Category XTRA STUFF

Blackberry-Coconut Smoothie

Peggy Leave a comment

Click to enlarge

I love a good smoothie, especially when blackberries are in season.   This is a wonderfully refreshing afternoon treat or even a dessert!  It is not suitable until the nuts and seeds rung of the Atkins OWL carb re-introduction ladder.  It is perfectly OK for Paleo-Primal folks. The sweetener I used has no carbs, so if you use one with a bulking agent, you will need to add in those carbs to the numbers below.   Of course, you can always add protein powder to this if you wish, but be sure to add in those carbs to the stats below.

INGREDIENTS:

6 T. coconut cream (this is NOT cream of coconut bartenders use, which has added sugar & carbs)

3/4 c. blackberries

½ c. water

about 3/4 c. ice cubes

Your preferred sweetener (I use liquid Splenda to taste)

VARIATION:  Substitute blueberries, strawberries, or 1/2 banana  (recalculate stats if using banana)

DIRECTIONS: Put everything in the blender and let ‘er rip until all is smooth and ice is no longer in chunks.  The coconut cream will thicken it adequately.  Pour into a glass and ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 1 smoothie which contains:

193 cals, 24.5 g fat, 13.4 g carbs, 6.7 g fiber,  6.7 g NET CARBS, 1.5 g protein, 16 mg sodium

Montreal BBQ Sauce and Marinade

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We’re grilling pork country ribs tonight.  This wonderful BBQ sauce is particularly good for pork:  chops, roasts (for pulled pork) spare ribs or thick country ribs.  You simply must try this one some time!  It has become a family regular!    You can also use this as a marinade for chicken, shrimp and fish filets.  Marinate meat or seafood of choice in the refrigerator in a plastic bag and then grill as usual.  Be sure to reserve some (cook off a few minutes) for use at the table for those that like more sauce.  This sauce is Atkins Induction friendly, too!

We find when we go out for ribs, the rub on the meat, although very tasty, is always so salty.  That just spoils my enjoyment of dinner, plus I gain weight just from the sodium load.  Tonight we’re having green beans and a delicious mushroom tomato salad  and some garlic bread made from some low-carb rolls I have in the refrigerator I baked earlier this week.   The above photo shows these ribs being served with loaded potatoes made from cauliflower, green onion, cream cheese, bacon and a little bacon.  Yummers. 

VARIATION:  Add 2 T. your favorite low-carb BBQ sauce.  Sweetens it up a bit.   

INGREDIENTS: 

2 tsp. “Montreal Steak” seasoning (recipe below)

1 stick butter, UNSALTED since the above spice has salt (but luckily no sugar!) (4 oz.)

1-2 tsp. red wine vinegar (more if you like your BBQ real tangy!)

1/8 – ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:  Melt butter, add Montreal Steak spice, vinegar and cayenne.   Simmer on lowest heat possible for 1 minute to blend flavors.  Remove and use as marinade & grilling sauce.  Place meat and sauce (reserve a bit of sauce for table use) into a large zip bag with sauce.  Zip and manipulate to coat all pieces/ribs well.  Marinate for 1-2 hours in refrigerator.

My Homemade Montreal Steak Seasoning: 

  • 2 tablespoons black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tablespoon granulated onion
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, coarsely ground
  • 1 tablespoon dill seeds

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes about 8 tablespoons spice mix.  I use about 2-3 tsp. in the sauce above for doing a whole chicken, a full rack of ribs or 7-8 fish filets.  Each tablespoon of this sauce contains:

103 cals, 11.5g fat, 0.26g carbs, 0.1g fiber, 0.16g NET CARBS, 0.12g protein, 48 mg sodium

Braised Chicken in Cilantro-Almond Sauce

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If you like cilantro you’ll love this sauce!  It is so easy to prepare and is extremely good on chicken, pork or baked/broiled fish.  Any leftover sauce in the pan also freezes well!  When reheating, warm over lowest heat just long enough to get hot so as to not overcook the cilantro or curdle the cream.  this is not acceptable for Atkins Induction Phase due to almonds, but OK after you leave Induction Phase.  If you have to avoid nuts due to an allergy, just omit them.  It is still a darn good sauce!

INGREDIENTS:

2 c. chicken broth, preferably homemade

4 oz. onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & finely chopped

2 chopped seeded fresh tomatillos (or 3.5 oz. [½ can] Herdez Salsa Verde)

¼ c. almonds, finely ground

2 T. butter

1 whole bunch cilantro, chopped fine (use ½ c. parsley if you don’t like cilantro)

1/2 c. heavy cream

Dash salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:  If making this sauce for chicken, sear the meat well on both sides in the butter until golden brown.  If it is for fish, bake/broil your fish until completely done and set aside until sauce is completely done.  Place first 7 ingredients (except for the butter you’ve already used searing the chicken) into a blender or food processor and pulse until fairly finely chopped.  Now carefully transfer the cilantro mixture back into the skillet around the chicken.  Simmer sauce with chicken for about 45 minutes or until chicken is completely done.  Lower heat and add cilantro and cream.  Stir for only 2-3 minutes to slightly thicken.  Serve with about 1/3 c. sauce over each serving of chicken.  This sauce will NOT be very thick.  If using on fish, spoon the sauce over your baked/broiled fish right before serving.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes about 3 c. sauce for 9 servings, each containing:

96.78 cals, 8.63g fat, 2.79g carbs, 0.67g fiber, 2.12g NET CARBS, 2.1g protein, 17 mg. sodium

Chicken Tenders with Bang Bang Sauce

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My husband asked me for some chicken tenders for lunch today.  I have developed a great Southern Fried Chicken coating recipe and just took that to a new level, serving as tenders with a dipping sauce with a “bite”.  This particular coating has been my best to date and it didn’t fail me on the tenders when I created this dish.  I’m so pleased with how these consistently come out.  It’s my first time to try a real spicy sauce with our tenders (usually do a cream gravy) and we love the tastes together! The hubs said please make those again today, for lunch!     So rather than doing the chicken from scratch, I’m using up some frozen tenders he brought home last month.

As I can’t know how you cut up your chicken strips, it’s not possible to really provide nutritional stats per serving.  Instead, I am providing nutritional info for 1/10 of the coating, as I make 10 nice-sized strips of chicken breasts (off 2 large breasts I de-bone).  The coating recipe makes about 1½c. coating.  There is enough egg/cream mix to do probably 12-15 tenders actually so this recipe will coat more tenders if you have a big family.  No need to double the coating recipe for around 15 tenders.  Therefore, the carb numbers per serving are actually even lower than shown below.  Woo! Hoo!  You’re going to love these tasty morsels!

INGREDIENTS FOR BREADING (if making chicken tenders from scratch):

3/4 c. plain whey protein

1 c. crushed pork rinds (about 2 oz.)

1 T. oat fiber (omit if on Induction or for gluten-free version)

1 tsp. my Seafood Spice blend (or seasonings of your choice)

½ tsp. onion powder

½ c. Parmesan cheese

1/8 tsp. coarse black pepper

2 large eggs

¼ c. heavy cream

¼ c. water (or more heavy cream if you prefer)

½-3/4″ deep hot oil (I use coconut oil) in a large 13-14″ skillet

OPTIONAL BANG BANG SAUCE: ½ c. homemade (or regular) mayonnaise, 1 T. Sambal Oelek chili paste, 2 tsp. Sriracha, dash each salt and black pepper.  Stir all in a small bowl.  Sauce adds approximately 0.35 net carbs for each serving (1 serving = 1 T.).

DIRECTIONS: Preheat holding oven to 350º.  Measure out and mix all dry ingredients in a paper or plastic bag by shaking well.  In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream and water together.  Cut chicken breast meat into long strips about 4″ x 1″.  Dip each one into the egg mixture and turn several times to well coat each piece.  Pick each piece of meat out of the bowl and drop into the seasoned “flour” in the bag.  This makes coating easier and less messy.  When you have 3 pieces in the bag, holding the top of the bag closed, shake the bag to coat the chicken with the dry mix.  Don’t put more than 3 pieces into the bag at a time or they will not coat well.

Heat 3/4″ deep oil over high heat.  Remove the coated chicken strips carefully from the bag and place the pieces closely together in the skillet of hot grease.  If you’re creative, you can get about 8 strips in a 13″ skillet.  Repeat the coating process with the remaining pieces of chicken.  Brown the chicken well on one side disturbing as little as possible as they cook.  With a fork, flip pieces over gently to brown the second side.   When brown on both sides they should be done (about 15 minutes total) remove to paper toweling to drain and if still frying more pieces, place the platter of first-cooked tenders in your preheated oven until all meat has been fried.  When you have finished cooking all pieces of chicken, serve at once with the Bang Bang dipping sauce.

VARIATION:  Serve with a good homemade cream gravy rather than the Bang Bang Sauce. 

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes enough coating for more than 10-15 tenders of chicken.  Numbers are for the coating only. Be sure to add in the info for the chicken piece(s) you eat and whatever dipping sauce you use!  1/10 batch of the entire coating recipe contains:

113.4 cals, 7.26g fat, 1.72g carbs, 0.53g fiber, 1.19g NET CARBS (less if not all coating and egg wash used), 12.8g protein, 209 mg sodium (sauce adds little to these numbers (mostly fat grams) and is nearly impossible to provide a per serving figure for as that would be person dependent in how liberally they used the sauce.

Homemade Hoisin Sauce (low-carb)

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I made some Moo Shu Pork for dinner recently and as I grabbed my homemade hoisin sauce from the refrigerator, I thought I need to post this recipe again for those readers that may have missed it. 

My first exposure to Moo Shu Pork was at a restaurant in Houston called Shanghai East.  On one occasion, the actress Debra Paget was dining across the room from us.  She is/was married to an Asian oil businessman, my husband said.   I will always see her as the beautiful Indian princess Sunsiree, who marries Jimmy Stewart in “Broken Arrow”.  The restaurant was fairly empty as it was mid-afternoon, so we walked over, introduced ourselves and chatted a moment about her career.   Such a pretty woman, even then, in her late 50’s or early 60’s maybe?  I remember this occasion every time I eat Moo Shu Pork.  Photo of this 60’s star below.  🙂

We love, love, love Moo Shu Pork.  But to really enjoy it, you just have to have Hoisin Sauce to add and that, purchased at an Asian market, just isn’t a low-carb item.  Several of my readers have been asking me for years to create this sauce in a low-carb version, but I kept hesitating to take that on, as I didn’t actually know where to begin & was reluctant to even start.   One day when we wanted to make some Moo Shu Pork, I said ‘Here goes!” that morning.  Better late than never, as the end result it isn’t that bad.  🙂

Commercial Hoisin sauce either has brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup or a considerable amount of molasses in the ingredient listing.  I tried several recipes for this sauce I gathered around the net over the past 9 years and the only two trialed to date were just not so good to me.   :{  So I set about creating my own finally.   By the way, this sauce is the very same plum sauce used in serving famed Peking Duck, and it also compliments my Asian Honey Duck recipe. 

And so my experiment began that morning.  I had an open bag of no-sugar-added prunes in my pantry, so I began there.  I started with 10 dried prunes as a base.  Then I added a few store-bought ingredients mention on commercial labels of the sauce, cutting carb “corners” wherever I could  and literally guessing the amounts for all my ingredients to arrive at the desired taste.

Well, I’m here to tell you my final sauce, after aging, came out pretty darn good!  Not exactly like the high-carb stuff in the jar at the Asian grocery store when finished, but it ages and gets closer to that flavor over time in the fridge.  We ate it that first night, and were initially a little disappointed in its mild flavor.  The anise (licorice flavor) in the Chinese 5-Spice Powder was pretty pronounced but the bean paste, not so much.   Those flavors however did mellow and develop in just 24 hours, getting considerably richer/deeper flavored in a week.

All in all, not bad for my first shot at a low-carb version of this essential Chinese condiment. Most commercial hoisin sauce has around 8 carbs per tablespoon, so this number is trimmed down considerably with my recipe.  Using liquid Splenda lowers carbs a tad, but not very much.  A couple weeks later, the sauce had aged quite nicely in flavor, so the key appears to be letting it age before using.

I’ll post the Moo Shu Pork recipe later today.  I have been cooking many years with with Gloria Bley-Miller’s marvelous cookbook The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook  as my “Bible” for Chinese cooking.  I highly recommend her cookbook.  I can cook Moo Shu pork blindfolded but must be sure to have dried tiger lily buds and dried cloud ear fungus on hand to prepare it.

This sauce is suitable once you get to Phase 2 of Atkins, since it is used in such small amounts on the “pancake” (low-carb flour tortilla) that you will use to roll up the Moo Shu Pork.  This sauce is totally unsuitable for Primal or Paleo due to the soy beans, as all legumes are eschewed in those food plans.  Sauce should keep a long time in a jar in the refrigerator.  Mine is now 3 months old and it smells/tastes just fine.

INGREDIENTS:

10 large dried prunes (4 oz.), no sugar added (I use DelMonte)

½ c. water

1 T. rice wine vinegar

3 T. low-sodium soy sauce (use dark soy sauce if available)

¼ tsp. Chinese 5-Spice powder

1 tsp. molasses

3 T. Splenda or few drops of liquid sweetener of choice

2 T. Eden soy black beans, rinsed & mashed smooth

DIRECTIONS:  Place prunes in small saucepan with about ½ c. tap water.  Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer until they are soft, or about 5 minutes.  Mash well into the water with a fork until pretty smooth.  You can puree in a blender or food processor if you like, but is difficult to do with such a small amount.  Remove from heat.

Mash the beans on a paper plate to as smooth a paste as possible and stir into the prune mixture.  Add vinegar, soy sauce and 5-Spice powder to the pot and stir well.  Spoon into a lidded jar and store if in your refrigerator for  a week.  I do not know how long this keeps yet, and it sure has no preservatives in it.  But since it’s just made from basically dried fruit, vinegar and sugar ( preservatives naturally) with some soy sauce (fermented), I suspect a pretty long time.  Just don’t know yet.  The soy beans will be what spoils first in this combo.  I’ll try to remember to post back my findings on that when mine no longer seems to smell/look right to me and I toss it out.  🙂  UPDATE:  Seems to last indefinitely in the refrigerator.  That that I made ages ago is still good months later.  No ill effects from eating it ever.  

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes about 1 cup (16 Tbsp.).  Each tablespoon contains:

17.2 cals, 0.1g fat, 3.65g carbs, 0.51g fiber, 3.14g Net CARBS (2.8 NC with liquid Splenda), 0.45g protein, 101 mg sodium

Dad’s Peppered Beef Marinade

Peggy 10 Comments

This recipe was my Dad’s pride and joy.  In 80 years of cooking he never found a marinade he liked better.  I often make this truly out-of-the-ordinary roast for company and holidays, but we do it on smaller cuts of beef year-round!  It’s DELICIOUS!  You grilling fanatics MUST try this recipe sometime!  This is truly my all-time favorite beef marinade as well and has been since I was in high school over 40 years ago.  We invariably have this recipe for Christmas dinner, because we are usually turkey’ed out by then.  This recipe makes enough marinade for an 8 lb. boneless rib roast, which will (after shrinkage) serve 10 nice servings, with some leftover for the most delicious cold roast beef sandwiches you ever had.  I do not recommend reheating this meat, as the meat and marinade loose some of their impact on reheating.   But it makes the best cold roast beef sandwiches you ever ate!  🙂

Once I realized this marinade could just as easily be used on smaller cuts of beef, we enjoy it much more often now.  I have used it for rib roast (shown top above), lean boneless chuck roasts, sirloin of varying sizes (shown above) and individual ribeye steaks.  It’s also good on wild game you want to do on the grill.  It’s a truly unique flavor when cooked over charcoal (not so good oven-cooked though).  It is Atkins friendly (just not Induction friendly, because of the wine).  Leaving out the wine just isn’t an option for this recipe, so wait until the Atkins OWL (Ongoing Weight Loss) phase to enjoy this wonderful dish.  I guarantee, this is so good you’ll be fighting over who gets the two end slices, just like at my house.  🙂  

MARINADE INGREDIENTS: (remember, it is not all consumed)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. paprika

1/8 c. low-sodium soy sauce (1/4 c. if you can tolerate the sodium, I don’t though)

¼-½ c. dry red wine (burgundy or claret work nicely but any dry red will do)

1 T. tomato paste

1½ T. coarse ground black pepper (or enough to entirely coat your meat thickly)

DIRECTIONS:  Pound the coarse ground black pepper over all surfaces of an 8 rib roast (or sirloin, or chuck roast) using the butt of your palm or the smooth side of a meat cleaver. Use less pepper if doing a smaller piece of meat. Place meat in glass dish. I drizzle marinate every half hour (as often as you can remember to stop and do it) most of a day (minimum 6 hours). Most efficient way to marinate without disturbing pepper coating is to use a basting brush. Do not touch the meat with your brush, or you’ll wipe all the pepper off! Hold it over the meat and let it drip off the brush. When surface is soaked, put in refrigerator to marinate between “bastings”.  I baste hourly until cooking time.

COOKING:

This recipe really is not good cooked inside in your oven. Not sure why, but it just isn’t.  It seems it is the marriage of the marinade with charcoal smoke that makes this recipe taste divine.  You need to grill the 8 lb. rib roast for about 2 hours over medium coals (using a rotary spit if you own one).  If you don’t have one, like me, just turn the meat every half hour to sear all surfaces nicely. Best if not cooked past medium to medium rare stage.  I take mine off when my meat thermometer reads 120º degrees and set it on my cutting board for another 10 minutes to “rest”.  A piece of meat this large will continue to climb to around 130º while resting. That’s usually a nice pink medium-rare inside.

If doing sirloin or chuck roast (around 3-4 lb.) grill about 20 minutes on a side for medium-rare. This marinade really does a nice job of tenderizing a chuck or sirloin roast.  Cook rib steaks just like you usually would to your desired doneness.

This recipe always gets the WOWS when I serve it.  Hope you folks will try it! I think you’ll find you won’t be sorry you did! The outside slices are so good we always fight over them at home.  🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

The marinade is discarded when you cook the meat.  No further basting should be done while cooking as there is now raw meat juice in the marinade.   Calculating how much marinade is consumed is difficult.  It would also be impossible for me to know how many servings you are able to get out of your roast.  So I’m providing the totals for the entire batch of marinade and you will have to see how much it makes and how much is left in the pan before discarding to determine roughly how much is staying on the meat and thus consumed by how many people you are serving.   Most of the sauce goes down the drain, to be perfectly honest, so you’re getting mostly sodium from the soy sauce and a few carbs from the wine and tomato paste that cling to the surface of the meat (a little more if you get the end slices).  The figures below DO NOT INCLUDE THE MEAT.

The entire batch of marinade has:

131 cals, 0.7 g. fat, 18 g. carbs, 4.6 g. fiber, 15.4 NET CARBS (entire batch), 5.5 g. protein, 1070 mg. sodium

Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp

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Seafood with a Hawaiian twist.  We just love these.  These air-fried Parmesan-coconut shrimp are so good you need to try them.  If you don’t have an Air Fryer, just bake them off on a sheet pan at 350º until they are browned on both sides.  No strong with coconut flavor, but that suits us both fine.

I would have never bought myself an air fryer, but my husband went and did so for my Christmas present, so I’m trying to learn how to cook different things in it.  I’ve since had to purchase a new wall oven and it has an air fryer feature built in.  I use my Power XL basket fryer for small amounts of food; the Frigidaire oven ‘air fryer’ mode for larger amounts of food.

I’ve seen so many recipes for coconut shrimp on the internet, but the coatings can be pretty high carb.  I have trimmed down the carbs and reached a total count of 1.8 net carbs per 6-shrimp serving!  I did this by looking to my popular Oven-Fried Fish coating and then modified it even further.    The end result is a dish we have had several times now.  My husband really loves these shrimp and he’s not particularly fond of coconut!  The Parmesan helps tone down the coconut taste a bit for us.  This meal is suitable once you get to Phase 2 of Atkins ‘nuts and seeds’ level.

INGREDIENTS FOR SHRIMP:

26 medium-large raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1 low-carb slice of bread or roll (I used a Smart Bun )

½ c. pork rind crumbs (about 1 c. whole pieces)

¼ c. grated dry Parmesan

1 oz. desicated unsweetened coconut

1/3 c. Carbquik or other low-carb bake mix

3 egg whites

¼ tsp. my homemade Seafood Spice Blend

¼ tsp. sea salt

INGREDIENTS FOR OPTIONAL BANG BANG DIPPING SAUCE: 

½ c. homemade mayo (or from jar if you prefer)

1 T. Sambal Oelek Asian chili saucebang-bang-sauce

2 tsp. Sriracha sauce

Dash each salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:   Mix up the sauce ingredients well in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve shrimp.   Drain off any water in the bag of shrimp.

In a food processor, crumb the pork rinds until fine, removing any large, hard chunks.  Add the low-carb bread/roll, Parmesan cheese, coconut, spice blend and salt.  Pulse until smooth mixture.  Pour into a medium bowl.  Break the egg whites into another small bowl.  Place the Carbquik in yet a third small bowl.  Line the bowls up beside a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat:   flour first, egg whites second and crumb mixture last.  Dip the shrimp first into the flour with your left DRY HAND, then drop into the egg whites.  With your right WET HAND, turn each shrimp in the egg white to coat both sides.  With the wet hand, drop the shrimp lastly into the crumb mixture without touching the crumb mixture with your WET HAND.  With your left DRY HAND, toss the crumbs up over the shrimp to also coat on the tops (will be coated on the bottom from having been dropped into the crumbs).  With your left DRY HAND, pick up and place gently on the parchment lined pan.  Repeat until all shrimp have been cooked.   If your hands get gooey/messy, just wash and dry them off mid process.

Preheat you air fryer for 3 minutes.  Also preheat your regular oven at the lowest setting or around 200º-250º.  I can do 12-13 large shrimp in my 7-qt. Power XL fryer at a time, so that means 2 batches.   Do not crowd the shrimp even if you have to cook three batches if using a smaller fryer than mine.

Fry first batch of shrimp at 370º for 4 minutes.  Gently turn shrimp over and fry 4 more minutes.    When I placed the remaining shrimp on the fryer tray and turned it on for 8 more minutes (turning at 4 minute mark), I then placed the pan with the first batch into my regular oven to keep it warm until the second batch was done.   If needed, fry your third batch similarly.  When all are done, plate and serve with the Bang Bang Sauce or other sauce of your choosing.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes four 6-shrimp servings, each contains (not including sauce):  176 cals, 10g fat, 11g carbs, 8g fiber, 3g NET CARBS, 19.37g protein, 509 mg sodium

1/4 batch sauce adds:  200 calories, 22g fat, 1.05g carbs, .02g fiber, 4.5g protein and 175 mg sodium

Moroccan Spice Blend

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If we move down and westerly along the Mediterranean coast of Africa on our travels, we eventually reach Morocco.  A country I’ve never been to, but think I would like to go there one day.  I have always loved their detailed wood art, wooden furniture, metal art and tile crafts.   Their cuisine is an interesting mixture of Arab, French, Spanish, Berber and a heavy influence of Middle Eastern cuisine.  Much of it is prepared in a tagine, a medium-sized clay pot.  I personally have never used one.  Photos of some lovely tagines below.    

I’ve only tried to create a few Moroccan dishes based on my limited reading of a very few recipes.  This spice mixture is very similar to Baharat spice in other Arab countries with the addition of paprika and a bit of spunk with the crushed red pepper (the Spanish and Berber influences).  I think you’ll like this one.  Delicious  with everything I’ve tested it on so far.   It’s great with grilled meats, or in water-braised dishes and stews.  It really lends itself to dried fruit added to your meat dishes as well.  I tried it one time on a grilled fish and it was most excellent used that way.  As most spice mixtures, it is Atkins Induction Phase friendly.

INGREDIENTS:

4 T. Smoked Spanish paprika

4    3″ sticks cinnamon, broken up, (about 3 T. if using ground cinnamon)

¼-½ tsp. cayenne, depending on taste

3 T. coriander seed

1 rounded tsp. whole cloves (about ½ tsp. ground cloves)

1 tsp. cardamom seeds, removed from their outer pod/husk

1 T. coarse black pepper

3 T. cumin seed (whole)

½ tsp. turmeric

DIRECTIONS:  Measure all whole seeds/spices into a dry, non-stick skillet.   Turn heat to high and roast spices a couple minutes until they become very fragrant.  Turn off heat and cool.  Run through a spice grinder or coffee grinder dedicated to spice grinding.  When you use your coffee grinder,, those tastes will linger for months and months, producing some really funny tasting coffee………so don’t do that.  🙂  Grind the mixture pretty fine.  Add any UNGROUND spices you are having to use instead of whole (whole is best though), mix well and spoon the blend into a lidded jar.  Store in a dark cabinet as is proper for all spice storage.  

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes about 1 cup or 16 Tablespoons.  One tablespoon is about how much you would use for a 4-serving braised entrée or to grill fish or meat for four people.  One tablespoon contains:  

18.4 cals, 0.75g fat, 3.78g carbs, 2.28g fiber, 1.5g NET CARBS, 0.71 g  protein, trace sodium

Za’atar Herb Blend

Peggy 4 Comments

This lovely-tasting herb blend is common throughout the Middle East, most often mixed with quality olive oil to dip bread into.  I like a bit of it in the oil I encircle my hummus with.  It is also sprinkled on roasted or grilled chicken, grilled fish, or grilled lamb.  I have even used it myself over roasted root vegetables like carrots and parsnips!  We love the earthy herb flavor profile. 

It is all herbs and spices, with some toasted sesame seeds, so it does have carbs, but not many, plus herbs are so good for you.  I put no salt in mine, but you can add a bit if you like.  This recipe is suitable once you reach the nuts and seeds rung of the Atkins carb re-introduction ladder.  Keto, Primal and Paleo followers can also enjoy this flavorful condiment.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tsp. dried marjoram

2 T. dried oregano leaves

3 T. sumac

1 T. toasted sesame seeds

2 T. dried thyme leaves

½ tsp. Aleppo pepper (optional)

2 tsp. onion powder

Optional:  ¼ tsp. sea salt

DIRECTIONS:  Toast sesame seeds over medium-high heat in a non-stick skillet or in your oven.  Watch them closely to not over brown.  Remove and pour them onto a paper plate or into a jar (that has a lid).  Add all remaining ingredients and stir/shake well.  Store in a lidded jar in your spice rack.  Will keep as long as the sesame seeds keep, or about a month or so.  Add ¼ c. extra virgin olive oil for a pita bread dip or to use on hummus.  If using on grilled/roasted meats, coat meat surface with olive oil and sprinkle on 1 T. of the spice mixture and cook meat as usual until properly done.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes about ½ cup, or 8 tablespoons.  1 T. contains (spice only, oil not included):

26 cals, 1.51g fat, 3.07g carbs, 1.68g fiber, 1.39g NET CARBS, 0.98g protein, 350 mg sodium (salt can be omitted and added at table).

Eggplant Sauce for “Pasta”

Peggy Leave a comment

My second most favorite pasta sauce is eggplant sauce.  This is a recipe my family has been using forever and is it ever good!   It freezes well and is even tastier when reheated.  It’s very versatile for making other casseroles and meat dishes as well.  Although I created this when I was still eating Dreamfield’s pasta occasionally (before the lawsuit over false carbohydrate claims on their products) and show it above on Dreamfields pasta, I now use Al Dente ‘Carba Nada’ pasta whenever I don’t want to use spaghetti squash threads, zoodles or steamed cauliflower for serving.   

I always make a double or triple batch and keep it in small containers in my freezer for handy use.  I don’t like to be without a good spaghetti sauce!    It’s so nice to be able to pop one out, zap in the microwave a few minutes and have a great dinner fast, only having to cook the “pasta”!  You can add ground meat to this recipe, but to be quite honest, it’s quite tasty with just the eggplant!  I encourage you to try it without the meat at least one time to see for yourself.  

VARIATION:  Add some browned ground beef or Italian Sausage to make this a meat sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

1 clove minced garlic

3 oz. onion, chopped very fine

4 T. olive oil

1 ½ c. eggplant diced into ½” cubes

2-3 T. chopped parsley

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

Dash cayenne pepper

¼-½ tsp. fennel seed

1 tsp. dried basil (or 2 T. fresh, chopped)

20 oz. crushed canned tomatoes

DIRECTIONS:   Sauté onion in olive oil in large pot (high heat) until partially tender.  Add eggplant cubes and minced garlic and continue sautéing until eggplant is half cooked.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer 15-30 minutes, but not until eggplant dissolves completely in the sauce (as it will if overcooked).  Excellent over spaghetti squash threads or zucchini noodles or in your favorite Italian low-carb recipes that call for sauce.  Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan if desired.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 5 servings of about 1 c.,  each contains:  (numbers are for the sauce only without added meat)

145 cals, 11.22 g fat, 11.44 g carbs, 3.32 g fiber, 8.12 g NET CARBS, 2.36 g  protein, 385 mg sodium

Spaghetti Sauce Bolognese

Peggy Leave a comment

This week I’m going to take you to Italy!  Italian foods are on the menu, so get set for some fun!   Some of the recipes I’ll showcase are authentic Italian fare; some are my own creations.  But I promise they are all delicious!  One can’t think of Italian food without immediately turning one’s thoughts to spaghetti!  This is the spaghetti sauce recipe I have used for nearly 75 years now.  It was my mother’s version long before me.  🙂  Haven’t found one I like better.  I usually double or triple this recipe and freeze some for convenience in other kitchen creations.  This recipe is acceptable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, Primal-Paleo as well.

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ lb. lean ground beef

½ c. green pepper chopped

½ c. parsley chopped

1 c. celery chopped

6 garlic cloves minced

6 oz. yellow onion chopped

2   14-oz. cans crushed or diced tomatoes (with no added sugars)

1   small (8 oz.) can tomato paste

½ tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (less if you don’t like it very spicy)

1 T. dried crushed oregano

1 bay leaf

1 T. fresh rosemary (or ½ tsp. dried)

1 T. fresh basil leaves, chopped (or ½ tsp. dried)

½ tsp. fennel seed, crushed

VARIATIONS:  Add 1½ c. diced eggplant, 6 sliced fresh mushrooms, or replace 1/2 lb. of the ground with with browned Italian sausage crumbles, balls or links.  Any of these variations are quite nice in this recipe.

DIRECTIONS:  Brown meat in large stew pot.  You may need a little oil if your meat is real lean.  Chop all veggies and add to meat and stir well.  Now add garlic, seasonings, tomatoes and tomato paste.  Simmer covered for 1½-2 hours on lowest heat possible.  Stir often during cooking and if it gets too thick to do so, add ½ c. water to think the sauce a wee bit.  Will yield about 8-9 cups of sauce, or 8-10 servings, depending on how saucy you like things and how you plan to use the sauce.   For my noodles, I use spaghetti squash threads, zucchini ‘noodles’ or I order on-line low-carb commercial noodles like Al Dente’s ‘Carba Nada’ line of pasta.  Those still on Atkins Induction might consider the shirataki noodles with oat fiber for your Italian dishes.  I think they are the best shirataki noodles out there.  I believe the brand I’ve tried is Zeroodle I obtained at Netrition.com.  

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Serves 10, serving is about 1 cup.   Each serving has (excluding ‘noodles’)

295.3 cals, 20.75g fat, 13.18g carbs, 4.48 g fiber, 8.7g NET CARBS, 18.3g protein, 116 mg. sodium

Blackberry-Coconut Smoothie

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Click to enlarge

I love a good smoothie, especially when blackberries are in season.   This is a wonderfully refreshing afternoon treat or even a dessert!  It is not suitable until the nuts and seeds rung of the Atkins OWL carb ladder.  It is perfectly OK for Paleo-Primal folks. The sweetener I used has no carbs, so if you use one with a bulking agent, you will need to add in those carbs to the numbers below.   Of course, you can always add protein powder to this if you wish, but be sure to add in those carbs to the stats below.

INGREDIENTS:

6 T. coconut cream (this is NOT cream of coconut bartenders use, which has added sugar & carbs)

3/4 c. blackberries

½ c. water

about 3/4 c. ice cubes

Your preferred sweetener to taste

VARIATION:  Substitute blueberries, strawberries, or 1/2 banana  (recalculate stats if using banana)

DIRECTIONS: Put everything in the blender and let ‘er rip until all is smooth and ice is no longer in chunks.  The coconut cream will thicken it adequately.  Pour into a glass and ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 1 smoothie which contains:

193 cals, 24.5 g fat, 13.4 g carbs, 6.7 g fiber,  6.7 g NET CARBS, 1.5 g protein, 16 mg sodium

Greek Olive Tapenade

Peggy 2 Comments

Greek Olive Tapenade

This is my take on the olive spread often served with the bread and salad course at Greek Restaurants.  We just love this stuff and it disappears sooooo fast at my house.   I am absolutely in love with spreading it on my Almond-Flax Crackers or my Almond-Arrowroot Crackers for a delicious snack.  Just made a fresh batch this afternoon!  🙂  Other ways to use this tasty spread:   stuffed inside slit chicken breasts before baking along with a dab of Boursin or cream cheese, spread on top of broiled fish filets when serving, atop tomato slices for a unique salad, or with a little more oil and balsamic vinegar, it’s great as a Greek salad dressing!  This recipe is Induction friendly and the flavor is totally addictive if you like kalamata olives.  

INGREDIENTS:

6 oz. pitted black olives (I use a mixture of canned black olives & kalamata olives)

1 small clove minced garlic

¼ c. olive oil

2 T. chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS:  Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until uniformly coarse texture, smooth but not reduced to a paste.  You want it very finely chopped.  You can pulse in a blender if you do not have a food processor.  Serve with your favorite low-carb crackers or Greek bread (for those not on Atkins).

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes about 3/4 cup or serves 6, each 2 T. serving contains:

111.5 cals, 11.7g fat, 2.2g carbs, 1g fiber, 1.2g NET CARBS, 0.4g protein, 200 mg sodium

Einkorn Low-Carb Bake Mixes

Peggy 5 Comments

I have two low-carb bake mixes now.  The first has a little bit of Einkorn flour and is very low-carb.  The second has considerably more Einkorn flour and a higher carb count.  I present both below for my newer readers. 

Buttoni’s Low-Carb Bake Mix #1 (2014)

This was my first mix to put together.  It only has 4.83 net carbs per ¼ cup of mix!  That’s fewer carbs than my Einkorn Bake Mix!  Regular Pioneer Bake Mix has 25 net carbs per ¼ cup.  Bisquick has 27 net carbs per 1/3 c.  Carbquik has only 2 net carbs per 1/3 c. but has a funny back taste to me even after their product changes some years back.  My goal with this experiment was to create a mix with no ‘funny taste’ and still keep it fairly low carb.

My inspirational recipe was a low-carb flour mix I saw over on Pam’s Low Carb and Delicious blog (she links to the mix inside her bread recipe).  Her mix has 18 NC per 1/2 cup; mine has 9.66 NC per 1/2 cup.  So a nice carb drop there.  Her bread photo a thing of beauty, so I keep her recipe around to maybe try when I can afford a carb splurge on special occasions and I want a loaf just like her photo!

I modified both ingredients and amounts.  The final bake mix has produced several tasty, nice-textured items so far.  First to try was a 2-serving vanilla microwave quick cake

Next I tried a Blueberry-Lemon Snack Cake (shown right).  It performed well in my

Fluffy Pancakes as well.

This recipe makes a big batch of nearly 11 cups of bake mix, so you might want to make up just 1/2 recipe to trial it and see  what you think.  I would love your feedback.

INGREDIENTS:

4 c. almond flour

1 c. oat flour (I grind mine from rolled oats)

½ c. oat fiber

½ c. Einkorn Flour

1 c. vital wheat gluten

2 c. Carbalose Flour

2 c. unflavored whey protein isolate

1 T. glucomannan powder

4 tsp. baking powder

DIRECTIONS:    If grinding your own oat flour (my 2 local grocers don’t carry oat flour that is pre-ground), do this step first, letting your food processor or blender run a pretty long time for the finest grind possible.  This will lead to better texture in your final baked goods. When you have 1 cup of oat flour ground, place in large mixing bowl.  Measure all other ingredients into the bowl.  Stir well.  Then stir well at least 4 more times!  You want the ingredients uniformly mixed.  Spoon mix into lidded container and store in your pantry for use whenever you want to bake.  Since there is no fat or sweet item in this, you will, of course, have to add butter/oil/fat and and naturally, sweetener if making a dessert recipe.  Eggs and possibly cream/liquid will be needed for binding and moisture to achieve the correct batter thickness.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes about 11 cups bake mix.

1 cup mix: 443 cals, 24.9g fat, 33.78g carbs, 14.44g fiber, 19.34g NET CARBS, 34.4g protein, 223 mg sodium

¼ cup mix: 110 cals, 6.22g fat, 8.44g carbs, 3.61g fiber, 4.83g NET CARBS, 8.61g protein, 55.7 mg sodium

Einkorn Bake Mix #2 (2018)

This is a very large recipe of bake mix and you may prefer to make only a half batch to start out with if you want to experiment with it.  You SHOULD be able to use this mix as a substitute in any Bisquick or Carbquik recipes.  You should also be able to replace the flour+leavening+shortening in your regular baking recipes successfully with this, but never lose sight of the fact that all substitutions in recipes are ‘experiments’.

I would first trial it in a favorite recipe, so fewer ingredients will be wasted if the test is a fail.  Feel free to post links to pictures of your experiments with this mix in the comment section.  We’d all love to learn from your experiences.  🙂  

MIX INGREDIENTS:  (I recommend NO SUBSTITUTIONS)

5 c. almond flour

2 c. plain whey protein powder (I use NOW brand)

1 c. Einkorn flour

1 c. oat flour  (ground from about 1¼ c. rolled oats)

¼ c. oat fiber

1 tsp. glucomannan powder

3 T. baking powder

2 tsp. cream of tartar

2 tsp. salt

1½ c. palm shortening (I order at Tropical Traditions)

DIRECTIONS:  Grind the oats into flour in your food processor.  Add all dry ingredients and pulse couple times.  Then add shortening and pulse few more times until mixture is a nice crumbly texture.  If using a blender, before adding shortening, I would place dry mixture into a large mixing bowl.  Then, using a fork or pastry cutter, cut the shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal.  Place finished bake mix into a lidded container.  Can be stored on the counter safely as palm shortening has a very long shelf life at room temperature.  If you decide to store in the refrigerator, be aware the shortening will firm up and cause the mix to clump a bit.  So you need to set it out, bring to room temperature and re-work with a fork in a bowl to evenly distribute shortening clumps before attempting to use in recipes.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:     Makes 11 cups of mix.  ½ cup mix contains:

338 calories, 28.2 g  fat, 15.99 g  carbs, 4.6 g fiber, 11.39 g  NET CARBS, 14.5 g  protein, 170 mg sodium

SIDE NOTE:  I just had my very first kidney stone December 2022.  Ouch!   After it was removed and lab-analyzed, it proved to be a calcium oxalate stone, the most common type.  I was told to reduce oxalates in my diet.  Guess what are very high in oxalates?  ALMONDS!  Learning that sure popped my low-carb balloon!  I’ve been using almond flour since 2009 when I began low-carbing, so it likely has been a big factor in my stone formation.   I will have to greatly reduce my consumption of almonds or risk future kidney stones!  Whatever shall I do?  If I develop a higher Einkorn flour bake mix, the carbs will go MUCH HIGHER.  I really don’t like baking with all coconut flour (although coconut is low in oxalates).  Whey protein isn’t an option for stone formers either.  Will have to start experimenting with macadamia nut flour (could get real expensive).  I can also try using more Hi-Maize flour and tinker with more oat fiber in things, but it is very drying.  I feel like I just got kicked back to square one, after 14 years of success with my low-carb baking.   

Maple-Bacon-Bourbon Sauce

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0035

      Shown on seared pork chops

I often make compound butters and store them in my freezer.  There are literally limitless flavorings you can blend into butter for serving on grilled meats and vegetables.  They’re quick to make and ever so handy when you want an exotic taste FAST!  My Maple-Bacon-Bourbon Butter is one of my favorites.  I occasionally put it to work in creamy sauces like the one pictured above over pork chops.  This sauce is divine on pork chops and what a quick meal for week nights!  This recipe is not suitable until you reach Atkins Phase 2 (OWL) due to the bourbon.   It is not suitable for Primal-Paleo on several levels.

INGREDIENTS:

2 slices thick-slice bacon, chopped (3 oz,)

4 large mushrooms, sliced (optional)

3 T. Bacon-Bourbon Butter

1 tsp. sugar-free maple syrup

¼ c. cream

1/3 c. water

2 T. bourbon

Dash of your favorite thickener (optional)

Dash sea salt and black pepper

1 tsp. parsley, chopped (for garnish)

VARIATION:  Serve over seared chicken or duck breast for an interesting change.

DIRECTIONS:   Fry the chopped bacon in a skillet.  Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel.  If planning to serve with skillet-seared meat, sear the meat over high heat to nearly done stage right in the same skillet in that delicious bacon grease.  Or have your spouse grill the meat outside over charcoal to the desired stage.  When skillet chops are browned and done, remove them to a plate while you put the sauce together.  Add the 3 T. Bacon-Bourbon butter to the pan juices, melt and add the mushrooms.  Saute until mushrooms are done.   Lower to medium heat and add water, cream, bourbon, salt, pepper, and maple syrup.  Stir well and lay pork chops on top of the mushroom sauce.  If doing grilled meat, you won’t do this step. Simmer sauce on low heat 5-10 minutes to reduce/thicken the cream.  If not thick enough for you, you can slightly thicken with a dash of your preferred thickener. Gently pour mushroom sauce onto serving platter and set the meat on top.  Garnish with chopped parsley.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 2 servings, each contains: (does not include meat)

496 cals, 48.2g fat, 5.35g carbs, 0.95g fiber, 4.4g NET CARBS, 7.65g protein, 475mg sodium

Momma’s Baked Chicken

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Momma's Baked Chicken

This was the baked chicken I was raised on.  Throughout my childhood, I disliked intensely the sour taste of vinegar.  Wouldn’t eat pickles, wouldn’t eat pickled vegetables, wouldn’t eat salads or even condiments that contained vinegar.  But man, when my mom made this baked chicken, I just could not believe I watched her douse it with such an “evil” ingredient and LIKED IT!!!  The natural red grape sugar in the red wine vinegar caramelizes under high heat and gives the chicken skin such a sweet, tangy taste.  The pan juices make a lovely gravy/baste for the drier breast meat.   Fortunately, my taste has changed over the years and I will now consume vinegar without hesitation, provided the food isn’t drowning in vinegar.  🙂

This recipe can be used on a split/butterflied/spatchcocked chicken as pictured, or you and cut the chicken up into pieces.  This method is delicious on Rock Cornish Hens, too.  It is also excellent for BBQ’ing of the chicken, and even for BBQ pork.  This recipe is perfectly suited to all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, Primal and Paleo as well.

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

6 T.  melted butter

3 T. red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp. salt (omit if using salted butter)

1/4 tsp. coarse black pepper

THAT’S IT!!

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 400º.  Place butter in baking pan (I use a metal pan) as the oven is heating up.  Remove pan and add red wine vinegar to the butter, as well as the salt and pepper.  Prepare the chicken.  You can either split the chicken up the back with kitchen shears and spread it out as shown above, or cut the bird up into quarters or single pieces.  Using a brush, baste the pieces of chicken all over.  Sprinkle lightly with the salt and pepper and pop into hot oven for about an hour (less time for smaller birds, a little more for the butterflied bird shown) or until golden brown and reaches internal temp of 170º at the joint where the thigh meets the torso and in the thickest part of the breast.  I like to baste the chicken once or twice during cooking for the tastiest result on the skin.  I’m a skin fan, so that’s real important to me.  My husband just rips it off and hands it to me.  That works out just great, huh?  🙂 Remove from oven and serve at once with your favorite sides.  Be sure to put a spoon or brush into the pan for diners to baste their meat with the buttery juices if they wish (or pour the juices into a gravy boat).

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  These numbers are for the baste/sauce only.  You will have to add in the values for whatever pieces of chicken you eat.  Makes enough for 10 pieces of chicken (1 whole l cut-up chicken).  Each portion of the sauce, assuming you even eat that much of the sauce, has:

62 calories, 6.9 g fat, 0.02 g carbs,  0.00 g fiber, .02 g NET CARBS, 0.13 g protein (add in your piece of chicken)

Homemade Everything Bagel® Spice Blend

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001

Just made a fresh batch of my Everything Bagel spice blend.  Next time you bake low-carb bagels, baguettes or dinner rolls, try my mock version of this popular spice/seed blend.  It’s great on top of my low-carb dinner rolls https://wordpress.com/post/buttoni.wordpress.com/25406 or sprinkled atop your favorite low-carb loaf breads.  Though not quite the same, it’s real close to the taste of the well-known proprietary blend, considering I’m just guessing on the amounts of each spice/seed that appear in the ingredients listed on the commercial spice bottles.  It works for me anyway.   If you’d like to try a more aromatic blend, you might also like to try my 8-Seed Blend sometime!  It’s got a wider variety of spices and is very good in its own right.

INGREDIENTS:

3 T. dried minced onion flakes

2 T. dried minced garlic granules (I find at Sam’s)

3 T. white sesame seeds

4 T. toasted white sesame seed

1 T. coarse black pepper

1 tsp. sea salt (I used Himalayan pink)

4 T. black sesame seeds (I order on-line)

DIRECTIONS:   In your broiler, toast the 4 T. sesame seeds on a small baking sheet until lightly browned.  Please do not get distracted as they can burn in the blink of an eye!  Been there myself a time or two.  Remove and cool.  Pour them onto a paper plate.  Measure out remaining ingredients and stir well.  Fold the paper plate to pour them up into an awaiting lidded jar.  I always keep my old spice jars when emptied as they are so convenient to have when I make a new homemade spice blend such as this one.  This blend will keep for months, as the only real perishable thing in the blend are the sesame seeds, with their high oil content.  As with all spices, store in a dark cabinet or closed spice rack.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 18 T. or 54 tsp.  1 tsp. contains:

12.44 cals, 1.6g fat, 1.09g carbs, 0.34g fiber, 0.75g NET CARBS, 0.4g protein, 44.7 mg sodium

Portobello Mushrooms in Wine Sauce

Peggy 6 Comments

I just realized this evening (we grilled ribeyes for dinner) that I have never posted my mushroom recipe on the site before! Oh, my! I don’t know how I could forget this favorite. They’re simple to prepare and ready in 5-10 minutes! I usually start these when the steaks go out to the hot charcoal fire. Omit the red wine and use ½ c. more beef stock if you are still on Atkins Induction.

Whenever I make a chuck roast or oven-baked brisket, I always save all the broth and freeze it in 1/2 c. blocks for just such quick recipes. You can use canned broth, but your final dish won’t be quite as tasty.

INGREDIENTS:

2 large portobello mushrooms

3 T. butter

1 large clove garlic, minced

½ c. rich beef stock

¼-½ c. dry red wine (I usually use Merlot or Cabernet)

Dash each sea salt and coarse black peppper

Optional: chopped parsley to garnish

DIRECTIONS: Wipe any dirt off mushrooms with a paper towel. Never rinse mushrooms in water else it will bleed into your sauces! Chop mushrooms into 1″ chunks. You can scoop out the gills if you like, but frankly, I never bother. Melt butter in skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and minced garlic to the pan and sauté a few minutes or until they begin to look translucent. Add wine and beef stock and simmer a few minutes longer or until ‘shrooms are done. 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes two 3/4 c. servings, each contains:

232 cals, 19g fat, 7.4g carbs, 2.7g fiber, 4.7g NET CARBS, 6.5g protein, 93 mg sodium

Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Peggy Leave a comment

We all love a good cheese sauce for broccoli and cauliflower.  This one goes together quick and is extra thick.  Because of the amount of cheese, please note the high sodium content of this sauce.  No way to reduce that unless you cut back on cheese, resulting in a thinner, less cheesy sauce.  I like to pour some of the sauce on my veggies and bake off awhile, topping at the table with another spoonful per serving.  But that isn’t necessary.  You can just dip the sauce over the veggies right at the table when serving!  This works great for a Mac ‘n Cheese sauce, too!

INGREDIENTS:

½ c. heavy cream

½ c. tap water

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (I actually used 1 c. each American and Cheddar)

Dash coarse black pepper

DIRECTIONS: Measure the cream and water into a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add the cheese and black pepper.  Stirring constantly, heat mixture until cheese is fully melted and blending  (no visible bits or lumps) into a creamy smooth golden sauce.   You can either pour half over your veggies in an oven-proof dish and bake for 20 minutes at 350º.  Or simply serve the sauce in a bowl at table for each person to dip their own up over their pre-cooked veggies.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 4 servings of about ½ c. each.  Each serving of cheese sauce (approx. 1/4 batch) will contain:

305.5 cals, 27.05g fat, 3.77g carbs, 0.07g fiber, 3.7 NET CARBS, 12.42g protein, 618 mg sodium.

Peggy’s Poultry Rub

Peggy 2 Comments

I’ve been trialing a new poultry rub recipe I’m developing for chicken and turkey.  Have tried it several times and I just kept increasing several of the ingredients as well as eliminating one that added nothing to the flavor profile.  I think it’s about right for my palate now.  I am quite pleased.  I have tested it on oven baked cut-up chicken parts and liked that method best, as the rub gets on more surfaces of the chicken flesh that way.  But last night I tested it on an air-fryer whole roasted chicken.  That was moist and delicious, but the seasoning does a better job on individual pieces, in my opinion.  Can’t wait to try this on duck!  This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and other Keto programs.  It is also OK for Paleo and Primal Blueprint followers.

NOTE:  My husband is on a low-sodium diet, so you will notice my spice blends have little salt (if any).  I can always add salt at the table if I want more.  You may want to increase the salt in the blend itself for your family’s palate. 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. Spanish paprika (regular is OK, but lacks the smoky flavor I love)

On a whole roasted chicken

1 T. chili powder

2 T. onion powder

1 T. garlic powder

1 T. black pepper

2 t. dried crushed sage leaf

2 t. dried crushed basil

2 t. dried crushed oregano leaf

1 t. sea salt

DIRECTIONS:  Mix all ingredients on a paper plate.  Stir well.  Fold plate and pour all into a spice jar (with a lid).  Close lid and shake well to distribute ingredients evenly.  Use about 1 T. on a whole (or cut up) chicken.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes about 9 T. of the rub (or 27 tsp).   Each teaspoon contains:

6.44 cals, 0.15g fat, 1.37g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 0.87g NET CARBS, 0.26g protein, 89.6 mg sodium

 

Homemade Jamaican Jerk Seasoning Blend

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I have eaten Jamaican Jerked chicken in a cafe before but found it way too spicy for my palate.  I understand the spices and amounts of each used varies a lot from household to household, much like gumbo recipes vary dramatically in Louisiana from home to home.  I have always found most commercial Jerk seasonings to be too heavy with salt, and of course, I also cannot have the sugar anymore, or in my case, not even substitute sweeteners.  I worked around that by adding a small amount of maple extract to the final marinade to mimic brown sugar’s taste.  Works for me!  I’m extremely pleased with my final version, having now tested it out on oven-baked chicken, grilled shrimp and air-fried pork.  We loved it on all 3 meats.  This spice is suitable for all phases of Atkins and Keto diets as well as Paleo and Primal Blueprint followers as well.  Here’s a delicious air fryer pork recipe made from this seasoning mix.

INGREDIENTS: 

1 T. Spanish Smoked Paprika (I order mine on-line)

2 T. onion powder or granulated onion

3 T. garlic powder

2 T. cayenne pepper

½ tsp. crushed red pepper (more if you like things real spicy)

2 T. crushed dried thyme leaves

1 T. allspice

1 T. ground cinnamon

2 T. dried parsley

1 T. coarse black pepper

1 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS:   Measure out all ingredients into a medium mixing bowl. Stir well.  Spoon into an old empty spice jar or other jar with tight lid.  Tip:  when making spice blends, pour the mix onto a paper plate (in 2-3 portions), fold the plate to make a handy “funnel” to tap your new spice right into the receiving jar.  My Dad taught me this trick as he loved concocting his own blends.  As with all spices, store in a dark cupboard or spice cabinet that has doors. I use 2 T. for pork chops, 3 T. for whole chicken or equivalent parts, and 2 T. on shrimp.  I always rub either olive oil or butter all over the meat surfaces so the spice will adhere and marinate for 1 hour (covered) in the refrigerator before cooking.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes about 14 tablespoons of spice.  Each 1T. serving contains:

20.6 cals, 0.31g fat, 4.71g carbs, 1.07g fiber, 3.64g NET CARBS, 0.72g protein, 169 mg sodium

Bernaise Sauce

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Bernaise Sauce

Serve with Linda Genaw’s “Just Like Baked Stuffed Potatoes”. https://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/just_like_stuffed_baked_potatoes.html

This recipe is inspired by my mories of a wonderful steak with bernaise sauce I had at Galveston’s Wentletrap Restaurant some years back.  We moved away, so I don’t know if it survived Hurricane Ike though.  Sure hope so.  For those that don’t know, a wentletrap is a beautiful seashell.  This restaurant sure was a great place for fine dining.  I’ve loved bernaise sauce so much since, I have even been known to serve it on top of scrambled or fried eggs occasionally!  Yes, I know that may be odd, but it really is quite good!   Bernaise is actually just Hollandaise sauce with a tarragon-vinegar twist added.  This sauce is Induction friendly, albeit a bit fat/calorie pricey.  🙂  This recipe makes enough to serve atop 4 servings of eggs, a bowl of fresh asparagus, over a delicious grilled steak or butter-seared chicken breast.  If any is leftover, I just cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to two days.  To reuse, just melt 1-2 T. butter in a pan and slowly add in the leftover Bernaise a spoonful at a time, whisking continuously. Voilà, it’s reborn! 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

¼ c. red or white wine vinegar

1 T.  parsley, chopped

¼ tsp. dried tarragon (or 1 tsp. fresh, chopped)

3 egg yolks

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 stick butter, unsalted (4 oz. or 8 T.)

DIRECTIONS:   This sauce goes together pretty fast, so you really have your steaks about ready before you begin.  Now for the sauce, add vinegar, parsley and tarragon to a small saucepan and over medium heat, bring to boil, lower heat and simmer to allow it to reduce to about 1-2 T.  In another  non-stick skillet over med-low heat, whisk the egg yolks with the splash (1 tsp) lemon juice and 1-2 T. of the butter until smooth.  Whisking continuously, add the rest of the butter in small pats, whisking between each pat as it melts.  When all butter is melted and smoothly incorporated, add the tarragon-vinegar mixture to the Hollandaise egg-butter mixture and stir well.  Serve at once in whatever recipe you are using this for.  If you like a thinner Bernaise, just add more melted butter and adjust the nutritional info to reflect that addition.  🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes  about 1 cup, or 4 servings of  ¼ c. each.   A fourth of the recipe contains:

248 cals, 26g fat, 0.83g carbs, 0.1g fiber, 0.73g NET CARBS, 2.35g protein, 11 mg. sodium

Grilled Sriracha Shrimp with Sriracha Aioli

Peggy Leave a comment

Click to enlarge

Grilled Sriracha Shrimp is good on its own merits, but my buttery aioli sauce is a lovely compliment.  This sauce would also be delicious on grilled fish, grilled chicken or skillet seared scallops.  I wish my husband had rotated the skewers so those pictured would have charred more evenly.  But they all tasted GREAT and that’s what counts!  This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and Keto diets.  It is not suitable for Primal-Paleo lifestyles unless you can find a recipe for homemade Sriracha sauce.  As I can’t know how many shrimp you will eat, I am providing nutrition information for what I felt was a satisfying serving 1/3 lb. (5 large shrimp) with numbers for  around 2 T. aioli, which is what I ate.   You will have to adjust your numbers according to how much you actually eat.  Divide the numbers for the shrimp by 5 to get the numbers for 1 shrimp.

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 (myself included) to bring you a wealth of delicious recipes you are going to want to try.  Even a few of my recipes are in her cookbooks! Order your 10-volume set TODAY! (always available individually as well) from Amazon or: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

FOR THE SHRIMP:

1 lb. extra-large shrimp ( There were 16 in my bag), peeled, tail piece left on

½ stick unsalted butter, melted (4 oz.)

2 tsp. Sriracha sauce  (or other bottled hot sauce of your choosing)

Dash each garlic powder and onion powder

Peal the shrimp, leaving tail shell on for a “handle”.  Place on skewers and set skewers on a platter.  Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the Sriracha sauce and seasonings.  Stir to blend and remove from heat.  With a basting brush, baste both sides of the skewered shrimp with the sauce.  Save the remaining sauce to baste the shrimp while the are being grilled.

FOR THE AIOLI:  Process the following ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.  Scrape into serving dish and place in refrigerator until shrimp is grilled and you are ready to serve.  (Makes about 1/2 c. sauce or about 8 T.)

½ stick butter, melted

1 jalapeno, seeded, ribs removed (omit if you prefer)

1/3 c. Homemade Mayonnaise

Click to enlarge

   Sriracha Aioli

½ c. fresh cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

Dash each salt and pepper

½ clove garlic, minced

Dash smoked chipotle  chile powder

¼-1 tsp. Sriracha sauce (to your taste)

GRILLING THE SHRIMP:  Prepare a charcoal fire.  When coals are hot, Place skewers over coals and grill about 5 minutes on a side or until they are opaque.  Baste with extra sauce in your saucepan.  Use up all the sauce on the shrimp while grilling for best flavor.  Remove the shrimp from the grill and either remove from skewers to a serving platter, or serve on the skewers if you prefer.  Using the very large shrimp I used (16 per pound) I found 5 made a perfect serving size.  Serve the aioli sauce on the side for your diners to use to suit their personal taste.  🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 3 servings (5 XL shrimp per serving) each contains:

5 X-large shrimp (1/3 lb) contain:  299 cals., 18g fat, 2.06g carbs, 0 fiber, 2.06g NET CARBS, 31g protein, 265 mg sodium

2 T. Aioli sauce contains: 231 calories, 25.4g fat, 1.5g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 1g NET CARBS, 0.6g protein, 77 mg sodium

Bang Bang Dipping Sauce

Peggy Leave a comment

This delightfully spicy sauce is amazing with fried shrimp or chicken tenders.  So much so I thought it deserved its own posting rather than just including the recipe with dishes I’ve created with it.  Have some other ideas up my sleeve for this sauce as well, so stay tuned.  You know what they say…………..the Saucier is the most important chef in a French Kitchen.  🙂

We just LOVE this stuff!  Me, I’m not so fond of overly hot, spicy food, but this has just a little bit of tingle on your tongue that I don’t think most folks will find it too spicy.  I do hope my readers will try it sometime, if you have not yet had the pleasure.   This sauce is suitable for all phases of Atkins & Keto diets, as well as Primal and Paleo folks!

INGREDIENTS:

½ c. homemade mayo

2-3 tsp. Sambal Oelek chili sauce

2 tsp. Sriracha

Dash each salt and black pepper

VARIATION:   Add ¼ clove minced garlic for a new twist

DIRECTIONS:     Measure out all ingredients into a small bowl, stir well and chill until ready to serve as a condiment with fried shrimp, chicken or whatever you little heart desires.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes five 2-T. servings of sauce, each contains:

161 cals, 17.68g fat, 0.84g carbs, 0.02g fiber, 0.82g NET CARBS, 0.52g protein, 140 mg sodium

Roast Duck with Blueberry Sauce

Peggy 2 Comments

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

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

INGREDIENTS FOR DUCK:

5½ lb. duck

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

Dash my Seafood Spice Blend (optional)

¼ tsp. salt

1 T. butter

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

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

3 green onions, chopped coarsely

1½ oz. bacon (3 slices), chopped coarsely

1 c. blueberries (dried, fresh or frozen)

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

2 T. Port wine or Sherry

Dash each thyme, rosemary, onion powder and salt

¼ tsp. xanthan gum or your preferred thickener

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

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 8 servings, each contains:

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

Buttoni’s Low-Carb Bake Mix

Peggy 8 Comments

I’m so pleased to share a handy low-carb bake mix.  I have left out the fat so it has a long shelf life.  Be sure to add butter or shortening when you bake your recipes with it.    It only has 4.83 net carbs per ¼ cup of mix!  That’s fewer carbs than my Einkorn Bake Mix!  Regular Pioneer Bake Mix has 25 net carbs per ¼ cup.  Bisquick has 27 net carbs per 1/3 c.  Carbquik has only 2 net carbs per 1/3 c. but has a funny background taste to me even after their product changes some years back.  My goal with this was to create a mix with no ‘funny taste’ and but keep it as low carb as possible.

My inspirational recipe was a low-carb flour mix I saw over on Pam’s Low Carb and Delicious blog (she links to the mix inside her bread recipe).  Her mix has 18 NC per 1/2 cup; mine has 9.66 NC per 1/2 cup.  So a nice carb drop there.  Her bread photo a thing of beauty, so I keep her recipe around to maybe try when I can afford a carb splurge on special occasions and I want a loaf just like her photo!

I modified her ingredient listing as well as the amounts of those ingredients.  The final bake mix has produced several baked items that I am quite pleased with:  a 2-serving vanilla microwave quick cake

an oven-baked Blueberry-Lemon Snack Cake (shown right) and my

Fluffy Pancakes.

This recipe makes a big batch of nearly 11 cups of mix, so you might want to make just 1/2 this recipe to play around with in 1 or 2 of your favorite, tested recipes and see  what you think.  I would love your feedback.

INGREDIENTS:

4 c. almond flour

1 c. oat flour (I grind mine from rolled oats)

½ c. oat fiber

½ c. Einkorn Flour

1 c. vital wheat gluten

2 c. Carbalose Flour

2 c. unflavored whey protein isolate

1 T. glucomannan powder

4 tsp. baking powder

DIRECTIONS:    If grinding your own oat flour (my 2 local grocers don’t carry oat flour that is pre-ground), do this step first, letting your food processor or blender run a pretty long time for the finest grind possible.  This will lead to better texture in your final baked goods. When you have 1 cup of oat flour ground, place in large mixing bowl.  Measure all other ingredients into the bowl.  Stir well.  Then stir well at least 4 more times!  You want the ingredients uniformly mixed.  Spoon mix into lidded container and store in your pantry for use whenever you want to bake.  Since there is no fat or sweet item in this, you will, of course, have to add butter/oil/fat and and naturally, sweetener if making a dessert recipe.  Eggs and possibly cream/liquid will be needed for binding and moisture to achieve the correct batter thickness.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes about 11 cups bake mix.

1 cup mix: 443 cals, 24.9g fat, 33.78g carbs, 14.44g fiber, 19.34g NET CARBS, 34.4g protein, 223 mg sodium

¼ cup mix: 110 cals, 6.22g fat, 8.44g carbs, 3.61g fiber, 4.83g NET CARBS, 8.61g protein, 55.7 mg sodium

London Broil

Peggy 2 Comments

When you want to tenderize a tougher cut of meat, like flank steak or London Broil, you have to marinate it to loosen up those meat fibers a bit.  This is one of my favorite steak marinades to use on London Broil.  If you can’t get flank or London Broil, use a piece of lean chuck roast. The flavor on the outer crust of meat is just divine.  The longer you marinate the meat, the more tender the meat will get.  Marinating all day long is preferred, but a minimum of 4-5 hours is a must lest you end up with a very tough, difficult to chew experience.  My husband cooked ours tonight a bit too long (medium) for our personal taste, as we prefer medium rare, but it was still quite tasty and still fairly tender.  This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins beyond Induction.  If you are still on induction, sub in some beef broth for the red wine.

Many more delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own copy of our cookbooks  LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS.  Volume 8 is almost exclusively comprised of my recipes with some new George Stella and Jennifer Eloff creations.  Order your books from Amazon  or our direct order site: amongfriends.us/order.php.

INGREDIENTS:

3 lb. piece of London Broil or flank steak

½ clove garlic, minced

1½ tsp. tomato paste

½ c. red wine (or beef broth if still on Induction)

¼ c. low sodium soy sauce

2 T. balsamic  vinegar

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

DIRECTIONS:  Coat the meat with the black pepper and set in a glass or plastic marinating pan.  Add the remaining ingredients, stirring in the tomato paste well until it is evenly distributed in the liquid.  Using a basting brush, drizzle the marinade over the meat and place marinating pan in the refrigerator.  Marinate for at least 4 hours to all day long, drizzling over the meat carefully hourly.  Turn the meat once or twice while marinating.

When ready to cook, prepare a hot charcoal fire.  Lift meat out of marinating pan and discard the marinade.  Place meat directly over the hot coals and grill for about 8-10 minutes on a side or until it reaches your desired stage (around 8 minutes per side for medium rare; around 10 for medium as shown).  These two cuts of meat are really too tough to cook them well done.  Just being honest.  Serve with a nice salad or your favorite green side dish.  This is delicious with compound butter, if you have a favorite recipe.  Here’s the one I used tonight:  Garlic Herb Butter.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  As the marinade is discarded, a firm count per serving is difficult to arrive at.  No more than 1 T. is consumed on the meat surfaces, if THAT much.  1 T. marinade contains around 1.27 net carbs, so that is what is added to the serving below.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Serves 6-7 people nicely (maybe 8), so each serving of meat with 1 T. marinade contains around:

297 calories, 12g fat, 1.3 carbs, 0 fiber, 0 NET CARBS, 44 g protein, 101 mg sodium

Garlic Herb Butter

Peggy Leave a comment

 

I love mixing herbs and spices into butter and using them on baked, broiled or char-broiled steak, pork chops or seafood.  This is one of my favorites.  FYI for those not familiar with herb butters, also known as compound butters, they are simple mixtures of softened butter and spices, herbs, seasonings that are then used in a variety of recipes, particularly on meats and fish.  This is a GREAT way to re-invent leftover steak. by the way.  It helps disguise that “leftover” taste that beef, in particular, gets when reheated.  This particular herb butter is also good for making garlic bread on your favorite low-carb bread or roll recipe.  When it comes to herb butters, the sky is the limit as to the different combinations of herbs you can create.  As you’ve probably guessed by other recipes here, I love fresh rosemary, garlic and onion powder and that combo makes a wonderful herb butter for pork done on the grill.  Another combination I’m quite fond of is fresh mint and cilantro.  Be creative and experiment!  This flavorful mixture is Atkins Induction friendly.

INGREDIENTS: 

½ stick salted butter (4 T.)

1/4 c. parsley, chopped fine

1 small clove garlic, minced

¼ tsp. coarse, cracked black pepper

2 T. chives or green onion, chopped very fine

OPTIONAL:  Dash dried tarragon (or a bit of fresh, chopped fine)

DIRECTIONS:  On a paper plate or saucer, soften the butter at room temperature.  Blend/mash all listed ingredients into it with a fork until smooth and uniform.   There are three approaches to serving.  You can (1) serve the herb butter in a saucer at table (reserving 2 tsp.).   You can (2) reserve 2 tsp. and with a small rubber spatula, spoon the rest into the slots of a silicone candy/butter mold, pressing down well (freeze for 20 minutes and pop out the individual servings).  You can also (3) form the butter into a butter-shaped stick or log in plastic wrap, chill and slice off servings at the table.  Your call.

Place 1 tsp. of the reserved butter on top of meat or fish before cooking.  Place your meat or fish in your hot oven, broiler or on charcoal grill and cook to desired stage.  Turn meat halfway through cooking and place remaining tsp. of reserved herb butter on top. Spread with a brush to distribute over the meat/fish.  When your meat is fully cooked to the desired stage, removing to a serving platter and serve at once with the herb butter to garnish.  Let beef set for 10 minutes before slicing to preserve juices inside.  Let your guests serve more herb butter atop their serving at table.  It melts as you eat.  YUM! 🙂

The slots of my candy mold that makes the shape pictured above hold exactly 2T. contents.  This is why I show serving size as 2 T.  But your molds may only hold 1 T. and you can then cut these numbers in half!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Allow 2 T. per serving, so this makes 4 servings.  Each serving has:

105 cals, 11.5g  fat, 0.67g carbs, 0.20g fiber, 0.47g NET CARBS, 0.32g protein, 84 mg. sodium

Indian Garam Masala Spice

Peggy 3 Comments

I made the Indian version of of Creamed Spinach to have with our ham and yellow squash tonight.  I love creamed spinach so much I’m willing to eat it with so many different foods.  The flavors went quite nicely together!  Thought I’d re-share my Garam Masala recipe for anyone who loves Indian food as much as we do.    The Indian version of creamed spinach is quite unusual and very tasty.  Not hot/spicy, just aromatic with spices.  This spice blend has many uses.  Type “Indian” in the search box to see an array of Indian recipes here on my site to try this spice in. They are all tried-and-true recipes I’ve cooked many times. Give them a try some time!  I think you’ll be pleased if your an Indian food fan.

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! Chef George Stella and Jennifer Eloff are also including several tasty new delights in Vol.  8! Order yours (or any of our earlier cookbooks) from Amazon  or our direct order site: amongfriends.us/order.php.  Remember, they make GREAT birthday or holiday gifts!  If you’ve already purchased a book, the team would appreciate it if you would please take a moment and drop by the our Amazon page to leave your personal review.  🙂

INGREDIENTS:

6 T. coriander seeds
3 T. cumin seeds
2 T. black peppercorns
1 T. whole cardamom pods (outer part and seeds inside)
5  small cinnamon sticks broken into small pieces
2  tsp. whole cloves
1  whole grated nutmeg (about 1 tsp.)

DIRECTIONS:  In a dry skillet, over low heat, heat the first 6 spices until they become very fragrant. This step is most important, so do not skip it or your results won’t be as good.  When fragrant, turn off heat and remove pan from stove.   Using a spice/coffee grinder (I have a cheap dedicated coffee grinder for spices only), grind all toasted spices to a pretty fine grind, but it doesn’t have to be as fine as salt.  Add grated nutmeg at this point.  When adding this spice to curry recipes, I once again heat the dry skillet and reheat these until they become fragrant and then proceed with whatever recipe I’m making. This is outstanding in all chicken, beef and fish curries.  It’s great on charcoal grilled, buttered  fish and chicken, too!

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Each teaspoon contains:

6  calories, 0.31 g.  fat, 1.1 g.  carbs, 0.6 g.  fiber, 0.23 g.   protein, 0.5 g. NET CARBS

 

 

Chimichurri Sauce

Peggy 2 Comments

This wonderful blending of herb flavors is a favorite of mine. You just can’t go wrong with cilantro, jalapeno and parsley in my book.  I just throw in some kale or occasionally spinach because it is so darn good for you and can’t be tasted as such in this sauce!  I don’t always include the vinegar usually found in Chimichurri Sauce…..it kind of depends how I’m going to use the sauce.  I usually do add some wine vinegar if it’s destined for grilled meats; I omit the vinegar for lots of other uses of the sauce like my Chicken Quesadillas.  I like to freeze any leftover sauce in a flattened ziploc bag so I can just break off a small piece for use in recipes.   This is OK for all phases of Atkins, Paleo and Primal fare 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 chefs to bring you a wealth of delicious recipes you are going to want to try.  Even a few of my recipes are in her cookbooks! Order your 5-volume set TODAY! (available individually) from Amazon or: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. loosely packed kale, stemmed and chopped (or fresh spinach)

½ c. parsley

½ bunch cilantro

1 clove garlic

½ seeded jalapeno

Dash sea salt

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil

OPTIONAL:  2 T. red wine vinegar and dash of crushed red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS:  Place all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until well-mixed.  Serve with your favorite Mexican dishes or in recipes that call for Chimichurri herb mixture.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes about 10 T., each tablespoon contains:

52.3 calories, 5.48 g  fat, .85 g  carbs, .33 g fiber, .52 g  NET CARBS, .34 g  protein, 21 mg sodium

Doggie Treats

Peggy Leave a comment

This is not for human consumption, is not low-carb, and I’m not providing nutritional info……..Oh My!  🙂  But I thought I’d share this recipe for those dog lovers with a furry friend on their Christmas shopping list.  They make a great “stocking stuffer” for your fur baby, but wrap them well else your dog will be overly attentive to their stocking.  LOL

My rat terrier, Button, not only loves these, but actually begs to go to bed 2 hours early, when she starts thinking about her night-night treats.  If your pups have skin allergies, these have been tolerated by my allergy-ridden pooches for years now.  They have never caused the usual scratching/itching purchased treats with soy cause.

This recipe makes a HUGE 13×15″ jelly roll pan full which cuts into bunches of 1″ squares, so a batch lasts me a very month.   If you have larger dogs, you may prefer to cut into larger pieces.  If using for training rewards, you will want to break them in half or quarters to avoid your pup gaining too much weight from training rewards.  I freeze them in a gallon plastic bag or plastic lidded container and just take out a small baggie full each week to have thawed at all times in the refrigerator.

Button goes wild when I take them out of the oven to cool!

VARIATIONS:  Use instead beef liver, beef heart, chicken liver, chicken hearts, chicken gizzards, pork liver, pork heart or sheep organs.  Your dog(s) will go bonkers no matter which meat you use.   🙂

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. whole wheat flour

3 c. whole rolled oats

1 lb. carton chicken livers (with juice), beef liver or pork liver

2 eggs

¼ c. oil

DIRECTIONS:    Preheat oven to 350º.  Process liver in a food processor until smooth.  It’s vile looking, but try not to dwell on that.  Add the eggs, oil, flour and oats and pulse until well blended.  Scrape out onto a 13×15″ jelly roll pan that has been sprayed or oiled well.  Using a rubber spatula, spread out evenly, trying to make it as evenly thick as possible.  Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes until center is dry to the touch.  Remove and cool.  Cut into 1″ squares.  When totally cool, use a metal spatula to remove them from the pan.  Store in a gallon ziploc bag in your freezer until ready to use.  The recipe rating below came directly from my little Button.   🙂

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Bourbon-Pecan Cranberry Sauce

Peggy 2 Comments

cranberry-sauceWhat Holiday feast would be complete without a bowl of fresh cranberry sauce?  Most often I make cranberry sauce in the traditional manner, no frills, as shown in the photo above.  But occasionally, I like to add a touch of bourbon and pecans, turning it into almost a chutney, which certainly takes it up a notch or two in flavor!  It’s delicious made this way so I hope you try it some time.  It has proven to be very popular with my holiday guests. This recipe is not suitable until you reach  Atkins Phase 2 “OWL”, when alcohol, nuts and berries are permitted.

Many delicious low-carb recipes like this can be at your fingertips with your very own cookbooks from LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS, by Jennifer Eloff and low-carb friends (me included).  Chef George Stella also brings you a wealth of delicious recipes you will love!  Order yours TODAY! from Amazon  or our direct order site: amongfriends.us/order.php.

INGREDIENTS:

½ c. water

1 c. fresh cranberries

½ c. granular Splenda (or equivalent sweetener of choice)

½ stick cinnamon or ¼ tsp. ground

1½ tsp. orange zest/peel

1 T. bourbon

½ c. (about 20 halves) pecans, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS: Cook all ingredients but the nuts over medium heat until all berries’ skins have popped open.  Remove from heat, stir in the nuts and chill until ready to use.  Remove and discard cinnamon stick just before serving.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes about 2 cups or 16 servings.  Each serving has:

16 calories, 1.28 g fat, 1.03 g carbs, 0.48 g fiber, 0.55 g NET CARBS, 0.19 g protein and negligible sodium

 

Crumble Topping

Peggy 3 Comments

photocat

I love working with oat fiber.  It brings to low-carb baked goods what flour used to bring, a flour-y taste and flour-y texture.  This tasty crisp made with apple was just DELICIOUS!  I had 4 Gala apples I had bought for my husband (that he wasn’t eating)  that were going to go bad and were really past the crisp, eating stage.  So this is how I used those up!  My typical apple filling:  4 peeled, sliced apples tossed with a few tablespoons of water, a sprinkle of xanthan gum tp thicken, 1/4 c. Splenda or erythritol, along with a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg.  Pour into non-stick pan or baking dish and dot with 2T. butter.

I made the crumble topping below and sprinkled HALF the crumble mixture over the fruit.  I zipped the other half up in a baggie and freeze for another use. Will keep frozen for 1 month. This is not Induction friendly, so wait until you reach Phase 2 of Atkins to enjoy this.  To make this MUCH lower carb, you could instead use peeled, grated jicama, sliced zucchini or chayote squash for half, or even all the apples in this, but cooking time will increase if you do.

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.

INGREDIENTS:

1½ c. CarbQuik baking mix (or other low-carb bake mix)

½ c. (45 g) oat fiber (DO NOT use high carb oat flour! Not the same thing!)

2 T. cold butter

pinch salt

1/4-1/2 c. water, added slowly

1-2 T. granular erythritol

OPTIONAL:  ½ tsp. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Into a medium bowl, measure out bake mix, oat fiber and salt.  Stir.  Using a fork, cut in the cold butter until crumbly and well incorporated into dry ingredients.  Slowly add 1/4 c. water and work in with fork.  Add more water by tablespoons, stirring after each addition until mixture begins to hold together into pea-sized clumps. When all appears to be mixed well, spoon out half the mixture into a ziploc bag and freeze for future use.  Using fingers, crumble the remaining topping onto your fruit crisp filling mixture.  Bake at 350º for about 30 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is browned nicely.  Serve hot or cold.

NUTRITIONAL INFO FOR TOPPING ONLY: Recipe makes enough for TWO 9″ round pans of apple or berry crisp. I get 4 servings from a 9″ pan.  (8 total servings in both pans).

Total recipe contains:  374 calories, 47g fat, 75.7g carbs, 67.7g fiber, 8 NET CARBS, 24g protein

1 single serving of topping (1/4 of 1 pan) contains: 45.5 cal, 3.1 g fiber, 9.5 g carbs, 8.5 g fiber, 1 NET CARB, 3 g protein

FOR THE CURIOUS: 1 Serving with apple filling made as described above:  219 calories, 18g fat, 39.4 g  carbs,  20.3 g  fiber, 19.1 g NET CARBS, 6.4 g  protein.  Yes, it’s really high carb using real apples, so you might prefer to cut the majority of carbs out and use berries or apple substitutes like jicama, chayote squash or zucchini in your filling!  Just sayin’ that most of the carbs here are in the filling, not the crumble topping. 😉

Chai Tea Spice Blend

Peggy 1 Comment

Click to enlarge

We just love Indian Chai tea.  Having lived in Tehran, Iran for a couple of years when I was 10-12 years old, I just loved drinking their unspiced plain hot tea from the little 2″ tall sipping glasses they serve tea in there.   It always reminded me of my childhood days, playing “house” and having “tea parties” with my dolls.

In Iran, sugar was sold in huge solid blocks and they would just hammer off chunks, pop a piece into their mouths and sip the hot tea right through that sugar “cube”.  At age 10, what fun!  Pure sugar in your mouth!  🙂  What can I say?  My views on sugar sure have changed.  🙂  I very quickly learned considerable Pharci language at age 10, mostly from our maid, Fatimeh, who spoke little English.  When we would pass a tea shop in the bazaar she would make a sipping gesture and ask:  “Chai meekhawheed?” (sp?) which I quickly figured out meant “Do you want some tea?” I learned the proper response in no-time flat “Adeh, chai meekhawham” (sp?), “Yes, I want some tea!”.  I also knew in that setting, I’d get it served Iranian style, with those fun chunks of rock sugar, something my mother would never  allow at home.  Wasn’t I a naughty little 10 year old?   Mom was always worrying about that evil, Mr. Tooth Decay (those old enough, remember him from the Colgate TV commercials in the late 50’s?).  Moms always over worry, don’t they?  My teeth haven’t all fallen out after all!  LOL  Wonder if Chai tea is served with rock sugar in India?  Sorry, I digress with my boring nostalgia trip………..

Cardamom Pods, cloves, black peppercorns and cinnamon sticks

Cardamom Pods, cloves, black peppercorns and cinnamon sticks

It was not until today, looking on the internet for the origins of the word CHAI, that I learned Indian hot chai tea, infused with all its lovely aromatic spices, actually gets its name from the Persian word for tea, CHAI (pronunced in Iran with second syllable stressed  CHA – EEEEEE )   Ya learn something everyday!

I really avoid commercial spice preparations as much as I can, what with all the “extras” they add to those prepared mixes, beaucoup salt and sugar.  So I decided to take the most common spices I can taste in a cup of chai tea and just make up my own, using equal amounts (roughly) of the likely spices.  I quickly learned it needs to be a little top-heavy with cinnamon and doubled that 1 ingredient.  The final spice blend, brewed into a 2-cup pot of tea, was DELICIOUS!  So I thought I’d share my new blend here with my readers.

I’m a lazy cook by nature and don’t like the nuisance of shelling cardamom seeds from those big pods, so once I saw that Penzey’s sells it already shelled, well you know I was on that one like a fly on flypaper!  🙂  I order already shelled cardamom seeds from Penzey’s Spices on-line or their catalog.  Therefore, I have no earthly idea how many cardamom pods it will take to yield 1 tsp. seeds, but probably around 10-15?  There are about 8-10 little black seeds in the average green cardamom pod.

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

INGREDIENTS:

¼” slice of fresh ginger root (about 1 tsp.)

6 black peppercorns

10 whole cloves

2 tsp. cinnamon (or 1 3″ stick broken up)

1 tsp. cardamom seeds

3/4 tsp. fennel seeds

DIRECTIONS:  Place all ingredients in a blender or spice grinder (I use a dedicated cheap coffee grinder for spices) and grind until all is pretty fine.  Store in a lidded jar in a dark cabinet or your refrigerator if you’re worried about the ginger.   To make tea from this spice blend, boil your water in a proper teakettle and add your teabag(s) or loose tea in an infuser (my pot has a built-in infuser that lifts in and out).  Add 1 tsp. Chai Spice Blend to the infuser along with your tea for every 2 cups of water/tea you want to serve.  Steep for 5 minutes with the lid on and serve in cups with milk or cream and sweetener of your choice.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:    Makes about 9 tsp. of spice blend, each teaspoon (amount to brew 2 cups chai tea) contains:

3 calories, 0.1 g  fat, 0.75 g carbs, 0.45 g  fiber, 0.3 g  NET CARBS, < 0.1g protein

Peggy’s Bulletproof Tea

Peggy 2 Comments

Bulletproof Earl Gray Tea

                 Bulletproof Earl Gray Tea

This one is for you hot tea lovers out there.  I have long put coconut oil, cream and sweetener in coffee.  But two months ago, I ditched coffee for tea so I could start consuming fewer and less-frequent dairy products.  One morning not long ago I decided to see what coconut oil tasted like in hot tea.  Malheureusement, I discovered I was out of regular tea bags, but had lots of Earl Gray tea on hand.  So I thought, what the heck and brewed up a small pot.  I spooned in a dab of coconut oil a pinch of my pure stevia and MAN, was that ever good!  I love this so much I decided I just had to share it with my readers!  I’ve been drinking it every morning (and some afternoons) ever since I made this tasty discovery.   I’m totally addicted.  Not quite the classic “bulletproof coffee ” recipe circulating the internet, but kind of similar, thus the name.  🙂  This recipe is so good for you as we low-carbers know well that coconut oil has so MANY health benefits.  And the aromatic flavors blended just seemed to complement each other!

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 sachet/bag of Earl Gray tea (or 2 tsp. loose tea leaves in an infuser)

1 tsp. extra virgin coconut oil

Pinch pure stevia (or sweetener of choice to taste)

DIRECTIONS:  Bring a kettle of water to boil over high heat.   Place tea bag in a tea pot.  You can alternately use loose tea leaves in a infuser.  Pour boiling water over the tea to fill a 3-cup teapot.  Place lid on pot and steep tea for just 1-2 minutes.  Longer really isn’t necessary.  Serve each cup of tea with 1 tsp. coconut oil melted on top.  If desired, use your favorite sweetener to taste.  ENJOY!  🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 3 cup of tea, each contains:

41 calories

3.4 g fat

0.42 g carbs, 0.0 g fiber, 0.42 g NET CARBS

0.0 g protein

0 sodium

Savory Casserole Topping

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Savory Casserole Topping                                               Shown on a Green Bean Casserole

This crunchy topping for casseroles was inspired by Jennifer Eloff’s Casserole Topping recipe.  I added several ingredients that make it quite crunchy and alter the flavor a bit (nuttier tasting).  I can see many uses for this savory crumble topping in my future as my first trial with this, on a classic green bean casserole, was amazing!  I’m simply amazed it doesn’t just sink into the beans, but it doesn’t!  Stays right on top and just gets crunchier the more you brown it!   This recipe isn’t suitable until you get to the grains level or Atkins at or near Maintenance.  Substitute coconut flour to eliminate grains totally, but this will alter the taste considerably.

Green Bean Casserole

Looks good, huh?

INGREDIENTS:

½ c. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

1/3 c. Jennifer Eloff’s Splendid Low Carb Bake Mix

2 T. unsalted butter

10 medium-size pork rinds

1 T. toasted, dehydrated (or fresh, slivered) shallots

¼ tsp. my Cajun Seafood Spice Blend

1 T. hemp hearts (optional, adds a nutty flavor)

DIRECTIONS:   Toss all ingredients into a food processor or blender and pulse 4-5 times to reduce it to a crumbly mixture.  Don’t get it too fine however.  Sprinkly topping over casserole and bake per recipe directions for that casserole. Makes enough to top one family-sized casserole.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  I’m providing numbers for the entire recipe.  Divide these numbers by the number of servings you usually get out of the casserole you have put this on to figure out what the topping adds to one serving.

Entire Recipe contains:  697 calories, 57 g fat, 8.4 g carbs, 3.2 g fiber, 5.2 g NET CARBS  (halve numbers if only half recipe of this needed for casserole), 37.9 g protein, 575 mg sodium

Herb Spice Blend

Peggy 2 Comments

This aromatic herbal blend I created to bake chicken, but I’ve since discovered it’s nice on baked fish or pork, too.  I figure since I tend to reach for the same herbs and spices to bake chicken over and over, why not create my own blend?  This blend, of course, would be suitable for all ketogenic diets.

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:

Shallot-HerbBakedChicken

Shown on my delicious Shallot-Herb Baked Chicken

1 T. dried tarragon leaves, crushed

1 T. dried rosemary leaves, crushed

1 tsp.dried thyme leaves, crushed

2 T. dried parsley, crushed  (or ¼ c. fresh, chopped fine)

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes or dash cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tsp. Victoria Gourmet No-Salt Lemon Pepper

DIRECTIONS:   Mix all ingredients well in a bowl.  Stir well.  Spoon into a tightly lidded jar.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 16 teaspoons.  Each teaspoon has:

3.5 calories

0.03 g  fat

0.62 g  carbs; 0.09 g  fiber, 0.53 g NET CARBS

0.06 g  protein

210 mg sodium

Raspberry Coulis

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Raspberry CoulisThis wonderful sauce made from fresh or frozen raspberries can be used in many ways.  Coulis is usually made without the seeds.  But I don’t like to strain those out unless I’m putting on the dog for company, as there is so much healthy fiber in those seeds.  Your call on that one, but leaving the seeds in gives you an added fiber deduction on the carb count! 🙂  This recipe makes about 1 cup of raspberry coulis, or 48 tsp. total  That will top many scones, cookies, biscuits, a cheesecake, or float pretty liqueur-soaked poached pears or simply some sauteed apples!  You can get creative with this sauce. 🙂

This recipe is suitable once you get to Phase 2 Atkins OWL or for Keto diets if you can fit in the carbs.  It is suitable for Paleo-Primal if you use a plan-suitable thickener like chia seed gel.

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

DISCLAIMER: By personal choice, I do not accept payment for this book promotion nor for the inclusion of my recipes therein. I do so merely because they are GREAT cookbooks any low-carb cook would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries (with juice)

3/4 c. sugar equivalent your favorite sweetener (I used ½ c. erythritol + ¼ c. Splenda)

about ¼ tsp. xanthan gum (or your favorite thickener

DIRECTIONS:   Place the fruit in a medium saucepan.  Add your sweetener.  Bring to a simmer and lower to medium low heat.  You can run it through a sieve to remove seeds, but I don’t bother as I don’t mind getting that added fiber. 😉  Simmer slow, stirring constantly, until it thickens to your liking for the intended purpose.  Use for your application (either warm or chilled).  Refrigerate any unused sauce in a lidded jar.  Should keep about 5-7 days.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:    Makes 1 cup or 48 tsp.  Each teaspoon contains:

3.25 calories

0.03 g  fat

0.77 g  carbs, 0.39 g  fiber, 0.38 g  NET CARBS

0.06 g  protein

trace sodium

Mayonado Dip

Peggy 2 Comments

I always have the ingredients around the house for this favorite snack.  We call this one MAYONADO.  Nothing like coining your own words!  I fixed a favorite to stand in as our salad with our Italian Bolognese Penne dinner tonight.   My husband brought home 6 avocados at the grocery store that were discounted because they were already getting pretty ripe and one was past its prime.  I knew I needed to use that one tonight for sure! 

I’ve combined mayonnaise with avocado for various purposes but never added Ranch® style flavoring to the mélange before.  Man, is that ever good!  This dip is great on cucumber slices, but would be great for dipping cherry tomatoes, raw cauliflower, broccoli flowerets, sliced yellow squash, zucchini slices, carrot & celery sticks.  It would make a tasty dip for fried chicken strips or French fries, too.  The shawarma spice really adds something special and then the Ranch® seasoning………….well……takes it to a whole new level  This recipe is Atkins Induction friendly and suitable for all keto diets, Primal and Paleo.

INGREDIENTS:

1 small avocado, peeled and pitted

6 T. my homemade Shawarma mayonnaise

1 oz. yellow or white onion

Dash salt

few drops lemon or lime juice to prevent discoloring of the avocado

1 T. my Ranch Dressing Powder Blend

DIRECTIONS:  Peel and seed the avocado.  Place the flesh into a blender or processor with all the other ingredients.  Pulse until it it smooth.   Serve any of the above mentioned ways or get creative and think of new applications for this delightful concoction!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes about 10 T.  Each tablespoon contains:

90.4 cals, 9.2g fat, 4.29g carbs, 2.08g fiber, 2.21g NET CARBS, 0.62g protein, 19 mg sodium

Pink Cream Sauce

Peggy 16 Comments

Pink Cream Sauce A quick sauce many chefs like to use in a variety of ways.  It’s good on fish, chicken, some vegetables and even scrambled eggs.  This sauce is Atkins Induction friendly and a pleasant way to change up those boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  If you’re at the Atkins Phase 2, 1-2 T. of white wine is good added to this sauce.  This sauce is suitable for Paleo-Primal diners only if you use coconut milk instead of heavy cream.  This sauce compliments steamed asparagus and steamed cauliflower very nicely.

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

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

INGREDIENTS:

1 T.  butter

2 T. tomato paste

1 c. heavy cream (or coconut milk for Primal-Paleo)

Dash black pepper

Dash salt

Optional:  1-2 T. white or rose wine (not for those still on Induction)

DIRECTIONS:    In a small saucepan, melt the tablespoon of butter.  If using, add white wine (not for Induction).  Add tomato paste and stir to blend well.  Add salt and black pepper.  Slowly stir in the cream, a couple tablespoons at a time until tomato paste is thinning down a bit.  Slowly add rest of cream in small increments, stirring constantly until sauce is thickened and will coat the spoon/spatula.  Pour into gravy boat and serve at once over chicken, fish, vegetables or scrambled eggs.  Optional garnish:  chopped parsley or tarragon flakes.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:   Makes 4 servings, each contains: (calculated using all heavy cream)

237 calories

25 g  fat

3.17 g  carbs, 0.32 g  fiber, 2.85 g  NET CARBS

1.6 g protein

 90 mg sodium

Asian Honey Marinade

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Click to enlarge

Shown on a roasted duck

I roasted the most delicious duck in the oven recently.  I used a slightly sweet Asian-style marinade  that was delicious on it.  I used Boyajian infused oils, but few will have those on hand, so I took the liberty of substituting fresh garlic and chile paste into the recipe and calculated my numbers below accordingly. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and acceptable for Paleo-Primal followers if you use real honey rather than the sugar-free variety.

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

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 c. homemade chicken stock

2 T. sugar-free honey (I use Honey Tree I buy at Walmart.  Use real honey if Paleo or Primal))

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

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp. hot chile paste

½ clove minced garlic

DIRECTIONS:  In a 9×13 plastic container, glass dish or gallon zip plastic bag.   Mix the marinade ingredients right in the dish or bag.  Add your duck, chicken or pork ribs.  Manipulate the bag so that the marinade gets onto all surfaces of the meat.  Marinate for about 1 hour in the refrigerator, mixing the pieces of meat in the bag again after 30 minutes.  Oven bake or grill your duck, chicken or pork until properly cooked. OPTIONAL:  Baste meat with marinade during cooking/grilling, but be sure you cook off the last application of sauce on both sides of the meat as the raw meat juices in it need to cook off properly.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes enough to marinade & baste 1 duck, 1 whole chicken or a rack of pork ribs.

8.3  calories

0.08 g  fat

0.38 g  carbs, 0.03 g fiber, 0.35 g  NET CARBS

0.33 g  protein

110 mg sodium

Sriracha Aioli

Peggy 2 Comments

Sriracha Aioli

Sriracha Aioli

A buttery aioli (mayonnaise-based) sauce is a lovely compliment to grilled seafood or grilled chicken.  This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and Keto diets.  It is not suitable for Primal-Paleo lifestyles unless you can find a recipe for homemade Sriracha sauce.

DIRECTIONS:  Process the following ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.  Scrape into serving dish and place in refrigerator until shrimp is grilled and you are ready to serve.

INGREDIENTS: 

½ stick butter, melted (2 oz.)

1 jalapeno, seeded, ribs removed (optional)

1/3 c. Homemade Mayonnaise

½ c. fresh cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

Dash each salt and pepper

½ clove garlic, minced

Dash smoked chipotle  chile powder

¼-1 tsp. Sriracha sauce (to your taste)

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 10 tablespoons or 5 servings of 2 T. each.  Each serving contains:

231 calories

25.4g fat

1.5 g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 1 g NET CARBS

0.6g protein

77 mg sodium

Bacon Gravy with Kale

Peggy 7 Comments

Bacon Gravy with Kale

Bacon Gravy with Kale

I felt like eating bacon gravy for breakfast today, rather than my usual sausage gravy.  And as I knew neither lunch nor dinner tonight would involve any Vitamin K for my hubby (he has to eat a little bit of Vitamin K each day), I decided to throw in a bit of finely chopped kale to see what that was like.  Well, it was delicious, although the kale took a rear seat to the bacon and green onion flavors. I would definitely make this new breakfast gravy again and it’s sooooooo nutritious with that little bit of kale thrown in the mix.  Hubby gave it a thumbs-up, too!  I served it at breakfast over toast, but I see potential for this being served over baked or broiled fish or chicken as well.  🙂 this recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins (using an Induction-friendly bread) and for Keto diets.  Primal diners could enjoy this occasionally as well.  Paleo folks will want to sub in coconut milk or almond milk for the cream.

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

DISCLAIMER: I am not paid for this book promotion nor for the inclusion of my recipes therein.  I do so merely because they are GREAT cookbooks any low-carb cook would be proud to add to their cookbook collection

INGREDIENTS:

1/3  lb. bacon (about 6 slices)

3/4 c. kale (1 medium leaf), stemmed and chopped fine

2 large green onions, chopped

1 c. heavy cream

1 c. water

Dash salt and black pepper

xanthan gum or your favorite thickener (optional)

DIRECTIONS:   Coarsely chop the bacon and brown in a non-stick skillet.  Add the kale and saute over high heat until it begins to get limp (about 2 minutes).  Add the green onion and saute 1 minute to soften. Reduce heat to medium and add the cream, water and seasonings.  As it simmers, lightly dust the surface with xanthan gum and wait to allow it to thicken.  Dust again if necessary to get it as thick as you like, waiting a minute between additions.  Less is always better when it comes to xanthan gum, lest you end up with a slimy gravy.  😉  Serve at once over low-carb toast as shown, or low-carb biscuits.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:    Makes 4 generous servings, each contains: (numbers below DO NOT include the toast, biscuit or whatever meat/recipe you serve this on)

387 calories

39 g  fat

4.12 g  carbs, .6 g  fiber, 3.52 g  NET CARBS

6.2 g  protein

382 mg sodium

Ranch® Buttermilk Dressing (or dip)

Peggy 9 Comments

Ranch Buttermilk Dressing

Ranch® Buttermilk Dressing

Ranch Dip for Veggie Tray

Ranch® Dip for Veggie Tray

I finally came up with a homemade 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 and not too heavy on salt 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 way 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.

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

Ranch Dressing Powder Blend

Peggy 10 Comments

Ranch Dressing Powder Blend

My husband loves Ranch Buttermilk Dressing on his salads, so I decided to take equal amounts of the herbs I had on hand that I suspect are in the Hidden Valley commercial blend and see what I could come up with.  Since the onion and garlic taste are so pronounced, I have added a lot of those two ingredients.  🙂

You will find dehydrated buttermilk powder in a small can in the baking aisle of your grocery store.  Most carry it.  If you can’t find it, just mix the herbs and spices.  There won’t be a buttermilk taste in the spice blend, but if using to make dressing, you can follow this Ranch Salad Dressing recipe, which I will be posting very soon.

This recipe is suitable for Atkins Induction, Keto dieters and Primal followers that consume some dairy.  One tablespoon of this blend should be equivalent to 1 envelope of the commercial powder mix.  1 envelope is enough to season 1 cup of the mayo-sour cream base for making the well-known salad dressing.  Of course, you can always add more if you like, since the net carbs are low.

TIP:  You can use fresh herbs for a better taste, but I’d make up half as much as it won’t keep so well using fresh herbs.  Use approximately double the shown amounts below if you use fresh herbs.  But know that it won’t keep in your refrigerator longer than the fresh herbs keep, the fresh parsley will be the first to spoil on you.  For this reason,, I double bag mine in plastic and freeze.  Then I break off a clump and defrost when I want 1 T. or so for a recipe.  If you use dried herbs as listed below, this blend should keep a long time in a tightly lidded jar in your spice rack/cabinet.  The buttermilk powder is room-temperature stable.

INGREDIENTS

1 T. dried chives  (or 2 T. fresh)

1 tsp. – 1 T. dried dill weed  (I prefer 1 tsp., personally, as I’m not fond of dill)

1 T. dried parsley (or 2 T. fresh)

½ tsp. dried thyme (or 1 tsp. fresh)

1 T. onion powder

1 T. garlic powder

1 tsp. coarse black pepper

1 T. dehydrated buttermilk powder

¼ tsp. salt (more if you like, but I’m salt sensitive)

DIRECTIONS:  Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process to a fine powdery mixture (won’t be so powdery if you use any fresh herbs).  If fresh herbs are used, you need to refrigerate and use this mix up in about a week, or freeze it flat in a plastic bag.  Then you can just pinch/break off (still frozen) what you need for a small batch of dressing or a recipe. 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 8 T. each contains:

12.3 cals, 0.11g fat, 2.42g carbs, 0.38g fiber, 2.04g NET CARBS, 0.73g protein, 80 mg sodium

Chipotle Chile Sauce

Peggy Leave a comment

Chipotle Chile Sauce

This versatile sauce has a simply AMAZING flavor!   It’s wonderful as a green salad dressing.  It’s marvelous on Grilled Fish Tacos.  It makes a lovely dip for raw vegetables on a party tray.  It’s a wonderful dip for low-carb “Potato Chips” (from sliced, fried jicama).  It’s scrumptious on grilled burgers and even steaks for a Mexican flair.  It’s great on turkey and chicken sandwiches.  It’s even very tasty on scrambled eggs!  It’s to-die-for on hamburgers!  Shall I go on?   Needless to say, but I think I’m addicted to this stuff.  LOL.   It is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal followers.  It is not suitable for Paleo with the sour cream in it, but you could use all homemade mayo and it would then be suitable.  🙂

Many more delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own copy of our cookbooks  LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS.  Special sale going on right now on the complete 10-volume set ($9.99 per volume)!  Order your set or individual volumes from Amazon  or our direct order site: amongfriends.us/order.php.

INGREDIENTS:

½ c. homemade mayonnaise

½ c. sour cream

½ tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. my Smoky Chipotle Spice Blend

1 small chipotle chile pepper (in adobo sauce in the can), rinsed, seeded and mashed (about 1″ long)

Dash salt

DIRECTIONS:   Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and serve at once.  Keeps well in the refrigerator and can be stored for a week or a little longer.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:    Makes 1 c. total for 4 servings.  Each ¼ c. serving contains:

263 cals, 28.2g fat, 1.97g carbs, 0.37g fiber, 1.6g NET CARBS, 1.7g protein, 272 mg sodium

Einkorn Low-Carb Bake Mix

Peggy 47 Comments

Einkorn Bake Mix

This is a low-carb complete baking mix, with shortening included.  It bakes just like Bisquick and CarbQuik.  I have added a small amount of ground Einkorn wheat for flavor and texture benefits.  Einkorn is one of the oldest forms of wheat whose grain has not been hybridized or genetically modified.  Einkorn is said to have less of a detrimental effect on blood glucose levels and the gut than modern wheat and is even tolerated by people sensitive to wheat products.  Modern wheat is partially to blame for the obesity problem we see in America today.   I make no promises regarding performance of this mix other than those recipes I have posted, but so far it exchanges 1 for 1 for  Bisquick/Carbquik with success.  All posted recipes using the mix will have ‘Einkorn’ as the first word in the name of the recipe.  This insures it is listed when you click the “Einkorn Flour Experiments” category on the right side of page or type Einkorn in the search box.

Added note:  I try to restrict use to ¼ c. (rarely up to ½ c.) to limit those carbs.

PRODUCT INFORMATION (much more info on Jovial Foods website)

EINKORN FLOUR – ¼ CUP

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EinkornStats

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This bake mix has evolved from my personal experience with low-carb baking ingredients, how they tend to act in the oven and what ratios to use them in to produce tasty baked goods.  I think I finally have the ratios about right.  This bake mix produced a very nice vanilla cake that serves 2 people.  It was moist, tasty, spongy, and had a nice crumb somewhere between a commercial box mix cake and a pound cake in texture.  This cake makes lovely Strawberry Shortcake.  I can see many uses for this 2-serving treat.  🙂    The texture is quite smooth, too.  Click here to see the recipe:  Individual (2-serving) Vanilla Cake .

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Einkorn Individual Vanilla Cake [shown is 1½ recipes of this cake.  Cake on the left is 1 recipe.

This is a very large recipe of bake mix and you may prefer to make only a half batch to start out with if you want to experiment with it.  You SHOULD be able to use this mix as a substitute in any Bisquick or Carbquik recipes.  You should also be able to replace the flour+leavening+shortening in your regular baking recipes successfully with this, but never lose sight of the fact that all substitutions in recipes are ‘experiments’.

I would first try it in a favorite recipe, so fewer ingredients will be wasted if the test is a fail.  Feel free to post links to pictures of your experiments with this mix in the comment section.  We’d all love to learn from your experiences.  🙂

MIX INGREDIENTS:  (I recommend making NO SUBSTITUTIONS)

5 c. almond flour

2 c. plain whey protein powder (I use NOW brand)

1 c. Einkorn flour

1 c. oat flour  (ground from 1¼ c. rolled oats unless you can buy it pre-ground)

¼ c. oat fiber

1 tsp. glucomannan powder

3 T. baking powder

2 tsp. cream of tartar

2 tsp. salt

1½ c. palm shortening (I order at Tropical Traditions)

DIRECTIONS:  Grind the oats into flour in your food processor or blender as fine as you can get it.  Place the oat flour into a large mixing bowl. Measure out all remaining dry ingredients and stir well.  Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut the shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal.  Place in a lidded container.  Can be stored on the counter safely as palm shortening is very stable at room temperature and has a very long shelf life.  If you decide to store in the refrigerator, be aware the shortening will firm up and cause the mix to clump a bit.  So you need to set it out, bring to room temperature and re-work with a fork in a bowl to evenly distribute shortening clumps before attempting to measure for use in recipes.

BAKE MIX NUTRITIONAL INFO:     Makes 11 cups of mix.  ½ cup mix contains:

338 calories, 28.2 g  fat, 15.99 g  carbs, 4.6 g fiber, 11.39 g  NET CARBS, 14.5 g  protein, 170 mg sodium

Tzatziki

Peggy 6 Comments

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Greek Tzatziki

This well-known Greek sauce is one of those recipes I’ve been meaning to put up on my site for ages and ages and just kept forgetting to do it.  This year I’m really trying to get to posting all those recipes I make often but are the meal “extras” and not the “main attraction”.   This is typical condiment with Greek food and  Middle Eastern/Mediterranean grilled beef or lamb kebabs and ground beef/lamb koftas.  It’s also great on tuna, salmon or crab cakes or on shawarma gyros-type sandwich wraps.  I’ve even used this sauce on cucumber-tomato salads as a dressing!  It’s ever so simple to make, too!

Be sure to squeeze out as much water from your grated cucumber as you can before combining all the ingredients or else it will bleed out its water into the sauce and really weaken the flavor and spoil the appearance.  This recipe is not suitable for Induction due to the yogurt, but you could make it with all sour cream and enjoy 2-3 Tbsp.  This sauce is suitable for other Keto diets and Primal Blueprint (occasionally), but not at all Paleo approved.

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

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

INGREDIENTS:

1 large 8-9″ cucumber, peeled, seeded and grated

1 c. drained or Greek yogurt, or half yogurt and half sour cream (my personal preference), or all sour cream (for lower carbs)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T. yellow onion, minced finely

½ tsp. dried dill weed (or 2 sprigs fresh, chopped)

½ tsp. dried mint (or 1 T. fresh, chopped fine)

Dash each salt and black pepper

DIRECTIONS:  At least 1 hour before serving, peel the cucumber.  Cut in half and seed with a spoon.  Grate the cucumber onto paper toweling double thick or even better, place it in a clean cotton woven kitchen towel (not terry cloth, please).  Blot the water away with paper towels or wrap, twist and squeeze it in the kitchen towel to remove all water.  You want to get as much water out as you can.  Add the cucumber to a medium bowl.  Add all remaining ingredients and stir well.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.  If it bleeds out more water, blot it from around the edges with a paper towel, stir and serve.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes about 2 cups or 4 servings (perhaps more depending on how much people eat).  1/4 of the batch contains:

102 calories

8.1 g  fat

4.6 g  carbs, .8 g  fiber, 3.8 g  NET CARBS

3.2 g. protein

110 mg sodium

Asian Dipping Sauce

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Asian Dipping Sauce

This versatile Chinese-style dipping sauce is good for pork patties, Chinese dumplings, Korean BBQ and for using on various Chinese stir fries.  You can play around with the amount of peanut butter and Sambal Oelek chili sauce in this and change the overall flavor and spiciness to suite your taste.  This sauce is not suitable until the Atkins Phase 2 OWL level.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. creamy natural peanut butter (I use Laura Scudder’s)

2 T. rice wine vinegar

1 tsp. ginger root, minced fine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. Sambal Oelek chili sauce (or to taste)

2-3 drops liquid stevia or sucralose

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

1 T. green onion (finely minced)

2 T. water

DIRECTIONS:  Stir the peanut butter into the sesame oil until smooth.  Add all remaining ingredients and serve with Chinese dumplings, Korean BBQ or other Asian marinated grilled pork or beef.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes about 1/2 c. sauce (8 Tbsp.).

23 calories

1.45 g  fat

.91 g  carbs, .08 g  fiber, .83 g  NET CARBS

.32 g  protein

71 mg sodium

34 mg potassium

Horseradish Sauce (for beef)

Peggy 2 Comments

Horseradish Sauce

Horseradish Sauce

I’m not personally fond of horseradish sauce with my prime rib roast.  It’s an acquired taste I just never acquired.   🙂  I much prefer the “au jus” natural gravy the roasts make.  But my husband really likes it and this is the recipe he prefers.  This sauce is suitable for all phases of Atkins.  Here’s my foolproof oven-baked Perfect Rib Roast recipe if you’d like to try it sometime.

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

DISCLAIMER: By personal choice, I do not receive money for this book promotion nor for the inclusion of my recipes therein. I do so merely because they are GREAT cookbooks any low-carb cook would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. sour cream

1 T. horseradish

1 T. mayonnaise (I use homemade)

Dash salt and black pepper

DIRECTIONS:  Stir all ingredients together, chill and serve with rib roasts, New England Boiled Beef, or grilled steaks.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes eight servings.  Each 2-Tbsp. serving contains:

75 calories

7.5 g  fat

1.46 g  carbs, .06 g  fiber, 1.4 g  NET CARBS

.97 g  protein