STRAWBERRY COCONUT MILK ICE CREAM

I have used this recipe for Strawberry Ice Cream that is made with coconut milk and it is great!

It's an easy and yummy dessert to make when my little lactose-intolerant grandson and my big lactose-intolerant son come to visit.

I've made ice cream with whole cream before, but this recipe has more of the mouth-feel of regular ice cream, so I like it better.

Check out Living Low Carb One Day at a Time for more wonderful recipes.

BEYOND EASY PULLED PORK - EVERYDAY PALEO

Bill and I love to throw a pork roast into the slow cooker and make pulled pork, and I sometimes throw in a packet of onion soup mix to flavor it.  Of course, the ingredients in the mix are less than desirable...   I found this recipe for pulled pork at Everyday Paleo.  The spice blend is great and there are no ingredients that I do not know how to pronouce!  This site has some great recipes!  Enjoy!

BACON AND ONION BISCUITS

Which objection to the low carb, high fat way of eating do we hear the most?

       a) It's unhealthy to eat saturated fat.

       b) That diet is unbalanced.

       c) If you don't eat bread, what do you use to sop up your egg yolk with breakfast?

If you guessed "c", you have a one in three chance of being right.  Just in case that is your objection, or you're missing bread, here is a recipe that I came up with this morning after getting in on a conversation on Facebook about low-carb flours.  I usually don't eat any kind of "bready" things, like, uh..., bread or, uh..., breaded things.  Plus, even the low carb flour is still pretty carby at 22 grams per 1/4 cup.  But just talking about how I don't eat bready things, got me in the mood for a bready thing, so I whipped up this version of the standard MIM (Muffin in a Minute) and I think this would be a great thing to use to sop up those egg yolks, or just sop up melted butter, which is what I just did!  I thought about using sauteed onions in the biscuits, but they are pretty carby and I am really low carb right now, so I used onion powder, and the taste was great!  The biscuits are obviously a little heavier than your common, flour-driven biscuits, but they fit the bill for me.  Add 1 Tbs. of butter to your biscuit, and you have a great, high fat, low carb treat!

BACON AND ONION BISCUITS

Recipe makes 6

Cooking spray (I use organic coconut oil)
3 oz. (3/4 cup) finely ground flax seed
3/4 tsp. onion powder
3/4 tsp. baking powder (aluminum free)
1/8 tsp. sea salt
3 eggs
6 drops Stevia sweetener (optional)
3 Tbs. water
1 Tbs. melted bacon grease
3 thick slices uncured, nitrate/nitrite free bacon, cooked crisp and chopped finely (I use my mini food processor).

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

2. Spray a muffin top pan (6 muffin size) with cooking spray, or grease generously with butter, olive oil or coconut oil.

3. Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl.

4. In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, Stevia and water.  As you continue to beat, drizzle in the bacon grease.  Stir in the chopped bacon.

5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well.

6. Divide the batter evenly in the muffin pan and let rest for 2 minutes before baking.

7. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan.  Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container.  They are great right away, and the bacon flavor gets even better after refrigeration, in my opinion.

Nutritional information for one biscuit:
187 calories
14.6g fat
9.2g protein
4.7g total carbs
3.8g dietary fiber
0.9g net carbs

THE BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS - EGGS AND FAT AND MORE FAT

I'll post more details tomorrow about what I've been eating this past week since returning from the Low Carb Meet & Greet last weekend, but, for now, I wanted to share what my typical breakfast/lunch looks like.  I call it my breakfast/lunch because, although it looks like breakfast, I usually eat it around lunch time, and today is no exception.

In an effort to reduce my protein and increase my fat, I'm having to really pile it on!  With a little inspiration from Jimmy Moore, here's the big, yummy and filling recipe:

I start by spreading 1 oz. of organic cream cheese on a sandwich plate.  I use my fingers for the spreading and then I lick my fingers.  I then cut 1 Tbs. of organic butter into little pieces and distribute them on top of the cream cheese.  I use a paring knife for the cutting and then I lick the knife.

In a small mixing bowl, I use a wire whip to whip up 2 Omega-3 eggs, plus one more yolk, 1/8 tsp. sea salt and 1/8 tsp. ground turmeric.  I do not lick the wire whip (salmonella).  I put the eggs into a small pan in which I have melted 1 Tbs. of unrefined, organic coconut oil.  I stir the eggs with a rubber spatula over medium heat until just set and still a little wet.

I put the cooked eggs on top of the cream cheese and butter on the plate, being sure to scrape any oil that is still in the pan onto the plate, which melts the cheese and butter, and then I lick the spatula.  The final touch is dotting the eggs with 1 Tbs. organic sour cream and then licking the spoon.  I even use a spoon to eat my eggs/fat/fat meal because I do not want to leave any of the fatty goodness behind on the plate.  Of course, I can't get it all, so I lick the plate when I am done.

 My goal for the day is to eat 187g of fat (85% of my total calories), 54g of protein and 20 grams of carbs.  Along with this meal, I try to get in some raw veggies to up my carbs.  That way, I am not eating the majority of my carbs at dinner.  This meal gets me started, and I run just fine on it until dinner time, rarely experiencing any hunger.  Here is the breakdown of this meal:

557 calories (not that I really care, but some people are interested in that number)
52.7g fat (85.2%)
18g protein (13%)
2.6g carbs (1.8%)

FAT BOMBS!

At the Low Carb Meet & Greet yesterday, we were talking about Fat Bombs - you know, those little treats we make ourselves for when we need a little extra fat.  There are lots of recipes out there, and this one is mine:

These are the five ingredients for my Fat Bombs, which you stir together well:

3/4 cup melted coconut oil
9.5 Tbs. (150g) almond butter
60 drops (about 3/8 tsp.) liquid Stevia
3 Tbs. cocoa
9 Tbs. melted salted butter

Pour a scant 2 Tbs. into each of 24 candy or mini muffin molds.  I use a silicone candy mold that I bought at Michael's Crafts.  If you prefer, you can use those little paper mini muffin cups, lined up on a cookie sheet.

I place my candy mold on a small cookie sheet first, and then fill it, then put it in the freezer.  If you try to put it in the freezer without first putting it on a cookie sheet, you'll be sorry.

Freeze for at least 30 minutes, then pop out the Fat Bombs and store them in a bag or other container in the freezer.  You can keep them in the fridge, but as soon as you hold one with your hot little fingers, it will melt really fast.  Frozen, it melts slower.

Nutritional info for one Fat Bomb:
145 calories
14.7g fat (91.2%)
1.53g protein (4.2%)
1.67g carbs (4.6%)

BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH BACON, SAGE AND LEMON

Serves 2
8 oz. frozen Brussels sprouts
1/2 tsp. sea salt, divided
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. rubbed sage
1 Tbs. bacon grease
1/4 cup coconut milk (I use canned Thai Kitchen)
1/2 Tbs. lemon juice (I use organic bottled)
1 thick slice bacon, cooked and crumbled (I use Whole Foods Market Applewood Uncured)

1. In a medium saucepan, simmer Brussels sprouts in enough water to cover with 1/4 tsp. sea salt until tender.  Drain, cut each sprout in half and return to pan.

2. Add onion powder, sage, bacon grease and coconut milk to the pan and stir over very low heat until heated through.  Add lemon juice and 1/4 tsp. sea salt, stir and serve with bacon sprinkled on top.

Nutritional information per serving:

223 calories
16.2g fat
8.3g protein
11g total carbs
4.5g dietary fiber
6.5g net carbs, of which 4.7 come from vegetables
207mg sodium

I adapted this recipe from one I saw in a Redbook magazine.  See the original recipe by clicking here.

BACON FLAX MUFFINS

Bacon Flax Muffins - Click to Enlarge

 I've been thinking about this one for a while, and I couldn't find a recipe for it on the web, so I finally came up with a recipe of my own for these bacon-y muffins.

When I made them for the first time the other day, I ate two while they were still warm, with butter.  I put the rest in a sealed container in the fridge, and when I had some the next day, the bacon flavor had intensified.

These muffins are a variation of the Muffin in a Minute (MIM) that is posted on the Atkins Community Forum.



This recipe makes 6 muffins.  I usually have two at a time, but the nutritional information is for one muffin.

Bacon Flax Muffins

Cooking spray
84g (3 oz. or 3/4 cup) finely ground flax seed
3/4 tsp. double acting baking powder (I use aluminum free)
1/8 tsp. sea salt
3 eggs
1 Tbs. melted bacon grease
6 drops Stevia sweetener (optional)
3 Tbs. water
3 thick slices uncured, nitrate/nitrite free bacon, cooked crisp and chopped finely (I used my mini food processor).

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

2. Spray a muffin top pan (6 muffin size) with cooking spray (I use organic coconut oil spray), or grease manually with butter, olive oil or coconut oil.

3. Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl.

4. In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, Stevia and water.  As you continue to beat, drizzle in the liquid bacon grease.  Stir in chopped bacon.

5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well.

6. Divide the batter evenly in the muffin pan and let rest for 2 minutes before baking.

7. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan.  Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container.  The bacon flavor is better after refrigeration, in my opinion.

Nutritional information for one muffin:

185 calories
14.5g fat
9.2g protein
4.5g total carbs
3.8g dietary fiber
0.7g net carbs
296mg sodium

(Update, today I tried adding 3/4 tsp. onion powder to this recipe.  Yummy!  If you do that, be sure to add about a 1/4 of a gram of carb to the count above.)

FLAX SEED SPICE CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Click photo to enlarge

I finally have my spice cake recipe perfected.  I wanted something that would take the place of carrot cake, and this fills the bill for me.  The inspiration was the Muffin in a Minute (MIM) that is posted on the Atkins Community Forum.

This recipe makes 6 individual cakes.





Ingredients for the cake:

84g (3 oz. or 3/4 cup) finely ground flax seed
3/4 tsp. double acting baking powder
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. sea salt
3 eggs
1 Tbs. olive oil
27 drops Stevia sweetener
3 Tbs. water

Directions for the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

2. Spray a muffin top pan (6 muffin size) with cooking spray.

3. Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl. 

4. In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, oil, Stevia and water.

5. Add dry ingredients to eggs, and mix well.

6. Equally fill the muffin pan, and let rest for 2 minutes before baking.

7. Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool in the pan.

Ingredients for the frosting:

3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
18 drops Stevia sweetener
3 Tbs. IsoPure Zero Carb Protein Powder, Creamy Vanilla Flavor

Directions for the frosting:

1. In a shallow bowl or plate, use a fork to cream together the cream cheese, vanilla extract and Stevia.

2. Add protein powder and mix well.

Putting it all together:

When the cakes have cooled to room temperature, spread the frosting over the tops.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Nutritional information per individual cake:

205.4 calories
15.8 g fat
9.4g protein
6.5g total carbs
4.6g dietary fiber
1.9g net carbs

I eat two of these cakes along with a salad for lunch.  They could also be used as a dessert.

CRUSTLESS PUMPKIN PIE

After looking around on the internet for a crustless pumpkin pie recipe, and finding several, I settled on this one, which is simply the recipe off the Libby's 100% Pumpkin label, with a couple of minor changes to make it lower in carbs and free of grains. 

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Makes a 9" deep dish pie


Ingredients:
2 eggs
15 oz. pumpkin, canned, no salt added
30 drops Stevia sweetener
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1.5 cups (12 fluid oz.) heavy cream (whipping cream)

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit.

2.  Beat eggs slightly in a medium bowl.

3.  Add remaining ingredients one at a time, blending well after each one.

4.  Pour mixture into a 9" deep dish pie plate that has been buttered or sprayed with cooking spray.

5.  Bake at 425 degrees fahrenheit for 15 minutes.

6.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees fahrenheit and bake for an additional 40-50 minutes.

7.  Pie is done when a toothpick or knife inserted near center of pie comes out clean.

8.  Cool on a rack, then refrigerate until cold.

9.  Top with whipped cream, if desired.

This is the nutritional information for the whole pie, not including optional whipped topping:

1590 Calories
143.7g Fat
24.8g Protein
49.4g Carbohydrate
13.9g Dietary Fiber
35.5g Net Carbohydrate, of which 22.1g come from the pumpkin

This is the nutritional information for 1/8 of the whole pie, not including optional whipped topping:

198.8 Calories
18g Fat
3.1g Protein
6.2g Carbohydrate
1.7g Dietary Fiber
4.5g Net Carbohydrate, of which 2.8g come from the pumpkin

FOCACCIA-STYLE FLAX BREAD

From Laura Dolson:

I call this "focaccia" because it is baked in that style -- flat on a sheet pan, and then cut up into whatever sized pieces you want. It works for toast, sandwiches, and other bready uses. It is "rough" in texture like heavy whole grain breads. Since it isn't made with wheat, it doesn't have the same kind of grain as wheat breads, but the carb in flax is almost all fiber. Flax is very useful on a low carb diet, as well as being amazingly good for you.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

* 2 cups flax seed meal
* 1 Tablespoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1-2 Tablespoons sugar equivalent from artificial sweetener
* 5 beaten eggs
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/3 cup oil

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare pan (a 10X15 pan with sides works best) with oiled parchment paper or a silicone mat.

1) Mix dry ingredients well -- a whisk works well.

2) Add wet to dry, and combine well. Make sure there aren't obvious strings of egg white hanging out in the batter.

3) Let batter set for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken up some (leave it too long and it gets past the point where it's easy to spread.)

4) Pour batter onto pan. Because it's going to tend to mound in the middle, you'll get a more even thickness if you spread it away from the center somewhat, in roughly a rectangle an inch or two from the sides of the pan (you can go all the way to the edge, but it will be thinner).

5) Bake for about 20 minutes, until it springs back when you touch the top and/or is visibly browning even more than flax already is.

6) Cool and cut into whatever size slices you want. You don't need a sharp knife; I usually just cut it with a spatula.

Nutritional Information: Each of 12 servings has less than a gram of effective carbohydrate (.7 grams to be exact) plus 5 grams fiber, 6 grams protein, and 185 calories.

PUMPKIN PROTEIN COOKIES

Double click the photo to enlarge.

I adapted this recipe from one I found on the Atkins Forum.  Thanks to Thinker and TigerTye.  It's a good way to get in some fat, protein and carbs, not to mention a veggie. 

I am so pleased with these cookies - not all at like a "health food", but like a real cookie.  It made me feel happy to get to have a treat, especially around Christmas, when cookies are part of the festivities.





Pumpkin Protein Cookies


1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 Tbs. coconut oil
56g (or 1 cup before grinding) flaxseed, ground very fine with a coffee or spice grinder
26 drops liquid Stevia
15 oz. canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
7.5 Tbs. IsoPure Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (available at GNC)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1.  Soften butter and coconut oil.  Cream together.

2.  Add half the ground flaxseed and blend well.

3.  Add Stevia, pumpkin, protein powder, remaining ground flaxseed, eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well after each.

4.  Add baking soda, salt and spices, mixing well.

5.  Let dough rest for 10 minutes.

6.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

7.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Doing this will keep the cookies from getting to dark on the bottom, and from sticking to the pan.  It also makes for a super easy clean up.

8.  Drop the dough onto the parchment paper by level tablespoons.  This will produce a thick, cake-like cookie, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  To get a thinner, crisper cookie, flatten them somewhat before baking.  If you flatten them, they will need a shorter baking time.  These cookies will not spread when they bake, so you can place them close together.

9.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until done, and cool on a rack. 

This recipe made around 60 cookies.  If you prefer, you can make the cookies larger and get a smaller yield.

This is the nutritional information for the whole recipe:

2489 Calories
99g Fat
85.4g Protein
1.4g Alcohol
87.8g Carbohydrate
58.5g Dietary Fiber
29.3g Net Carbohydrate, of which 22.1g come from the pumpkin

I wanted to know the information for one cookie, so here is what I did:  When the cookies were cooled, I weighed the whole batch, and it came out to 540 grams.  I put an entry into www.fitday.com called "Pumpkin Protein Cookies" and used the nutritional info for the whole batch and said that it weighed 540 grams.  Now, when I want some cookies, I just weigh the ones I want and enter how many grams they weigh into fitday, and it does the math for me.

If you would rather not weigh the cookies, you can count the number of cookies you made, and then divide the total info by that number to know what the info for one cookie is.  Because I ended up with 60 cookies, this would be the info for one cookie:

41.5 Calories
1.65g Fat
1.42g Protein
0.023g Alcohol
1.46g Carbohydrate
0.975g Dietary Fiber
0.485g Net Carbohydrate, of which 0.37g come from the pumpkin

DEVILED EGG VARIATIONS

Here are 14 different ways to make Deviled Eggs, adapted from an old cookbook - Mary Margaret McBride Encyclopedia of Cooking (1959):

Anchovy:  For 6 eggs, use 2 Tbs. anchovy paste, 1 Tbs. minced chives and 1 tsp. lemon juice.

Bacon:  Cook bacon until crisp.  Chop and mix with mashed egg yolk and minced parsley.  Moisten with mayonnaise.

Caviar:  For 6 eggs, use 2 oz. caviar, 3 Tbs. mayonnaise, 1/4 tsp. salt and a pinch of pepper.  Garnish tops with caviar.

Celery:  Chop celery very fine.  Mix with mashed egg yolks and moisten with mayonnaise.

Chicken or Veal:  Chop cooked chicken or veal very fine.  Mix with equal amounts of mashed egg yolk.  Season to taste.

Chicken Liver:  Saute chicken livers.  Chop fine and mix with mashed egg yolks.

Crabmeat:  For 6 eggs, use 1/2 cup flaked crabmeat, 1/2 cup finely chopped celery, 1 Tbs. finely chopped green pepper, 1/2 tsp. dry mustard and 1/3 cup mayonnaise.

Deviled Ham:  Blend deviled ham with the mashed egg yolks.  Smooth to a paste with mayonnaise.

Ham:  For 6 eggs, use 1/4 cup ground ham, 1 tsp. dry mustard, 1/2 tsp. salt and enough mayonnaise to form a smooth paste with the mashed egg yolks.

Liver Sausage:  Blend liver sausage with the mashed egg yolks.  Smooth to a paste with mayonnaise.

Mushroom and Onion:  Saute chopped mushrooms and onions in butter.  Mix with mashed egg yolks.

Pickle:  Mix finely chopped dill pickles with mashed egg yolks.  Moisten with mayonnaise.

Sardine:  Drain and mash sardines.  Season with salt and lemon juice.  Mix with mashed egg yolks.  Moisten with mayonnaise.

Shrimp:  Chop cooked shrimp and mix with mashed egg yolks.  Moisten with mayonnaise.

It is not mentioned here, but I always like to sprinkle a little paprika on my deviled eggs.

EASY ROAST CHICKEN

My sister sent this to me, and now I make it all the time. It is the best roast chicken I have ever had!

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Set V-rack in large flameproof roasting pan and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Wash a roasting chicken thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.

Season chicken on all sides with salt and pepper; set wing side up on prepared V-rack and roast for 25 minutes.

Remove roasting pan from oven and, using a carving fork stuck inside the chicken (do not pierce skin) and a large wad of paper towels in your other hand, tip the chicken up a little to let the juices inside run out into the pan, rotate chicken so other wing side faces up; continue to roast for 25 minutes.

Remove roasting pan from oven and, using the fork and paper towels, rotate chicken breast side up, after tipping out the juice into the pan. Add 1 cup chicken broth to roasting pan and roast for 40 minutes, until chicken is golden brown and instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees inserted in thickest part of breast and 175 degrees in thickest part of thigh. (If necessary, add more broth to maintain thin layer of broth on bottom of roasting pan.)

Let the chicken rest, covered with aluminum foil, for 30 minutes. This resting time will allow the juices to absorb into the meat.

Tip if you don't have a meat thermometer: If the legs wriggle loosely when moved, and clear juices run out of the inside of the chicken when it is tipped up, the chicken is done.

I always add some butter to the juices in the pan and use it as a sauce over the chicken.

VEGETABLE LATKES - A NEW RECIPE FROM MARK'S DAILY APPLE

Vegetable Latkes

Call them what you want – latkes, vegetables pancakes, fried-deliciousness – they’re a holiday treat many of us crave this time of year. They’re also traditionally made with potatoes,  a food some of us Primals feel better avoiding. The tuber’s low-moisture and high-starch content creates a crispy exterior and fluffy interior when fried in oil. The high starch content, unfortunately, is also the reason the insulin resistant among us are better off turning to less starchy vegetables to satisfy latke cravings.

Although latkes made with vegetables like carrot, turnip, daikon radish and zucchini will never be quite as crispy as potato latkes, they are darn good in their own right. The flavor of each vegetable is mild enough that you’ll still feel like you’re eating a latke, yet the latke is turned into something new and interesting. Zucchini latkes are mildest of all, the carrot and turnip are slightly sweet and the daikon version has just a hint of spiciness.

Traditional latkes also use flour as a binding ingredient; unnecessary filler in our minds that doesn’t need to be replaced with anything. Eggs will bind latkes together just fine, as long you squeeze as much moisture out of the vegetables as possible before frying. This is easily done after the vegetables are grated. Simply wrap a thin dishtowel around the grated vegetable and squeeze. A surprising amount of moisture will drip out. It also helps to make vegetable latkes that aren’t too big, otherwise they’ll fall apart while frying.

As long as we’re bucking tradition by tossing out flour and potatoes, we can’t resist encouraging you to try a few more new twists. Why not add a sprinkle of cinnamon to carrot latkes or diced scallions and tamari to the daikon radish? Maybe a little curry powder to the turnip or fresh herbs to the zucchini? As usual, we’re open to your suggestions, too. What is your favorite latke recipe?

Ingredients:

• 3 cups grated carrot, turnip, daikon radish or zucchini (around 260g or 9 oz.)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• Oil for frying

(I used broccoli that I chopped in my food processor, and the broccoli was dry, so I did not have to squeeze any moisture out of it.  They tasted SO much like potato pancakes or hash browns.)

Instructions:
Wrap a light weight dishtowel around 1 cup of grated vegetable at a time and squeeze as much water out as possible.

In a bowl, mix grated vegetable with egg, salt and pepper. Start with the two eggs per 3 cups of grated vegetables to bind the latkes. After frying a few, add more egg as binder only if necessary.

Heat 1/2 cup oil over medium to medium-high heat. (I used 1/4 cup olive oil.)  Toss a pinch of grated vegetable in the pan – you’ll know the oil is hot enough if it starts sizzling immediately. Scoop 1/4 cup or less of grated vegetable into your hand and form into a very loose patty. Set the patty in the hot pan and press it down gently with a fork.  (I measured the broccoli into a 1/4 cup measure, and then just tipped in into the pan, then used a fork to press it into a pattie.)
Cook at least 2-3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned.

You can keep the oven at 250 degrees and keep latkes warm inside the oven while you cook the whole batch.
If the oil becomes dark or begins to smoke, it is necessary to dump out the oil, wipe out the pan and start fresh before frying more latkes. Enjoy!


For the full article and comments, click here. 

ROASTED KALE CHIPS

This is a great recipe that satisfies my yearning for potato chips!

Roasted Kale "Chips"

Serves 2

Ingredients:

6 oz. raw kale, torn into bite size pieces and stems removed
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. sea salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Wash kale pieces and dry well - a salad spinner works well for this.

3. In a very large bowl, combine olive oil, spices and salt, and mix well.  I use my hands.

4. Add the kale to the oil mixture and mix well until the kale is evenly coated.

5. Spread the kale in a single layer on a baking sheet.

6. Place the kale in the oven, and roast for 6 minutes.

7. Using your bare fingers, press down lightly on the kale, and if it feels limp, roast for another minute or so, until the kale feels slightly crispy and paper-like.  Be very careful not to roast too long, because once it's done, it will start to turn brown and burn very quickly!

Nutritional Information per Serving:

175 calories
14.2 grams fat
2.9 grams protein
8.9 grams carbs
1.9 grams dietary fiber
7g net carbs

GRILLED STUFFED PORK CHOPS - UNDERGROUND WELLNESS

2 – 8 oz. butterfly pork chops
Garlic and chives goat cheese
3-4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
Garlic powder and pepper, to taste

Preheat grill to medium. For two 8 oz. chops: Cut pockets in each pork chop where they are butterflied; for four 4 oz. chops: cut each pork chop in half and then cut a pocket in each. Stuff each pocket with bacon and cheese. Secure with toothpicks, if needed. Sprinkle with garlic powder and pepper. Grill for about 20 minutes on the top rack, turning once.

( Right click here to see a video demonstration of this recipe.  Right click here to visit U.S. Wellness Meats.)

HOMEMADE LOW CARB CONDIMENTS FROM MARK'S DAILY APPLE

 Right click here for recipes for:

Ketchup

Mayo

Mustard

Faux Honey Mustard

Barbeque Sauce

Almond Butter

SPICY CHICKEN AND BACON POPPERS RECIPE

I just saw this recipe on Mark's Daily Apple.  I want to try it right away!  It is chicken, wrapped in peppers, wrapped in bacon and grilled.

Ingredients:

• Makes 6-8 poppers
• 1 large chicken breast
• 6-8 pickled jalapenos or pepperoncinis
• 3-4 strips of bacon

Instructions:

Cut chicken breast into 1″ cubes. Marinate the chicken with salt and pepper, jerk seasoning or your favorite seasoning and oil.

Place 1-2 slices of pickled jalapeno on each piece of marinated chicken or slice open a pepperoncini and put a piece of chicken inside.

Wrap 1/3 –1/2 of a piece of bacon around the chicken and secure each popper individually with toothpicks or spear multiple poppers on a skewer.

Over medium heat, grill the poppers until the chicken is cooked through and the bacon is crisp, about 8-10 minutes a side.

And if you’re so inclined….

 

Homemade Ranch Dressing

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 garlic clove, minced and mashed into a paste
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh herbs (chives, parsley, dill or a blend of all three)
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• salt and pepper to taste

Whisk ingredients together. Taste, then tinker with it until it tastes good to you. Kefir or Greek yogurt can also be used, apple cider vinegar can make it more acidic, and additional spices can be added.

Right click here for the full recipe with photos.

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF TURMERIC

Mark's Daily apple has a great article on turmeric today:

It may not share cinnamon’s universal applicability to consumables, but turmeric is another spice with some powerful culinary and medicinal qualities that deserves our attention. Turmeric, known officially as Curcuma longa and historically as Indian saffron, is a rhizome of the ginger family. Its horizontal root system is dug up, baked, and ground into a fine orange powder, which then goes into any number of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Southeast Asian dishes. Pretty much every curry you come across anywhere, for example, includes a generous portion of turmeric. Common yellow mustard also includes turmeric, mostly as a food colorant.


Turmeric imparts a unique flavor: slightly bitter and a bit spicy, with a mustard-like scent. Upon tasting a dab of turmeric powder by itself for the first time, one is reminded of curries and other Asian stews. It’s a bit of an “Aha!” moment, in fact; you’re finally direct witness to the identity of that secretive flavor lurking within the explosiveness of the common Asian curry after all those years of take out and home cooking with anonymous curry powder mixes. Turmeric itself is actually fairly mild and unassuming, so using it as a solitary spice won’t turn every dish into a curry bonanza – in case you were worried.

If you want to learn more about this wonderful spice and how to use it in your cooking, right click here.

BACON, EGG, AVOCADO AND TOMATO SALAD

I found this recipe at Mark's Daily Apple.  We had it, along with a bison and onion burger with butter and sea salt, for dinner tonight.  YUM!

• 1 ripe avocado, chopped into chunks
• 2 boiled eggs, chopped into chunks
• 1 medium-sized tomato, chopped into chunks
• Juice from one lemon wedge
• 2-4 cooked pieces of bacon, crumbled (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together, stirring not too much, but just enough to make some of the avocado and egg into mush.

To see more,  right click here. 

(When I made it, I used 1 egg, 2 oz. tomato, 3.5 oz. avocado and 2 slices of bacon for each serving.)