Mediterranean Meat Patties

Served on (Flour tortilla)

One can’t talk about Middle Eastern food without thinking of  meat wraps.  These I whipped up for lunch one day.  I was transported to all the Middle Eastern cafes I’d had wraps in in various places.  These wonderful little meat patties can be ready in just 15 minutes!  Grilling them, which is traditional, will of course take a little longer.  I most DEFINITELY liked the flavor and confess I can eat two of them they are so good.  I serve them typically with tzatziki yogurt sauce or my Shawarma mayo.  The flavor of the leftovers only  improves these!  This meat mixture would also make great meatballs added to Mediterranean casserole dishes with eggplant, tomatoes and feta. If you have some low-carb tortillas on hand, make the wrap shown above,  on the table in no time.  This recipe can be made with beef or lamb and is suitable for all phases of Atkins.  Primal-Paleo folks can eat this meat on a Greek salad or plan-suitable “wrapper”.  When used in wraps, my delicious tzatziki sauce is very good on these sandwiches, particularly with a little extra chopped parsley sprinkled on top!   Another great choice is some of my homemade Shawarma Mayo as the sauce reminds me of Shawarma sandwich wraps I’ve had in the past.  Click here for the recipe for my no-flour  tortilla wraps.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. ground beef or lamb (pork works for me, but pork is not eaten in the Middle East)

about 1/3 c. kale or spinach leaves

¼ c. parsley

1 oz. onion

1 clove garlic

½ jalapeno, seeded and chopped fine

¼ c. feta cheese, crumbled

Dash each salt, pepper & allspice

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

1 T. za’atar sauce

1 medium egg

DIRECTIONS:  Place all but the meat in a food processor or blender. Pulse until fine, but don’t reduce it to paste in texture.  You want it about like pesto sauce.  Place the meat in a bowl and with a rubber spatula, scrape the spice/herb mixture on the meat.  With a fork or your hands, blend it all together like you would a meatloaf mixture.  Form into 6 equal patties.  These are traditionally cooked over charcoal on your grill, but almost as good browned in non-stick or lightly oiled skillet on each side until meat in completely cooked.  Your choice. Serve at once with your favorite sides or veggies OR let it cool off a bit, slice the patties laterally so that each one will make a Mediterranean-style wrap sandwich butter-grilled on your favorite plan-suitable tortilla/pita type bread.  If you are using cold, leftover meat for a sandwich the next day, after slicing the patties, I would sear a couple seconds in a non-stick skillet to warm them slightly.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 6 patties, each contains:  (numbers are only for the meat)

240 cals, 19g fat, 1.65g carbs, 0.33g fiber, 1.32g NET CARBS, 15 g protein, 155 mg sodium

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Chicken Quesadillas

Continuing my Mexican Food celebration, one of my favorite lunches is quesadillas.  My first exposure to these was at Pappacitas in S.E. Houston.  I ordered their Spinach Quesadillas and was in love.  They were delicious!  Kind of like a Mexican grilled cheese for me.

Since that time, I find myself making these for lunch, as I often have a piece of leftover baked chicken, a small piece of grilled steak or half a fried pork chop.  You guys know how I am about using up leftovers promptly.  I like to make leftovers totally transformed from how they were originally served.  This is often how those bits of leftover meat get used.   They really hit the spot!  I like to whip up a little Chimichurri Sauce to have inside or dabbed on the top of mine.  These lovelies are not suitable until the grains rung of Atkins Phase 2 OWL because of the wrapper.  Primal followers can enjoy these but they are not Paleo-friendly.  Other Keto followers can have them if the carbs will fit into daily limits.

INGREDIENTS:

4  my Low Carb Flour Tortillas  (or other brand)

2 T. my chimichurri sauce

1½ c. cooked chicken, chopped, skin removed

1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS:  Make the flour tortillas according to that recipe and set aside.  Make your Chimichurri Sauce according to that recipe and set aside.  Chop the chicken meat and place in a mixing bow.  Add the grated cheese and stir.   The chimichurri sauce can either be tossed in with the meat and cheese for more uniform distribution, or dotted on top of the mixture during assembly.

Place 2 tortillas on a lightly buttered griddle.  Top each with half the meat/cheese mixture.  Dot them with the chimichurri sauce if you didn’t already toss it into the meat mixture.   Place another tortilla on top and turn the heat to medium-high on the griddle. As cheese begins to melt, press the quesadillas with a spatula as the first side browns.  This will facilitate the top tortilla bonding with melting cheese, making them easier to flip.  When the first side is browned, carefully flip the quesadilla over and brown the second side, continuing to press with your spatula as it browns. When done, remove to plates or a large platter and with a knife, cut into quarters.  Serve with a tasty guacamole salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 2 whole quesadillas or 8 wedge pieces.  I cut mine into quarters.  However my husband and I both found we could only eat 3 of the 4 pieces on our plate.  So I am providing below the values for 1 whole, uncut quesadilla and you will need to calculate the numbers consumed based on how much of the quesadilla you actually eat.

1 whole quesadilla contains:  699 cals, 55.2 g fat, 10.35 g carbs, 3.1 g fiber, 7.25 g NET CARBS, 42.7 g protein, 950 mg sodium

1 wedge (1/4) contains:  175 cals, 13.8 g fat, 2.59 g carbs, 0.76 g fiber, 1.83 g NET CARBS, 10.70 g protein, 238 mg sodium

Smoked Gouda Chipotle Burger

Shown on a Smart Bun

This may just be the best burger I’ve ever eaten!  The hubs grills these outside.  The flavor layers are simply magical!   Mmmm……Mmmm……Mmmmm……is all I can say!

I want to take this opportunity to mention the wonderful little commercially-made low-carb hamburger buns called SMART BUNS by SmartBaking Company in my photo.  A friend over at Low Carb Friends Forums (Ouizoid is her member name) mentioned them not too long ago and I decided to order some at Netrition.com).  They are neutral flavor and have a wonderful texture!  You’ll swear you’re eating a regular high-carb bun!  And there is a bit of deductible sugar alcohol in them that, along with a hefty measure of fiber, makes them zero carb.  Only 4 net carbs even if you don’t deduct the sugar alcohol!  The bag says gluten-free, but most will tell you Oat fiber isn’t 100% gluten-free, so Celiacs will not be able to enjoy these most likely.  I have no such issues, so I will be ordering these regularly to be used exclusively for burgers, as they are a little pricey to use for all my sandwiches.  They have even gone up in price lately, so I no longer buy them.  I’ve switched back to other sandwich buns on my site.

You must use an Atkins Induction-friendly bun for these to be acceptable during the first phase of the Atkins program.  The Smart Buns in the recipe are not suitable until Phase 2 OWL, due to grain product in the buns.   These are suitable for Keto diets if they fit your daily macro limits, but are unsuitable for Primal-Paleo.  But you folks can certainly use a plan-suitable bun and omit the cheese and enjoy this delicious recipe.

INGREDIENTS: 

1 lb. ground beef

4 slices bacon, cut into large pieces

2 oz. onion, slivered in thin wedges

2 oz. shredded Smoked Gouda cheese (or cheese of choice)

4 T. my Chipotle Mayonnaise

4 Smart Buns (or low-carb buns of your choice)

DIRECTIONS:  Form four patties with your hamburger meat and grill as usual to desired doneness level.  While those are being cooked, brown the bacon and onion until the onion is beginning to brown and caramelize.  With your spatula, divide the mixture into 4 equal groups in the skillet.  Place 1/4 of the cheese atop each group.  This will “bind” it together as the cheese melts so it will stay put on your burger while you eat it.  Place lid on skillet and turn off heat.  In a minute or so the cheese will be melted.  Place a patty on each bun bottom.  With your spatula, carefully dip up each portion of the bacon-onion topping onto each burger patty.  Squirt (from a mustard squirt bottle if you have one) or dip your mayo equally onto the four burgers and top with bun top.  Finally, CHOW DOWN on these tasty wonders!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 4 burgers.  Each contains:  (Smart Bun included)

469 calories, 36.6 g fat, 17.5 g carbs, 12.2 g fiber, 5.3 g NET CARBS, 35.3 g protein, 562 mg sodium

Jalapeno Meatloaf Burgers

I want a quick meal tonight so I’m making a favorite of ours.  We drove down to our cabin place this morning and I’m tired, so simple is the plan.  When I created this recipe, I basically started with my meatloaf recipe and added half of a huge jalapeno.  Ate these babies on a Carb Smart hamburger bun.  DEEEEEliscious!  We make these often they are so good!  Not quite the same as a meatloaf sandwich (without the tomato sauce topping one typically puts on a meatloaf), but super tasty in a new, bold way!  These are not suitable until late in Phase 2 Atkins OWL unless you substitute a phase approved bread for the Joseph’s pita or Carb Smart bun.  These will also fit into other Keto diets provided the carbs will fit your daily limits.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. lean ground beef (I used grass-fed with a stronger flavor)

8 oz. lean ground pork

1 oz. red bell pepper, chopped

½ large jalapeno, chopped fine (use the whole thing if you like “spicy” food)

2 oz. onion, chopped

1 large stalk celery, chopped fine

2 T. olive oil

½ c. parsley, chopped

¼ tsp. dried oregano

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1 Joseph’s Flax-Oat Fiber Pita, moistened with a little water and mushed up

2 large eggs

¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:  In a non-stick skillet, saute the celery, bell pepper and jalapeno in the olive oil.  When getting tender, add to a medium mixing bowl.  Add all remaining ingredients and stir well with a fork or use your hands to blend like a meatloaf.  Form into 6 patties and brown on both sides on a lightly oiled griddle until they firm up and no longer exude pink juices.  Serve on your favorite low-carb bun and ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 6 large burgers (we could only eat one!), each contains:

337 calories, 26 g fat, 3.08 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 2.10 g NET CARBS, 24.3 g protein, 190 mg sodium

Sour Cream Grilling Bread (low carb)

Nothing like a delicious grilled cheese sandwich!

Sadly, most low-carb breads made with alternate flours simply do not toast well.  They just won’t get…….ummmm……………toasty!!!  😦

This individual serving bread recipe I developed I think is particularly suited for grilling sandwiches.  It toasts up better than any other low-carb bread I’ve tried toasting in 10 years of low-carbing and bread experimentaation. Not sure which ingredient is facilitating that toasty quality though.  Likely it is the oat fiber, but am VERY glad whatever ingredient is doing that!

You can bake this in any microwaveable square container.  I have a plastic bread-shaped container (which isn’t so healthy to cook in actually), so I have switched to using my 4″ square glass dish.  I have not tried baking this bread in a conventional oven, but suspect it would need 350º for around 10-15 minutes.  One recipe can be sliced laterally into two thinner slices after cooling to make 1 sandwich, as shown in the photo above. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and Keto diets.  It is not suitable for Primal-Paleo lifestyles.

INGREDIENTS:

¼ c. + 1T. flax meal, preferably golden flax meal

1 T. butter  (plus dab more for skillet or panini pan grilling)

2 T. sour cream

1 egg, beaten

½ tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. oat fiber, no substitutes! (omit for gluten-free)

Pinch salt

DIRECTIONS:   Melt the butter in microwave in a small mixing bowl.  Add beaten egg and sour cream. Add all dry ingredients and stir well.  With a rubber spatula, scrape batter into a 4″-5″ square microwaveable container and zap on HI power for 70 seconds or until dry to touch in center (microwaves can vary). Cool a minute and tip out onto cutting board.  Laterally slice as evenly as possible with a long-blade  knife to form two thinner slices.

When ready to construct your sandwich, melt a little butter or olive oil on a non-stick griddle and baste one side of each slice of bread.  Place one slice on griddle, buttered side down.  Add slice of your preferred cheese or meats and top with second slice of bread, buttered side up.  Brown well on both sides for best, “toastiest” results.  Slight over-browning is a GOOD thing here! 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 2 thin slices after cutting.  Entire recipe contains: (does not include sandwich fillings)

425 cals, 37.4g fat, 14.1g carbs, 11.3g fiber, 2.8g NET CARBS, 13.8g protein, 497mg sodium

Sour Cream Grilling Bread (low carb)

Shown on a Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Sadly, most low-carb breads made with alternate flours simply do not toast well.  They just won’t get…….ummmm……………toasty!!!  😦

This individual serving bread recipe I developed I think is particularly suited for grilling sandwiches.  It toasts up better than any other low-carb bread I’ve tried toasting in 10 years of low-carbing and bread experimentaation. Not sure which ingredient is facilitating that toasty quality though.  Likely it is the oat fiber, but am VERY glad whatever ingredient is doing that!

You can bake this in any microwaveable square container.  I have a plastic bread-shaped container (which isn’t so healthy to cook in actually), so I have switched to using my 4″ square glass dish.  I have not tried baking this bread in a conventional oven, but suspect it would need 350º for around 10-15 minutes.  One recipe can be sliced laterally into two thinner slices after cooling to make 1 sandwich, as shown in the photo above. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and Keto diets.  It is not suitable for Primal-Paleo lifestyles.

INGREDIENTS:

¼ c. + 1T. flax meal, preferably golden flax meal

1 T. butter  (plus dab more for skillet or panini pan grilling)

2 T. sour cream

1 egg, beaten

½ tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. oat fiber, no substitutes! (omit for gluten-free)

Pinch salt

DIRECTIONS:   Melt the butter in microwave in a small mixing bowl.  Add beaten egg and sour cream. Add all dry ingredients and stir well.  With a rubber spatula, scrape batter into a 4″-5″ square microwaveable container and zap on HI power for 70 seconds or until dry to touch in center (microwaves can vary). Cool a minute and tip out onto cutting board.  Laterally slice as evenly as possible with a long-blade  knife to form two thinner slices.

When ready to construct your sandwich, melt a little butter or olive oil on a non-stick griddle and baste one side of each slice of bread.  Place one slice on griddle, buttered side down.  Add slice of your preferred cheese or meats and top with second slice of bread, buttered side up.  Brown well on both sides for best, “toastiest” results.  Slight over-browning is a GOOD thing here! 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 2 thin slices after cutting.  Entire recipe contains: (does not include sandwich fillings)

425 cals, 37.4g fat, 14.1g carbs, 11.3g fiber, 2.8g NET CARBS, 13.8g protein, 497mg sodium

Meatza Meatza® Spinach Burrito

I broke my run on salads this week, OH MY!  I just wasn’t hungry for breakfast this morning, so I just had a cup of coffee.  The hubs took his usual Sunday hobby trip to Austin and it was just me and Button left to our own devices.  By 10:00 I was feeling a might peckish, so I ate brunch.  With just one last psyllium flat bread in the fridge, this is what I came up with.  A couple meats, a dash of fresh spinach and a bit of cheese to bind it altogether and man, was this ever tasty and filling!   This would be great breakfast, brunch or lunch!  I’ll need to get in the kitchen later today to make some more of my flat breads!  This recipe is not suitable until you get to the flour/grains carb re-introduction level (Phase 2) of Atkins due to the very healthy Einkorn flour and CarbQuik bake mix in the ingredient list for the flat bread.

Many more delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own copy of our cookbooks  LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS.  Volume 8 is almost exclusively comprised of my recipes with some new George Stella and Jennifer Eloff creations.  Volume 9, due out in October, has mostly my recipes once again.

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INGREDIENTS FOR EACH BURRITO:

1 Flat Bread round

3 oz. bulk pork breakfast sausage

2 slices thick pepper bacon

3/4 c. fresh baby spinach leaves

2 T. shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese

DIRECTIONS:  Lay the cooked flat bread on a serving plate and set aside the stove top.  In the middle of a small skillet, using your fingers, form the sausage into an oblong, half-moon shape the size of one half of the bread round.  Lay each strip of bacon along the outer edges of the skillet.  Over medium-high heat, brown until all the meat is thoroughly cooked on both sides.   With your spatula, set the sausage on one side of the bread round.  Lay the two strips of bacon on top of the sausage.  Now wilt the sausage right in the grease remaining in your skillet.  When wilted/cooked lift it onto the burrito atop the bacon.  Sprinkle the 2T. cheese on top and fold the other side of the flat bread over all, securing with a toothpick.  Place plate in microwave at 30% power for about 3-4 seconds so the cheese will melt.  Remove and serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 1 burrito which contains:

670 cals, 60g fat, 18.5g carbs, 10.1g fiber, 8.4g NET CARBS, 33.4g protein, 1417 mg sodium

Carbs can be lowered serving open-faced on only 1/2 bread round; sodium and fat can be lowered making your own lean sausage homemade.

Greek Chicken Wraps

I have always loved Middle Eastern food, probably because when I was 10-12 years old, my father was stationed in Teheran, Iran.  I just love Greek tabouleh and hummus and prepare these simple dishes often.  Last week we had some leftover grilled chicken and I decided to make a delicious wrap for our lunch.  We were eating these in under 30 minutes!  Due to the Joseph’s Lavash Wraps having flour product in it, this recipe is not suitable for Atkins Induction.

INGREDIENTS:

1  sheet Joseph’s Flax Oat Bran Lavash Bread

1/2 c. chunks or grilled chicken

8 black olives

4 T. hummus (commercial or my homemade for lowest carbs)

1/2 c. tabouleh salad

Dash salt

DIRECTIONS:   Cut lavash sheet in half and plate.  Spoon 2 T. hummus down the center.  Next spoon on about 3-4 T. tabouleh salad.  Place 1/2 c. chicken meat on top of the hummus.  Top with 4 sliced olives.  Roll tightly and serve.  I like to serve with ice cold tea.

VARIATION:    Make with grilled beef strips or ground beef logs seasoned with a Shawarma spice mix.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 2 sandwiches, each contains.

161 calories, 8.4 g fat, 8.2 g carbs, 2.8 g fiber, 5.4 NET CARBS, 13.7 g protein, 373 mg sodium

Brisket Burritos

I had a chunk of leftover brisket in the fridge yesterday and made the best wraps fr our lunch with it.  Very filling and DEElicious.  Simple to make but pack a whole lot of flavor.  This is a GREAT way to use up leftover brisket (or steak if you ever have any of THAT leftover LOL).  And it’s ready in just 8-10 minutes!  This recipe is not suitable for Induction unless you sub in a flax wrap that is Induction friendly.  This is suitable for any Keto dietary plan in which the numbers below will fit into your daily allowance of carbs.

Many more delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own cookbooks from LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS, by Jennifer Eloff, Chef George Stella of Food Network fame, and myself.  Volume 8 is almost exclusively devoted to my personal recipes but George Stella and Jennifer are also presenting several tasty new delights in this latest volume!  You’ll LOVE these delicious recipes!  Order Volume 8 or ANY of our earlier 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 one order.  Remember, they make GREAT birthday or holiday gifts!

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. bacon grease

2 oz. onion, sliced thinly

1 oz. red bell pepper, sliced

1 oz. green bell pepper, sliced

2 c. cooked brisket, sliced thin

2 Joseph’s Flax and Oat Lavash bread sheets

4 slices mozzarella cheese, or about 4 oz. shreds

VARIATION:  Use cooked chicken in place of the brisket.

DIRECTIONS:    Slice all ingredients (except the bread and cheese, of course).  In a skillet, melt the bacon grease over medium-high heat and saute the onion until limp.  Add the peppers and continue stir-frying them until all are no longer crisp.  Add the brisket and turn heat to high.  If meat falls somewhat apart into shreds, not to worry.  Won’t be a problem in the taste arena.  Saute until the meat begins to brown a bit.  Lay the slices right on top of the meat mixture in the skillet (or sprinkle if shreds).  Place lid on skillet just long enough to melt the cheese.   Lift lid and spoon half the mixture in a line onto each wrap sheet about 3″ from the end.  Roll the end of the wraps snugly around the filling and cut each in half as shown on the left in the above photo.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 4 servings (½ roll=serving), each serving contains:

430 cals., 32 g fat, 9.9 g carbs, 3.4 g fiber, 6.5 g NET CARBS, 29 g protein, 571 mg sodium

Smoked Gouda Chipotle Burger

Shown on a Smart Bun

This may just be the best burger I’ve ever eaten!  The hubs grills these outside.  The flavor layers are simply magical!   Mmmm……Mmmm……Mmmmm……is all I can say!

I want to take this opportunity to mention the wonderful little commercially-made low-carb hamburger buns called SMART BUNS by SmartBaking Company in my photo.  A friend over at Low Carb Friends Forums (Ouizoid is her member name) mentioned them not too long ago and I decided to order some at Netrition.com).  They are just marvelous in neutral flavor and texture!  You’ll swear you’re eating a regular high-carb bun!  And there is a bit of deductible sugar alcohol in them that, along with a hefty measure of fiber, makes them zero carb.  Only 4 net carbs even if you don’t deduct the sugar alcohol!  The bag says gluten-free, but most will tell you Oat fiber isn’t 100% gluten-free, so Celiacs will not be able to enjoy these most likely.  I have no such issues, so I will be ordering these regularly to be used exclusively for burgers, as they are a little pricey to use for everything bread-related.  Since they are fairly pricey, I will continue to bake my own low-carb breads for other uses.   Charcoaled burgers are pretty darn special at our house and worthy of the extra expense, not to mention the time savings. 🙂

You must use an Atkins Induction-friendly bun for these to be acceptable during the first phase of the Atkins program.  The Smart Buns in the recipe are not, due to grain product in the buns.   These are suitable for Keto diets if they fit your daily macro limits, but are unsuitable for Primal-Paleo.  But you folks can certainly use a plan-suitable bun and omit the cheese and enjoy this delicious recipe.

INGREDIENTS: 

1 lb. ground beef

4 slices bacon, cut into large pieces

2 oz. onion, slivered in thin wedges

2 oz. shredded Smoked Gouda cheese (or cheese of choice)

4 T. my Chipotle Mayonnaise

4 Smart Buns (or low-carb buns of your choice)

DIRECTIONS:  Form four patties with your hamburger meat and grill as usual to desired doneness level.  While those are being cooked, brown the bacon and onion until the onion is beginning to brown and caramelize.  With your spatula, divide the mixture into 4 equal groups in the skillet.  Place 1/4 of the cheese atop each group.  This will “bind” it together as the cheese melts so it will stay put on your burger while you eat it.  Place lid on skillet and turn off heat.  In a minute or so the cheese will be melted.  Place a patty on each bun bottom.  With your spatula, carefully dip up each portion of the bacon-onion topping onto each burger patty.  Squirt (from a mustard squirt bottle if you have one) or dip your mayo equally onto the four burgers and top with bun top.  Finally, CHOW DOWN on these tasty wonders!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 4 burgers.  Each contains:  (Smart Bun included)

469 calories, 36.6 g fat, 17.5 g carbs, 12.2 g fiber, 5.3 g NET CARBS, 35.3 g protein, 562 mg sodium

Chicken Quesadillas

Chicken Quesadillas

You guys know how I am about using up leftovers promptly and making them totally different than how they were cooked the first time around.  Well, I had one small chicken thigh and half a chicken breast leftover from my baked chicken in the refrigerator and wanted to use it up for lunch. Chopped up, it totaled about 1½ c. chicken meat.  It make the most delicious quesadillas shown above.   I haven’t made quesadillas since we left the Texas Gulf Coast and it just seemed a great way to use up that chicken. Good decision! They really hit the spot!  Whipped up a little Chimichurri Sauce and  a batch of my No-Flour Tortillas and then it was easy sailing.   These lovelies are not suitable until the grains rung of Atkins Phase 2 OWL and are not suitable for Paleo-Primal.  Keto followers can have them if the carbs will fit into your daily limits.

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 of my No-Flour Tortillas  (it takes TWO tortillas to make one round, uncut quesadilla)

2 T. my chimichurri sauce

1½ c. cooked chicken, chopped, skin removed

1 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS:  Make the flour tortillas according to that recipe and set aside.  Make your Chimichurri Sauce according to that recipe and set aside.  Chop the chicken meat and place in a mixing bow.  Add the grated cheese and stir.   The chimichurri sauce can either be tossed in with the meat and cheese for more uniform distribution, or dotted on top of the mixture during assembly.

Place 2 tortillas on a lightly buttered griddle.  Top each with half the meat/cheese mixture.  Dot them with the chimichurri sauce if you didn’t already toss it into the meat mixture.   Place another tortilla on top and turn the heat to medium on the griddle. As cheese begins to melt, press the quesadillas with a spatula as the first side browns.  This will facilitate the top tortilla bonding with melting cheese, making them easier to flip.  When the first side is browned, carefully flip the quesadilla over and brown the second side, continuing to press with your spatula as it browns. When done, remove to plates or a large platter and I usually cut mine into quarters (to make calculating carbs consumed a little easier).  This would go nicely with a tasty guacamole salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 2 whole quesadillas.  I cut mine into quarters.  However my husband and I both found we could only eat 3 of the 4 pieces on our plate.  So I am providing below the values for 1 whole, uncut quesadilla and you will need to calculate the numbers consumed based on how much of the quesadilla you actually eat.

1 whole, uncut quesadilla contains:

699 calories  (high because it takes 2 tortillas to make a quesadilla)

55.2 g  fat

10.35 g  carbs, 3.1 g  fiber, 7.25 g  NET CARBS

42.7 g  protein

950 mg sodium

Loaded Chicken Wraps

My husband came home from Sam’s with a roasted chicken a couple nights ago.  We only ate the leg quarters.  Tonight, I used up the two breast pieces in a delicious, stupidly simple dinner that was just DELICIOUS!  I’ll be making THESE again and often!  I use HEB Carb Sense whole wheat flour tortillas at 3 net carbs per tortilla.  I always have some in the fridge, so this meal of leftovers was super easy!  This recipe is not suitable until you are farther along in your Atkins weight loss journey, as flour product isn’t allowed until you have traversed all the rungs of the carb reintroduction ladder.  That said, these are only 4.85 net carbs per wrap, so you decide. 🙂  Together we ate four of the six wraps this made, but I was stuffed at just 1½ wraps; the hubs ate 2½ of them and gave them a resounding stamp of approval.  I didn’t use any sour cream; the hubs liked it on his.

Many delicious low-carb recipes like this 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 also brings you a wealth of delicious recipes you will love!  Order yours TODAY! from Amazon  or our direct order site: amongfriends.us/order.php.

INGREDIENTS:

6 low-carb flour tortillas (mine were 3 net carbs per)

2 small chicken breasts, pre-cooked & cut into strips

6 slices bacon, cooked, drained (I use thick slice)

2½ slices American Deluxe cheese, tear the whole slices into halves

1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

½ c. green onion, chopped

OPTIONAL:  6 dollops sour cream (not calculated in numbers below)

DIRECTIONS:   Line a cooking sheet with parchment.  Cook the bacon in a skillet until done but not too crisp.  Drain on paper towels.  Preheat oven to 325º.  Lay the flour tortillas on the pan.  Place the cooked chicken evenly on half of each tortilla.  Next tear each slice of bacon in half and lay the two halves diagonally over the chicken meat.  Now place ½ slice American cheese on top of the bacon for each wrap.  Next sprinkle the Cheddar shreds evenly over the bacon.  The final touch is to sprinkle the green onion over each and fold the other side of the wrap over to form a half moon shape.  Press firmly with your hand.  Loosely cover the pan with foil but do not seal it up or it will sweat during cooking.  Pop into 325º oven for 15 minutes to just melt the cheeses.  Serve at once with dollop of sour cream if desired.  I served mine with a small green salad on the side.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:    Makes 6 wraps, each contains:

308 calories, 15.5 g fat, 15.06 g carbs, 10.21 g fiber, 4.85 g NET CARBS, 27 g protein, 795 mg sodium

Jalapeno Meatloaf Burgers

I want a quick meal tonight so I’m making a favorite of ours.  We drove down to our cabin place this morning and I’m tired, so simple is the plan.  When I created this recipe, I basically started with my meatloaf recipe and added half of a huge jalapeno.  Ate these babies on a Carb Smart hamburger bun.  DEEEEEliscious!  WE make these often now!  Not quite the same as a meatloaf sandwich (without the tomato sauce topping one typically puts on a meatloaf), but super tasty in a new, bold way!  These are not suitable until late in Phase 2 Atkins OWL unless you substitute a phase approved bread for the Joseph’s pita or Carb Smart bun.  These will also fit into other Keto diets provided the carbs will fit your daily limits.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. lean ground beef (I used grass-fed with a stronger flavor)

8 oz. lean ground pork

1 oz. red bell pepper, chopped

½ large jalapeno, chopped fine (use the whole thing if you like “spicy” food)

2 oz. onion, chopped

1 large stalk celery, chopped fine

2 T. olive oil

½ c. parsley, chopped

¼ tsp. dried oregano

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1 Joseph’s Flax-Oat Fiber Pita, moistened with a little water and mushed up

2 large eggs

¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:  In a non-stick skillet, saute the celery, bell pepper and jalapeno in the olive oil.  When getting tender, add to a medium mixing bowl.  Add all remaining ingredients and stir well with a fork or use your hands to blend like a meatloaf.  Form into 6 patties and brown on both sides on a lightly oiled griddle until they firm up and no longer exude pink juices.  Serve on your favorite low-carb bun and ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 6 large burgers (we could only eat one!), each contains:

337 calories, 26 g fat, 3.08 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 2.10 g NET CARBS, 24.3 g protein, 190 mg sodium

Bacon-Onion-Smoked Gouda Chipotle Burger

Man, this may just be the best burger I’ve ever eaten!  The hubs grilled the meat patties and I came up with the rest of the magic.  Mmmm……Mmmm……Mmmmm……is all I can say!

I want to take this opportunity to mention the wonderful little commercially-made low-carb hamburger buns called SMART BUNS by SmartBaking Company in my photo.  A friend over at Low Carb Friends Forums (Ouizoid is her member name) mentioned them not too long ago and I decided to order some at Netrition.com).  They are just marvelous in neutral flavor and texture!  You’ll swear you’re eating a regular high-carb bun!  And there is a bit of deductible sugar alcohol in them that, along with a hefty measure of fiber, makes them zero carb.  Only 4 net carbs even if you don’t deduct the sugar alcohol!  The bag says gluten-free, but most will tell you Oat fiber isn’t 100% gluten-free, so Celiacs will not be able to enjoy these most likely.  I have no such issues, so I will be ordering these regularly to be used exclusively for burgers, as they are a little pricey to use for everything bread-related.  I will continue to bake my own low-carb breads for other uses.   Charcoaled burgers are pretty darn special at our house and worthy of the extra expense, not to mention the time savings. 🙂

These burgers, due to grain product in the buns, are not suitable until you are past Atkins Induction Phase.  They are suitable for Keto diets, but unsuitable for Primal-Paleo.  But you folks can certainly use a plan-suitable bun and enjoy this delicious recipe.

Many delicious low-carb recipes like this 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 also brings you a wealth of delicious recipes you will love!  Order yours TODAY! from Amazon  or our direct order site: amongfriends.us/order.php.

INGREDIENTS: 

1 lb. ground beef

4 slices bacon, cut into large pieces

2 oz. onion, slivered in thin wedges

2 oz. shredded Smoked Gouda cheese (or cheese of choice)

4 T. my Chipotle Mayonnaise  (I added more at the table to mine)

4 Smart Buns (or low-carb buns of your choice)

DIRECTIONS:  Form four patties with your hamburger meat and grill as usual to desired doneness.  While those are being cooked, brown the bacon and onion until the onion is beginning to brown and caramelize.  With your spatula, divide the mixture into 4 equal groups in the skillet.  Place 1/4 of the cheese atop each group.  This will “bind” it together as the cheese melts so it will stay put on your burger while you eat it.  Place lid on skillet and turn off heat.  In a minute or so the cheese will be melted.  Place a patty on each bun bottom.  With your spatula, carefully dip up each portion of the bacon-onion topping onto each burger patty.  Squirt (from a mustard squirt bottle if you have one) or dip your mayo equally onto the four burgers and top with bun top.  Finally, CHOW DOWN on these tasty wonders!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 4 burgers.  Each contains:

469 calories, 36.6 g fat, 17.5 g carbs, 12.2 g fiber, 5.3 g NET CARBS, 35.3 g protein, 562 mg sodium

Iranian Sabzi Wraps

Before a meal in Iran, an herb platter known as Sabzi Khordan is often served as a salad or first course.  It is served with their wonderful open-fire baked sheet bread.  Herbs are said to be an appetite stimulant, but they also complement many Iranian foods.  Sabzi is to Iranian meals what salsa is to Mexican cuisine.  It is added to many foods as well as being eaten alone. They will continue to pick more of the herbs off the platter throughout the meal, as they complement their stews, curries and grilled kebabs so nicely.  It’s similar to Tabouleh salad in flavor.  I have never liked it alone, but prefer it served with hummus to mellow the intense flavors.  The resulting combination is a horse of another color and altogether seriously delicious!!

Sadly I can’t get the wonderful sheet bread they made over there, baked on open ovens  directly over hot scorching pebbles.  So I serve mine on the closest thing I can find to Iranian sheet Noon bread:  Joseph’s Flax & Oat Fiber pita breads (the smallest ones they make), sold in a plastic blister pack covered with a plastic bag.  The ones sold in just the plastic bag much like flour tortillas are sold are a little larger and carry a heavier “price” on the carb count.

This is a GREAT dish for you vegetarians, too, so be sure to share with your vegetarian friends!  This dish is not suitable during Induction due to the chickpea flour.  The filling for these wraps, served as a side dish or as a curry or kebab complement, is suitable for Phase 2 (OWL, Ongoing Weight Loss) of Atkins.  But the wraps are would not be suitable until you reach the grains level of Phase 2 when you are much closer to goal weight.

VARIATION:  Add a few sprigs of fenugreek leaves, chopped.  I have them dried, but not quite as good in this. You want the fresh if possible.

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.  Chef George Stella also brings you a wealth of delicious recipes you will love!  Order yours TODAY! from Amazon or our direct order site: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

DISCLAIMER: I do not accept payment for this book promotion. I promote the books because they are GREAT cookbooks anyone would be proud to add to their cookbook collection

INGREDIENTS:

1½ c. parsley, chopped

½ c. spearmint, chopped

1 large green onion, chopped

2 sprigs cilantro, chopped

¼ c. chickpea flour

¼ c. whey protein powder (WPP) (unflavored and unsweetened)

2 T. tap water

1 clove garlic, minced

3 T. hemp hearts

1 T. fresh lemon juice

2 T. olive oil

½ – 1 tsp. glucomannan powder (only use if needed to thicken a bit)

1-2 small slices tomato for each wrap

4 Joseph’s Flax-Oat Fiber Pita (the small ones), or ½ sheet of Joseph’s lavash sheet bread

DIRECTIONS:  In a small bowl, mix the chickpea flour, WPP, garlic, water, olive oil  and lemon juice.  Beat with a whisk until smooth.  If not very thick, add the glucomannan powder and let sit 5-10 minutes.  In a medium mixing bowl, place the chopped herbs and green onion. Add the hemp hearts and herb mixture and stir. Place 1/4 of the mixture on half of the pita, top with 1-2 slices tomato, fold and close with a toothpick.  Kalamata olives and a bit of feta cheese pair nicely with these wraps.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:    Makes 4 wraps, each contains: (includes bread)

216.3 calories

13.0 g fat

16.02 g carbs, 7.02 g fiber, 9.0 g NET CARBS

15.2 g protein

315 mg sodium

Texas-Size Sausage “Biscuit”

You know what they say:  Everything’s bigger in TEXAS!   🙂  Just down the road 10 miles from me is a wonderful Czech Sausage House and Meat Market called Green’s in the tiny town of Zabcikville just east of Temple, TX.  It is quite the popular place with the locals.   Folks in surrounding cities, like us, often drive over to enjoy a meal on site and also bring home some of their wonderful sausages.  My brother just loved their breakfast smokies and just had to have some each time he flew down to Texas.  🙂

In the cafe by the meat market, they have a Sausage Burger on the menu.  Curious, I ordered it one day for lunch a few years back.  Much to my surprise, it was made with their bulk pork sausage, rather than their smoked sausage.  It was VERY good and frankly, similar to a typical sausage biscuit anywhere, only theirs is served on a hamburger bun, not a biscuit.  Recently they have added their homemade sauerkraut to that burger.

That menu item was the inspiration for my low-carb Texas-size Sausage “Biscuit” pictured above.   They are pretty darn good made with my version of the low-carb Oopsie Rolls (also known as a Revo Rolls).   I dotted mine with sesame seeds so it would look just like the Sausage Burger I had at the cafe that day, even if the sausage was my own recipe.  Who says you have to eat eggs all the time for breakfast on Atkins?  🙂  This breakfast is Induction friendly if you leave off the sesame seeds on the bun.  If you’re into sausage-cheese biscuits, I say GO FOR IT!

More delicious low-carb breakfast ideas 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! (also available individually) from Amazon or here: 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 pieces Peggy’s Sandwich Buns (omit sesame seeds if on Induction):

3 oz. pork sausage (preferably homemade for 0 carbs)

DIRECTIONS:  Form a large, thin patty with the sausage meat and cook in skillet until browned and done.  Lightly toast one of the buns in the broiler to brown it a bit more after they are baked.  Sandwich the sausage between two buns and enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 1 serving which contains:

443 calories

37.8 fat

3.8 g  carbs, 2 g  fiber, 1.8 g  NET CARBS

11.6 g  protein

612 mg sodium

Open-Faced Sriracha-Bacon Burger

This was truly one of the most delicious low-carb burgers I’ve made in a long time.  Not at all “hot” from this small amount of the Sriracha sauce.  They were moist and flavorful and VERY filling!  This recipe is suitable once you get to Phase 2 OWL of Atkins (those still on Induction need to use an Induction-friendly bread like this one), Keto diets, and Primal followers as well.  Paleo folks should use coconut milk instead of cream, but otherwise this is quite acceptable for that eating plan if served without toasted bread or atop a plan-suitable bread.

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. Several of my own creations appear in each of the 5 volumes! Order your set TODAY! (also available individually) from Amazon or our direct order site: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

DISCLAIMER: By personal choice, I do not accept payment for this book promotion nor 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 lb. grass-fed ground beef (or regular ground beef)

3 T. unsalted butter

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 tsp. Sriracha chile sauce

Dash each black pepper and onion powder

½ c. heavy cream

½ c. tap water

1 green onion, chopped very fine

5 slices of my Gluten-Free Focaccia (or other low-carb bread)

DIRECTIONS:  Brown the bacon until lightly browned and drain on paper towels.  Break up the meat into a medium mixing bowl.  Add the bacon, Sriracha, black pepper and onion powder.  Work the meat mixture together with fork or your hand much like you would if making a meatloaf.  Divide meat into 5 equal parts.  They will weigh about 4.3 oz. each and cook out to about 3 oz.  Form into five patties and brown on both sides in a skillet over medium-high heat.    Remove meat from pan to a paper plate.  Spoon off all grease but about 1½ tablespoons.  Add cream and water to the pan.  Lower heat to very low and de-glaze/scrape the tasty brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a spatula, which will brown and season the cream nicely.  Should be no need to add more salt or pepper.   Now add the white part only of the chopped green onion to the sauce, stir and let cream thicken.  Add a light dusting of of xanthan gum if you want it thicker.

Meanwhile, toast the 5 slices of low-carb bread and place on serving plates.  Place a burger atop each piece of toast and finally, pour 1/5 of the sauce over each, garnishing with the green part of the green onion you chopped.  ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:    Makes 5 “burgers”, each contains:

502 calories (or use less butter)

43 g  fat  (or use less butter)

4.10 g  carbs, 1.60 g  fiber, 2.50 g  NET CARBS

29 g protein

357 mg sodium

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes have always been a comfort food for me and my husband.  These taste great great!  When I created the original recipe, I just started throwing things into the pot because I wasn’t sure what all to add, since I used to use one of those envelope seasoning mixes in my former life to make my Sloppy Joes.  Well, I guess I grabbed the right things, because my husband gave these Sloppy Joes two thumbs up.  Not too juicy; respectable enough carb count to have them on the rare occasion.

Now I didn’t exactly use the lowest carb bun recipe I have for these.  You can trim the carbs a bit using a lower carb bun than the Einkorn Sandwich Buns I am using tonight.  It’s what I already had baked and ready to eat.  For this reason, I’m providing nutritional info for the meat mixture separately.  This would only be suitable for Atkins Induction if you use a Flax bun or a Muffin in a Minute (without sweetener and cinnamon, of course).  Ok for Keto Diets on a plan-suitable bun, provided you can fit the carbs into your daily limit.   Only Paleo-Primal suitable on a plan acceptable bun and if you use honey instead of the sweetener.

MEAT MIXTURE INGREDIENTS:

2 lb. ground beef

3 oz. onion, chopped

1  6-oz. can tomato paste

1 c. water

¼-½ c. apple cider vinegar (or other vinegar you have)

½ c. red bell pepper, chopped

1 tsp. your favorite sweetener

¼ tsp. sea salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

Dash cayenne pepper

½ tsp. paprika

NOTE: You will need 8 of my 3″ Einkorn Sandwich Buns (linked in paragraph above) or 8 buns of your choosing.

DIRECTIONS:  Brown the ground beef over high heat in a large non-stick pan (I used a non-stick wok).  Add the onion and bell pepper and saute the two together until meat is browned and veggies are pretty tender.  Drain grease off if excessive (I did not have to).  Add tomato paste and stir in until evenly distributed.  Add water and stir.  I suggest adding half the vinegar to start out as you may not like yours as tangy as we do.  Stir well.  Add all the spices and lower heat to lowest setting.  Simmer with a lid on the pot, stirring often to prevent sticking.  Only add remaining vinegar if you like things tangy.  Low simmer for about 30 minutes for vinegar to develop fully and flavors to co-mingle.

I like to split and toast my buns and spoon the meat mixture over both halves.  Your call on whether you toast or not toast.  Dip about 2/3 cup meat mixture into each bun or serve open-faced if you prefer.

NUTRITIONAL INFO (Meat Mixture alone):  Make 8 portions of meat filling consisting of 2/3 cup each.  1/8 batch contains: (be sure to add in the values for the buns you choose)

246 calories, 15.4 g  fat, 5.65 g  carbs, 1.23 g  fiber, 4.42 g  NET CARBS, 22 g  protein, 301 mg sodium

Bacon Chipotle Lettuce Wraps

Bacon Chipotle Lettuce Wraps

This quick lunch yesterday was delicious!  I’m sodium sensitive so I only used one thick slice of bacon on each lettuce wrap.  You might want to use two. 🙂  These are suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto and Primal-Paleo followers as well.

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 each of the 5 volumes! Order your set TODAY! (also available individually) from Amazon or: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

DISCLAIMER: I am not paid for this book promotion nor 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 leaf romaine lettuce

.5 oz. red bell pepper, cut into strips

.5 oz. onion, cut into strips

.5 oz. poblano pepper, cut into strips

1 tsp. bacon grease

1 piece thick-sliced bacon (or 2 thin slices)

2 T. chipotle mayonnaise (see below)

CHIPOTLE MAYO:  2T. homemade mayonnaise + ½ chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeded and mashed well.  Puree or mash these two ingredients together with a fork until a smooth mixture is formed.

DIRECTIONS:  Cook the slice of bacon in a skillet over medium high heat.  Add the extra tsp. of bacon grease (if needed).  Add pepper and onion strips and sear/saute until they begin to soften and lightly brown.  Lift the peppers and onions onto the lettuce leaf.  Add the bacon.  Spread or squirt the chipotle mayo onto the “sammie”.  Pick up with your hands closing the lettuce leaf and chow down!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 1 lettuce wrap which contains:

156 calories

13.21 g  fat

9.98 g  carbs, 6.01 g  fiber, 3.97 g  NET CARBS

9.7 g  protein

144 mg sodium

 

Cold Cuts Stack with Swiss Chard

Cold Cuts Stack with Swiss Chard

I had a hankering for a sandwich for lunch but am trying to avoid bread these days.  So I decided I would try doing something totally off-the-wall new today.  I had a bit of Swiss chard I also wanted to use up and the light bulb went off in my head.  This breadless sandwich was just amazing in flavor.  It’s high in sodium because……well…..it’s cheese and cold cuts folks!  So nothing I can do about that sodium.  But the bed of sauteed chard mellowed that sodium quite a bit and added something to the sandwich.  The final dot of my Sofrito sauce was an after thought but it ended up “making” the dish the flavor bang I wanted it to be.  I hope you’ll try this some time.  It was really delicious!  This is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal if you eat occasional cheese.  Unacceptable for Paleo, however.

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 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:

2 slices bacon

1 oz. (2 very thin slices)  Black Forest ham

1 large leaf of Swiss chard, stemmed, chopped coarsely

1 oz. (2 very thin slices) Muenster cheese (or other white cheese like Swiss)

1 oz. smoked Gouda cheese, sliced thin (or more Muenster)

1 oz. (4 very thin slices) hard salami

1 slice Roma tomato

1 tsp. my Sofrito sauce (optional, but it’s REALLY good on this creation)

DIRECTIONS:  Brown the bacon on one side of a non-stick skillet.  Brown the 2 slices of ham on the other side. Remove to paper towels and turn off heat.  Add chard to the pan and stir in the hot pan until it is wilted (pan is hot enough without any heat added).  Plate the chard.  Lay 1 slice of Muenster cheese on top.  Next lay 2 slices of hard salami in an overlapping fashion.  Next the other slice of Muenster.  Next the second slice of ham followed by the other 2 slices of hard salami.  Lay the smoked Gouda next and follow with the two slices of bacon criss-crossed.  Crown it all with a single slice of tomato and dot with the tomato with the teaspoon of sofrito sauce.  Pop in microwave on DEFROST for about 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese and serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 1 serving which contains:

454 calories

89 g  fat

4.2 g  carbs, .9 g fat, 3.3 g NET CARBS

30.5 g fat

1781 mg sodium  (use less luhchmeat, cheese and bacon to lower the sodium)

 

Spongeblob Squareburger

Click to enlarge

You know, I don’t think I’ve ever watched that silly cartoon show my recipe title alludes to.  But I happened to be channel surfing last night and landed on that program and found myself watching for 15 minutes or so.  I guess either I’m too old, or I just don’t get the humor.  Ren and Stimpy I could watch, but not this one.  So when I was slicing up my latest tweaked version of my Induction-friendly Flax Bread today, I was reminded how the slices looked like a kitchen sponge.  Immediately I was smitten with this idea.

I had some unused grass-fed ground beef leftover from a beef-cabbage dish I made myself last night.  I added some pork sausage that was leftover as well.  That all made a nice 4.5-oz burger patty for one (luckily my hubby was off in Austin yesterday for a convention.  Then the creative cogs started clicking.  Anyhow, this little burger came together easily ans was very tasty.  It was incredibly filling with the flax bread.  I will definitely make this quick dish again!  Different butters and seasoning elements in the meat are of course possible variations.  The caramelized onions and smoked Gouda really made this dinner a success.

This recipe is suitable for Atkins Phase 2 OWL and Keto diets, however it is not suitable for Primal-Paleo due to the bit of Bourbon in the compound butter and the particular bread used.  With another compound butter and a Paleo bread, my Primal-Paleo readers could certainly give this square burger a go.  This recipe is for 1 burger, so just multiply the ingredients as needed for making more.

INGREDIENTS:

3 oz. grass-fed ground beef (mine was 90% lean)

1½ oz. bulk pork sausage (I use homemade)

2 oz. onion, sliced

1 T. my Bacon-Bourbon Butter, softened

Dash black pepper

1 oz. slice of smoked Gouda cheese

2 slices my Flax-Whey Protein Bread

DIRECTIONS:  Stack the two slices of bread on top of each other and trim off any uneven edges to get straight edges, like your Mom used to cut off the crusts fro you when you were young (my Mom made us eat the crusts, but I saw many a Mom do it!  Set aside for now.  In a small bowl, using a fork, mix the ground beef, sausage, bourbon butter and black pepper until well blended.  Using your palms and then enlisting the help or a straight-edge spatula, form a square meat patty slightly larger than your bread is cut right onto a non-stick skillet.  When you are satisfied with the shape, turn on the heat to medium-high and brown one side.  Flip the patty over and push to one side of the skillet and saute the sliced onion along side the meat in the pan drippings, turning them several times as the meat browns. When the meat is fully cooked turn off the heat.   Place one bun onto your plate.  Set the meat on top.  Place the brown, caramelized onions in a “blob” on top of the meat.  Next place the slice of smoked Gouda on the onions and invert a bowl or small pan over the stack to allow steam to heat/melt the Gouda, but just until it slightly softens (but isn’t running all over the place).  Remove the inverted “dome” and place the top bun piece on top and serve at once.  You’ll notice in this first version I used my 8-Seed Crust mixture sprinkled on my bread when I made it.  That was quite good on this burger, too!  Kind of like an onion-y “Everything Bagel” topping, that blend. 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  This recipe makes 1 squareburger. Because I’m on Induction once again to break a long stall, I had to make mine with my flax bread, making this recipe pretty carb-y “as written”.  But there are breads with much lower stats you can use, like my Gluten-Free Focaccia Bread.

Made with my Flax-Whey Protein Bread: 1046 calories, 83 g fat, 26.6 g carbs, 17.4 g fiber, 9.2 g NET CARBS, 65.2 g  protein

Made with my Gluten-Free Focaccia Bread: 673 calories, 55 g fat, 10.3 g  carbs, 2.3 g fiber, 8.0 NET CARBS, 36.5 g  protien

Meatloaf Sliders

Click to enlarge

Who doesn’t love a good meatloaf sandwich?  It’s my husband’s absolute favorite sandwich after grilled burgers.  Since I had a pretty large hunk of meatloaf leftover this week, I thought I’d try this!  They came out GREAT!  These tasty sliders make a wonderful snack, lunch, picnic option, school lunch or tail-gate treat during football season!  I used my new Slider Bun recipe and leftover Italian Meatloaf.  Although any meatloaf can be used, nutritional numbers were calculated using the recipe linked below.  These nutritious meatloaf sliders (check out the stats below) are suitable once you reach Atkins Phase 2 OWL grains rung of the carb ladder or Keto diets, but are not suitable for Primal-Paleo.

Many more tasty lunch and snack ideas can be at your disposal with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff’s lastest best-selling cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS.  Jennifer and other very talented low-carb chefs have collaborated to bring you a wealth of tasty recipes to try.  You can order the complete 5-volume set or individual volumes, available in regular or coil-binding, from Amazon or direct.

DISCLAIMER:  I am not paid for this book promotion.   I do so just because I have all 5 volumes and they are absolutely marvelous cookbooks you’ll want to add to your lo0w-carb kitchen.

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe my Gluten-Free Slider Buns

12 oz. leftover Meatloaf, cut into 1½ oz slices

DIRECTIONS:  Make the slider buns according to that recipes’ instructions.  Slightly cool the buns.  Cut leftover meatloaf into 1½ oz. slices. That was about ½” thick and 2″x2″.  I just cut my meatloaf square.  Place 1½ oz. meatloaf between 2 pieces of bun and serve with favorite condiments nearby for self serving if desired.

NUTRITION INFO:  Makes 8 sliders, each contains:

325 calories

24.2 g  fat

8.25 g  carbs, 5.48 g  fiber, 2.77 g  NET CARBS

23.1 g  protein

491 mg sodium

262 mg potassium

19% RDA Vitamin B6, 128% B12, 22% copper, 48% iron, 11% magnesium, 27.4% niacin, 36% phosphorous, 21% riboflavin, 31% selenium, and 68% zinc

Pork-Kale-Onion Wrap

Pork-Kale-Onion Wrap

This delicious, healthy sandwich was a quick and easy lunch.  I found the frozen leftover cooked pork in my freezer and defrosted it in the microwave.  Caramelized onions go well with everything, and adding kale to the show, how can you go wrong?  I try to incorporate kale anywhere I can as it has such an impressive nutritional profile (check out the stats below!).  Today’s use of this “superfood” proved to be one I’ll make again.  It is fairly carb-y, however.  You can pull the carbs down on this by reducing the amount of kale used.

This recipe is not suitable until you reach the grains level of Atkins Phase 3 Pre-Maintenance unless you use a phase-suitable wrap like this one: http://genaw.com/lowcarb/flax_garlic_onion_flatbread.html or any other wrap recipe you like that is lower-carb.

This recipe is not suitable for Primal-Paleo unless you substitute a plan-suitable wrap.

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! (also available individually) from Amazon or: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

INGREDIENTS:

1 T. bacon grease

1 oz. onion, sliced thinly

4 oz. leftover cooked pork, sliced thinly (I used roasted shoulder meat)

3/4 c. chopped kale (stems removed)

Dash each salt and black pepper

½ sheet Joseph’s Lavash Bread with flax & oat fiber (or other plan-suitable wrap of your choice)

1 T. homemade mayo (I added Shawarma Spice Blend to mine)

VARIATION:  Use fresh or frozen spinach instead of kale

DIRECTIONS:  Heat bacon grease in a non-stick skillet.  Add the onion to the pan.  Brown and caramelize the onion, stirring often, until the pieces begin to actually brown.  Add meat and allow to brown a bit, stirring as it cooks.  Add the kale, salt and pepper and just cook until kale barely begins to wilt.  Do not overcook so the kale will remain sweet rather than get strong. With tongs, serve up the meat/kale mixture onto the lavash bread and serve with a side of homemade mayo to dab on top as you eat. ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 1 sandwich wrap which contains:

563 cals, 43g fat, 14.3g carbs, 4.3g fiber, 10 g NET CARBS, 35g protein

 

Sofrito Deli Melt Sandwich

Sofrito Deli Melt

I make stromboli-like sandwiches once in awhile and had a hankering for one today.  It occurred to me to add a dab of my sofrito sauce I keep in the freezer in a sandwich bag, as a condiment.  MAN, I’ve discovered a wonderful thing! That stuff is fantastic with deli meat and cheese on a bun!  This sandwich is suitable once you reach the nuts rung of the Atkins OWL carb ladder.  Those still on Induction will need to wait to enjoy this sandwich. This recipe is not suitable for Paleo-Primal dining.

VARIATION:  A little olive Tapenade or chopped or sliced black and/or green olives added to this sandwich would be a tasty addition, making it more like a muffaletta sandwich in flavor. 

Don’t be too quick to write this baby off as being a little too high carb before checking out the macros below. The carb price brings with it considerable nutrition.  As with any processed meats, if you can afford the better quality, lower sodium stuff, like Boar’s Head, by all means, use that.  As all deli meats and cheese carry a heavy sodium load, be sure to drink lots of water on days you indulge in them.

Many more delicious low-carb sandwich ideas can be at your fingertips with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends’ latest cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS.  She has collaborated with famous low-carb Chef George Stella and several other talented chefs to bring you a myriad of delicious recipes you are going to want in your collection.  Order your set (or individual volumes) TODAY from Amazon or here:  http://amongfriends.us/order.php

DISCLAIMER:  I do not get paid for this book promotion nor 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 slices of my Gluten-Free Grain-Free Focaccia Bread

½-1 tsp. my Sofrito sauce

4 wafer thin (1/16″) slices quality hard salami

1 oz, wafer thin slice quality deli ham

1½ oz. grated mozzarella cheese

2 slices tomato

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  On a small sheet of foil, place 1 slice of the bread.  There is no magical sequence of layering the ingredients here.  This is how I do it though:  spread half the sofrito sauce evenly over the 1st slice of bread. Next, lay on 2 slices of the hard salami.  Sprinkle with half the mozzarella cheese.  Place the slice of deli ham on the stack next.  Spread the rest of the sofrito sauce evenly on the ham. Lay on the last 2 slices of hard salami and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.  Finally, place the top slice of bread.  Fold up the foil, folding tightly the top and ends.  Pop wrapped sandwich into the preheated 350º oven for about 10-12 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.  Remove from oven, open the foil package, add your tomato slices.  Serve at once.  ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Each sandwich contains:

623 calories

45 g  fat

11.2 g  carbs, 3.6 g  fiber, 7.6 g NET CARBS

46 g  protein

1760 mg sodium

Mediterranean Meat Patties

Served on (Flour tortilla)

These wonderful little meat patties can be ready in just 15 minutes!  Grilling them, which is traditional, will of course take a little longer.  I most DEFINITELY liked the flavor and confess I can eat two of them they are so good.  I serve them typically with tzatziki yogurt sauce or my Shawarma mayo.  The flavor of the leftovers only  improves these!  This meat mixture would also make great meatballs added to Mediterranean casserole dishes with eggplant, tomatoes and feta. If you have some low-carb tortillas on hand, make the wrap shown above,  on the table in no time.  This recipe can be made with beef or lamb and is suitable for all phases of Atkins.  Primal-Paleo folks can eat this meat on a Greek salad or plan-suitable “wrap”.  When used in wraps, my delicious tzatziki sauce is very good on these sandwiches, particularly with a little extra chopped parsley sprinkled on top!   Also some homemade mayo with my Shawarma Mayo as the sauce is very good.  Click here for the recipe for my no-flour  tortilla wraps.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. ground beef or lamb (pork also works, but pork is not eaten in the Middle East)

about 1/3 c. kale

¼ c. parsley

1 oz. onion

1 clove garlic

½ jalapeno, seeded and chopped fine

¼ c. feta cheese, crumbled

Dash each salt, pepper & allspice

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

1 T. za’atar sauce

1 medium egg

DIRECTIONS:  Place all but the meat in a food processor or blender. Pulse until fine, but don’t reduce it to paste in texture.  You want it about like pesto sauce.  Place the meat in a bowl and with a rubber spatula, scrape the spice/herb mixture on the meat.  With a fork or your hands, blend it all together like you would a meatloaf mixture.  Form into 6 equal patties.  These are traditionally cooked over charcoal on your grill, but almost as good browned in non-stick or lightly oiled skillet on each side until meat in completely cooked.  Your choice. Serve at once with your favorite sides or veggies OR let it cool off a bit, slice the patties laterally so that each one will make a Mediterranean-style wrap sandwich butter-grilled on your favorite plan-suitable tortilla/pita type bread.  If you are using cold, leftover meat for a sandwich the next day, after slicing the patties, I would sear a couple seconds in a non-stick skillet to warm them slightly.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 6 patties, each contains:  (numbers are only for the meat)

240 cals, 19g fat, 1.65g carbs, 0.33g fiber, 1.32g NET CARBS, 15 g protein, 155 mg sodium

Chicken Quesadillas

You guys know how I am about using up leftovers promptly and making them totally different than how they were cooked the first time around.  Well, I had one small chicken thigh and half a chicken breast leftover from my baked chicken in the refrigerator and wanted to use it up for lunch. Chopped up, it totaled about 1½ c. chicken meat.  It make the most delicious quesadillas shown above.   I haven’t made quesadillas since we left the Texas Gulf Coast and it just seemed a great way to use up that chicken. Good decision! They really hit the spot!  Whipped up a little Chimichurri Sauce and  a batch of my No-Flour Tortillas and then it was easy sailing.   These lovelies are not suitable until the grains rung of Atkins Phase 2 OWL and are not suitable for Paleo-Primal.  Keto followers can have them if the carbs will fit into your daily limits.

INGREDIENTS:

4  my Low Carb Flour Tortillas  (or other brand)

2 T. my chimichurri sauce

1½ c. cooked chicken, chopped, skin removed

1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS:  Make the flour tortillas according to that recipe and set aside.  Make your Chimichurri Sauce according to that recipe and set aside.  Chop the chicken meat and place in a mixing bow.  Add the grated cheese and stir.   The chimichurri sauce can either be tossed in with the meat and cheese for more uniform distribution, or dotted on top of the mixture during assembly.

Place 2 tortillas on a lightly buttered griddle.  Top each with half the meat/cheese mixture.  Dot them with the chimichurri sauce if you didn’t already toss it into the meat mixture.   Place another tortilla on top and turn the heat to medium-high on the griddle. As cheese begins to melt, press the quesadillas with a spatula as the first side browns.  This will facilitate the top tortilla bonding with melting cheese, making them easier to flip.  When the first side is browned, carefully flip the quesadilla over and brown the second side, continuing to press with your spatula as it browns. When done, remove to plates or a large platter and with a knife, cut into quarters.  Serve with a tasty guacamole salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 2 whole quesadillas or 8 wedge pieces.  I cut mine into quarters.  However my husband and I both found we could only eat 3 of the 4 pieces on our plate.  So I am providing below the values for 1 whole, uncut quesadilla and you will need to calculate the numbers consumed based on how much of the quesadilla you actually eat.

1 whole quesadilla contains:  699 cals, 55.2 g fat, 10.35 g carbs, 3.1 g fiber, 7.25 g NET CARBS, 42.7 g protein, 950 mg sodium

1 wedge (1/4) contains:  175 cals, 13.8 g fat, 2.59 g carbs, 0.76 g fiber, 1.83 g NET CARBS, 10.70 g protein, 238 mg sodium

Peppered Bacon Fish Burger

Click to enlarge

Sometimes you throw things together from the fridge, no recipe,  know it’ll be OK, but have your doubts just how good it will be……then, come to find out, it’s not only OK, but an outstanding combination of flavors!  Happens to me all the time, and it’s usually just came about because one item was sitting on the same refrigerator shelf beside the other item.  Happened to me again today when I went to make my lunch. I had thawed a swai fish filet Sunday to cook for myself  when my husband was out of town but ended up not cooking it after all.  Well, to be honest, I forgot it was in the fridge for 2 days.  Today, I decided I needed to eat that fish and thought about a fish sandwich for lunch.  The individually sealed plastic package was sitting right on top of my fresh package of low-sodium bacon, so when I pulled it out, I thought “Bacon is good in fish stuffing” and grabbed the bacon. Besides, bacon goes with EVERYTHING!  Then I remembered my creamy fish sauce recipe and grabbed the jar of homemade shawarma mayo salad dressing I made Monday.  VOILA, a wonderful, delectable sandwich was born that I’ll be making again!    It only took me 5-10 minutes, start to finish, since I always have some sort of low-carb bread made up in the fridge at the ready. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and for Paleo-Primal eaters provided you use a Paleo-Primal acceptable bread.

Note:  I usually slice my individual white bread recipe into 3 thinner slices because it is so filling I have difficulty eating a whole one!  But the thinner slices didn’t hold together so well for me, due to the heat of the fish.  Same thing a real hot hamburger pattie does to your hamburger bun.  The sandwich was kinda messy with the bread cut so thin.  So next time I will split my bread into just 2 slices or use a sturdier bun for this particular sandwich.

INGREDIENTS:

1 serving acceptable bread/roll (I used Peggy’s Individual White Bread recipe I already had made up: https://buttoni.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/peggys-individual-white-bread/ )

4 oz. filet of swai, tilapia or other mild fish

3 slices bacon

black pepper

2 tsp. shawarma seasoned mayo (my recipe is here: https://buttoni.wordpress.com/2011/08/12/shawarma-salad-dressing/   )

½ leaf romaine lettuce

2 slices tomato

Dash onion powder

DIRECTIONS:  Place bacon in a heated non-stick skillet or griddle.  Pepper it with black pepper and brown the 1st side.  Flip the bacon and pepper the other side and finish cooking to your preferred crispness.  Remove and drain.  Sprinkle onion powder on fish and sear the piece of fish in the same hot, peppery bacon grease for about 2 minutes on each  side (until center/thickest part is done).  Place fish on the bottom of your bun, then the bacon, then the shawarma mayo, then your tomato and top with the lettuce.  Place your bun top on your masterpiece and ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 1 sandwich.  Please note:  numbers below are only for the sandwich contents and not the bread, as each person will likely use a different bread.  Each sandwich (contents only) contains:

224 calories

18 g  fat

1.8 g  carbs, .7 g  fiber, 1.1 g  NET CARBS

19 g  protein

389 mg sodium

171 mg potassium

Using Peggy’s Individual White Bread recipe (using the WHOLE thing for your sandwich, not sliced thinner) your sandwich will have 582 cals, 44 g fat, 9.9 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 5.9 g NC, 52 g protein, 75% RDA vitamin B12, 71% iron, 89% phosphorous, 54% selenium, 39% riboflavin and 21% zinc.

Hot Roast Beef Poor Boy

When I was a wee lass, age 4-5, my father was stationed in Springfield, Illinois.  During our stay there, with some regularity, my folks would order these incredibly delicious hot beef poor boy sandwiches from a little Italian restaurant known then as Twins’ Corner.  It wasn’t very far from our house, actually.  I have since discovered on-line that it is still operating as Saputo Twins’ Corner!  It has been operated continuously by the Saputo family since 1948.  These poor boy sandwiches were so good, and so popular, you had to order them early in the day to insure you would get one and at that, STILL had to wait in line to pick them up!  But they were well worth every minute you had to wait!  They would just melt in your mouth!!!  As the delicious juices permeated the homemade chewy Italian hoagie roll, they would be fairly messy to eat, but who cared?  They were so good!  The beef was slow-simmered all day long to render  it so tender no chewing was needed really.  I was shredded up in the very liquid is was cooked in.  Mmmmm …….that flavor has remained with me to this day.  I have come up with my version of that sandwich  and find it VERY close to the original at Twins Corner, other than the fact that I must serve mine on a low-carb roll, above it is shown on two of my 5″ long hoagie rolls:  https://buttoni.wordpress.com/2011/08/10/peggys-hotdog-buns-or-hoagie-rollbuns/.   These low-carb buns will not support the juice for picking it up with your hands, unfortunately, and therefore will require a fork.  But who cares when they are THIS good?  Provided they are served on an Induction-friendly low-carb sandwich bun, these poor boys will be a wonderful addition to your Induction menu rotations.  You’ll see by the nutritional stats below this is a VERY nutritious dish, providing major amounts of many needed nutrients.

Personally,  I would not recommend cooking this in a crock pot.  I ditched two of them because I never ate anything cooked in them I liked.  Just not fond of crock pots.   If you try using one on this, be certain the crock pot is big enough to totally cover the meat and veggies with water and stay covered with water until the end of cooking.  The last thing you want is for all the juice to cook away.  I have done this dish in a pressure cooker a couple of times, but again, it wasn’t as good as the slow, half-day cooking method in a regular old stew pot.  Here’s what mine looks like in the pot, so you can see the level of water you want to maintain:

Just before adding thickener

INGREDIENTS:

3 lb. chuck roast, trimmed of major fat

2 T. olive oil

1 large onion, sliced (mine was 6 oz.)

2 c. celery, diced large

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

Water to just cover meat (add more as needed to maintain the meat being just covered)

Thickener of your choice

DIRECTIONS:  Trim off any major fat bands off the outside of your chuck roast.  Heat olive oil in a deep Dutch oven or soup pot (mine is non-stick).  Brown meat well on both sides on high heat. I like to cut my roast into 3 smaller pieces to speed up cooking, but it is not really necessary.  Add to the pot the sliced onion and celery.  Pour enough water over all the ingredients to just cover.  Add salt and pepper and bring to a full boil.  Lower fire to just a gentle simmer, cover and cook for about 4 hours (5 hours if you don’t cut the roast into 3 smaller pieces) or until the meat is literally beginning to fall apart when tested with a fork. If you use a pressure cooker, you can have this tender in under an hour.  Once the meat is tender, break up the meat into nice, small pieces, some shreds.  See the pic above. I don’t like to reduce it totally to shreds, as I find that to be a bit visually off-putting after reheating leftovers. Just my personal hang-up there, so you can shred it up however you like.   While low heat is still on the meat, add a little of your favorite dry thickener to just slightly thicken the liquid surrounding the meat.  I dust a few sprinkles of xanthan gum successively (Paleo folks will want to use arrowroot to thicken) stirred in until the liquid surrounding the meat is just barely thickened and clinging to the meat.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 8 servings (possibly more).  1/8 batch of the meat mixture contains:

254 calories, 7.09 g  fat, 2.54 g  carbs, .69 g  fiber, 1.85 g  NET CARBS, 38.3 g  protein, 682 mg potassium, 23 mg sodium, 66% RDA Vitamin B6, 125% B12, 22% copper, 41% iron, 14% magnesium, 60% niacin, 51% phosphorous, 25% riboflavin, 86% selenium, 14% thiamin and 122% zinc

Smoked Gouda Breakfast Slider

This sure was a pleasant surprise this morning!  I had one of my hotdog buns left and didn’t feel like having eggs and sausage today, so I dreamed up this tasty treat.  These were sooooo good!  The smoked Gouda goes marvelously with the spices in typical breakfast sausage.  You men may want to use TWO sausage patties on yours (my hubby did).  But only ONE patty of meat is reflected in the nutritional info below.  This recipe is Induction friendly.  Of course, you can use other bulk sausage for this, but it will taste a bit different as the spices will be different in the meat.  🙂  You can also use one of my round sandwich buns, if you have those made up and just cut in it half to make the top and bottom bun.  If you prefer some other favorite low-carb bread, GO FOR IT!  🙂

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:

1  hot dog bun half made by this recipe (or other low-carb roll or biscuit)

1 patty my breakfast sausage made by this recipe (or other breakfast sausage)

1 oz. smoked Gouda cheese

DIRECTIONS:  Brown sausage in a skillet until thoroughly cooked.  Lay the cheese on top of the patty so it begins to melt.  Cut the half hotdog bun in half crosswise and place the patty with cheese between the pieces of bun. Then ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:    Makes 1 slider which contains:

331 calories

26.9 g  fat

2.2 g  carbs, .6 g fiber, 1.6 g  NET CARBS  (recalculate if you substitute other bread)

20.1 g  protein

501 mg sodium

Turkey or Chicken Shawarma Lettuce Wraps

Turkey or Chicken Shawarma Lettuce Wwraps

There’s a little Middle Eastern deli and grocery named The Phoenicia on Westheimer in Houston.  They make the most wonderful Shawarma Spice Blend and consequently the most wonderful chicken shawarma sandwich with it I have ever eaten in my life.  You Houstonians who haven’t tried it yet are really missing out on one of Houston’s wonderful taste delights.  This is my low-carb version of their chicken shawarma sandwich, which is of course NOT wrapped in a real pita bread, as they are at The Phoenicia. If you are to the grains rung of OWL yet, I would recommend wrapping this in a Joseph’s Flax, Oat Bran, Whole Wheat pita for 4 net carbs per whole pita bread. Separating it into it’s top and bottom and only using one half would only be 2 net carbs!  Those still on Induction need to stick with the lettuce wrappers, however.   The deli’s version has cubed potatoes, but my attempt to sub in browned turnip wasn’t so good, so although they are pictured in the example above, I won’t put those in again.  They are therefore not reflected in the nutritional numbers below. They weren’t bad, but just not great in these either. 🙂  This wrap is certainly suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto, Primal and Paleo  diets alike.

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 each of the 5 volumes! Order your set TODAY! (also available individually) from Amazon or: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

DISCLAIMER: I am not paid for this book promotion nor 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:

4 T. my homemade mayo

½ tsp. my Shawarma Spice Blend

2 large outer romaine lettuce leaves

4 oz. baked or char-broiled cooked chicken meat, sliced or cooked turkey white meat

With Joseph’s Flax/Oat/Whole Wheat Pita

6 slices Roma tomato

1 oz. onion slivered

2 tsp. olive oil

dash salt

VARIATION:  Substitute white turkey meat for the chicken.

DIRECTIONS:   Saute onion in olive oil until it just begins to brown. Turn off heat.  Stir Shawarma Spice Blend and salt into mayo until well blended.  If using pita bread, lay a lettuce leaf on each one and lay turkey or chicken down the center.  If not using pita, lay half the meat down the center of each lettuce leaf.  Put about 1T. Shawarma mayo evenly on top the length of the wrap.  Next lay the onion on the meat.  Top with tomato slices and top with the remaining T. of Shawarma mayo. Sprinkle with a little more spice mixture if desired.    Roll and ENJOY.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes two wraps, each contains  (not including pita bread):

363 calories

32.1 g  fat

2.82 g  carbs, 1.0 g fiber, 1.82 g  NET CARBS

16.5 g  protein

320 mg sodium

 

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This sandwich everyone already knows how to make!  So why in the heck would I be posting a “recipe” for a grilled cheese sandwich!!!?  Well…………sadly, most low-carb breads made with alternate flours simply do not toast well.  They just won’t get (or stay) toasty!!!  😦

This bread recipe I’ve developed is particularly suited for grilling as it toasts up better  than any other low-carb bread I’ve tried in 7 years of low-carbing and bread experimenting. Not sure which ingredient is facilitating that quality, likely the oat fiber, but am VERY glad whatever, it seems to work!  The fruits of your labor here are an amazingly toasty grilled cheese sandwich reminiscent of the ones you grew up on.  Don’t go off on me on my nutritional numbers.  I have rechecked them twice since original posting and they ARE correct.  We just have to accept it folks, grilled cheese sandwiches are high in calories!!  I mean it IS cheese and butter and bread.  Pray tell, how could it NOT be high in calories?  Go do the math on MFP or Fitday and you’ll see my numbers are right here.  🙂

You can bake this in any microwaveable square container.  I have a plastic one, but usually use my square glass dish.  I have not tried baking this bread in a conventional oven, but suspect it would need 350º for around 10-15 minutes or so.  One recipe can be sliced laterally into two thinner slices after cooling and that is what is shown to create 1 sandwich in the pic above. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and Keto diets.  It is not suitable for Primal-Paleo lifestyles.

There are many more fantastic low-carb bread recipes in Jennifer Eloff and friend’s best-selling cookbook series LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS.  Preview some of them at their Facebook page:  Low Carbing Among Friends.  You can order you own copies of the 5-volume set or individual volumes at Amazon or here.

DISCLAIMER:  I do not receive remuneration for this promotion or the inclusion of any of my recipes therein.  I do so simply because every low-carb cook is going to want these wonderful recipes in their kitchen library.  I haven’t made a recipe from them yet I didn’t like!

INGREDIENTS:

¼ c. + 1T. flax meal, preferably golden flax meal

1 T. butter + 1T more for grilling final sandwich

2 T. sour cream

1 egg, beaten

½ tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. oat fiber (omit for gluten-free)

Pinch salt

1 slice American Deluxe cheese

DIRECTIONS:   Melt 1 T. of the butter in microwave in a small mixing bowl.  Add beaten egg and sour cream. Add all dry ingredients and stir well.  Dip or scrape batter into a 5″ square microwaveable container and microwave on HI for 70 seconds or until dry to touch in center. Cool a minute and tip out onto cutting board.  Laterally slice as evenly as possible with a long knife.  Melt a little butter on non-stick griddle and baste one side of each slice of bread.  Place one slice on griddle, buttered side down.  Add 1 slice of your preferred cheese (I use American or Swiss) and top with second slice of bread, buttered side up.  Brown well on both sides.  The browner it is the crisper it will get.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 1 sandwich which contains:

617 calories

56.1 g  fat

17.7 g  carbs, 13.2 g  fiber, 4.5 g NET CARBS

19 g  protein

756 mg sodium

 

Bacon Turkey Phillie Wrap

Click to enlarge

Back in my pre-Atkins days, this was enjoyed on slices of crusty bakery French bread.  But I find it’s just as good eaten rolled up in the lettuce now.  I do this wrap “sandwich” also using my homemade mayonnaise with some of my shawarma seasoning in it: https://buttoni.wordpress.com/2009/07/27/homemade-mayonnaise/ rather than the cream cheese and I like that just as well, maybe even better!  This sammie is good either way in my opinion.  This is Induction friendly, so you can enjoy it often.

INGREDIENTS:

1 leaf of romaine lettuce

This is what I use

2 oz. cooked turkey breast

2 slices cooked bacon

1 T. cream cheese with chive & onion or homemade Shawarma Mayo

3 thin slices tomato, seeded

DIRECTIONS:   Cook the bacon and drain.  Lay the turkey on one  side of the lettuce leaf.  Add the bacon and smear the cream cheese (or mayo) on top while the bacon is still hot to facilitate the cream cheese melting a bit.  Lay the tomato slices on next, fold the other side of the lettuce over to form a wrapper and ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 1 serving which contains:

241 calories

14.5 g  fat

2.8 g  carbs, .8 g fiber, 2.0 NET CARBS

23.6 g  protein

485 mg sodium

38% RDA niacin, 24% B6, 49% selenium, 23% zinc, 360 mg potassium

Texas-Size Sausage “Biscuit”

You know what they say:  Everything’s bigger in TEXAS!   🙂  Just down the road 10 miles from me is a wonderful Czech Sausage House and Meat Market.  It is quite the popular place with the locals.   Folks in surrounding cities, like us, often drive over to enjoy or bring home some of their wonderful Czech sausage.  My brother, who lives near Seattle, just LOVES their breakfast smokies and just has to have some each time he flies down to Texas.  🙂

In the cafe by the meat market, they have a Sausage Burger on the menu.  Curious, I ordered it one day for lunch a few years back.  Much to my surprise, it was made with their bulk pork sausage, rather than their smoked sausage.  It was VERY good and frankly, similar to a typical sausage biscuit anywhere, only theirs is served on a hamburger bun, not a biscuit.

That menu item was the inspiration for my low-carb Texas-size Sausage “Biscuit” pictured above.   They are pretty darn good made with my version of the low-carb Oopsie Rolls (also known as a Revo Rolls).   I dotted mine with sesame seeds so it would look just like the Sausage Burger I had at the cafe that day, even if the sausage was my own recipe.  Who says you have to eat eggs all the time for breakfast on Atkins?  🙂  This breakfast is Induction friendly if you leave off the sesame seeds on the bun.  If you’re into sausage-cheese biscuits, I say GO FOR IT!

More delicious low-carb breakfast ideas 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! (also available individually) from Amazon or here: 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 pieces Peggy’s Sandwich Buns (omit sesame seeds if on Induction):

3 oz. pork sausage (preferably homemade for 0 carbs)

DIRECTIONS:  Form a large, thin patty with the sausage meat and cook in skillet until browned and done.  Lightly toast one of the buns in the broiler to brown it a bit more after they are baked.  Sandwich the sausage between two buns and enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 1 serving which contains:

443 calories

37.8 fat

3.8 g  carbs, 2 g  fiber, 1.8 g  NET CARBS

11.6 g  protein

612 mg sodium

Italian Stromboli Sandwich

Click to enlarge

This wonderful low-carb version of a classic Italian  Stromboli sandwich was so close I almost didn’t feel like I was eating low-carb!  Of course, it wasn’t on the traditional crusty Italian bread.  But Linda Genaw’s Artisan Flatbread recipe (made with mozzarella cheese)  gave the stromboli an amazingly similar flavor minus the crustiness!  It’s very similar to focaccia bread.

I keep a batch of this flatbread made up and in the fridge at all times so I can make a lo-carb sandwich (2 NC per slice) or cheese sausage “biscuit” for breakfast whenever I want.   This bread has some CarbQuick in it, so it is not appropriate until the grain rung of OWL.  But there is only 1T. of CarbQuick in each slice (if recipe cut into 12 slices) and I have started using this bread sooner without gaining any weight at all.

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INGREDIENTS:

2 slices Artisan Flatbread 

2 slices thin, lean deli ham

1 slice Swiss cheese (I often use all mozzarella instead)

2 slices mozzarella cheese

5-6 slices pepperoni

DIRECTIONS:

Layer all the sandwich ingredients between the two slices of Artisan Flatbread.  Wrap tightly in foil and heat at 350º for about 15 minutes to melt cheese.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 1 Stromboli containing:

770 calories

57.5 g  fat

12.7 g  carbs

4 g  fiber

8.7 g  NC

38 g  protein

approx. 1155 mg. sodium (due to cheese, ham and pepperoni)