Turkish Pide (pronounced pee-day)

Although a traditional Turkish treat, they make something similar to this meat-filled flatbread in several Middle Eastern countries.  The seasoning used varies from country to country.  This dish is often served at Ramadan when the feasting begins.  Classically, it is made with wholewheat flatbread dough, but mine is made with my Mozzy Dough to keep it lower-carb.  I just chose spices and herbs reminiscent of our days in Teheran, as my Mom didn’t bring a recipe for this dish back to The States.   The chosen seasonings here are typical of many Middle Eastern recipes.  My husband ranted about this at lunch today! 

This recipe is not suitable for Atkins Induction as the dough has a small amount of flour product in it (Carbquik).   Although this is a main course, it can be served in smaller portions as a pizza-like snack.  It is substantial enough to require a plate, fork and knife to eat, however.

Many more delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own copy of our cookbooks  LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS.  Volumes 8-10 are almost exclusively comprised of my recipes with some new creations by famed Chef George Stella and Jennifer Eloff as well.  Order your copy (or any of our  cookbooks) from Amazon  or our direct order site: amongfriends.us/order.php.

INGREDIENTS:

½ recipe my Mozzy Dough

8 oz. lean ground beef (or lamb, for more authentic version)

2 oz. onion, finely chopped

15 cherry tomatoes (or San Marzano minis), chopped

3/4 c. parsley, chopped

¼ tsp. each: dried mint, dried fenugreek leaves, my Baharat Spice Blend

¼ tsp. each salt and coarse black pepper

DIRECTIONS:  Make the Mozzy Dough per that recipe’s instructions, reserving half the dough for another use.  It freezes well in a plastic baggie.  Roll the dough into a fat canoe shape about 12″ x 7″ on a parchment lined sheet pan.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375º.  Brown the beef (or lamb) in a skillet with the onion.  Add the parsley and all seasonings listed above.  Cook over medium-high heat for a few minutes to tenderize the onions.  Remove and spoon evenly into the “canoe” of dough, leaving a good inch of dough free of filling.  Sprinkle the chopped tomatoes on top.  Fold the uncovered dough up over the meat to create the sides of the “canoe”, pinching the pointed ends together with your fingers to help maintain the “canoe” shape.  Traditionally, they sprinkle sesame seeds on the sides of the “canoe” dough before baking but I did not, as the hubs isn’t fond of seeds on/in breads.    Pop into 375º oven for about 20-25 minutes or until begins to brown.  Remove from oven and cut into four equal portions.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:    Makes 4 servings, each contains:

316 calories, 23.5g fat, 12.17g carbs, 6.2g fiber, 5.97g NET CARBS, 24.424 g protein, 476mg sodium

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Garlic Dinner Rolls

My Mozzy Dough, somewhere between the Flathead Pizza Crust recipe on the Diet Doctor’s website and Jennifer Eloff’s Miracle Dough recipe, makes excellent Italian dinner rolls.  This dough has good elasticity, flavor and is so versatile, I’m now making up 10 batches of the dry ingredients pre-measured on paper plates. Then I fold and pour each into a sandwich bag and store the bags in a shoe box in my pantry. Very convenient…..as then all I have to do is grab a bag, melt the butter, add the beaten egg, melt the cheese and make my dough ball. So easy that way. I store the paper plates and baggies and re-use for the next batch. 🙂

Our latest three volumes of LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS cookbooks are calling you. Volume 8 and Volume 9 are almost exclusively comprised of my recipes! Included in both editions are a few tasty new creations of my dear friends George Stella and Jennifer Eloff.   Volume 10 is hot off the press with more delectable goodies. Special prices right now. Hurry and place your order today for one or more of our cookbooks at https://amongfriends.us/sale.php or at Amazon. After your book(s) arrive, and you’ve had a chance to try a recipe, do stop by and leave a review at Amazon here.

Click for inside texture

INGREDIENTS:

1½ c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1 T. cream cheese

1½ T. melted butter (slightly less than my original recipe)

1 egg, beaten

½ c. Jennifer Eloff’s Gluten-Free Bake Mix

½ c. Carbquik (or another ½ c. gluten-free mix)

1 T. oat fiber

1/4 tsp. psyllium husk powder (use 3/4 tsp. for pizza crust)

1 small clove garlic, minced

Dash oregano

1 T. dry grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Line baking sheet with parchment or silicone sheet.  Measure out all dry ingredients in small bowl, stir well and set aside.  Place mozzarella cheese shreds, minced garlic and cream cheese in glass or ceramic bowl and microwave on HI for about 1-1½ minutes to melt it.  Remove and stir quickly with a fork.  Add the egg and melted butter and stir again.  Quickly pour in the dry ingredients and stir quickly with a fork to form a single ball of dough, scraping it down off the sides of the bowl.  Knead or stir a few minutes to be sure all is uniformly mixed.  Divide into 6 equal portions and roll smooth into a ball.  Place them spaced out on parchment-lined pan.  Press slightly flat if you like, but not really necessary.  Sprinkle tops with oregano and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350º for about 18 minutes until dry to touch and lightly browned as shown.  Remove and serve hot with butter.

After kneading.

CORRECTED NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes enough for a 9″-10″ pie-crust with lovely fluted edge, 4 hand pies, 12″ pizza crust or 6 dinner rolls which have 6.26 net carbs each if made/cut into 6 portions.

ENTIRE RECIPE CONTAINS:  1140 calories, 95.8 g fat, 58.6 g carbs, 37.6 g fiber, 21 g NET CARBS, 81.2 g protein, 1542 mg sodium (divide by number of servings/pieces for the specific application you use this dough for)

 

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Chicken Spread Crunchies

 

This quick appetizer for parties made a delicious lunch today.   Had a small amount of cream cheese to use up and decided to onion it up a bit and make a spread for serving with crunchy pork rinds.  I don’t usually like dips and such on pork rinds, but THIS onion-y combo with chicken really did it for me!  The crunch came though without so much pork rind taste.  This recipe is a keeper for us.  I will definitely make this again.  For parties, just triple the recipe (using the entire can of chicken meat) to make approximately 60 taste bites for your guests.

Our latest three volumes of LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS cookbooks are calling you. Volume 8 and Volume 9 are almost exclusively comprised of my recipes! Included in both editions are a few tasty new creations of my dear friends George Stella and Jennifer Eloff.   Volume 10 is hot off the press with more delectable goodies. Special discount prices being offered right now on the set! Hurry and place your order today for one or more of our cookbooks at https://amongfriends.us/sale.php or at Amazon. After your book(s) arrive, and you’ve had a chance to try a recipe or two, we hope you’ll stop by and leave a review at Amazon here.

INGREDIENTS:

2 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ c. sour cream

1/3  can (13 oz.) chicken breast (water + salt pack only, I use Sam’s brand)

1 T. dehydrated minced onion flakes, toasted

¼ tsp. onion powder

1/8 tsp. each: turmeric, paprika, and garlic powder

½ tsp. granular Splenda or other sweetener (optional)

20 small bite-size pork rinds

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Place onion flakes on baking pan and bake about 8 minutes just long enough to lightly toast.   Remove from oven and add the flakes to a medium mixing bowl.  Drain chicken broth off the meat into a dish for another use.  I like to drizzle it on my dog’s kibble, which she just loves!  Spoon out 1/3 of the chicken meat into your mixing bowl (reserve rest for another use).   Flake meat a bit with a fork.  Add softened cream cheese and sour cream.  Add all spices and sweetener (if using).  Stir mixture well and let sit 5-10 minutes to allow onion flakes to soften a bit and flavors to blend.  Spoon about 1 tsp. of the mixture onto the cupped “bowl” side of the 20 pork rinds, placing the tasty treats on your serving platter.  Enjoy!

CAUTION:  Do not try to be efficient and fill these ahead of time or the pork rinds will get soggy! 

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 20 chicken appetizers, each contains:

26 cals, 1.98g fat, 0.50g carbs, 0.04g fiber, 0.45g NET CARBS, 1.55g protein, 41 mg sodium

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Grilled Steelhead Trout-Spinach Pizza

I know this recipe may sound a little bizarre, but trust me, it is really, really tasty!  If you like things made with tuna or salmon, you will LOVE this interesting twist on a “pizza”.  The smoke on the fish combines so heavenly with cream cheese and green onion.   I created this for our lunch today and even my picky husband, a non-fish lover, said it was good!  And it was quite simple to put together.  I had a small piece of grilled Steelhead Trout leftover from our last grilling adventure and froze this piece.  I defrosted it and got this incredible idea as I blended it into some cream cheese.  Yummy, is all I can say.  I used my Mozzy Dough dough for the crust, but you can use whatever low-carb pizza crust you prefer.  I am providing nutritional stats for the entire recipe in case you decide to make this up as bite-size party food using a mini-muffin pan.  Just divide the “entire recipe” numbers below by the number of mini-bites you make.

This recipe is suitable once you get to phase 2 Atkins and is OK for most Keto diets provided you use a plan-suitable crust.

Our latest three volumes of LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS cookbooks are calling you. Volume 8 and Volume 9 are almost exclusively comprised of my recipes! Included in both editions are a few tasty new creations of my dear friends George Stella and Jennifer Eloff.   Volume 10 is hot off the press with more delectable goodies. Special prices offered right now! Hurry and place your order today for one or more of our cookbooks at https://amongfriends.us/sale.php or at Amazon. After your book(s) arrive, and you’ve had a chance to try a recipe, do stop by and leave a review at Amazon here.

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe my Mozzy Dough

4-5 oz. grilled Steelhead Trout, salmon or other fish

25 small spinach leaves, stemmed

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

½ c. green onion, chopped

2/3 c. mozzarella shreds

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º. Line a pizza pan with parchment paper and set aside. Make the crust by that recipe’s instructions.  Press the dough out evenly in your pan to a 14″ diameter circle.  Pop into 350º oven for 8-9 minutes or until just beginning to brown a tiny bit.  Remove and cool 5 minutes.  Slide parchment out from under the crust so it will crisp up on the bottom for the next phase of cooking.

While crust is baking, soften the cream cheese in a bowl in your microwave set to defrost.  Remove, add green onion and trout flakes (discard skin).  Blend well with a fork.  With a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon, spread half the fish mixture evenly onto the crust to within 1/4″ of the edge.  Place the spinach leaves in a single layer evenly on top.  Carefully spread the remaining fish-cream-cheese mixture on top.  Sprinkle the mozzarella shreds on top and pop into 350º for about 10 minutes or until the edges are nicely browned and the cheese is melted.   Remove from oven and slice into 8 slices.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Entire recipe contains 2215 cals, 177.7g fat, 77g carbs, 44.7g fiber, 32.30g NET CARBS, 151.4g protein, 2812 mg sodium 

For 8 slices, each contains:  277 cals, 22g fat, 9.62g carbs, 5.58g fiber, 4.04g NET CARBS, 19g protein, 352 mg sodium

For 6 slices, each contains:  369 cals, 30g fat, 12.83g carbs, 7.45g fiber, 5.38g NET CARBS, 25g protein, 469 mg sodium

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Ranch® Buttermilk Salad Dressing (or dip)

Ranch Buttermilk Dressing

Ranch Dip for Veggie Trays

I finally came up with a low-carb version of Ranch® Dressing for my husband, who just loves it on salads.  I think my version tastes better than what is sold in the bottle (which I actually don’t like).  No unhealthy ingredients in mine, either.

I’m not too fond of dill, so I tend to reduce it in most recipes.  But my husband LOVES dill and likes more in recipes, thus the range of dill shown in the Ranch® Powder recipe linked below.  I basically used equal amounts of the herbs I selected except the dill and thyme.  A tablespoon of thyme would have been waaaaay too much!   This dressing is super yummy!  Try it and see if you don’t agree it’s even better than the famous bottled stuff!  As you well know, this also makes an excellent dip for raw vegetable party trays.  All you have to do for the dip is increase the sour cream to make it thicker.  You’ll have to recalculate carbs to add in the extra sour cream.  This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and Keto diets.

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 for several years now to bring you a wealth of delicious recipes you are going to want to try.  Many of my recipes are also in these cookbooks! Order your 10-volume set TODAY! There is special pricing on for a limited time!  You can always purchase volumes individually, too, from Amazon or for the best deals, order here: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. homemade mayonnaise

3/4 c. sour cream (add ¼ c. more if using as a veggie dip)

¼ c. buttermilk (only 2 T. if using as a veggie dip)

1 T. my Ranch Dressing Powder Blend

2 tsp. red wine vinegar

1/8 tsp. salt

OPTIONAL:  1/8 tsp. glucomannan powder if you like a thicker dressing

DIRECTIONS:  Measure the first 3 ingredients into a medium bowl.  Whisk well to blend to a smooth mixture.  Add my Ranch Dressing Powder Blend, vinegar and salt and whisk a couple minutes until the herb mixture is thoroughly blended in.  If using the glucomannan thickener, whisk it in last.  Transfer to a saved empty plastic dressing bottle (I always keep and wash them for homemade dressings) if you have one, or a lidded jar.  Close tightly and chill.  Serve on crisp green salads or as a dip for raw veggies.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes two cups or eight ¼ c. servings, each contains:

251 calories, 26.8 g  fat, 1.81 g carbs, 0.1 g  fiber, 1.71 g  NET CARBS, 1.72 g  protein, 66 mg sodium

 

 

 

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Indonesian Pork Bites

I wanted meatballs for dinner tonight but not “the usual”.  So I opened up my spice cabinet by the stove and just started throwing Asian/Indonesian ingredients into the bowl.  It never ceases to amaze me that sometimes those “no-recipe” creations end up coming out soooooo tasty!   These have a very delicate flavor, despite the fact that the ingredients have pretty strong flavors.  I recommend serving with steamed cauliflower and green beans.

Made even smaller and served with toothpicks, these would be great party food or a first course when entertaining.  Substituting an phase-suitable cracker, those on Induction could also enjoy these little pork delights.  These fit a Keto lifestyle nicely, too.  Paleo-Primal followers will want to use another nut butter in lieu of the peanut butter.  🙂

DIPPING SAUCE:  Sauce I used to go with these tasty morsels is in this recipe.

MEAT INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. lean ground pork

1 beaten egg

1 oz. onion, finely minced

2-3 T. chopped cilantro

¼ tsp. Thai green curry powder

1/16 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

4 low-carb crackers of your choice (I used Almond-Arrowroot Crackers ), crushed

DIPPING SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

1 tsp. coconut aminos (or low-sodium soy sauce or tamari)

1 small clove garlic, minced

2 tsp. fish sauce (I use Thai Kitchen brand)

2 T. all natural peanut butter or other nut butter of your choice

1 T. olive oil (for frying)

DIRECTIONS:   Mix all ingredients together using a fork or your hands in a medium mixing bowl.  Heat the oil in a  non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Form into 13 “rough” meatball shapes, drop onto hot greased skillet, and with the back of a spatula, press them slightly to  flatten to about ½” thick.  Fry until golden brown on both sides.   This will take about 5 minutes per side.  Serve at once with your favorite Asian stir-fried vegetable dish.  ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 13 pork bites, each contains:

133 calories, 11 g  fat, 1.2 g  carbs, .4 g  fiber, .8 g  NET CARBS, 7.45 g  protein, 133 mg sodium

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.  Famous low-carb Chef George Stella and several other talented cooks bring you a wealth of delicious recipes to try.  If you’ve been debating on whether to buy, now would be a GREAT time to jump right in, as special pricing is going on right now with books as low as $9.77 per volume!!  Proceeds will go far to help defray all the medical bills our Team Captain, Jen has incurred since her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.  Order you cookbooks today at Amazon or our direct order site.

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Skillet Pizza

Skillet Pizza (for 1)

I’m currently revisiting Atkins Induction for a “reset” and remembered this delicious recipe that literally got me through Atkins Induction 10 years ago.  I’ve tried so many of the popular low-carb pizza crust recipes and just don’t like but a few that I have developed or tried in the interim.  A lot of sodium in pizza toppings.  Even this amount of sausage and cheese packs a whopping amount of sodium, as seen in the nutritional stats below!  But hey, when you’re still on Induction and craving pizza, this’ll do occasionally.  Best of all, it can be ready in 10-15 minutes!  Moreover, I don’t end up with “sausage fingers” and swollen ankles the next day from water retention due to the sodium in most low-carb crust recipes.  I’m so sodium sensitive, I leave off pepperoni from my pizzas as a rule.  Just increase ingredients accordingly if you need more servings.

Now this “pizza” isn’t one you can pick up and eat with your hands.  Even as it cools a bit and the cheese firms up, you’ll still have to eat with a fork.  So I don’t do this recipe for company.  🙂  But I find not being able to pick it up and eat by hand doesn’t bother me one bit.  This tastes just like the best sausage, mushroom, bell pepper pizza I ever had in any Italian restaurant or pizza parlor!  You may prefer to use all sausage or all beef, your call, but nutritional info is for the recipe as written.  If watching your sodium intake on doctor’s orders, using all ground beef and also lowering the cheese to 2 oz. would be wise choices.

More delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends’ best-selling cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS.  She has collaborated with famous low-carb Chef George Stella and several other talented chefs to bring you a wealth of delicious recipes you are going to want to try.  Order your set TODAY! Special pricing going on right now, too!  Books are always available individually or as a set from Amazon or: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

INGREDIENTS:

Ready to dig in!

2 oz. pork sausage (breakfast or Italian)

1 oz. ground beef (or more pork sausage)

¼ tsp. fennel seed

Dash oregano

Sprinkle of garlic and onion powder

1/3 can drained, canned mushrooms (or 2 fresh, sliced)

2 oz. bell pepper

3 T. low carb spaghetti sauce (I use Bello Vita)

2 oz. grated mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS: Brown meat in no-stick skillet on medium heat.  Add veggies and continue to cook until pretty tender, about 5 minutes.  Add spices and stir.  Using spoon or spatula, neatly push ingredients away from the edges of the skillet as shown in picture.  Dot the surface with the tomato sauce but no need to stir.  Top with the cheese, trying to keep it pretty much on the ingredients.  Cover and lower heat to lowest setting and heat long enough to melt cheese.   Should be ready in just a few minutes.  Allow to cool a couple minutes so cheese will firm up a tad before attempting to “slice” into two slices.  Using a broad spatula, slide a portion out of the skillet onto the serving plate (or toasted French bread, for non-Atkins eaters). Enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Serves 1 and contains:

531 cals, 39.3g fat, 11.2g carbs, 2.9g fiber, 8.1g NET CARBS, 34 g  protein, 1312 mg sodium

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