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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).

Focaccia #2

Peggy Leave a comment

One cannot celebrate Italian food without thinking of their iconic focaccia bread.  Oh, the sandwiches one can create with it!  It is so versatile it is used in many ways but quite honestly, is delicious buttered right out of the oven with nothing else.  My inspiration for this 8-seed garlic version of my focaccia bread recipe was a photo of a seeded bagel recipe I saw somewhere on the net.  The texture of this sheet focaccia is soft, and it is very much like real focaccia.  Not at all grainy or coarse as is the crumb of many low-carb breads.  If serving to company, I like to skip the baking pan conformity and with a rubber spatula, shape the dough thicker into a smaller, somewhat irregular-edged oblong shape for a more ‘haphazard’ thrown-on-the pan look.  That makes calculating nutritional almost impossible, as the pieces will be irregular in shape/size.  But hey, it’s for company, so I cut a few corners on such occasions.

This recipe is not suitable until you are well into Phase 2 (OWL, Ongoing Weight Loss) of Atkins due to the ingredients in the bake mix.  This recipe is OK for other Keto diets if it can fit into your daily macro number limits.  This sheet bread can be cut differently (like bread sticks for hummus or soup).  Take the “entire recipe” numbers and divide by the number of portions you get for the particular cut on the sheet to get your ‘per piece’ (estimated) nutritional numbers.

INGREDIENTS:

2 oz. cream cheese

2½ c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1 c. blanched almond flour

1 T. baking powder

½ c. my new Buttoni’s Low-Carb Bake Mix

2 large eggs, beaten

1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

TOPPING:  1 T. melted butter brushed on and then sprinkle on 1 tsp. Italian seasoning (or my  8-seed blend). 

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º.  Lightly oil an 8″x11″ metal baking pan. Set aside for now.  Measure out onto a paper plate the almond flour, bake mix and baking powder.  Stir them together well and set aside.  In a glass or ceramic bowl, place the mozzarella and cream cheese.  Place bowl in microwave and cook on HI for about 2 minutes.  Stir, adding a few more seconds of cooking if cheese is not fully melted.  Remove from microwave, add flour mix, minced garlic, and beaten eggs.  Stir quickly with a fork (while cheese is still hot and pliable).  When it begins to form a single ball of dough, moisten hands with a bit of water or oil (as it is sticky if you don’t) and knead into a smooth ball.  Press into oiled 8×11 pan as evenly as you can.  Sprinkle on the 8-seed blend.  Pop into preheated 350º oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown (to your liking) on top. Remove and brush with the tablespoon of melted butter over the top.  Cut into 8 portions and serve at once.  This would make delicious sandwiches so I am providing numbers below for entire recipe for alternate baking pan size or slicing methods.  You will need to re-calculate nutritional “per serving” numbers if you change the indicated slicing suggestion.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 8 small slices.  1/8 recipe contains:

265 calories, 20g fat, 6.92g carbs, 2.21g fiber, 4.71g NET CARBS, 16.3g protein, 379mg sodium

ENTIRE RECIPE CONTAINS:  2118 cals, 161.8g fat, 55.4g carbs, 17.7g fiber, 37.63g NET CARBS, 130.1g protein, 3032 mg sodium. Dived these by the number of cut servings you get a per serving value.

Chicken Bolognese

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Traditional Chicken Bolognese is made with ground chicken that is put directly into a good Bolognese spaghetti sauce.  But I find the chicken flavor frankly gets lost in that co-habitation arrangement.  This dish is how I think the chicken can shine and it is actually easy to prepare (provided you have the spaghetti meat sauce on hand).  It is quite tasty this way and makes a nice plated dish for serving to company.   This extremely nutritious dinner is suitable for your Atkins Phase I Induction menu rotations provided you omit the bit of red wine. Each serving consists of 5 oz. raw chicken breast, which cooks down to about 4.5 oz.  Of course, you may choose to use larger portions of chicken for the men at the table, but the 4 oz. portions fill me up quite nicely.

INGREDIENTS: 

20 oz. deboned chicken breast, skinless (4 oz. per serving after cooking)

1 c. low-carb spaghetti meat sauce (I used spaghetti meat sauce)

4 basil leaves, chopped

4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

½ c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 oz. (2 T.) red wine (omit for Induction compliance)

2 T. olive oil

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Pound the chicken breasts with a meat cleaver between two sheets of plastic wrap until they are just about ¼-3/8″ thick.  Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet and sear the chicken on both sides until golden and nearly done.  Turn off heat.  Spoon ¼ c. meat sauce over each of the four pieces of browned chicken.  Next drizzle ½ T. red wine over each serving.   Next sprinkle ¼ of the chopped basil on each piece, followed by 1 oz. of mozzarella on each.  Finally sprinkle the top of each portion with 2 T. Parmesan.    Pop that skillet into your preheated 350º oven.  Bake 20 minutes to finish off.  Serve with your favorite green vegetable or a nice green salad.  If I have some Oopsie Rolls in the fridge, I love to make some low-carb garlic bread to serve with this.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 4 servings, each contains:

475 calories, 28.4 g  fat, 6.4 g  carbs, 1.3 g  fiber, 5.1 g NET CARBS, 45.7 g  protein, 702 mg sodium

Porcini-Portobello Braised Chicken

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Oh my goodness, does my husband ever like this recipe.  If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, I locked it up with this creation.   Porcini mushrooms have a very ‘beefy’ taste and are quite potent, so don’t use too many of them in any dish or you may be disappointed in the results.  

This recipe is a little on the carb-y side as I added 1½ cups  AlDente brand “Carba Nada” low-carb fettucini noodles to the pan.  They soaked up the the rich broth flavors quite nicely.  Clearly that makes this recipe unsuitable for Atkins Induction.  But you could certainly cook some zucchini noodles on the side for a lower-carb option and enjoy this dish once you get to Phase 2 (due to the wine, which is not allowed until Phase 2).  You could even go a step farther and substitute more chicken broth for the wine and enjoy this during Induction Phase!  Won’t be quite as good, but doable early in the diet.  🙂  This dish has stellar flavor and I hope my readers will try it sometime.  We both have always enjoyed the flavor affinity of wine and thyme on chicken and beef dishes.  And this is yet another wine + thyme success.  🙂

INGREDIENTS:

4-5 dried Porcini mushrooms, rehydrated in hot water

2 large chicken breasts (or choice of chicken pieces for 4 portions)

¼ tsp. each coarse black pepper, salt, Spanish paprika and onion powder

2 T. unsalted butter

1 T. olive oil

3 oz. onion, slivered or chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 portobello mushroomgills removed & sliced (or 4 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained of liquid)

1 c. chicken broth (preferably homemade)

½ c. dry white wine (I used Chardonay)

1 tsp. dried thyme leaves (1 T. fresh, chopped)

¼ tsp. xanthan gum (or your favorite thickener)

1½ c. raw AlDente “Carba Nada” egg fettuccini noodles”  (about 1/3 of bag) [or use 4 c. zucchini noodles]

DIRECTIONS:  Soak the Porcini mushrooms in a small bowl of very hot water for about 30 minutes or until soft.  When soft, slice them, cutting away any tough stems.  Boil the Carba Nada noodles in a medium saucepan until tender but not quite done.  Drain water off noodles and set aside while you prepare the main dish.  Butterfly the chicken breasts so they will cook faster and to create 4 portions of meat.

Mix the black pepper, paprika and onion powder on a paper plate.  Sprinkle the chicken pieces on all sides with the spice mixture.  Heat a large skillet over high heat, melting the butter and oil together.  Sear the chicken pieces on all sides until golden (it will not be done yet).  Remove chicken temporarily to a plate.  Add the onion slices to the skillet and allow it to caramelize in the hot oil.  When the onion is softening and browning, next add the drained canned mushrooms, garlic, chicken broth, wine and thyme to the pan.

Bring to a boil and immediately lower heat to lowest setting so the contents of the pan are just simmering.    Whisk in the xanthan gum and let it begin to thicken for a couple minutes.  Gently stir in the partially cooked, drained noodles (if using), replace the chicken on top, cover pan with a lid and simmer for about 30 minutes on lowest heat possible or until chicken is done and noodles have absorbed most of the liquid (internal temp of 170º).   Remove lid and let dish breathe and moisture to evaporate from atop the chicken.  If substituting zucchini noodles, prepare those while the main skillet is in this final stage of cooking and add their value to the lower nutritional numbers below.   Serve with a nice green salad and enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:    Makes 4 servings, each contains (calculated using chicken breasts):

With Noodles:  412 calories, 19g fat, 13.75 g carbs, 4.27g fiber, 9.38g NET CARBS, 39.8 g protein and 714 mg sodium

Without Noodles:  377 calories, 18.5 g fat, 7.75 g carbs, 2.87 g fiber, 4.88 g NET CARBS, 36.8 g protein, 709 mg sodium

Mega Meatballs

Peggy Leave a comment

I don’t make meatballs very often, but my husband and I both like them.  Thought I’d post the recipe I use when I do make them.  The dish shown above not classic “saucy” Italian tomato gravy with meatballs, as actually very little sauce is put on each serving in the shown dish. But it is an adequate tomato relish there to make this a delightful dinner.

I’m providing the nutritional information for the individual parts of this, as many will use this meatball recipe with other sauces, serve it over other bases than the zucchini noodles and will use this thick veggie-heavy marinara sauce for other applications.  This dish is not suitable until Phase 2 Atkins due to the ricotta.  It is OK for Ketogenic diets.  It is however not acceptable for Primal-Paleo.

I like to make large batches of meatballs and freeze the extras for quick uses later on.  This recipe makes 20 meatballs or 10 servings of two meatballs.  Adjust your recipe as your needs dictate.

I absolutely love the Lucini “Rustic Tomato Basil Sauce” (no added sugar).  It’s made with all natural ingredients, has a lovely taste and I buy it for quick sauces and use it for quick pizza sauce.  It’s a great flavor foundation to build on.  🙂   It costs somewhere around $3.99/jar if I remember right.

MEATBALLS:

1 lb. ground beef (I used 90% lean grass-fed)

1 lb. ground pork

2 beaten eggs

½ c. ricotta cheese

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ tsp. each onion powder, crushed fennel seed and dried basil

½ tsp. dried oregano, crushed

1 clove minced garlic

¼ c. Parmesan cheese

MEATBALL DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Measure out all ingredients into a large bowl and mix together with fork or hand until well blended.  Form large 1½” balls by rolling in your palms.  Place them on either a non-stick baking sheet or one with a silicone sheet liner.  Bake at 350º for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned and no longer oozing pink juices.

QUICK MARINARA SAUCE:

3 T. olive oil

½ c. celery, chopped

4 oz. onion, chopped

¼ c. bell pepper, chopped

5 large mushrooms, chopped

1  25.5 oz. jar (3c.) Lucini “Rustic Tomato Basil Sauce”, all natural ingredients with 4 NC per ½c. serving

2/3 c. parsley, chopped

3/4-1c. water, as needed

DIRECTIONS FOR SAUCE:  Heat oil in skillet or large saucepan.  Add celery, onion and bell pepper and saute until nearly tender.  Add mushroom and saute until translucent. Add Lucini sauce, parsley and bring to a simmer on very low heat.  Cook on lowest setting while meatballs are baking.  Stir often, adding water, as needed, to prevent scorching on the bottom of the pan and to maintain a thin marinara sauce consistency.

ZUCCHINI NOODLES “Zoodles”:    VARIATIONS: Serve over spaghetti squash.           

3 medium zucchini (about 10 oz. each)

1 T. olive oil

DIRECTIONS FOR NOODLES:   Cut the zucchini into noodle shapes either with a hand held julienne peeler, a Vegetti, or a spiralizing tool like the counter-top Spirooli  that I used to use, but whose handle broke off.  Heat olive oil in non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.   Add zucchini threads to the pan and lightly saute just until they become translucent.  DO NOT OVERCOOK them or they will get mushy.

FINAL PLATING:  Plate about 1 cup zoodles on each plate.  Top with 1/2 c. sauce.  Place 2 meatballs on top and if desired, garnish with a sprinkle of grated fresh Parmesan.

MEATBALL NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 20 very large meatballs.  Two per serving.  Each 2-meatball serving contains:

290 calories, 23 g  fat, 1.18 g  carbs, .8 g  fiber, .38 g  NET CARBS and 20.2 g  protein, 155 mg sodium

SAUCE NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes ten 1/2 c. servings of sauce.  Each serving contains:

97 calories, 7.2 g  fat, 7.27 g  carbs, 1.93 g  fiber, 5.34 g  NET CARBS, 2.24 g  protein

ZUCCHINI NOODLES NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 10 servings of noodles.  Each 3 oz serving contains:

59 calories, 4.7 g  fat, 4.2 g  carbs, 1.4 g  fiber, 2.8 g  NET CARBS  1.5 g  protein

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

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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

Chicken Fajitas

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We usually do our fajitas (chicken or beef) on the grill, but it was kind of cold out this evening and I decided not to ask my husband to light a charcoal fire for this small meal and stand out in the cold cooking these.  Just did them in my searing skillet inside.  They came out fantastic.  If grilling the meat outside, I leave the pieces of chicken whole for easy turning on the grate and slice them up inside when ready to serve.  I didn’t measure my spices, but estimated 1 tsp. of each one.  This recipe is not suitable until you get past the first 2-wk. Phase 1 Induction of Atkins.

INGREDIENTS:

6 low-carb whole-wheat tortillas (I use Carb Sense from HEB)

2 large chicken breasts, deboned and skinned

3 T. total extra light olive oil or coconut oil

1 tsp. quality chipotle chile powder

1 tsp. smoked Spanish paprika

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

3 oz. slivered onion

Optional:  You can add bell peppers to the meat sauté but my husband is not a fan, so I didn’t.  If you like cilantro, a little chopped sprinkled onto each fajita is also good.

DIRECTIONS:  A couple hours before your meal, skin and debone the chicken breasts.  Boil the bones and skin to chop up for your pet and freeze the broth for soup making and recipes downstream.  Cut the chicken into long strips no more than 5/8″ wide.  If grilling meat, wait and cut into strips AFTER grilling.  Set meat aside a few minutes.

In a gallon Ziploc® bag (or bowl) mix the oil and spices, stirring well.  Add the chicken pieces and toss with a spoon (or manipulate the bag with your fingers to coat the meat well.  Zip the BAG  (or cover bowl with plastic wrap) and place in fridge a couple hours to marinate.

When ready to cook, warm your tortillas on defrost in the microwave on 50% power for 2 minutes (or in regular oven in a covered baking dish).  While those are warming, sliver the onion and have ready by stovetop.  Heat a non-stick large pan or seasoned cast iron skillet over high heat.  Lightly oil pan with remaining 1 T. olive oil and add the meat, sautéing until browned on first side of pieces.  Turn or stir meat to brown other surfaces of meat.  When nearly done, add the onion and sauté with the chicken until the onions begin to turn brown and caramelize.

If grilling, cook over a hot fire until meat is done, just like you would steak.  Sauté onions (and green pepper strips, if using) in 1 T. butter over medium-high heat.  Slice chicken and serve with sautéed onions/peppers when ready to serve at table.

Serve with steamed low-carb flour tortillas and optional cilantro.  To serve, dip some meat and onion/pepper mixture onto a tortilla.  Add cilantro if you like it.  I served these with a tasty guacamole salad.  Truth be told, I actually put the guacamole inside my fajita roll before rolling and eat it altogether!  Yummy!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 6 fajita rolls, each will contain:

168.33 cals, 10.03g fat, 14.26g carbs, 10.48g fiber, 3.78g NET CARBS, 14.4g protein, 430 mg sodium

Meatza-Meatza® Quiche

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Though I have many more delicious egg recipes on my site, this post will wrap up my blast from the past on eggs today.  Low carbers do not lack for quiche recipes, that’s a fact. Jack.  This one my husband liked better than a lot I have created.  “Just the right ratio on the ingredients” he said.  I have to agree.  This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto, Primal and Paleo followers.

INGREDIENTS:

3 large eggs, beaten

1 link diced smoked sausage

6 oz. pork bulk breakfast sausage

2 green onions, chopped

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Brown the breakfast sausage over high heat in a small non-stick skillet.  Add the smoked sausage and continue to cook on medium heat until it, too has cooked.  Add the green onion and saute a a couple minutes.  Remove from heat and slowly pour the beaten eggs over all.  Pop into hot oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until it puffs up and is firm in the center.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 3 servings, each contains:

392.3 cals, 31.1 g fat, 2.13 g carbs, 0.43 g fiber, 1.7 g  NET CARBS, 24.8 g  protein, 917 mg sodium

Greek Moussaka

Peggy 2 Comments

Greek Moussaka

This recipe is not for induction due to the flour in the topping.  If you want to try using xanthan gum or guar gum to thicken the topping instead, those on Induction could have this wonderful dish.  I’d use about 1/4 tsp. and wait and see in a couple minutes how thick it gets.  If too thin, add about another 1/4 tsp.  Remember to either lightly dust the xanthan gum into the sauce gradually, stirring constantly, or mix it into the melted butter up front.  I’ve been making this same recipe for nigh on to 40 years.  The Carbalose flour is the only low-carb change I had to make to the original recipe!  Once I made this version of Moussaka, I simply quit looking for BETTER Moussaka recipes.  It’s as good as any I ever ate in Greece or Greek restaurants here in the U.S.  As a low-carber, I cannot put the layers of sliced potatoes into my Moussaka.  Sigh.

If already in  Atkins Phase 2 ‘OWL’, a couple tablespoons of red wine added to the tomatoes is a very good flavor addition, but this is not included in nutritional info below.   This recipe takes a little time to prepare, but makes an excellent dish for company with a nice Greek salad.  This casserole freezes well and just seems to get better tasting for doing so!

CASSEROLE INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. sliced eggplant

1/3 c. olive oil

½ yellow onion, chopped

16 oz. canned tomatoes, crushed well

1½ lb. lean ground beef

¼ tsp salt

Dash black pepper

½ tsp. oregano

Pinch cinnamon

1 clove minced garlic

1 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Pinch salt

2 T. red wine (optional if beyond Induction Phase)

TOPPING INGREDIENTS:

¼ c. butter, melted

5 T. Carbalose Flour or Carbquick (use 100% certified gluten-free oat flour for gluten-free version)

½ c. heavy cream

1 c. water

¼ tsp. salt

Dash white pepper

¼ tsp. nutmeg

2 beaten eggs

2 tsp. lemon juice

¼ c. crumbled feta cheese

DIRECTIONS:  Soak eggplant slices in salted water 20 minutes.  Drain and pat dry on paper towels.   Preheat oven to 450º.  Grease oblong casserole dish with olive oil or silicone lined baking sheet. Add eggplant, turning to coat on both sides with oil.  Bake 20 minutes.  Turn off oven and let eggplant stand while you do the next phase.  Alternate method, you can sear the eggplant in olive oil in a non-stick skillet.

Heat remaining olive oil in large skillet.  Add onion, garlic and saute 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add meat and sauté until no longer pink.   Carefully strain off grease onto the cooling eggplant.  Now add the tomatoes (and 2 T. red wine, if using) to the drained meat in the skillet.  Simmer 5-10 more minutes.  Turn off fire and let cool while you prepare the topping.

For the topping, melt the butter in medium skillet over medium heat.  Stir in the Carbalose flour and cook 1 minute.  Add water in a thin stream, stirring constantly to thin down the flour paste ever so gradually.  Add  salt, pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon.  Slowly stir in cream, simmer 1-2 more minutes and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease a 9×13 glass/ceramic casserole dish.  Layer 1/3 eggplant, 1/3 meat mixture, 1/3 Parmesan cheese (repeat 1-2 more times , until things run out).  Bake 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven.

In a bowl, beat the eggs and slowly whisk into the cooling cream topping mixture.  Add the lemon juice and crumbled feta cheese.  Taste and season with salt & white pepper to taste.  Carefully spoon over the half-baked casserole.  Sprinkle with nutmeg and pop back into oven until topping is beginning to puff and brown slightly, about 35 minutes or so.  Cool 10 minutes and cut into 8 squares.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 8 servings, each containing:

516 calories, 40 g  fat, 10.7 g  carbs, 3.8 g  fiber, 6.9 g NET CARBS, 30 g  protein, 770 mg sodium

Indian Cauliflower

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Click to enlarge

 

Took me awhile researching on the internet to find out what the black seeds often seen in this dish in restaurants were, but diligence was rewarded in the end.  They are nigella seeds, which go by a variety of other names as well.  The resulting experiment  came out pretty close in flavor to the dish served in many Indian restaurants, so I’m quite pleased.  We served it with charbroiled chicken we had marinated in a Tandoori seasoning I just got out of an Indian cookbook.   The spices are available in a bottle from Middle Eastern or Indian groceries, but as there isn’t where I live, I must order my exotic spices from Penzey’s on-line.  This is an Atkins Induction suitable recipe also OK for other ketogenic lifestyles.

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole cauliflower (about 16 oz.)

½ stick butter

½ tsp. whole cumin seed

¼ tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. finely minced, peeled ginger root

1 tsp. black or brown mustard seed (totally different from yellow variety).

½ tsp. nigella seeds.

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Cut cauliflower into fairly large chunks.  Place in a steamer over ½-1″ water and steam until just barely tender (10 minutes or less).

In a separate skillet, melt butter and saute all spices until they are fragrant and mustard seeds begin to pop.   When cauliflower is just tender, lift out of steamer and toss into the spice mixture.  Stir to coat cauliflower well with buttery spices.  Serve with Middle Eastern foods or Indian curries.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Serves 4.  Each 4 oz. servings has:

136 cals, 12 g fat, 6.7 g carbs, 3.05 g fiber, 3.65 g NET CARBS, 2.68 g protein, 36.5 mg  sodium

Indian Chicken Saag (creamed spinach)

Peggy Leave a comment

I first tasted this delicious chicken dish when a new Indian restaurant opened here in my town. I had eaten Saag and Saag Paneer many times before, and make it often at home. However we had never seen it served as a combination with meat included, like an entrée curry. Needless to say, we both loved it! It was served with a cup of basmati rice and was enough to serve both of us generously. The chef served it with the saag already spooned over what appeared to be butter-seared chicken breasts, but it was not very attractive served that way, to be quite honest. I could clearly tell the breast meat had been seared first in butter as a bit of meat was peeking out from under his spooned over saag in the pretty copper & brass serving dish. I chose to serve the butter-seared chicken slices on top of the saag at home, for a little nicer photographic effect. I think you Indian food fans are really going to like this one!

This recipe is suitable for most ketogenic diets. Paleo followers will need to sub in coconut milk for the cream and omit the cream cheese entirely. won’t be quite as authentic, but still pretty good, I imagine.

INGREDIENTS:

16 oz. skinless chicken breast, cut into 6 servings

2 T. unsalted butter + 1 T. extra light olive oil

16 oz. frozen chopped spinach

Water to just cover spinach

3 oz. cream cheese

1/3 c. heavy cream

Dash each salt and black pepper

1 tsp. my Garam Masala spice blend

½ tsp. finely minced ginger root

½ c. cilantro, chopped

¼ tsp. onion powder (2 oz. fresh onion if you prefer)

½ large jalapeno, seeded, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350º. Melt butter with oil in large skillet. Sear chicken pieces in pan over high heat for about 5 minutes on a side or until golden as shown. When fully done, remove meat to a paper plate. Drain off all grease but 1 T. Add spinach and water to the same pan. Bring to simmer and cook until done, or about 5 minutes. Pour into a sieve to drain off water. Press with back of spoon to get as much out as possible. Replace spinach in skillet. Add cream cheese and with back of your spoon, press it out to melt it and stir well into spinach. Add all other ingredients and let simmer for about 4-5 minutes. Now it’s time to place the seared pieces of chicken on the top of the bed of saag. Pop into 350º oven for about 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Serve at once. I serve mine over steamed cauliflower pressed slightly with a fork. Non now-carbers at table can enjoy over a bed of 3/4 c. basmati rice. This dish pairs nicely with my Mint-Cucumber Salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each contains:

326 cals, 16g fat, 11g carbs, 2g fiber, 9g NET CARBS, 29g protein, 226 mg sodium

Indian Panch Puran Eggs

Peggy 2 Comments

Indian Panch Puran Eggs

Inspired by a recipe on Linda Genaw’s site, I decided to take a combination of Indian ingredients and throw them into a new scrambled egg dish and discovered it is DELICIOUS!  Panch Puran is made with either 5 spices (and goes by that name), or with 7 spices).  It is a common Bengali and East Indian spice.  I have the 7-spice blend which is a mixture of cumin, nigella (kalongi or onion seed) , anise (fennel), fenugreek seed, mustard seed, cloves and allspice.   The 5-spice mix omits the cloves and allspice.  NOTE: this is not the 5-spice powder used in Chinese cooking! These spice blends can be purchased ready-made at import stores carrying Indian foods or on-line at places like Penzey’s.  There are also likely recipes on the internet for making it homemade.   I bought a bottle at a little Indian import place in San Antonio.

My husband doesn’t ordinarily like food that is “outside the box” at breakfast, but I’m up for any meal that takes ordinary food to a whole new level.   However, being an Indian food fan, he tried these and agreed they tasted very good, but went on to say would like them better as a side dish for an evening meal or for lunch better than at breakfast.  We agreed to disagree on that one, as I loved them and don’t usually eat breakfast AT ALL.  Very delicate flavors here and not heavy at all.   By the way, this dish is NOT hot from the jalapeno, as searing jalapenos takes a lot of the “heat” out of them.  Omit the cayenne if you don’t like very spicy foods.  This dish is Induction friendly and suitable for Keto or Primal-Paleo followers as well.

INGREDIENTS:

3 T. butter, unsalted (or ghee, or coconut oil)

2 oz. onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (or less)

1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped

½ clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced

Pinch each ground coriander, turmeric, curry powder, cumin

Dash cayenne pepper (optional)

¼ tsp. Panch Puran 7-Spice Mix (see comments above recipe)

4 large eggs

1 T. chopped cilantro (omit if not a fan)

DIRECTIONS:   Melt the butter in a non-stick skillet over med-high heat.  Sauté onion and jalapeno until tender.  Add garlic, ginger and tomato and cook down until the tomato is just tender.  Whisk eggs with all spices and pour into skillet.  Cook as you would your scrambled eggs until done.  Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro for best flavor and serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 2 servings, each contains:

315 cals, 27.4 g  fat, 5.1g  carbs, 0.9 g fiber, 4.2g NET CARBS, 13.5 g  protein, very little sodium

Oyster Stew

Peggy Leave a comment

I’ve eaten oyster stew many a time in New England and down on the Texas Gulf Coast where we had access to fresh oysters. I love the stuff almost as much as I love clam chowder. I have been missing it lately and want to to try a batch made from canned oysters (which I’ve never used before). For a totally different twist, am going to add smoked oysters and see what that does to this seaside coastal classic. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and most ketogenic diets, but not Paleo due to the hefty amount of dairy. I just don’t think coconut milk would work as a substitute here as it’s flavor is so dominant in soups, but you could try it if you’re feeling adventurous. My husband liked this so much he ate two huge bowls of it (equivalent to 4 c. measured). I put away 2 cups easily, as it did come out very tasty. 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

4 T. unsalted butter

1 c. chopped yellow onion

1 c. chopped celery (1 lg. stalk)

1/4 tsp. Tobasco®, Sriracha or Tobasco Chipotle® sauce

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. coarse black pepper (white pepper if you prefer)

1 tsp. xanthan gum (or favorite thickener)

3 c. 2% milk

½ c. heavy cream

1 c. quality seafood stock (mine is from lobster shells boiled)

2 8-oz. cans Chicken of the Sea whole oysters, including juice (omit juice to lower sodium)

2 cans smoked oysters, drained of oil

½ c. chopped parsley (reserve a bit for garnishing)

DIRECTIONS: Melt butter in soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery and sauté until tender. Add Tobasco®, salt and black pepper. Stir well. Add milk, seafood stock and cream. As soon as it comes to a slow simmer, lower heat quite low. You do not want the milk/cream to boil ever, just gently simmer.

Open oysters and drain off liquid into the soup pot. On cutting board, I like to cut the oysters up into at least 3-4 pieces (smaller bits if using extremely large fresh oysters). Add them to the pot. Open the smoked oyster cans and drain off juice in the trashcan. I like to gently rinse the smoked oysters off with a gentle stream of warm water in a sieve as well. Cut them in halves (unless already tiny) on the cutting board and add them to the soup pot. Add parsley to the pot next, reserving a sprig pinch for garnish if desired. Simmer low for 10 minutes.

This stew traditionally is not thickened, but if you’d like it thicker, go for it! Use your favorite thickener during this 10 minutes of simmering, gently stirring as you add it to the pot. I would say it will take about 1 tsp. of xanthan gum or 3/4 tsp. glucomannan powder to lightly thicken this amount of soup nicely. Mix them into a bit of the soup liquid in a small dish before slowly adding in. Alternately, if not doing a low-carb diet plan, a slurry of 1 T. einkorn or other flour mixed with 3/4 c. hot water in a lidded jar, shaken well and added slowly will also thicken your soup nicely. Transfer to your service bowl or tureen and place the reserved sprig on top when serving.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 10 servings of 1 cup each. Each serving contains:

193 cals, 12g fat, 10g carbs, 1g fiber, 9g NET CARBS, 11g protein, 310 mg sodium

Correction to Beef-Broccoli Casserole (using more hemp seeds & less rice)

Peggy Leave a comment

My Fitness Pal, my recipe builder/tracker since FitDay no longer does food tracking, made this a 16 serving recipe!! That wasn’t a typo and I have no earthly idea how it did that.

This recipe only serves 8 people with 1 cup of the casserole. I just caught the mistake and have corrected the post on-line. Nutritional information for the nutritional info for the version with more hemp hearts and less rice should read:

416 cals, 31g fat, 18g carbs, 3g fiber, 15g NET CARBS, 24g protein, 247 mg sodium

If you printed out this recipe, please make these corrections to that line.

Beef-Broccoli Casserole

Peggy Leave a comment

I made a tasty casserole tonight. I whipped up a quick batch of Jennifer Eloff’s low-carb Condensed Mushroom Soup. I just love her recipe (made in food processor with no cooking) and use it ALL all the time for casserole making! It makes enough for TWO casseroles, so I only use half a recipe in this creation. I added ground beef, 1½ c. leftover wild-white rice blend I wanted out of the fridge, and a few other things for a delicious end result. Due to the rice in this recipe, it is not acceptable until you get to the grains level of the carb-reintroduction ladder in Atkins Phase 2 OWL. Because of that rice, this recipe is a clearly little carbier than most of my recipes. But you could lower carbs for this by using less rice blend and more hemp hearts. That’s your decision, of course. I will provide a second set of macros for those that must so this to be able to include this tasty dish in their dietary regimen.

This recipe is not suitable until you are nearer to your goal weight.

INGREDIENTS:

14 oz. ground beef, 90% (I buy bulk & package for freezing in 10-12 oz. packs)

4 oz. red onion, chopped or sliced

4 oz. fresh mushrooms sliced quite large

½ recipe Jennifer Eloff’s low-carb Condensed Mushroom Soup

1½ c. cooked wild-white rice (I usually cook 3/4 c. raw in 1½ c. water for 18 min. lowest heat)

1/3 c. Hemp Hearts

6 oz. coarsely cut up broccoli (I include stems)

1 c. shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (or mozzarella)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Place 3/4 rice blend in 1½ c. water in 2 qt. saucepan. Bring to boil. Lower to lowest heat. Wrap lid with paper towels double thick. Place lid tightly on pot and simmer lowest heat for 18 min. Remove and set aside.

Make the soup recipe by those instructions at the link above, reserving half the recipe in refrigerator for another use. Set what you’re using aside for now.

Over medium-high heat, brown beef in a large skillet. Add onion and sauté until onion is getting tender. Add mushrooms and continue cook, stirring often until mushrooms are no longer opaque. Lower heat to medium-low. Add in the ½ recipe of condensed soup, 1½ c. rice only and the hemp hearts. Stir all well to blend. You can bake/serve this right from the skillet, or pour it out into a greased casserole dish. Press the pieces of broccoli gently & evenly into the meat/rice mixture. Cover with lid or piece of foil, place into 350º oven for 20 minutes. Pull out of oven and remove lid. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top, around the broccoli as best you can. Bake for 10 minutes more to melt the cheese. I served mine with a colorful cucumber and tomato mint salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes eight 1-cup servings. Each contains:

348 cals, 23g fat, 22g carbs, 3g fiber, 19g NET CARBS, 19g protein, 247 mg sodium

If you decide to reverse the rice and hemp hearts to drastically reduce carbs (using ½ c. rice + 1 c. hemp hearts, each serving has: Flavor of final dish will be slightly different……..slightly more nutty tasting.

426 cals, 31g fat, 18g carbs, 3g fiber, 15g NET CARBS, 24g protein, 247 mg sodium

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 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

Pumpkin Granola

Peggy 2 Comments

My husband loves this and often has it when I skip breakfast  (which I do often).  I like to just snack on this stuff, no milk required!  The hint of pumpkin taste is delightful and so is the bit of coconut.  Mostly you taste the spices, nuts and fruit in this cereal.   🙂  This recipe is not suitable until Atkins Phase 2 OWL when nuts are re-introduced.  This granola keeps AMAZINGLY well over time and stays quite crunchy, but you can reheat in the oven if it seems to get soft over time.  Mine has not, quite honestly, just storing in a Tupperware canister in my pantry.  

INGREDIENTS: 

½ c. roasted sunflower seeds, unsalted

½ c. roasted pumpkin seeds, unsalted

2 T. chia seeds

1½ c. large flake coconut, unsweetened

1 c. walnuts, coarsely cut

1 c. pecans, coarsely cut

1½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground cloves

1/8 tsp. sea salt

2 T. erythritol

5 dried prunes, chopped fine like tiny raisins (Del Monte has no added sugar)

1/3 c. liquified coconut oil

¼ c. sugar-free maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. canned pumpkin puree (do not use the pie filling!)

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 300º.  Line two large baking sheets  with parchment paper and set aside.  Measure the first 12 (dry) ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir well.  In a small bowl, stir the last 4 (wet) ingredients well.  Using a rubber spatula, pour the wet ingredients evenly over the dry and with the spatula, stir and toss to coat all the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.  When well-blended, pour half the mixture onto each paper-lined pan.  Spread evenly.  You will need to bake until it is dry and somewhat crisp to the touch, or about 1½ hours (longer for some ovens).  Stir ever 15-20 minutes to be sure it is cooking evenly.  Do not allow to overly brown or the nuts will taste burned.   Turn off oven and let the granola dry in the oven as it cools.  Break it apart into smaller clusters if you like.  I like mine in larger clusters, as I eat it more as a snack than a cereal.  Transfer to an airtight container or zip-loc gallon bag.  BE ABSOLUTELY SURE IT IS FULLY COOLED BEFORE STORING.  Otherwise it will “sweat” and get soft (just re-bake for 15-20 minutes to crisp it up again).  This stuff is delicious, so do ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 9 cups total or eighteen ½ cup servings.  Each ½-cup serving contains:

214 cals, 19.6g fat, 7.5g carbs, 3.21g fiber, 4.29g NET CARBS, 4.9g protein, 42 mg sodium

Chicken Fried “Rice”

Peggy Leave a comment

I had 1 c. chopped cauliflower leaves and stems to use up yesterday so I decided to cook something Asian last night. Decided on fried “rice” since I also have a huge head on hand this week. To lower the carbs so I could eat it, I put minimal real rice and mostly cauliflower rice. My husband just will not eat Chinese food on exclusively cauli-rice……….so we compromise. He gets just enough added in so that he can taste the rice. This works for us.

This recipe, as written is not suitable for Atkins Induction Phase due to the rice mixture. Once you get to the starchy grain rung of the OWL Phase, you could enjoy this one. Those on Atkins Induction need to use ALL cauli-rice and skip the wild/white rice completely. Those who have reached Pre-Maintenance or Maintenance can certainly enjoy this as written if the macros will fit into your daily limits.

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. dry sherry

3 T. Kikoman low-sodium soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. ginger root, minced

3/4 c. wild & white rice mix (I use Lundgren’s)

2¼ c. water

½ head large cauliflower (6-7″), riced (reserve leaves/stems & reserve)

2 scrambled eggs, cooked, chopped

¼ C. olive oil, extra light (total)

2 c. cooked chicken meat, chopped (I used 1 thigh + 1/3 breast)

1 large carrot, sliced thin or chopped (your preference)

½ medium leek, washed and sliced

1 c. green onion, chopped

½-1 tsp. Sambal Oelek chile sauce

leaves/stems from 1 cauliflower (or Bok Choy or celery)

2 oz. red bell pepper, chopped coarsely

DIRECTIONS: In a small bowl, mix the first 4 ingredients and set aside for now. Add the Sambal Oelek as well for best distribution.

With 1T. of the oil, scramble the eggs in a non-stick skillet (or your wok if it is non-stick or heat is low enough). Remove, chop and set aside or put on paper plate to await their use.

Place rice in saucepan with indicated water above. Bring to boil over HI heat, immediately lower to lowest heat possible, cover with tight-fitting lid that has either paper toweling or thin kitchen towel folded up around the lid to keep it away from the flame/heat source. This absorbs excess steam when cooking rice. Simmer about 30-35 minutes (due to brown/red rice in the mixtures) or per your package’s directions. Peek at 20 minutes to be sure water hasn’t completely cooked away. Add 2-3 T. more if it has all evaporated. When done, remove from heat and set aside. I like to make my rice for fried rice applications in the morning so I can chill it completely in the refrigerator before making the dish for dinner. It just fries up better with less stickiness, when fried cold.

Cut off leaves/stems and slice them thinly. Set aside. Coarsely cut caulifower into 1″ pieces and pulse in a food processor or blender until all is riced. Place in microwaveable dish/bowl and cook on HI a total of 4 minutes, stirring after each minute. Set aside for now.

To put the final dish together, heat a wok on HI heat. Add 2 T. of the oil to wok. Add carrots, cauli stems/leaves (or sub in 1 c. celery or Bok Choy). Stir fry 2 minutes. Add chicken and stir fry about 2 minutes to slightly brown. Add leeks, green onion and red bell pepper next. Cook, stirring constantly for about 1minute. Add remaining oil to prevent pan sticking and the soy sauce mixture now. Stir fry 1 minute. Stir in rice now and blend evenly, cooking about 2 minutes. Then very gently stir in the cauliflower rice and eggs and it’s done. Serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes six 1½c. servings. Each serving contains:

295 cals, 16 g. fat, 27g carbs, 3 g fiber, 24 g NET CARBS, 16 g protein, 338 mg sodium

Granola Bars

Peggy 2 Comments

Click to enlarge

This experiment was quite a pleasant surprise.  I am quite pleased with the final taste on these granola bars.  They baked up beautifully.  I would describe these as firm, but not hard like Nature’s Valley® granola bars.  This makes a huge pan of bars, so you may want to make half a recipe or simply freeze half, as they freeze really well without detriment.  I love one of these with half a banana!

These can be crumbled up for a granola cereal if you like, but I recommend a little extra toasting after crumbling.   These also make a nice crunch topping for baked peaches, apples, or favorite crumb-topped pies.  This recipe is not suitable until Phase 2 Atkins but they are well worth the wait, folks!  They are very nutrient dense.

INGREDIENTS:

½ c. rolled oats, toasted (use 100% certified gluten-free oats if required)

2 c. dark flax meal

¾ c. vanilla whey protein

½ c. granular Splenda

10 drops liquid stevia

½ c. sesame seeds

¾ c. grated coconut meat

1½ T. cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

½ c. coconut oil (or butter), melted

½ c. sugar free maple syrup

¼ c. water

2 c. pecans, chopped

½ c. walnuts, chopped

½ c. almonds, coarsely chopped

6 T. sugar free honey (I use Honey Tree from Walmart)

¾ c. sunflower seeds, unsalted

½ c. pumpkin seeds, roasted,salted

VARIATIONS:  Add a very few snipped home dried cranberries or raisins (add to nutritionals below)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º.  On a 13×15 cookie sheet, toast oats until begin to lightly brown.  Remove from oven and lower heat to 250º.   Pour oats into large mixing bowl.  Add all other ingredients and stir well to be sure all ingredients are moistened.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Pour granola mixture onto paper and using plastic gloves or baggies over hands, press evenly into pan.  I like to take a glass loaf pan or sheet of parchment and press the surface evenly before baking.  Pop into oven and bake at 250º for approximately 1 hr. 30 minutes until dry to the touch in the center.  Remove from oven and when almost cool, cut into 30 rectangular bars (10 x 3 rows). This makes a nice size granola bar at an acceptable 4.05 net carb count.  Cutting into 60 squares will of course halve that number.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 30 bars, each contains:

239.7 Calories, 20.0 g  fat, 8.77 g  carbs, 4.72 g  fiber, 4.05 g  NET CARBS, 8.31 g  protein, 79 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

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Peggy Leave a comment

Apple Cinnamon PancakesThese are a pleasant change from your usual plain pancakes, and not too bad in carbs to have a whole small apple in them!  I’m far enough along in my diet now to be able to add the occasional bit of fruit so long as it’s not too often.  That will make me gain weight.  Today is the day.   A small 2″ apple yields about ½ cup apple shreds.  I use my  “Pork Rind French Toast Cakes” as a base for this recipe, along with a bit of spice, sweetener and  vanilla and  Voilà!  A delicious breakfast!  It only takes 2 of these to fill me up!  Good thing, because hubby eagerly ate the other four with NO PROBLEM!  🙂  This recipe is not suitable until you are closer to goal weight on the fruit rung of the Atkins Phase 2 (OWL) carb re-introduction ladder.  Omit the apple for a cinnamon pancake even those on Atkins induction can enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

1½ oz. pork rinds, crushed

2 T. golden flax meal

2 T. coconut flour

½ tsp. baking powder

½ pkt. stevia (I use SweetLeaf)

1 small 2″ apple, grated

2 eggs, beaten

¼ c. heavy cream

2 T. DaVinci vanilla or caramel sugar-free syrup (or 1/4 tsp. vanilla)

¼ tsp. cinnamon

Pinch nutmeg 2

T. water

DIRECTIONS:  Measure the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.  Add wet ingredients, stir well and let batter set for about 2-3 minutes and to get thick.  Dip the batter onto an oiled, hot griddle, pancake style, forming into six round 4″ pancakes with the back of your spoon.  Brown on first side and when puffed up a bit, flip them over.  When both sides nicely browned, serve with your favorite low-carb syrup (I use Cary’s  sugar-free maple) and breakfast meat.  I think these would also be nice served with some diced, spiced and slightly thickened saucy apples and a dollop of whipped cream for a desert!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes six 4″ pancakes, each contains:

113 cals, 6.78g fat, 5.55g carbs, 2.12g fiber, 3.43g NET CARBS (reduce apple to lower), 7.73 g  protein, 233 mg sodium

Spinach-Mushroom Omelet

Peggy Leave a comment

I rarely make folded omelets because I invariably tear them up or they don’t get done in the center. This morning I was in the mood to give it a go in a new skillet bought especially for omelets. I didn’t make a mess, it cooked thoroughly inside and man, oh man, was it ever good! I recently bought a ceramic-lined skillet to dedicate exclusively for omelet making. It worked a charm, as they say in Britain. I’ll be making more folded omelets from now on! This made a delightful lunch for me and my husband today. He really liked it! This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto, Paleo and Primal followers as well.

INGREDIENTS:

3 large eggs, beaten

2 T. total butter, unsalted

¼ c. frozen chopped spinach (or 1/2 c. fresh)

1/8 tsp. granulated onion powder

3 very large mushrooms, sliced

DIRECTIONS: Melt 1 T. of the butter in a non-stick skillet over medium-hi heat. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté until no longer white/opaque and slightly browned. Remove mushrooms to paper plate or saucer. Add onion powder to eggs and beat with a fork. Lower heat to medium. Melt remaining butter in skillet and add spinach. With a rubber spatula, sauté stirring 1-2 minutes and spread evenly in the bottom of the skillet. Now gently pour the eggs around the eggs trying not to disturb the spinach too much. As the eggs begin to cook and set up, using spatula lift the edges and tip the skillet so all raw egg rolls down and underneath the egg ‘pancake’ at this point. Repeat this lifting and tipping until all raw egg has rolled off the top. Continue to cook until you are satisfied all egg is done done in the center. Pour the mushrooms down one side of the egg ‘pancake’, spreading them out evenly. With a sturdy long spatula, carefully lift the plain side of the circle up over the other side and let it fall on top. I like to leave some of the mushroom half exposed for a prettier presentation at the table, but you don’t have to and can cover the filled side completely if you prefer. Cut in half and serve.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 servings. Each half contains:

252 cals, 21g fat, 4g carbs, 0 g fiber, 15 g protein, 157 mg sodium

Sausage-Mushroom Pizza

Peggy Leave a comment

I made an absolutely scrumptious pizza this week with my new nut-free pizza crust. I have been craving pizza ever since I was reminded of my favorite pizza place back in Denton, TX when I was a freshman in college. Their sausage-mushroom pizzas were so good, I would order one of these to be delivered to the dorm every other week. Back then, I could eat whatever I wanted without gaining weight. Sigh, those times are past. The place has since gone out of business, I recently learned, which saddened me greatly. Decided I’d try to duplicate the flavor I remember and the result was quite close!

My resurrection was very good. My husband is a pizza ‘Supreme’ or bust kind of guy, but even he admitted this one with just the two toppings was really different and quite tasty. I’ll definitely be making this one again! It’s so nice when you can nearly duplicate a taste memory. This pizza is not suitable until you reach the ‘grains’ rung of the Atkins carb reintroduction ladder.

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe my Einkorn Nut-Free Pizza Crust (or favorite low-carb crust)

½ c. your favorite low-carb pizza sauce

1½ c. mozzarella cheese shreds

6 oz. breakfast pork sausage

4 large mushrooms, sliced thin

¼ tsp. oregano

½ tsp. fennel seed, crushed

1 small clove garlic, minced

2 T. grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS: Make your crust per that recipe’s instruction, up to the pre-cooked, ready to top stage. Set pan aside. Brown the sausage just to ‘no-longer-pink’ stage in a skillet over low heat. Add spices, garlic and cook 1-2 minutes longer for flavors to blend. Remove sausage to paper plate. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté on low heat until they are no longer opaque. Don’t overcook them! Preheat oven to 350º.

Spread pizza sauce in a very thin layer over the crust. You want the sausage and mushrooms to shine on this particular pizza, not the sauce. Evenly spread the mozzarella shreds over the sauced crust. Next sprinkle the meat mixture evenly on top. Lay mushrooms slices as evenly as possible on top next. Finish off with a sprinkling of the 2 T. Parmesan cheese. Pop your pizza into a 350º oven and bake around 15-20 minutes, being careful to check once to avoid over-browning of toppings and crust edges. Serve with a nice green salad and you’re ready for a real treat!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:

327 Cals, 21g fat, 11g carbs, 2g fiber, 9g NET CARBS, 24g. protein, 642 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.   

“Potato” Cakes

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We low-carbers know you can’t eat white potatoes on a low-carb plan.  However you can get creative with jicama and other vegetables and get that potato taste when fried.  These “potato” cakes stay crunchy as jicama is quite crunchy even after cooking.  The flavor is VERY close to real potatoes when cooked this way.  This recipe is OK for Induction Phase, too!  You can also make these with grated, peeled turnip or rutabaga, but recalculate carbs if you change the base veggie.  When you get to the OWL starchy vegetable rung, using rutabaga is the best choice for these, in my opinion. 🙂 

I have, since original publishing, added the flax meal and resistant wheat starch.  These are optional, but really improve these in flavor and texture for me and I intend to include them always, so I have included in the nutritional info numbers below.  Those 2 added ingredients only increase net carbs by 0.17 g.

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz jicama, grated (or daikon radish, or turnip, or rutabaga)

1/4 c. onion, grated

1 whole egg + 1 small egg white (I used 2 T. carton egg whites)

1/8 tsp. sea salt

Dash black pepper

2 T. bacon grease, or oil of your choice

1 T. flax meal (optional)

1 T. Resistant wheat starch (optional)

DIRECTIONS:  Skin/peel back the brown outer coating of your jicama. Weigh out 12 oz. and grate. Pat out any moisture with paper towels and place grated jicama into a medium bowl.  Add all other ingredients and stir well. Put unused jicama in a ziploc plastic bag in your fridge for some other use.   Melt grease/oil in non-stick skillet over high heat.   Using fork or spoon, dip half the mixture into 5 portions onto the hot skillet, spreading it out fairly thin into 2½” patties patties.  Brown nicely on both sides.  I serve with my morning eggs and bacon/sausage or as a dinner side.  Enjoy with a clean conscience!

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Makes 10 potato cakes, each has:

53 cals, 3.55 g fat, 4.19 g. carbs, 2.27 g. fiber, 1.92 g NET CARBS, 1.39 g protein, 30 mg. sodium

Hearts with Strawberry Sauce

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hearts-with-strawberry-sauce

I think I’ll make these for my husband for Valentine’s Day.  🙂  I have made them in years past and he just loves them with vanilla ice cream.  I prefer mine either as is or with a small spoon of sweetened whipped cream on top.  Either will make a nearly effortless treat for my Valentine.  I double a small cake recipe so there are few leftovers.   This kind of portion control works best for me.  😉   This recipe is not suitable until you reach the grains level of Phase 2 Atkins.  Below is a photo of the silicone pan I use, but any large muffin or shortcake pan works:  heart-mini-cake-pan

INGREDIENTS:

2 recipes my Einkorn Individual Vanilla Cake

1¼ c. whole, frozen strawberries (no sugar added)

¼ tsp xanthan gum (or favorite thickener)

4 drops liquid sweetener of choice (I used EzSweets)

VARIATION:  You can puree the sauce until smooth with a stick blender if you prefer. 

DIRECTIONS:   Make the cake batter per that recipe’s instructions, but add 1/4 c. of the strawberries to the batter.  Beat with a stick blender until smooth.  Fill mold slots half full, which made 8 little cakes for me (with other size molds, your mileage may vary).  Microwave on HI for 2 minutes or until center is dry to the touch.    Tip out of molds with the tip of a knife onto a waiting platter or service plates.  When cool, top with sauce made as follows:  Heat over medium heat the remaining strawberries, any juice and the sweetener.  When it begins to simmer, stir in the xanthan gum and stir constantly until thick.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 8 small cakes, each contains:

113.6 calories, 8.33 g fat, 7.50 g carbs, 2.0 g fiber, 5.50 g NET CARBS, 4.57 g protein, 63 mg sodium

Scalopine in Wine Sauce

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scallops002

I buy HUGE sea scallops at Sam’s during the holidays so I can cook them later in the year to enjoy.  I only see them at Sam’s around Christmas, but if you are lucky enough to live near the coast, by al means, use any fresh scallops you have available to you.  We are having these with our lobster tails for Valentine’s Day dinner this year.  Be sure to adjust the cook times below accordingly for smaller scallops.  As written, this recipe is unacceptable for Induction.  But if you leave out the wine, then it will be Induction friendly!    The nutritional info below reflects the inclusion of the wine.

INGREDIENTS:

16 sea scallops, approximately 3″ in diameter

2 T. unsalted butter for sautéing

2 T. more butter for sauce

1/3 c. finely chopped parsley

1 lg. clove minced garlic

1 oz. lemon juice (fresh)

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

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

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

257.5 cals, 18.6g fat, 8.33g carbs (yes, scallops have carbs!) 0.55g fiber, 7.78g NET CARBS, 12 g  protein, 339 mg sodium

Shrimp Carbonara Carba-Nada®

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Carba Nada Fettucini noodles optional

“Al Dente” Carba-Nada Fettucini noodles not shown

I discovered Al Dente Carba-Nada low-carb noodles some years back.  Bought one bag and tried them. Man, they’re pretty good for only 18 carbs per 1½ cups raw, which cooks up about double.  The flavored varieties are slightly higher in carbs.  That’s the amount I usually cook for two of us.

I tasted them first with my Shrimp Carbonara and they were quite delightful.  So I actually ate a serving stirred into my dinner!  Clearly I won’t be eating them often, but I may on occasion for such dishes as this one.  But of course, you could serve this recipe alone, atop a bed of zucchini noodles or over cooked spaghetti squash threads.  I can even see it atop a baked sweet potato half for the holidays.  I didn’t picture the noodles but am providing stats for both methods of serving.  Hope you’ll give this tasty dish a try dish!

INGREDIENTS: 

3 slices thick bacon, chopped

½-3/4 leek, chopped

1 lb. peeled shrimp

1 medium yellow summer squash, spiralized into noodles

½ tsp. my Cajun Seafood Spice Blend

Dash black pepper

4 T. shredded or grated Parmesan cheese

¼ c. dry white wine

1½ c. (raw) “Al Dente” brand Carba-Nada® fettucini noodles (optional)

DIRECTIONS:  Spiralize the yellow squash into noodles with a noodling tool or julienne peeler.  Set aside.  Cut leek in half lengthwise.  Rinse out dirt from between layers.  Chop the root off and cut the white part and half the green part into 1/2″ slices.  Set aside. Peel shrimp and set aside.  Boil the noodles (or prepare your zucchini noodles) until “al dente” firm-tender and set aside.

In a non-stick skillet, cook the chopped bacon.  You should end up with about 2 tsp. bacon grease in the pan also. Add the chopped leek and yellow squash to the bacon and grease.  Sauté until half tender.  Add the shrimp, wine (omit if still on Atkins Induction) and seasonings.  Simmer to allow the wine to burn off some of its alcohol.   When all appears to be cooked to tender stage, turn off fire.  Drain the fettucini (if using).  You can either stir the pasta into the shrimp mixture, or serve the carbonara atop the noodles plated up on 4 plates.    ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 4 servings.

With pasta, each contains: 268 calories, 9.22 g fat, 12.10 g carbs, 2.35 g fiber, 9.75 g NET CARBS, 31.4 g protein, 438 mg sodium.

Without pasta, each contains: 233 calories, 8.97 g fat, 6.1 g carbs, 0.85 g fiber, 5.25 g NET CARBS, 28.4 g protein, 433 mg sodium

Artichoke Salad

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Italian Artichoke Salad

My husband is very fond of salads so I’m digging out one of my older salad recipes to have with our grilled steaks tonight.  This low-carb, low-cal number is both tasty and filling and only takes minutes to make.  It is delicious and I think you will enjoy it!  You can use pitted calamata olives here if you prefer.  This is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, and Primal-Paleo as well.

INGREDIENTS:

1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained

15 pitted black olives (or calamata olives)

1 Roma plum tomato, cut up into chunks (use 2 if they are pretty small)

5 fresh basil leaves, torn into several pieces

Dash of granulated garlic or minced dried onion

¼ tsp. your favorite Italian Seasonings (I use Victoria Gourmet’s Sicilian Seasoning)

Dash each salt and black pepper

1 T. a good balsamic vinaigrette

1 T. good quality extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:  Open and drain the artichoke hearts.  Add them to a medium bowl. You can cut them in halves if you prefer (I did).  In a small dish, add the olive oil to the vinaigrette and stir.  Add the seasonings and stir once more.  Now add the cut-up tomato and olives to the artichokes.  Stir to mix.  Tear the basil leaves into small bits and add.   Add the vinaigrette mixture, toss lightly and chill for 1 hour.  Serve as a side salad or as an entree.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 4 side servings, each contains:  (if serving as an entree, serves 2 with double the numbers below in each)

101 cals, 7.8g fat, 7.6g carbs, 3.55g fat, 4.05g NET CARBS, 2.2g protein, 34 mg sodium (more if using calamata olives)

Cranberry-Orange Nut Bread

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Click to enlarge

I love to make this delicious sweet bread for the holidays without fail, but it’s good anytime in my eyes.  It’s one of my oldest low-carb sweet bread recipes that I have baked so many times now.  I always buy extra cranberries during the holidays so I will have some in my freezer for such treats year-round.  I start with a basic coconut flour bread recipe as a foundation and then add in the two flavor essentials. This bread is very moist and freezes nicely for up to 1 month.  This recipe is not suitable for Atkins Induction Phase.  The basic bread recipe can be used with other flavorings, like lemon and other favorite sweet bread additives.  Get creative with it!

INGREDIENTS:

8 eggs

½ c. heavy cream

½ c. unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. Boyajian orange oil (or 1 T. grated orange zest)

½ tsp. salt

½ c. + 3 T. coconut flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ c. Splenda + 2 T. erythritol (or choice of sweetener to equal 2/3 c. sugar)

1 c. fresh cranberries, chopped

1 tsp. grated orange zest

½ c. pecans or walnuts, chopped

DIRECTIONS:   Preheat oven to 350º.  Chop the raw cranberries and nuts using a processor or blender.  Set aside for now.  For the batter, crack and beat the 8 eggs in a bowl.  Add cream, melted butter, vanilla and orange oil/extract.   If you have no orange oil/extract, you can add in an additional teaspoon of orange zest.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet in the order listed above.  Fold each in gently to incorporate uniformly.   Gently fold in the chopped cranberries, orange zest and walnuts last.  Pour into a greased or non-stick loaf pan and bake at 350º for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick stuck into center comes out clean and dry.  Remove and cool before cuttting.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Entire loaf has 2506 calories, 186.9g fat, 127.1g carbs, 64.0g fiber, 63.1 net carbs, 86.5g protein, 2458 mg sodium.  Handy info to have if cutting into a different number of slices than I do.

If cut into 10 slices, each slice of the loaf will have:

250.6 cals, 18.7 g fat, 12.7 g carbs, 6.4 g fiber, 6.3 g NET CARBS, 8.65 g protein, 245 mg sodium

Strawberry Blossoms

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Strawberry Breakfast Bites

I often bake these for my hubby’s Valentine’s Day treat, but they are really good year-round.  This year I think I’ll resurrect these tasty morsels.  If you don’t have the Nordicware® blossom pan used for these tasty blooms, you can use a mini-muffin pan.  These were so easy to make and so good my husband just couldn’t stop grabbing another and another.  I enjoy mine with my with morning coffee.  Or sprinkle them with powdered sweetener and serve them with a warm cup of tea.   These are suitable once you get to the berries rung of the Atkins Phase 2 OWL carb ladder. They are also OK for most Keto diets.

NOTE: If you are gluten free, use all Jennifer Eloff’s mix, as my Einkorn mix clearly is not gluten-free.    

INGREDIENTS:

4 large eggs, beaten

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

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

1 c. frozen (or fresh) strawberries, drained, chopped

2 T. erythritol

2 T. Splenda, granulated

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1 T. + 1 tsp. coconut oil

VARIATION:   Use chopped raspberries, blackberries or blueberries in place of the strawberries

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

Beat the eggs in a small mixing bowl.  Add the bake mix.  You can use any low-carb bake mix you prefer.  Add sweeteners, vanilla and chopped berries.  Fold all together until smooth.   Using a 2 T. measuring cup, spoon batter into mini muffin pan slots.  Right is the Nordicware pan I used.

They will be nearly full to the brim.  Don’t worry, Mine didn’t overflow in the pans, although they do temporarily rise above the top like a soufflé…..and then fall a bit when done and cooled.

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

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 24 edible blossoms, each contains:

32.3 cals, 2.4g fat, 1.55g carbs, 0.37g fiber, 1.18g NET CARBS, 1.67g protein, 16 mg sodium

Eggplant Parmigiana Sandwiches

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I’m planning on making these tonight for dinner with the beautiful eggplant my husband brought home yesterday.  I never tire of eggplant in ANY form.  This recipe is deep in my blog archives so I thought I’d re-share it for my newer followers.  This recipe is inspired by a dish my mother used to make when I was growing up.  Of course, she used bread crumbs to coat her eggplant (not the pork rinds) as she was not watching carbs.  Her dish didn’t have meat in it, just the eggplant.  However the side dish she made to a complete meal!  This is a delightful tasting and quite filling!  I like to serve it with a tossed green salad.  This dish can also be made with ground lamb if you prefer.  It is suitable for Atkins Induction Phase as well.  Despite their name, it takes a fork and knife to eat these “sandwiches”.

INGREDIENTS:

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

1 oz. crushed pork rinds

6 oz. ground beef (or lamb)

2 slices provalone cheese

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

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

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

2 T. Parmesan cheese

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

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

NUTRITIONAL INFO:    Makes two servings, each contains:

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

Breakfast Sticks

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Breakfast Sticks

Realized I hadn’t made one of my more popular recipes in quite some time this morning.  I resurrected this tasty ‘Top o’ the Morning’ treat today.  You can use the bottom of muffin cups for these (circle shape) or muffin-top pans (flatter shape) as well.  These are simply delicious!  Just the right amount of cheese to make them a bit creamy without it being overpowering.  Just the right amount of chopped vegetables to not dominate the flavor profile so the eggs still speak up.

These are suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal Blueprint as well.  Omit the cheese for Paleo adherence.  Below is a photo of the pan I used.  Although they still make it (BTW, it is rimmed in metal framing for support, which I really like), it is difficult to find on the internet.  You can make this recipe using muffin pans however.  I stumbled upon these two Chicago Bakeware pans at my local Tuesday Morning store several years ago and snatched them up. 🙂  Other companies make similar pans:  http://www.amazon.com/Purple-Silicone-Sponge-Finger-Bakeware/dp/B00AFRALOS.

Bar Mold

This recipe garnered more Facebook fans than any all other recipes I have posted here.  Simply amazing!  Thanks to all my readers and fans for making the recipe go viral on its original 2015 posting.  When you try these, you’ll see why it went off the chart!  🙂    Capture

INGREDIENTS:

1 T. oil of choice

2 slices bacon, chopped

3 oz. breakfast sausage

2 large green onions, chopped

4 large eggs, beaten

1 oz. (¼ c.) shredded Monterrey Jack or Mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:   Preheat oven to 350º.  Oil your muffin/pan slots with oil using a brush and set aside.  Beat the eggs with the shredded cheese in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.  Using a non-stick skillet, brown the bacon. Add the sausage crumbled, stirring and cooking until it is no longer pink.  Add onion and saute just until onion begins to cook/wilt.  Remove from heat and cool 1-2 minutes.  Add the meat mixture to the egg mixture and beat together well with a spoon.  Using a ¼c. measuring cup, scoop up ¼ c. of the mixture into each of 8 slots.  Pop into preheated 350º oven for about 15-20 minutes (ovens do vary) until just set and barely beginning to brown on tops.  Remove from pans/slot with a knife tip and serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 8 Breakfast Sticks, each contains:

142.4 cals, 12.3g fat, 0.73g carbs, 0.16g fiber, 0.57g NET CARBS, 7.16g protein, 220 mg sodium

Bacon-Onion Heart Quiche

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img_5611

Who doesn’t love the smell of bacon and onion cooking together in the kitchen?  One of my favorite culinary aromas, for sure.  These little gems pictured above are something I enjoy year ’round, but when shaped like hearts, are a cute and delicious treat for Valentine’s Day.  So tasty and easy to put together!  I think I’ll make something Indian for dinner that night, since you can’t get into a restaurant on Valentine’s Day with a shoehorn and Indian is his favorite food!  I make these in a fun little pan I found somewhere years ago ( shown right).  You KNOW I just had to have it!  The slots are only 3/4″ tall, so it makes individual portion cakes (or whatever).  heart-cake-panThese tasty breakfast “hearts” are as easy as pie to make.  You can use any shaped pan molds, silicone molds or regular cupcake pans (or whatever you have available).  There is nothing sacrosanct about the shape here.  This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets.  Primal-Paleo will need to use a plan-suitable bread at the bottom.

INGREDIENTS:

4 slices bacon, chopped fine

2 oz. onion, chopped fine

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

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

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

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

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 5 Heart Quiches, each contains:

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

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

Swedish Meatballs

Peggy Leave a comment

These meatballs are fantastic!  Love the allspice and nutmeg that is typically used in these.  We always have some when we shop at IKEA.  My husband just loves these things.  This is a very BIG recipe, so either make a half recipe or just freeze any leftover.  These are suitable for Atkins Induction ONLY if you omit the white wine in the sauce and use an Induction approved bread like this one in the meatballs.

MEATBALL INGREDIENTS:

1¼ lb. (20 oz) 80% ground beef

4 oz. pork breakfast sausage meat (or plain ground pork)

3 oz. onion

¼ c. parsley

Dash each salt and black pepper

¼ tsp. each nutmeg and allspice

2 large eggs

2 low-carb tortillas (HEB Carb Sense have 3 net carbs)

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

1 c. beef broth

½ c. heavy cream

½ c. white wine (omit if still in Induction Phase)

4 oz. can sliced mushrooms with juice

Few sprinkles xanthan gum to thicken (if needed)

Dash coarse black pepper

½ c. chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  You can brown your meatballs in a skillet if you prefer, but baking is so much simpler.  Place all meat ingredients in food processor and pulse until it it well blended and onion is well-chopped.  With your hands, form into 28 meatballs (about 1½”) and place on large parchment-lined baking pan (close together but not touching).  Bake at 350º for about 30 minutes or until they begin to brown nicely.  Remove pan from oven and using parchment to facilitate, lift the meatballs over to an awaiting large skillet.  Turn heat to high and allow to brown a little more in their pan juices, shaking skillet to roll them around a bit.

Add all sauce ingredients to the pan and let meatballs simmer in the gravy to allow flavors to co-mingle and to be sure meat is fully done.  Only thicken with xanthan gum or your preferred thickener if you feel the sauce is too thin.  Serve at once with your favorite green side dish (I served with buttered, steamed broccoli).

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 28 meatballs.  Allowing 4 meatballs per serving, so this should serve 7 people nicely.  Each serving contains:

452 cals, 36g fat, 7.58g carbs, 3.61g fiber, 3.97g NET CARBS, 21.6g protein, 362 mg sodium

Chicken-Bacon Sofrito

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Click to enlarge

This delightful dish, which uses sofrito, a Puerto Rican/Spanish  condiment, goes together in about 30 minutes start to finish if your sofrito mixture is already made up.  My kind of dinner!  Just sear the chicken, the bacon, layer it all and pop in the oven for 15-20 minutes.  Very easy; very tasty!  This dish is not suitable for Paleo due to the cheese.  This is acceptable for all phases of Atkins and Keto diets.

INGREDIENTS:

2   5-oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. butter

2 slices bacon, chopped (I used thick slices)

2 oz. Monterrey Jack Cheese, grated

2 T.  sofrito

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Slice breasts laterally not quite cutting in two.  Lay them out flat and pound a bit with a meat cleaver or rolling pin so they are thinner, to speed up cooking. Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over high heat. Sear meat on both sides.  When nearly done, push chicken to the side of the skillet and add chopped bacon.  Let it brown, stirring as it cooks.  When both are fully done, turn off heat.  Carefully place evenly 1 oz. cheese on each breast.  Top each evenly with half the bacon.  Finally, evenly dot 1 T. prepared sofrito on top of each serving. Pop skillet into preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.    Serve with a nice guacamole salad or sides of your choice.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 2 servings, each contains:

367 cals, 23.5 g fat, 1.15 g carbs, 0.25 g fiber, 0.9 g NET CARBS, 36 g protein, 770 mg sodium

Chicken à la King

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002

This dish comes together amazingly fast and is very easy.  And it’s DELICIOUS!  Because of the slightly higher carbs of carrots and peas, this is not really Induction friendly or Keto friendly as written.   However, if you substitute cut green beans for the peas, use a little less of the condensed soup and add a bit more broth/water, you could fit it into Induction and a Keto program.  This recipe is not suitable for Primal-Paleo.

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INGREDIENTS: 

1 large chicken breast (8-10 oz.) (or chopped white turkey meat)

1 T. butter, unsalted

2 oz. frozen peas

2 oz. carrot, chopped

5 oz. daikon radish, chopped

1 oz. red bell pepper, chopped

1 oz. green bell pepper, chopped

1 oz. onion, chopped

Dash black pepper

½ recipe my low-carb Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

DIRECTIONS:  Cut up the vegetables and simmer in boiling water until just tender.  While they are cooking, skin the chicken and remove from bone with a sharp knife. Slice the chicken into 3 lateral slices for 3 equal portions.  Pound with meat tenderizing tool without tearing them apart.  Sear the chicken until nicely browned on both sides.

When veggies are tender (in about 10-15 minutes), strain off water.  Stir in the condensed soup and toss gently with a spoon.  If too thick, add a bit of water of chicken broth to thin.  Plate the chicken “filets” and spoon the sauce over them. Serve at once with a lovely green salad.

An alternate method of cooking and serving is to cut up the chicken into bite-sized pieces and saute that way and add it right into the creamed veggie mixture.   Then serve over toasted low-carb bread of some sort. Be sure to calculate the bread into the numbers below if you serve it that way, which is traditional for Chicken à la King.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 3 servings, each contains (varies with size of chicken breast):

437 calories, 27 g  fat, 10.9 g  carbs, 2.8 g  fiber, 8.1 g  NET CARBS, 25.6 g  protein, 917 mg sodium

Bacon Maple Twists

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Bacon Maple Twists

My husband asked for pancakes today, but honestly, that is NOT one of my favorite foods.  It’s not the flavors I don’t like; it’s the bulky, cake-like mouth feel of pancakes that just doesn’t seem like breakfast food to me.  So today I created a mock “pancake” thingie that really tasted just like pancakes, maple syrup and bacon without all that voluminous bulk pancakes give you.  These have a slightly chewy texture in your mouth.

I only used half a recipe of dough making 4 twists for the two of us today.  Honestly, they are so filling a serving would be just one twist I think.  They were delicious with our eggs and I will definitely be making these again.  If you’re feeding a large family or have some breakfast company, baking a full recipe of these will make your breakfast task much easier.  This recipe is not suitable until you are well along in Phase 2 Atkins.

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe my Mozzy Dough

8 slices thick-slice bacon

2 T. sugar-free maple syrup (I use Cary’s brand)

1/8 tsp. coarse black pepper

DIRECTIONS:   Preheat oven to 350º. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  Make the Mozzy Dough per that recipe’s instructions.  On your countertop, roll the ball of dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or silicone sheets) into the form of a rectangle (one side the length of your bacon.  Remove top piece of plastic wrap.  Gently cut into 8 equal strips with a knife scoring completely the dough, but if using silicone sheet on the bottom, be careful not to cut your silicone sheet with your knife!  Using a brush, baste each slice of dough with the maple syrup.  Lay a slice of bacon down each strip of dough.  Sprinkle with the black pepper.  Next step is a little tricky, but doable if you don’t rush it.  Gently lift your plastic wrap or silicone sheet along the outermost strip of dough/bacon and tip it carefully over onto your hand.  Carefully grab each end with both hands now and lift over to baking pan.  Twist the dough assembly 2-3 times.  Pop into 350º oven and bake for about 15-17 minutes or until the dough is golden and bacon should be done as well.  Remove, allow to “set up” a minute or so before removing from pan with an extra-long spatula.  If you don’t own one yet, I highly recommend an investment in a long spatula.  They are invaluable for such tasks as this and lifting meatloaves or broiled/baked fish out of pans. Mine has an 8″ lifting blade.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 8 twists, each one contains:

228 calories, 187 g fat, 7.51 g carbs, 4.81 g fiber, 2.7 g NET CARBS, 15.8 g protein, 376 mg 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)

Spicy Boursin Chicken

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Click to enlarge

A little Boursin cheese (also known as Gournay), salsa and the right spices mixed with chicken (or fish) creates a wonderful combo.  We both really liked this new creation!  This dish is quite rich, so one bundle is all I could eat. This recipe is quite suitable for Induction.  Calories can be reduced doing this with fish filets rather than chicken.  This dish freezes well, too!

INGREDIENTS:

16 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into six portions (or mild fish filets)

12 oz. frozen chopped spinach

3 oz. red bell pepper, finely chopped

3 T. Herdez canned “hot” red salsa, drained solids only (drained RoTel will also work)

5 oz. package Boursin Cheese with garlic and herbs

¼ tsp. my Seafood Spice Blend:  https://buttoni.wordpress.com/2009/08/20/my-seafood-spice-blend/

Dash black pepper

Available in the specialty cheese bin at Walmart and other grocery stores.

3 T. melted butter

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º.  Defrost and squeeze the frozen spinach to remove water and set aside, allowing it to continue draining in a colander or sieve while you prepare the chicken.  Diagonally slice the chicken into 6 thin filets.  Place plastic wrap on top and pound chicken quite thin (without tearing apart) using a mallet.   Now place the spinach in a mixing bowl and add in the Boursin cheese, bell pepper, salsa and black pepper.   Stir well to blend ingredients.  Spoon evenly onto the center of the 6 flattened pieces of chicken and fold the meat over the top.  Place seam side down in baking dish.  Sprinkle well with the spice blend and with a brush, baste each bundle with melted butter.  Pop into hot oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until meat is golden brown (fish will cook faster, say in about 20 minutes). Spinach/cheese mixture will spill out of the bundles, but not in a messy way, as you can see in the pic above.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each contains:

323 cals, 27.3 g fat, 4.48 g carbs, 2.05 g fiber, 2.43 g NET CARBS, 26.5 g protein, 580 mg sodium

My new Frigidaire ‘Everything’ Double Wall Oven

Peggy 3 Comments

At the request of one of my followers, I’m posting a couple photos of my new 27″ double wall oven. As I’ve said before, it does “everything’ but the laundry. It ought to……….as it sure cost enough. This one bakes, broils, Convection Bakes, Steam Bakes, Convection Roasts, has a No-Preheat setting, it Air Fries, cooks Sous Vide and is fully self-cleaning and does steam cleaning, for quick cleanup jobs.

My old oven was an Electrolux installed by the last owner. In all honesty, it was a better appointed oven that this one, with all shelves being finger-touch glide outs. Frigidaire bought out Electrolux, so I guess they are cutting corners to save $$$ now in this economy.

This Frigidaire only has ONE glide-out shelf, but the other 5 pull out nicely manually, so I’m OK with that. Another difference is this oven’s broiler tray (not two of them as my Electrolux had) does not have the drain tray that sits on top of the broiler pan (which I thought odd). It’s just an open pan as seen in the above photo. Luckily, I saved one of the boiler trays from my old oven so I have that drip tray.

The lights in the ovens are very bright, so you can really see that baking cake well when you turn them on. My Electrolux lights were not a bright, so that is an improvement, for sure.

Another ‘cutting corner’ thing I find disappointing, is that if you’re going to market an oven to be an Air Fryer, one of the shelves should be the Air Fryer shelf. Not. You have to go out and buy it off their site for $65-75……and it doesn’t even have a drip pan at that! I just bought two air-fryer wire baskets that will sit side by side on any shelf and place my 13×15 sheet pan on a shelf underneath to catch grease drips & anything that falls through. Cheaper and those baskets actually will hold more food in a single layer than the Frigidaire AF shelf anyway.

So when they say newer is necessarily better…………..I ain’t buying it.

I’m not in a rush to try out the Sous Vide cooking feature yet. First of all, I don’t own a vacuum sealer anymore. I sold mine as it never really got a perfect seal. And I’m not sure, from my reading, I’d like Sous Vide cooking anyway, as it seems like it’s not really different from a good, slow braise or pressure cooker approach. I like a nice caramelization surface on my meats. But I may get enthused about Sous Vide wonders one day and use that method of cooking in this oven. I’m slow to accept changes in the kitchen. When you’ve been cooking as long as I have (around 60 years) you get kind of set in your ways.

The No-Preheat setting did a very nice, quick job on a couple slices of pizza last week, as well as some Tater Tots my husband asked for with his burgers. Not sure how that feature works, but I think it’s basically on broil but at only 350º degrees instead of the 550º broil bursts on at. I heated the pizza in like 10 minutes without overbrowning the toppings like a broiler would. I also want to try the Air Fryer mode on reheated leftover pizza sometime.

The control panel on my old Electrolux was much more user friendly, and more sophisticated/flexible I might add, but after reading the manual thoroughly, I’m now getting used to this Frigidaire control panel.

I was as bluntly honest with my review on the Frigidaire site, letting them know Electrolux’s oven was appointed nicer inside IMHO. I am finding their version satisfactory for my needs and the smudge-proof stainless steel surface was indeed very nice. So far I’m overall pleased. 🙂

Moroccan Chicken and Olives

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I absolutely love olives but tend to think of them as a food eaten separately, or atop salads.  However every time I adventure out and put them into meat dishes I’m always amazed at what they bring to the final dish.  This was yet another example of a tasty surprise for me.  Since they have a lot of olive trees on the shores of the Mediterranean, they do tend to use them in a variety of ways.  

The Baharat spice blend I chose for this dish is also prevalent in this region.  So I put 2 and 2 together and voilà, a dish to remember!  If you haven’t tried it yet, I think you’ll like this spice on chicken.  I highly encourage you to give this blend a try sometime, even if not on this particular dish.    It was incredible on the chicken tonight and it’s great on baked or grilled fish.  The cinnamon and cloves come through the most, but the other spices in the blend have a subtle flavor presence as well.  The spice here is the key flavor ingredient here so I would not encourage substitutions or you will be creating a totally different dish.   This meal is suitable for Atkins Induction, Keto diets, and Primal-Paleo lifestyles as well.  Be sure to use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe.  

INGREDIENTS:

3 medium chicken thighs

3 medium chicken drumsticks

3 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. my Baharat Spice Blend  (the key flavor, so don’t substitute)

4 oz. purple onion, sliced lengthwise

3 plum tomatoes, each cut into 4 wedges

24 medium black olives

Dash each salt and pepper

VARIATION:   Substitute my Moroccan Spice Blend for the Baharat Spice mentioned in the ingredients.  Makes a slightly spicier final dish.  🙂  

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 425º.  Place olive oil, Baharat spice and minced garlic in a pan large enough to hold your chicken without any crowding.  Stir it well.  Take each piece of chicken and dip each side into the oil mixture.  Rub or baste each piece all over well.  Evenly space the pieces skin-side up in the pan.  Cut the tomatoes into wedges and space them evenly around the chicken in the pan, trying not to cover the pieces of chicken.  If covered, the juice from the tomato will inhibit browning of the skin.

Next place the olives evenly around the chicken pieces.   Lastly, separate the slivers of onion and spread them all around the chicken.  Dip a basting brush into the olive oil mixture and baste the olives and vegetables with the oil (add more oil if needed).  Lightly sprinkle with the salt and pepper.  Pop into a preheated hot 425º oven and bake for about 1 hour, re-basting at 30 minutes cooking time to be sure the vegetables don’t dry out.   I served this with buttered, steamed asparagus.  It would also be good with a Greek salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 3 adult servings (serving = 1 drumstick + 1 thigh).  Each serving contains:

438 cals, 32g fat, 8.26g carbs, 2.26g fiber, 6g NET CARBS, 29.8g protein, 742 mg sodium

Broccoli with Caramelized Onion Sauce

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Broccoliwithcreamsauce

If you’re tired of the same old steamed broccoli, the usual cheese sauce and the typical broccoli casseroles, give this recipe a whirl.  It’s easy and ready in minutes.  The sweetness of the caramelized onions in this sauce really smooths out the oft-perceived bitter taste of broccoli in an amazing way!  This dish is Atkins Induction-friendly and suitable for other Keto diets as well.  Primal-Paleo followers will want to sub in coconut milk for the cream and of course ghee for the butter.

INGREDIENTS:  

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

2 T. butter, unsalted

2 oz. yellow onion, sliced thin

½ clove garlic, minced

½ c. heavy cream

¼-½ c. water

Dash pepper

1 T. grated Parmesan cheese

OPTIONAL:  a sprinkle of your favorite thickener if desired

DIRECTIONS:  Cut broccoli into manageable long stem pieces.  Steam until done to your desired tender, but firm state.  Drain well on paper towels.  Lay broccoli stems  decoratively on your serving dish.

In non-stick skillet over med-high heat, sauté onion and garlic in butter until the onion begins to brown nicely and caramelizes.   Lower heat.  Add cream and Parmesan.  Add pepper and taste.  Add pinch of salt.  Simmer a few minutes and it will slightly thicken on its own.  Add water slowly.  Simmer a few more minutes.  Should be the right thickness when done, but if not, add a bit of your favorite thickener and let develop a couple minutes.

When ready to serve, dip some of the onion sauce over arranged broccoli for presentation on service platter, pouring remainder of sauce into a small bowl for the dinner table.  Diners can then serve more sauce on theirs if they like.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 3 servings each containing:

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

San Marzano Focaccia

Peggy 4 Comments

This is what I think I’ll fix for lunch today, with the addition of some sliced olives.  I’m noticing in my old age I’m liking many fewer ingredients on what I think of as basically, um….  pizza.   I’m trying my hand at growing San Marzano tomatoes this year!   

This is yet another great new use for my Mozzy Dough.  I’m having so much fun trialing new applications for this dough.  TIP:  I make up 10 batches of the dry ingredients pre-measured on paper plates.  Then I fold and pour each into a sandwich bag and store the bags zipped up in a shoe box in my pantry.  Very convenient…..as then all I have to do is grab a bag, melt the butter, add the beaten egg, melt the cheese and make my dough ball.  So easy that way.  I store the paper plates and baggies and re-use for making each batch of 10. 

Boy, is this focaccia ever simple to make and yummy good!  I make mine fairly thin.  If you like focaccia thicker, make a smaller sheet than shown right (using fewer tomatoes, of course) and being sure you cut it into 12 slices so the nutritional info will be accurate.  This recipe is not suitable until you get to Phase 2 grains re-introduction level of Atkins as the Carbquik does have some flour in it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe my Mozzy Dough

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

25-27 San Marzano mini tomatoes (10 oz. bag)

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ shredded Parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

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

¼ tsp. dried oregano (or 1/2 tsp. fresh)

VARIATION:   Add a few sliced black olives

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Make the Mozzy Dough per that recipe’s instructions.  Line a 13″x15″ baking sheet with parchment and using your fingers, press the ball of dough out to a 9″x12″ rectangle (smaller if you like it thicker.  With a brush baste the dough with half the olive oil.  Sprinkle the chopped garlic evenly over the top and press it down a bit.  Now sprinkle 1/2 c. mozzarella over the crust evenly.  Slice the tomatoes lengthwise into halves and place skin-side down evenly over the top of the focaccia sheet.  Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on next and then the shredded Parmesan.  Sprinkle on the basil and oregano last.  Add olive slices, pressing them into the dough (if using).  Pop into oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until the dough is browning on the edges and the tomatoes are looking cooked on top.  Serve with a nice green salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:    Makes 12 3″x3″ squares of focaccia, each square contains.

190 calories, 15 g fat, 6.88 g carbs, 3.61 g fiber, 3.27 g NET CARBS, 12.6 g protein, 276 mg sodium

Boursin-Herb Stuffed Mushrooms

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I’ve done shrimp-stuffed mushrooms, herb-stuffed mushrooms, sausage-stuffed mushrooms, but last night I decided to do just a simple, rich herb-Boursin cheese filling.  Yummers!  These so “dressed up” a simple beef pattie dinner.  A side of fresh green beans was the perfect complement.  These would make great party snacks, using smaller mushrooms, of course.  This recipe is certainly a keeper for us as we love Boursin cheese!  And these gems have 30%-55% RDA of 11+ vital vitamins and minerals, so they are very nutritious for your family!  Best of all, they’re suitable for all you folks still on Atkins Induction!

INGREDIENTS:

6 large button mushrooms

2 T. olive oil + 2 T. unsalted butter

¼ c. chopped parsley

1 large green onion, chopped fine

1/8 tsp. each black and cayenne pepper

4 T. Boursin or Alouette “Garlic & Herb” soft cheese

1 slice low-carb bread or roll (I used this focaccia), crumbled

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Wipe clean and stem the mushrooms.  I saved the stems for some other use.  You can, of course, chop them up, saute and add to the filling mixture, but in doing so, you may not get all the filling into the mushroom cavities when stuffing.

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  With a brush, coat the outsides and insides of the mushrooms and set on baking pan.  To the remaining oil in the skillet, add the parsley, green onion, black and cayenne pepper.  Saute for a couple minutes.  Turn off heat and stir in the cheese to melt and blend.  Fold the bread crumbles into the mixture last and blend well.  Using a spoon, fill each mushroom cavity with 1/6 the filling, forcing it down well in the hole and allowing it to mound slightly.  If you have leftover filling, grab a 7th mushroom and fill it!  That will lower the numbers below a bit.  Pop pan into 350º oven and back around 25 minutes until mushrooms appear done and topping is slightly brown on top as shown above.  Serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 6 stuffed mushrooms, each one contains:

128 cals, 12.4g fat, 2.2g carbs, 0.7g fiber, 1.5g NET CARBS, 3g protein, 78 mg sodium

 

Cinnamon Rings

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My husband just loves these!  Warm they are soft; cooled they get chewy.  Doing more experimenting with my Mozzy Dough always yields great stuff.  This is the first sweet application I tried it on.  I use a little specialty pan with 2″ ring slots to make these.  You can also use a mini donut pan or a mini bagel pan.  You could also just use the bottom of the slots in a regular muffin pan.  These are not suitable until Phase 2 Atkins.

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe my Mozzy Dough

2 T. erythritol

1 pkt. stevia or 2 T. granular Splenda

FLAVOR SPRINKLE MIXTURE:

1 T. melted butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 T. more erythritol or Splenda

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Melt 1 T. butter over low heat and brush the bottoms of your pan slots lightly.  Mix 2 T. erythritol and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle half of it into each pan slot with your fingers.  Set pan aside.

Make the Mozzy Dough per that recipe’s instructions, except add the first 2 T. erythritol and stevia (or Splenda) to the dry ingredients to sweeten it up a bit.  They get chewy as they cool down.  When these are totally cooled off, they firm up and are more like cookies.  If you want them more cake-like in texture and to remain soft, eliminate the psyllium in the Mozzy Dough recipe.  When the dough is in a uniform ball, form into a log and with a knife, divide into 12 equal portions.  If using donut, bagel or ringed pans, roll each dough portion into a little snake shape about 4″ long and encircle/place into the slots.  Slightly press down with fingers to seal where the two ends meet.  If using muffin pan, just press the dough into the bottom of the slots.  Sprinkle topping mixture evenly on top of each one.  Pop pan into 350º oven and bake for about 15 minutes.  Do not over brown or these will dry out.  Allow to cool a minute before gently lifting out of slots with a knife tip.  Invert them as you plate them up and serve warm a fresh cup of coffee or tea.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 12 cinnamon rings, each contains:

141.4 calories, 12.1 g fat, 5.15 g carbs, 3.30 g fiber, 1.85 g NET CARBS, 8.88 g protein, 188 mg sodium

Pecan Tassies

Peggy Leave a comment

 Pecan Tassies

I’m not doing sweets currently, but as I haven’t made my husband anything sweet in ages, thought I’d make him some good old fashioned Pecan Tassies this afternoon.  This is basically my classic Pecan Pie recipe low-carbed and slightly modified for the miniature version.  They are so good.  The crust absorbs some of the liquid in the filling, so it is not as crusty as when used for other pies.  These almost seem like a pecan cookie bar to me.  These are not suitable for Induction.

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe my Tart Crust

3 eggs, beaten

1 c. granular Splenda (or other sweetener to equal 1 c. sugar)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 T. butter, melted

1 c. sugar-free maple syrup

1½ c. coarsely chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Make Tart Crust recipe per that recipe’s instructions.  Divide dough amongst 12 mini muffin cups.  Using plastic glove, carefully press dough onto bottom and sides of greased muffin cups.  However, bake for only 15 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Now beat eggs in a bowl.  Add melted butter and all filling ingredients and nuts.  Using small measuring cup, fill mini crusts just shy of the top edge.   Pop back into oven and continue to bake for about 30 minutes or until filing is done to the touch.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 12 tassies, each containing:

273 calories, 23.8 g  fat, 10.5 g  carbs, 6.0 g  fiber, 4.5 g  NET CARBS, 9.1 g  protein, 98 mg sodium

Jalapeno Meatloaf Burgers

Peggy Leave a comment

jalapeno-meatloaf-burgers

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

INGREDIENTS:

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

8 oz. lean ground pork

1 oz. red bell pepper, chopped

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

2 oz. onion, chopped

1 large stalk celery, chopped fine

2 T. olive oil

½ c. parsley, chopped

¼ tsp. dried oregano

1/8 tsp. black pepper

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

2 large eggs

¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese

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

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

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