Goulash

1 lb. hamburger
1 large onion, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 T powdered beef boullion
4 cups water
4 T paprika
1 lg pkg frozen green beans
Salt & pepper
Sour cream for serving

Cook onions in oil until translucent. Add hamburger, chop it up with a spatula and let it brown. Add tomatoes, beef boullion, water, paprika. (You may want more or less paprika, I put enough in so you can smell it while it is cooking. That gives it the "authentic goulash" flavor.) Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer for about an hour.  Add green beans, bring back to a boil and cook another 15 minutes or so. Add salt & pepper to taste. Serve with sour cream.

How to get started on low carb, or get back on the wagon if you've fallen off

In the beginning, the easiest way to shop is to plan meals around meat, veg and salad.

Stock up on chicken, pork chops, sausage (read the label), pork roast, beef roast, steak, salmon.
Buy bags of frozen veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, brussels sprouts.
Bags of salad, any fresh veggies you like. Cheese and dressing for your salad.
Eggs and bacon for breakfast, Heavy whipping cream and artificial sweetener for your coffee.

Dinner is meat, veg and a side salad.

For lunch have a big salad with meat, eggs and cheese.

Bacon and eggs for breakfast.

This simple framework gets you through the early days of "I don't know what to cook". Then you can start trying different recipes to add some variety.

Aldi Grocery List for LC

Nuts
Produce: tomatoes, onions, avocados, celery, cucumbers, cilantro, bagged salad, green pepper, colored peppers, jalepenos, limes, (not lchf items: apples, oranges, grapes)
Eggs
Almond milk (unsweetened)
Heavy cream
Cottage cheese, 4% milkfat (not lchf)
Sour cream
Butter
Shredded cheese (mozzarella and Mexican-style)
Bacon
Smoked sausage
Hot dogs (reg and cheddar)
Fresh meats (hamburger, pork chops, pork roast, chicken, etc.)
Cured sliced ham (Applewood Farms)
Cheese sticks (marbled, etc)
Cream cheese
Assorted hard cheeses
Dry spices
Sucralose
Coffee
Black tea
Seltzer
Pork rinds
Salsa
Cheese sauce
Enchilada sauce
Pickles
Olives (black & green)
Banana peppers
Mayo
Mustard
Ketchup
Bacon (pre-cooked)
Tuna (packets)
Salmon (canned)
Boullion (chicken or beef)
Green beans (canned)
Diced tomatoes
Tomato paste
Chicken broth
Frozen chicken (wings, legs, etc.)
Cornish hens
Shrimp (cooked, tail off)
Fish (tilapia, cod, salmon, etc.)
Frozen veggies (broccoli, green beans, California mix, etc.)
Paper & cleaning products (TP, paper towels, ziploc bags, trash bags, dish soap, laundry detergent)
Health & beauty (toothpaste, shampoo, soap, face cream, acetaminophen, multi-vitamins, baby wipes)

Sloppy Joe Bowl

2 lbs ground beef, browned & drained
1 Diced green pepper (optional)
1 Diced onion (optional)
1 c Sugar-free ketchup or tomato sauce
3 T Yellow mustard
2 t Garlic powder
2 t Onion onion powder
2 t Chili powder
Sweetener to taste (I use Splenda)
Salt to taste

Top with:
Shredded cheddar cheese
Dill pickle spears, cut into chunks

Amounts above are approximate. I never use a recipe for sloppy joes, I just brown up the ground beef  (with onions and peppers if using) and add other ingredients to taste. Serve the sloppy joe in a bowl topped with cheese and a generous handful of pickle chunks.

Peanut Butter Tip

Mix no-sugar-added peanut butter with butter or coconut oil to up the fat content and cut the carbs. For example, if you would normally eat 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, put one tablespoon on a plate and mix in a tablespoon of butter.

Shrimp Ceviche

1 bag frozen cooked salad shrimp, thawed

3 medium roma tomatoes, diced

1 medium red onion, diced

1 large jalepeno pepper, ribs and seeds removed, diced

1 firm avocado, cut into small chunks

1 small cucumber, seeded and diced

2 fresh limes or about ½ cup of lime juice

¼ cup low carb ketchup (or ¼ sugar-free tomato sauce plus a bit of sweetener to taste)

Cilantro, chopped (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and eat with a spoon.

Amounts are just suggestions. This recipe is very flexible so if you want more or less of anything, it will still come out great!  I’ve even seen recipes that don’t use tomatoes. Other vegetables could be added such as celery, green or red peppers, radishes, green onions, snap peas, etc.

Almond Flour Scones

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup almond flour
1/3 cup Splenda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Use a spoon to drop batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  2-3 tbsp of batter per scone yields about 9 scones. Bake for 15 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.