Stuff I Make My Husband

Oven-roasted mustard greens with bacon

2012-01-27T05:49:00.000-08:00

I got a HUGE bunch of mustard greens in my CSA box, and I wasn't quite sure what to do with them. Admittedly, of all the winter greens (kale, collard, etc), mustard greens are my least favorite. Sometimes I chop it up and add it to salads but I had so much that I wanted to make a side dish. My go-to method with veggies is to roast them, since they get all browned and caramelized. I wondered if this could work with mustard greens, and they turned out very nicely, with crunchy bits that reminded me of kale chips. And of course everything tastes better with bacon ;)

ROASTED MUSTARD GREENS WITH BACON
Serves about 4

INGREDIENTS

1 large head mustard greens, roughly chopped
2-3 slices of bacon (3 slices for a very large head of greens), cut crosswise into 1" pieces
Splash of vinegar (red wine, sherry, or balsamic)
Salt, pepper, and hot pepper flakes to taste (I love aleppo pepper)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 F.
While oven is preheating, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Drain the bacon pieces, reserving the fat, and set the bacon aside. Toss the greens with the bacon grease along with salt and pepper to taste.
Roast the greens for 10-15 minutes or until starting to brown. Stir them around and roast for 5-10 minutes more.
Remove from the oven, toss with a splash of vinegar, top with pepper flakes and reserved bacon, and serve.

My favorite meatloaf

2012-01-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

I love making meatloaf: it's easy (WAY easier than meatballs), it freezes well, the leftovers taste good, and I can get grass-fed ground beef pretty easily. After much tweaking, this is the recipe I use.

For a long time, my husband was absolutely insistent that I add an envelope of onion soup mix whenever I make meatloaf (and I have to admit it does taste pretty good). I tried other options: fresh sauteed onions, onion powder, none of it was sufficient. However, I finally discovered an awesome alternative: Penzeys Fox Point seasoning. If you don't want to use it, you can (a) just use onion soup mix (b) make your own slightly-less-gnarly version of onion soup mix as per the Cook's Thesaurus recipe (scroll down to "onion soup mix"; vegetarian bouillon is usually just powdered veggies so I'd use that) or (c) just use salt and pepper instead.

I add a box of cooked and well-drained frozen spinach to this, just to add nutrition. I always keep boxes of spinach in the freezer because it's such a cheap and easy way to pack lots of green veggies into dishes like meatloaf, burgers, frittata, and so forth. I also use a bag of frozen mirepoix to keep things simple. The texture is kind of mushy but it's fine in meatloaf.

I've experimented with different grain-free binders including stuff like almond meal or coconut flour and ultimately my favorite is to use dried mushrooms that I grind to a powder, along with grated parmesan. These add flavor while also soaking up extra liquid. You could get away with excluding the dried mushrooms, but the loaf probably won't hold together as well. You might experiment with adding extra eggs and/or egg whites.

I like making an all-beef meatloaf because I can reliably get grass-fed ground beef (this week I got some from Deep Creek Ranch via the Birdhouse Buying Club). Usually meatloaf mix also includes ground veal (and ground pork), which contains extra natural gelatin and contributes to moistness. To compensate, America's Test Kitchen suggests adding a little powdered gelatin to an all-beef loaf, so I do the same.

Really, it's just a solid base recipe that you can probably tweak to your heart's content! Meatloaf is really hard to mess up :)

MEATLOAF
Serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS

1 10oz box frozen chopped spinach
1 bag frozen mirepoix, OR 1 medium minced onion + 1 minced celery rib + 1 minced garlic clove + 2 Tbs parsley
Fat of choice for sauteeing the veggies
1 Tbs tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken or beef broth
2 eggs
1/2 tsp gelatin
1 tsp paprika
3-4 Tbs Penzeys Fox Point seasoning or appropriate substitute (see description above for suggestions)
1 Tbs soy sauce or tamari (strict soy/wheat/sugar avoiders can use Red Boat fish sauce instead)
1 Tbs dijon mustard
2 lbs ground beef
0.5 oz dried mushrooms (I used shittake), ground to a powder in a spice grinder or food processor
1.5 oz (about 1/4 cup + 2 Tbs) grated parmesan cheese
2 lbs ground beef

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Cook the spinach according to package directions. Drain it VERY well by squeezing it against a sieve. Set aside.
Saute the vegetables in a pan over medium heat until the onion is translucent. Add the tomato paste, combine thoroughly, and take the pan off heat to cool.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs with the broth in a very large bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Add all remaining ingredients (including the reserved onion mixture and spinach) and combine very well using your hands.
Pack the meat mixture into a loaf pan (or shape into a free-form loaf shape and set it on a baking sheet or broiler pan). Bake at 375 for an hour. Let cool for 10-20 minutes before slicing. Serve with mashed faux-tatoes.

Homemade beer (or cider) mustard

2012-01-25T10:59:00.000-08:00

When I found out how easy it is to make mustard from scratch, I had to try it. My husband also doubles as my sommelier so I told him to pick out a beer that would work well in a mustard. After tasting a bunch, he decided on the Titan IPA for the combination of hop flavor with sweet malty-ness. You could certainly substitute any beer that you think would work, or use a hard cider instead if you are particularly strict about avoiding grains (though fermentation can actually be beneficial when it comes to grains!).

HOMEMADE BEER MUSTARD

Makes about 1.5 cups

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup (about 1.5 oz) yellow mustard seeds
1/4 cup (about 1.5 oz) brown mustard seeds
1/2 cup beer or hard cider
1/2 cup cider vinegar (or other mild vinegar)
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of xanthan gum (about 1/8 tsp) (totally optional; helps with emulsification and thickening)

DIRECTIONS

Combine all the ingredients in a container with an airtight lid. Let it sit for about two days. Throw everything in a blender and blend until desired consistency. It will not get completely smooth. I used a Ninja, if you use a regular blender you will probably have to blend for a little while.

Simple sauteed cabbage with cider and horseradish

2012-01-22T13:43:00.000-08:00

Soooo...I know that I've been pretty absent lately. No good excuse really; for a while, I had lost my camera battery and kind of allowed myself to get out of the habit of blogging my meals. So I am trying to form that habit once again :) The other thing is, lately I've been on a kick of making very simple meals that are uncomplicated and just showcase good ingredients. I'm usually not compelled to post simple stuff, but I realized that my favorite food blogs that I find myself visiting time and time again tend to be ones which post a lot of simpler recipes that let the ingredients shine (lately I love Nom Nom Paleo, Primal Palate, and A Veggie Venture), so why not do the same? Maybe someone will enjoy it.

So here you go. I needed a side dish to serve with some bratwurst and I had a nice head of Savoy cabbage. This is what I made.

SAUTEED CABBAGE WITH CIDER AND HORSERADISH

Serves about 6 as a side

INGREDIENTS

1 small head of Savoy cabbage (or half a large head), shredded
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbs bacon grease (or substitute butter; I had some bacon grease in the fridge)
1/2 cup hard cider (try to find one with no added sugar)
1 Tbs finely grated horseradish
1/2 tsp arrowroot or tapioca flour (or use 1 tsp regular or gluten-free flour, or just leave it out)
Salt to taste
Crushed red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Heat the bacon grease or butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until just soft and translucent. Add the cabbage and stir to combine.
Cook until the cabbage is soft but not overcooked, stirring occasionally. I actually prefer not stirring the cabbage much so that it browns on the bottom.
Meanwhile, combine the cider, horseradish, and arrowroot or flour (if using). Pour the mixture over the cabbage and onions and stir, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom. Let it cook for a minute or so or until mostly evaporated.
Salt to taste and serve, optionally sprinkled with pepper flakes.

Blintzes with blackberry sauce

2011-10-09T12:10:00.000-07:00

If you are an Eastern European Jew, you're probably familiar with blintzes. For the uninitiated, blintzes are crepes (known as bleitlach) wrapped around a soft cheese-based filling. Usually, they are served with a fruit topping (like pie filling), applesauce, and/or sour cream. I decided to make these with a healthier, low-carbier spin with crepes are based on coconut flour.

The first couple crepes that I made fell apart, and I realized that it's because I was making them too thick. It will probably take some trial and error and it depends on the size of your pan; a scant 1/4 cup of batter worked for me. If you completely fail with these, you could scatter a layer of crepes slightly overlapping in the bottom of a casserole dish, spoon the filling on top, cover with another layer of crepes, bake, then cut into squares.

LEMON-CARDAMOM BLINTZES WITH BLACKBERRY SAUCE

Makes about a dozen

INGREDIENTS

For the crepes:

6 eggs
6 Tbs melted butter (could substitute oil)
1 Tbs honey or sweetener of choice (optional)
Pinch salt
6 Tbs coconut flour
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup club soda
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the filling:

12 oz farmer's cheese
4 oz cottage cheese, ricotta, or cream cheese (I used cottage cheese, I think I will use cream cheese next time)
1 Tbs melted butter
1 Tbs sweetener of choice
Zest of one lemon, finely grated or chopped
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
I added a teaspoon of Penzey's baking spice; I think 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon and cardamom would be a good substitute.

For the blackberry sauce:

1 cup blackberries (fresh or thawed frozen)
Sweetener to taste
Xanthan gum (optional, if you like it thicker)

DIRECTIONS

For the crepes:

Start preheating a nonstick crepe pan or skillet on medium-low heat.
Combine all the ingredients except for the club soda in a blender and blend well. Add the club soda a pulse a few times to mix thoroughly.
When pan is hot, brush or spray with oil or butter. Pour in about 1/4 cup of batter and swirl around to coat the pan evenly. Cook, turning once, until both sides are golden brown. Set aside. Can be made a day in advance.

For the filling:

Mash together all ingredients until combined. I used a potato masher.
Cover and set aside in the refrigerator.

For the sauce:

Mash berries in the bottom of a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high, then turn heat to low.
Add sweetener, 1 Tbs at a time, and taste until you reach desired level of sweetness.
Simmer on low for 5-10 minutes or until slightly thickened.

For the blintzes:

Roll up about 2-4 Tbs filling in each crepe, folding both ends so that it is closed. Amount of filling will depend on the size of your crepes and how full you like your blintzes.
Heat butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the blintzes, a few at a time, turning once until golden brown and crisp.
Serve with blackberry sauce and/or sour cream.

Hamburger steak with onions and egg

2011-08-22T04:52:00.000-07:00

After a day of hard training, this recipe from New Yorker By Heart sounded so good that I had to make it. This dish with tomato salad is like an upgraded version of what my husband and I both usually order at old-fashioned-type diners. It's one of the simpler things I've posted on this blog, but I definitely recommend it for an easy dinner. The tomato salad is grape tomatoes and olives tossed with balsamic vinegar mixed with fresh basil pesto.

HAMBURGER STEAK WITH ONIONS AND EGG
Serves however many you make

INGREDIENTS

Hamburger patties (I used 90% lean grass fed ground beef seasoned with Penzeys Old World seasoning; of course salt and pepper would work too)
Egg
Onion, sliced or coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS

Cook the hamburger patties to desired level of doneness in a skillet. Set aside, cover with foil to keep warm.
Cook the onions in the remaining juices, adding a little extra butter or oil if necessary. Set aside.
Cook the eggs in the same pan until cooked but yolk is still runny.
Top each hamburger steak with onions and an egg. Serve with Tabasco or steak sauce, and tomato salad or sliced tomatoes on the side.

Half baked ice cream

2011-07-19T11:06:00.000-07:00

It got kind of melted while I was photographing it :\

Ben and Jerry's "Half Baked" is my all-time favorite ice cream. They describe it as, "Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Creams with Fudge Brownies and Gobs of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough". I got the crazy idea to make a healthy-ish version of this.

I made it as follows:

Made a batch of vanilla cottage cheese "ice cream" (like I used in the ice cream bars)
Mixed in hunks of April's protein cookie dough. This stuff is awesome and really tastes like cookie dough, especially if you add chocolate chips or cacao nibs! Substituting cashew butter for peanut butter makes it even more cookie-like.
Made a batch of chocolate cottage cheese "ice cream"
Mixed in chunks of 1-carb brownies
Swirled the two flavors together

It definitely took some time and effort, but it definitely satisfied that craving!

HALF-BAKED ICE CREAM
Makes about a pint

INGREDIENTS

For the cookie dough ice cream:

1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp stevia extract or equivalent sweetener (basically enough sweetener to equal 3-4 Tbs sugar)
1 Tbs vodka (optional, to keep ice cream soft)
1/2 scoop protein powder (my favorite for this is True Protein milk protein isolate in cookie dough flavor, but any vanilla protein powder would work great too)
1 Tbs nut butter (peanut, cashew, almond, or macadamia would all be great)
About a teaspoon of cacao nibs or chocolate chips or chopped up dark chocolate bar (optional but recommended)

For the chocolate fudge brownie ice cream:

1 cup cottage cheese
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp stevia extract or equivalent sweetener (basically enough sweetener to equal 3-4 Tbs sugar)
2 Tbs cocoa powder
1/4 cup liquid egg whites or nondairy milk of choice (i.e. almond milk or lite coconut milk)
1 Tbs vodka (optional, to keep ice cream soft)
About 1/3 of a batch of 1-carb brownies, thoroughly cooled and cut into cubes

DIRECTIONS

Combine the nut butter, protein powder, and a teaspoon of water. Mix until smooth. If necessary, add more water, a teaspoon at a time, until you have something with a cookie dough consistency. Mix in the cacao nibs or chocolate chunks. Form into small balls and set aside in the fridge.
Puree the remaining ingredients for the cookie dough ice cream together. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer directions. Mix in the cookie dough balls and set aside in the freezer.
Puree all the ingredients for the chocolate fudge brownie ice cream together except for the brownie chunks. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer directions. Mix in the brownie pieces.
Gently swirl the two ice creams together, being sure not to overmix. If desired, top with extra brownie and/or cookie dough pieces. Eat right away or store in the freezer.

Deviled eggs with garlic-stuffed olives

2011-07-18T04:56:00.000-07:00

Lately both the husband and I have been addicted to garlic-stuffed green olives. I was assigned to make a dish from Daily Dish Recipes as per July's Secret Recipe Club. So, when I saw a recipe for deviled eggs with olives, I thought I'd give it a shot using these olives.

DEVILED EGGS WITH GARLIC-STUFFED GREEN OLIVES

Makes 12 deviled egg halves

INGREDIENTS

6 hard-boiled eggs
2 Tbs mayonnaise (homemade olive oil mayo would be ideal here, though I used storebought)
2 Tbs cider vinegar
2 Tbs dijon mustard
1 Tbs finely-chopped garlic-stuffed green olives, plus extra for topping
1/8 tsp curry powder (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Slice the eggs into half lengthwise. Remove the yolks into a small bowl and mash them until crumbly.
Mix in the vinegar, mustard, mayo, chopped olives, and curry powder.
Spoon the filling into the whites.
Top with additional halved or sliced olives.

Bulgogi

2011-07-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

Bulgogi is one of the most well-known Korean dishes. It is comprised of marinated paper-thin slices of beef that are grilled and served in lettuce wraps with various banchan. Lettuce leaves tend to fall apart for wraps, so I use savoy cabbage leaves instead. Additionally, I dramatically reduce the amount of sweetener in the dish. Otherwise my version is fairly traditional. I like to serve it with kimchi, scallions, sesame seeds, gochujang (a type of thick Korean hot sauce; I use it in my hot wings), thinly-sliced fruit (Asian pear or nectarines, depending on the season), and maybe cucumber.

I live near a Korean market, and they sell pre-sliced beef specifically for bulgogi. I've seen shaved beef at other supermarkets, but it is usually a much fattier cut. You could always buy something like a top round London broil and either slice it yourself or ask the butcher to do so. Alternately, I've made the lettuce wraps with ground beef before. I find loose ground beef to be very messy in wraps so I form them into mini-meatballs when I do this. It makes a nice hors d'oeuvre.

BULGOGI
Serves 2-4 as a main dish, more as an appetizer

INGREDIENTS

1 lb thinly-sliced beef for bulgogi (preferably a lean cut such as top round)

For the marinade:

3 Tbs tamari or soy sauce
1-2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
2 tsp dark sesame oil
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1/2 tsp-1 Tbs sweetener, to taste (honey, coconut sugar, stevia, or Splenda would all work)

For serving, some or all of the following:

Lettuce leaves or Savoy cabbage leaves
Kimchi
Thinly-sliced Asian pear or nectarine
Julienned or sliced scallion
Toasted sesame seeds
Gochujang
Thinly-sliced or julienned cucumber

DIRECTIONS

Combine the beef with the marinade ingredients. Marinate for a couple hours or overnight.
Broil the beef on high or cook in a very hot cast iron skillet until browned.
Serve in lettuce or cabbage leaves with assorted garnishes.

Variation: Use ground beef instead of sliced beef.

Eastern North Carolina style pulled pork

2011-07-15T06:06:00.000-07:00

Pulled pork with rutabaga faux-tato salad

I've made a couple different types of barbecue sauce on this blog which provide alternatives to the typical sugar-laden ketchupy stuff. I made South Carolina style mustard barbecue, Texas-style barbecue brisket, as well as a tomato-based sauce using unsweetened ketchup and fresh strawberries. This is another delicious option. In eastern North Carolina, barbecue typically uses a thin sauce comprised of spices and vinegar. This is an ideal base for low-carb, low-calorie pulled pork.

This recipe is based on one that has been floating around a message board I visit. No one is quite sure where it originated and everyone who makes it usually changes it a bit. So, I can't give credit to the original author, but I can assuredly say that everyone who has made this has loved it.

EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA STYLE PULLED PORK
Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

Half an onion, thinly sliced
1 pork roast, about 2.5 lbs. Pork butt/pork shoulder is traditional, but you can use lean pork loin if you are watching calories.

For the spice rub:

1 Tbs unrefined sugar (sucanat) or sweetener of choice (I used a packet of stevia mixed with a drop of molasses)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

For the barbecue sauce:

6 Tbs cider vinegar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp sweetener of choice (stevia, Splenda, honey, etc...)
1/4 tsp dry mustard (or 3/4 tsp prepared mustard)
1/4 tsp garlic salt (I didn't have any on hand so I used Adobo seasoning instead)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS

Combine the spice rub ingredients and use it to coat the pork roast. Place the onion in the bottom of your slow cooker and put the pork on top.
Combine the ingredients for the sauce. Pour half of it over the pork roast.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until it shreds easily with a fork. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, add the rest of the sauce.
Shred the pork with two forks and combine with the sauce and juices in the slow cooker. Serve.

Slow-Cooked Carnitas

2011-06-30T15:13:00.000-07:00

Served with avocado slices, fresh cilantro, and cauliflower Mexican "rice"

I love carnitas, a Mexican braised pork dish. I wasn't sure what was in them, so I decided to Google a recipe. Rick Bayless is my go-to source for Mexican recipes, so I was excited to find that he has a recipe for these. However, it calls for, uh, 4 gallons of lard. No wonder they always taste so good! So, these are not authentic carnitas; it is more like a Mexican pulled pork. I remembered that the best carnitas I ever ate had Grand Marnier in them, so I included that too. Of course I made it in the slow cooker, so when I got home, the kitchen smelled wonderful and dinner was waiting for me!

If you are watching calories, use a lean pork loin for this dish. Otherwise, you can use pork butt or shoulder.

SLOW COOKER CARNITAS
Number of servings depends on size of pork roast

INGREDIENTS

1 pork roast, anywhere from 1.5-3 lbs
6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tsp ancho or pasilla chili powder (you can make this yourself by toasting and grinding dried chilies. In a pinch, just use regular supermarket chili powder).
1 tsp dried oregano
1 canned chipotle pepper, finely minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional; leave this out if you don't like spicy food)
1 tsp salt (Kosher or sea salt; use 1/2 tsp if using regular table salt)
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp agave nectar or honey (optional)
1 orange
1 lime (2 if your limes are not very juicy)
50ml/about 1/4 cup orange liquor such as Grand Marnier (or substitute 1 Tbs orange extract, or use the zest from the orange)
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup chicken broth + extra if needed

DIRECTIONS

Combine the garlic, chili powder, chipotle, cumin, oregano, cayenne, salt, pepper, olive oil, and optional honey to form a paste. Set aside.
Meanwhile, sear the pork on the stovetop on high heat until the outside is well-browned.
Rub the pork with the spice paste. If you have a small pork roast, you may not use all of it.
Put the pork in your slow cooker. Pour the Grand Marnier and the juice from the lime and orange over it. Pour 1/2 cup chicken broth around the pork and toss in the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Cover and cook for 6-8 hours.
Discard the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Shred the pork with two forks and combine with the meat juices. You may add extra chicken broth to moisten if necessary.

Pistachio and goat cheese encrusted chicken with apricot mustard

2011-06-27T15:03:00.000-07:00

This was a really tasty and easy way to dress up chicken breasts. It is adapted from a Robin Miller recipe, but of course I made quite a few changes. I used crushed pistachios instead of macadamia nuts, and just mashed them with goat cheese crumbles instead of spreading each ingredient individually on the chicken breasts. Additionally, instead of honey mustard, I mixed dijon with a bit of sugar-free apricot preserves; I love the taste of apricot with pistachios. This was a really nice, easy weeknight supper. I served it with some roasted cauliflower, which was tasty, but unfortunately did not make for the prettiest plates.

PISTACHIO AND GOAT CHEESE ENCRUSTED CHICKEN WITH APRICOT MUSTARD
Serves 2 (can easily be doubled)

INGREDIENTS

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 5 oz each)
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp apricot preserves (sugar-free or fruit sweetened)
1 oz roasted pistachio kernels, crushed with a mallet or coarsely chopped
1.5 oz soft goat cheese (chevre)
Salt and pepper (or poultry seasoning of choice)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Mash the pistachios and goat cheese in a bowl with a fork until well-combined. Set aside.
Microwave the apricot preserves for 5-10 second to melt it if necessary. Combine it with the mustard. Set aside.
Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Set them on a lightly-greased baking sheet. Spread each one with apricot mustard, then top with the pistachio-cheese mixture. It is easiest if you place dollops of the pistachio mixture on top of the chicken and then kind of mash it in with your fingers.
Cover pan with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes. Uncover and cook 5-10 minutes longer, or until the cheese is golden brown and melted. Serve.

Asiago-rosemary crisps, and easy microwave cheese crisps

2011-06-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

I've seen lots of low-carb cracker recipes, most of which involve a lengthy process of mixing a dough, rolling it out, cutting out individual crackers, and so forth. These are significantly easier: just bake grated cheese with seasonings until crisp. I baked grated Asiago and cracked rosemary in silicone mini-muffin trays so that they came out perfectly round. If you use mini-muffin trays, they MUST be silicone, otherwise they will stick. If you do not have one, you can mound up the cheese on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. While cheese is somewhat calorically-dense, each crisp has only about a teaspoon of cheese. Thus, a small amount of cheese is stretched a long way.

ASIAGO-ROSEMARY CRISPS
Makes 24 crackers

INGREDIENTS

2 oz (weight) Asiago or other hard cheese such as Parmesan (about 1/2 cup grated)
1/4 tsp dried rosemary (I used Penzeys cracked rosemary) or a teaspoon of minced fresh rosemary

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 F
If the Asiago is in a solid block, grate it on the small side of a box grater. Alternately, you can shred the cheese, freeze it on a plate for an hour, and then pulse it in a food processor until powdery.
Toss the cheese with the rosemary. Place a teaspoon (approximately) of the mixture in a mini-muffin cup. Repeat with all 24 cups.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden but not brown. Rotate the pan halfway through.
Let the crisps cool in the muffin tins, then peel them out. Store in the refrigerator. They will keep for about a week.

One drawback is that using good-quality hard cheese doesn't get quite as crispy as I'd like. I've actually gotten the best results with supermarket semi-soft/semi-hard cheeses such as Monterey Jack or cheddar. You can easily make those in the microwave as follows.

Here, I cut up a 50-calorie low-fat string cheese into 12 pieces (I've also cut it into 16 pieces before and I actually preferred that). Put each piece in the cup of a mini muffin pan. You can sprinkle them with any kind of seasoning you'd like, or leave them plain.

Next, microwave for 30 seconds. Rotate the tray and nuke for another 15 seconds; repeat until crispy and somewhat browned. If your microwave is terrible like mine and cooks them unevenly, remove the finished ones as they are cooked. They will look like this as they cook:

Remove the crisps from the pan when cool, and eat!

Fluffy buttermilk pancakes (low-carb, gluten-free)

2011-06-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

Much like pizza, pancakes are one of those things that dieters, even low-carb dieters, refuse to give up. There are alternative pancake recipes all over the web, and I've probably made them all. Ultimately, this is what I've settled on as the most realistic alternative. It is based on coconut flour (which I briefly wrote about here) and uses whipped egg whites to create lift and fluffiness. I served these with a homemade blackberry compote, which I made by following these instructions except I substituted blackberries for raspberries and cut back on the sweetener.

FLUFFY BUTTERMILK PANCAKES
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

2 eggs, separated (make sure not to get any drops of yolk in the white)
1/2 cup liquid egg whites or egg substitute (or 4 fresh egg whites)
1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup almond milk + 1/2 Tbs lemon juice or vinegar)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs unflavored or vanilla protein powder
1/4 cup coconut flour (use a finely-milled brand such as Bob's Red Mill)
1 tsp baking powder
Dash of cinnamon (optional)
Sweetener to taste if using unsweetened protein powder (optional; I used a packet of stevia)
Butter or oil for greasing the pan

DIRECTIONS

Beat the egg whites that came from the whole eggs with a big pinch of salt. Use an electric mixer with whisk attachment to beat the whites until they reach soft peaks. Set aside.
Combine the buttermilk, egg yolks, liquid egg whites, and vanilla extract in a medium-sized bowl and whisk well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, protein powder, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until thoroughly combined.
Fold the whipped egg whites into the batter mixture, being careful not to deflate the whites (here is a video that shows the procedure for folding egg whites).
Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium-low. For each pancake, spray lightly with oil or grease with a bit of butter. Pour a quarter cup of batter into the skillet, shaking lightly to distribute batter (it will be slightly mounded up due to the beaten egg whites). Cook until bubbles are visible on top, then flip the pancake over and cook until the other side is golden brown. Serve immediately.

Tequila-lime grilled chicken

2011-06-19T09:05:00.000-07:00

This is quickly becoming my favorite marinade for grilled chicken breasts. Extremely flavorful, few ingredients, and the lime juice does a nice job of tenderizing the meat. For serving, I made a sort of beefed-up taco salad with lots of veggies. At the bottom of the bowl is spicy cauliflower "rice" (recipe follows). I also put a spoonful of it on top so that you can see in the photo; I accidentally overprocessed the cauliflower a bit but you can see a better-looking version of cauliflower "rice" in this recipe. I topped it with a combination of shredded romaine and shredded lacinato kale, added in some fajita veggies (sauteed peppers, onions, and mushrooms), and served it with low-fat sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.

TEQUILA-LIME GRILLED CHICKEN

Serves about 4

INGREDIENTS

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup tequila (cheap stuff is fine for this)
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced cilantro
Lots of fresh garlic, minced (I used about a whole head; if you're lazy you can probably just crush the cloves instead of mincing them)
1 tsp salt
Chili powder or fajita seasoning to taste (I use Penzeys Chili 3000)

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients except for the chili powder in a galloc zipper lock bag. Place the chicken breasts in it and let it marinade at least 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
When ready to cook, remove chicken breasts from marinade. Brush off the cilantro and garlic as well as you can. Sprinkle with chili powder or fajita seasoning and grill until cooked through. Serve.

MEXICAN CAULIFLOWER "RICE"
Serves about 4

INGREDIENTS

Half a head of fresh cauliflower, stemmed and cut into chunks
1 small can of diced tomatoes with chiles such as Ro*Tel, very well drained
Large pinch of garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste (I used about 3/4 tsp salt)

DIRECTIONS

Pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it resembles grains of rice.
Combine the cauliflower with the other ingredients in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave for 2 minutes on high. Stir, taste, and microwave for another minute or two if necessary. Repeat until it reaches the desired consistency.

Klondike bars

2011-06-18T09:19:00.000-07:00

A problem with low-carb ice cream is that, without sugar, it quickly hardens in the freezer so that it is difficult to scoop. So, I came up with a solution: if I make ice cream into single-serving hand-holdable bars, no scooping is required. I decided to make peanut butter flavored ice cream using PB2 with a dark chocolate coating.

Here's the basic idea:

I made a double-batch of Lauren's cottage cheese "ice cream" using stevia to sweeten.
I followed the directions from Chow.com for making homemade ice cream bars. You can see how they did it, along with pictures of the process, here.
Instead of tempering chocolate as per Chow.com's instructions, I made an easy chocolate shell coating in the microwave. I used unsweetened chocolate plus stevia.

I definitely recommend making these! It's easier than it sounds, and I guarantee that no one will know that it is a healthier version.

KLONDIKE BARS
Makes 8 bars

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cottage cheese (low-fat or fat-free is fine)
Sweetener to taste (enough to equal about 1/2 cup sugar; I used stevia)
Flavoring of choice. For peanut butter, I used 1/2 cup PB2 plus 1/4 cup liquid egg white to compensate for the extra powder added. For traditional vanilla flavor, just add a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
2 Tbs vodka (to help keep the ice cream soft and creamy)
7 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 Tbs coconut oil or non-hydrogenated palm shortening
Additional stevia or sweetener to taste, for chocolate coating

DIRECTIONS

Puree the cottage cheese, sweetener, flavoring, and vodka in a blender until completely smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker (I use this one) and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.
Line a 9"x5" loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a substantial amount of overhang. Pack the ice cream into the lined loaf pan, cover with the overhanging plastic wrap, then press down with the bottom of a glass to distribute evenly. You can see photos of these steps here. Freeze until solid, at least three hours or overnight.
Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper, taping it down at the corners. Remove the frozen ice cream from the loaf pan in a single block. Cut into 8 equal squares. If you have trouble cutting it, run the blade of your knife in hot water. Place each square on the baking sheet, spread apart so that they are not touching, and re-freeze for at least two hours.
When ready to dip the ice cream bars, finely chop the unsweetened chocolate. Place in a deep microwave-safe bowl with coconut oil or palm shortening. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir in the sweetener, then microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir until completely melted.
Working one at a time, drop a square of frozen ice cream in the chocolate shell. Quickly turn it over, pull it out with a fork, and shake off excess chocolate. Scrape the bottom of the fork against the rim of the bowl to remove excess chocolate coating. Place the dipped ice cream bar back on the wax paper lined baking sheet. See step 11 here for photos. Repeat with all ice cream squares.
Freeze until solid, at least two hours. To store, wrap first in plastic wrap, then in foil.

Philly cheese steak melts

2011-06-14T06:15:00.000-07:00

This isn't so much a recipe as it is an idea for dinner. My local Korean market sells beef that is sliced paper-thin for bulgogi, but I more often use it for this particular meal. You could alternately ask the butcher to thinly slice a steak for you, or do it yourself.

PHILLY CHEESE STEAK MELTS
Serves however many you want, I made it for two people.

INGREDIENTS

Bell peppers, thickly sliced (I used one small red and one small green)
Onion, thickly sliced (I used half a Vidalia)
Sliced mushrooms (optional; I used about 4 oz)
Thinly-sliced beef
Sliced provolone cheese or cheese of choice
Optional add-ons: bacon, mayo, olives...whatever you eat on a Philly!
Salt and pepper or seasoning of choice (I like Penzey's 4/S)

DIRECTIONS

Saute the onion and mushrooms in a lightly-greased skillet over medium-high. Once the onions start to soften, add in the peppers. Saute until everything is cooked. Set aside.
Add some additional oil or butter to the skillet. Cook the meat on high until browned and cooked through.
Turn the heat down to low, add the vegetables to the skillet, and season everything with salt and pepper. Place cheese slices over the top, cover the pan, and cook until cheese is melted. Carefully spoon it out with a spatula and serve.

Steak salad with fermented black bean dressing

2011-06-13T05:57:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite Chinese dishes is beef chow fun with fermented black bean sauce. Of course, I rarely indulge in such dishes. However, my favorite component is really the beef and the sauce; I could take or leave the noodles. So, perhaps it only makes sense to serve the beef and sauce over lots of veggies. This is adapted from a flank steak recipe from Sunset magazine, but I tweaked it quite a bit.

I decided to make the beef in the oven, but if you don't want to heat up your kitchen, of course you could use the grill instead. I used an oven-grilling method that I read about in Cook's Illustrated and I absolutely loved the results. This is probably my new go-to cooking method for London broil. Just be sure to slice it very thinly as otherwise it may be tough. An electric carving knife was very helpful here.

STEAK SALAD WITH FERMENTED BLACK BEAN DRESSING
Serves 4 as a main dish

INGREDIENTS

1 top round London broil (about 1.5-2 lbs), excess fat and gristle trimmed
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth (chicken broth would probably work too)
1/4 cup fermented black beans, rinsed
3 Tbs shao xing wine or sherry
3 Tbs grated fresh ginger
1/3 cup rice vinegar or cider vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
1 tsp honey
2 oz roasted salted peanuts or cashews, crushed
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Salad greens of choice (I used a baby spinach blend)

DIRECTIONS

Combine the tamari or soy sauce, broth, wine or sherry, ginger, vinegar, beans, and honey. Marinate the steak in this mixture overnight.
When ready to make the salad, preheat the oven to 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes. Remove the steak from the marinade and pat dry, reserving all of the marinade. Lightly grease a heavy cast iron skillet (I used coconut oil) and heat on the stove on high heat for 3-5 minutes. As soon as the steak smokes (about 5 seconds), transfer to the oven. Cook for 3.5-4 minutes, turn steak, cook for another 3.5-4 minutes, then remove from oven and let the steak rest for 5 minutes. Slice paper thin on the bias against the grain.
Meanwhile, boil the reserved marinade until reduced by half. When the steak is done cooking, add any accumulated meat juices from roasting or slicing to the dressing.
Mound salad greens on four plates. Top with bell pepper and scallions. Top with sliced steak and sprinkle with cilantro and crushed peanuts. Drizzle with the warm dressing and serve.

Strawberry cheesecake ice cream

2011-06-08T11:06:00.000-07:00

The great thing about having an ice cream maker is that you can pour pretty much anything in there and it comes out resembling ice cream. My go-to is pureed cottage cheese, but I decided to attempt freezing cheesecake batter. I baked some low-carb grain-free graham crackers for making graham cracker crumbs. I will supply the recipe for doing so, but there are certainly easier options. You could buy some pre-made graham cracker crumbs and just use them sparingly. Or, you could toast some coarsely-ground almonds with cinnamon and sweetener. I think that the Emerald cinnamon roast almonds taste a lot like graham crackers; you could probably crush those up and use them as a topping.

In any case, this was seriously good.

STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM

Serves about 4

INGREDIENTS

12 oz straberries, washed, stemmed, and sliced
6 oz cream cheese (full fat or Philadelphia brand low fat), cubed and softened
Sweetener (your choice; I used stevia) to equal 3/4 cup sugar
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs vodka (optional; use if you are planning to keep the ice cream in the freezer for a while, as it will keep it soft)
Graham cracker crumbs (see above description for diet-friendly ideas, or use the below recipe to bake your own)

DIRECTIONS

In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients except for the strawberries and graham cracker crumbs. Puree until smooth.
Stir in the strawberry slices.
Freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.
Serve topped with graham cracker crumbs.

LOW-CARB GRAHAM CRACKERS

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup coconut flour
2 scoops plain or vanilla whey protein
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon (I used Penzeys Vietnamese cinnamon)
1 Tbs good-quality raw honey
Sweetener to taste (I used stevia; amount depends on the sweetness of your protein powder. Start with the equivalent of 1/4 cup sugar, taste, and add more if necessary)
6 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg + 1 egg white (or 6 Tbs liquid egg white or egg substitute)
Extra cinnamon and granular sweetener for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine all dry ingredients (except sweetener) in a bowl and set aside.
Cream the butter in a standing mixer or electric hand mixer. Add the egg, vanilla, sweetener, and honey. Beat until smooth. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients.
Form dough into a ball and place on a large sheet of parchment paper. Top with another sheet of parchment. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a large rectangle about 1/8"-14" thick, then remove the top sheet of parchment. Use a pizza cutter to trim the edges and score the dough into large crackers. Prick all over with a fork. Sprinkle with extra cinnamon and granular sweetener.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool and serve.

Strawberry pulled pork, blue cheese and apple slaw

2011-06-05T16:11:00.000-07:00

After reading The End of Overeating, I started making a conscious effort to sweeten my food less. Whether it's Splenda, stevia, dates, honey, agave, or whatever else, I started forcing myself to use less sweetener and enjoy simpler flavors. My palate has since adjusted, and conventional barbecue sauce now tastes candy sweet to me. This recipe is a different. In this crockpot pulled pork, I use unsweetened ketchup and add whole strawberries to the sauce for a natural, mild sweetness. Berries are nutritional powerhouses and are relatively low-carb, so I include them in my diet. I did add a spoonful of molasses, but that was mostly for flavor and you can certainly leave it out if you prefer. It sounds strange, but I loved the taste of the strawberries with the barbecue. In fact, I wish that I had added some of them toward the end of cooking, as they completely fell apart and I think some strawberry chunks would have been nice. Blue cheese and apple slaw was a perfect and slightly unconventional accompaniment, adapted from this recipe. I used Marie's brand yogurt-based blue cheese dressing, which had a mild flavor and is relatively low-calorie. I used half a diced green apple; you can use more or less, depending on your taste and dietary needs.

STRAWBERRY PULLED PORK
Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

1 pork roast, 2-3 lbs
1/2 cup unsweetened ketchup or ketchup of choice
1 Tbs molasses (optional)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup yellow mustard (I've tried dijon and other nicer mustards in BBQ sauce, it never tastes right)
1 lb strawberries, washed and stemmed (I used a bag of frozen strawberries and dumped them in without thawing. You can alternately slice half of the strawberries and add them about 30 minutes before serving to get more strawberry chunks.)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs fresh minced rosemary or 1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp hot pepper sauce such as Tabasco (I used 2 tsp green Tabasco)
1/2 tsp liquid smoke or 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Season the pork on all sides with salt and pepper and place in the slow cooker.
Combine all remaining ingredients and pour over the pork.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove the pork and shred it with two forks. If desired, transfer the sauce to a saucepan and reduce until thick. You can add some additional tomato paste to thicken.
Combine the pork with the sauce and serve warm.

BLUE CHEESE AND APPLE COLE SLAW
Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

1 8oz bag shredded cabbage for cole slaw
1/4 cup blue cheese dressing such as Marie's yogurt-based
Half of a Granny Smith apple, diced (use less if you restrict carbs significantly)

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients and chill.

Other peoples' recipes

2011-06-02T06:25:00.000-07:00

This is a different sort of post than I normally make. Rather than posting one of my own recipes, I thought I'd toss up some links to recipes from other food bloggers. These are recipes that have become staples for me that I find myself making over and over again. If you enjoy this, let me know in the comments and I'll do a link dump every so often.

The kimchi, bacon, and shittake omelette from Closet Cooking is probably my husband's favorite dish that I have ever made. It sounds strange, but it is so tasty and easy to make. I always keep a big jar of kimchi around so that I can make it on a whim. The omelette filling would definitely translate well to other dishes, such as the pizza I made.

There are about a million recipes for grain-free protein pancakes out there, but this one is my favorite. I love the pumpkin protein pancakes from I Love Feta Cheese. I also add a teaspoon of baking powder to make them extra fluffy. I prefer the protein pancakes that use a veggie like pumpkin to add some extra nutrition.

I'm a huge fan of the green chile egg casserole from The Fitnessista (scroll down that page for the recipe). It's sort of like a crustless quiche, but I really like the texture from adding sour cream. Sometimes I substitute egg whites or Eggbeaters for some of the eggs and it's still great. If I have some scallions on hand I might add some of those as well.

Red Curry-Roasted Salmon with Green Beans, Red Bell Pepper, Mint, and Basil from Sidewalk Shoes is incredibly easy and tastes far more complicated than it is. I use Thai basil and I generally buy the bags of pre-washed destemmed green beans to make it even simpler.

These are more of a once-in-a-while treat due to the high calorie content, but the snickerdoodles from Genaw are my husband's all-time favorite cookies, low-carb or otherwise. He will take these over conventional flour-and-sugar cookies any day.

Finally, now that it is summer, I'm often in the mood for frozen treats. The frozen cottage cheese "ice cream" from Healthy Indulgences is a protein-packed way to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Filipino Chicken Adobo, Coconut-Cilantro Cauliflower "Rice"

2011-06-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

After reading about how simple Filipino chicken adobo is to make, I had to try it myself. I couldn't believe how good it is! This may become a new staple, as it's so easy to make and uses ingredients that I always have around the house. For the accompaniment, I made a simple cauliflower "rice" (cauliflower that has been pulverized to resemble grains of rice) flavored with cilantro, scallions, and toasted coconut.

FILIPINO CHICKEN ADOBO

Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS

4 chicken thighs
3/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
1/2 cup cider vinegar
5 garlic cloves (more or less), smashed (peeling them is not necessary)
2 bay leaves
1 chipotle pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan with 1 cup water.
Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a slow simmer and cook, covered, for about 30 minutes or until done, turning halfway through.
Meanwhile, line a broiler pan with foil and heat the broiler on high. Remove the chicken from the pot, gently pat dry with paper towels, and place skin side up on the pan. Broil until the skin is crisp.
While chicken is broiling, reduce the cooking liquid to 1 cup. Strain out the solids and serve alongside the chicken and "rice".

COCONUT-CILANTRO CAULIFLOWER "RICE"

Serves 4-8

INGREDIENTS

1 head cauliflower, leaves and large stem removed, cut into chunks
1/3 cup (heaping) unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 Tbs fresh grated ginger or 1/2 tsp good-quality ground ginger
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you like it)
1 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
1/2 cup roughly chopped scallions
2 tsp coconut oil (probably optional)
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Toast the coconut flakes in a 350 degree oven (I used the toaster oven) until golden brown.
Pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it resembles rice. Set aside and wipe out food processor bowl.
Put all remaining ingredients in the food processor. Blend until very finely chopped.
Combine the mixture with the cauliflower. Place in a large microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for about 4 minutes. Toss with a fork and taste. Cook for another minute or two if necessary.

Tandoori chicken burgers

2011-05-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

Something about summer makes me want to eat burgers. This is a unique variation. I was planning to make tandoori chicken for dinner, but due to a very good sale on ground chicken I got the idea to burger-ize it. Typically I mix tandoori spices with yogurt for a chicken marinade. Instead, I combined ground chicken with spices and served it with a homemade cilantro raita for the yogurt component. As usual, I served the patties bunless over a bed of greens (in this case, baby spinach, romaine, radicchio, and arugula). Diced mango complemented the flavors perfectly and I urge you not to leave it out. Since I watch my carbs, I just used a tiny bit, but it was enough. You can always slice it thinly to make it stretch further.

Variation: For my dairy-free readers (I have a bunch!), I am sure that you could substitute a cilantro mayo for the raita. Just combine mayonnaise with minced cilantro leaves, cumin, garlic, and perhaps a little mango chutney or sugar-free mango syrup, and add sliced cucumber atop the burger (or add cucumber chunks to the salad).

TANDOORI CHICKEN BURGERS

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground chicken or turkey (the stuff I used was marked 93% lean)
1 Tbs tandoori seasoning. I bought a bag of it that I found in my local Oriental market. Penzeys also makes a good tandoori blend. If you wish to make your own, this looks like a decent recipe.
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 Tbs minced fresh ginger (probably optional)
1 beaten egg or 1/4 liquid egg white or egg substitute
Salt to taste
1 fresh mango, diced or sliced
Bed of greens for serving

For the raita:

8 oz Greek yogurt
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 Tbs minced fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp cumin
Pinch of garlic powder or 1 small clove garlic, minced
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Combine the ingredients for raita. Set aside in the refrigerator.
Combine the ground chicken, egg, scallion, ginger, tandoori seasoning, and salt. Shape into four patties.
Cook in a lightly-oiled skillet over medium-high heat, about 3-4 minutes on each side, then turn down heat to medium-low, partially cover, and cook until done throughout with no raw meat.
Serve atop salad greens with diced mango. Put a blob of raita on top and serve.

Burgers stuffed with scallions and Camembert

2011-05-08T09:09:00.000-07:00

Yikes! Long time no post! I guess we all need a break occasionally...but rest assured, I have some great recipes queued up!

Made some burgers. Stuffed 'em with Camembert, scallions, grainy mustard, and some other assorted yumminess. Ate 'em bunless, topped 'em with a fried egg (though the egg is underneath the patty in this photo). Enough said? I think so.

BURGERS STUFFED WITH SCALLIONS AND CAMEMBERT
Makes 4 burgers

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground beef (I used 90% lean grass-fed)
4 scallions, thinly sliced or minced
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (less if you do not like spicy food)
4 oz (weight) Camembert cheese, rind removed and cut into four slices
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil (I didn't measure this so I'm estimating)
About 4 tsp grainy mustard
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs (optional, if you want to top the burgers with fried eggs)
Greens and chopped tomatoes, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Combine the scallions, cayenne, olive oil, and salt in a small bowl. Vigorously combine, crushing the scallions a bit with a fork or the back of a spoon.
Divide the ground beef into eight equal balls, then flatten them out into patties. Spread four of them with mustard, top with a slice of Camembert, then spoon 1/4 of the scallion mixture on top. Top with the four remaining plain patties and press the edges together to make stuffed burgers.
Broil or grill for about 4 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, fry eggs if desired to over-medium. Top plates of salad greens with burger patties, then top each patty with an egg.

Crispy roast chicken with artichokes, turnips, and sun-dried tomatoes

2011-04-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

Nothing beats a good roast chicken. Lately, I like to get a whole chicken but ask the butcher to cut it up for me. It cooks up quickly and you don't have to carve a whole bird, but it stays very moist and tender.

I like to throw some veggies in the roasting pan. I added red potatoes for my husband and the much-lower-carb turnips for myself. I also threw in about a head's worth of garlic cloves and plenty of artichoke hearts. Olive oil, fresh herbs, and sun dried tomato (I used smoked sun dried tomato) added lots of flavor, making an easy one-pan dish.

CRISPY ROAST CHICKEN WITH ARTICHOKES, TURNIPS, AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES
Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken, separated into ten pieces (2 wings, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, and the breast halves split crosswise resulting in 4 breast pieces)
1/4 cup good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs minced fresh rosemary
1.5 tsp minced fresh oregano or marjoram
1 head garlic, separated into unpeeled cloves
2 lbs peeled turnips or red potatoes, cut into wedges
1 10-oz box frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted according to package directions
1-4 Tbs julienned sun-dried tomato (to taste, depends on how much you like them)
Half a lemon
Salt and pepper or Penzey's Northwoods seasoning to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 F
Combine the olive oil, rosemary, and oregano. Toss the chicken, turnips, garlic, and artichokes with the oil mixture, then spread everything out into a large roasting pan. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper or Northwoods seasoning.
Roast uncovered for 45 minutes, rotating from lower-center oven rack to upper-center rack halfway through cooking.
Sprinkle with sun dried tomato and squeeze the lemon juice over the top. Baste the chicken and roast for another 15 minutes. Baste it again halfway through.
If desired, run everything under the broiler for 1-2 minutes for extra crispiness.

My favorite pre-workout snack: sweet potato pie shake

2011-03-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

For anyone visiting my blog via my article on MDA, you may have noticed that I mentioned that, while I eat low-carb, I get some starchy carbs before a workout. This is my favorite pre-workout snack. Strict low-carbers can substitute pumpkin for the sweet potato, making this a pumpkin pie shake; a great way of getting your orange veggies.

This uses coconut milk (for medium-chain fatty acids), sweet potato (a nice starchy medium-GI carb with lots of health benefits), cinnamon (improves insulin sensitivity), and whey protein (a fast-acting protein source). It works out perfectly to fuel my workouts!

I use canned organic sweet potato puree because it's fast and easy. You can definitely cook and mash sweet potato ahead of time, though. If you do that, I recommend running the sweet potato through a food processor so that you can easily shake up the resulting puree up in a blender bottle. Otherwise you will need to use a blender.

SWEET POTATO PIE SHAKE
Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup sweet potato puree
12 fl oz lite coconut milk (full-fat is too thick) or almond milk
1/2 scoop (I use a 25cc scoop) of vanilla whey protein (I use True Protein whey isolate in natural premium vanilla, which is sweetened with stevia only. More info here.)
Lots of pumpkin pie spice and/or cinnamon (I use Penzeys)
Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS

Shake up everything in a blender bottle.
Drink
Train hard!!

Reuben pizza

2011-03-17T05:31:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! My favorite way to eat corned beef is in the form of a reuben sandwich; however, I've pretty much given up on bread. In the spirit of my pizza experiments, I wondered if I could make a veggie crust using sauerkraut. Given the benefits of cabbage and fermented foods, it's a good crust to have in my repertoire.

If you are watching calories, you can use low-fat cheese, use egg whites in the crust, be judicious with the amount of Swiss cheese and corned beef, and make a reduced-fat dressing.

REUBEN PIZZA
Serves 1-4

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sauerkraut, rinsed and squeezed thoroughly dry
4 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded (I used Cabot 75% fat free)
2 eggs, beaten or 1/2 cup liquid egg whites or egg substitute
1-2 tsp caraway seeds (I used 1 teaspoon but next time I will bump it up to 2)
2 Tbs flax meal
2 Tbs coconut flour
Thousand Island or Russian dressing (I made my own with 2 Tbs unsweetened ketchup, 2 Tbs light mayo, and 1/2 Tbs no-sugar-added relish, albeit I didn't end up using all of it.)
Swiss cheese
Sliced corned beef brisket

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450
Combine the shredded cheddar, egg or egg white, caraway seed, sauerkraut, flax meal, and coconut flour in a medium bowl.
Mound the mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using damp hands, spread it out into a disc about 1/4" thick.
Bake for 30 minutes or until well-browned, flipping it over halfway through.
Spread on the dressing, cheese, and corned beef. Broil for 2-3 minutes.

Homemade Baileys Irish Cream

2011-03-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

I'm not really a drinker, but I have a weakness for coffee with Baileys. I also love it as an ingredient in baking, such as Bailey's buttercream frosting, in dark chocolate truffles, and so forth. Of course, it is loaded with sugar. It never occurred to me that I could make this myself, but I found a recipe for homemade Baileys here, which I adapted to be far lower in carbs. While my version is still loaded with fat and of course it also contains alcohol, it's still decent as a sensible vice, particularly if you're just adding a couple tablespoons to a recipe.

BAILEY'S IRISH CREAM

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe low-carb sweetened condensed milk (recipe follows)
1 cup cream
150 ml whiskey or cognac (whiskey is closer to the original, but cognac would make a great substitute if you are very strict about grains. Or leave it out and make virgin Baileys!)
1 tsp instant coffee granules
2 Tbs sugar-free chocolate syrup (you can approximate this by combining 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tsp water, and sweetener of choice to equal 1 tsp of sugar)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp xanthan gum (optional but recommended)

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Store in the refrigerator in a closed bottle.

--

SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK
Can be used in any recipe in place of 1 can of sweetened condensed milk

INGREDIENTS

About 4 oz coconut milk powder (I used two 1.76 oz packets)
1/4 cup water
8-12 tsp sweetener (I used five packets of Sweetleaf stevia)
3 Tbs unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS

Put the water in the bottom of a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Immediately stir in the butter until melted.
Add the remaining ingredients, whisking well or beating with a fork until totally smooth.
Microwave for an additional 15 seconds or so, then beat the mixture again.

Pad Thai

2011-03-13T15:49:00.000-07:00

How on earth does a low-carber manage to make Pad Thai? Well, I recently discovered kelp noodles. While I appreciate the nutritional profile of shirataki noodles, I'm not crazy about the slimy texture and thus I only like them in soup, such as Pho. On the other hand, I genuinely enjoy the kelp noodles for stir-fries, as they closely resemble rice vermicelli. They are stiff when they come out of the package, but they absorb liquid when you stir-fry them with a little bit of sauce and cook up to a nice al dente texture.

Kelp noodles are virtually zero-carb and zero-calorie, using sodium alginate (a seaweed extract) to form their shape. Sodium alginate is a staple of molecular gastronomy, used widely in spherification. Some well-known dishes which employ this technique include Ferran Adria's liquid olives and his molecular caviar. In the case of kelp noodles, this technique is used to mass-produce an extremely low-calorie and low-carb "pasta". They are a perfect candidate for Pad Thai.

Part of me hates giving a recipe with so many hard-to-find ingredients. Items like dried shrimp and Tianjin preserved vegetable are staples of most Asian markets, but if you do not live near an Asian market, you may be out of luck. Unfortunately I really have no idea what an adequate substitute would be. I think that if you leave them out, it will taste like something is missing. I would just make a different stir-fry if you do not have access to exotic ingredients; this one was quite good.

There seems to be some debate over the "correct" way to use dried shrimp: to soak or not to soak? Chop, grind, or leave whole? I decided not to soak, and to pulse them in my spice grinder until I had a coarse, fluffy powder.

PAD THAI
Serves 1-2

INGREDIENTS

1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized slices
1 package kelp noodles; rinsed, dried, and separated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs rice or cider vinegar
2 tsp fish sauce (I use Three Crabs brand)
2 Tbs dried baby shrimp (choose a brand with no added sugar), ground or finely chopped
3 Tbs salted cabbage, such as Tianjin preserved vegetable
2 Tbs crushed roasted peanuts, plus extra for garnish (can substitute cashews if you are strict about avoiding legumes)
1 tsp chili powder
Palm sugar, honey, Splenda, or other sweetener, to taste. I used 2 tsp. 2 Tbs would probably be closer to a traditional Thai flavor; 2 tsp was just enough to balance out the salty flavors. You could probably get away with using less if you are used to not-sweet food.
1 cup bean sprouts, rinsed and dried well
1 small bunch Chinese chives, cut into 2" lengths
1 egg, beaten
Coconut oil or other fat of choice
Lime wedges and sriracha sauce for serving

DIRECTIONS

Ensure that all of your ingredients are prepped, measured, and ready to go; this is key to the success of the dish.
Stir-fry the chicken in hot oil over medium-high until just cooked. Set aside.
Heat more oil in the same wok or skillet that you used for the chicken. Add the noodles, tossing to detangle.
Add the garlic, vinegar, fish sauce, dried shrimp, and cabbage. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, tossing the whole time.
Add the crushed peanuts, chili powder, and sweetener. Continue tossing and stir-frying for another 2 minutes.
Quickly mix in the chives, chicken, and bean sprouts. Cook until the bean sprouts are slightly soft.
Push the noodles to the sides of the wok or skillet, leaving a hole in the middle. Add a bit of extra oil. Add the beaten egg and scramble until just done.
Push the noodles back on top of the egg and invert onto a serving bowl so that the egg is on top.
Sprinkle with extra crushed peanuts and serve with lime wedges and sriracha sauce.

Simple roasted broccoli and eggplant

2011-03-11T15:10:00.000-08:00

I feel kind of silly posting this, as it barely qualifies as a recipe. But sometimes it's nice to get ideas for simple preparations that we might otherwise overlook...right?

I think that broccoli is one of the most underrated vegetables for roasting. I usually see it boiled or steamed, but it is excellent when roasted at a high heat. The little buds on the florets get brown and very crispy, and the caramelization brings out broccoli's natural sweetness. It's also a very forgiving preparation if your broccoli isn't the best quality or if it's been sitting in the fridge a bit too long.

Conventional eggplant is watery and bitter due to the size and high seed content. To combat this, you can salt the cut eggplant, let it drain, then press out the moisture with paper towels. This is very effective but kind of a pain. So, I use Chinese or Japanese eggplants. These are small and slender, much less watery, and with far fewer seeds. As a bonus, because of their shape, you can get the skin (the most nutritious part) on every bite.

I'm on a Penzeys kick right now, and I am crazy about their Northwoods seasoning for anything roasted. You can absolutely substitute any seasoning you prefer, or even just use salt and pepper. To approximate Northwoods, I'd probably do 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp paprika, 1/8 tsp black pepper, and 1/8 tsp dried thyme. It won't be exact, but I'm sure it would be a fine substitute.

SIMPLE ROASTED BROCCOLI AND EGGPLANT

INGREDIENTS
(Note: you can really use whatever amounts you want, this makes enough to fill a single baking sheet)

6 oz (weight) broccoli florets (the pre-cut raw broccoli is fine for this if you're lazy)
1 medium or 2 small Chinese or Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise and cut into chunky half-moons
1 tsp (or to taste) seasoning of choice, such as Penzeys Northwoods
Extra virgin olive oil (I put mine in a refillable pump bottle)
1 Tbs pesto (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450
Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with oil. Add the veggies, spray with more oil, add seasoning, and toss to distribute.
Bake for 10-15 minutes (check after 10 minutes)
If desired, toss with pesto. Serve.

Crunchy Camembert-Dijon Pork Chops

2011-03-10T11:09:00.000-08:00

This is how the conversation with my husband went regarding these pork chops:

Husband: This is one of the best things you have ever made.
Me: Oh wow, glad you like it that much. But do you think it needs-
Husband: It doesn't need anything.
Me: Maybe next time I should add-
Husband: Don't change anything.
Me: But perhaps it would be good with-
Husband: Don't change anything.

You get the idea. So, I will provide this recipe with little commentary or suggestions. I'll just say...make it. Don't change anything.

CRUNCHY CAMEMBERT-DIJON PORK CHOPS
Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS

4 boneless pork loin or rib chops, trimmed of excess fat
About 4 tsp dijon mustard (I strongly prefer Maille brand)
4 oz Camembert cheese, cut into slices about 1/4" thick. The quality of the Camembert will significantly impact the outcome of the dish!
2 oz ground almonds (about 1/2 cup). I bought sliced skin-on almonds and ground them myself in a spice grinder so that I could keep them a bit on the coarse side. You could alternately buy almond flour but it will be milled more finely and thus not as crunchy.
2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp dried marjoram (or substitute another dried herb such as thyme or sage)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 Tbs melted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400
Slather the top of each pork chop with a coating of dijon mustard (about a teaspoon each, but I didn't bother measuring). Arrange Camembert slices on top. You may need to kind of mash and spread the Camembert with your fingers to get a uniform layer.
In a small bowl, combine the ground almonds, dried herbs, garlic, coriander, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the melted butter or oil. Add the other tablespoon of fat if the mixture is too dry.
Pat a layer of the almond mixture on top of the Camembert layer.
Bake for 20 minutes or until done.

Sugar-free coconut macaroons, two ways

2011-03-05T00:09:00.000-08:00

Macaroons are a very popular Passover dessert, as they do not require any flour or other forms of chametz. Passover is still a month away, but I had a craving for coconut so I figured I might as well make them now!

There are two basic categories of macaroons. There are dense, chewy macaroons (like the canned Manischewitz variety), and there are also airy, fluffy macaroons, almost like a coconut meringue. Chewy macaroons are more familiar, but I definitely preferred the fluffy ones. They were soft, moist, and reminiscent of angel food cake. Plus, the copious amount of whipped egg whites volumized the batter and thus there are less calories per cookie. The chewy ones were excellent as well, and probably closer to what guests would expect.

Chewy on left, fluffy on right.

Macaroons come in many varieties, including toffee crunch, rocky road, and cappuccino chip. Personally, I like mine with a hint of almond, so I added pure almond extract along with some finely-ground blanched almonds. You can also dip these in dark chocolate if you'd like, making something vaguely reminiscent of an Almond Joy.

Top left: chewy macaroon with the bottom dipped in chocolate.

Top right: chewy macaroon, left plain.

Center: chewy macaroon, half dipped in chocolate and rolled in sliced almonds.

Bottom left: Fluffy macaroon drizzled with chocolate.

Bottom right: fluffy macaroon, left plain.

Choose whatever you'd like!

The fluffy macaroons are comprised of stiffly-beaten egg whites, unsweetened shredded coconut, and sugar-free almond syrup. I made my own syrup, but you could always use Torani.

Formulating a recipe for chewy macaroons was slightly more challenging. Pre-sweetened coconut provides a lot of intrinsic chewiness. Real sugar gets sticky and syrupy and keeps the coconut very moist; sugar substitutes simply don't work the same in that regard. I've come across recipes which use sweetened condensed milk or coconut cream (the sweet, thick, sticky kind, like Coco Lopez). This seemed like it might be the key, so I made my own coconut cream. I added additional sweetener (stevia for me) to the batter as well. You could alternately use it to make Genaw's angel coconut. I'm not sure that it would make a difference, though, as she said it was wet rather than sticky. If you do this, use half of the coconut to make angel coconut and leave the rest as-is. For some reason, even though I used the same amount of almond extract in the chewy recipe as I did in the fluffy recipe, it tasted less almond-y and next time I will use more.

FLUFFY MACAROONS

Makes about two dozen

INGREDIENTS

8 oz package shredded unsweetened coconut
6 fresh egg whites (NOT pasteurized)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cream of tartar (probably optional)
2 oz (weight; about 1/2 cup) finely-ground almonds or almond flour
1 recipe sugar-free almond syrup (recipe follows) or 1/2 cup storebought sugar-free almond syrup such as Torani

DIRECTIONS

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Preheat the oven to 350 (next time I think I will bake them at 375 to get more brown, you could try it if you like)
Beat the egg whites with the salt and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
Stir together the coconut, ground almonds, and almond syrup. Fold the mixture into the egg whites.
Drop the batter onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, one rounded tablespoon at a time. You may need to use two sheets. Use your fingers to create a point at the top. Alternately, you can use a pastry bag fitted with a star tip to create the macaroons.
Bake until light golden brown, about 15-20 minutes, turning cookie sheets from front to back and switching from top to bottom racks halfway through baking.
Let cool and serve.

ALMOND SYRUP FOR FLUFFY MACAROONS
INGREDIENTS

1/4 tsp flavorless oil
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 Tbs coconut oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup erythritol, powdered in a spice grinder
1 dropperful (about 28 drops) vanilla-flavored stevia such as Sweetleaf Vanilla Creme OR 2 packets stevia + 1/4 tsp vanilla extract OR 4 tsp additional erythritol + 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp pure almond extract

DIRECTIONS

Pour the oil in the bottom of a microwave-safe dish. Sprinkle the xanthan gum over it, and stir with a fork to combine. Add the coconut oil and microwave on high for 40 seconds or until the fat is melted. Stir again to combine.
Whisk in the remaining ingredients and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Let it sit for a few minutes to thicken. Syrup will thicken as it cools.

--

CHEWY MACAROONS
Makes about two dozen

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe sugar-free coconut cream (recipe follows)
Sweetener of choice to equal 6 Tbs sugar (for example, 1/4 tsp pure stevia extract or 9 packets of SweetLeaf stevia)
3 fresh egg whites
1 tsp almond extract (I might bump this up to 1.5-2 tsp)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1.5 tsp honey or agave nectar (probably optional, but I think it helped the texture. I used agave because I had some on hand.)
8 oz package unsweetened shredded coconut
2 oz (weight; about 1/2 cup) finely ground almonds or almond flour

DIRECTIONS

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Preheat the oven to 375.
Whisk together the coconut cream, egg whites, sweetener, extracts, syrup, and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl, stir together the coconut and almonds until combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well with a rubber spatula.
Chill the batter for 15 minutes.
Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use your fingers to push each one so that it is pointed at the top.
Bake until light golden brown, about 15 minutes, turning cookie sheets from front to back and switching from top to bottom racks halfway through baking.
Let cool and serve.

SUGAR-FREE COCONUT CREAM FOR CHEWY MACAROONS
Makes about 1/2 cup. Use it in any recipe that calls for coconut cream!

INGREDIENTS

About 2 oz powdered coconut milk (I used a 1.76 oz packet)
2 Tbs water
4-6 tsp erythritol (you can use a different sweetener, but erythritol seems to work best for syrupy-textured recipes. Start by adding the 4 tsp, then taste and add more if desired. I used 4 tsp erythritol + a Sweetleaf stevia packet.)
1.5 Tbs coconut oil
Pinch salt

DIRECTIONS

Put the water in the bottom of a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Immediately stir in the coconut oil until melted.
Add the remaining ingredients, whisking well or beating with a fork until totally smooth.
Microwave for an additional 15 seconds or so, then beat the mixture again.

Chayote "apple" crisp; Olive oil, pistachio, and goji berry granola topping

2011-03-03T20:17:00.000-08:00

I've been experimenting with grain-free granola lately, and thus I went searching for recipes that use granola as an ingredient. I came across this recipe for a quick "cobbler"; you cook apples in the slow cooker, and then use granola as a topping. Given my love of slow-cooker recipes, I had to figure out a way to make this diet-friendly.

I've seen other low-carbers use chayote squash as a substitute for apples. I peeled, diced, and cooked the chayote with stevia, lemon juice, and apple pie spice -- I guarantee, no one will EVER know they're eating vegetables! According to the entry on NutritionData, it is very low-carb (only 4 net carbs per cup!) and a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, zinc, copper and manganese. I also had some homemade low-carb grain-free ginger cookies around, so I crumbled up two of those and mixed them in with the topping. This is totally optional but it was certainly tasty! I still haven't quite perfected the cookie recipe (though I will post it when I do); in the meantime, you can try Christina's gingersnaps.

I definitely recommend serving it in individual ramekins, as I added no thickeners and thus it doesn't hold together quite like traditional apple pie. I ate one and froze the rest. You could probably reheat by baking at 350 for about 10 minutes.

As for the granola, I was loosely inspired by a New York Times recipe that gets rave reviews around the web. Berries are my fruit of choice and are pretty much the only fruit that I eat, since they are high-fiber, low-sugar, reasonably low-carb, and total nutritional powerhouses. However, all of the dried berries I can find are usually sweetened. The one exception is goji berries, so I bought those. I baked them in with the granola but I feel that was a mistake. I would recommend adding them in at the end.

CHAYOTE "APPLE" CRISP

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 lb chayote squash (about two chayotes)
4 packets Sweetleaf stevia or equivalent sweetener (should equal 8-9 tsp sugar)
Juice of two lemons
1/2 tsp molasses
1 tsp apple pie spice or cinnamon
2 Tbs + 4 tsp butter, divided (or coconut oil)
1/2-1 cup granola (recipe follows, but you can use any granola recipe you like)
2 grain-free cookies, crumbled (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Peel and dice the chayote squash. Combine it in the slow cooker with the stevia, lemon juice, molasses, and apple pie spice or cinnamon. Cut the 2 Tbs butter into slices and scatter them over the top. Cook on low for 3 hours.
Divide the cooked chayote mixture evenly among four ramekins. If using cookies, combine the cookie crumbs with the granola. Top each with 2-4 Tbs granola mixture, set a teaspoon of butter or coconut oil atop each one, and bake at 350 for about 5 minutes or until done.
Serve with Greek yogurt or whipped cream.

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OLIVE OIL, PISTACHIO, AND GOJI BERRY GRANOLA
Makes 4-5 cups

INGREDIENTS

3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup dry TVP
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (make sure it is FLAKES, not shredded coconut)
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup chopped pistachio kernels
1 cup pepitas (raw, immature pumpkin seeds)
6 Tbs flax meal
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3 Tbs sugar-free maple syrup (I made my own)
1 tsp molasses
Powdered sweetener of choice (I used erythritol plus two stevia packets, you could alternately use Truvia or Splenda), to taste or up to 1/3 cup. 1/3 cup will have the level of sweetness of most commercial granolas, but I like mine much less sweet.
Large pinch of salt (unless the pistachios are salted)
1/2-1 cup unsweetened goji berries, soaked in hot water if excessively dry (1 cup is tastier but 1/2 cup cuts back on the carbs)
Optional: 1 fresh raw egg white, if you prefer a clumpy granola

DIRECTIONS

Warm two tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the dry TVP and cook, stirring, for a minute or two or until the oil is mostly absorbed.
Add the coconut, almonds, pistachios, pepitas, sunflower seeds, and spices. Stir until well-combined.
Add powdered sweetener to taste. It should be slightly less sweet than you like, as you will be adding the syrup.
When well-blended, add the syrup and molasses and stir. The syrup will likely evaporate. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt or sweetener if desired.
Take off the heat and immediately stir in the flax meal plus the additional tablespoon of olive oil.
For a clumpy granola, follow these directions. Otherwise, just bake at 300 degrees. In either case, check on it every ten minutes. Mine was done after about 35 minutes. Stir in the goji berries at the end.

Gyro meat

2011-03-01T22:13:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure what's in the commercial gyro meat at Greek restaurants, but I don't trust it. I'm suspicious of what possible binders and weird fillers it may contain. So, I decided to attempt my own.

I used half ground lamb, half ground turkey to reduce the pricetag as well as the overall calories. I really liked the flavor and texture, but truthfully I missed some of that characteristic greasiness, so feel free to use all lamb if you prefer. I formed the whole thing into a loaf shape, cooked it in my crock pot, let it cool, sliced it thinly, and finally brushed the slices with olive oil and broiled them. The slices fell apart more than I would like, particularly if I tried to cut them very thin. I've thought of a couple possible solutions here. First, you could form the meat into patties and eat them as bunless "Gyro burgers" atop Greek salad, as in this recipe. I think these would also be more moist, since burgers don't need to cook as long as a large loaf. Or, you could use the meat as a meatza base and top it with Greek salad type toppings. Finally, you could try adding a binder of some sort. I actually think that crushed pork rinds would be ideal here for adding back some of that fast food greasiness. Another option would be fresh bread crumbs made from pulverizing a low-carb pita along with the onion, though that would not work for those who eschew gluten. That's all I've come up with; if you have any other ideas, let me know in the comments!

GYRO MEAT
Makes about 2 lbs

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground lamb
1 lb ground turkey (or more lamb)
1 small onion
4 garlic cloves
3 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 Tbs fresh oregano leaves
1 Tbs ground coriander
1/2 Tbs ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1-2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Puree the onion, garlic, vinegar, oregano, and spices in a food processor until smooth.
Thoroughly combine the onion puree, ground lamb, and ground turkey, using your hands.
Form it into a flat-ish loaf shape. Cook in a crock pot on low for 5-6 hours. Alternately, you could probably bake it at 325 for 60-90 minutes or until done.
Let it cool thoroughly overnight in the refrigerator.
To serve, cut into slices, brush the slices with olive oil, and broil until crisp. Serve over Greek salad with tzatziki sauce.

Pumpkin-flax granola, and healthy granola bars

2011-02-28T23:18:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to attempt a healthy, low-carb granola for a while now. My husband is taking a long plane ride tomorrow, so I figured it was as good an excuse as any to whip up some granola bars for his trip. This does have some soy in the form of TVP (texturized vegetable protein), but you could easily just replace it with more nuts and seeds. Or, perhaps make the flakes from this cereal recipe. Or use whey protein crisps. It's up to you!

You could really use whatever mix of nuts and seeds you prefer, and play around with the spices as well. You could also mix in dried fruit and/or chocolate chips when you're done. In retrospect, I wish I had added cacao nibs and perhaps sunflower seeds. This particular recipe was inspired by Nature's Path pumpkin-flax granola.

A couple tips:

-It is important to have all of your ingredients prepped and measured before beginning, trust me.

-The granola bar recipe makes the chewy style of bars. They are a bit delicate, so I highly recommend keeping them in the fridge.

PUMPKIN FLAX GRANOLA

Makes 4-5 cups

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbs fat of choice (I used coconut oil)
1 cup dry TVP
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (make sure it is FLAKES, not shredded coconut)
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup pepitas (raw, immature pumpkin seeds)
6 Tbs flax meal
2 Tbs sesame seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice or nutmeg
3 Tbs sugar-free syrup of choice. I used this syrup recipe, but I used only 1/4 tsp maple extract plus 1/4 tsp molasses and 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice. You could also use a storebought syrup, such as one of these. Or use honey or maple syrup if you can deal with the carbs
Powdered sweetener of choice (I used erythritol plus two stevia packets, you could alternately use Truvia or Splenda), to taste or up to 1/3 cup. 1/3 cup will have the level of sweetness of most commercial granolas, but I like mine much less sweet.
Large pinch of salt
Optional: 1 fresh raw egg white, if you prefer a clumpy granola

DIRECTIONS

Warm the coconut oil or other fat in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the dry TVP and cook, stirring, for a minute or two or until the oil is mostly absorbed.
Add the coconut, almonds, pecans, sesame seeds, salt, and spices. Stir until well-combined.
Add powdered sweetener to taste. It should be slightly less sweet than you like, as you will be adding the syrup.
When well-blended, add the syrup and stir. The syrup will likely evaporate. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt or sweetener if desired.
Take off the heat and immediately stir in the flax meal.
For a clumpy granola, follow these directions. Otherwise, just bake at 300 degrees. In either case, check on it every ten minutes. Mine was done after about 35 minutes.

GRANOLA BARS
Makes 6-8 bars

INGREDIENTS

2 cups granola
2 Tbs creamy almond butter or other creamy nut butter
1 Tbs coconut oil or butter
1-2 scoops protein powder. I used 1 scoop of True Protein milk protein isolate in cookie dough flavor. You will probably use 2 scoops for pure whey, 1 scoop for a blend which includes milk or casein. Alternately, just use erythritol to taste
2 Tbs sugar-free syrup (I used more of the homemade syrup)
1/4-1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit (optional, I didn't use this)

DIRECTIONS

In a large saucepan, melt the nut butter with the coconut oil on medium-low. Whisk until smooth.
Add the protein powder and sugar-free syrup and mix well. Add enough water to thin it out to a thick but pourable sauce. I used about 1/4 cup water. The amount really depends on the protein powder you use.
Stir in the granola until evenly coated.
Press the granola in an even layer in the bottom of a loaf pan lined with foil or parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
When completely cool, cut into bars.

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

2011-02-28T06:46:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm done with The Great Pizza Experiment, but this is an idea I had that I wanted to try. These are little pizza puffs, waiting to be dipped in tomato sauce. They are based on the thick crust pizza recipe, baked in mini-muffin cups. You can freeze these on a baking sheet, transfer them to a gallon zip-lock bag, and keep them around for an easy, reheat-able snack (eat your heart out, Totinos pizza rolls!). Or, these would make great dippable party food if want something different from the usual raw veggies and dip.

PIZZA PUFFS
Makes about 16 thick, fluffy puffs or about 32 flatter, crunchier puffs

INGREDIENTS

4 ounces cream cheese (I used Philadelphia brand low-fat)
2 eggs (or 1/2 cup egg whites or egg substitute)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1 ounce
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (I love Penzeys Italian herb mix)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
8 ounces Italian cheese blend or mozzarella cheese, shredded (low-fat is fine, do not use fat free)
2 ounces (weight) pepperoni, chopped (I used turkey pepperoni). Or use any topping you'd like!

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375
Soften the cream cheese by microwaving for 30 seconds at 50% power. Whisk it with the eggs or egg substitute until smooth. Beat in the parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and baking powder. Stir in the shredded cheese and chopped pepperoni.
Grease the cups of a mini-muffin tray with olive oil or Baker's Joy. A silicone pan is ideal as it will prevent sticking. Fill the cups all the way for thick, fluffy pizza puffs; if you would rather have thinner, crunchier pieces, only fill them halfway.
Bake for about 20-30 minutes, checking after 20 minutes, or until the tops are browned.
Serve with heated tomato sauce for dipping.
To freeze (if desired), let the pizza puffs cool. Freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer to a gallon zip-lock bag. Reheat at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes.

Hybrid pizza

2011-02-23T21:11:00.000-08:00

This post is part of The Great Pizza Experiment

Gyro pizza! Leftover homemade gyro meat (recipe forthcoming!), feta, tzatziki sauce, and Greek-salad-type veggies.

Finally! The last remaining recipe in my pizza series. Originally, I was not going to make any hybrid recipes, as there are endless combinations that can be made. However, there is one particular recipe that is especially popular around the web, so I thought that I should give it a shot. It uses shredded cheese, eggs, flax meal, and coconut flour. I believe it originally appeared here at Healthy Indulgences, but I've seen it posted and reposted all over the place, each time with rave reviews. My photo does not really show off the texture of the crust, largely because I piled so much stuff on it, but you can see photos of the same recipe on other blogs: here, here, and here. In the above photo, I quartered the recipe and made a single personal pizza.

Thick or thin crust: Medium, but closer to thin and definitely crisp

Taste: 8. Like the shredded cheese pizza, it was a tad excessively cheesy. But the flavor was great, and you can easily punch it up with the addition of herbs and spices.

Texture: 9. This was the sturdiest of all the pizzas, by FAR. You could easily pile this up with thick, wet toppings and still have hand-holdable slices that don't droop. It was very nice and crunchy.

"Realness": 9. It was crispy and crackly with lots of little air bubbles throughout, making it kind of resemble pizzeria pizza. I think this one is the most likely to fool people.

Ease of preparation: Very easy

It would seem like this pizza is the winner; however, I'm not 100% pleased with the nutrition. It's still mostly a big glob of cheese, and I love the pizzas that hide pounds of veggies in the crust. So, I decided to experiment. I replaced half of the cheese with a half-pound of spinach. I sauteed it until wilted, chopped it finely, and squeezed out the liquid by wringing it in a paper-towel-lined tea towel.

This was GREAT, though the dark green spinach detracted somewhat from the "realness". However, if you use the riced, drained cauliflower from the cauliflower pizza recipe, I think you'd have low-carb perfection (albeit I like the original cauliflower recipe for a cracker-thin crust).

ETA: Here it is with cauliflower in the crust instead of spinach:

HYBRID PIZZA

Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS

8 oz (weight; about 2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese (low-fat is fine)
2 eggs, beaten, or 1/2 cup liquid egg whites or egg substitute
2 Tbs golden flax meal
2 Tbs coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
Sauce, cheese, and toppings of your choice

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.
Mound the cheese mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using damp hands, spread it out into a disc about 1/4" thick.
Bake for 30-45 minutes, flipping it over halfway through.
Spread on your sauce, cheese, and toppings and broil for 2-3 minutes.

NUTRITION (crust only, using egg white and low fat cheese)
Per 1/4 pizza: 191 calories, 10g fat, 2g net carbs (5g total + 3g fiber), 21g protein
Per 1/2 pizza: 382 calories, 20g fat, 4g net carbs (9g total + 5g fiber), 41g protein

VARIATION
Use 8-16 oz (weight) of a well-drained finely-chopped vegetable in place of half of the cheese.

Zucchini pizza crust

2011-02-23T06:29:00.000-08:00

This post is part of The Great Pizza Experiment

The veggie pizza crusts are definitely my favorite; there's nothing like packing a POUND of vegetables into a pizza crust! So of course when I saw this recipe for zucchini pizza, I knew I had to try it.

I ended up making this twice, as the first time I made it exactly according to the recipe, it was much too mushy and soft. So, I added the following steps. First, I initially halved the zucchini lengthwise, scooped out the seeds, and discarded them. Next, after shredding, I tossed it with salt and let it sit in a colander for ten minutes. The salt helped a lot in drawing out moisture, and then when I squeezed the shreds in a tea towel, the water just poured out. This created a crust that was very nice and crispy on top but the bottom was still soft, so the final recipe modification is to flip the crust over halfway through baking.

I did prefer the cauliflower pizza but if I have a lot of zucchini to use up I would make this again. Also, if you're doing something super-strict like Atkins induction, zucchini is slightly lower in carbohydrates than cauliflower. In particular, my cauliflower pizza recipe has a few extra carb grams due to my use of pre-seasoned frozen cauliflower, which you can of course replace with fresh or unseasoned frozen.

Thick or thin crust: Thin

Taste: 7. It tasted like cheese and zucchini -- sounds good to me!

Texture: 7 with my modifications, albeit even after making those changes it was still softer than the cauliflower pizza.

"Realness": 5 if you use unpeeled zucchini. To make it look more like a pizza crust, you can peel the zucchini, though I neglected this step since the skin is so nutritious. If you do peel the zucchini, bear in mind that there is a greenish layer underneath the skin so you'll basically have to double-peel each one. So buy more than you think you need, as you lose a lot of veggie matter. I would say a 6 with peeled zucchini. However, the shreds are still distinct which detracts from the "realness". The cauliflower pizza fools people more easily.

Ease of preparation: With my extra steps, probably medium. It's not difficult, just kind of annoying. Pizza-stuffed zucchini boats would be a simpler alternative.

WELL-DRAINED ZUCCHINI FOR CLEOCHATRA'S ZUCCHINI PIZZA

INGREDIENTS

24-32 oz (weight) zucchini (use the high end of this range if you plan to peel it)
1.5 tsp table salt or 1 Tbs kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

Peel zucchini, if desired.
Use a small spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds from the zucchini. Shred the seedless zucchini using a grater or the shredding disk in a food processor.
Toss the zucchini shreds with the salt. Let it sit in a colander for ten minutes.
Transfer the zucchini shreds to a clean tea towel lined with several layers of paper towels. Wring it out to get as much water out as possible. You should be left with about a cup of zucchini.
Proceed to use it in Cleochatra's zucchini pizza crust! After it is done baking, flip it over and bake it for an additional 5-10 minutes.

NUTRITION (1/2 pizza, crust only, using egg whites and low-fat cheese)
198 calories, 9g fat, 5 net carbs (6g total carbohydrate + 1g fiber), 19g protein
Note: I am not sure how draining the zucchini ultimately affects the nutrition values. I am using the counts for undrained zucchini.

ETA: I have since used the well-drained zucchini to make hybrid pizza, with zucchini replacing half of the cheese. I like that preparation even more! It is pictured below, topped with peanut sauce, crushed peanuts, chicken breast, and broccoli slaw.

Eggplant pizza

2011-02-21T07:16:00.000-08:00

This post is part of The Great Pizza Experiment

Topped with roasted red pepper strips, cherry tomato slices, kalamata olives, ricotta, and fresh basil

I've seen a couple of recipes for pizza crust made out of eggplant (notably, here and here) so I thought I should give it a shot. It is touted as a veggie crust where you don't have to squeeze out the moisture. Well, after I grated the eggplant, it was basically in a pool of its own liquid. I can assure you that the pizza would have been extremely soggy had I left it as-is. I squeezed out the excess liquid by putting it in a tea towel and wringing it out. I weighed the eggplant before and after, and I had 20 oz undrained but only 7 oz after squeezing. With that much water I think it was a necessary step!

Thick or thin crust: I'd say medium

Taste: Depends on how much you like eggplant. It's a stronger-tasting vegetable so if you like eggplant, the flavor is great. If you don't like it, there is certainly no mistaking it for anything else.

Texture: 5. It did get browned on the outside, and I like that you can easily eat it with your hands. However, there was something...cardboard-like about the texture. I like eggplant either roasted and pureed (i.e. baba ghanoush) or cooked at a very high temp with a caramelized outside and soft, creamy inside. The outside was browned but not really caramelized, and the inside was kind of dry. I think that next time I may add some extra fat, such as egg yolk and/or olive oil and see if that helps.

"Realness": 2. This is an interesting dish, sort of an alternative to eggplant parmesan, but I don't think of it as a true pizza.

Ease of preparation: Easy to medium. It takes a little while to grate the eggplant if you do not have a food processor with a shredding disk. Also, flipping the crust over halfway through requires some finesse.

EGGPLANT PIZZA

Serves 1-2

INGREDIENTS

About a pound of eggplant, shredded
1 whole egg, beaten (I used an egg white but I think that a whole egg would be better)
1 oz, weight (about 1/4 cup) grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbs flax meal or almond flour (I used golden flax meal)
1/4 tsp salt
Olive oil
Sauce, cheese, and toppings of your choice

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450
Toss the eggplant shreds with the salt while you prepare the other ingredients. This will help draw out some moisture.
Squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the eggplant by wringing it out in a tea towel.
Combine the drained eggplant shreds with the other ingredients.
Line a baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper. Lightly spray it with olive oil. Press the eggplant mixture into a round shape about 1/4" thick.
Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Flip the pizza crust over and bake for 5-10 more minutes or until browned on the other side.
Add your toppings and bake for 5 minutes more.

NUTRITION (1/2 pizza, crust only)
110 calories, 4g fat, 5g net carbs (14 total + 9g fiber), 7g protein,
Note: I am not sure how draining the eggplant ultimately affects the nutrition values. I am using the counts for undrained eggplant.

Sugar-free maple syrup

2011-02-20T13:15:00.000-08:00

In the comments of my French toast recipe, there was some lamenting about the lack of availability of maple syrup made with erythritol. Erythritol is a type of sugar alcohol, and is one of the only sugar alcohols that does not affect blood glucose levels (source). While I normally use stevia or Splenda, I thought I'd give this one a go. Besides, I needed a break from all the pizza posts ;) You can easily use whatever sugar substitute you prefer.

SUGAR FREE MAPLE SYRUP

INGREDIENTS

1/4 tsp flavorless oil
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 Tbs butter or coconut oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup erythritol, powdered in a spice grinder
1 dropperful (about 28 drops) vanilla-flavored stevia such as Sweetleaf Vanilla Creme OR 2 packets stevia + 1/4 tsp vanilla extract OR 4 tsp additional erythritol + 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp maple flavoring or maple extract

DIRECTIONS

Pour the oil in the bottom of a microwave-safe dish. Sprinkle the xanthan gum over it, and stir with a fork to combine. Add the butter or coconut oil and microwave on high for 40 seconds or until butter is melted. Stir again to combine.
Whisk in the remaining ingredients and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Let it sit for a few minutes to thicken. Syrup will thicken as it cools.

You can store this in the refrigerator, but you will want to nuke it for 30-60 seconds and shake well prior to serving to melt any globs of butter or coconut oil. Thus I recommend storing it in a microwave-safe container. I used a glass cruet.

Cheesy pizza

2011-02-19T06:45:00.000-08:00

This post is part of The Great Pizza Experiment

Topped with turkey pepperoni, garlic-stuffed green olives, green pepper, mushrooms, and parmesan cheese

This was an interesting recipe. Many of the grain-free pizza crust recipes use a liberal amount of shredded cheese as a binder. This one uses shredded cheese only, along with an egg or egg whites. I suppose it seemed only natural to give that a shot! I adapted the recipe from this one on Genaw, which was originally posted here on Low Carb Friends. I made one-fourth of the recipe for a single-serving mini-pizza.

Thick or thin crust: Thin

Taste: 5. I was not crazy about this pizza. It wasn't unpleasant per se, but there was just something unappealing about eating a big glob of melted cheese. While other recipes may use quite a bit of cheese in the crust, this uses far more. I guess that I would describe this as stoner food. Personally, if I am going to eat a huge hunk of unadulterated cheese, I'd rather put the calories toward raclette or plate of quality cheeses, not a baked disc of shredded supermarket mozzarella. I also think that the addition of cheddar in the recipe was a mistake, as I used sharp cheddar and the flavor was too strong. If you make this, I would recommend mild cheddar instead. I do think that this would be a nice pizza to make for Pesach/Passover, as it doesn't require any weird ingredients like flax meal or coconut flour and thus most people would likely have the ingredients on hand.

Texture: 6. It did get nice and crispy and can be easily eaten with your hands. But it was still, y'know, just melted cheese. I don't think one would mistake it for anything else.

"Realness": 6

Ease of preparation: Very easy

THIN AND CRISPY CHEESE PIZZA (adapted from http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/thinandcrispy_pizza.html)

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

2 oz (weight) (about 1/2 cup) shredded mozzarella (low-fat is fine)
1 oz (weight) (about 1/4 cup) shredded mild cheddar (low-fat is fine)
3 Tbs liquid egg whites or egg substitute (could use a small beaten egg instead)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
Sauce and toppings of your choice (saute any vegetables first)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450.
Combine all the ingredients with a fork.
Spread the cheese mixture evenly into a very thin disk on a sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Leave your oven rack in the center of the oven, but turn off the oven and turn on the broiler. Add your sauce and toppings to the crust. Broil for 2-3 minutes.

NUTRITION (Crust only, no toppings, using low-fat cheese)
243 calories, 14g fat, 3g carbohydrate, 28g protein

Spinach pizza

2011-02-17T21:29:00.000-08:00

This post is part of The Great Pizza Experiment

Yay, a veggie-based crust! I was excited to try Jamie's spinach pizza; I've been curious about spinach-based "breads" after seeing recipes such as this and this.

Thick or thin crust: Thin

Taste: 8. This was very good, and the yummy toppings certainly didn't hurt! Even if you don't like spinach, you can likely still enjoy this.

Texture: 6. You can hold slices with your hands and it even got crispy in parts, but it was still kind of floppy like the pork rind pizza. It's still very good, but the cauliflower pizza texture remains far superior.

"Realness": Maybe a 6? It's hard to say because the deep green color definitely made it look less like a real pizza.

Ease of preparation: Easy

SPINACH PIZZA
You can view the recipe on its original site here. Be sure to check out my tips for making low-carb pizzas!

ETA: I have since found that I prefer to add spinach to the hybrid pizza, as described here, as opposed to this particular recipe. The crust is much sturdier, plus by pre-cooking and draining the spinach, I can add a whole huge bag, rather than a mere cup.

NUTRITION (Per 1/2 pizza)
Using a whole egg + full-fat cheese: 208 calories, 15g fat, 1.5 net carbs (2g carbohydrates + 0.5g fiber), 17g protein
Using egg whites + reduced-fat cheese: 164 calories, 8g fat, 1.5 net carbs (2g carbohydrates + 0.5g fiber), 20g protein

Meatza

2011-02-17T06:43:00.000-08:00

This post is part of The Great Pizza Experiment

Do a Google search for "meatza" and numerous recipes will pop up. It has become a very popular item among those who eat low-carb and/or grain-free. It's easy to see the appeal; rather than attempting to simulate a traditional pizza crust, you just make a "crust" out of ground meat and top it with sauce and cheese.

I can't really rank this the way that I did the other pizzas. The husband and I both loved this. The taste was great. The texture was great. However, it was NOTHING like eating a pizza. I added seasonings to the ground meat (I used chicken) which made it taste a lot like sausage, so it had the flavors of a sausage pizza but the texture was something else altogether. But it is definitely a recipe that I will make again because it was so quick and easy while still being tasty. It was much less time consuming than meatballs (it takes me forever to roll all the meat into balls) and meatloaf (which takes a lot longer to cook).

MEATZA

Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground meat of choice. Ground chicken, turkey, lean pork, or a combination would be ideal.
1 egg (or two egg whites + 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil)
1 oz (about 1/4 cup) grated Parmesan cheese
Sausage seasonings of choice. I used 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp Adobo seasoning (basically a combo of salt, pepper, onion, and garlic), and 1 tsp fennel seed. Another option would be the Italian sausage seasoning that I used in this recipe, though I'd halve the salt and sugar. Or Penzey's sausage seasoning. Whatever you want!
Sauce, cheese, and toppings of your choice

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450
Beat the egg with Parmesan and seasonings. Add the ground meat and mix thoroughly.
Line a large pan with parchment paper (I used a round cake pan) or spray with olive oil. Pack the meat into the pan, making it slightly thicker at the outer edges to resemble a crust. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until done.
Spread with sauce, cheese and toppings. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly.

NUTRITION (crust only, using 80% white meat ground chicken)
Per 1/4 pizza: 175 calories, 5g fat, 0.4g carbohydrate, 30g protein
Per 1/2 pizza (that's a half pound of meat!!): 350 calories, 11g fat, 0.8g carbohydrate, 60g protein

Almond flour pizza

2011-02-16T06:01:00.000-08:00

This post is part of The Great Pizza Experiment

Eggplant, roasted cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, and fresh basil. Leave off the goat cheese if you avoid dairy.

Almond flour aka almond meal is a staple in flourless baking. It's very tasty and tends to make for baked goods that are crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, such as the low-carb ladyfinger cookies in my pumpkin tiramisu. I do try to avoid its use, however, as it is very calorie-dense and high in pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids. But for the purposes of The Great Pizza Experiment, I wanted to give it a fair shake.

Thick or thin crust: I made it thin but you could easily make it thicker.

Taste: 8. Both the husband and I agreed that it tastes terrific. I added some garlic, herbs, and a little bit of extra-virgin olive oil which also boosted the flavor profile.

Texture: 6. I rolled it out quite thin because I like that style of snappy thin-crust pizza, but you could easily make it thicker. It crisped up nicely but it was a bit crumbly. I am confident that the addition of some grated parmesan cheese (1-2 ounces perhaps?) would greatly improve the texture as well as adding flavor.

"Realness": 7. It was definitely pizza-like, although I don't think anyone would mistake it for a wheat crust.

Ease of preparation: Easy to medium. The dough is a tad difficult to work with if you're a complete newb at baking.

ALMOND FLOUR PIZZA (adapted from a recipe at Son of Grok)

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1 cup almond meal/almond flour or 4 oz blanched almonds, finely ground
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning such as Penzeys
Sauce, cheese, and toppings of your choice

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Using a large fork, combine all ingredients in a large bowl
Line a pizza pan with a piece of parchment paper. Scrape the dough onto the center of the parchment and form it into a ball using your hands. For a thick crust, spread out the dough using dampened hands. For a thin crust, spray another piece of parchment with olive oil. Place it on top of the ball of dough and use a rolling pin to roll it flat.
Prick the crust all over with a fork and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Top with sauce, cheese, and toppings, and bake for about 5-10 more minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

NUTRITION
Per 1/2 pizza, crust only
375 calories, 33g fat, 6 net carbs (12g carbs with 6g of that from fiber), 16g protein

Flax pizza

2011-02-13T21:16:00.000-08:00

This post is part of The Great Pizza Experiment

Philly cheesesteak pizza? Oh yes.

Milled flax seed is a popular ingredient in low-carb baking, and for good reason. It is extremely high in insoluble fiber and omega-3 fatty acids and it has a pleasant nutty taste. I found a recipe for flax pizza on lowcarbdiets.about.com. I halved the recipe, nixed the sweetener, made a few other tweaks, and baked it in a 9" cake pan.

Thick or thin crust? Thick

Taste: 4. I think it tasted kind of like a bran muffin. It had a bit of a wheaty taste, I think with the addition of a little bit of honey it could taste sort of like honey-wheat dough.

Texture: 3. It was spongy and a tiny bit slimy. Like the coconut flour, it tasted too much like bread with stuff on it rather than a true pizza.

Realness: 2. There was no mistaking this for a regular pizza.

Ease of preparation: Easy, though kind of a pain spreading it around in the pan.

My husband absolutely HATED this and didn't finish his. He made me promise never to make it again. I thought it was okay.

FLAX PIZZA

Serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup flax meal (I used golden flax seed meal)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
6 Tbs egg white or egg substitute
2 Tbs olive oil
1/4 cup water
Sauce, cheese, and toppings of your choice

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425
Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. Let sit about 5 minutes to thicken.
Line a 9" cake pan with parchment or spray with Baker's Joy. Spread the batter out evenly in the pan.
Bake for about 15 minutes.
Add sauce, cheese, and toppings of your choice. Broil until cheese is hot and bubbly.

NUTRITION
Per 1/2 pizza, crust only
383 calories, 32g fat, 1 net carb, 12g fiber, 14g protein

Coconut flour pizza crust

2011-02-13T07:57:00.000-08:00

This post is part of The Great Pizza Experiment.

Yeah, that's a kimchi pizza

I'm a big fan of coconut flour for the reasons I outlined here. So, it seemed only natural to attempt a pizza crust made out of this stuff. Many recipes use a couple tablespoons of coconut flour in a base of cheese and eggs. This, however, is a batter made from coconut flour, eggs, almond milk, and seasonings. I adapted it from this recipe at Eat The Cookie. The carb count is on the high side as it uses a LOT of coconut flour, so for me it's not really worth it. However, if your only concern is gluten, it may not matter to you.

Thick or thin crust: Thick. Theoretically you could make this thin, but I think it would fall apart easily. Gluten-free flours tend to cook up somewhat delicate and crumbly so I would stick with a thick crust. You could cut the recipe in half though and give it a try.
Taste: 4. There was some detectable coconut flavor, I don't usually notice it with sweet recipes but it was noticeable at least upon the first bite.
Texture: 3. I did not like the texture here. Don't get me wrong, I love coconut flour for fluffy baked goods, like biscuits and muffins but it was not satisfying as a pizza crust. I like either a thin crust that is crispy or a thick crust that is chewy; however, this crust was thick and fluffy with no chew at all. Not unpleasant, just not a pizza. I do think that has potential, though. If you cut the amount of coconut flour and almond milk in half and added a lot of shredded mozzarella cheese (probably about 8 ounces), I think the shredded cheese would give it chew and stretchiness while the coconut flour adds heft and thickness. ETA: This recipe adds quite a bit of cheese and looks like it might be an improvement.
Realness: 2. Due to the texture, this didn't feel like a pizza, It was more like, "bread with stuff on top". I guess it could possibly pass as a focaccia.
Ease of preparation: Extremely easy, just make a batter and pour it into a pan.

COCONUT FLOUR PIZZA
Serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS

3 eggs
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 cup unsweetened unflavored almond milk
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
Cheese, sauce, and toppings of your choice

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375.
Line a baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper. (Note: the original recipe spread this over a pizza pan but I felt the batter was too thin to do so. So, instead, I lined a very large round cake pan with a piece of parchment cut to fit and poured it in there, greasing the sides.)
Whisk together the eggs, almond milk, and garlic powder until smooth. Sift together the salt, baking powder, and coconut flour, then beat the coconut flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Let stand for a couple minutes to thicken.
Spread the batter over a baking sheet or pour it into a large cake pan.
Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from oven and flip it over, peeling off the parchment paper. At this point I baked it for an additional 10 minutes with that side up.
Top with sauce, cheese, and toppings of your choice. Broil until the cheese is hot and bubbly.

NUTRITION
Per 1/2 pizza, crust only
371 calories, 15g fat, 18 net carbs (43g total carbs - 25g fiber), 19g protein

Porky Pizza

2011-02-12T17:12:00.000-08:00

This post is part of The Great Pizza Experiment.

Crushed pork rinds have made their way into numerous low-carb recipes. I've seen them used in place of breadcrumbs in many uses: as an outer breading for baked cutlets, a binder for meatloaf, even as a turkey stuffing! I figured I ought to include a pork rind recipe in my pizza trials. This recipe is from Genaw, though I believe it was originally posted here.

Thick or thin crust: Thin
Taste: 6. It really depends on how you feel about pork rinds. It does retain some pork rind flavor, so if you hate them, you probably won't like this pizza. However, it is certainly not overpowering, just detectable. I love those salty fried bits of pig skin so I liked it!
Texture: 4. Here's the problem: for most low-carb pizza crusts, you want to really cook the hell out of them until they're almost burnt, in order to get crispy. However, burnt pork rinds are horribly bitter, so I was a little timid with the oven time. It came out a little bit floppy and less crisp than I'd ideally like, although it was still something that I could easily eat with my hands. However, I think that this has potential to be a GREAT substitute for tortillas, particularly for quesadillas. Stay tuned for that!
Realness: 5
Ease of preparation: Easy for the most part, though spreading out the batter was annoying.

PORK RIND PIZZA (Via http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/mushroom_onion_pizza.html)
Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

1/2 oz (weight) pork rinds (about 1/4 cup crushed), ground in a food processor or crushed finely with a mallet.
1 oz (weight) parmesan cheese (Ed note: If you don't eat dairy, you could probably substitute almond flour, though I make no guarantee!)
1 egg, beaten (or 2 egg whites, or 1/4 cup liquid egg whites or egg substitute. I will probably use egg whites next time, I think they make a crispier crust than whole egg)
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
Sauce, cheese, and toppings of your choice

DIRECTIONS

Combine the crust ingredients in a bowl.
Line a 9" pie plate with parchment paper (I traced the bottom of the pan on a piece of parchment, then cut it out). Spread the batter onto the lined pan using damp hands. It may not spread all the way out to the edges, but get it as thin as you can without creating holes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-25 minutes or until browned (the original recipe said 10 minutes, I baked it for 25).
Top with sauce, cheese, and toppings of your choice. Broil until cheese is bubbly.

NUTRITION
(Whole recipe, crust only, using egg whites)
237 calories, 13g fat, 2g carbohydrates, 27g protein

The Great Pizza Experiment of 2011: Sicilian-style pizza

2011-02-12T07:50:00.000-08:00

The most popular page on my site, by far, is the photo tutorial for cauliflower pizza. Pizza seems to be the number one thing that people miss when they embark on any diet, but particularly when people decide to eat low-carb, gluten-free, and/or grain-free. Fortunately, there are many, many options out there for those missing their favorite treat. The cauliflower pizza has been my standby, but I started to wonder: which is the best option out there? So I got a crazy idea: I'm going to make pizzas using every popular low-carb grain-free substitute. That way I can photograph, rank, and review them all. For you, my readers, I will suffer through all the delicious homemade pizza ;)

I will make pizza out of all of the following:

Cauliflower (check!)
Almond flour
Coconut flour
Flax meal
Cream cheese (sort of like the oopsie rolls I use for French toast)
Crushed pork rinds
Shredded cheese
Meat (maybe. I see a lot of recipes for "meatza")

Let me know if I missed something. There are also lots of hybrid recipes out there (i.e. flax + coconut flour) but unless there is one particular recipe that is wildly popular, I will stick to recipes based on a single carb substitute.

Now for a recipe. The first one that I will be posting is the cream cheese crust.

I let my husband rank this one:
Thick or thin crust: Thick
Taste: 7
Texture: 8
"Realness": 8 (I am using the term "realness" to indicate how much it is like a real pizza. Clearly I am watching too much RuPaul's Drag Race.)
Ease of preparation: Very easy if you have a standing mixer. A bit more of a pain if you don't, as you have to beat the cream cheese until soft. If you don't have a standing mixer, make sure the the cream cheese is softened before you start.
Comments: This makes a thick, chewy, Sicilian-style pizza crust. I have seen it referred to as deep dish pizza, but as my husband is from Chicago, he forbade me from referring to this as deep dish. Truth be told, I've had enough Pizzeria Uno to agree. This is a very, very convincing way to make this type of pizza. The husband was in utter disbelief that the crust was primarily cream cheese. If you prefer a crispy thin-crust, this may not be your thing, but this is the first low-carb version of that stretchy doughy sort of pizza that I've encountered.

I used a recipe from genaw.com. According to her:

I think I may have discovered the secret to a crispy crust. I left the baked crust uncovered in the refrigerator for several hours. I think that allowed it to dry out a bit so that it became crisp during the second baking with the toppings. I was able to pick the pizza up in my hands.

I did not take that extra step (I was hungry, dammit) but I can definitely see how that would work. In fact, I think that I would score the crust before refrigerating so that the edges of each slice can dry out. Another option would be a Baker's Edge pan.

SICILIAN-STYLE PIZZA (Via http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/deep_dish_pizza.html)
Makes 8 slices

INGREDIENTS

4 ounces cream cheese (I used Philadelphia brand low-fat)
2 eggs (or 1/2 cup egg whites or substitute)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1 ounce
1/4 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
8 ounces Italian cheese blend or mozzarella cheese, shredded (low-fat is fine, do not use fat free)
Pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375
Beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs and beat until well-blended. Beat in the parmesan and seasonings.
Stir in the mozzarella
Spread the mixture evenly in a 9"x13" baking dish. Use either a glass dish sprayed with Baker's Joy or a metal dish lined with parchment paper, otherwise it will stick.
Bake for 20-30 minutes, until evenly browned but not burnt.
Flip the crust over.
Spread the crust with sauce, then the cheese and toppings of your choice. Bake at 375 about 15-20 minutes or until toppings are bubbly. Let stand a few minutes before cutting.

NUTRITION

(Per 1/8 of the pizza, crust only, using low-fat cream cheese, low-fat cheese, and omega-3 enriched whole eggs)

136 calories, 9g fat, 2g carbohydrates, 12g protein

Per 1/4 pizza:
272 calories, 18g fat, 4g carbohydrates, 24g protein

Huevos Rancherfauxs

2011-02-08T11:37:00.000-08:00

Low-carb refried beans, you ask?

Yep. Well, they're not exactly beans. Okay, they're not beans at all. But they will fool damn near anyone! These accommodate:

Low-carbers
Primal/paleo eaters who eschew legumes
Raw vegans

The secret? These are actually made of soaked sunflower seeds. It's sort of like a hummus. It was a bit thick, like bean dip, but you can always add extra water. They were perfect in my huevos rancheros.

MOCK REFRIED BEANS
Makes about 3 cups

INGREDIENTS

2.5 cups raw hulled sunflower seeds, soaked in lots of cool water for 1-2 hours
1/4 cup olive oil (or other oil...I think pumpkin seed oil would be ideal!)
1/2 cup peeled, seeded, diced tomato (I used two medium-sized Romas)
2 Tbs tahini (raw or roasted, I think roasted tastes better)
1-2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2-3 canned chipotle peppers (or chipotle powder to taste)
1 Tbs sweet paprika
Juice of two limes

DIRECTIONS

Drain the sunflower seeds. It's okay if some water still clings to them, just shake them dry in a strainer.
Put all ingredients in the food processor or Vita-Mix. Process until smooth -- it will take a WHILE to get completely smooth. Scrape down the sides as necessary.
Taste and correct seasonings. Add more oil or a little water if too thick.

FOR HUEVOS RANCHEROS
Spread some of the mock refried beans on a microwave-safe plate. Nuke for 30-45 seconds. Meanwhile, fry 1 or 2 eggs. Set the egg in the heated beans and top with salsa, diced avocado, cilantro, hot sauce, and optionally diced chorizo (I happened to have some on hand). If desired, serve with low-carb tortillas, with cheese crisps, or in a zucchini taco bowl.

Souvlaki platter

2011-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

I've been addicted to Greek salad lately. All it needs is some MEAT! So I decided to try my hand at souvlaki. Boneless pork sirloin was on sale, so that's what I used. Pork tenderloin is leaner and more tender, but I'm not sure that it would stand up well to an acidic marinade. Also, I was in a hurry so I used my George Foreman grill; it definitely would have been tastier grilled over charcoal! I'm not much of a griller myself but I recently discovered the website Girls at the Grill which has inspired me to learn.

SOUVLAKI OVER GREEK SALAD WITH TZATZIKI SAUCE

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

For the pork:

1.5 lbs boneless pork, cut into bite-sized chunks
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs ground coriander
1.5 tsp paprika
1.5 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 Tbs fresh oregano leaves, minced (or 2 tsp ground dried Greek oregano)
1 tsp lemon zest
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
Salt and pepper to taste

For the salad: (pretty much everything in the salad is optional, make your own substitutions as you'd like)

About a pound of salad greens. I used a bag of organic spinach salad blend (baby spinach, arugula, and radicchio) and a bag of "Italian salad mix" (romaine hearts and radicchio)
Grape tomatoes, cut in half (probably stick to about 4 per salad if you're strictly watching carbs)
Shaved red onion (about 1/4-1/2 onion)
1 green pepper, cut into chunks
Roasted red pepper, sliced
Sliced pepperoncini peppers
Pitted Kalamata olives, cut in half
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled (I used reduced-fat tomato basil feta)
Oil and vinegar for serving (I used 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil and lots of red wine vinegar on each salad)

For the tzatziki sauce:

1 7oz container of plain Greek yogurt, such as Fage or Chobani
Half a cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced, or a pinch of garlic powder
Minced fresh dill to taste (I probably used about 2 Tbs)
Plenty of salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Whisk together all the ingredients for the pork marinade. Pour it into a gallon ziploc bag along with the pork chunks. Marinate at least 4 hours but preferably overnight or up to 24 hours.
Stir together the tzatziki ingredients and set aside in the refrigerator.
Thread the pork chunks onto skewers, shaking off excess marinade. Grill until nicely charred and cooked through.
While pork is cooking, assemble the salads.
To serve, dress the salads with oil and vinegar. Top with souvlaki skewers and a blob of tzatziki for dipping.

Pho sho'

2011-01-21T13:35:00.000-08:00

Via Wikipedia:

Phở (Vietnamese pronunciation: [fə̃ː] ( listen)) is a Vietnamese noodle soup, usually served with beef (phở bò) or chicken (phở gà).^[1] The soup includes noodles made from rice and is often served with basil, lime, bean sprouts, and peppers that are added to the soup by the consumer.

I love Pho. I can't do the noodles. What's a girl to do?? Enter shirataki noodles. These babies are made from a root called konjac, and the result has almost no carbs or calories. Unfortunately, I've found few instances where they are an acceptable substitute for pasta. They have a distinct aroma and a slippery texture. However, they are perfect in pho. Being in a soup disguises the texture, and the strong flavors like fish sauce and star anise cover any shirataki funkiness.

I took some shortcuts for this soup. Rather than making my own broth, I simmered pre-made broth with seasonings and then strained it. I also stuck to sliced beef rather than scavenging the more exotic but authentic add-ins such as tendon and tripe. That being said, my husband (who is extraordinarily picky about Vietnamese food) said that if he was served this in a restaurant, he'd be perfectly happy. Case closed.

LOW-CARB PHO

Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS

1 8oz package shirataki noodles
2.5 cups chicken broth
2.5 cups beef broth
4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
2" piece of ginger, peeled, sliced, and slices smashed with a knife
2 cinnamon sticks
3 star anise
3 Tbs fish sauce (I like Three Crabs brand)
1 Tbs palm sugar or a packet of Splenda (optional; I did not add this but it would be more authentic)
1 lb steak (I used petite sirloin), sliced across the grain as thinly as possible
Mung bean sprouts (I used 2 handfuls, I guess about 2 cups?)
One fourth of a red onion, sliced very thin
Thai basil (also known as cinnamon basil), loosely torn into pieces
Mint leaves, loosely torn into pieces
Cilantro leaves, lightly chopped
Lime wedges, hoisin sauce, thin-sliced jalapeno peppers or bird chiles, and Sriracha sauce for serving

DIRECTIONS

Rinse the noodles, pat dry, and set aside.
Bring broths, garlic, ginger, cinnamon sticks, anise, and fish sauce to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Keep warm on low heat until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, in a separate skillet, saute the beef in a little bit of oil over medium-high until brown.
Divide the noodles and sprouts among your bowls. Add the beef, then ladle in the broth (you might want to strain it first, otherwise just try to avoid ladling in the solid items). Cover with lots of herbs and pass lime wedges, hoisin sauce, Sriracha sauce, and sliced chiles at the table. Serve in huge soup bowls with chopsticks and spoons.

Buffalo chicken pizza

2011-01-13T05:37:00.000-08:00

I love pretty much anything with buffalo sauce. Unfortunately, those items are usually breaded and fried. I decided to make a cauliflower pizza crust topped with buffalo-sauced chunks of skinless chicken breast.

BUFFALO CHICKEN PIZZA

Makes one pizza, serves 1-2

INGREDIENTS

1 cauliflower pizza crust, made with sharp cheddar instead of mozzarella (2% cheese is fine)
2 Tbs crumbled blue cheese (reduced fat is fine)
2 Tbs mayonnaise (homemade or Spectrum light)
4 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into small cubes
Buffalo wing sauce, such as Frank's or Hooters
Minced red onion
Diced tomato or halved grape tomatoes

DIRECTIONS

Make cauliflower pizza crust according to recipe
Meanwhile, saute chicken in a little oil with salt and pepper in a skillet. When chicken is cooked, turn up the heat to high, pour wing sauce over the meat, let boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Set aside.
Combine the mayonnaise and blue cheese crumbles. Spread the mixture over the crust (you may have to use your hands). Add the chicken cubes, then sprinkle with red onion and tomato. Bake for about 5 minutes at 450 (the oven should already be preheated from baking the pizza crust). Serve immediately.

Melted banana split shake

2011-01-11T18:41:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that a banana split is at its tastiest when everything is a partially-melted swirled-together banana split soup. I figured that this makes it a perfect candidate for a smoothie. Plus, I need an excuse to use more of my bananas-N-cream protein powder.

BANANA SPLIT PROTEIN SHAKE
Makes one big shake

INGREDIENTS

1 scoop banana cream protein powder. I used True Protein milk protein isolate in natural premium bananas-N-cream (discount code EAC008 if you order this). I think that BSN Lean Dessert in banana cream pudding or Xtreme Formulations Ultra Peptide in banana cream would also work well, albeit the True Protein option is cheaper and is sweetened with stevia only. Whey protein would probably produce too watery a shake.
4-5 unsweetened frozen strawberries
1.5 cups milk or milk substitute (I used unsweetened Almond Breeze almond milk. Next time I think I will use the unsweetened chocolate Almond Breeze!)
1/2 tsp good-quality vanilla extract
1/4 tsp xanthan gum (optional, for a creamier shake)
Sugar free chocolate syrup (preferably in a squeeze bottle)
1 Tbs crushed pineapple in juice (NOT syrup)
Sugar free whipped cream (or whipped lite cream...whatever you want)
Chopped walnuts or peanuts (I used walnuts)

DIRECTIONS

Blend the milk or milk substitute, protein powder, strawberries, and xanthan gum (if using) until smooth. If you're not using chocolate almond milk, you might also add a squirt of chocolate syrup. Swirl the inside of a large drinking cup with chocolate syrup (this way, it will come off in chunks as you drink it, rather than being completely blended in). Top with the crushed pineapple, then squirt on a bit of whipped cream and sprinkle with walnuts. Garnish with a strawberry or cherry, if desired. Drink immediately.

Fauxtmeal

2011-01-10T06:27:00.000-08:00

There are very few foods that I miss from my former high-carb life. Generally, the starch is my least favorite part of a given dish. I'm happy to eat a burger with no bun, French onion soup with no croutons, fajitas without tortillas, eggs Benedict over grilled tomato slices instead of an English muffin, whitefish salad with celery sticks instead of bagel chips, and so on. I usually have a cheat meal once per week which gets any cravings out of the way (and leaves me moaning, clutching my stomach, and vowing I will never do this again, but I digress). Oddly enough, it's the "healthy" items that I have trouble avoiding. For example, I miss gorging on unlimited amounts of sugary fruits; I do eat fruit, but I stick to unsweetened low-sugar low-glycemic choices like berries, or I keep my portions very small (i.e. a spoonful of mango salsa atop a piece of grilled fish). Another item I miss is oatmeal, although I've learned to do without. However, April posted an alternative that will fool just about anyone. I wouldn't make it every day, as it contains some soy and I generally prefer eggs for breakfast anyway, but when it's cold outside and the craving hits, this is just the thing.

This contains a half-scoop of protein powder. I use the Natural Premium line from True Protein, as it is sweetened with stevia only and contains only natural extracts and colorings. Bananas N Cream is my favorite flavor for this recipe. You can use discount code EAC008 for a 5% discount at True Protein.

FAUXTMEAL

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup flax meal, preferably golden flax meal
1/4 cup TVP
1 raw egg white or 2 Tbs liquid egg white or egg substitute
1/2 scoop (I used a level 25cc scoop) of protein powder
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk + 1/2 cup water
Seasonings of choice (I used lots of pumpkin pie spice and a drop of vanilla extract)
Stevia if you are using unsweetened protein powder

DIRECTIONS
Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Serve immediately. I topped mine with Greek yogurt, blueberries, and almonds.

NUTRITION
331 calories, 11g fat (about 7 grams of which is omega-3s), 5g net carbs (18g carbs + 13g fiber), 35g protein

Sherpherd's pie with cheese-crusted leeks

2011-01-07T06:39:00.000-08:00

After discovering cauliflower "mashed potatoes", it seemed only natural to make a low-carb shepherd's pie. This is adapted from a recipe at genaw.com, a great low-carb recipe site. I've made it several times and it's always a hit. I love the textural contrast from the cheese-crusted leeks on top. Plus, it's great to make a big casserole on a Sunday and then reheat portions for lunch during the week.

SHEPHERD'S PIE WITH CHEESE-CRUSTED LEEKS

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs ground beef (or 1 lb lean ground beef + 1 lb ground turkey)
1 10 oz bag frozen mirepoix (Publix sells this as "frozen seasoning blend", it's a mix of diced onion, celery, bell peppers, garlic, and parsley) OR 1 small onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 heaping cup frozen cut string beans
4 oz sliced crimini or button mushrooms (optional)
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 cup beef broth
2 Tbs low-carb ketchup (I use Westbrae unsweetened ketchup)
Worcestershire sauce (original recipe calls for only 1/2 tsp, I used way more but didn't measure. Add it to taste, unless you are eating VERY low carb such as Atkin's induction, in which case stick with the 1/2 tsp)
Herbs and spices of your choice (I used Adobo seasoning)
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 oz cream cheese (full-fat or Philadelphia brand low-fat)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 leek, sliced and sauteed in butter until tender
2 oz cheddar cheese (I used Cabot 75% reduced-fat), shredded

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 F
Steam the cauliflower until very tender and drain well. Puree with the cream cheese in a food processor until smooth. Add salt to taste and set aside.
Saute the onion or mirepoix, carrot, and mushrooms in a bit of oil. Add the green beans and cook until just thawed. Set the veggies aside. In the same skillet, brown the meat and drain off the grease. Add the vegetables back to the skillet and stir to thoroughly combine the meat and veggies.
Sprinkle xanthan gum over the mixture in the skillet and stir to combine. Add the broth; bring to a boil. Add the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and herbs and cook to heat through. Adjust the seasonings to taste with spices, herbs, salt and pepper. Put in a large casserole dish.
Carefully spread the mashed cauliflower over the meat mixture; top with the leeks and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the top is golden.

Ultimate crab cakes

2011-01-06T06:15:00.000-08:00

I grew up in Maryland and I looooove crab cakes. However, they are usually bound with breadcrumbs and floured before frying. Of course, one could always use the usual low-carb substitutes: almond meal, coconut flour, and so forth. However, I found a recipe that has an even better solution. The crab cakes are bound with a scallop mousse and pan-seared with no outer breading. This isn't even explicitly designed to be a low-carb or paleo recipe, it just happens to be so.

When they are cooked, these crab cakes are a bit firmer than usual. I think it would make a terrific filling for stuffed mushrooms. I ended up making six cakes and I had the leftovers the next day as crab cake sandwiches on oopsie rolls.

ULTIMATE CRAB CAKES (Adapted from Sunset Magazine recipe)

Makes 6 cakes

INGREDIENTS

4 ounces sea scallops
2 tablespoons lightly beaten egg
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 pound (3 cups) shelled cooked crab, picked over to remove bits of shell (I used 8 oz lump crab and 8 oz crab claw meat to save money)
4 tablespoons finely diced sweet peppers (I used these, a mix of red and yellow bell peppers would work great as well)
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
2 teaspoons green hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1.5 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning, or to taste
Olive oil or other fat of choice

DIRECTIONS

In a food processor, pulse scallops and egg just until scallops are chopped. With motor running, pour in cream and whirl until smooth.
Scrape scallop mixture into a bowl. Stir in crab, bell peppers, cilantro, scallions, hot sauce, and Old Bay, breaking up most large chunks of crab.
Lay an 18-in. sheet of parchment paper on a work surface. Scoop 6 equal mounds of crab mixture onto parchment. Shape each into an even cake about 1 1/4 in. thick, using your fingers or, for neater sides, a 2 1/2-in.-diameter ring mold.
Refrigerate the cakes for at least an hour or up to 24 hours (the original recipe did not specify this, but I have found that it is necessary for crab cakes to hold together)
Pour olive oil into a 12-in. nonstick frying pan and heat over medium-low heat. Using a thin, flexible spatula, carefully transfer cakes to pan. Cook, turning once, until nicely browned and no longer wet in center, about 10 minutes total. Divide crabcakes among 6 warm plates, sprinkle with extra Old Bay, and serve with Devil Sauce.

Three-ingredient appetizer: smoked salmon spirals on cucumber rounds

2011-01-05T11:52:00.000-08:00

It doesn't get much easier than this. I wanted to bring some hors d'oeuvres to a party so that I (along with the other guests!) would have a low-carb treat to snack on. It's a neat little finger food with only three ingredients (plus garnishes), not to mention it's low carb with relatively high protein and omega-3s.

SMOKED SALMON SPIRALS ON CUCUMBER ROUNDS

Makes about 30 pieces

INGREDIENTS

Smoked salmon or gravlax (I used 8 oz of gravlax)
Tub of Rondele light garlic-herb cheese
2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced about 1/4" thick
Garnish[es] of choice, such as capers, red onion, chives, scallions, dill, grated hard-cooked egg, salmon roe...

DIRECTIONS

Arrange slices of salmon slightly overlapping on a piece of plastic wrap. Spread with Rondele, roll up like sushi, and slice. Serve on cucumber rounds. Garnish as desired.

1-carb brownies

2010-12-27T11:10:00.000-08:00

The above brownie has 1 net carb and 69 calories. It's moist and fudgy and not dry at all. The secret? No flour, just a blender and some black soy beans.

If you're clutching your pearls over my use of soy, hear me out for a second. I do agree that the phytoestrogen content of soy does merit some cause for alarm. However, I also think that it is fine in moderation. I think that the issues with soy are largely due to massive consumption in forms such as soybean oil (yes, "vegetable oil" is often soybean oil) and processed food products that use soy isolate or similar for texture and/or a meaty taste. We often don't realize how much soy we consume because it is so ubiquitous. For example, In The End of Overeating, the author lists the ingredients in a freaking chicken breast at Chilis, which includes autolyzed yeast extract, sodium phosphate, and soy protein concentrate. My conclusion isn't exactly scientific, but this is what works for me: I think that if we primarily cook our own food using whole ingredients, we end up cutting a lot of excess soy out of our diets, and thus I try to stick with the whole bean or fermented products like tamari. Call me crazy, but I don't believe that the problem is that Americans eat too many canned soybeans or steamed edamame. If you would still rather avoid soy, you can substitute regular black beans. This will bump up the carb count to 3 net carbs per brownie rather than 1 (still not bad!).

I've experimented with this recipe quite a bit. I've found that the small amount of real butter is truly essential for flavor and texture. I've tried both whole eggs and Eggbeaters/egg whites and I couldn't detect a difference, so I use whites only to keep the total calorie count down.

FLOURLESS BROWNIES
Makes 16 2"x2" square brownies

INGREDIENTS

1 can black soy beans or regular black beans (preferably unsalted), drained and rinsed
3 Tbs unsalted butter, melted (or use 3 Tbs oil of choice)
6 egg whites or 3/4 cup egg substitute or liquid egg whites
3/4 cup stevia or Splenda
1/4 cup good-quality cocoa powder (I like Hershey's Special Dark or Green & Black)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp instant coffee or espresso grinds (don't skip this; even if you don't like coffee the taste is very mild but it covers up any "beany" taste)
Generous pinch of salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
Optional: toppings such as 1-2 Tbs cacao nibs (pictured), 1/4 cup 85%+ dark chocolate cut into chunks, 1/4 cup toasted walnuts, etc

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 pan or spray with Baker's Joy
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until completely smooth. You may have to scrape down the sides and stir the batter several times.
Scrape the batter into the greased pan. Sprinkle with any of the optional toppings. Bake 30 minutes or until the center is relatively dry and the brownies pull away from the sides of the pan. Cut into 16 squares. Chill overnight in the fridge; after a day or so the chocolate flavor intensifies and the brownies taste less "beany".

Crab legs

2010-12-25T08:34:00.000-08:00

This isn't exactly a recipe, and it's far from original, but it's such a perfect low-carb meal and it's something we rarely eat at home. My local Albertson's supermarket sells crab legs for $4.99/lb, not exactly cheap, but certainly affordable at least every once in a while. It's also perfect for those looking to get more protein without too many calories. A 3 oz serving has 16 grams of protein, along with 0 carbs and only 1 gram of fat.

CRAB LEGS

INGREDIENTS

As many frozen crab legs as you want/can fit into your pot
Old Bay seasoning
1 lemon, cut into chunky eighths

DIRECTIONS

Fill a large pasta pot (I use this one, but a regular soup pot is fine too) with a couple inches of water and bring to a boil. Add the crab legs and cover them liberally with lots and lots of Old Bay. Cover with the pot lid; if it won't fit (due to crab legs sticking out), cover it with a few layers of foil. Steam for 5-7 minutes or until done. Serve on a tray with lemon wedges scattered throughout. Serve with melted butter and/or sugar-free cocktail sauce*.

*Sugar free cocktail sauce: Combine unsweetened ketchup or Splenda-sweetened ketchup, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and pepper to taste.

The contest winner, and a pork recipe

2010-12-21T12:54:00.000-08:00

First things first: sorry about the delay, but I put everyone's name in a bowl and randomly drew to select the winner of Blog Like a Caveman. Drumroll please...

Congrats! I will email the winner and post here when the theme for Blog Like a Caveman II is selected. Now, for a recipe.

The supermarket was having a great sale on pork tenderloin; specifically, buy 1 get 2 free, so I had three pork tenderloins in my freezer waiting to be used. Most of the recipes I found called for syrups, glazes, sugary juices, or other sweet things. This one is different. Adapted from this recipe, it's stuffed with veggies, nuts, cheese, and other savory goodies. I used pistachios, goat cheese, and sun dried tomatoes in addition to the olives, spinach, and peppers. The one thing I would do differently next time is to combine the filling ingredients thoroughly in a bowl before stuffing the pork, as it ended up having kind of a layered look. I served it with turnip oven fries (turnips cut into french fry shapes and roasted) with Greek seasoning.

STUFFED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH SPINACH, PEPPERS, PISTACHIOS, AND GOAT CHEESE

INGREDIENTS

1 whole pork tenderloin
6 oz fresh spinach, stemmed, washed, and dried
1 whole roasted red bell pepper (I bought the jarred kind), seeded and diced
1-2 Tbs julienned sun dried tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped toasted pistachio nuts
Pitted kalamata olives, sliced or chopped
1-2 oz soft goat cheese (chevre), crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375
Saute the spinach in a bit of olive oil until wilted. Squeeze dry in paper towels or a sieve, chop, and set aside.
Cut a slit lengthwise halfway through the pork. Sandwich it between two layers of plastic wrap and flatten it with a meat pounder (I use this one and highly recommend it). Season with salt and pepper.
Combine the spinach, tomatoes, pepper, pistachios, olives, and cheese in a bowl. Spread it on the pork in a line across the middle.
Roll the pork around the filling and tie with butcher's twine (the butcher will usually give you some for free if you ask).
Season the pork with salt and pepper and bake for about 45 minutes or until done. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Blog Like a Caveman I: Winter Greens

2010-12-16T06:52:00.000-08:00

This is the recipe roundup for the first ever Blog Like a Caveman paleo food blogging event! The theme was winter greens, as I thought we could all use some excitement about the few seasonal produce items in the dreary winter months. I will randomly choose a winner tomorrow, who will receive a gift certificate to Netrition.com and gets to choose the theme for next month.

Let's get started!

Lori from I Am Hungry, What's For Dinner? made a steaming pot of pork stew with kale. I'm glad to have this recipe in my arsenal, as pork chops are always on sale lately but all of the recipes I've seen involve lots of sugar or sugary items. But a nice hearty stew is perfect in the cold weather!

Cait from Paleo Perfectly cooked up a Greek hash using chopped kale along with ground beef and lots of Mediterranean flavors. Rather than leaving big chunks, the vegetables in this dish are finely chopped so that her small children will eat them without complaint. Though I am sure that kids and adults alike will enjoy this!

I think that broccoli is one of the most underrated vegetables for roasting. Usually we see roasted zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper, mushrooms, asparagus, and so on, but broccoli seems to be relegated to the steamer. However, the flavor is so unique when the broccoli gets all nice and brown and crispy. Of course it can only be improved with the addition of bacon! Nom Nom Paleo did exactly this with Roasted Broccoli & Bacon. I will definitely be trying this one myself!

Dear Hayley and Bill from The Food Lovers Primal Palette: I am extraordinarily jealous of your stunning food photography skills! They served up a lovely and delicious side of multicolored sauteed kale with toasted pine nuts. Click on over to their blog to get the recipe, see a pictorial of the different steps, and read about some of the nutritional benefits of this super food.

Joe was inspired to experiment with xanthan gum in order to primal-ize a favorite recipe. His chicken with leek sauce looks so creamy and delicious that I have to pronounce it a resounding success!

As a Jew of eastern European descent, I grew up eating lots of stuffed cabbage. As most of the recipes involve rice in the filling and lots of sugar in the sauce, this is one comfort food that has been relegated to "cheat meal" status for me. However, Sarah from Everyday Paleo saves the day, serving up a riceless beef filling in a simplified tomato sauce, with a little bit of diced apple for sweetness. She also demystifies the cabbage roll process with a video tutorial. Check out her post here!

True story: I went to Lyon for my honeymoon and was at a bouchon, trying to decipher the French menu. There was one item which claimed to be a "salad", and I recognized the words for egg and bacon so I figured I'd give it a go. It was absolutely delicious (an egg poached in red wine along with slab bacon and some other garnishes), but there wasn't a speck of green and my husband and I kept giggling about was a great "salad" this is! Amy from Grok On Rock served up a dish with similar elements, and I was delightedly reminded of that meal when I saw the word salad in the title -- however, she includes lots of healthy and delicious sauteed collard greens. I LOVE eggs in savory non-breakfast dishes and this is one that I will definitely be trying.

She also made Middle Eastern collard wraps, which demonstrates a great option for those who want something burrito-like but don't want to eat a ~~refined-flour-and-shortening pancake~~ tortilla. Wide, flat collard green leaves make a perfect wrapper, especially for her mid-east flavored filling.

Why on Earth have I never thought to make creamed spinach using coconut milk?? Patty from Following My Nose made a fantastic-looking Coconut Creamed Spinach, which also includes artichokes and bacon. This is a great option if you can only find frozen spinach!

And finally, my own contribution was Creamy Cashew Chicken Soup with Kale.

Thanks again to everyone who submitted an entry! I hope that this food blogging event will continue to be successful. I will choose a winner tonight and announce the next theme as soon as I get in touch with him or her.

Boeuf Bourguignon (slow cooker)

2010-12-13T12:10:00.000-08:00

BOURGUIGNONNE, A LA The French name for several dishes cooked with red wine (poached eggs, meat, fish, and sauteed chicken), the most famous of which is boeuf bourguignon. They are usually garnished with small onions, button mushrooms, and pieces of fat bacon.

--Larousse Gastronomique

Basically, it is a beef stew, only more French and more delicious with stuff like bacon and red wine. It's sort of like a beef version of coq au vin. Traditionally, the sauce is thickened with flour or beurre manié. I did not want to use flour, so I chose something else: powdered porcini mushrooms. Ever see how much liquid those suckers absorb when you rehydrate them? Well, instead of soaking, I put my dehydrated porcinis in my spice grinder and blitzed them to a fine powder. I also kept the cooking liquid to a minimum, particularly given that moisture does not evaporate when cooking in a crock pot. As a result, I had a nicely-textured gravy that held up even when spooned over mashed cauliflower.

SLOW-COOKER BOEUF BOURGUIGNON
Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

4 slices bacon, cut into 1" pieces
2 lbs beef stew meat (I used top round, trimmed and cut into large cubes)
1-2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
Half an onion, sliced OR 1 cup frozen pearl onions (I used the former, as my husband hates pearl onions)
1/2 tsp dried marjoram leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1/2 oz (weight) dried porcini mushrooms, ground up in a spice grinder or food processor or mortar and pestle
8 oz (weight) sliced mushrooms (any kind will do, I used crimini)
Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain. Pour off excess fat, leaving only about a teaspoon in the skillet. Add the beef cubes and sear over high heat until the outside is brown. Remove the beef and deglaze the skillet with 1/4 cup water. Add the deglazed skillet juices, beef, and bacon to your slow cooker along with the carrot, onion, and garlic.
Stir together the wine, broth, Worcestershire, powdered porcinis, and marjoram. Pour the liquid over everything in the slow cooker. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Before serving, saute the mushrooms in a little bit of olive oil until browned. Stir them into the beef mixture and serve over mashed cauliflower.

Triple chocolate chunk cookies

2010-12-10T16:20:00.000-08:00

Want.

I've been experimenting with some Christmas cookie and candy recipes. This one was a hit. It is somewhat similar to my flourless peanut butter cookies, but I used cashew butter as the base. I really wanted to use macadamia nut butter, but all of the local health food stores are out of stock; even the manufacturer's website lists it as unavailable! The cookies are somewhat crumbly, likely due to the relatively lower fat of the cashews. If I can get my hands on some macadamia nut butter, I will try it and let you know. You could also try using almond butter if you prefer.

But I'm getting ahead of myself here. These were delicious. Super duper chocolatey and rich. There is cocoa powder in the dough, plus three kinds of chocolate morsels: dark chocolate chunks, white chocolate chunks, and cacao nibs.

FLOURLESS TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES
Makes 12-16 cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup creamy cashew, macadamia, or almond butter
2-4 Tbs cocoa powder (start with 2 Tbs, taste it, then decide if you want more)
3/4 cup sweetener of choice (stevia or Splenda or whatever else you prefer)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp baking soda
About 1.5 oz very dark chocolate (85% or more), chopped into chunks roughly the size of chips. I used half of a 3 oz Endangered Species Extreme Dark Chocolate (88%) bar, which is dairy-free and relatively low-carb
Half a recipe of white chocolate, chopped into chunks roughly the size of chips (you could substitute macadamia nuts, dried cherries, or toasted walnuts if you don't want to make this)
2 Tbs cacao nibs

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350
Stir together the nut butter, cocoa powder, egg, sweetener, and baking soda. Fold in the chocolate chunks and cacao nibs.
With damp hands, quickly roll the dough into balls the size of a heaping tablespoon. Place 2" apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, flattening slightly with your hands or the bottom of a drinking glass. You may need to use two baking sheets.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until puffed.

Creamy Cashew Chicken Soup with Kale

2010-12-06T10:04:00.000-08:00

This is my contribution to my winter greens themed food blogging event. There's still time to submit your own entry!

It looks a little strange, the idea seems odd, but I assure you -- it's fantastic. If you Google West African peanut soup, you'll get tons of recipe results, so clearly I am not alone in my love for this dish. Usually I use peanuts, but since many of my readers avoid these (either for allergy reasons or because they eschew legumes altogether) I tried it with cashews and cashew butter and was very pleased with the results. I think that sunflower seed butter would also work well.

I added lots of kale. I love its texture in soup, because it stays hearty and chewy, which is especially nice for us low-carbers who don't use noodles, rice, or soup dumplings. It makes the soup feel more substantial and is healthy to boot. I always add chayote squash as well, but you could certainly substitute zucchini, string beans, or even sweet potato.

CASHEW CHICKEN SOUP WITH KALE
Serves about 4

INGREDIENTS

1-2 Tbs fat of choice (I used coconut oil)
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger (or 1 tsp dried)
1 Tbs garlic, minced or pressed (about 3 cloves)
8 oz chicken breast, sliced or cubed
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4-6 cups chicken broth
1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 chayote squashes, cut into chunks (or another vegetable, see description)
1 bunch kale, stemmed and torn into pieces
1/2 cup creamy cashew butter, peanut butter, or a combination of both (or you could try sunflower seed butter)
Salt and pepper to taste
Crushed cashews or peanuts for garnish (1-2 oz)

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil over medium-high until quite hot. Add the shallots and cook until browned and crisp.
Turn down the heat to medium and add the ginger, garlic, and cayenne. Cook for about a minute. Add the chicken and cook until starting to color.
Add 4 cups of broth, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the tomatoes, chayote, and kale, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through. Add more broth if desired.
Mix some of the broth with the cashew or peanut butter, then stir it into the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve, garnished with crushed peanuts or cashews.

Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

2010-12-02T13:13:00.000-08:00

This probably isn't the healthiest item up on my blog, but it sure was delicious, and hey, it's still low-carb! It's a cross between a pizza and a bacon cheeseburger. How can you go wrong there?? If you only eat half and serve it with a big salad, it's not too bad, calorically-speaking, and low-carbers can still stay within their macros.

CHEESEBURGER PIZZA
Serves 1 if you're me, 2 if you don't mind sharing

INGREDIENTS

1 cauliflower pizza crust, made with sharp cheddar (low-fat is fine) instead of mozzarella
4 oz ground beef (I used extra-lean grass fed), browned in a skillet and drained
2 strips bacon (preferably nitrate-free), cooked and crumbled
Thousand Island dressing (I made my own with 2 Tbs unsweetened ketchup, 2 Tbs light mayo, and 1/2 Tbs no-sugar-added relish, albeit I didn't end up using all of it.)
Sliced dill pickles (all I had were Claussen pickle spears so I sliced up three of those)
Sliced tomato (I think I used 1 Roma tomato)
Shredded cabbage or lettuce (I used pre-shredded cabbage)
Thinly sliced red onion (I didn't buy any but I wish I did :'( )

DIRECTIONS

Spread the pizza crust with Thousand Island dressing. Top with the bacon and ground beef, then add the other toppings. Pop it back in the oven for 5 minutes if desired (I did). Serve.

Crustless Quiche with Crab, Swiss, and Chives

2010-12-01T14:16:00.000-08:00

People are often shocked when I say that quiche is one of the easiest things I know how to make. It was one of my staples in college when I was cooking in a tiny apartment kitchen on a shoestring budget. Back then, I used frozen pie crust, but nowadays I make it crustless. While eggs are an excellent source of protein and B-vitamins, the crust is just white flour and shortening. No thanks! I also use unsweetened almond milk to keep the carbs and calories low.

This is a particularly elegant recipe with crab and swiss cheese. Usually I make versions with lots of veggies like spinach or broccoli. With this, I kept it simple and served sauteed garlic spinach on the side.

CRUSTLESS QUICHE WITH CRAB, SWISS CHEESE, AND CHIVES
Serves 3-6

INGREDIENTS

3 eggs
Unsweetened unflavored almond milk (about 3/4 cup)
1/3 cup Swiss cheese (full-fat or low-fat), grated
1-2 Tbs chives, thinly sliced
6 oz can lump crabmeat, drained well
Salt, white pepper, and nutmeg to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375
Lightly spray a 9" pie pan with oil or Baker's Joy.
Evenly distribute the cheese, crab, and chives in the bottom of the pie pan.
Beat the eggs in a 2 cup capacity measuring cup. Add enough almond milk to equal a total of 1.5 cups. Add salt, white pepper, and nutmeg to taste.
Pour the egg mixture into the pie plate and stir everything with a fork to combine.
Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes or until set. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic (slow cooker recipe)

2010-12-01T08:48:00.001-08:00

If you don't like garlic, stop reading immediately. If you DO love garlic, make this recipe at once.

Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic is a traditional French bistro dish which was popularized in America by Julia Child. I love whole roast chicken, but it takes too long to cook for dinner to be ready on time. Enter the crock pot. It takes much longer, but that means that I can leave the house and let it slow cook for 8 hours or so.

I went shopping post-Thanksgiving so little baggies of fresh "poultry herb blend" were on sale. It included sprigs of sage, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram. You could certainly just use thyme instead, though.

By the way, I did not count out the exact number of garlic cloves. I just used a whole bunch of 'em!

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC
Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry, giblets and excess fat pockets removed
Sprigs of fresh marjoram, sage, rosemary, and thyme; or 1 small bunch of fresh thyme
Half of a lemon
About 40 cloves of garlic (I used 4 heads)
Salt, pepper, paprika, and/or whatever seasonings you like on roast chicken

DIRECTIONS

Separate the garlic cloves but leave them unpeeled. The easiest way to do this is to roll the head of garlic on the counter top.
Place the garlic cloves in the bottom of your slow cooker, then place the chicken on top, breast side up.
Stuff the chicken cavity with the lemon half.
Season the chicken liberally with salt, pepper, and paprika and/or other seasonings
Roughly strip the leaves off of the herbs, tear them up, and strew them on and around the chicken.
Cook on low for 8 hours.
Separate the chicken into individual pieces (breast, wings, leg quarters) and broil them on a baking sheet for a couple of minutes or until the skin crisps.
Serve immediately with the garlic cloves. You might make mashed cauliflower (exclude the roasted garlic) and/or gravy to serve alongside.

Veggie lasagna. With meat.

2010-11-30T08:54:00.000-08:00

This was somewhat of an experiment; that is, an attempt to see how much veggies I could pack into a meat lasagna. First and foremost, instead of noodles, I used zucchini cut lengthwise into thin slices. This is my standard way of low-carbifying lasagna. I also added chopped broccoli to the ricotta layer, and chopped spinach into the meat sauce. I liked the spinach but thought that the broccoli was a bit much, and my husband felt the opposite. His reasoning was that the broccoli actually adds texture while the spinach does not contribute anything, I liked the spinach because it blended in well. So add one or the other or both! It was still delicious and an easy way of packing a full meal's worth of veggies into a single casserole.

MEAT LASAGNA WITH LOTS OF VEGGIES

INGREDIENTS

About 1 lb zucchini, sliced lengthwise into very thin slices (I used a mandoline to cut it about 1/8" thick, you could also use a cheap V-slicer )
1 cup shredded mozzarella (low-fat is fine)

For the meat sauce:

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes (I like Muir Glen)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach
Salt and pepper, to taste
Sweetener of choice, to taste (optional)
1 tsp dried Italian herb blend

For the ricotta layer:

1 lb ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten (or 2 egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute)
1 10-oz package frozen chopped broccoli
Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cook the spinach and broccoli according to package directions. Squeeze all the moisture out of the spinach. Set both aside to cool.
Brown the meat in a skillet, drain the fat, and set aside. Saute the onion and garlic in a small amount of olive oil. Add the meat back to the pan with the onion and garlic along with all the remaining ingredients except for the spinach. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Add the spinach and set aside.
Combine all of the ingredients for the ricotta layer, liberally adding salt and pepper. Set aside.
Lay a layer of zucchini slices, slightly overlapping, in the bottom of a 13"x9" lasagna pan. Using your hands (hands are the only way to do this), add half the ricotta and spread it more or less evenly atop the zucchini. Add half of the meat sauce. Repeat the process with another layer of zucchini, the rest of the ricotta, and the rest of the meat sauce. Cover the top with mozzarella.
Bake, covered in foil, for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown. Cut into squares and serve.

Crock Pot Massaman Curry

2010-11-23T10:04:00.000-08:00

Massaman curry is a bit different from other Thai curries. It isn't a stir-fry of sliced meat with crisp-tender veggies. Rather, it's more like a Thai beef stew. It has chunks of meat (usually beef) slow-simmered with potatoes. This makes it a perfect candidate for crock-pot-ization.

Instead of potatoes, I used daikon and baby carrots. Turnips would work well too in place of one or both of those veggies. I used full-fat coconut milk but I think the lite version would work too for those who are counting calories. However, lite coconut milk might be a bit watery so I would recommend either thickening the gravy somehow (reducing it in a pan or adding xanthan gum), or sticking with the full-fat stuff and just using less sauce on their plate.

Traditionally, palm sugar is added. However, there was already some in my curry paste so I did not use any. You could substitute date sugar, maple sugar, sucanat, brown sugar, Splenda, or use nothing at all and have a less-sweet dish.

I served it over cauliflower rice.

SLOW COOKER MASSAMAN CURRY
Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs beef stew meat (or lamb, or pork. If you want a leaner cut of beef, use top round or eye of round.)
1 can coconut milk
3-6 Tbs Massaman curry paste, or to taste (I used about 5 Tbs)
1 Tbs tamarind paste (or 1/3 cup lime juice)
2 cinnamon sticks
2 Tbs fish sauce
2 Tbs palm sugar (optional; see description above)
4 star anise
About a dozen cardamom pods, crushed with the side of a knife
8 oz daikon or turnip, peeled and cut into large chunks
4 oz lb baby carrots (about 1 cup)
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1/4 cup chopped or crushed cashews or peanuts (optional; I forgot to add this)
Thai basil and/or cilantro for serving (I used Thai basil)

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, combine the curry paste, tamarind paste (if using), and palm sugar (if using) with some of the coconut milk until thoroughly combined.
Add the coconut milk mixture along with the rest of the coconut milk to the slow cooker. Add all the remaining ingredients except for nuts and fresh herbs.
Cook on low for 8 hours, stirring once halfway through if possible.
Serve over cauliflower rice with the chopped nuts and herbs.

Rutabaga "faux-tato" salad

2010-11-18T18:50:00.001-08:00

A rutabaga looks like a giant yellow-fleshed turnip and began as a hybrid between a turnip and cabbage. I was looking for a lower-carb alternative for a "fauxtato" salad. Potato has 24 net carbs per cup, while rutabaga has only 9 grams, making it the clear winner here. I previously tried chopped cauliflower, but the texture wasn't right, and I thought that an actual root vegetable would be a better choice. It has a much firmer texture and a bit of a radishy taste (which I enjoyed), but it is close enough that you could certainly share it with people eating an otherwise standard American diet.

RUTABAGA FAUXTATO SALAD
Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

1 large rutabaga (about 2 lbs)
2 Tbs cider vinegar
1/2 cup chopped dill pickle (optional)
2 Tbs thinly sliced scallions
1/4 cup mayonnaise (Spectrum light or full-fat)
1/4 cup sour cream (light or full-fat)
3/4 tsp dry mustard
3/4 tsp celery salt
2 Tbs minced fresh dill
2 hard-boiled eggs, diced or chopped
Pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Peel the rutabaga and cut it into cubes. Boil in generously-salted water until tender. Drain and cool.
Combine the remaining ingredients. Add the rutabaga, toss, and chill for at least an hour.

Slow-cooked BBQ brisket

2010-11-18T18:48:00.000-08:00

There are two groups of people who are serious about brisket: Jews, and Texans. Well, I'm a Jew, and here's my attempt at a Texas-style brisket! Okay, it's not really Texas-style. It's not smoked; rather, it's braised more in the style of my people, but with smoky flavors. I served it with some extra jus and leftover mustard barbecue sauce. I've also made it before and served it with horseradish. I do use liquid smoke in the cooking liquid. It is a natural product made from capturing smoke, condensing it, and passing it through water, filtering the carcinogens in the process, thus I do not find its use problematic. If you'd prefer, you could experiment with using smoked paprika as a substitute. Also in the picture is a "faux-tato" salad, which I will be posting the recipe for shortly.

SLOW COOKER BBQ BRISKET
Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

2 lb brisket (flat cut/first cut is lean, point cut/second cut is fatty)
1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice or 2 Tbs cider vinegar
3/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
1 can reduced-sodium beef broth
1 Tbs liquid smoke
1 tsp garlic powder

DIRECTIONS

Combine all the ingredients except for the brisket in your slow cooker.
Add the brisket, fat side up. Spoon some of the liquid over the top.
Cook on low for 8-11 hours or until very tender.
Trim off the top fat layer (or leave it on if you prefer) and slice the brisket. Serve with extra jus and horseradish and/or BBQ sauce.

Chicken molé, in the crock pot

2010-11-18T18:44:00.000-08:00

I've been getting a lot of use out of my slow cooker lately. In the colder months when the days are shorter, there's something so nice about coming home to a wonderful-smelling kitchen and a hot dinner waiting for me. So expect to see quite a few crock pot recipes.

I love Mexican molé sauce. However, it is typically quite complicated to make. It involved toasting and grinding several different types of dried chiles, grinding an array of different nuts and seeds, and adding lots of other complicated ingredients. This is not an authentic molé, but it has very similar flavors and is much easier to make. Instead of an array of different ground seeds, I add a couple spoonfuls of nut or seed butter. I've successfully used peanut butter, sunflower butter, and tahini in the past, and I enjoyed all of them equally. I use chili powder instead of toasting and grinding my own chiles, and I also add cocoa powder and a few different spices. I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts because they were on sale but you could certainly use whole breasts. I don't like thighs as much because they don't shred as well, but you could give them a shot.

In the photo, it's pictured on a low-carb tortilla, which is far from paleo but I'll eat one every once in a blue moon as a little treat. A delicious alternative would be to serve it atop shredded cabbage (packaged cole slaw mix would work fine) mixed with pico de gallo and maybe some avocado wedges.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN MOLE
Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS
-1 package (about 1.5 lbs) boneless skinless chicken breasts
-1 15oz can tomato puree
-1 tsp ground cumin
-1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
-1/2 tsp aniseed
-3 tbs chili powder
-1/2 tbs maple syrup (optional; it's just a tiny bit in a lot of sauce so I don't worry too much about the sugar)
-1 cinnamon stick
-1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
-2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
-3 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
-2 tbs tahini, creamy peanut butter, or other nut or seed butter
-1 canned chipotle pepper, minced
-Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Add all ingredients other than the chicken to the slow cooker.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Add the chicken to the slow cooker and spoon some of the sauce over the top.
Cook for 6 hours on low.
To serve, remove the chicken from the crock pot, shred with a fork, and put back into the sauce. Serve with sour cream and scallions.

Pumpkin Pavé

2010-11-18T15:50:00.000-08:00

When I posted the pumpkin tiramisu recipe, I promised that I would be posting a lighter pumpkin dessert as well. That was originally going to be a pumpkin panna cotta. However, I was unhappy with how that recipe turned out; no matter what, the dessert invariably separated into a thick layer and a watery layer. In fact, this is a problem I've had with pumpkin desserts in general. They end up kind of sludge-like, not solid enough with an unappealing watery layer. I experimented with a few different things, and ended up discovering the key ingredient for a perfect texture: cream cheese. I didn't add enough for it to taste like a cheesecake; in fact, you probably won't know it's there. But it results in a smooth, dense, and velvety pumpkin dessert that is nicely emulsified.

Even low-carb pie crusts are generally very high-calorie. Usually, they are made of ground nuts held together with butter or coconut oil. As my goal here is a lighter dessert, I wanted to skip the crust. While the crust is generally the least interesting part of a pie, crustless pumpkin pie still feels like a bit of a gyp. This is baked in dish and cut into squares. They're too thick to call them bars so I'm going with the label of "pavé". Pavé basically refers to a dessert that is flat and square, like tiles or paving stones. Plus it sounds all fancy.

PUMPKIN PAVE
Serves 9

INGREDIENTS

8 oz low-fat (or full-fat) cream cheese, softened (use Philadelphia brand if you use low-fat, as it is lower carb than others)
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup stevia (I used Stevia In The Raw), Splenda, or date sugar
1.5 cups egg white or egg substitute (or 6 whole eggs)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1/4 ground ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
Generous pinch of salt
Greek yogurt, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350
Beat the cream cheese in an electric mixer until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until thoroughly combined.
Scrape the mixture into a greased 8x8 pan.
Bake for 40-60 minutes (check after 40 minutes), or until the center is firm. A toothpick will not come out clean.
Chill thoroughly and cut into 9 squares.
Serve with a blob of Greek yogurt and some extra cinnamon.

Nutrition: 106 calories, 6g fat, 5g carbs, 1g fiber (4 net carbs), 9g protein

Announcing a primal food blogging event, and a giveaway!

2010-11-16T18:54:00.000-08:00

Read on to learn how you can win a $25 gift certificate to Netrition.com!

Have you seen any of the "food blogging events" around the web? Basically, they are themed events where food bloggers post a recipe which corresponds to the given theme. Then the host makes a big round-up post with links to every participating entry. It's fun, it can give you a little inspiration to come up with a new recipe (it's sort of like playing Top Chef at home), and it drives traffic to your blog.

Unfortunately, most of the events around the web are very NOT accommodating to a low-carb/primal/paleo way of eating. For example:

Presto Pasta Nights
Sugar-High Fridays
My Legume Love Affair

...and so on. Thanks, but no thanks!

So I decided, I am going to host a monthly paleo blogging event here on the blog! Here's what I'm thinking in terms of format:

Each month will have a theme of some sort, I'll pick the theme for the first edition and for subsequent months I will randomly draw one of the entrants and let them choose.
Recipe can be original, or from a cookbook, just give credit if credit is due.
Theme could be really anything so long as it's primal-friendly. So it could be, oh, "recipes with leafy greens", "slow-cooker recipes", "Christmas recipes", "appetizers", "recipes that you've had bookmarked for a while and keep meaning to try", etc.
Round-ups will be posted monthly, with the new theme announced with the round-up.
If you don't have a blog but want to participate, that's fine!! Just add it to a recipe site like http://www.eatprimal.net/
Link back here in your blog post, either with a text or graphic.

For this month, because I really really REALLY want this to take off, I am going to randomly select a winner from everyone who submits a recipe, and they will receive a $25 gift certificate to Netrition.com. It's a site where you can order all sorts of esoteric paleo-friendly ingredients, like coconut oil, raw almond butter, stevia, coconut flour, almond meal, xanthan gum, and so forth. The winner will also get to choose the theme for the next month.

--

Now, onto this month's theme. Winter can be a depressing time for those of us who like to maintain a veggie-rich diet. Gone is the bounty of spring and summer, fall brings an esoteric pile of gourds which dwindles in the winter months, and we're left with lots of starchy tubers like potatoes. However, there is one saving grace: winter greens. I adore these leafy brassicas, and they have a hearty texture which stands up to lots of different flavors and cooking methods. So, let's all pool our culinary talents and come up with a round-up of recipes involving winter greens which can get us excited for produce in the frosty months.

Winter greens include:

Kale
Cabbage
Mustard greens
Collard greens
Rapini/broccoli di rape
Turnip greens
Probably other stuff that I am forgetting (feel free to remind me in the comments!)

So here's what ya do. Come up with a recipe involving winter greens, cook it, snap a photo, blog it somewhere, then email me a link at bloglikeacaveman AT gmail DOT com . Deadline for submissions is December 15, I will post the recipes the following day. Be sure to link back to this page somewhere in your post! Either use a plain text link, or the below graphic if you want to be fancy.