May 18 2018

Eggplant Parmigiana Sandwiches

I’m planning on making these tomorrow night for dinner. This recipe is deep in my blog archives so I thought I’d re-post it for my readers that love Italian food. This recipe is inspired by a dish my mother used to make when I was growing up. Of course, she used bread crumbs and not the pork rinds I used in mine to keep them lower-carb. Her dish didn’t have meat in it, just the eggplant. However this recipe takes it to a complete meal! This is a delightful lunch or dinner entree and is quite filling! It goes nicely with a tossed green salad. This dish can also be made with ground lamb if you prefer. It is suitable for Induction, too. Despite their name, it takes a fork and knife to eat these “sandwiches”.

INGREDIENTS:

½ recipe of my Oven-Fried Eggplant (adding the 1 oz. crushed pork rinds below to coating)

1 oz. crushed pork rinds

6 oz. ground beef (or lamb)

2 slices provalone cheese

2 1-oz. slices mozzarella cheese (or grated)

½ c. low-carb spaghetti sauce (I used this: https://buttoni.wordpress.com/2009/08/13/peggys-spaghetti-sauce/ )

2 fresh basil leaves, chopped (or ¼ tsp. dried)

2 T. Parmesan cheese

VARIATION: Use ground lamb instead of ground beef for a Greek twist, subbing in feta cheese for the provalone.

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 450º. Make ½ recipe my Oven Fried Eggplant per instructions for that recipe, with the one addition of 1 oz. crushed pork rinds to the coating mixture. This takes about 20 minutes to bake at 450º. While this is baking, form two nice beef patties from the meat and brown them in a non-stick skillet. When eggplant is browned nicely, remove from oven (remember, it will be browner on bottom than on top). Lower oven to 350º. Place 2 T. spaghetti sauce atop each of two slices (the other two slices will form the second layer of these stacks). Next place a browned meat patty on them. Top them with a slice of provalone cheese and ½ T. of the Parmesan. Sprinkle on half the basil. Now place another slice of eggplant on top. Spoon 2 more tablespoons of sauce on top. Top each with 1 oz. grated or sliced mozzarella. Top each with half the remaining Parmesan and basil. I had one small slice of eggplant leftover and laid it on top of the serving simply for photographic impact, but I don’t usually do this. Sauce and cheese are usually the final layer. Pop sandwiches back into oven at 350º for about 5-10 minutes to melt cheeses. If the tops slide off, just push them back on top before serving. 🙂 Happens all the time to me. Cheese is slippery. 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes two servings, each contains:

502 calories, 31.7 g fat, 8.1 g carbs, 3.4 g fiber, 4.7 g NET CARBS, 44.4 g protein, 1144 mg sodium

Induction Chicken and Dumplings

Man, this Induction-friendly dish is real Fall and Winter comfort food for us. It tastes even better than it looks! If you make Oopsie Rolls (Revolution Rolls, or Cloud Bread) often, this recipe is handy for making a tasty, quick and hearty dish to feed your family. Since I haven’t been on Induction in years, I forget how good this simple dish is, so I thought I’d repost this Induction-suitable recipe for those just starting out on their low-carb journey. I think this is one of my better uses of the famous Oopsie Rolls. I am always astounded the “dumplings” hold up to 15-20 minutes of broth simmering! I guess it’s the high egg content of the Oopsie Rolls that is just perfect for this application. You can also cut these “dumplings” up smaller pieces for adding to your other favorite soups and stews. a nice recipe to have in your kitchen recipe box. 🙂

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!

INGREDIENTS:

1 chicken breast (large, about 8 oz.)

2 c. homemade or canned low-sodium chicken broth (plus enough water to cover chicken if needed)

3 drops yellow food coloring (totally optional, but I like chicken broth to look yellowish)

3 large stalks celery, chopped coarsely

1 chicken bouillon cube (optional)

Dash black pepper

2 Oopsie Rolls (also called Improved Revolution Rolls and Cloud Bread)

¼-½ tsp. xanthan gum to thicken

DIRECTIONS: Cut chicken breast in half for two servings. Place in stew pot. Cover with all remaining ingredients except Oopsie Rolls and xanthan gum. Bring to a boil, lower to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Cut rolls into “dumpling” size you like and drop into broth. Continue to simmer for 15-20 more minutes. Do not disturb with spoon too much and the “dumplings” will not fall apart at all. Right before serving, dust xanthan gum over surface and gently stir, waiting between successive dustings to allow it to thicken to see if more is needed. You do NOT want to use too much xanthan gum or the resulting broth can get a slippery, gelatinous texture. When you get to the desired thickness, remove from heat and serve.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 servings, each contains:

350 calories, 16.2 g fat, 5.9 g carbs, 3.5 g fiber, 2.4 g NET CARBS, 41.5 g protein, 1500 mg sodium

May 12 2018

Seared Sea Scallops in Wine Sauce

Seared Sea Scallops in Wine Sauce

I bought some beautiful, HUGE sea scallops (reason for cook times below) during the holidays and cooked them up this way tonight for dinner. As written, this recipe is unacceptable for Induction. But if you leave out the wine, it is Induction friendly! The nutritional info below reflects the inclusion of the wine.

More delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends’ best-selling cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS. She has collaborated with famous low-carb Chef George Stella and several other talented 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:

16 sea scallops, approximately 3″ in diameter

2 T. unsalted butter for sautéing

2 T. more butter for sauce

1/3 c. finely chopped parsley

1 lg. clove minced garlic

1 oz. lemon juice (fresh)

¼ c. dry white wine (omit or use chicken broth if on Induction)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 400º. Melt 2 T. butter in non-stick 14″ skillet over high heat. Sear only 4 scallops for 3 minutes on a side (less, of course, for smaller scallops). Do not crowd pan with more than 4 at a time or the juice they bleed out will cause them to simmer rather than sear. Remove to a plate temporarily. Repeat until all scallops are seared. Replace all scallops in pan and pop into preheated oven for 10 minutes (less for small scallops). Remove scallops to plate and put skillet on medium flame atop stove. Add the 2 additional tablespoons of butter, lemon juice, parsley, garlic and wine. Simmer 5-8 minutes longer. Add scallops back and serve with a nice green salad or your favorite green vegetable.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings (4 scallops per serving). Each serving has:

257.5 calories, 18.6 g fat, 8.33 g carbs (yes, scallops have carbs!) .55 g fiber 7.78 g NET CARBS, 12 g protein, 339 mg sodium

May 6 2018

Tandoori Cornish Hens

I love tandoori chicken so much and there are so many recipes out there for the spice blends for it, I never tire of trying new ones! This one is my latest experiment. It was a recipe I found in a magazine a long time ago and finally got around to making it, with a couple of modifications. If you bake this recipe in your oven, rather than grilling over charcoal, I like to put some sliced onions in the bottom of the pan with some olive oil the last half hour of baking and de-glazed the pan brown bits with some water over stove-top burner on low for a nice sauce. This can also be done with regular cut-up chicken pieces or just wings (which will cook much faster!). To be more traditional, if your way of eating allows it, add 2-3 drops of food coloring to the marinate, for the traditional red hue in the picture, but this step is optional. This is not necessary for the flavor to be spot on.

This chicken pairs nicely with Indian Creamed Spinach (Saag Paneer) and my Indian Cauliflower.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cornish hens (about 1¼ lb. each) or 8 cut pieces of chicken

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp. salt (optional but included in stats below)

Pinch black pepper

1 T. fresh lime juice

½ c. sour cream or plain yogurt

1 large clove minced garlic

1 tsp. minced fresh ginger

¼ medium onion, chopped

½ tsp. cumin seed (or ¼ tsp. ground)

½ tsp. ground turmeric

DIRECTIONS: Split the Cornish hens into halves or cut up 4 of your desired whole chicken pieces. You can skin the chicken if you like, but I never do. I LIKE the skin! Poke holes randomly in the skin, piercing through into the flesh as well. Mix salt, pepper and cayenne with lime juice and rub onto the pieces of meat. Set aside while you do the next step.

In a blender or food processor, puree the yogurt, garlic, ginger, onion, and remaining spices. Add optional 2-3 drops red food coloring (if using). Spoon into gallon plastic zip bag and add chicken to the bag. Zip bag and mix to coat meat pieces by manipulating with your hands. Refrigerate for 6-8 hours, manipulating occasionally during this period.

Tandoori Chicken, in India, is cooked in a Tandoori clay oven, which I certainly do not have. However a medium-hot charcoal fire will do nicely. But if neither is available, preheat your indoor oven to 400º. Place hen quarters skin up onto grill surface or on a rack in a roasting pan. Brush or spoon the yogurt marinate evenly over the pieces of meat. Depending on your charcoal fire, distance from coals to meat, or your oven accuracy, size of birds…….these hens will take about 45 minutes to get done. Test the thigh joints for internal temp of 180º on a meat thermometer or until juices are clear and not pink.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Serves 4, each serving contains:

381 calories, 23.4 g fat, 9.2 g carbs, 0.4 g fiber, 8.8 g NET CARBS, 31.83 g protein, 377 mg sodium

May 6 2018

Indian Creamed Spinach (Saag Paneer)

We just LOVE creamed spinach! Especially the kind they serve at Indian restaurants. I can buy the paneer cheese frozen at a local Indian grocery. 🙂 There are recipes on the internet for making this cheese at home, too. 🙂 This dish is Atkins Induction friendly and suitable for other Keto diets as well.

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. butter

2 oz. yellow onion

16 oz. frozen chopped spinach

1 c. water

3 oz. cream cheese

1/3 c. heavy cream

Dash salt and pepper

1 tsp. my Garam Masala spice blend

½ tsp. grated ginger root

½ c. chopped cilantro

½ seeded jalapeno chopped

OPTIONAL: paneer cheese cubes (tofu cubes are a good substitute)

DIRECTIONS: Sliver up the onion very thin or chop finely. Melt butter in skillet and saute onion over medium heat in non-stick skillet until tender. Add spinach and water, cover and simmer just until spinach is done (about 5 minutes). Drain off any remaining water. Now dot the surface with cream cheese and stir in to melt. Add all spices, ginger, and jalapeno pepper now. Stir. Lower heat to lowest setting and add cream. Simmer uncovered for 2-3 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Add cilantro last and simmer 1-2 minutes longer. I like to next pop it into a 350º oven for 15 minutes, but that is not actually necessary. The dish shown in the pic above WAS NOT baked off. Great with grilled kebab, chicken or fish. ENJOY!!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings each contains

193 calories, 16.4 g fat, 7.9 g carbs, 3.9 g fiber, 4.0 NET CARBS, 197 g sodium

May 3 2018

Pork in Parsley-Bacon Cream

This tasty creation was simple yet had a very sophisticated sauce we both just loved. This dinner can be ready in about 45 minutes and really delivers on flavor. If still on Atkins Induction, you will have to omit the wine. Paleo followers will want to use coconut milk in lieu of the cream. This is suited, as written, for all other phases of Atkins and Keto diets if this will fit your daily nutritional limits.

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/holiday gifts!

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. pork chops or steaks, cut into 3 portions, deboned

2 thick slices bacon (2.5 oz), chopped

3/4 c. parsley, chopped

½ c. mushrooms, canned with liquid

¼ tsp. coarse black pepper

4 oz. white wine (I used Chardonay)

3/4 c. heavy cream

¼ tsp. onion powder

DIRECTIONS: Brown bacon over high and remove to paper towel. Debone pork and pound with a meat tenderizer. Lightly pepper the pork pieces and brown in bacon fat in skillet over high heat. Remove meat to a plate. Lower heat to medium and add back the bacon to the skillet. Chop and add the parsley to pan. Also add in mushrooms (with juice from can), wine, rest of black pepper and onion powder. Simmer sauce on low heat until it begins to thicken a bit (about 5 minutes). Set browned pork on top of sauce in skillet and lower heat to lowest setting possible. Cook until meat is done or around 15-20 inutes. Plate and with your favorite veggie side, spooning 1/3 of the parsley-mushroom-bacon sauce over each portion.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Makes 3 servings, each contains:

733 calories, 54 g fat, 5.23 g carbs, 1.16 g fiber, 4.o7 g NET CARBS, 47.3 g protein, 940 mg sodium.

Apr 26 2018

Broiled Shawarma Tomatoes

I did my broiled tomatoes a bit different last time. I added some of my homemade shawarma mayo in lieu of the crushed pork rinds on top. Came out VERY tasty this way! This dish is nice with baked or broiled seafood and it pairs nicely with grilled steak. This recipe is also good cooked on top of a bed of fresh spinach that was first sauteed in butter, for an even more nutrient-dense dish!

VARIATION: Omit the mayo and spice blend, sprinkle some oregano and crushed pork rinds on the tops before baking for an Italian version.

INGREDIENTS:

4 large Roma tomatoes (or 5 small), sliced 1/2″ thick

¼ c. my homemade mayo

½ tsp. Shawarma Spice Blend

1/3 c. green onion, finely chopped

¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese

Pinch salt and black pepper

2 tsp. olive oil (to grease pan)

DIRECTIONS: Slice tomatoes about ½” thick. Place on non-stick pan oiled with the 2 tsp. olive oil. These tend to stick badly, even on Teflon, thus the oil. Next, stir the spice blend into the mayo and brush each slice with seasoned mayo. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Next sprinkle the chopped green onion over all. Finish with the Parmesan cheese. Broil until bubbly and browning or bake at 350º for about 20 minutes until they begin to get tender. Don’t cook these too long as the natural sugar tends to make them burn fast.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Serves 4, each serving contains:

190 calories, 17.7 g fat, 3.53 g carbs, 1.28 g fiber, 2.25 NET CARBS, 7.03 g protein, 125 mg sodium

Apr 4 2018

Chicken Breast in Shawarma Cream Sauce

This moist, delicious, quick dinner was all that I hoped it would be. I seared off butterflied chicken breasts in butter and made a delicious reduction of cream & homemade mayo with a smidge of my tasty Shawarma Spice Blend. This simple recipe is perfect for a week night when you’re tired from a hard day at work. But it would be good enough to serve guests as well! And of course this is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, Primal and even Paleo if you sub in coconut milk for the cream.

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:

2 8-10-oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied

2 T. unsalted butter

Dash each coarse black pepper and sea salt

½ c. heavy cream (coconut milk for Paleo version)

1/3 c. homemade mayonnaise

½ tsp. my Shawarma Spice Blend

Water (just a bit, if needed to thin sauce if too thick)

DIRECTIONS: Butterfly the chicken laterally almost through, spreading the two halves of each breast out to form 4 smaller, thinner fillets. Alternately, you can leave them butterflied and whole and let your diners cut them as they wish at the table when serving themselves. Melt the butter in a large non-stick skillet over high heat. Sear the chicken on all sides until the meat is no longer bleeding out pink juices and is done. Remove meat to your serving platter while you make the sauce.

Lower heat to lowest setting and add the cream, homemade mayo and Shawarma spice blend. Sprinkle on a dash of coarse black pepper and sea salt. Allow to simmer stirring constantly, to de-glaze any brown bits off the pan into the sauce. Pour sauce carefully around (and a little bit down the middle of) the chicken fillets and serve at once with your favorite green veggies.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains (using 10-oz breasts):

385 calories, 31 g fat, 1.07 g carbs, 0.30 g fiber, 0.77 g NET CARBS, 26 g protein, 374 mg sodium

Mar 31 2018

Sofrito Deviled Eggs

I’ve found yet another wonderful use for my addictive Sofrito sauce. Both I and the hubs love these eggs! They’ll be so nice to have ready made on a plate in the fridge for snacks! Wonderful for parties as well. What a great way to use up some of those Easter eggs. This recipe is OK for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal as well. Paleo folks will want to omit the Ranch dressing.

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 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:

6 large eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and neatly cut in half

2 T. my Homemade Mayonnaise

1 tsp. my Ranch Buttermilk Dressing (or dash onion and garlic powder)

1 T. my Sofrito

1/4 tsp. wine vinegar (or 1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard)

Pinch glucomannan powder (1/16 tsp. or less! optional, to thicken filling)

1 sprig cilantro or parsley (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS: Boil, chill, and peel eggs as you do normally. Slice neatly into halves. With a knife point, tip the yolk part onto a paper plate. Set the whites onto your serving platter for now. To the egg yolks add the mayo, the Ranch dressing, the Sofrito and wine vinegar. Mash and blend until smooth with a fork. Decide if it is stiff enough to pipe. If not, stir in a tiny pinch of glucomannan powder and wait a couple minutes for it to stiffen up. Fill a piping bag with large tip or a quart plastic bag with a 1/4″ hole cut in the corner (or a cookie press with a large decorative tip) and pipe about 1-1½ T. of the filling (in a circular motion) into each egg white half. You can optionally garnish the plate with chopped parsley or cilantro, and for even more color, 2 cherry tomato halves.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 12 deviled egg halves. Each half contains:

60.33 calories, 5.14 g fat, 0.38 g carbs, 0.05 g fiber, 0.33 g NET CARBS, 3.25 g protein, 51 mg sodium

Mar 24 2018

Montreal Baked Chicken

This Induction friendly recipe is super easy…..super good! It has been one of the more popular posts on my blog. Since I’m making it for dinner tonight, I thought I post it again for those who may have somehow missed this flavor delight. The secret to the crisp skin is to bake at high heat to start, then lower. This recipe is Induction friendly and I’m proud to say is also appears in Jennifer Eloff’s Low Carbing Among Friends, Vol. 2. This 5-volume cookbook series (Vols. 6 & 7 coming out soon!) is a wonderful collection of original recipes by some of the most talented low-carb cooks on the net! Whether you’re a sweet person or a savory fan (like me) you’ll want to grab a set of these cookbooks at Amazon or here to add to your low-carb kitchen arsenal. This recipe is also suitable for Keto followers, Primal and Paleo 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. 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

VARIATION: A pinch of garlic powder and 1-2 T. Parmesan added to this is very good!

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole chicken cut up (I pull out the back, neck and fat to make chicken stock)

1 recipe my Montreal BBQ Sauce

DIRECTIONS: Cut up the chicken (I cut breasts in half, remove back, making 10 pieces) and place pieces in a zipper plastic gallon bag. Mix up the marinade and add to bag. Manipulate well with your hands and place in refrigerator for 1 hour. When ready to cook Preheat oven to 475º. Place pieces of chicken on metal baking pan large enough the pieces don’t overlap, for best browning. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove and baste with juices in the pan. Lower heat to 350º and continue baking for 20-30 minutes longer. Time will vary due to size of chicken pieces and of course, ovens will vary.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 10 meaty pieces or 5 servings. It would be impossible for me to calculate the exact figures for a serving because that depends upon the pieces of chicken eaten. But to give you a rough idea, each 2-piece serving will have somewhere in the neighborhood of 393 calories, 28 g fat, .26 g carbs, .1 g fiber, .16 g net carbs, 33.12 g protein, 642 mg sodium. Basically, take the nutritional info for the particular piece of chicken and add in the nutritional info for 1T. of the sauce (.16 net carbs) shown on that recipe.

Feb 20 2018

Indian Creamed Spinach (Saag Paneer)

More delicious low-carb recipes 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. Even a few of my recipes are there! Order your set of cookbooks TODAY from Amazon or here: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. butter

2 oz. yellow onion

16 oz. frozen chopped spinach

1 c. water

3 oz. cream cheese

1/3 c. heavy cream

Dash salt and pepper

1 tsp. my Garam Masala spice blend

½ tsp. grated ginger root

½ c. chopped cilantro

½ seeded jalapeno chopped

OPTIONAL: paneer cheese cubes (tofu cubes are a good substitute)

DIRECTIONS: Sliver up the onion very thin or chop finely. Melt butter in skillet and saute onion over medium heat in non-stick skillet. Add spinach and water, cover and simmer just until spinach is done (about 5 minutes). Drain off any remaining water. Now dot the surface with cream cheese and stir in to melt. Add all spices, ginger, and jalapeno pepper now. Stir. Lower heat to lowest setting and add cream. Simmer uncovered for 2-3 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Add cilantro last and simmer 1-2 minutes longer. Sometimes I pop it into a 350º oven for 15 minutes, but that is not actually necessary. The dish shown in the pic above WAS NOT baked yet. Great with grilled kebab, chicken or fish. Mmm Mmm Mmm. I just love this stuff!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings each contains

193 calories, 16.4 g fat, 7.9 g carbs, 3.9 g fiber, 4.0 NET CARBS, 197 g sodium

Feb 6 2018

Moroccan Chicken

This is one of our favorite ways to have chicken. It’s a little carb pricey and not doable during Induction due to the prunes. They really make the dish, so wait until you can prepare this one properly. 🙂 I can only “afford” the carbs on this dish when I work to keep my breakfast and lunch carb numbers pretty low. 🙂 I used to put 1 oz. of walnuts in this, a common Middle Eastern practice in chicken dishes, but I find they add no flavor so I have dropped them from the recipe in an effort to reduce the carb count. It is pictured above with the nuts. You can lower the carb count quite a bit by omitting the prunes as well, but doing so will dramatically change the overall flavor impact for this entree. On a positive note, the spices alone in this make for a wonderfully unique dish. This dish is not Induction friendly unless you leave out the prunes, but they add so much to the overall result, do be sure to include them once you get to the fruit rung of OWL. I have also made this dish substituting dried peaches or dried apricots. All are a nice compliment to the spices herein. Be sure to read your ingredients label and use only fruits with no added sugar. Del Monte brand prunes are “virgin” and acceptable. I actually cooked more pieces of chicken in the batch pictured so I would have leftovers, as this is one of those dishes that gets better each time it is reheated!

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. olive oil

1 chicken breast

2 chicken legs

2 chicken thighs

4 oz. onion, sliced thin

2 cloves minced garlic

3/4 c. chicken broth, low sodium

½ tsp. each coriander, cinnamon, paprika, cumin and black pepper

¼ tsp. cayenne

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 T. tomato paste

5 dried prunes (no added sugar variety), each cut into 4-6 little pieces

DIRECTIONS: Heat oil in a deep non-stick Dutch oven or a large, deep, non-stick skillet. Cut breast into two pieces, making a total of 6 medium-size pieces of chicken. Brown chicken in oil until skin is golden brown. Drain off excess oil if desired, but its value is included in the nutritional info below, so you may prefer to leave the oil in the pan and reap its nutritional benefits! Scatter the onion and garlic over the top. Mix the spices into the chicken broth and pour over the chicken. Add the tomato paste, nuts and prunes. Stir well. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 45-1hr. 30 minutes or until chicken is clearly done (depends on size of chicken pieces). Uncover and simmer for another 10-15 minutes to reduce and concentrate the juices a bit. Serve each piece of chicken with some of the cooking broth/fruit/nut mixture spooned over it. For non-Atkins eaters at the table, this dish is outstanding served over Basmati rice.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Serves 3 adults, or 2 adults and two children. Two pieces with sauce contains: These numbers do NOT include the optional walnuts

468 calories, 25.5 g fat, 14.2 g carbs, 2.7 g fiber, 11.5 g NET CARBS, 43.8 g protein, 80 mg. sodium

Feb 2 2018

Berry Bites

These tasty 2-bite morsels are a slight variation of my Strawberry Egg Puffs recipe. Make a batch of these for your honey for Valentine’s Day! If you don’t have the Nordicware pan I used, you can use any mini-muffin pan you have. These were a cinch to make and so good my husband just couldn’t stop. They are delightful with morning coffee. Sprinkle with powdered sweetener and serve them as a dessert with afternoon tea. These are suitable once you get to the berries rung of the Atkins Phase 2 OWL ladder. They are also OK for Keto diets. Primal and Paleo followers will want to use only almond flour or coconut flour and change the sweetener, but are do-able I think.

NOTE: If you are gluten free, use all gluten-free mix, as my Einkorn mix is not gluten free.

INGREDIENTS:

4 large eggs, beaten

¼ c. Jennifer Eloff’s Gluten-Free Bake Mix

¼ c. my Einkorn Bake Mix (or more Jennifer’s mix for gluten-free)

1 c. frozen strawberries, drained and chopped (or other berries if you like)

2 T. erythritol

2 T. Splenda, granulated

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1 T. + 1 tsp. coconut oil

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Melt coconut oil in your mini muffin baking pan and brush 24 slots well with oil.

Beat the eggs in a small mixing bowl. Add the bake mix. You can use any low-carb bake mix you prefer. Add sweeteners, vanilla and chopped berries. Fold all together until smooth. Using a 2 T. measuring cup, spoon batter into mini pan slots. They will be nearly full to the brim. Don’t worry, Mine didn’t overflow in the pans, although they do temporarily rise above the top like a souffle…..and then fall a bit when done and cooled.

Pop into oven and bake for 16-18 minutes or until risen and firm in the center. Remove, cool a couple minutes and with knife tip, lift them out and serve while warm.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 24 Berry Bites or “mini muffins”, each contains:

32.3 calories, 2.4 g fat, 1.55 g carbs, .37 g fiber, 1.18 g NET CARBS, 1.67 g protein, 16 mg sodium

Jan 19 2018

Chinese Chicken with Peppers & Bokchoy

This colorful dinner creation is simply delicious. It is quite “light” in flavor yet satisfies my desire for Chinese food. Once you have all the sauce ingredients handy and the veggies cut up, you can be eating this tasty meal in 15 minutes! We ate it as is since rice isn’t allowed on a low-carb regimen. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, Primal-Paleo as well, provided you omit the xanthan gum or use a plan-suitable thickener.

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: 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:

1 large chicken breast, de-boned and skinned (boil skin & bones for broth), cut into small pieces (mine was huge and yielded 10 oz. meat)

3 T. coconut oil

3 oz. yellow or white onion, sliced in wedges

1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced thin

3 oz. red bell pepper, cut into small pieces

2 cups bokchoy, sliced (keep white & green part separate as you will add to wok separately)

½ c. canned mushrooms, drained (or 1 cup fresh, sliced)

¼ c. green onion tops, chopped ½”

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. minced ginger root

1 c. chicken broth (or rich leftover roasted chicken drippings from your freezer. I save for Chinese fare)

2 T. low-sodium soy sauce

¼-½ tsp. Sambal Oelek chili paste (or ½ tsp. Sriracha sauce)

¼ tsp. xanthan gum or your favorite thickener

OPTIONAL: Sprinkle of sesame seeds for flare.

DIRECTIONS: In a medium bowl, stir the soy sauce, Sambal Oelek, garlic, ginger root and xanthan gum into the chicken broth/drippings. Set aside while you do the stir-frying.

Heat a wok over high heat a couple minutes. Add the cold oil and chicken immediately before the oil heats. The Chinese cook’s saying is “Hot Wok, Cold Fat”. This method prevents meat from sticking to the pan. Stir-fry until chicken is no longer pink. Add the yellow onion and carrots. Continue stir-frying until they just begin to soften a bit but are still quite firm. Add red pepper and white stem part of the bokchoy next. Stir fry until they are just slightly softened. Add mushrooms and green onion next, stirring a few times. Lower heat to medium-high and add the sauce to the wok. Add the bokchoy green leafy part and simmer just long enough for it to go limp, or about 2 minutes. If using, add sesame seeds and stir once. During this simmer stage, the flavors will co-mingle nicely. Serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 large adult servings, each contains:

250 calories, 13.2 g fat, 9.30 g carbs, 2.92 g fiber, 6.38 g NET CARBS, 25 g protein, 712 mg sodium

Jan 17 2018

Lobster Dien Bien

This is what I cooked for dinner tonight. I used to order this dish at a restaurant in Yorktown, Virginia while in high school. We drove 30 miles just to eat there and this dish was the motivation. The restaurant, Nick’s Seafood Pavilion, operated by a Greek chef and family. His wife took it over after Nick died. Sadly, Nick’s Pavilion no longer exists: http://www.pbase.com/airlinerphotos/image/21276281. I still fix Nick’s signature dish often at home, using a recipe my parents developed. Tonight I made it with 1 large lobster tail (9 oz .) and 12 oz. of frozen crawfish. Man, was it ever good! My parents version is real close to what we ate so often at Nick’s restaurant. I cannot have the rice that is traditionally in this dish anymore as it is so high in carbs. The original dish had 1 cup of rice (cooked in lobster or shrimp stock) stirred in just before serving. Nowadays I serve my portion either over steamed cauliflower “rice” or sometimes atop oven-baked eggplant slices.

I get my lobster tails at Sam’s (frozen) but it works just fine in this dish. I fix this often with just shrimp or a mixture of shrimp and crawfish, but it is best made with lobster. I have even made this with large sea scallops and fresh lump white crab meat (when I lived on the Gulf Coast and could get fresh Blue Crab). As is true of most seafood dishes, this one really packs in the nutrients and it is suitable for all phases of Atkins and other Keto diets.

Crawfish version

If you are not following a low-carb diet: add 2 c. cooked brown or white rice that you have cooked in seafood stock instead of water (2 c. rice: 4 c. stock). This step is essential for the best flavor profile in the final dish. Add the rice to the seafood mixture, stir gently and serve! Mmmm…….this is my all-time favorite seafood dish EVER! (with the rice, of course).

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

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. lobster meat cut into bite-size pieces (or shrimp, lump crab or any combination)

1 stick unsalted butter

½ c. onion, chopped

1 c. celery, chopped

1 carrot, grated

1 2 oz. jar pimiento, drained

1/3 c. parsley, chopped

¼-½ tsp. cayenne pepper

10 drops Tobasco

½ tsp. ground thyme

Salt to taste at the table, as seafood is often high in sodium

DIRECTIONS: Saute onion, celery and carrot in melted butter until onion and celery are completely tender. Add parsley and pimiento. Add seafood and remaining seasonings. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes only. For non-Atkins diners, add some cooked rice. For Atkins diners, serve with steamed cauli-rice, spaghetti squash, sauteed mushrooms or oven-baked eggplant slices. (To steam cauli-rice, grate or food process raw cauliflower to fine grains and steam in microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring every minute).

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 3 servings, each with:

465.7 calories, 33 g fat, 9.1 g carbs, 2.3 g fiber, 6.8 g NET CARBS, 32.3 g protein, 283 g sodium

Jan 17 2018

Jicama Cajun “Fries”

Man, I tried these on a whim and they were FANTASTIC! And best of all, you don’t have to stand over a skillet of hot grease! I’ve tried making fries from turnips, eggplant, daikon, rutabaga and all sorts of veggies on my low-carb journey. But I have to admit, these are really my favorite. The Seafood Spice blend in the coating takes away the inherent sweet edge jicama has, without dominating the final fries. So don’t side-step this part of the recipe. It’s essential for best results. Other spices and blends could be substituted in if you prefer. The coating really browned nicely and stayed crispy even as the fries cooled off! Even my picky hubby gave these a thumbs up, and at first, he wasn’t even going to taste them! These are Induction friendly, too!

Some may be tempted to just use spicy/BBQ pork rinds and omitting the seasoning blend in the recipe. Please bear in mind the flavored pork rinds are laden with sugar and sometimes modified food starch as well……not acceptable ingredients for us low-carbers. Be sure you read the ingredients listed if you don’t believe me. In fact, you should ALWAYS read ingredients listings, for ALL processed foods. The net carb count just isn’t the whole picture!

You’ll find many more snack recipes you’ll want to try in Jennifer Eloff’s latest best-selling low carb cookbooks. Check out a sampling of those recipes on their Facebook page. She and several other very talented chefs have collaborated to present a collection of mouth-watering dishes you’ll want to try. You can order them at Amazon or here: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

For those unfamiliar with what jicama is.

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz. jicama, peeled and cut into fries

2 T. homemade mayo

2 oz. plain pork rinds, crushed

1/2 tsp. my Seafood Cajun Spice Blend

Oil to coat baking pan if not using non-stick sheet pan

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 450º. Peel and cut jicama into stick shapes. Place in bowl and brush well with the homemade mayo. Make certain you haven’t missed any spots or they won’t get coated at those spots. You want total coverage for the pork rinds to adhere to. Crush the pork rinds in processor/blender. Add spice blend to crushed pork rinds in a small bowl and stir well. Now drop mayo-coated jicama (a few at a time) into the seasoned rinds and shake to coat well. Alternately, you can use a plastic bag and shake them to coat. Place fries directly on oiled or non-stick metal baking sheet. A word of experience, DO NOT BAKE THESE ON SILICONE SHEETS, as they will not brown and crisp up properly on the bottom. I found this out the hard way. Bake for 10 minutes until tops are nicely browned. Turn them and bake about 10 more minutes. They brown best where they actually touch the metal pan.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings each contains:

165 Calories, 11.4 g fat, 5.50 g carbs, 2.78 g fiber, 2.22 NET CARBS, 11.2 g protein, 276 g sodium

Jan 16 2018

Baked “Potato”

Shown with an Achiote (also called annatto) Mexican spiced beef patty and steamed squash with onions.

I wish I could take credit for this recipe, but another low-carber brought this cooked wonder up on one of my low-carb forum discussions. I like to use moderately large turnips for this recipe. Man, oh man! This tastes JUST like a sweet, baked red-skinned potato! No taste of turnip to me at all! Now this comment is coming from someone who for YEARS picked the turnips out of the turnip green pot; who didn’t care for turnips stir-fried much either, because the bitterness often seen in turnips came out more in boiling and frying methods of cooking, in my opinion. But I tell you, the way to cook these things is to microwave them!!! No taste of turnip at all! Just the creamy, sweet taste of a buttery red potato!

I did not care for these baked in a conventional oven. And my husband, who detests turnips even agreed they don’t taste like turnips cooked this way! So now you can have a baked “potato” with those grilled steaks! I’m soooooo delighted to have discovered this method of cooking turnips! This “potato” recipe is Induction friendly!

NOTE: You DO NOT want to eat the turnip peeling. They are quite bitter. You just eat the soft inside part of this “potato”. 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

4 whole 4-5 oz. turnips (or two larger ones if you can find them)

8 tsp. butter (2 tsp. allowed for each turnip/serving) (more if you like)

DIRECTIONS: Wash and scrub the turnips under running water. Trip the stem end flat and cut the point off the tip of the turnip as well. Poke the turnip skin several times to avoid rupturing during cooking. Place on microwave turntable. Cook on HI for about 3 minutes. Turn over and cook on HI for about 3 more minutes. They should be thoroughly soft when done. Split and place 2 tsp. butter on each turnip (or more if you can afford the fat grams). You can also add the traditional baked potato toppings like sour cream, cheese, bacon bits and chives/green onion. Those additions, however, are not calculated in the nutritional info below.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Serves 2, each serving contains:

230 calories, 20.5 g fat, 11.2 g carbs, 4.4 g fiber, 6.8 g NET CARBS (not bad for a baked “potato” with , your steak!), 1.7 g protein, 60.2 mg sodium

Jan 16 2018

Spinach Mayonado (with optional Sausage Meatballs)

Thought I’d post a few of my “staple” veggie recipes today. This one is essentially a creamed spinach dish, but made with a very different and very special cream foundation. I decided to not stir it altogether as that does not photograph so prettily. The flavor of this creamy spinach dish will blow you away. It’s sinfully rich and ever so good! So good, in fact, I lick every bit of the sauce off the spoon and food processor bowl. Seriously good eats.

Of course, you can always stir the sauce right into the spinach in the traditional way in it served. It certainly ends up mixed on my plate while I’m eating it. 🙂 It’s just not too photogenic that way. To be quite honest, ANY meat, seared chicken breast strips, beef or pork meatballs or smoked sausage would be good alongside (or on top as shown) this extremely nutritious dish.

This recipe is Atkins Induction friendly, as well as being suitable for Keto diets, Primal and Paleo diets as well.

VARIATION: This makes a great side dish without meat. In fact, that is the first way I ate it when I created this creamy sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

5 oz. lean pork bulk sausage (I use homemade sausage but any low-carb sausage will do)

6 T. my Shawarma Homemade Mayonnaise

1 avocado

16 oz. bag of frozen, chopped spinach

Water to cover spinach

DIRECTIONS: Place spinach in large saucepan, cover with water and bring to boil and cook per package directions, about 5 minutes. When done, drain spinach in strainer pressing out excess water as best you can. Set aside while you make the rest of the dish.

While spinach is boiling, roll sausage into 6 small meatballs and brown in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, turning and rolling them frequently to brown all sides. Cook until fully done (about 10-15 minutes, turn off heat remove and drain meatballs on paper towels.

In a bowl of a food processor (or blender), process the avocado with the 6 T. homemade mayo until fairly smooth. You can also just mash it well with a fork, as it doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth. Add a few drops of lemon juice (to prevent darkening) and pulse.

Spoon the spinach into your serving dish, Add the thick, creamy mayonado sauce to the top as shown (or stir into the spinach if you prefer) and top with your cooked meatballs. ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 3 servings, each contains:

468 calories, 48 g fat, 12.03 g carbs, 8.66 g fiber, 3.37 g NET CARBS, 15.2 g protein, 453 mg sodium

Jan 13 2018

Red Radish Cottage “Fries”

I’ve been making hash browns with onion and bacon grease pretty much all my life. My Southern roots grow deep. When I learned (making Chinese stir-fries) that radishes taste totally different when cooked (sweet, not bitter as when they are raw), a light bulb went off. Daddy’s hash browns!! They’re GREAT for breakfast with your eggs and bacon; GREAT as a potato side at dinner!

You will just be amazed how close to red potatoes red radishes taste like when fried this way. For me, the key here is the onion and bacon grease. Just not as good done in olive oil. 🙂 Do try this some time if you haven’t yet. The carb count is astounding compared to real potatoes! This recipe is suitable for All phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal-Paleo as well.

INGREDIENTS:

15 medium radishes, cut in large pieces

2 oz. yellow onion, sliced

2 T. bacon grease

Dash each salt and coarse black pepper

DIRECTIONS: Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon grease. Toss in the onion and saute until it begins to get soft and brown/caramelize on the edges. Add radishes, salt and pepper and continue stir-frying until radishes are no longer opaque. You want them to just begin browning so the skins will stay a pretty reddish color. 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 3 servings, each contains:

87 calories, 8.9 g fat, 2.26 g carbs, 0.56 g fiber, 1.70 g NET CARBS, 0.30 g protein, 75 mg sodium

Jan 9 2018

Eggplant Parmigiana Sandwiches

INGREDIENTS:

½ recipe of my Oven-Fried Eggplant (adding the 1 oz. crushed pork rinds below to coating)

1 oz. crushed pork rinds

6 oz. ground beef (or lamb)

2 slices provalone cheese

2 1-oz. slices mozzarella cheese (or grated)

½ c. low-carb spaghetti sauce (I used this: https://buttoni.wordpress.com/2009/08/13/peggys-spaghetti-sauce/ )

2 fresh basil leaves, chopped (or ¼ tsp. dried)

2 T. Parmesan cheese

VARIATION: Use ground lamb instead of ground beef for a Greek twist, subbing in feta cheese for the provalone.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes two servings, each contains:

502 calories, 31.7 g fat, 8.1 g carbs, 3.4 g fiber, 4.7 g NET CARBS, 44.4 g protein, 1144 mg sodium

Jan 7 2018

Bacon “Risotto”

This delicious low-carb version of risotto was ready for our lunch in about 30 minutes flat. Really nice flavor and I could not taste “cauliflower” in this AT ALL. Next time I think I’ll try it with crumbled Italian sausage, but bacon was all I had to work with today. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, Primal-Paleo as well.

Many delicious low-carb recipes like this one 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:

1 medium 5-6″ head of cauliflower, leaves & stem removed

3 oz. raw bacon, chopped (3 thick or 4 thin slices)

1 c. green onion, chopped

1 tsp. lemon pepper (I use this one: http://www.vgourmet.com/no-salt-lemon-pepper)

1 oz. cream cheese

3/4 c. shredded Parmesan Cheese

VARIATION: Substitute yellow or white onion for the green. Other tasty variations: use crumbled Italian sausage or regular smoked sausage chopped in lieu of the bacon.

DIRECTIONS: After removing stem from cauliflower, cut up into uniformly small flowerettes, placing them into a food processor bowl. Pulse until it is fine like rice. An alternate method is to grate it with a box grater but that can really get messy. A blender will work but in small batches. Set the cauliflower “rice” aside for now.

In a large non-stick wok or skillet, fry the bacon until done over high heat. Add the green onion and stir fry until the onion wilts. Lower heat to medium and add lemon pepper and stir. Now spoon in the riced cauliflower. Stir fry until cauliflower no longer smells raw (3-4 minutes) stirring often. If it is browning, your heat is too high. When it appears to be fully cooked but before it is cooked to mush, dot with the cream cheese and sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the top of the mixture. Stir to melt and uniformly blend both cheeses throughout the dish. Serve at once with your favorite green salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 5 servings, each contains:

194 calories, 14 g fat, 8.44 g carbs, 3.40 g fiber, 5.04 g NET CARBS, 10.8 g protein, 426 mg sodium

Dec 17 2017

Triple Pork Rolls

My roll of Smoked Gouda cheese caught my eye when I reached for my two pork chops to sear for dinner. I had thawed some ground pork for another use and BINGO! This idea came to me! And what a good idea it turned out to be! I’ve seen cheesy low-carb meat rolls wrapped in bacon many times on the internet, but none to date using my favorite cheese, Smoked Gouda. Well, I’m here to tell ya these were GREAT! And I don’t usually like a lot of cheese with my meat dishes. So I got the amount just right! This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto and Primal folks on the occasional dairy day. It would not be suitable for Primal followers unless you omit the cheese.

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INGREDIENTS:

2 pork chops, de-boned (or 4 oz. boneless pork loin)

8 oz. ground pork

2 oz. Smoked Gouda cheese

4 thick slices of bacon

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Pound the pork chops with a meat tenderizer and cut each into two pieces, ultimately to make four rolls. Shred the cheese into a medium mixing bowl. Add the ground pork and mix well with a fork or your hands. Form into 4 small logs. Place a log of the ground mixture onto each piece of pork chop and roll. Finally, tightly roll 1 slice of bacon around each of the four rolls and place seam down in a baking pan (I used a metal pan). Pop into 350º oven for about an hour and lightly browned or until internal meat temperature reaches 160º. Serve with your favorite sides.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings (these are so rich 1 will fill you up), each contains:

283 calories, 0.20 g fat, 0.52 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 0.52 g NET CARBS, 23.3 g protein, 284 mg sodium

Dec 11 2017

Currant-Spice Cookies

I’ve come up with a spice cookie for the holidays using my chewy Almond Butter Cookies basic dough. All I did was add a splash of vinegar, blackstrap molasses and some spices and pressed a pecan half into each cookie. They came out simply delicious! Although similar to gingerbread cookies, the allspice makes these a little different in flavor. My husband is quite fond of these and has eaten 3-4 already! These cookies are not suitable until Phase 2 OWL of Atkins. They are acceptable for Keto diets. The oat fiber can be omitted making these OK for Primal-Paleo as well.

INGREDIENTS:

2 c. almond flour

½ c. coconut flour

1 T. oat fiber (omit for Primal or Paleo)

1 tsp. glucomannan powder (from the konjac tuber)

½ tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. each allspice, nutmeg and cloves

½ tsp. ginger

1/16 tsp. cinnamon

liquid sweetener to equal 1/2 c. sugar

1 T. erythritol

1 large egg, beaten

2 T. almond butter

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cider vinegar (optional)

¼ c. imitation honey (use real honey for Primal-Paleo)

2 T. backstrap molasses

½ c. your favorite oil or softened butter

2 T. dried currants

24 pecan halves

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. In a large mixing bowl stir the almond butter and oil together until smooth. Beat in the egg, vanilla and imitation honey. Add the dried currants and stir. Measure in all dry ingredients on top and stir well to form a smooth dough. If your dough seems very dry or stiff (coconut flours vary), add in ½ beaten egg. Roll dough into 1″ balls and place them onto parchment lined baking sheet. Dough is somewhat oily. Leave 1″ space between cookies. Press balls down to ¼” thick cookies with your fingers or the bottom of a glass. Press 1 pecan half into each cookie center. Pop pan into preheated oven. Top with pecan halves and press slightly into the cookie. Bake at 350º for about 7 minutes. Do not over brown these cookies or texture will be drier and less chewy. Remove from oven and cool completely on the pan before removing with a spatula. These are delicate while hot but “firm up” nicely when they cool. Store in an airtight container. These freeze nicely, too!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 24 cookies, each contains:

133 calories, 11.6 g fat, 5.97 g carbs, 2.17 g fiber, 3.80 g NET CARBS, 2.95 g protein, 54 mg sodium

Dec 3 2017

Lobster Dien Bien

I lived in Hampton, Virginia while in high school & my family often drove to Yorktown 30 miles away to eat at a wonderful restaurant called Nick’s Seafood Pavilion, operated by a Greek chef. Sadly, it no longer exists: http://www.pbase.com/airlinerphotos/image/21276281. I often think fondly of one of their signature dishes, Lobster Dien Bien. My parents managed to concoct their own version of the dish over time. My version is similar, but I cannot have the rice anymore that is traditionally in it as I follow a low-carb diet regimen now. The original dish had 1 cup of rice (cooked in lobster stock) stirred in just before serving. This dish, in some regards, is similar to Spanish paella if served with the original rice included. Nowadays I serve my portion either over steamed cauliflower “rice” or sometimes atop oven-baked eggplant slices.

Sadly I can’t get very good lobster in Central Texas, so I fix this more often now with shrimp or crawfish. Good in their own right, but it is best made with lobster. I have even made this with large sea scallops and fresh lump white crab meat (when I lived on the Gulf Coast). As is true of most seafood dishes, this one really packs in the nutrients! This dish is suitable for Atkins Induction and all Keto diets.

Crawfish version

If you are not following a low-carb diet: Add 2 c. cooked white rice stirred in. If using the rice addition, it is essential that you cook it in seafood stock. Use 1 c. raw rice, rinsed well in a sieve/sifter with cold water to remove surface starch. Then bring the rice to a boil in 2 c. lobster or shrimp stock., Lower heat to lowest setting, cover pot with a paper towel followed by a tight fitting lid and steam the rice until done (about 18-20 minutes). Add the rice to the seafood mixture, stir gently and serve! Mmmm…….this is my all-time favorite seafood dish EVER! (with the rice, of course).

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. lobster meat cut into bite-size pieces (or peeled, deveined shrimp)

1 stick unsalted butter

½ c. onion, chopped

1 c. celery, chopped

1 carrot, grated

1 2 oz. jar pimiento, drained

1/3 c. parsley, chopped

¼-½ tsp. cayenne pepper

10 drops Tobasco

½ tsp. ground thyme

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 3 servings, each with:

465.7 calories, 33 g fat, 9.1 g carbs, 2.3 g fiber, 6.8 g NET CARBS, 32.3 g protein, 283 g sodium

Nov 23 2017

Roast Duck with Tipsy Blueberry Sauce

Since there are just two of us now celebrating Thanksgiving, I decided to roast a duck this year so I wouldn’t be eating turkey for days and days. 🙂 My duck tonight was truly the most moist duck I have cooked in a long time. I served a traditional cornbread stuffing and green beans with this delicious bird and my husband LOVED it! We both forked up seconds. I have never liked orange sauce on duck, so I decided to work up a blueberry sauce with a hint of herbs and that turned out to be a good decision. The herbs and bacon in the sauce brought so many flavor layers to the table. We served this with a glass of red wine, but rose and white wines are good with duck as well. This recipe is suitable once you reach the berry level of Atkins (OWL Phase 2). It is suitable for all Keto diets, Primal Blueprint and Primal if you omit the wine in the sauce. This Tipsy Blueberry Sauce would be good on turkey, roast port or probably any wild game.

INGREDIENTS FOR DUCK:

5½ lb. duck

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

Dash my Seafood Spice Blend (optional)

¼ tsp. salt

1 T. butter

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

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

3 green onions, chopped coarsely

1½ oz. bacon (3 slices), chopped coarsely

1 c. blueberries (dried, fresh or frozen)

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

2 T. Port wine or Sherry

Dash each thyme, rosemary, onion powder and salt

¼ tsp. xanthan gum or your preferred thickener

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

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 8 servings, each contains:

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

Nov 22 2017

Roaster Oven Turkey

I’m fond of turkey roasted in my roaster oven as they always come out so moist done that way. This year I’m actually doing a duck for Thanksgiving rather than turkey, so it will be interesting to see if those come out nicely roasted this way. If you don’t own a roaster oven, they are really getting cheap and around Christmas, can be had for around $25-$29. They are excellent for extra oven space when you entertain or during holiday gatherings and your oven is full to the brim. They bake cakes, muffins, cookies, and meats just beautifully!

Turkey is suitable for Atkins, Keto, Primal and Paleo diets alike.

INGREDIENTS:

1 12-13 lb. turkey, thawed (follow chart on wrapper for a larger bird)

4 T. melted butter

Dash each of salt and black pepper

4 small pieces of foil

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 325º. Open turkey wrapper and remove bird to a clean sink. Remove the leg binding gadget. Remove giblets and set aside for making your gravy. I only use the neck meat for gravy and my dog usually gets the liver, heart and gizzard in her dinners over a week or so. I like to eat them; I just don’t like them in my gravy much.

I like to rinse out the inside of the bird. Pat the exterior dry with paper towels. Melt the butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave. Place turkey, breast side up in a pan large enough to hold it. Baste with the butter all over on the outside and inside with a basting brush, using half the butter. Sprinkle bird inside and out with salt and pepper. I cook my dressing outside the bird as I like it to brown. You can add some chunks of celery, onion and parsley if you like to the cavity, but I do not. Your call there, but be sure to add those carbs below if you do. Cover wing tips and leg knuckles with foil so they will not burn.

Place pan with bird into the roaster oven, cover with lid and cook, for 1½ hours. Open oven and baste with remaining butter. Recover and cook for 1 hour and check for doneness with a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast and around the thing-leg joint (slowest area to get done). You want the thermometer to read 170º. Cook for another 30 minutes or so, checking with thermometer every 10-15 minutes now so as to not over cook. Remove when it has reached 170º internal temperature. Set on cutting board for 15-20 minutes before attempting to carve to avoid tearing up the meat and all the juices running out. You want those juices to STAY in the meat. This turkey should be extremely moist. Roaster ovens do an incredibly good job at moist heat roasting.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: I can’t know what pieces or amount you will eat, so I’ll provide some numbers for both white meat and dark meat.

4 oz. dark meat contains: 250 calories, 13 g fat, 0 carbs, 0 fiber, o net carbs, 31 g protein and 269 mg sodium

4 oz. white meat, skin eaten contains: 222 calories, 9.4 g fat, 0 carbs, 0 fiber, 0 net carbs, 32.3 g protein and 255 mg sodium

Nov 2 2017

French Chicken Provençale

I just cooked up a fresh batch of this scrumptious chicken for dinner. This is, bar none, our all-time favorite chicken dish. Although I have posted it before, it has been a very long time, so I thought I’d share again. This family favorite is Atkins friendly, so I hope all my Atkins followers enjoy this one. Omit the wine if you’re still on Induction. It won’t be quite as good without the wine, but acceptable. 🙂 This dish is always a hit with company and really pretty simple to make. I actually won the Galveston Daily News Holiday Recipe Contest with this recipe back in the 80’s. You can actually make this dish ahead of time and just add the bell pepper and tomatoes for a brief simmer after guests arrive, thickening the sauce at the very last minute. When I have company, I usually just use a whole cut-up chicken, minus the back, which I boil for chicken stock for my freezer.

INGREDIENTS:

16 oz. chicken breast, skin on (cut into 4 servings) (I often use 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs & 1 breast from a whole bird, stewing the remainder of the bird for other purposes)

4 slices of chopped bacon (or soaked, dry-cured Country Ham if you have it)

1/2 c. chopped onion

4 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms

2 lg. cloves minced garlic

1.5 c. chicken broth or water

1/4 c. dry white wine (omit if still on Atkins Induction)

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1 small bay leaf

1/2 c. green bell pepper cut into strips

4 plum tomatoes cut into large wedges.

2 T. butter blended with 1 T. oat fiber or 1/8 tsp. xanthan gum

DIRECTIONS: Brown the chicken in a skillet heated up with 1/4 c. olive or coconut oil. When both sides are nicely browned, remove chicken pieces from the skillet to a platter. Brown the bacon, onion, mushrooms and garlic in the same skillet in the same drippings. When veggies are tender, add chicken pieces back to the skillet, skin-side up. Add water, wine, thyme and bay leaf. Cover and simmer 30 minutes until chicken is done and veggies are tender.

Finally, the last 4-5 minutes of cooking, and right right before you plan to serve, add the bell pepper and tomato wedges. Cook another 3-4 minutes only, as you don’t want the peppers to lose their pretty green color. You want the tomato wedges slightly softened but not falling apart. The bacon/ham usually makes this dish salty enough without extra salt. Thicken with 2 T. butter that has been blended with 1 T. oat fiber or 1/8 tsp. xanthan gum. Stir in and simmer for 1-2 more minutes. Dip chicken onto serving platter and ladle the sauce over the meat.

I serve this over a generous helping of buttery Mashed Cauliflower. In my pre-low-carb days, this dish was served over now-verboten mashed potatoes. 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Makes 4 servings of 4 oz. meat each

Each serving has 504 calories, 33.3 g fat, 8 g carbs, 1.9 g fiber, 40 g protein, 6.1 g NET CARBS

Oct 30 2017

“Unstuffed” Zucchini

I love stuffed zucchini boats as they are so good and ever so attractive to serve! But frankly, I don’t like all the fuss. So unless I’m serving to company, I usually just make up my usual recipe like a casserole. Tastes just the same and is so much easier! The older I get, I look for EASY in my kitchen 🙂 This dish is Induction friendly. Though it is higher in carbs than many of my recipes, when you see the nutrient percentages below, you’ll see it’s worth the carb price! This is a very healthy recipe for your family! 🙂

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

3 oz. onion, chopped

14 oz. zucchini, sliced about ¼-½” thick

1 can (14 oz) crushed or diced tomatoes, drained well

12 oz. ground beef (or lamb)

3 oz. green bell pepper, chopped

3 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated

2 T. grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 tsp. dried oregano, crushed

Pinch dried basil (or 1 T. fresh, chopped)

1 lg. clove garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Coarsely chop bacon. Over high heat, brown bacon in a non-stick skillet just until done, but not real crisp. Add chopped onion and bell pepper and sauté until tender. Add ground meat, breaking up with spoon as you sauté until meat is no longer pink. Add tomatoes, zucchini, garlic and spices. Stir well. Lower heat to medium, cover and sauté (stirring every few minutes to submerge zucchini below juices) until zucchini is no longer opaque, but not fully cooked. This will take about 10 minutes and you should have very little juice in the pan at this point. Place half the mixture into a well-greased casserole dish. Cover with half the mozzarella and half the Parmesan. Spoon the rest of the mixture on top. Now add the rest of the Parmesan and finish off with the rest of the mozzarella. Bake at 350º for about 30 minutes. I serve this with a nice green salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each containing:

391 calories, 23 g fat, 14.8 g carbs, 3.9 g fiber, 10.9 g NET CARBS, 33 g protein, 763 mg sodium

Sep 30 2017

Bacon & Leek Soup

I opened the refrigerator to decide what to have for lunch on this chilly day and my bag of two remaining leeks was laying right beside my package of bacon. Sounded like the makings of a good, hearty creamed soup to me! Thus this simple dish was thrown together in under 30 minutes. This recipe is suitable once you are past the Atkins Induction phase. It is not suitable for Induction due to the quantity of cream in it. Paleo-Primal followers will want to use coconut milk or coconut cream to make this recipe.

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INGREDIENTS:

5 slices low-sodium bacon, sliced

2 leeks, (white and green part) washed well, sliced thinly

2 c. homemade chicken broth

2 c. water

2 c. heavy cream (or coconut milk, coconut cream or any combination)

¼ tsp. each salt and black pepper

your favorite thickener (if needed)

DIRECTIONS: Brown the bacon in a large soup pot. When done, add the sliced leeks. Saute for a couple minutes, stirring several times. When the leeks begin to wilt, add the chicken stock, water, salt and pepper. Lower heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes to allow ingredients to fully cook and flavors to mingle. Add the cream and allow to get fully hot. Simmer a few minutes. If not thick enough for you, thicken with a few dustings of your favorite thickener.

An alternate method is to puree the onion/broth mixture with a stick blender after simmering and not add the cooked bacon until after pureeing, right before serving. If you puree the leek broth, thickening will definitely not be needed. Either method is tasty and attractive when served.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 large bowl servings, each contains:

377 calories, 37 g fat, 5.58 g carbs, .6 g fiber, 4.98 g NET CARBS, 6.1 g protein, 211 mg sodium

Sep 8 2017

Chicken “Fried” Steak with Cream Gravy

I live in Texas and man, I have been missing classic Texas chicken-fried steak with cream gravy!! Well no more yearning for a long-lost love! I just created a low-carb CFS that’s pretty dang close to the real deal! I’ve had such good luck with my mayo-pork rind coating for “fries”, numerous veggies, fish filets and chicken, I thought today “Why not give it a whirl for chicken fried steak”? Well, IT WORKED!

My first thought on how to go about this was that the beef would exude too much moisture during baking, if I just coated it raw, even if I patted it very dry with paper towels. Didn’t want the pork-rink coating to get “soggy”, so I decided to sear the meat first to seal in those juices before I began the coating process. That turned out to be a VERY good decision!! This came out FANTASTIC! And the gravy was SUPER, even without the usual browning of flour. The natural caramelized meat juices deglazed from the skillet made a DELICIOUS cream gravy without one bit of flour!

I served this alongside a saute of radishes and onion and steamed broccoli. I got distracted cooking the radishes and almost browned my meat TOO much, at least browner than I usually do chicken fried steak. But it was STILL GREAT! Timing can be merciless in the kitchen. 🙂

You can use round steak for this dish if you prefer, but I have always preferred chuck or sirloin for my CFS. Much better taste in my opinion. I’m just not very fond of round steak. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal-Paleo if you eat pork rinds.

One reader’s comment:

Just made this and it is great! My 3 year old grandson ate it all and never knew that it wasn’t “real” chicken fried steak!

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INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. trimmed chuck, round or sirloin, sliced ½” thick, pounded to tenderize

1/3 c. homemade mayonnaise (if commercial mayo, may require more)

1 T. coconut oil (or oil of your choice)

2 oz. pork rinds, crushed fine

½ tsp. seasoning of your choice, I use my Seafood Spice Blend

1 c. water

½ c. heavy cream

1/8 tsp. black pepper

DIRECTIONS: Crush pork rinds fine and stir in spice seasoning. Place into shallow bowl with a spoon for applying and set aside while you prepare the meat. Trim meat of all visible fat and gristle along the edges. If using chuck or sirloin that is very thick, slice it laterally if need be to to create pieces about ½ thick. Preheat oven to 425º. Cut meat into 4 portions and pound the pieces with a meat cleaver or mallet to tenderize it a bit. Heat oil in skillet and sear meat on both sides until lightly browned, sprinkling lightly with black pepper as it sears. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP AND ATTEMPT TO COAT MEAT RAW DIRECTLY WITH COATING. TRUST ME ON THIS ONE, YOU WILL NOT BE PLEASED WITH YOUR SOGGY RESULTS! You don’t want to cook the meat DONE, just sear the surface to seal in the juices. Remove from heat.

Pour mayo into a saucer and using a brush, holding the HOT meat on one tip with tongs or a fork (I use tiny ice bucket tongs), coat both sides of each piece of meat well with mayo (don’t miss any spots!). Then move over to the bowl of crushed pork rinds and using a spoon, spoon the rinds over both sides of the meat. You’ll get decent coverage without any one piece getting excess. I have found that if you just dip the meat into the rinds, it “grabs” more coating than is necessary, resulting in not having enough rinds to finish the job at hand and you will then have to crush more (been there; done that) and increase calories. 🙂 Place the coated meat directly onto a METAL baking sheet, preferably non-stick. DO NOT line with silicone sheet or use a glass dish it won’t crisp properly. Pop into preheated 425º oven and bake about 20 minutes or until browned to your liking.

As the meat is cooking, make your cream gravy. Add 1 c. water to the skillet you seared the meat in and over low heat, over low heat, completely de-glaze all the tasty brown bits off the bottom of the skillet by scraping with a spatula. Add the cream and simmer over very low heat to reduce and thicken. This adds both color and flavor to your gravy. Add a dash of black pepper and salt to taste. If you prefer a thicker gravy, you can slightly thicken with your preferred thickener, like a light dusting of xanthan gum whisked in.

Serve with gravy dipped over meat. This goes well with many of your favorite vegetable dishes. I hope you enjoy this “national” staple of Texas!

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

471.3 calories, 30.8 g fat, 1.9 g carbs, .03 g fiber, 1.87 g NET CARBS, 45 g protein, 356 mg sodium

Aug 4 2017

Kale-Orange-Walnut Salad

I bought a lovely bunch of kale at the store today and decided rather than cook it all, I’d like to try a salad with part of it. Since kale is a bit strong to me, I thought a bit of fruit might round it out. And it did! The earthy taste of the walnuts and walnut oil playing off the citrus in the orange vinaigrette are what make this for me. This salad is delicious alone, but would be delightful with boiled or grilled shrimp added as well, or some cooked bits of white chicken meat, making it a complete meal.

This recipe is not suitable until you reach the the higher fruit level of the Atkins OWL carb ladder (Phase 3). It is perfectly OK for Ketogenic diets (although you may want to use lower-carb berries rather than oranges). It is also suitable for Primal and Paleo as well.

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BASE SALAD:

1½ oz. kale leaves, stems removed, sliced thinly (this was 2 large leaves for me)

2 oz. raw onion, sliced thinly (I only had white on hand, but red onion would be perhaps even better)

½ oz. walnuts, coarsely broken apart (about 7 halves)

2 ½”-slices of orange, cut into thirds

VARIATION: Add some peeled, sliced jicama to the salad. It is VERY good in this recipe!

ORANGE VINAIGRETTE:

1 medium orange (use leftover part for a nice Pimm’s Cup!) 🙂

2 T. walnut oil (important not to substitute other oils here)

2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

2 T. orange juice (fresh squeezed)

Dash each salt and coarse black pepper

Dash garlic powder (optional)

DIRECTIONS: Cut the orange in half across the segments. Peal one half of the orange with your knife. Cut away 2 slices about the size of two large sections and cut the two into about 6 bite-sized pieces. Set aside. In a small bowl, squeeze out 2 tablespoons of orange juice from the uncut half. to the orange juice, add the walnut oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and if using, the garlic powder. Stir and set aside.

Remove the tough stems from the kale. Wash and dry the leaves. Julienne slice the kale (thinly) and place into a medium salad serving bowl (unless you plan to plate the salads individually). In that case, you can use any old bowl large enough to toss this in. Add the thinly sliced onion, walnuts and pieces of orange. Place the bowl of greens and fruit in your refrigerator until ready to serve.

Right before serving, pour the orange vinaigrette over the greens and toss well to coat. If you wish to plate it, place half the salad onto each of two individual serving plates. Garnish with a slice of orange if desired. I didn’t have any tonight, but a sprinkle of pomegranate kernels would be delicious as well as pretty on this salad. 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 servings, each contains:

206 calories, 18.4 g fat, 9.85 g carbs, 3.20 g fiber, 6.65 g NET CARBS, 2.3 g protein, 90 mg sodium

Jul 29 2017

Caribbean Shellfish on Zoodles

This delightful dish was a very pleasant surprise. DELICIOUS! And check out the amazing nutritional stats below! Extremely healthy food, this one is! It uses my Puerto Rican Sofrito Sauce in yet another wonderful combination of flavors and is served on a bed of zucchini noodles, known as “zoodles” in the low-carb world. It can be served on regular pasta for your non-low-carb guests. The dish can also be made with shrimp or lobster. If you are not still in the Atkins Induction Phase, the addition of 1/4 c. white wine to the seafood mixture would be divine, otherwise use the stock as noted below. As written, this recipe is suitable for Atkins Induction and most other Ketogenic diets. If the cheeses are omitted it would be suitable for Primal and Paleo as well.

INGREDIENTS:

4 T. unsalted butter

1 oz. onion, sliced

2 oz. red bell pepper, sliced

½ c. parsley, chopped

¼ c. my Sofrito sauce: https://buttoni.wordpress.com/2013/05/21/sofrito/

1 T. Parmesan cheese, grated

12 oz. crawfish tails (or shrimp, or lobster chunks or any combination of seafood)

¼ c. homemade seafood stock, chicken stock or white wine (no wine if still in Atkins Induction)

1/4 tsp. salt

Dash each black pepper and cayenne pepper

1 4-oz. can of mushrooms (with their liquid)

4 T. heavy cream

Dash of your preferred thickener (if you feel it is needed, I did.)

¼ c. Monterrey Jack or other cheese (for garnish)

16 oz. zucchini, washed and julienned into long “noodle” threads

DIRECTIONS: Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the onion and red bell pepper and saute over high heat until the vegetables are tender. Lower heat to medium, add the parsley, Sofrito, shellfish and stock or wine. Add mushrooms, salt and peppers to season. Turn heat to lowest setting, add the cream and Parmesan cheese. Let simmer about 5 minutes, stirring several times to uniformly mix the sauce with the shellfish. this will allow the cream to reduce and thicken the sauce just a bit. If you want it thicker, use your favorite thickener to reach the desired thickness. Lower heat to lowest setting while you prepare the zoodles.

Julienne the zucchini into noodle-like strips with either a hand-held julienne peeler (what I use) or if you own one, a spiral slicing machine like a Spirooli. In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tsp. olive oil. Saute and stir the zucchini noodles continuously in the heated oil just until they are softened and translucent. Spoon 1/4 of the sauce over 1/4 of the zoodles for each serving and garnish each serving with 1 T. grated Jack cheese. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we did!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

317 calories, 24 g fat, 7.25 g carbs, 2.50 g fiber, 4.75 g NET CARBS, 20.7 g protein, 525 mg sodium

Jul 4 2017

Ribeye with Parsley-Bacon Butter

A quick and delicious 4th of July meal tonight that didn’t require getting out in the 97º sun this evening to fire up a hot grill. I hate to send the hubs outside in such heat, even if it is a holiday. This came out real tasty and we’ll definitely make this one again. I think I might prefer it without bacon, but he actually thought the bacon was real good on it. I haven’t had much appetite the past few weeks, so maybe it’s just me. 😉 You can lower calories and fat by using sirloin or good quality chuck instead of ribeye (or by eating less of it 🙂 ).

This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets as well is Primal and Paleo if using clarified butter.

VARIATION: Omit the bacon for a simpler flavor melange.

INGREDIENTS:

4 slices bacon, sliced fine

2 8-9 oz. ribeye steaks

2 T. unsalted butter (to sear steaks)

2 T. more butter for sauce

½ c. chopped parsley

1 large clove garlic, minced

juice of ½ lemon (about 1-2 T.)

Dash each sea salt & coarse black pepper

DIRECTIONS: Brown the chopped bacon, drain and set aside for now. In the same skillet, add 2 T. butter over high heat. Sear steaks on both sides until done to your preference. Set steaks off on a platter for a few minutes while you make the quick sauce. Lower heat to medium low. Add remaining 2 T. butter to skillet and stir into remaining steak juices. Add garlic, lemon juice, sea salt, pepper. Simmer just until garlic is slightly cooked. Add parsley and simmer just until parsley is barely wilting. Add cooked bacon and serve equally over the two steaks at table.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 adult servings, each contains:

758 calories, 47 g fat, 3.25 g carbs, 0.65 g fiber, 2.6 g NET CARBS, 77 g protein, 864 mg sodium

May 8 2017

Spinach Mayonado (with optional Sausage Meatballs)

This is essentially a creamed spinach dish, but with a very special cream indeed. I decided to not stir it altogether as that does not photograph so prettily. The flavor of this creamy spinach dish will blow you away. It’s sinfully rich and ever so good! So good, in fact, I lick every bit of the sauce off the spoon and food processor bowl. Seriously good eats.

Of course, you can always stir the sauce right into the spinach. It certainly ends up mixed on my plate while eating it. 🙂 To be quite honest, ANY meat, seared chicken breast strips, beef or pork meatballs or smoked sausage would be good alongside (or on top as shown) this extremely nutritious dish.

This recipe is Atkins Induction friendly, as well as being suitable for Keto diets, Primal and Paleo followers as well.

VARIATION: This makes a great side dish without meat. In fact, that is the first way I ate it when I created this creamy sauce.

DISCLAIMER: By personal choice, 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:

5 oz. lean pork bulk sausage (I use homemade sausage but any low-carb sausage will do)

6 T. my Shawarma Homemade Mayonnaise

1 avocado

16 oz. bag of frozen, chopped spinach

Water to cover spinach

Spoon the spinach into your serving dish, Add the thick, creamy mayonado sauce to the top as shown (or stir into the spinach if you prefer) and top with your cooked meatballs. ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 3 servings, each contains:

468 calories, 48 g fat, 12.03 g carbs, 8.66 g fiber, 3.37 g NET CARBS, 15.2 g protein, 453 mg sodium

Apr 14 2017

Mexican Squash and Tomatoes

This makes a quick and delicious side dish for any roasted, grilled or fried meat entree you like: beef, pork, chicken, even fish. It is ready in under 10 minutes and will be a hit with your family, I’m certain. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets Primal and Paleo as well. Calaba or Mexican Squash tastes just like zucchini, but the flesh is slightly yellower and it has less water in it. I actually prefer it to traditional zuccini for the latter reason, as well as the fact it is consistently cheaper than its darker green cousin.

INGREDIENTS:

10 oz. Mexican Calaba squash, ¼” slice. (two medium 5-6-oz squash)

2 oz. onion, sliced thinly

3 T. olive oil (or your preferred oil)

2 Roma or 3 Campari tomatoes, coarsely chopped or sliced

1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves (or 1 tsp. fresh)

1 clove garlic, minced

Dash pepper and salt to taste

VARIATION: Sprinkle on a little fresh grated Parmesan when served.

DIRECTIONS: Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet or deep wok. Add the onion and saute until it begins to go limp. While it sautes, stem and cut the squash lengthwise in half and cut those halves lengthwise again. Slice the quarters into ¼” slice (click photo to enlarge). When the onion is softened, add the squash to the skillet. Saute, stirring constantly until squash is tender but not too soft yet. Add the tomato slices, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper and saute just until tomato softens. Squash will likely be plenty tender and done by then. Serve with your favorite entree.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

114 calories, 10.3 g fat, 5.22 g carbs, 1.52 g fiber, 3.7 g NET CARBS, 1.27 g protein, 92 mg sodium

Apr 2 2017

Tandoori Cornish Hens

This chicken pairs nicely with Indian Creamed Spinach (Saag Paneer) and my Indian Cauliflower.

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INGREDIENTS:

2 Cornish hens (about 1¼ lb. each) or 8 cut pieces of chicken

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp. salt (optional but included in stats below)

Pinch black pepper

1 T. fresh lime juice

½ c. sour cream or plain yogurt

1 large clove minced garlic

1 tsp. minced fresh ginger

¼ medium onion, chopped

½ tsp. cumin seed (or ¼ tsp. ground)

½ tsp. ground turmeric

Tandoori Chicken, in India, is cooked in a Tandoori clay oven, which I certainly do not have. However a medium-hot charcoal fire will do nicely. But if neither is available, preheat your indoor oven to 400º. Place hen quarters skin up onto grill surface or on a rack in a roasting pan. Brush or spoon the yogurt marinate evenly over the pieces of meat. Depending on your charcoal fire, distance from coals to meat, or your oven accuracy, size of birds…….these hens will take about 45 minutes to an hour to get done. Test the thigh joints for internal temp of 180º on a meat thermometer or until juices are clear and not pink.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Serves 4, each serving contains:

381 calories, 23.4 g fat, 9.2 g carbs, 0.4 g fiber, 8.8 g NET CARBS, 31.83 g protein, 377 mg sodium

Mar 14 2017

Steak Diane with a Twist

I had two New York Strip steaks I thawed tonight and decided to make my Steak Diane recipe, but decided a bit of creamy cheese on top might be nice. GOOD decision, as it was indeed a delicious addition to the wonderful flavor of parsley and mushrooms. I served roasted asparagus on the side. A meal fit for a king, it was. This entree goes together so fast (a wonderful week-night dinner!), I actually had to wait a few minutes on my asparagus to get tender which caused some of my liquid in the griddle to evaporate. Could have added a little water of bouillon, but instead melted a wee bit more butter, which did the trick. If the calories and fat numbers below are too high for your diet, use smaller portions of meat and less butter when preparing this tasty dish. This is suitable for all phases of Atkins provided you omit the wine for Induction Phase. It is suitable for Keto diets and Primal as well. Omit cheese for Paleo.

INGREDIENTS:

20 oz. lean, trimmed steak (I used NY Strip Steaks)

2 T. unsalted butter

1 4-oz can sliced mushrooms, undrained

¼ c. white wine (omit if still on Induction)

2-3 shakes each sea salt and coarse black pepper

3/4 c. parsley, chopped

Sprinkle fresh lemon juice (maybe 1 tsp.)

6 T. shredded white cheese (I used Monterrey Jack)

VARIATION: Make classic Steak Diane by omitting cheese. For a totally different dish, make Chicken Diane using seared, skinless/boneless chicken breasts instead of beef.

DIRECTIONS: Trim outer fat off the steaks. Laterally slice them into 4 thinner pieces. Pound on both sides to tenderize a bit. In a griddle or skillet, melt 2 T. of the butter over high heat. Sear the meat on both sides until done and browned to your liking. Remove meat to a waiting platter. In the hot griddle, add the rest of the butter to melt, the mushrooms with their liquid, parsley, lemon juice, wine, salt and pepper. Simmer just until parsley goes limp. Place steak strips back in the pan a couple minutes and sprinkle about 1½ T. cheese over each. The heat of the meat will melt by the time it is at table. When serving, dip 1/4 of the parsley-mushroom mixture/sauce over each portion. Serve with your favorite green side dish.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

569 calories, 47 g fat, 2.72 g carbs, 1.10 g fiber, 1.62 g NET CARBS, 30.4 g protein, 417 mg sodium

Mar 1 2017

Jicama Cajun “Fries”

Man, I tried these on a whim and they were FANTASTIC! And best of all, you don’t have to stand over a skillet of hot grease! I’ve tried making fries from turnips, eggplant, daikon, rutabaga and all sorts of veggies on my low-carb journey. But I have to admit, these are really my favorite. The Seafood Spice blend in the coating takes away the inherent sweet edge jicama has, without dominating the final fries. So don’t side-step this part of the recipe. It’s essential for best results. Other spices and blends could be substituted in if you prefer. The coating really browned nicely and stayed crispy even as the fries cooled off! Even my picky hubby gave these a thumbs up, and at first, he wasn’t even going to taste them! These are Induction friendly, too!

For those unfamiliar with what jicama is.

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz. jicama, peeled and cut into fries

2 T. homemade mayo

2 oz. plain pork rinds, crushed

1/2 tsp. my Seafood Cajun Spice Blend

Oil to coat baking pan if not using non-stick sheet pan

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 450º. Peel and cut jicama into stick shapes. Place in bowl and brush well with the homemade mayo. Make certain you haven’t missed any spots or they won’t get coated at those spots. You want total coverage for the pork rinds to adhere to. Crush the pork rinds in processor/blender. Add spice blend to crushed pork rinds in a small bowl and stir well. Now drop mayo-coated jicama (a few at a time) into the seasoned rinds and shake to coat well. Alternately, you can use a plastic bag and shake them to coat. Place fries directly on oiled or non-stick metal baking sheet. A word of experience, DO NOT BAKE THESE ON SILICONE SHEETS, as they will not brown and crisp up properly on the bottom. I found this out the hard way. Bake for 10 minutes until tops are nicely browned. Turn them and bake about 10 more minutes. They brown best where they actually touch the metal pan.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings each contains:

165 Calories, 11.4 g fat, 5.50 g carbs, 2.78 g fiber, 2.22 NET CARBS, 11.2 g protein, 276 g sodium

Feb 28 2017

“Ravioli” Bites

Here is an exciting and delicious way to use my incredible glucomannan dumpling dough! Man, are these ever good, and for only 1.28 net carbs per bite! Can’t beat that. Picture a platter full of these for Super Bowl next year! And guilt free! Very similar to Totino’s Pizza Rolls in taste but even better! The cooking is a two-step process, but necessary for the dough to fully cook all the way through. These are suitable for all phases of Atkins and Keto diets. Omit the bit of flour, subbing in oat flour (slightly higher carbs), and these are suitable for Primal-Paleo as well! An added note, I reheated the leftovers in the oven for lunch today (350º for 15 minutes) and they were GREAT! I suspect these would freeze nicely, too, as the dumpling dough has proven, after simmering in sauces, to freeze well.

INGREDIENTS:

2 recipes my Peggy’s Original Dumplings dough

2 T. finely grated Parmesan cheese

2 T. total Einkorn flour or oat flour (from certified gluten-free oats if required)

1 tsp. olive oil

6 oz. Italian sausage, cut into 3/8″ slices

½ c. low-carb spaghetti sauce (I use Lucini or Classico Italian)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Make the double batch of dumpling dough (adding the Parmesan and 1 T. of the flour to the dry ingredients) per that recipe’s instructions. When the dough has firmed up nicely, divide into eighteen equal balls around 1½” round. Dust the counter with the remaining flour and pat your fingers in it frequently to keep them from getting sticky as you pat/work each ball of dough into a small 2″ round on your fingers. You’re not looking for perfection here. This soft dough is very difficult to roll, so I just do this in my hands. Again, keep touching the flour with your fingers and patting onto the dough surface as you work so your fingers don’t get sticky as you work. Place a slice of sausage on one side of each circle of dough, fold the other side on top and very gently press the edges together to close it up. Repeat for all 18 ravioli. Set on counter or paper towel. When all 18 are made, heat oil on griddle and brown each side lightly. With tongs, gently lift them onto a parchment lined pan and pop into 350º oven for about 5-10 minutes to finish baking and browning. Remove and serve with a cup of your favorite low-carb spaghetti sauce for a light dip. ENJOY!

VARIATION: Use pepperoni slices instead of the sausage. Alternately, you can take the finished raviolis after griddle searing and just pop them into a huge pot of your favorite marinara sauce and eat them more like traditional ravioli is served. You could also, after baking, pour some of my Pink Cream Sauce over them and garnish with parsley. BE CREATIVE with sauces!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 18 “ravioli”, each contains:

43 calories, 3.06 g fat, 3.15 g carbs, 1.87 g fiber, 1.28 g NET CARBS, 2.57 g protein, 188 mg sodium

Feb 15 2017

Shrimp Putanesca on Zoodles

If you want a QUICK and tasty dinner, try my Shrimp Putanesca! It’s a low-carb version of a classic Italian dish. It is simply delicious and ready in about 20 minutes total! If you are still on Atkins Induction Phase, omit the white wine to be safe. This recipe (with that modification) is acceptable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, Primal and Paleo as well. I have owned/used several different noodling tools, but most recently I invested in a Vegetti and find it the easiest to use as well as being the most compact for storage.

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. zucchini, cut into noodles

3 T. olive oil total

20 large shrimp, shelled and deveined

3 Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped

3/4 c. parsley, chopped

1 large clove garlic, minced

Dash black pepper

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

¼ tsp. sea salt

15 pitted black olives, cut into halves

¼ tsp. anchovy paste or 1 anchovy, mashed (optional but very good in this dish)

¼ c. white wine (I used Chardonnay), omit if still on Induction

DIRECTIONS: Coarsely chop the tomatoes and set aside. Halve the olives and set aside.

Cut the zucchini into long spaghetti-type noodles. Heat 1 T. olive oil in a non-stick skillet and saute zoodles on low heat for a few minutes, stirring and tossing them just until they “green up” and are no longer opaque. Turn off heat so they will not cook further. In another non-stick skillet on high heat the remaining olive oil. Saute the shrimp until opaque. Add the tomato and stir/saute just until it begins to soften. Add parsley, red and black pepper, salt and olives, anchovy paste (if using) and stir. Add white wine and lower heat to medium. Simmer just 3 minutes tops. If you prefer your tomato to be less cooked in such dishes, add them last. Dip mixture over the cooked zoodles or stir it together. Either presentation will look nice. 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

160.8 calories, 10.9 g fat, 5.52 g carbs, 1.6 g fiber, 3.92 g NET CARBS, 8.25 g protein, 208 mg sodium

Feb 14 2017

Bacon-Onion Heart Quiche

These are phase 1 of our Valentine’s Day celebration today……..Bacon-Onion Heart Quiches. They were very tasty and the hubs was quite pleased. 🙂 I’m making him Strawberry Heart Mini Cakes for his dessert tonight (we’re eating Indian food out for dinner). These were made in a fun little pan I found somewhere years ago I just had to have. The slots are only 3/4″ tall, so it makes individual portion cakes (or whatever). These tasty breakfast “hearts” are as easy as pie to make. You can use any shaped pan molds, silicone molds or regular cupcake pans (or whatever you have available). There is nothing sacrosanct about the shape here. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets. Primal-Paleo will need to use a plan-suitable bread at the bottom.

INGREDIENTS:

4 slices bacon, chopped fine

2 oz. onion, chopped fine

1 slice low-carb bread (I had this on-hand focaccia bread)

3 extra-large eggs (or 4 large), beaten

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Using a brush, oil your baking pan slots with a dab of olive oil. Crumbled the bread evenly into the bottoms of the slots. Pour the beaten egg mixture into the slots.

In a non-stick skillet, brown the bacon. When it is done but not quite crisp, add the onion and saute until the bacon is browned and onion is beginning to brown as well. Sprinkle about 1 T. of the bacon-onion mixture over the tops of each portion. Pop pan into 350º oven for about 13-15 minutes or until egg is set up in the center when touched with your finger. Do not over cook lest they dry out. Lift them out gently with the tip of a knife and serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 5 Heart Quiches, each contains:

146.4 calories, 11.8 g fat, 1.74 g carbs, 0.40 g fiber, 1.34 g NET CARBS, 9.14 g protein, 225 mg sodium

Feb 8 2017

Curried Meatballs and Cauliflower

My husband wanted something “Indian” for dinner tonight. I had thawed a pound of ground pork and also had half a pound of lean ground beef in the fridge. We both love those tiny meatballs that appear on Indian restaurant buffet tables, so I decided to give them a stab and see what I ended up with. Using what veggies I had on hand, this was the final dish and brother was it ever good! Not at all spicy, so double the jalapeno if you’re into spicy, or add a dash of cayenne pepper. For the non-low-carbers at the table, this would be delicious served with basmati rice, but it was pretty darn good just as is, quite honestly. This dish is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, and would be OK for Primal-Paleo using coconut milk for the cream.

INGREDIENTS:

½ medium head cauliflower, cut into flowerettes

1 lb. lean ground pork

½ lb. lean ground beef

1 egg, beaten

2 oz. raw onion

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp. ground ginger root

1 tsp,. total Garam Masala

1 jalapeno, seeded and coarsely chopped (use 2 for spicier dish)

¼ c. cilantro for meat

¼ tsp. ground turmeric

¼ tsp. salt

2 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped

½ c. cream + ½ c. water

1-2 T. more chopped cilantro for sauce

Dash curry powder

2 T. coconut or olive oil for browning meatballs stove-top (or bake them on non-stick pan)

VARIATION: Add ¼-½ tsp. crushed dried mint to meat mixture (or 6 fresh leaves chopped). you can also use ground lamb in this recipe for a more intense meat flavor.

DIRECTIONS: Cut up cauliflower and partially cook in boiling water until just half tender. You want it under-cooked as it will cook more once in your skillet sauce. Drain and set aside for now.

In a food processor, pulse to a smooth mixture both meats, the egg, onion, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, ¼ c. cilantro, turmeric, salt and ½ tsp. of the Garam Masala spice blend. Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (medium if not using a non-stick pan). You can also bake the meatballs if you prefer to eliminate the need for any coconut oil (for about 20 minutes at 350º). Form into twenty 1½” meatballs. Brown them rotating gently as they brown. Spoon/drain off excess grease, if any.

When meatballs are nice an golden and almost done through, add the cream and water to the pan. Using a silicone spatula, scrape up any brown bits off the pan so it will make the sauce richer. Add chopped tomato, the final bit of the cilantro (and dried mint if using), dash curry powder and the rest of the Garam Masala spice. Gently stir in the cauliflower chunks, coating each with sauce. Simmer on low heat until thick to allow flavors to meld together nicely. If the sauce is not thick enough for your taste, dust with the tiniest dusting of xanthan gum or your preferred thickener. Work it into the sauce with your spatula until it has done a proper thickening job. It will not take much at all.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 5 servings (4 meatballs each with 1/4 cauli/sauce mixture). Each serving contains:

428 calories, 33 g fat, 9.36 g carbs, 3.64 g fiber, 5.72 g NET CARBS, 25.5 g protein, 258 mg sodium

Feb 8 2017

Broccoli with Creamed Onion Sauce

If you’re tired of the same old steamed broccoli, the usual cheese sauce and the not so unusual broccoli casseroles, give this recipe a whirl. It’s easy and ready in minutes. The sauce really smooths out the broccoli flavor. This is Atkins Induction friendly and suitable for other Keto diets. Primal-Paleo followers will want to sub in coconut milk for the cream.

INGREDIENTS:

9 oz. broccoli, cut up into large pieces or small spears

2 T. butter or ghee, unsalted

2 oz. yellow onion, sliced thin

½ clove garlic, minced

½ c. heavy cream

½ c. water

Dash pepper

1 T. grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS: Cook broccoli stems until completely done and drain well a few minutes. Lay broccoli stems decoratively on your serving dish. In non-stick skillet over med-high heat, saute onion and garlic in butter until the onion begins to brown and caramelize. Lower heat and add cream and Parmesan. Add pepper and taste. Add pinch of salt if needed. Simmer a few minutes and it will slightly thicken. Add water. Simmer a few more minutes. Should be the right thickness when done. If the water made it too thin, add a bit of your favorite thickener. Dip or pour over broccoli and serve.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 3 servings each containing:

164 calories, 13.1 g fat, 9.4 g carbs, 2.57 g fiber, 6.83 g NET CARBS, 4.5 g protein, 73 mg sodium

Feb 4 2017

Greek Stuffed Peppers

When I can find them, I buy the really big bell peppers for stuffing. Usually a recipe of my filling using 1 lb. of ground beef will make four stuffed peppers for me. The two colossal specimens shown in the photo above were SO ginormous, the two of them ALONE used up ALL the filling!! Now that RARELY happens, but on this occasion, this was the honest truth!

I didn’t have any kind of recipe when I created these. I just decided to take some ground meat, cheese it up with several cheeses (including feta of course), add some typical Greek seasonings and see what resulted. Glad I did, as these came out GREAT!! Then, after dinner, I Googled “Greek Stuffed Peppers” and indeed, they do make something similar in Greece, but with rice added to the filling, which I can’t eat on a low-carb diet. These are only Induction friendly if you omit the red wine.

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INGREDIENTS:

4 3-oz. bell peppers, any color (try to select peppers with fairly flat bottoms)

16 oz. ground beef (or ground lamb)

2 oz. onion, chopped fine

1 Roma tomato, chopped

1 T. tomato paste

1/3 c. water

¼ c. red wine (omit if on Induction)

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. crushed dried oregano

¼ c. parsley, chopped

½ c. feta, rinsed in strainer under cold water

½ c. Monterrey Jack cheese

2 tsp. Parmesan

VARIATION: Use some dill weed in place of the cinnamon

DIRECTIONS: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut the tops off peppers and save for some other use. Remove seed core. Boil the main pepper bottoms 3-4 minutes to begin to tenderize them a bit, which will greatly shorten overall baking time on this dish. Remove and drain and place in baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350º at this point. Next brown the ground meat in a non-stick skillet. Add onion, garlic, tomato, tomato paste, wine and water. Next add the parsley and spices. Simmer about 10 minutes, stirring, until tomato and onion are fully tender and the liquid is evaporating nicely. Add feta and Jack cheese. Stir to blend and melt. Remove from heat. Stuff the peppers and sprinkle the tops with the Parmesan cheese. Pop in preheated 350º oven for 30-35 minutes or until pepper shells are tender, but not overcooked and falling apart. Serve with a nice Greek salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 stuffed peppers, each contains:

370 calories, 23.18 g fat, 8.15 g carbs, 2.1 g fiber, 6.05 g NET CARBS, 29 g protein, 720 mg sodium

Feb 3 2017

Kale and Cabbage Medley

I love braised kale and braised cabbage, but tonight’s creation with the two together was just amazing! Combining with my ingredient lineup totally changed the flavor profile of BOTH vegetables. Therefore this might be a good dish to try on those kale and cabbage haters among you, as neither tasted like themselves. This vegetable side is a little carb-y, but all those carbs are in the incredibly nutritious kale and cabbage, so they’re all GOOD carbs! This dish is suitable for all phases of Atkins and Keto diets if you can fit the carbs into your daily allowance. This recipe is also OK for Primal-Paleo diners.

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch of kale (about 4 cups stemmed and coarsely cut up)

2 c. cabbage, coarsely cut up

2 oz. yellow onion, sliced

3 oz. bell pepper, cut into medium-sized pieces (your color choice)

1/2 tsp. sea salt

Dash black pepper

1 T. Sriracha chili sauce

Water to cover all (I also added 3/4 c. baked ham broth/drippings)

1 T. bacon grease

DIRECTIONS: Melt the bacon grease over high heat in a large stew pot and saute the onion until caramelized. Add the stemmed, cut up kale, cabbage and water to cover. Add bell pepper, salt, pepper and Sriracha sauce. Bring to a boil and lower heat to medium and simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve at once. This broth makes a tasty and nutritious base for soups, so I store mine in containers in my freezer. 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 5 servings, each contains:

70 calories, 3.04 g fat, 9.92 g carbs, 2.42 g fiber, 7.5 g NET CARBS, 2.48 g protein, 60 mg sodium

Jan 31 2017

Middle Eastern Stuffed Eggplant

Shown with Iranian Mint Cucumber Salad

This tasty stuffed eggplant will fill you right up! It has a lot of flavor layers going on and will excite your palate. It’s actually quite easy to make, too. It’s a little carb-y, but that’s because of the eggplant itself. No empty fillers in this recipe. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and Keto diets if you can fit the carbs into your daily limits. It is also suitable for Primal and will even work for Paleo if you sub in chia gel or an extra egg for the ricotta cheese.

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INGREDIENTS:

2 T. coconut oil

1 16-oz. whole eggplant, stemmed and cut in half lenghtwise

10 oz. ground beef (or lamb)

2 oz. onion, chopped

¼ tsp. sea salt

Dash black pepper

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground cumin

1 Roma tomato, chopped coarsely

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T. fresh spearmint, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried mint)

2 beaten eggs

1/4 c. ricotta cheese (use chia gel or an extra egg for a Paleo version)

DIRECTIONS: Melt the oil in a very large skillet over high heat. Place eggplant in the pan cut-side down. Brown the cut surface, pressing the eggplant halves down with your hand as they cook. Cook them for about 10-15 minutes. Remove them to a cutting board to cool a bit.

Add the meat to the skillet and brown over medium-high heat. Add the onion toward the end of the browning process and cook until pretty tender. Add the seasonings next. Lower heat and simmer 5 minutes or so to let the spices mingle in the meat nicely. Turn off heat.

Preheat oven to 350º. Using a knife slice or scoop out most of the eggplant flesh from the halves, leaving about 1/2″ of the flesh intact on the skin for support during baking. Place the two hollowed out shells in a baking pan.

Next, chop the scooped out eggplant flesh into ½” dice and add back into the meat mixture in the skillet. If the eggplant is still opaque in places (likely it is not fully done), turn the fire on to medium and stir/simmer the meat-eggplant mixture until the eggplant is pretty tender. Turn off heat.

Stir the beaten eggs into the ricotta and add to the meat mixture and mix well to bind and moisten the filling. Spoon half the mixture into each eggplant shell. Pop the pan into your preheated oven and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the shells appear to be fully cooked. Pairs nicely with a sour cream/mint cucumber salad as shown.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes two large adult servings, each contains:

467 calories, 42 g fat, 19.85 g carbs, 9.25 g fiber, 10 g NET CARBS, 38.4 g protein, 499 mg sodium

Jan 29 2017

Beef in Mushroom Wine Sauce

I love to make this recipe whenever I have a sizeable portion of a very large chuck or sirloin roast leftover. It’s very tasty, rich and a great way to tenderize that meat even further. Whenever I make a beef roast, I always save any leftover gravy or roast meat broth/drippings, no matter how little that may be. I invariably find many uses like this recipe for using it up. I freeze it in ½-cup and 1-cup blocks and once frozen, pop them into a gallon zip-loc bags for soups, casseroles and recipes like this one that just needs a little bit broth or gravy. I can then thin the gravy to use as beef broth. 🙂

This delicious dish can be enjoyed by all phases of Atkins provided those still on Induction omit the red wine. This is suitable for Keto diets, Primal and Paleo as well.

INGREDIENTS:

1½ c. rich beef gravy or roast drippings (or beef broth + ¼ tsp. xanthan gum (to thicken)

2 4-oz cans mushrooms, drained (liquid reserved)

2 T. tomato paste

¼ tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. sea salt

1½ lb. leftover cooked beef roast, sliced

¼ c. dry red wine (I used zinfandel, but any dry red will work) [omit for Induction]

VARIATION: Add 1/2 c. chopped parsley (I was out, or I would have used it here)

DIRECTIONS: In a large skillet over medium heat, add the beef gravy or beef stock. If using beef broth instead of gravy, whisk in xanthan gum to blend. Add the tomato paste and whisk again to blend well. Add salt and pepper and stir. If using, add parsley and red wine. Add beef next. Bring to a simmer and simmer covered on LOW heat for 15 minutes. Remove lid and simmer 5 minutes longer. If gravy is too thick, add a bit of the mushroom liquid back to the pan; if too thin, add more xanthan gum (or your preferred thickener) in very light dustings on the surface, stirring in and allowing each addition to develop and thicken before adding more. You do NOT want to overdo xanthan gum lest the sauce get slippery in texture. Serve at once with you favorite green vegetable or side dish.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

255 calories, 6.9 g fat, 387 g carbs, 1.40 g fiber, 2.47 g NET CARBS, 40.3 g protein, 417 mg sodium

Jan 17 2017

Kale-Orange-Walnut Salad

not on Click to enlarge

BASE SALAD:

1½ oz. kale leaves, stems removed, sliced thinly (this was 2 large leaves for me)

2 oz. raw onion, sliced thinly (I only had white on hand, but red onion would be perhaps even better)

½ oz. walnuts, coarsely broken apart (about 7 halves)

2 ½”-slices of orange, cut into thirds

VARIATION: Add some small pieces of sliced, peeled jicama. It is VERY good in this salad!

ORANGE VINAIGRETTE:

1 medium orange (If not on Induction, use leftover orange for a nice Pimm’s Cup! 🙂

2 T. walnut oil (important not to substitute other oils here)

2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

2 T. orange juice (fresh squeezed)

Dash each salt and coarse black pepper

Dash garlic powder (optional)

Remove the tough stems from the kale. Wash and dry the leaves. Julienne slice the kale (thinly) and place into a medium salad serving bowl (unless you plan to plate the salads individually). In that case, you can use any old bowl large enough to toss this in. Add the thinly sliced onion, walnuts and pieces of orange. place the bowl of greens and fruit in your refrigerator until ready to serve.

The final step right before serving is to pour the orange vinaigrette over the greens and toss well to coat. If you wish to plate it, place half the salad onto each of two individual serving plates. Garnish with a slice of orange if desired. I didn’t have any tonight, but a sprinkle of pomegranate kernels would be delicious as well as pretty on this salad. 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 servings, each contains:

206 calories, 18.4 g fat, 9.85 g carbs, 3.20 g fiber, 6.65 g NET CARBS, 2.3 g protein, 90 mg sodium

Jan 8 2017

Kashmiri Mushrooms (Hedar)

We love Indian food and they often have a mushroom curry on the buffet table at our favorite Indian restaurants. This is a recipe I’ve been cooking for some time now. In its original form, it appears in Neerja Matoo’s cookbook Kashmiri Cooking. I’ve made quite a few changes and this is how I prepare this dish. This is great with charcoal-grilled beef, lamb, chicken or your favorite curry recipe. This recipe is Atkins Induction friendly and suitable for Keto diets as well. Use coconut milk for an acceptable Primal-Paleo version.

INGREDIENTS: 2 c. mushrooms, wiped and halved (leave whole if small ones)

2 T. butter, unsalted

2 oz. yellow onion, cut in thin slivers

2 cloves minced garlic

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Pinch black pepper

Pinch turmeric

½ tsp. my Garam Masala spice blend

Pinch Sharwood’s red-label Tandoori Spice (or regular mild curry powder if unavailable)

2 T. chopped fresh cilantro

¼ c. heavy cream

¼ c. chicken or beef broth/bouillon (preferably homemade)

DIRECTIONS: Wipe mushrooms clean of any dirt with a soft, clean dish cloth or paper toweling. If you wash mushrooms, they do not saute as nicely. If washed and then stored in the fridge, they will get slimy and rot faster. Remember: dry mushrooms are delicious mushrooms. 🙂

Halve the mushroom if extremely large, otherwise leave whole. Set the cleaned mushrooms aside. Melt butter in a skillet. Add onion, garlic and spices and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to saute, stirring until mushrooms are done (about 3-4 more minutes). Lower heat, add bouillon and cream. Simmer on lowest heat possible to slightly thicken. Use your favorite plan suitable thickener if still not thick enough for your preference.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Serves 4, each serving contains: (this only serves 2 for hubby and I, we love it so!) 119 calories 11.5 g fat 3.45 g carbs, 0.7 g fiber, 2.75 g NET CARBS 1.88 Protein 33.6 mg. sodium

Jan 7 2017

Pork in Queso Flameado Sauce

If you’ve ever ordered Queso Flameado in a Mexican restaurant, it’s a flavor you don’t soon forget. It’s a thick melted cheese fondu with chorizo crumbled in it served with flour tortillas to roll it up in. It is considered an appetizer. It is sooo good! Traditionally, a bit of warmed brandy is poured over the fondu and the dish is lit when served (where the name “flameado” comes from), but I dispense with that step.

Well, this new dish I created a few years back, I made again last night for dinner. I used this tasty sauce over seared pork and it was simply outstanding! If you love Mexican food, you’ve GOT to try this dish! My husband just love this, as do I! This dish is suitable for all phases of Atkins and other Ketogenic diets. It is not, however, suitable for Primal/Paleo without revisions.

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. pork loin, cut into 4 portions

1 link chorizo, removed from the skin and crumbled

2 T. unsalted butter

4 large green onions, chopped

1/2 c. red bell pepper, chopped

1 c. cilantro, chopped

1/2 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. water

6 oz. Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded (or more, if you can afford the extra carbs)

VARIATION: Use boneless chicken breast in lieu of the pork

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Pound the 4 pieces of pork with a meat tenderizer. Melt butter in large skillet over high heat. Brown pork on both sides until nearly done. Remove. Add crumbled chorizo and brown, crumbling as small as you can as it cooks. Add the green onions, bell pepper and saute until they are tender. Lower heat to medium low and add cream, water and cilantro. Simmer a couple minutes to reduce a bit. Sprinkle the cheese over the sauce and lay pork on top. Pop into preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes or until bubbly and the meat appear to be done. Serve 1/4 of the sauce over each portion of meat. This pairs nicely with mashed cauliflower or a nice guacamole salad alongside.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

567 calories, 45 g fat, 4.35 g carbs, 1.15 g fiber, 3.2 g NET CARBS, 36 g protein, 654 mg sodium