Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta a la Puttanesca

This tasty dinner sure goes together easily and FAST!  I would have used prosciutto (traditional) in this if I had any in the house.  Instead, in such cases, I either use dry-cured ham or dry-cured sausage, which my husband buys often.  I would NOT recommend using regular smoked sausage for this recipe.  It would not be very good and way too greasy for this dish.  Lean bacon will do in a pinch, but a totally different taste there.

I use Classico brand of sun-dried pesto sauce as it is only 7 net carbs per ¼ cup, spread out among the 4 servings.  I have calculated nutritional stats as if I had used the prosciutto, which is traditional for this dish, however.  This was outstanding in flavor profile!  My husband said I could make it again any time and I loved it as well.  This recipe is suitable once you get to phase 2 of Atkins, but those still on Induction need to leave out the white wine.

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. unsalted butter

3 oz. onion, chopped (I used red onion)

4 slices prosciutto, chopped (or 4 oz. highly smoked dry-cured sausage  or dry-cured country ham, sliced)

1 fresh Roma tomato, coarsely chopped

½ c. canned sliced mushrooms with liquid (or 4-5 fresh medium, sliced)

10 black olives, sliced

½ c. parsley, chopped

½ c. white wine

Dash red pepper flakes

¼ c. Classico Sun-dried tomato Pesto (sold in a jar)

½ c. heavy cream

11 oz. Zeroodles “Penne” noodles with oat fiber (or 4 servings your preferred noodle alternate like zucchini noodles)

DIRECTIONS:   Melt butter in medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Sauté until tender.  Add all remaining ingredients but the cream and noodles.  Lower heat to medium and add cream.   Simmer until it begins to thicken up a bit.  Add the noodles and toss well to coat.  I let mine simmer for about 5 minutes longer.  Serve at once with a nice green salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 4 servings, each contains:

276.3 cals, 20.2g fat, 12.2g carbs, 5.92g fiber, 6.28g NET CARBS, 6.75g protein, 586 mg sodium

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BBQ Crack Cabbage with Ham

I found a small package of grilled pork slices in my freezer this morning I need to use up.  Since I have cooked this recipe numerous times now and my husband and I just LOVE it, it’s what’s for dinner tonight!  It’s so simple to make you’ll want to try this some time.  The mystery added ingredient, to what is basically the Crack Slaw recipe, makes all the difference in the world!  The BBQ sauce is the KEY INGREDIENT, so don’t omit that.  The flavor impact is astounding.   Without the sauce, it’s pretty much just an ordinary Crack Slaw in my opinion.  Carb count is a little high on this dish, but it is all in the healthy vegetables in it.  This recipe provides your daily requirements for Vitamins B6, C, iron, manganese, niacin, phosphorous and thiamin.  So the carbs are well worth it in nutrition alone!

This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and most Keto programs.  Paleo/Primal Blueprint folks must use a plan-acceptable BBQ sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

3 T. bacon grease

8 oz. cooked cured ham, cut in small strips

2 oz. red bell pepper, cut in small strips

1 leek (12 oz.), washed, sliced ½” (or 1 lg. yellow onion)

12 oz. green cabbage, cut in ½” stir-fry slices

¼ c. low-carb BBQ sauce (I use G.Hughes, thinned with 1 T. each vinegar & water)

Dash of coarse black pepper

VARIATIONS:  Instead of ham, use thinly-sliced smoked sausage, leftover grilled pork meat, breakfast sausage mini-meatballs, or leftover BBQ brisket.  Brown all meats first in the skillet as was done with ham in the directions.

DIRECTIONS:  In a large non-stick wok or skillet, melt the bacon grease over high heat.  Add cut-up ham (or leftover grilled BBQ meat) and stir-fry to caramelize and lightly brown it for about 3 minutes.  Add the red bell pepper next and sauté until just barely starts to soften.  Add leeks and stir-fry until it just begins to go limp (about 4-5 minutes).   Add the cut-up cabbage and cook all together just until cabbage begins to soften.  Drizzle the water/vinegar- diluted BBQ sauce over the top and turn off heat.  Stir to mix the sauce to coat all ingredients with its smoky, sweet goodness.  Sprinkle top of mixture with a quality coarse black pepper.  At this juncture, you have two choices.  You can either serve the dish at once if you like your cabbage to still be a bit crunchy.  Or you can pop it into a 350º oven for 15-20 minutes for flavors to develop further and for veggies to get a bit softer.  Your call.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Made with leek rather than yellow onion, makes 5 servings, each contains:

199 cals, 11.72g fat, 12.02g carbs, 2.78g fiber, 9.24g NET CARBS (only 7.5g NET CARBS using yellow onion), 11.78g protein, 768 mg sodium

Ham & Veggie Terrine

I include this terrine with my vegetable extravaganza, but I did add ham to this dish, making it a complete meal.  Omit the ham for a veggie side dish.  These are kind of fun to make and so pretty and colorful! 

I don’t own a ceramic loaf pan anymore, so I just use my metal 8″x4″ loaf pan lined with parchment to make my terrines.  This dish is delicious, not to mention nutritious with all those veggies.  A quick cutting of the vegetables, a brief sauté, fill the mold and it’s in the oven in no time!  You could serve this tasty dish for breakfast, brunch gatherings, lunch or dinner.  This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and other Keto diets.  Paleo and Primal followers will want to sub in coconut milk for the cream here.  Omit the ham and you vegetarians can even enjoy this one!

INGREDIENTS:

1 large carrot, peeled, sliced thin

2 5″ zucchini (about 10 oz.), sliced thin

1 leek, washed well of dirt and sliced thin

3 T. olive oil

Dash sea salt and coarse black pepper

¼ tsp. garlic powder or 1 small clove garlic, minced

4 extra large eggs, beaten (or 5 large eggs)

2 T. coconut flour

3 T. oz. heavy cream, divided

5 T. water, total

1½ c. cooked, cured ham (omit for a vegetarian version)

VARIATION:  Substitute cooked bacon for the ham

CHEESE SAUCE:  5-10 minutes before terrine is done, mix 3 T. of the water, 2 T. of the cream in small saucepan set into larger saucepan (or use double boiler) and heat.  Add 4 slices American Deluxe or Cheddar Cheese.  Stir and blend until cheese is melted and all is incorporated into a smooth sauce.  Pour into serving bowl when terrine is out of oven, sliced and ready to serve.  Sauce will thicken fast, so do not dip it up one minutes before you need it.

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Line a metal or ceramic 4×8″ loaf pan with parchment.  I don’t line the ends of the pan and just oil there lightly.  Set aside for now.  Stem and slice up all veggies.  I used a food processor for uniform, thin slice. Heat olive oil in wok or large skillet.  Add veggies, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sauté stirring often over medium-high heat until veggies are tender but not mushy.  Stir in sliced/diced ham.  Turn off heat.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs, remaining 1 T. cream and remaining 2 T. water until smooth.  Add coconut flour.  Stir again.  Pour over veggies and stir well to blend.  With rubber spatula, scrape mixture into parchment-prepared pan.  Trim off excess paper above top of pan but leave a bit for “handles”. Pop into 350º oven for about 40 minutes.  Check at 30 min. as ovens do vary.  Top will be lightly golden and center should be firm (not damp) when touched.  Do not over brown as terrine will be dry if overcooked.  Remove from oven, run knife along ends of pan and lift out  of pan holding the paper, tipping onto your platter.  Slice into 6 slices (about 1″-1¼” thick).  Serve with cheese sauce (or some other favorite sauce if you prefer)

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 6 servings, each contains (including 1½ T. sauce):

288 cals, 21 g fat, 6.88g carbs, 1.48g fiber, 5.4g NET CARBS, 18.6g protein, 689mg sodium

BBQ Crack Cabbage with Ham

I have cooked this recipe numerous times now and my husband and I just LOVE it!  It’s so simple and the mystery added ingredient to what is basically the Crack Slaw recipe, makes all the difference in the world!  The BBQ sauce is the KEY INGREDIENT, so don’t omit that for the true flavor impact of this dish.  Doing so would make it pretty much just an ordinary Crack Slaw in my opinion.  Carb count is a little high on this dish, but it is all in the healthy vegetables in it.  This recipe provides your daily requirements for Vitamins B6, C, iron, manganese, niacin, phosphorous and thiamin.  So the carbs are well worth the carbs in nutrition alone!

This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and most Keto programs.  Paleo/Primal Blueprint folks must use a plan-acceptable BBQ sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

3 T. bacon grease

8 oz. cooked cured ham, cut in small strips

2 oz. red bell pepper, cut in small strips

1 leek (12 oz.), washed, sliced ½” (or 1 lg. yellow onion)

12 oz. green cabbage, cut in ½” stir-fry slices

¼ c. low-carb BBQ sauce (I use G.Hughes, thinned with 1 T. each vinegar & water)

Dash of coarse black pepper

VARIATIONS:  Instead of ham, use thinly-sliced smoked sausage, leftover grilled pork meat, breakfast sausage mini-meatballs, or leftover BBQ brisket.  Brown all meats first in the skillet as was done with ham in the directions.

DIRECTIONS:  In a large non-stick wok or skillet, melt the bacon grease over high heat.  Add cut-up ham (or leftover grilled BBQ meat) and stir-fry to caramelize and lightly brown it for about 3 minutes.  Add the red bell pepper next and sauté until just barely starts to soften.  Add leeks and stir-fry until it just begins to go limp (about 4-5 minutes).   Add the cut-up cabbage and cook all together just until cabbage begins to soften.  Drizzle the water/vinegar- diluted BBQ sauce over the top and turn off heat.  Stir to mix the sauce to coat all ingredients with its smoky, sweet goodness.  Sprinkle top of mixture with a quality coarse black pepper.  At this juncture, you have two choices.  You can either serve the dish at once if you like your cabbage to still be a bit crunchy.  Or you can pop it into a 350º oven for 15-20 minutes for flavors to develop further and for veggies to get a bit softer.  Your call.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Made with leek rather than yellow onion, makes 5 servings, each contains:

199 cals, 11.72g fat, 12.02g carbs, 2.78g fiber, 9.24g NET CARBS (only 7.5g NET CARBS using yellow onion), 11.78g protein, 768 mg sodium

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta a la Puttanesca

This tasty dinner sure went together easily and FAST!  I would have used prosciutto in this if I had any in the house, but I used a locally made, highly-smoked dry-cured pork-beef sausage my husband brought home from Austin that served as a good stand-in.  I would NOT recommend using regular smoked sausage for this recipe.  I think it would NOT be very good.  Bacon would do in a pinch, but a totally different taste there.  I used Classico brand of sun-dried pesto sauce as it is only 7 net carbs per ¼ cup, spread out among the 4 servings.  I have calculated nutritional stats as if I had used the prosciutto, however.  This was outstanding!  My husband said I could make it again any time and I enjoyed it as well.  This recipe is suitable once you get to phase 2 of Atkins, but those still on Induction wanting to try it need to leave out the white wine.

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. unsalted butter

3 oz. onion, chopped (I used red onion)

4 slices prosciutto, chopped (or smoked dry-cured sausage as shown above)

1 Roma tomato, coarsely diced

½ c. canned sliced mushrooms with liquid (or 4-5 fresh medium, sliced)

10 black olives, sliced into 3 pieces

½ c. parsley, chopped

½ c. white wine (omit if still on Atkins Induction)

Dash red pepper flakes

¼ c. sun-dried tomato pesto sauce (I used Classico brand from a jar)

½ c. heavy cream

11 oz. Zeroodles “Penne” noodles with oat fiber (or 4 servings your preferred noodle alternate like zucchini noodles)

DIRECTIONS:   Melt butter in medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Saute until tender.  Add all remaining ingredients but the cream and noodles.  Lower heat to medium and add cream.   Simmer until it begins to thicken up a bit.  Add the noodles and toss well to coat.  I let mine simmer for about 5 minutes longer.  Serve at once with a nice green salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 4 servings, each contains:

276.3 cals, 20.2g fat, 12.2g carbs, 5.92g fiber, 6.28g NET CARBS, 6.75g protein, 586 mg sodium

Ham & Veggie Terrine

Dinner was kind of fun to make tonight.  And isn’t this one colorful?!  I don’t own a ceramic loaf pan anymore, so I just used my metal 8″x4″ lined with parchment. to prepare this recipe.  This dish is quick to make and quite delicious, not to mention nutritious with all those veggies in it.  A quick cut, sauté and fill the mold is all there is to it!  You could serve this tasty dish for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.  This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and other Keto diets.  Paleo and Primal followers will want to sub in coconut milk for the cream here.  Omit the ham and you vegetarians can even enjoy this one!

INGREDIENTS:

1 large carrot, peeled, sliced thin

2 5″ zucchini (about 10 oz.), sliced thin

1 leek, washed well of dirt and sliced thin

3 T. olive oil

Dash sea salt and coarse black pepper

¼ tsp. garlic powder or 1 small clove garlic, minced

4 extra large eggs, beaten (or 5 large eggs)

2 T. coconut flour

3 T. oz. heavy cream, divided

5 T. water, total

1½ c. cooked, cured ham (omit for a vegetarian version)

VARIATION:  Substitute cooked bacon for the ham

CHEESE SAUCE:  5-10 minutes before terrine is done, mix 3 T. of the water, 2 T. of the cream in small saucepan set into larger saucepan (or use double boiler) and heat.  Add 4 slices American Deluxe or Cheddar Cheese.  Stir and blend until cheese is melted and all is incorporated into a smooth sauce.  Pour into serving bowl when terrine is out of oven, sliced and ready to serve.  Sauce will thicken fast, so do not dip it up one minutes before you need it.

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Line a metal or ceramic 4×8″ loaf pan with parchment.  I don’t line the ends of the pan and just oil there lightly.  Set aside for now.  Stem and slice up all veggies.  I used a food processor for uniform, thin slice. Heat olive oil in wok or large skillet.  Add veggies, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sauté stirring often over medium-high heat until veggies are tender but not mushy.  Stir in sliced/diced ham.  Turn off heat.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs, remaining 1 T. cream and remaining 2 T. water until smooth.  Add coconut flour.  Stir again.  Pour over veggies and stir well to blend.  With rubber spatula, scrape mixture into parchment-prepared pan.  Trim off excess paper above top of pan but leave a bit for “handles”. Pop into 350º oven for about 40 minutes.  Check at 30 min. as ovens do vary.  Top will be lightly golden and center should be firm (not damp) when touched.  Do not over brown as terrine will be dry if overcooked.  Remove from oven, run knife along ends of pan and lift out  of pan holding the paper, tipping onto your platter.  Slice into 6 slices (about 1″-1¼” thick).  Serve with cheese sauce (or some other favorite sauce if you prefer)

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 6 servings, each contains (including 1½ T. sauce):

288 cals, 21 g fat, 6.88g carbs, 1.48g fiber, 5.4g NET CARBS, 18.6g protein, 689mg sodium

Smoky Kale-Squash-Ham Casserole

I threw this little dish together for lunch today and it was so tasty I thought I’d share it  with my readers.  I just love one-pan dishes.  The cleanup is just as easy as the cooking. 🙂  This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and Keto diets.  Leave the cheese off for Primal-Paleo compliance.

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:

4 tsp. bacon grease

2 oz. yellow onion, sliced

5 oz. yellow squash, cut into medium chunks

5 oz. cured ham, sliced or chopped

3 oz. kale, stemmed and cut coarsely

2 oz. smoked Gouda cheese, shredded

Dash black pepper

VARIATION:  Make without the ham for a lovely vegetable side dish.

INSTRUCTIONS:  If you’ll soak your ham in warm water for 30 minutes, changing water at least once, this will draw out about 50% of the sodium they put in cured ham, without hurting the taste at all.  Remove from water and pat dry with paper towels.  Cut in small pieces.  Heat bacon grease in non-stick skillet. Add onion and saute until the onion begins to caramelize.  Add squash and saute, stirring often, until it is half done (no longer opaque).  Add the pieces of ham and saute 2-3 minutes or until done (squash should be done by now, too).  Add kale and saute 3-4 minutes, just until kale begins to wilt but isn’t overly cooked.  You don’t it want to lose its pretty green color.  The ham will make this dish salty enough, but add a dash of black pepper and stir one last time.  If serving in the skillet, top with the shredded cheese and put lid or foil on top for a couple minutes to allow heat to melt the cheese.  If serving in a pretty ceramic dish, dip up the mixture into baking dish.  Then sprinkle with cheese and pop into microwave on 80% power for about 2 minutes to melt.  Serve at once.  This would be good with a piece of your favorite low-carb bread slathered in butter.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:    Makes 3 servings, each contains:

227 cals., 15g fat, 6.63g carbs, 1.26g fiber, 5.37g NET CARBS, 16g protein, 609 mg sodium

 

“Pasta” Fagioli Soup

This soup was super yummy at lunch today.  Saw the can of Eden Black Soy Black Beans and knew I had some bulk pork sausage in the refrigerator.  Standing in for the pasta in classic Pasta Fagioli Soup, is thinly sliced yellow summer squash.  If you are at Pre-Maintenance or Maintenance levels of Atkins, instead you could break up one serving (2 oz. uncooked) Al Dente brand Carba Nada Egg Pappardelle noodles in place of the squash for a more authentic Italian soup.  Doing so adds about 2 net carbs per serving, whereas the squash only adds about 1/2 net carb per serving.   Another option would be to chop up some of those tofu-based Miracle Noodles (if you like them), for virtually no extra carbs or calories!  The squash, I have to admit, was tasty in this as well as a colorful stand-in for traditional pasta in pasta fagioli, but that’s your call.  This recipe, as written, is suitable once you get well into Phase 2 Atkins (remember, it has beans in it).

INGREDIENTS: 

2 T. bacon grease

2½ oz. onion, chopped

1 c. celery, chopped

4 oz. pork breakfast or Italian sausage, shaped into mini meatballs

2 oz. cured ham, chopped (or 4 slices bacon)

1½ c. homemade chicken broth

4 c. water

2 Roma tomatoes, cut in chunks

1 c. cilantro, chopped (use 1/2 c. parsley if not a fan)

1 medium yellow summer squash, cut lengthwise and then sliced

¼ c. rice wine vinegar or red wine vinegar  (optional, but really adds a lot)

½ tsp. coarse black pepper

¼ tsp. each dried oregano and basil

1 can Eden Soy Black Beans (not the same as high-carb black beans!)

Optional:  ½ c. low-carb pasta of your choice

DIRECTIONS:  Heat bacon grease over high heat and sauté onion and celery until translucent.  Add mini sausage balls and ham/bacon to pot and stir very gently to cook the sausage without breaking it apart.  Add all remaining ingredients to the pot.  There’s enough salt in the ham and sausage I don’t think you’ll need to add extra salt to this soup.  Add 1/2 c. small macaroni noodles (if using).  When the soup comes to a light boil, lower heat to a simmer.  Simmer until squash and noodles are tender, or for about 20-25 minutes.  Serve with your favorite low-carb garlic bread and a nice green salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 8 bowls (about 1½ c. each), each bowl contains (Remember to add in numbers for the pasta if used):

161.5 cals., 10.52 g fat, 5.77 g carbs, 3.48 g fiber, 2.29 g NET CARBS, 10.5 g protein, 235 mg sodium

 

Ham and Irish Porter Cheese en Croute

I’ve begun experimenting with a dough that is somewhere between the Flathead Pizza Crust recipe on the Diet Doctor’s website and Jennifer Eloff’s Miracle Dough recipe.  But the final result is a little easier to handle, roll, and manipulate than either of those recipe, in my experience.  This dough has good elasticity and flavor and numerous possible applications.  I can see I’ll be using this dough recipe a lot.  Today we were also trialing a new cheese for us, Irish Porter Cheese we found at Sam’s Club.  It is a white cheddar chunked up with a surround of dark Porter beer.  Has a nice taste cold and melted nicely for our lunch today.  This tasty recipe is not suitable until the later part of Phase 2 Atkins as Carbquik has some flour product in it but it sports respectable numbers for Keto followers.

Many more delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own cookbooks from LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS, Volume 8, by Jennifer Eloff, Chef George Stella of Food Network fame, and myself.  Volume 8 is almost completely comprised of my recipes! But George Stella and Jennifer Eloff are also including several tasty new delights to try in this latest Volume 8! You’ll LOVE these delicious recipes, so order yours (Volume 8 or ANY of our cookbooks) from Amazon  or our direct order site: amongfriends.us/order.php.  For a limited time, there is free shipping if you order 2 or more cookbooks on the same order.  Remember, they make GREAT birthday or holiday gifts!If you’ve already purchased a book, take a moment and drop by the our Amazon page and  leave your personal review on the latest book.  Inquiring minds want to know. 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe my Mozzy Dough

8 oz. cured ham, cut into long pieces (about ½” x 3″)

8 oz. Irish Porter Cheddar Cheese, cut into long pieces (about ½” x 3″)

DIRECTIONS:  Slightly brown the ham sticks in a skillet with a dab of bacon grease.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Make the Mozzy Dough by that recipe’s instructions.  In the bowl, portion it into 8 balls of dough.  Preheat oven to 400º.  You want a really hot oven so the dough will brown quickly and the cheese has a fighting chance to stay inside the “croute”.  Tear off a piece of parchment and set on your counter.  One at a time place, place a ball (1/8 of the dough) of dough on the parchment.  Using your fingers, press it into an fairly thin oval shape about 5″ on the long measure.  Place a stick each of ham and cheese atop the oval of dough the long way.  Roll the dough (using the parchment to help lift it to start rolling).  Pinch the dough ends well to seal the contents tightly inside.  This step is crucial or the melting cheese will all ooze out during cooking.  Place the logs seam down on a non-stick or parchment-lined baking sheet.  Repeat until all 8 balls of dough have been filled and rolled.   Pop the pan into a hot 400º oven and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned as shown.  Remove and serve at once.

VARIATION:  After they cool off a bit, slice the “logs” up into bite-size pieces for serving as appetizers for your parties.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 8, each contains:

296 calories, 22.5 g fat, 8.37 g carbs, 4.73 g fiber, 3.64 g NET CARBS, 23.2 g protein, 875 mg sodium

Ham-Tuna Cheesies

I’ve posted my Tuna Cheesies , a long-time family favorite snack, some time back.  A number of you have tried and loved them.  Those are made and served on low-carb crackers.  Today for lunch, I wanted to “push the diet envelope” and take these to an even lower carb level and try them without actual crackers!  I had a piece of cured ham leftover from breakfast, so I decided to make my “crackers” from that fried ham.  What a GOOD IDEA that turned out to be!  At first, I was not sure ham and tuna would go well together together.  Well, I’m here to tell you they are wonderful together!  The cheese rounds out the flavor profile quite nicely!  Sometimes cooking whims really do work!  If you’ll let these slightly cool a bit before serving, they are easier to lift off the pan with a thin spatula and easier to hold in your hand for eating.  Plus…….you won’t burn the top of your mouth with the very hot, gooey cheese.  These tasty snacks are suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and for those Primal Blueprint folks that consume the occasional dairy.

Many more delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own cookbooks from LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS, Volume 8, by Jennifer Eloff, Chef George Stella of Food Network fame, and myself.  Volume 8 is almost completely comprised of my recipes! But George Stella and Jennifer Eloff are also including several tasty new delights to try in this latest Volume 8! You’ll LOVE these delicious recipes, so order yours (Volume 8 or ANY of our cookbooks) from Amazon  or our direct order site: amongfriends.us/order.php.  For a limited time, there is free shipping if you order 2 or more cookbooks on the same order.  Remember, they make GREAT birthday or holiday gifts!If you’ve already purchased a book, take a moment and drop by the our Amazon page and  leave your personal review on the latest book.  Inquiring minds want to know. 🙂

VARIATION:  Use diagonally sliced pieces, pre-browned smoked sausage in place of ham.

INGREDIENTS:

4 oz. fried, cured ham

4 oz. (slices) American Deluxe or Cheddar cheese, shredded

½ small pouch (1.3 oz) water-pack tuna

Dash onion powder

Dash cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 T. softened butter

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Slice ham off into ¼” slices and then cut those into 16 pieces.  Place them on a parchment-lined pan with ample space between them, as the cheese topping will sprawl beyond the ham bits during cooking.  Place remaining ingredients in a small bowl and mix well with a fork until the butter is binding the cheese and tuna together nicely.  Spoon or fork about 1 T. of the mixture onto each slice of ham, evenly distributing any that is left over.  Slightly press the mixture down with fingers or your fork if it seems a bit “loosey-goosey”, as I call it when a mixture isn’t cohesive enough.  Pop the pan into a hot 350º oven for about 10 minutes or just until the cheese-tuna mixture melts.  It will spread over and beyond the ham most likely.  Remove pan from oven and cool a couple minutes.   Using a thin metal spatula, remove the cheesies from the pan to a serving platter and serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 16 cheesies, each contains:

48.6 calories, 3.75 g fat, 0.36 g carbs, 0.0 g fiber, 0.36 g NET CARBS, 3.38 g protein, 187 mg sodium