Baked Eggs Skillet with Avocado and Spicy Tomatoes (Paleo, Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

This Baked Eggs Skillet with Avocado and Spicy Tomatoes only needs a few minutes in the oven.

I'm always looking for new low-carb breakfast ideas, and recently when I had avocados in the fridge that needed to get used I came up with this Baked Eggs Skillet with Avocado and Spicy Tomatoes.  If you're wondering why my avocados were in the fridge, back in 2009 I shared a life-changing discovery that ripe avocados will stop ripening and last for several days longer if you store them in the fridge.  (Please tell me I'm not the only one who can't resist those bags of avocados at Costco and then has a hard time remembering to use them?  If you have the same problem, this trick of putting avocados in the fridge will really help!) I'm totally in favor of avocado for breakfast, and this was a quick and delicious breakfast for two that only needs about 10 minutes in the oven.

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Black Bean and Pepper Salad with Cilantro and Lime (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

I love this salad with lots of red and yellow peppers, red onion, and cilantro and just a few black beans!

(For Phase One Fridays I feature Phase One Recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this Black Bean and Pepper Salad with Cilantro and Lime is something I could eat every day all summer long.  There's a generous amount of chopped red and yellow peppers, red onion, and cilantro and only one can of beans, making this a great Phase One choice.  Today's the 4th of July celebration in the U.S., and this would be easy to throw together for a holiday pot-luck.)

Black beans are such a great pantry ingredient, and this simple salad with black beans, red and yellow bell pepper, red onion, lime, and cilantro has all the flavors that make me happy. I love the colors in this salad too. For best flavor, mix the dressing and let the beans marinate for a while (or at least while you chop the other ingredients) but even if you're in a rush like I was and forget to marinate the beans, it will still taste pretty great!

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Chicken Salad with Basil and Parmesan (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

If you have basil in your garden, don't miss out on making this Chicken Salad with Basil and Parmesan!

(Updated with better photos and step-by-step instructions, July 2014.)  This Chicken Salad with Basil and Parmesan is something you should make when you have lots of basil in your garden, because through the years I've learned you just can't put too much chopped basil in this salad.  I finally found a good sunny spot to relocate the herb pots I used on the deck last summer, and I'm happy to say I have lots of fresh basil this year, so when I cooked with my niece Kara recently we made this favorite basil-loaded chicken salad recipe to update the photos.

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25 Deliciously Healthy Low-Carb Recipes from June 2014 (Gluten-Free, South Beach, Paleo, Whole 30)

Twenty-five deliciously healthy low-carb recipes from June 2014, from Kalyn's Kitchen and my favorite blogs.

It's the first day of a brand new month, and since March 2008 I've been starting each month with a round-up of South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes found on Kalyn's Kitchen or spotted on other blogs.  It's been a fun way to feature healthy recipes from my favorite blogs, but six years later I now have readers who follow many different types of low-carb eating plans and the South-Beach only focus was feeling restrictive. That's why I announced last month that I'd decided to change it up a bit.  So what has changed, and what's staying the same?

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Power Greens Breakfast Casserole with Feta and Mozzarella (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

Power Greens Breakfast Casserole with Feta and Mozzarella has a whole pound of greens!

When I shared the recipe for Power Greens Salad with Blueberries and Almonds, I raved about how much I love the Power Greens mix of chard, kale, and Spinach I've been getting at Costco.  And if you know my food preferences at all, you might have guessed I'd be making some kind of breakfast casserole with this delicious mix of greens.  In the last couple of weeks I've made this Power Greens Breakfast Casserole with Feta and Mozzarella four times, so that's a sign of how much I like it!  And last weekend my friend Sean from Punk Domestics stayed at my house when he was in town for the Alt Conference, and when I fed him some of the leftovers for breakfast, he gave the recipe a thumbs up.  I actually used a full pound of the greens mix in this, which helped balance out the generous amount of cheese!  I think the combination of cheeses here went really well with the variety of greens, so if you like the idea of starting out the day with a healthy dose of greens, give this a try!

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Raw Zucchini Salad (Zucchini Carpaccio) with Lemon, Herbs, and Goat Cheese (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

Use small fresh-from the garden zucchini to make Raw Zucchini Salad with Lemon, Herbs, and Goat Cheese.

(For Phase One Fridays I feature Phase One Recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites.  I've been seeing small perfect zucchini at the farmer's market for the last two weeks now, so it seems like a perfect time to make this Raw Zucchini Salad with Lemon, Herbs, and Goat Cheese.)

Zucchini Carpaccio is a dish I've been intrigued by since I first heard about the idea of thinly slicing zucchini and then marinating it in a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice, so I have no idea why it's taken me so long to try it. It was the Carpaccio of Raw Zucchini from Sidewalk Shoes that finally pushed this dish to the top of my list. Pam used a recipe from Tyler Florence, but I ended up making my own version, heavy on lemon and herbs, and with the addition of a little goat cheese, since I'm always in favor of goat cheese in a salad!

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Leftover Chicken Salad with Mustard, Hearts of Palm, and Olives (Paleo, Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

Use leftover grilled or rotisserie chicken to make this Leftover Chicken Salad with Mustard, Hearts of Palm, and Olives.

When it's summer, grilled chicken breasts are always on the menu at my house.  And if I'm going to take the time to prep the chicken, marinate it, and then grill it, I'm probably going to make extra grilled chicken for leftovers.  I already have 20 Summers Salads to Make with Leftover Chicken, but that doesn't stop my brain from coming up with more ideas.  Not long ago I made Rosemary Mustard Grilled Chicken for a big family party, and with some of the leftover chicken I made this Leftover Chicken Salad with Mustard, Hearts of Palm, and Olives.  Not only was this a delicious low-carb salad, but if you choose ingredients carefully it's Paleo, Whole 30 approved, and gluten-free.  If grilled chicken isn't on the menu at your house, this would also be delicious with leftover rotisserie chicken, the ones that jump into your basket when you're at Costco.  Enjoy!

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