillet over medium heat.  Coat pan with non stick cooking spray or a smear of coconut oil.  Then cook 1/4 cup of batter in crepe pan as you would a crepe - for about 1 minute until set - loosen edges gently with a spatula and flip over.  Cook for 1 minute.  Remove to a warm plate and repeat with remaining batter.
(You can adjust the size of your crepe/wraps as you desire.)  We made small ones in the photo.

Assembly:

Put your individual wraps together by spooning in your shredded slow cooker chicken, kale slaw into your no carb tortilla wrap and spooning on some of the juices from the chicken on top.

Garnish with some freshly chopped cilantro or parsley and fresh lime wedges.

Low Carb Blueberry Pancake Topping

Blueberry Lemon Walnut Topping for Low Carb Pancakes

So on our low carb/no carb ketogenic diet we love our butter but miss the syrup for our pancakes.

Pancakes you said!!! On a low carb diet!?  YES!
Found this great recipe for low carb pancakes made with coconut flour that cooks up really well.

The All Day I Dream about Food blog is my new go to source for terrific low carb recipes.

Then I came up with this fast and easy topping that will make you forget about the syrup you are missing!

Blueberry Lemon Walnut Topping

Ingredients:

1/2 cup blueberries

Fresh lemon (about 1/2 small lemon)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Sprinkle of liquid artificial sweetener of your choice (I use sucralose or generic Splenda or Swerve) 

Combine all ingredients in small bowl, mix gently to combine and let stand a few minutes while you assemble and butter your low carb pancakes.
Serves 2

Enjoy!  

Of course, this could be easily repurposed (love to repurpose) in a non low carb diet by simply substituting a scant sprinkle of sugar or agave syrup instead of the Splenda.

Woodford Bourbon Distillery Tour

If you are ever driving through Kentucky, take the time to visit the Woodford Reserve distillery for a walk back in time and some delicious smells and tastes.

Their casks are stored in original stone buildings - a cool and pleasant walk during a hot summer tour!

The tour concludes with a delicious sampling of their different aged bourbons paired with some wonderful chocolate!  Definitely worth the price of admission.  Plus you get a real bourbon education here.

The entrance hall/gift shop area is a lovely structure with fireplaces, luxurious seating areas and many visual treats.

Bourbon flight post tour with chocolates

Woodford Reserve

casks stored in historic stone building

Red Pepper in Buffalo NY - Chinese Vietnamese cuisine

Spring rolls

A friend of mine recommended this Asian fusion restaurant -Red Pepper on Maple Rd in Buffalo.

We were in the mood for a quick but tasty lunch to celebrate the last day of class in the spring semester so we stopped in.

Front of this restaurant is a bit tired and shabby - but that describes most of Buffalo - so I let that go.

I don't often eat Chinese American food and I don't usually find satisfaction in the little inexpensive Chinese restaurants that are on every corner through out America - you know the places where you stop in for a quick fix of Sweet and Sour Chicken with a side of fried rice.

Fried wontons at Red Pepper

But Chinese Vietnamese interested me -so I tried it - I liked the spring rolls.  Fried wontons were a bit greasy - but they are fried!

We split the Vietnamese pancake with shrimp, pork and bean sprouts.  We liked it - was a bit bland and we splashed it with soy sauce.

I will probably stop in again at Red Pepper - I want to try their pho!

Recent reviews by Marge C.

What's this?

Window Boxes without Really Trying

Window Boxes that aren't Window Boxes

I want flowers everywhere!  And since this isn't always possible--
I've found ways to have window box flowers without the expense and difficulty of making window boxes.

Impatiens and ivy in wooly pocket.

These wooly pockets make quick & easy window boxes.

They are easy to hang and plant which I like because I'm all about instant gratification in the yard.

The pockets come in various colors & sizes - I like a contrasting color to show off the foliage and flowers.

I plant this one year round.  And the picture above shows some mushrooms popping up in the impatiens.

Doctor Shopping

 

I was recently shopping in a local jewelry store doing a quick preview of the merchandise to help select an appropriate birthday gift for my husband to give me.  (I do this because I am just give, give, give and I always put his concerns first and I would hate for him to make a bad birthday gift choice - like the time he gave me a book on the architecture of Buffalo.  That will NOT be happening again!)

Selfie of me and Dave when we got engaged.

The saleslady and owner both knew me well.  This is where we had my engagement ring custom designed and again the place where many birthday, anniversary and, of course, Bastille Day gifts come from.

 

  

Then it happened--

a doctor in scrubs walked through the door and the owner of the store flew to him like a moth to a flame.  

The saleswoman who had been showing me diamond studs was so taken by the blinding light of this doc's scrubs that she could barely look at me or complete a sentence in response to a question.  Then I had to wait to see the earrings I was interested until after my doctor friend finished with them.

 

 Hmmmm.  So I went over to a fine art gallery in town where I was really enjoying looking at some paintings.  The lively gallery assistant was showing me lots of beautiful abstracts and describing the techniques the artists used.  They were pulling pieces out of the back to show me and even offered to come to my home to do a trial installation of any art piece I desired.

A favorite Marc Chagall knock off.

when it happened -- AGAIN!

a doctor in scrubs walked through the door.  And I got handed off to another person who had been shuffling through items in the back of the gallery.

What's up with this!?  

Moral of the story:  Next time I decide to go shopping, I will wear green scrubs and tuck a pager onto my waistband for better service.

Chicken Vindaloo at Sitar Indian Cuisine

Sitar Indian Cuisine in Birmingham, AL

I didn't expect much when we stopped at Sitar Indian Cuisine in Birmingham.  But I figured almost any Indian food is better than no Indian food, thought we would give it a shot.

Extra napkins, please!

But, WOW, was I surprised -- the food here was excellent.  We ordered  Chicken Vindaloo that just about knocked our socks off.  It was spicy and fabulous.  The garlic naan was to die for.  Get extra napkins!  You will need them to mop up the delicious buttery naan and to dry the tears from your eyes if you order it "Indian hot" like I did.

Pricing

Prices were student friendly - that is to say - CHEAP!  Would love to pass back through Birmingham and eat here again.

Sitar Indian Cuisine in Birmingham is located next to UAB's medical school campus.  Wish I could transfer to their PA school!  I would eat here every day.