Sauteed Bacon and Kale

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I just love kale, and I find the simpler I fix it, the better I like it.  For years I cooked it like my mother and grandmother fixed it, simmered in shallow water, with caramelized onion and bacon or chopped country cured ham.  Color doesn’t come out so pretty that way, however.  Today I craved it for lunch and just washed and sauteed half of the lovely bunch I bought yesterday (hubby doesn’t like kale) with some bacon.  It was SO good!  And the lovely color isn’t lost with sauteed kale!  I just made a meal on that and a piece of buttered low-carb, gluten-free bread (sadly, I had none of my cornbread left from earlier in the week).  This was delish!  And only 1 skillet and 1 bowl to wash up!  This is most assuredly suitable for all phases Atkins, Primal and Paleo regimens.

INGREDIENTS:

½ bunch kale (about 2 c.), washed

2 slices thick bacon, chopped

Dash salt and pepper (if desired)

DIRECTIONS:  Remove large, tougher stems from kale and coarsely cut up the leaves.  A little smaller stem is OK to leave on. Fry the chopped bacon in a skillet over high heat until nearly done.  Lower heat to medium, add chopped kale and saute just until wilted and done, about 5 minutes.  You don’t want to brown the kale, as that will tend to make it bitter.   Serve at once with your favorite meat, or serve as a meal itself, with a piece of buttered, low-carb corn bread or your favorite low carb bread or rolls.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 2 servings (if serving as a side dish), each contains:

212 calories

19.4 g  fat

3.65 g  carbs, 1.30 g  fiber, 2.35 NET CARBS

6.05 g  protein

375 mg sodium

238 mg potassium

37% RDA Vitamin A, 12% B6, 12% B12, 53% C, 14% copper, 10% iron, 15% manganese, 14% niacin, 14% phosphorous, 16% selenium, 14% thiamin, 8% Zinc

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Lupin Cornbread Stuffing

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I had 12 of my Lupin Corn Muffins I made this week leftover and decided to see what kind of stuffing they would make and I’m very impressed!  The slight bean lupin flavor didn’t come through at all and the stuffing didn’t come out yellow either!  Lupin flour can make baked goods VERY yellow!   I would not hesitate to use this corn muffin recipe for making stuffing I would be proud to serve to company. A word about allergy-prone readers:

CAUTION:  Lupin beans are technically a legume that is closely related to peanuts.  If you have a peanut allergy, there have been reports of some peanut sensitive people reacting negatively to lupin beans.

This recipe would not be suitable until the legumes rung of the Atkins OWL carb ladder.

INGREDIENTS:

12 Lupin Corn Muffins: 
http://buttoni.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/lupin-flour-corn-muffins/

3 oz. onion, chopped

3/4 c. celery, chopped

6 T. butter, unsalted

¼ c. parsley, chopped

2 eggs, beaten

1 c. homemade chicken broth

½ tsp. poultry seasoning: (I use this recipe:
http://buttoni.wordpress.com/2010/11/20/dads-poultry-seasoning/
)

Dash ground thyme

Dash salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Melt the butter in a skillet. Chop celery and onion and saute in the butter over high heat until tender.  Break up the corn muffins into fairly small bits in a large mixing bowl.  Add sauteed vegetables and parsley to the bowl.  Next add the spices, salt and pepper.  Beat and add in the eggs and chicken broth.  Stir well to blend.  Pour into greased rectangular baking dish.  Pop into 350º oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until center is set and top is browned.  Serve with pork, chicken, turkey, duck or other fowl or game.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 10 servings, each contains:

231 calories

20.3 g  fat

5.13 g  carbs, 2.58 g  fiber, 2.55 g  NET CARBS

8.3 g  protein

298 mg sodium

144 mg potassium

11.5% RDA Vitamin A, 6% B12, 32% iron, 21% phosphorous, 7% riboflavin, 22% selenium

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Zucchini “Donuts”

Click to enlarge (bottom view)

I wanted to cook zucchini tonight and although a fritter of some sort was formulating in my head, I decided to make them in a fun shape for visual impact.  I used my non-stick Wilton Donut pan (the large one, with 6 large donut shapes in the pan).  Thye cooked nicely and tasted GREAT!  They weren’t as crisp as I like my fritters, buy my husband thought they were just fine like this. They brown as shown above on the bottoms.  These are not suitable until Phase 2 of Atkins.  They are not acceptable for Paleo-Primal due to the oat fiber and lupin flour.  This is what they look like on the tops when done:

Click for Top view

VARIATION:  You could omit the onion powder and Parmesan cheese in these, sub in 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and a couple packets of sweetener and have a sweet version for morning coffee.  Or double the recipe and do half as a veggie side dish, half as a morning sweet.

INGREDIENTS:

9 oz. zucchini, grated

3/4 tsp. onion powder

2 large eggs, beaten

Dash each salt and cayenne pepper

2 T. oat fiber (not oat flour, or oat bran, which are high in carbs)

1 T. lupin flour

1 T. coconut flour

1 T. unflavored, unsweetened whey protein powder

3/4 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. glucomannan powder (also called konjac powder)

2 T. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. olive oil for oiling pan

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Using a basting brush, lightly oil non-stick donut pan with olive oil and set aside.  Grate zucchini onto paper towels, blot on top with more paper towels to remove some of its natural water.  Place zucchini in medium bowl, add all other ingredients and stir to blend well.  With a slim rubber spatula or small spoon, dip the mixture evenly into the 6 compartments, leveling the batter.  The compartments will be pretty full, but this doesn’t rise up much, so that’s OK. If you don’t own a donut pan, you can use 6 muffin cups.  Or you could use a mini muffin pan, filling those slots nearly full with the mixture.    Pop into 350º oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until firm to the touch.  Loosen from the pan with a knife tip and serve at once.

CAUTION:  Lupin beans are technically a legume that is closely related to peanuts.  If you have a peanut allergy, there have been reports of some peanut sensitive people reacting negatively to lupin beans.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 6 zucchini “donuts”, each contains:

62.33 calories

3.73 g fat

5.28 g carbs, 3.42 g fiber, 1.86 g  NET CARBS

4.85  g. protein

126 mg sodium

137 mg potassium

10% RDA vitamin B12, 10% iron, 16% phosphorous, 10% selenium

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Asparagus with Bacon and Onion

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I’ve always steamed my fresh asparagus, but tonight I decided to try and saute it.  I’m glad I did!  It was marvelous done this way!  I wanted to add the smoky taste of bacon and also the sweet edge of caramelized onion and the flavors were simple fantastic together.  Each enhanced the other!  This side dish is suitable for all phases of Atkins and Paleo-Primal diners as well.

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch of fresh asparagus (mine had 20 stalks in it)

2 oz. yellow onion, sliced

4 slices low-sodium bacon, sliced

Dash each salt and black pepper

DIRECTIONS:  Break the bottom ½” or so off the asparagus stems off. Cut in 2″ long pieces, separating out the tips for shorter cooking time. Brown the bacon in a non-stick skillet.  Remove and drain bacon bits on paper toweling. Add the onion and saute in the bacon grease until it begins to brown and caramelize.  Add the 2″ stem pieces (holding out the tip pieces for now).  Saute for 2-3 minutes or until stems are tender crisp.  Add the tip pieces and saute just until the tips are tender crisp as well.  Pour all into a serving dish and top with the browned bacon.  You can add the bacon to the skillet and toss before plating if you prefer.  I served this alongside some tender oven-roasted grass-fed beef brisket and a lovely tomato-olive salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 4 servings, each contains:

101 calories

7.1 g  fat

4.98 g  carbs, 2.22 g  fiber, 2.76 NET CARBS

4.8 g  protein

258 mg potassium

133 mg sodium

27% iron

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Cauli-”Yam” Quiche

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Though this quiche was first made using leftover steamed cauliflower and some leftover Chipotle “Sweet Potatoes” I happened to also have in the fridge (recipe here:
http://buttoni.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/chipotle-sweet-potatoes/
)  you could instead just use cooked, fork-mashed butternut or acorn squash with your cauliflower.  If you go that route, please  add 1T. maple syrup, ½ chopped seeded chipotle in adobo, 1 juice and zest of ½ lime, 2 T. cream and a dash of cinnamon to your mixture, as those flavors are essential to the overall result.   Your final dish will be about the same making it this way.

I have made this recipe three times now and my husband and I really like it a lot.  If you have trouble getting your children to eat vegetables, this is a great way to sneak in some cauliflower when they insist they don’t like cauliflower.  They won’t be able to taste it in this dish AT ALL!  Promise!  This recipe is Atkins Induction friendly if made with the fresh pumpkin in the original sweet potato recipe linked above.  If using butternut squash or acorn squash, it isn’t suitable until the higher starch-y vegetable rung of the Atkins OWL carb ladder.  Paleo and Primal diners can enjoy this dish as well.

INGREDIENTS:

1c. steamed, cauliflower, drained

1 c. Chipotle “Sweet Potatoes”: 
http://buttoni.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/chipotle-sweet-potatoes/

½ c. Monterrey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, grated

2 eggs, beaten

½ jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced fine (+a few strips extra and piece red pepper for garnish)

1/8 tsp. salt

Dash black pepper

It looks like this before cutting into it:

Double recipe pictured here

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º.  Mash the steamed cauliflower with a fork in a large mixing bowl.  Add the chipotle sweet potatoes and eggs.  Beat with a rubber spatula until well blended.  Add jalapeno, salt, pepper and cheese and whip until all is well-mixed.  You can use a processor, blender or electric mixer to prepare if you prefer.  Pour the mixture into a well-greased baking dish, garnish if desired and bake in a 350º oven for 30-35 minutes or until the center is set dry to the touch.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

204 calories

14 g  fat

8.33 g  carbs, 1.63 g  fat, 6.7 g  NET CARBS

8.4 g  protein

417 mg sodium

380 g  potassium

11% RDA Vitamin A, 23% B12, 26% c, 11% E, 11% calcium, 11% iron, 20% phosphorous, 23% selenium and 11% zinc

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Broccoli-Cabbage “Souffle”

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My husband just LOVES souffles and my college roommate always made a broccoli souffle he was remembering this week. So I decided to make one with the leftover stir-fried cabbage I had in the refrigerator and the two stalks of broccoli left in there also.  Served it with my oven-roasted brisket last night and wondered why haven’t I made this in so long?  It’s so easy and so good!  This is suitable for all phases of Atkins and Primal-Paleo as well.  My roommate would also include either pimiento or chopped red bell pepper in hers, which is good.  But my husband isn’t so fond of them, so I didn’t add any this time. Feel free to add that if you like.

INGREDIENTS:

2 c. broccoli, cut into big chunks, steamed or boiled until tender

1 c. chopped cabbage

2 oz. chopped onion

1 T. olive oil

½ c. drained, canned water chestnuts, sliced

2 jumbo eggs, beaten

Dash black pepper

¼ tsp. salt

4 T. Parmesan cheese, grated (optional, but included in stats below)

DIRECTIONS:  Steam or boil broccoli until just tender.  Preheat oven to 350º.  While that is cooking, heat the olive oil in non-stick skillet and saute cabbage and onion until wilted and tender.  Remove from heat.  Drain broccoli.  Add all ingredients, veggies, eggs and seasonings to the bowl of a food processor (or blender), and process to a coarse chop.  Pour into greased deep baking dish (I use a 7″ Corningware vegetable bowl for my souffles).    Bake for about 20-30 minutes, just until it is dry in the center.  Serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 4 nice servings, each contains:

130 calories

8.3 g  fat

8.2 g  carbs, 2.3 g  fiber, 5.9 g  NET CARBS

7.8 g  protein

288 mg sodium

267 mg potassium

13% RDA Vitamin B6, 22% B12, 64% C, 11% copper, 16% iron, 10% manganese, 20% phosphorous, 22% riboflavin, 22% selenium, 10% Zinc

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Baked Italian Eggplant Stacks

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This tasty dish is incredibly easy to make!  It’s just a matter of layering the ingredients in a pan and the only hard part is being patient while it bakes, because it smells so darn good while it’s cooking.  It takes some time for the eggplant to get tender, but it is well worth the wait.  It went very nicely with a seared pork chop and small Italian salad.  This dish is Atkins Induction friendly and Paleo-Primal friendly as well if you eat the occasional cheese.  Of course, you can add browned ground beef to this dish for a complete meal, but I already have a recipe on my site for that: 
http://buttoni.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/eggplant-beef-lasagna/

INGREDIENTS:

1 T. olive oil

16 oz. eggplant, sliced 3/16″ thick or less

3 large Roma tomatoes, sliced thin

1 c. grated mozzarella cheese

1/3 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

4 oz. ricotta cheese

1 tsp. oregano (or Italian Seasoning blend of your choice)

½ c. low-carb sugar-free spaghetti sauce (I use homemade, Belo vita or Lucini Italia Tomato Basil)

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease well a ceramic quiche or pie plate with the olive oil.  Slice eggplant and tomatoes.  I found I had enough eggplant and tomatoes for 3 layers in my pan.  Begin with a layer of eggplant on the bottom of the quiche dish.  Top with a layer of tomato slices.  Next sprinkle with 1/3 of the oregano/Italian seasoning.  Next sprinkle 1/3 of the Mozzarella and 1/3 of the Parmesan evenly on top.  Dot surface with 1/3 of the ricotta.  Repeat the layers two more times.  Spoon the spaghetti sauce evenly over the top, spreading it with the back of your spoon.  Pop into preheated 350º oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes.  Check at 1 hour with a fork.  The tomatoes and eggplant will produce a great deal of moisture during the first half of cooking (this is to be expected), but all of it will evaporate by the time the eggplant is tender.  If the fork goes into the eggplant easily, the dish is done.  If not, cook it another 15-20 minutes.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 6 servings, each contains:

157.2 calories

10.2 g  fat

7.65 g  carbs,  2.78 g  fiber, 4.87 g  NET CARBS

9.8 g  protein

274 mg sodium

254 mg potassium

10% RDA Vitamin A, 21% B12, 10% C, 20% calcium, 11% manganese, 26% phosphorous, 12% riboflavin, 13% selenium, 14% zinc

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Sweet Spicy Swiss Chard

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Just TRY to say the name of this dish 10 times in a row REAL fast.  I dare ya!  This dish was so easy to put together and the flavor is really quite nice.  The sweet raisins really compliment the spice mixture in this and BOTH round out the somewhat musty taste chard has.  Both my husband and I liked this combo!  I used unsweetened Thompson raisins, but you could also use unsweetened Golden raisins.  They have almost exactly the same nutritional information.  This dish is definitely acceptable for a Paleo-Primal dietary program but is not suitable on the Atkins program until the higher fruits rung of the OWL carb ladder in Pre-Maintenance/Maintenance.  If you’re still on Atkins Induction, you could omit the raisins and still enjoy this dish. I served this with browned pork chops and a tasty yellow squash casserole.  I think dish would also enhance a variety of grilled seafood entrees.

INGREDIENTS:

¼ c. unsweetened raisins (dark or golden), soaked in warm water to plump

3 oz. bacon (no-sugar), chopped

1½ oz. onion, sliced

5 large Swiss chard leaves, stemmed and chopped coarsely

1 tsp. Peggy’s 8-Seed Spice Blend: 
http://buttoni.wordpress.com/2012/10/09/peggys-8-seed-spice-blend/

DIRECTIONS:  Soak the raisins in warm water for 30 minutes or so to plump them up.  Drain off water.  Using a knife, cut stems out of the chard (you can save and reuse stems sliced in Chinese stir fries).  Coarsely chop the remaining chard leaves.  In a large non-stick skillet, first cook the chopped bacon.  When the bacon is done, add the sliced onion and saute until it just begins to caramelize.  Add chard and saute, stirring often, until wilted and done.  This will take about 8-10 minutes.  Add the raisins and sprinkle the 8-Seed Spice Blend over the chard and saute and stir a couple minutes longer to allow the spices to “come alive”.  Serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:   Makes 3 servings, each contains:

96 calories

3.67 g  fat

12.30 g  carbs, 2.03 g  fiber, 10.27 g  net carbs

4.87 g  protein

358 mg sodium

365 mg potassium

35% Vitamin A, 33% C, 18% copper, 23% iron, 21% magnesium, 17% manganese

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South of the Border Kale

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I’ve sauteed kale before, but never has it come out so sweet.  I was stunned!  The caramelized red onion does a wonderful job at sweetening  up the kale.  Some smoky Mexican spices round out the flavor and would let this dish compliment carne asada, Mexican grilled seafoods or even spicier dishes like cheesy enchiladas.  I can even see this as a potential filling for enchiladas or quesadillas, with or without a little ground beef.  This dish is suitable for all phases of Atkins and Paleo-Primal as well.  Kale is high in carbs, but it’s so nutritious I try to fit it into my diet once a week.

INGREDIENTS:

3 c. chopped kale leaves, stems removed

4 oz. red onion, sliced

4 tsp. oil or grease of your choosing

Tiny pinch each: chili powder, chipotle powder, smoky Spanish paprika, cumin, garlic powder

Sea salt and black pepper to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS:  Heat oil in non-stick skillet over high heat.  Add onion and saute until it just begins to soften/caramelize.  Lower heat to medium and add chopped kale.  Saute, stirring with spoon several times, for about 5 minutes or until kale is wilted and done.  Mix spices in a saucer, stir and sprinkle over kale.  Toss a few times to be sure the spices are well-mixed into greens.  Plate and serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 2 servings each containing:

145.5 calories

9.35 g  fat

14.5 g  carbs, 2.6 g  fiber, 11.9 g  NET CARBS

3.8 g  protein

138 mg sodium

520 mg potassium

110% RDA Vitamin A, 23% B6, 164% C, 12% calcium, 36% copper, 24% iron, 12% magnesium, 46% manganese, 8% niacin, 10% phosphorous, 13% riboflavin, 12% thiamin

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Cran-Orange Acorn Squash

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I’m avoiding sugar/sweeteners right now, so I’m trying to use just fresh fruit for the occasional sweet need.  When I decided to bake an acorn squash tonight to go with my pork loin and cabbage, I thought I’d include two classic holiday flavors, cranberries and orange, to see how that would come out.  I traditionally used maple syrup or brown sugar in this recipe.  Well, sadly, to be honest, it just wasn’t sweet enough for me with just fruit and no sweetening agent.  But flavor-wise, it was still as good as this always is to me. But my husband said his half, which was sweetened with 3 drops of liquid stevia extract was just right for him.  This is a pretty high-carb dish, so it should not be enjoyed until Atkins Pre-maintenance or Maintenance phases.  It is also suitable for Paleo-Primal dining.  This was lovely with pork!  This is also very good with a holiday turkey or wild game.

INGREDIENTS:

Close up view

 

1   5″ diameter acorn squash

½  naval orange, peeled and chopped

1/3 c. fresh cranberries, chopped

½ tsp. cinnamon

Sweetener of your choice (I used liquid stevia extract)

4 tsp. unsalted butter or ghee

DIRECTIONS:   Preheat oven to 350º.  Using a large knife, cut the squash in half.  Scoop out and discard seeds. Place a little water (1/4″) in a shallow quiche dish.    Place squash cut side down in the water and microwave on HI for about 8-10 minutes or until it is beginning to get tender inside but is not falling-apart mushy.  Remove from oven and drain off water.  Turn squash cut side up and set aside while you make the filling.  In a small bowl, place the chopped orange, chopped cranberries, cinnamon and if using, the sweetener.  Stir well.  Fill each squash cavity with half the mixture.  Top with 2 tsp. butter/ghee each and bake in preheated 350º oven for about 20 minutes.  I sometimes sprinkle with chopped nuts to dress it up, but didn’t tonight.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 2 servings, each contains: (not including any nuts used on top)

188 calories

8.4 g  fat

30.7 g  carbs, 5.8 g  fiber, 24.9 g  NET CARBS

2.3 g  protein

8 mg sodium

849 mg potassium

16% RDA Vitamin A, 24% B6, 67% C, 20% copper, 22% iron, 23% magnesium, 29% manganese, 12% niacin, 12% phosphorous, 31% thiamin

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Curried Fruit and Sweet Potatoes

Click to enlarge (1½ servings shown).

I’ll just say right up front that this holiday recipe is probably the highest carb recipe on my website.  Now that I have that unpleasant admission out of the way……….this dish has been a favorite of mine and my mother’s for many, many years.  Despite its higher carbs, I do plan to make this for Christmas or Thanksgiving this year.    To low-carb the original recipe, I switched to artificial sweeteners, maple extract for a brown sugar flavor, and slightly reduced the amount of fruit.  If you ditch the maraschino cherries (which are very good in this) you will save 2.8 net carbs per serving; if you ditch the sweet potatoes, making it just a curried fruit dish, (the potatoes were not in Mom’s original recipe), you will save an additional 4 net carbs per serving.  Your decision there.  Fresh cherries would be a better option, of course, but I had none tonight so I just  used the maraschino cherries we keep around for mixing drinks for visitors.  This dish is a lovely complement to roast turkey, baked chicken or wild game of all sorts.  Tonight, I used a Sri Lankan curry powder, which is “hotter” than my Sharwood’s brand, but it was delicious!  If you’ve never had curried fruit, I’m certain if you like the taste of curry powder, you will absolutely love this dish!  This is not suitable until the “higher-carb fruits” rung of the Atkins OWL carb ladder, when you have reached the pre-maintenance phase.

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. unsalted butter, melted

1 T. curry powder

20 drops liquid sucralose (or 1/4 c. granular)

½ tsp. maple extract

1 T. erythritol (or 1 packet stevia)

6 pear halves, natural juice pack, drained & cut in half

4 slices pineapple, natural juice pack, drained and cut into thirds

6 oz. nectarine, sliced (I don’t peel mine)

10 maraschino cherries (or fresh, pitted)

5 oz. sweet potato, peeled

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Peel sweet potatoes, cut into small pieces and boil in sauce pan for 4-5 minutes only. You just want to half cook them.  Drain and set aside.  While they are boiling, melt butter in baking dish in oven.  Remove and stir in extract, curry powder and sweeteners. Slice nectarine into the butter/curry mixture.  Add pear quarters and pineapple pieces.  Add whatever cherries you’re using next (pit them if using fresh).  Last add the partially cooked sweet potatoes.  Toss gently with a large serving spoon so as to get some of the seasoned butter to coat each piece.  Pop into a 350º oven and bake for around 35-45 minutes, tossing the fruit in the sauce once during baking.  Serve hot with your favorite roast fowl or game.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 6 servings, each contains:

124.8 calories

4.15 g  fat

22.32 g carbs, 3.23 g  fiber, 19.09 g  NET CARBS

1.13 g  protein

16 mg sodium

234 g  potassium

30% RDA Vitamin A, 14% copper, 27% manganese

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Southwest Black Bean-Corn Bake

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We smoked a 9 lb. fresh pork picnic today with my Montreal Barbeque Sauce:  
http://buttoni.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/montreal-steak-bbqsauce-and-marinade/
.  Man, I was transported back to my last North Carolina-style “pig pickin” .   A true feast!  Only difference, it wasn’t a whole pig, like they do in North Carolina.  Doesn’t get any better than that!  The meat just falls off the bones at the slightest tug.  And the crispy skin bits were sooooo good!

Hubby wanted baked beans to go with it and the green salad I was planning.  But baked beans are so carb-y, even regular black beans are fairly carby. I got him to compromise and I did a bean dish with Eden brand black soy beans and a wee bit of corn.  WOW! It was fantastic with that pork!  Hubby was quite surprised he liked it as much as he did!  I KNEW I’d like it, because I love Tamale Pie, and this dish reminds me of that a lot, it just doesn’t have the cornmeal topping on it!  This vegetable dish is not acceptable until the starchy vegetable/legumes rung of the Atkins OWL ladder.

INGREDIENTS:

4 slices bacon, coarsely chopped

3 oz. onion, chopped coarsely

¼ c. green bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

12 black olives, sliced

10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

½ c. Monterrey Jack Cheese, grated

1 15 oz. can Eden soy black beans, drained

1/3 c. corn kernels (frozen or canned, low-sodium, drained)

2-3 T. cilantro leaves, chopped

Sprinkle each salt, black pepper, chili powder, garlic powder and cumin

DIRECTIONS:    Preheat oven to 350º.  Brown the bacon until half-crisp in a skillet.  Grease your ceramic baking dish with a bit of this bacon grease.  Add onion to the rest of the grease and saute until onion is soft and caramelizing.  Add bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic.  Add olives, tomatoes, cheese, cilantro and seasonings.  Lightly toss to mix well.  Pour into greased baking dish and bake at 350º for 20-30 minutes to allow flavors to mingle.  Serve with your favorite BBQ meat, grilled seafood of Mexican food.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 6 servings, each contains:

171.5 calories

11.2 g  fat

9.15 g  carbs, 4.58 g  fiber, 4.57 g  NET CARBS

10.45 g  protein

348 mg sodium

146 mg potassium

24% RDA iron, 18% zinc, 17% phosphorous, 12% magnesium, 14% vitamin C

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Brocco-Cauli Baby

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This new veggie creation was so good I think I’m “in love” with this one!  As I washed up the dishes after dinner, I tried to come up with a clever name for it.  I had decided on coining the word “brocco-cauli” and as I repeated the rhythm and cadence of my new “word” suddenly I began remembering this old hit tune.  ♪♪♪

♪♪♪

Lyrics to my version:
Come to me my Brocco-Cauli Baby. ♪
Cuddle up and don’t be blue. ♪
All your fears are foolish fancies, baby. ♪
You know dear that I’m in love with you. ♪

I looked in the refrigerator this afternoon to decide what to serve with my Montreal Baked Chicken.  The ½ head of cauliflower and 1/3 bunch of broccoli sure looked promising, but I didn’t have enough of either one by themselves. Now I know I’ve come across a lot of recipes over the years for broccoli and cauliflower mixed together, but I don’t think I personally have ever cooked or tasted one before.  Frankly, they just never sounded very appealing together to me before.  In addition, most of those recipes call for commercial canned soup, which I just won’t use anymore.  Too much sodium, not to mention a bunch of other ingredients I just won’t eat anymore.  So I started cutting up my cauliflower and broccoli into small flowerettes and decided to create something creamy with healthier ingredients than any canned soup could offer.  I’m most pleased with the resulting dish. And it’s ever so easy!  This  is suitable during Atkins Induction.  I sure hope you enjoy this as much as WE did!

INGREDIENTS:

14 oz. cauliflower flowerettes

4 oz. broccoli flowerettes

3 oz. yellow onion, chopped

1 small green onion, chopped

2 T. butter, unsalted

2 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ c. heavy cream

4 oz. grated Cheddar cheese

Dash each salt and black (or cayenne) pepper

DIRECTIONS:  Grease a ceramic casserole dish and set aside.  Preheat oven to 350º.  Cut broccoli and cauliflower into small flowerettes.  Boil or steam until just half tender, but do not over cook so the broccoli will stay pretty and green even after oven baking.  In a non-stick skillet, melt the butter, add the dash of salt and saute the onions until soft and caramelized.  Sprinkle with the black pepper.  Turn heat to lowest setting and add cream cheese and cream and blend into the onions with a rubber spatula.  Turn off heat.  Drain broccoli and cauliflower well in a strainer or colander and add to onion/cream cheese mixture in the skillet.  Sprinkle 2/3 of the Cheddar on top and gently toss all together until all is evenly distributed, trying not to tear up the veggies too much in the process.  Pour all into the greased casserole dish and top evenly with the remaining 1/3 Cheddar.  Pop into a preheated 350º oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until all is melted and it is bubbly around the edges.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 6 servings, each contains:

117 calories

10.9 g  fat

3.95 g  carbs, .77 g fiber, 3.18 g  NET CARBS

2.15 g  protein

69.7 mg sodium

180 mg potassium

18.3% RDA Vitamin A and 11% phosphorous

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Creamed Carrots with Tarragon

Click to enlarge

My grandmother on my Dad’s side was very fond of creamed vegetables.  She was a country girl raised in a very poor farm family but was a VERY good cook.  My great-grandmother taught her well.  She grew her own vegetables and love, love, LOVED creamed soups and vegetables.  Over the years, I guess she served me creamed peas, new potatoes, mushrooms, asparagus, baby onions, spinach, corn………. You name it and she probably creamed it.    She had 2 dairy cows on her property, some chickens and a nice garden.  She produced her own milk, cream and churned butter, so that helped defray the grocery costs of a family of 9 during The Depression.    My non-green vegetable tonight was created in honor of her.  She wasn’t big on spices, so I doubt she ever even heard of tarragon, but I think she would have  liked these and been proud to serve this dish.  My husband isn’t too fond of carrots and even HE liked this dish!  His thumbs up on an un-favorite vegetable speaks volumes to me.  This recipe is not suitable until the Atkins OWL phase, as carrots are a bit carb-y.  It is suitable for Paleo-Primal followers also.

INGREDIENTS:

4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½” pieces

Water to cover carrots

1 T. unsalted butter

Dash each sea salt and pepper

¼ c. heavy cream (or coconut milk)

Optional: 1/8 tsp. xanthan gum or your preferred thickener

1/4 tsp. dried tarragon

DIRECTIONS:  Bring carrots and water to slow boil and cook until just barely tender.  Drain off all but about ½ c. of the cooking water.  Add butter to the carrots and remaining water.  Lower heat and add cream.  Sprinkle with xanthan gum and simmer on low until it begins to slightly thicken. The cream sauce will turn slightly yellow from the beta carotene in the carrots, but that doesn’t impact flavor.  Sprinkle with the dried tarragon and toss.    Dip up into serving dish.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 4 servings, each contains:

103 calories

8.55 g  fat

6.55 g  carbs, 1.95 g  fiber, 4.6 g  NET CARBS

.9 g  protein

89 mg sodium

109 mg potassium

85% RDA Vitamin A

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Chicken Bolognese

Click to enlarge

This dish is very easy to prepare (provided you have the spaghetti meat sauce on hand) and quite tasty!  It can either be served as shown above, over a bed of Dreamfields pasta (if you imbibe) or over shirataki tofu noodles.  This extremely nutritious dinner is suitable for your Induction menu rotations provided you omit the wine. Each serving begins with 5 oz. raw chicken breast, which cooks down to about 4.5 oz.  Of course, you may choose to use larger portions of chicken, and I did for my husband.  But the smaller portion filled me up quite nicely.

INGREDIENTS: 

20 oz. deboned chicken breast, skinless (5 oz. piece per serving)

1 c. my spaghetti sauce (I used: 
http://buttoni.wordpress.com/2009/08/13/peggys-spaghetti-sauce/
)

4 basil leaves, chopped

4 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated

½ c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 oz. red wine (omit if still on Induction)

2 T. olive oil

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Pound the chicken breasts with a meat cleaver between two sheets of plastic wrap until they are just about ¼-3/8″ thick.  Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet and sear the chicken on both sides until golden and nearly done.  Turn off heat.  Spoon ¼ c. meat sauce over each of the four pieces of browned chicken.  Next drizzle ½ T. red wine over each serving.   Sprinkle ¼ of the basil leaves on each next.  Then 1 oz. of mozzarella.  Finally sprinkle the top of each stack with 2 T. Parmesan cheese.     Pop that skillet into your preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes to finish cooking and blend the flavors.  Serve with your favorite green vegetable or a nice green salad.  I made some low-carb garlic bread to go with this also.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 4 servings, each contains:

475 calories

28.4 g  fat

6.4 g  carbs, 1.3 g  fiber, 5.1 g NET CARBS

45.7 g  protein

702 mg sodium

279 mg potassium

37% RDA Vitamin B6, 32% B12, 407% phosphorous, 27% zinc, 29% calcium, 16% iron, 12% magnesium, 86% niacin, 23% riboflavin and 53% selenium

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Mayonado

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Nothing like coining your own words!  I’ve read recipes for mayonnaise with avocado added to it before but have never taken the plunge and tried it until today.  When I made my turkey shawarma wraps for lunch today, I decided to blend the shawarma spice, slices of avocado I was planning to put into the pita pockets, and the onion into a smooth paste with some of my fresh batch of homemade mayo.  Mmmmm.  It was quite delicious on the turkey wraps!!  It was getting praise when I served it again on the ground beef patties I made for supper tonight.  It is good on cucumber slices or with cherry tomatoes.  But the biggest surprise of all was that it was super, DUPER good spooned over some steamed frozen spinach I had leftover and was serving with my dinner meat patties.  That was the best thing of all with this mayonado!  It tasted like the very best creamed spinach I’ve ever eaten, bar none!  I spooned 1 T. over about 1 c. of the spinach and man, oh, man, was that ever good!  The shawarma spice really added something special!  This recipe is Atkins Induction friendly.

INGREDIENTS:

1 small avocado, peeled and pitted

6 T. homemade mayonnaise (I use 1 whole egg to 1 c. oil)

1 tsp. Shawarma spice blend (recipe on site, just click spice blends on the right side of page)

1 oz. yellow or white onion

Dash salt

few drops lemon or lime juice to prevent discoloring of the avocado

DIRECTIONS:  Peel and seed the avocado.  Place the flesh into a blender or processor.  Pulse until it it smooth.   Serve any of the above mentioned ways or get creative and think of new applications for this delightful condiment!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes about 10 T.  Each tablespoon contains:

88.9 calories

9.2 g  fat

1.87 g  carbs, 1.24 g  fiber, .63 NET CARBS

.59 g  protein

19 mg sodium

87 mg potassium

16% RDA Vitamin B12, 10% E, 10% iron, 15% riboflavin, 17% selenium and 69% phosphorous

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Roasted Shawarma Vegetables

Click to enlarge

This dish is incredibly easy to pull together and is exceptionally good with charcoal grilled meats.  Shown above with a ribeye steak.  I have even been known to cook the veggies in a grilling basket right on the grill with the meat!  It’s even BETTER that way!   This dish always elicits a thumbs up from diners.  Induction friendly recipe.  If you have leftovers, I often cut up any grilled meats and toss it right in the vegetables for lunch the next day.  This is one of those dishes that gets better every time you reheat it!

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium yellow squash cut in 1″ chunks (or zucchini is OK)
1 small eggplant (about 10-12 oz) cut in ½” slices, then cut those in quarters
4 plum tomatoes cut into quarters
1 green, yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and cut in 1″ chunks
1 red bell pepper seeded and cut in 1″ chunks
1 purple onion cut into ½” wedges, layers separated
12 cloves garlic (entire bulb, cloves peeled but left whole)
2 T. Shawarma Spice Blend: 
http://buttoni.wordpress.com/2010/07/13/shawarma-spice-blend/
¼ tsp. each salt & black pepper (opt.)

Splash of  olive oil (about 2 T., or more if you can afford the calories)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450º.  Cut up all veggies and place in large mixing bowl.  Drizzle olive oil over all and stir well to coat all veggies with oil and seasonings.  Toss to try and coat all veggies with oil.  Pour into glass casserole pan and bake at 450º for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Serves 6, each serving contains:

91 calories

5.0 g  fat

11.45 g  carbs

3.48 g  fiber

2.22 g  protein

105  mg. sodium

7.97 g NET CARBS

56% RDA Vitamin B6, 74% C, 19% iron, 23% manganese

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Chayote with Onions

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Chayote fruit, referred to by some as chayote squash, are also known as mirlitons.  They are often baked stuffed with a spicy mixture of shrimp and crab in Louisiana Cajun cuisine.  Very good that way, too!  They have a slight sweet taste to them that is enhanced when sweetened even more, with the addition of butter and cinnamon.  They can taste amazingly like cooked apples when prepared like an “Apple” Crisp.  You chould try it some time!!  But when sauteed with caramelized onions, they taste very much like pretty, white, scalloped pattypan squash…..slightly sweet.  This dish makes a very nice complement to the pictured char-grilled pork ribs drenched in my Montreal BBQ Sauce 
http://buttoni.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/montreal-steak-bbqsauce-and-marinade/
.  This side dish is suitable for Induction and very simple to put together.  If you’re not familiar with chayote, here’s what one looks like: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chayote

INGREDIENTS:

1 large chayote (mirliton), peeled and sliced into small pieces (about 13 oz.)

2 T. unsalted butter

3 oz. onion, sliced

Dash each salt and black pepper

DIRECTIONS:   Melt butter in non-stick skillet.  Add onion and saute until they are tender and caramelized (beginning to brown).  Add sliced chayote and saute, stirring often for about 15 minutes or until tender.  They will retain a bit of firmness, like sauteed kohlrabi, but should not be crunchy like jicama.

NUTRITIONAL INGREDIENTS:  Makes 3 servings each contains:

96.3 calories

7.83 g  fat

6.57 g  carbs, 2.17 g  fiber, 4.4 NET CARBS

1.23 g  protein

57 mg sodium

177 mg potassium

13 % RDA Vitamin C, 17% copper, 13% manganese, 11% zinc

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Scalloped Rutabaga

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This dish was inspired by Kent Altena’s Low-Carb Scalloped “Potatoes” which appears in Jennifer Eloff’s latest cookbook, Low-Carbing Among Friends.  Many of you are familiar with Kent’s (Bowulf) low-carb recipe videos: 
http://www.youtube.com/user/bowulf?feature=playlist-comment
  This is but one of many exciting new recipes you will find in Jennifer’s cookbook.  The book is a compilation of five exceptionally talented cooks’ low-carb and gluten-free creations.  If you are interested in purchasing this cookbook, you can learn more about it here: 
http://amongfriends.us/

Kent’s original dish was made with thinly sliced jicama and some chopped ham, which in its own right was quite good.  But I decided to see what it would be like made with sliced rutabaga (closer to potato texture to me) and no ham. Rutagas are known as “swedes” in some parts of the world.  This dish came out fantastic!  My thanks to Kent for putting this idea into my head.  I also reduced the chicken broth and added chopped green onion to his original creation because I love green onion in anything potato-like.  Mmmm. This dish isn’t suitable until the starchier vegetable rung of the Atkins OWL ladder, but the difference in carbs for 2 oz. of either is just .6 net carbs……..not a very large increase in carbs in my opinion.   My recipe is half the volume of his original recipe as there are only two of us.  But you can double my recipe if you have a big family.  I would not recommend freezing this dish as the cream cheese will likely break down a bit when frozen, which can be visually off-putting.  Flavor, however, will not be harmed by freezing.

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. rutabaga, peeled and thinly sliced

3 green onions, chopped

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ c. sour cream

1/3 c. chicken broth

Dash each salt and black pepper

5 oz. grated Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease an 8″ square baking dish with a dab of butter or coconut oil. Peel the rutabaga with a carrot peeler.  This will work even if it has been wax coated by the grocer.  Slice it wafer thin.  I use a mandoline to do this, or you can use a food processor’s slicing blade.  Mix softened cream cheese and sour cream in a large bowl.  Stir in chicken broth, seasoning and cheese.  Finely chop and add the green onion and rutabaga.  Stir in 3 oz. of the grated Cheddar cheese, reserving the other 2 oz. for later.  When well-mixed, scrape it all into the greased baking dish and pop into a 350º oven for initially 30 minutes.  Remove and add remaining cheese evenly on top and put back into oven to bake for another 40 minutes.  Cool and serve with your favorite meats.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 6 servings, each contains:

192 calories

15.43 g  fat

6.63 g  carbs, 1.45 g  fiber, 5.18 g  NET CARBS

7.52 g  protein

372 mg sodium

280 mg potassium

20% RDA Vitamin A, 15% B12, 19% C, 17% calcium, 24 % phosphorous, 16% riboflavin and 13% zinc

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Boursin-Smoked Gouda Cauliflower

Click to enlarge (shown with pork loin & spinach)

This Induction friendly dish is a subtle variation of my Smoked Gouda Cauliflower recipe.  If you like that recipe you’re sure to like this one.  I changed up the cheeses a bit (Necessity is the mother of invention) and the resulting dish was very tasty indeed. I’m finding just a touch of Boursin cheese can transform what might be an ordinary dish into the sublime.  It comes in a little 5oz. box in the specialty cheese area of the grocery store.  I’m starting to experiment with Boursin a lot these days. FYI, the brand of smoked gouda I use has 1 net carb per ounce:

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium large head cauliflower

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

4 oz. smoked Gouda cheese, grated (or half smoked Gouda, half Edam)

2 T. Boursin cheese, (I used shallot and chive, but garlic and herb would be good, too)

¼ tsp. coarse black pepper

Dash salt

1 tsp. coconut oil to grease dish (or oil of your choice)

1/4 tsp. dried red bell pepper or 1 T. chopped chives/green onion to garnish the top (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Cut up cauliflower into manageable pieces and boil or steam until tender.  Drain and mash slightly with a fork in a large bowl.   Stir in softened cream cheese and Boursin.  Grease glass casserole dish and spoon half the cauliflower mixture in.  Sprinkle with half the grated smoked Gouda.  Spoon remaining cauliflower into dish and top with rest of Gouda cheese.   Sprinkle with salt and if using, the dried red pepper or chives.  Bake at 350º for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Serves 6, each serving contains:

187 calories

15.1 g  fat

6.27 g  carbs,  2.4 g fiber,  3.87 g  NET CARBS

8.0 g  protein

348 mg  sodium

325 mg sodium

15 % RDA Vitamin B6, 60% C, 15% calcium

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