Duck Soup

This year I served an oven- roasted Marinated Duck for Christmas dinner. There isn’t all that much meat on a duck, but our 4-pound bird fed two of us amply with a nice amount of meat still left on the carcass. I love to make soup from leftover fowl carcasses, so soup it was today! After simmering the carcass for an hour and cooling, it yielded about 2-2½ c. duck meat for my soup pot. I wanted my soup fairly simple, with rich depth of flavor, so I added the duck fat it rendered during the initial roasting. I also used some homemade chicken broth to add even more flavor to the final soup. We were both very pleased with this creation! I used no recipe, but threw in the “usual suspects” for tasty game birds. My Marinated Duck had some bay leaf in it, so you will want to add a bay leaf to your pot.

This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, Primal and Paleo followers.

INGREDIENTS:

4 slices thick bacon, cut into 3/4″ dice

1 c. chopped onion

1 c. chopped celery

1 c. chopped carrot

½ c. chopped parsley

2 cloves minced garlic

¼ c. duck fat (use butter if not available)

1 c. chicken broth (I use salt-free homemade)

water to cover meat and veggies

3/4 tsp. sea salt

½ tsp. coarse black pepper

1 large bay leaf (or 2 small)

3 T. Hemp Seed Hearts

1 4-oz can mushrooms with liquid

1 duck carcass (mine was from a 4# duck) or 2½ c. cooked diced duck meat

7 oz. pkg. shiritaki noodles with oat fiber, rice-shaped

DIRECTIONS: Brown bacon in soup pot over high heat. Add chopped onion, carrot, celery, garlic and parsley. Saute until onion begins to go translucent. Add all remaining ingredients to pot, bring to boil and lower heat to simmer. Cover and simmer for about 1½ hours, stirring every half hour.  Remove duck carcass and strip meat off bones, replacing meat into soup pot.  Discard bones.  Open package of noodles and rinse well in a sieve under running water. Add to pot and simmer 15 more minutes. I recommend serving this rich soup with a buttered low-carb dinner/sandwich roll if you have cooked and at the ready. 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 large bowl, each contains:

454 cals, 37.2g fat, 10.1g carbs, 3.85g fiber, 6.25g NET CARBS, 21.9g protein, 635 mg sodium

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Roast Duck with Blueberry Sauce

Since there are just two of us now gathering for Thanksgiving, I sometimes just roast a duck to avoid so many leftovers.  This is a delicious recipe for duck which cooks up very moist.  I usually serve a traditional cornbread stuffing and green beans with this delicious bird.  I have never liked orange sauce on duck, so I decided to work up this blueberry sauce with a hint of herbs some years ago and that turned out to be a good decision.  The herbs and bacon in the sauce bring so many flavor layers to the table.  This can be served with your wine of choice, even red.  This recipe is suitable once you reach the berry level of Atkins (OWL Phase 2).  It is suitable for all Keto diets, Primal Blueprint and Paleo if you omit the wine in the sauce.  This Tipsy Blueberry Sauce would be good with turkey, roast pork or probably any other wild game you might be cooking this holiday season.

Many more delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own cookbooks from LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS, by Jennifer Eloff and low-carb friends (me included).  Chef George Stella of Food Network fame, also brings to the table a wealth of delicious recipes added to the collection!  You’ll LOVE these recipes!  Order your copy today from Amazon  or our direct order site: amongfriends.us/order.php. Special prices available for the complete 10-volume set.

INGREDIENTS FOR DUCK:

5½ lb. duck

1/4 tsp. each onion powder, dried thyme and rosemary, crushed

Dash my Seafood Spice Blend (optional)

¼ tsp. salt

1 T. butter

DUCK DIRECTIONS:  Remove sauce packet (I throw it away) and the innards.  Boil the innards in 2 c. water for your dog.  🙂  Save the broth for your sauce.  Preheat oven to 375º.  Rub your fingers over duck checking for pinfeathers and remove any you find with the tip of a knife.  Mix the herbs and spices in a small dish with the salt.  Rub over duck skin all over.  Place duck on a grate that is then set down in a large roasting pan.  Baste with melted butter and pop into hot 375º oven for 1 hour.  Remove from oven, baste skin with remaining butter and return to oven for 30-45 minutes longer or until skin is brown, crisp and the duck read internal temperature of 180º.  While duck is roasting, prepare sauce.

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

3 green onions, chopped coarsely

1½ oz. bacon (3 slices), chopped coarsely

1 c. blueberries (dried, fresh or frozen)

1 c. broth (or a little more if you simmer too long)

2 T. Port wine or Sherry

Dash each thyme, rosemary, onion powder and salt

¼ tsp. xanthan gum or your preferred thickener

SAUCE DIRECTIONS:  Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add chopped bacon, brown it nicely.  Add onion and saute until onion is very tender.  Do not drain off grease.  Add all remaining ingredients but the thickener.  Allow to simmer until berries begin to burst open and turn the sauce blue.  Here, I go by smell, and appearance, but when all appears to be cooked and it smells wonderful, slightly thicken to desired level with your preferred thickener.  Allow guests to serve atop roasted duck slices at table.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 8 servings, each contains:

385 calories, 31 g fat, 3.82 g carbs, .81 g fiber, 3.10 g NET CARBS, 20 g protein, 277 mg sodium

Roast Duck with Tipsy Blueberry Sauce

Since there are just two of us now celebrating Thanksgiving, I sometimes just roast a duck.  This is a delicious recipe for duck which cooks up very moist.  I usually serve a traditional cornbread stuffing and green beans with this delicious bird.  I have never liked orange sauce on duck, so I decided to work up this blueberry sauce with a hint of herbs some years ago and that turned out to be a good decision.  The herbs and bacon in the sauce bring so many flavor layers to the table.  This can be served with your wine of choice, even red.  This recipe is suitable once you reach the berry level of Atkins (OWL Phase 2).  It is suitable for all Keto diets, Primal Blueprint and Paleo if you omit the wine in the sauce.  This Tipsy Blueberry Sauce would be good be good also with turkey, roast pork or probably any other wild game you may be cooking this holiday season.

Many more delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own cookbooks from LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS, by Jennifer Eloff and low-carb friends (me included).  Chef George Stella of Food Network fame, also brings to the table a wealth of delicious recipes added to the collection!  You’ll LOVE these recipes!  Order your copy today from Amazon  or our direct order site: amongfriends.us/order.php. Special prices available for the complete 10-volume set.

INGREDIENTS FOR DUCK:

5½ lb. duck

1/4 tsp. each onion powder, dried thyme and rosemary, crushed

Dash my Seafood Spice Blend (optional)

¼ tsp. salt

1 T. butter

DUCK DIRECTIONS:  Remove sauce packet (I throw it away) and the innards.  Boil the innards in 2 c. water for your dog.  🙂  Save the broth for your sauce.  Preheat oven to 375º.  Rub your fingers over duck checking for pinfeathers and remove any you find with the tip of a knife.  Mix the herbs and spices in a small dish with the salt.  Rub over duck skin all over.  Place duck on a grate that is then set down in a large roasting pan.  Baste with melted butter and pop into hot 375º oven for 1 hour.  Remove from oven, baste skin with remaining butter and return to oven for 30-45 minutes longer or until skin is brown, crisp and the duck read internal temperature of 180º.  While duck is roasting, prepare sauce.

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

3 green onions, chopped coarsely

1½ oz. bacon (3 slices), chopped coarsely

1 c. blueberries (dried, fresh or frozen)

1 c. broth (or a little more if you simmer too long)

2 T. Port wine or Sherry

Dash each thyme, rosemary, onion powder and salt

¼ tsp. xanthan gum or your preferred thickener

SAUCE DIRECTIONS:  Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add chopped bacon, brown it nicely.  Add onion and saute until onion is very tender.  Do not drain off grease.  Add all remaining ingredients but the thickener.  Allow to simmer until berries begin to burst open and turn the sauce blue.  Here, I go by smell, and appearance, but when all appears to be cooked and it smells wonderful, thicken to desired level with your preferred thickener.  Allow guests to serve atop roasted duck slices at table.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 8 servings, each contains:

385 calories, 31 g fat, 3.82 g carbs, .81 g fiber, 3.10 g NET CARBS, 20 g protein, 277 mg sodium

 

Buffalo Burritos

I’ve eaten Buffalo (Bison) meat several times and have liked it every way I have had it prepared by or for me.  This quickie dinner may just be the best way I’ve had it to date.  Once I trimmed and sliced the meat, this meal was on the table in under 20-30 minutes.  My kind of cooking. 🙂 I use HEB Carb Sense at 3 NC per tortilla and numbers below reflect those counts.

This recipe is not suitable until you are well along in your Atkins weight-loss journey, Pre-Maintenance or Maintenance.  It is OK for other Keto diets provided the numbers will fit your daily limits.  These would not be appropriate for Primal or Paleo followers.

Many delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own cookbooks from LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS, by Jennifer Eloff and low-carb friends (me included).  Chef George Stella of Food Network fame, also brings to the table a wealth of delicious recipes added to the collection!  You’ll LOVE these recipes!  Order your copy today from Amazon  or our direct order site: amongfriends.us/order.php.

INGREDIENTS:

4   low-carb tortillas

2 T. bacon grease

10 oz. Buffalo steak, (use sirloin if unavailable)

4 oz. onion

2 oz. green bell pepper

¼ tsp. chili powder (I used Chipotle smoked which we love)

1 c. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS:   Preheat oven to 300º.  Buffalo is very lean, but trim all fat/gristle bands from meat.  Slice very thinly as you would for Chinese stir-fry (can be tough if not sliced thin) and set aside.  Slice onion and bell pepper thinly and set aside.  Next heat bacon grease in large skillet over high heat. Add onion, salt and saute, stirring occasionally until it begins to brown and caramelize.  Add meat and saute together until meat is beginning to brown.  Turn pieces of meat to accomplish this best.  Add green pepper and just saute a minute or two.  Add chili powder.  Stir/saute another minute or so and remove from heat.

Place 4 tortillas on a non-stick sheet pan or parchment-lined pan.  Spoon 1/4 of the mixture onto one side of each tortilla.  Sprinkle cheese evenly over them, fold and press top down with your hand.  Pop into 300º oven for about 15 minutes or just long enough to melt the cheese and for flavors to blend.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 4 servings, each contains:

333 calories, 18.3 g fat, 16.1 g carbs, 10.6 g fiber, 5.5 g NET CARBS, 25.2 g protein, 608 mg sodium

 

Roasted Lemon-Garlic Duck

I just love duck!  I often cook it during the holidays.  Here’s my newest recipe for preparing it that is delicious!  Although duck is very nice cooked on the grill outside, it is also good just roasted in the oven. But no matter which way you choose to cook it, it will likely be very tasty.  Duck is traditionally eaten slightly pink, but you can cook it longer if you prefer.  This VERY nutritious recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins (use broth if still on Atkins Induction) and is suitable for Paleo-Primal followers if broth is used rather than wine.

More delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends’ best-selling cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS.  She has collaborated with famous low-carb Chef George Stella and several other talented chefs to bring you a wealth of delicious recipes you are going to want to try.  Even a few of my recipes are in her cookbooks! Order your 5-volume set TODAY! (available individually) from Amazon or: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

INGREDIENTS: 

1 c. white wine (use chicken broth if still on Induction)

4 T. my Lemon-Parsley-Garlic Butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

Dash each:  salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder

1  whole 5-lb duck, neck and giblets removed for other use

DIRECTIONS:  Remove neck and giblets from duck and save for other uses.  My dog usually gets the giblets and neck meat I simmer until tender, but the neck will make great stock for soup if you want to add it to the carcass bones after dinner in a pot of water with chopped onion and carrot.  Duck stock makes delicious soup!

Butterfly (spatchcock) the duck by cutting up the backbone and spreading it out in a marinating dish.  Add wine (or broth), minced garlic and other spices.  Marinate covered in plastic on your refrigerator shelf for 2-4 hours, turning and basting 1-2 times during this period with a basting brush.

VARIATION:  Cook the marinated duck on a grill like you would grill chicken.

You’ll need to allow about 1½-2 hours to oven roast a 5# duck to internal temperature of 180º.  Duck is traditionally served a wee bit pink. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375º.  Remove duck from refrigerator and lift out of the marinating dish. Pour marinade off into a small saucepan.  Add compound butter and simmer for 5 minutes or so to allow raw duck juices to fully cook. Place duck skin side up in a large baking pan, baste with marinade and pop in hot oven.  Using a basting brush, baste duck with marinade and pan juices every half hour.  At 1 hour cooking, remove duck and cover wing tips and leg tips with small pieces of foil so they will not over brown/burn.  Pop pan back into oven, lower oven to 350º and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour longer (ovens will vary), or until a meat thermometer reads 180º at center thigh and center breast.   Serve at once with your favorite sides for fowl.  I served mine with steamed broccoli and broiled tomatoes.  If I had char-grilled the duck, as originally planned, I was going to grill some fresh pineapple slices to go with it.   Mmmm.   How I DOOOOOOOO love grilled pineapple!  🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 4 servings, each contains:

791 calories, 65.3 g  fat (duck is much fattier than chicken), 2.4 g  carbs, 0.2 g  fiber, 2.20 g  NET CARBS, 36.4 g  protein, 485 mg sodium

Smoked Gouda Bison Burgers

Smoked Gouda Bison Burgers

I bought some organic, ground bison at my local Natural Grocers this week and decided to try a meat I’ve never had before.  Well, that isn’t exactly true.  I think I had a bison burger on a bun one time in Colorado, maybe 25 years ago, but honestly don’t recall the flavor at all.  So I consider my experience with it tonight will be new to my palate.

Wasn’t sure how I wanted to fix this meat, but I knew for certain I wanted to avoid drowning out the flavor of the meat with too many flavor layers. Although I’m not too fond of cheese on burgers, I do like smoked Gouda on just about anything, as my readers well know, and decided that it might just play a role in the final dish.  As we all know, a wee bit of onion and bacon never hurt anything, so I decided that would  round it out nicely.

The final dish came out delicious!  I think now that I definitely LIKE bison, but to be honest, it’s not terribly different from grass-fed ground beef, which I enjoy regularly. Bison brings some impressive nutritional numbers to your plate.  Check them out below!  This dish is suitable for all phases of Atkins and is also OK for Primal diners that enjoy occasional cheese.  But Paleo followers will want to omit the cheese and have a simple bacon bison burger.  This recipe would also be nice made from grass-fed beef, lamb or even ground pork.   And it goes without saying that grilling the patties over charcoal will take their “smoky” flavor to an even higher level!

More delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends’ best-selling cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS.  She has collaborated with famous low-carb Chef George Stella and several other talented chefs to bring you a wealth of delicious recipes you are going to want to try.  Even a few of my recipes are in her cookbooks! Order your 5-volume set TODAY! (available individually) from Amazon or: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

DISCLAIMER: I do not get paid for this book promotion or for the inclusion of my recipes therein.  I do so merely because they are GREAT cookbooks any low-carb cook would be proud to add to their cookbook collection

INGREDIENTS:

1 T. ground chia seeds

9 T. water

1 lb. ground bison (I buy at Natural Grocers)

3 oz. red onion, minced very fine

4 tsp. bacon grease

dash each salt and pepper

1/8 tsp. my Homemade Cavender’s Greek Seasoning

5 slices bacon, chopped

6 oz. smoked Gouda, sliced/separated into 4 portions

DIRECTIONS:  Grind the chia seeds in a coffee grinder or your blender and place in a lidded jar.  Add the water and allow the seeds to gel up for about 5-10 minutes, shaking occasionally.   In a medium mixing bowl, place the meat. Add the minced onion, salt, pepper, Cavender’s blend and mix well with a fork or your hands. Add all of the chia gel and mix that in as well, until you achieve uniform dispersal in the meat mixture. Set the bowl of meat aside for a few minutes.  In a non-stick skillet, brown the chopped bacon until done.  Drain the bacon crumbles on paper towels.  Scrap the bacon grease in the skillet into the meat mixture in the bowl and blend well with a fork.  Form four 4-oz. meat patties and brown in the same skillet you browned the bacon in.  When the meat is done to your liking, if your skillet can’t go into the broiler or oven safely, transfer the meat patties to an oven-safe dish or pan.  Top each patty with 1/4 of the smoked Gouda.  Pop into the broiler or a hot oven long enough to melt the cheese and finally, top each off with 1/4 of the bacon crumbles. Plate up with your favorite sides and ENJOY!  These are very filling with the chia gel and boast some impressive nutritional stats below!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes four 4-oz. servings of meat, each contains:

397 calories

30 g  fat

2.83 g  carbs, .88 g  fiber, 1.95 g  NET CARBS

27.6 g  protein

495 mg sodium

 

Roasted Lemon-Garlic Duck

I just love duck!  We tried a new marinade tonight on the duck in the pic.  I was originally planning to smoke it a bit on the grill, but I could tell my husband didn’t want to fool with lighting up the grill tonight (he did yard work today), so I oven roasted it instead.   It came out absolutely delicious!  So I’ll share the marinate/sauce I made for this bird with my readers.  This VERY nutritious recipe (check out the stats below!) is suitable for all phases of Atkins (using broth rather than wine for Induction) and is suitable for Paleo-Primal followers as well if broth is used rather than wine.

VARIATION:  Cook the marinated duck on a grill like you would grill chicken.

More delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends’ best-selling cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS.  She has collaborated with famous low-carb Chef George Stella and several other talented chefs to bring you a wealth of delicious recipes you are going to want to try.  Even a few of my recipes are in her cookbooks! Order your 5-volume set TODAY! (available individually) from Amazon or: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

DISCLAIMER: I do not get paid for this book promotion or for the inclusion of my recipes therein.  I do so merely because they are GREAT cookbooks any low-carb cook would be proud to add to their cookbook collection

INGREDIENTS: 

1 c. white wine (use chicken broth if still on Induction)

4 T. my Lemon-Parsley-Garlic Butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

Dash each:  salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder

1  whole 5-lb duck, neck and giblets removed for other use

DIRECTIONS:  Remove neck and giblets from duck and save for other uses.  My dog usually gets the giblets and neck meat I simmer until tender, but the neck will make great stock for soup if you want to add it to the carcass bones after dinner in a pot of water with chopped onion and carrot.  Duck stock makes delicious soup!

Butterfly (spatchcock) the duck by cutting up the backbone and spreading it out in a marinating dish.  Add wine (or broth), minced garlic and other spices.  Marinate covered in plastic on your refrigerator shelf for 2-4 hours, turning and basting 1-2 times during this period with a basting brush.

You’ll need to allow about 1½-2 hours to cook a 5# duck to internal temperature of 180º.  Duck is traditionally served a wee bit pink. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375º.  Remove duck from refrigerator and lift out of the marinating dish. Pour marinade off into a small saucepan.  Add compound butter and simmer for 5 minutes or so to allow raw duck juices to fully cook. Place duck skin side up in a large baking pan, baste with marinade and pop in hot oven.  Using a basting brush, baste duck with marinade and pan juices every half hour.  At 1 hour cooking, remove duck and cover wing tips and leg tips with small pieces of foil so they will not over brown/burn.  Pop pan back into oven, lower oven to 350º and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour longer (ovens will vary), or until a meat thermometer reads 180º at center thigh and center breast.   Serve at once with your favorite sides for fowl.  I served mine with steamed broccoli and broiled tomatoes.  If I had char-grilled the duck, as originally planned, I was going to grill some fresh pineapple slices to go with it.   Mmmm.   How I DOOOOOOOO love grilled pineapple!  🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 4 servings, each contains:

791 calories (Yes, that is right.  Duck is much fattier than chicken)

65.3 g  fat

2.4 g  carbs, .2 g  fiber, 2.20 g  NET CARBS

36.4 g  protein

485 mg sodium

446 mg potassium

23% RDA Vitamin A, 45% B6, 44% B12, 48% copper, 66% iron, 11% magnesium, 66% niacin, 44% phosphorous, 47% riboflavin, 69% selenium, 30% thiamin and 45% zinc

Asian Honey Duck

Click to enlarge

We just love duck and I bought one this weekend.  I usually do my Dad’s recipe https://buttoni.wordpress.com/2009/08/17/marinated-wild-duck/  when I cook duck.  But my husband didn’t much feel like grilling tonight, so I roasted my duck in the oven with an Asian-style marinade instead.  It came out absolutely delicious!  I served it with my Chipotle “Sweet Potatoes” https://buttoni.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/chipotle-sweet-potatoes/  and simmered kale with caramelized onion.  A GREAT combination of flavors, I might add.

I have a box set of Boyajian infused oils http://www.boyajianinc.com/ and used a few drops each of the Chile Oil and Garlic Oil in this marinade.  I love their oils and flavorings!  But I’m not sure Boyajian still makes this particular box set of oils.  They have changed the oils in their mini set now, it appears. I can’t find the set I have for ordering on their site anymore.  It’s pictured only. So I took the liberty of substituting fresh garlic and chile paste into the recipe and nutritional info calculations to make it easier.   Who knows, it might even taste better than the infused oils I used.

This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins (provided you substitute imitation honey) and acceptable for Paleo-Primal followers as written.  Check out the nutritional stats on this baby!  Very nutritious, duck is!

I suspect this delicious marinade would be good also on chicken or pork ribs.

INGREDIENTS:

1   5 lb. duck

1/4 c. chicken stock, preferably homemade

2 T. honey

2 T. coconut aminos (or low sodium soy sauce)

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp. hot chile paste

½ clove minced garlic

DIRECTIONS:  In a 9×13 plastic container or glass dish large enough to hold a butterflied duck, mix the marinade ingredients.   Pull organs out of duck and reserve for baking alongside the duck, or for other uses.  Butterfly the duck by cutting it up the back bone with kitchen shears (you can leave the bird whole if you prefer). Place the duck in the marinade pan and baste him all over with a basting brush.  Baste or turn duck several times in the marinade during the 1 hour marinating time.  Be sure to set him in the refrigerator while he is marinating.

15 minutes before he has marinated the full hour, preheat your oven to 450º.  You may want to lower the top rack of your oven one notch so the duck won’t sit too high in the oven and scorch while roasting.

Place a meat roasting rack in a large roasting pan big enough to hold the rack and the duck and him not hang over the pan on the sides.  Fill the bottom of the pan with about 1″ water.  Place the duck, skin side up, on the roasting rack and if the bird doesn’t totally clear the water, pour a little water out of the pan.  I like to cut off the long excess piece of skin from around the neck area, cut it into two pieces lengthwise and set aside for now.  You will use these in 30 minutes.

Pop duck into preheated 450º oven for 30 minutes, which should help crisp up the skin (you may want to lower the top rack of your oven for more even browning and no over-browning of the skin. Remove pan from oven carefully and bast duck again. Reduce heat to 350º.  Wrap the wing tips with the neck skin you cut off earlier.  This will keep them from burning during cooking (the wing is my favorite piece of a duck, turkey or chicken and I don’t want it scorched!).  Place the pan back in oven and cook the duck for about 2 hours longer at 350º (smaller ducks will take less time).  I basted the duck several times during cooking, using up all the marinade.  Test the duck breast and leg quarters with a meat thermometer at 1 hour 30 minutes and at 15 minute intervals thereafter.  The USDA says for safety, you should cook duck to a minimum of internal temp of 165º and it should not be oozing red juice when you pierce him with a meat thermometer.  I cook my duck to 170º usually.  The breast meat will be the slightest pink at the center and the leg quarters should not be pink when done.    Remove duck pan from oven when the bird is cooked to your satisfaction and let it sit for 10 minutes before attempting to cut/slice.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 4 adult servings (possibly 5 if light eaters).  1/4 duck contains:

682 calories

52 g  fat

9.5 g  carbs, .4 g fiber, 9.4 g  NET CARBS (if using real honey)

.83 g  carbs, .3 g  fiber, .53 g  NET CARBS (if using imitation honey)

37 g  protein

697 mg sodium

425 mg potassium

17% RDA Vitamin A, 25% B6, 27% B12, 9% E, 50% copper, 67% iron, 10% magnesium, 59% niacin, 44% phosphorous, 49% riboflavin, 70% selenium, 31% thiamin, 45% zinc

Grilled Marinated Elk

Grilled Marinated Elk

I was at my Natural Grocers a couple weeks ago and picked up an elk chuck roast.   I had no earthly idea how I planned to cook it, but did know I wanted to do it on the grill outside, since I think that brings out the best flavor in meats.  I had only tasted elk one other time in my life and couldn’t actually remember the flavor, only that it was delicate and similar to beef.  Not really as gamey as venison to me.  So I came up with a fairly simple marinade that really did a great job of tenderizing what otherwise would nave been a fairly tough cut of meat.  Elk has virtually no fat, so there is no fat marbling to help tenderize it.  This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and is certainly fit for any Paleo-Primal table.  I served mine with a small oven-baked sweet potato, grilled pineapple slices and a nice green salad.  All I can say is man, oh, man, was it ever good!!  My husband REALLY liked this marinade and has eaten elk many more times than I.

 

More delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends’ best-selling cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS.  She has collaborated with famous low-carb Chef George Stella and several other talented cooks to bring you a wealth of delicious recipes you are going to want to try.  Even a few of my recipes are in the cookbooks! Order your 5-volume set TODAY! (also available individually) from Amazon or: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

DISCLAIMER: I do not get paid for this book promotion or for the inclusion of my recipes therein.  I do so merely because they are GREAT cookbooks any low-carb cook would be proud to add to their cookbook collection

INGREDIENTS:

2 lb. elk, steaks or chuck, cut 1¼-1½ thick  (or beef chuck roast if you can’t get elk)

3 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar

2 T. fresh lemon juice

2 T. coconut aminos or low sodium soy sauce, or tamari

2 tsp. onion powder or 1 T. finely minced onion

1 tsp. garlic powder or 2 Cloves minced garlic

½ tsp. coarse black pepper

¼ tsp. smoky Chipotle powder (or cayenne)

4 T. unsalted butter or ghee, melted

DIRECTIONS:  Prepare meat by trimming off any obvious large pieces of sinew.  Butterfly larger/thicker roasts so they are between 1¼-1½” thick.  Place meat into a gallon ziploc bag.  Mix the next 8 ingredients (all but the melted butter) in a small bowl.  Stir and scrape the marinade into the bag.  Zip bag and manipulate with your hands to evenly coat the meat.  Marinate for 4 hours in the refrigerator, turning and manipulate the meat and marinade bag every hour.  When ready to cook, prepare a bed of hot charcoal in your grill.  When the coals are ready, place meat on grill.  Using a sauce brush, baste the meat (and 5/8″-3/4″ pineapple slices if making them) with melted butter/ghee several times while cooking to help with moisture.

This will need to cook about 6-8 minutes on a side if you like your meat very rare.  Allow around 10 minutes per side for medium rare, as shown in the pic above.  Medium will take about 12 minutes on a side.  You ABSOLUTELY DO NOT want to cook game well done on the grill (as it has no fat/marbling to help keep it moist) or therein lies the path to a tough, dry result you will be VERY disappointed in.  And elk is too expensive to fall prey to “death by overcooking”.  This marinade will work just as well with beef or lamb.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 6 servings, each contains: (does not include pineapple slices)

307 calories

16.7 g  fat

2.58 g  carbs, .17 g  fiber, 2.41 g  NET CARBS

35 g  protein

202 mg sodium

 

Grilled Ostrich Chopped Steak

Grilled Ostrich “Steak

“The last time I ate ostrich, which was many years ago, I had a steak that I found very dry and quite tough.  Either we cooked it too long or too hard.  This time I decided to go for ground ostrich.  I added some seasonings and bacon fat and hubby grilled it BEAUTIFULLY!  Taste was just stellar!  It’s much more delicate tasting than ground beef and in my opinion, is worth the cost when I want to snow guests.  Best grilled chopped steak I’ve ever eaten.  🙂  It’s also available not ground. If you buy it that way, I would marinate it in the mixture below (minus the bacon grease and just melt the bacon grease and brush over the meat surface before grilling.

Though ostrich is quite pricey, you can sometimes get it on sale if you shop around.  I can get it for $9-10 per pound at my local Natural Grocers.  Many of us pay nearly that much for good grass-fed beef!  It’s about 98% lean, so there’s no waste or shrinkage during cooking really.  In fact, it’s so lean, you need to ADD fat to the mix so it will cook up better.  I have also seen ostrich at Whole Foods.  You can also obtain it on-line, I’m sure.  This dish is suitable for any phase of Atkins and for Paleo-Primal followers as well. You can use ground sirloin or lamb for this, too.

Just take a close look at the nutritional stats below!!!  Impressive, non?   I know I sure plan to now increase my intake of ostrich, for more reasons than GREAT TASTE!  This recipe would also be good made with ground elk, bison, venison or any ground game meat.  This is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto and Primal-Paleo as well.

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INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. ground ostrich meat (or other ground meat)

2 T. bacon grease (or other fat/lard of your choosing)

1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

Dash each ground thyme, onion powder and black pepper

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS:  Crumble up the ostrich meat into a glass bowl.  Add all ingredients and work it together with a fork or with your hands like you would for a meatloaf until all is well blended.  Cover and refrigerate to allow the flavors to mingle for 1-2 hours before you plan to cook.  When ready, form into two thick “steaks” pressing them firmly so they won’t fall apart on the grill.   Prepare a hot steak/burger bed of coals and grill the ostrich “steaks” until just medium-med rare.  Place “steaks” over coals and grill.  Do not attempt to jiggle/shift them around lest these babies fall apart on you.  When one side is nicely grilled, gently flip them over and finish cooking. I warn you if you cook them well done, they are definitely going to be dryer and you’ll end up being disappointed you wasted your money.  Ours were medium (just pink inside) and they were NOT dry at all.   We served ours with a piece of grilled bacon and grilled tomato and a spinach salad.  But these would also be good with seasoned, oiled, grilled onion slices, yellow or zucchini squash or eggplant slices as well.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes two 8-oz steaks, each containing:

517 calories

34.2 g  fat

1.2 g  carbs, 0.2 g  fiber, 1.0 g  NET CARBS

47.5 g  protein

695 mg potassium

275 mg sodium

Marinated Wild Duck

Dad’s Grilled Duck

My Dad was quite the hunter when he was living and was quite a cook!  This recipe evolved over several duck hunting trips, but this final version is still my favorite way to prepare duck. My husband, on the other hand, is NOT a hunter, so I usually have to substitute domestic duck when I get a craving for this recipe.  But this is just about as good done with domestic duck as it is done with wild duck.  This recipe is NOT Induction friendly due to the wine.  I just don’t think it would be good without it, so I recommend waiting to do this recipe justice.  It’ll be acceptable once you get to Atkins Phase 2 (and beyond).  I KNOW you’ll be glad you tried this!

INGREDIENTS:

2 wild ducks, de-feathered, cleaned and butterflied (cut up backbone and flattened out)

12 oz. dry white wine

¼ c. chopped parsley

1 stalk chopped celery

1 clove garlic

2-3 whole cloves (or 1/8 tsp. ground cloves)

1/3 tsp. thyme

6-10 black peppercorns

2 whole bay leaves

1 T. Olive Oil

DIRECTIONS:  After plucking and gutting the ducks, cut up the back, flatten with a hammer or cleaver (to butterfly or spatchcock the birds).  Place in glass or plastic marinating pan.  Mix all marinate ingredients above (except bay leaf) in either a food processor or blender and pulse until all fairly fine.  Pour marinate over duck and add bay leaves to the pan.  Marinate for 6-12 hours, drizzling marinate over ducks or turning them occasionally.

Light charcoal fire.  When coals are hot, place ducks on grill back behind the coals so they get INDIRECT heat.  Place a foil “pan” under duck to catch the fat that drips out as it cooks.  This is essential if using domestic duck which is VERY fatty!  Adjust vents on your grill so you can close grill and smoke/slow cook the birds for 1-1½ hours.  Time will vary depending on the size of the ducks.   Check for doneness where leg joins body like you would a turkey.  Be sure there is no blood at the joint.  Duck flesh (even the breast) is dark meat and can be served slightly pink.

If you are at the grain rung of OWL or beyond, this is excellent with wild rice dressing: https://buttoni.wordpress.com/2009/12/29/wild-rice-stuffing-2/  Wild rice is the lowest carb rice out there 109 NC per cup raw compared to 136 NC for a cup of raw brown rice.  I’ll try to find and post my Sherry Pecan Bacon Stuffing recipe if I can run it down.  Haven’t made it in eons but it’s really good with any fowl or game.  Here’s that other stuffing I would recommend for this duck:  https://buttoni.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/sherry-pecan-bacon-stuffing/

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 4 servings, each containing:

675.3 cals, 44.5 g fat, 4 g carbs, 1.7 g fiber, 47.4 g protein, 2.3 NET CARBS