Coleslaw

I wanted to make coleslaw with spanish peanuts but I didn't have any so I used almonds, it turned out great, I must admit I do like it better with spanish peanuts though. I first had this coleslaw at Armadillo Willys which is a BBQ restaurant chain in the bay area, and fell in love with it.

This salad is great with fish, chicken or take it on a picnic. It's kind of sweet and savory all at the same time. Here's my recipe.

Coleslaw

6 cups cabbage (a mix of green and red)
few grates of carrot (for color)
1/4 cup of mayo (more or less to taste)
2 tablespoons of vinegar
herbamare seasoning or season salt to taste
pepper to taste
few drops of stevia
3/4 cup sliced roasted almonds (or the original spanish peanuts)
cilantro to taste (optional) I didn't use it this time, but it's delicious too

assemble ingredients, chill, and serve

Napales salad

I get the cactus leaves from the hispanic store in my area but you can find them at some regular grocery stores sometimes already diced in baggies.

Here are the cactus leaves whole.

Napales salad

2 napales young cactus leaves cut in strips or cubed
2 tomatoes chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1 jalapeno diced (seeded if you don't want the heat)
salt to taste
cilantro to taste (optional)

Cover strips or cubed cactus leaves with water, with a sliver of onion, and a couple pinches of salt, simmer till tender approximately 10 minutes. Drain off water then mix with the rest of the ingredients and serve. great with carne asada and avocado.

Grilled salmon

I grilled salmon for dinner tonight. I sprinkled soy sauce with a couple drops of molasses, and fresh lime juice on the fillet then grilled it on a piece of foil.

Baked chili rellenos

Chili rellenos is one of my favorite meals. I love them so, but didn't want to fry them on the stove in my hot kitchen so I devised this oven version.

Baked chili rellenos

8 eggs separated
4 pasilla chilies flamed and seeded
6 jalapenos flamed and seeded
cheese for filling (I used colby jack but many others would work)
pinch of xanthan gum
pinch of salt

Beat with a hand mixer egg whites to soft peaks then in another bowl beat egg yolks with salt and xanthan gum till fluffy and light in color and doubled it volume. Fold half of yolk mixture in white mixture then the rest carefully as to not deflate mixture. Spoon 1/3 of mixture in a greased 9 by 13 baking dish then arrange cheese filled chilies on top of it, add the rest of the egg mixture. Bake in a 350 oven for half an hour until browned and the egg mixture is cooked through. I serve it with this fresh salsa here.

Iced coffee

When the weather turns warm I prefer iced coffee in the morning, weekends I sometimes treat myself with whipped cream and a few chopped nuts too.

Iced coffee

16 ounces of cold coffee
2 tablespoons sf torani syrup(any flavor you like, I used hazelnut)
2 tablespoons cream
crushed ice
whipped cream
chopped nuts

Add crushed ice to a tall glass then coffee, syrup, and cream, top with whipped cream and chopped nuts. You could blend it up in the blender if you prefer. I just like it over ice.

Huevos rancheros

I love eggs so much, they are the most versatile ingredient of all. This is how I make them ranch style.

I start with the perfect sunny side up eggs with salt and pepper, layering on some cheese, homemade salsa recipe here, and some diced zucchini sauteed in butter then under the broiler it goes for a few minutes till nicely browned.

The yolk stays soft and delicious.

Chocolate ice cream

It's been so hot here. I wanted to make a new batch of ice cream but I didn't have enough cream without going to the store. I keep a few cans of coconut milk on hand to use for just such an emergency! It's so rich and delicious. I had forgotten how good it is.

Chocolate ice cream

2 13.5oz cans coconut milk
3 ounces 85% chocolate (I used Lindt)unsweetened would work too just adjust sweeteners
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 pasteurized eggs directions here
2 tablespoons xylitol
couple squirts of stevia
tablespoon of vanilla

Melt chocolate and coconut oil together in microwave at 30 second intervals stirring
until melted. Whisk coconut milk into melted chocolate mixture then the rest of the ingredients. chill in freezer till cool then put in ice cream maker for about half an hour.

Green and yellow bean fries

Sometimes I think these recipes are to easy but they are so good I have to share!

I sauteed these green and yellow beans in bacon fat with slivered onion and whole cloves of garlic, oh my so good! Try this! The garlic is mild and crunchy, delish!

Zucchini omelet

Zucchini and eggs are so good together.

I diced up a small zucchini, orange pepper, a bit of onion and sauteed them in butter till softened. I beat two eggs with a splash of cream, a pinch of salt and added it to the pan.

It would be even better with some grated cheese.

Brined chicken

Shhhh!!! don't tell anyone I used a sugar substitute in this recipe. We had this for dinner and I used the rest for a salad the next day.

Brined chicken

1 quart of water or enough to cover
1/2 cup salt
sugar substitute equivalent to 1/2 cup (I used liquid sucralose)
1 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vinegar
4 or 5 cloves of garlic crushed
half of sliced onion

Assemble everything in a soup pot or bowl, brine chicken in the fridge for 24 hours or longer. When ready to bake remove from brine, dry well, roast upside down in a baking dish at 425 for 45 to 60 minutes till 180 degrees on an instant read thermometer. I like roasting poultry upside down for extra juiciness. Preparing a chicken this way is well worth it!

There are some many things you can use to flavor the brine tarragon, oregano, lemon, lime, the choices are endless. I remove it from the oven at 170 degrees because it does continue to cook when you remove it from the oven. If you roast it on a rack it will be browned all over.

Garden fresh zucchini oven fries

Two styles plain and with parmesan. The plain are the same but no parmesan. Served with sf ketchup or mayo to dip them in.


I love oven fries I make them out of green beans, eggplant, cauliflower, occasionally butternut squash or parsnips whatever is low carb and tastes good. I have zucchini coming out of my garden now it's so fresh and delicious. This is how I make them into fries. I didn't put any measurements just use what you need.

Oven fries (zucchini)

zucchini cut in fry shapes
beaten eggs
parmesan cheese (a good one is best but any will do)
seasonings like salt, pepper, garlic powder, season salt anything

dip fries in egg and then parmesan with seasoning if using cheese, go easy on the salt with the parmesan, it's salty. Put on a parchment lined sheet pan in a single layer not touching bake in a hot 425 oven till browned a bit dry and softened. I serve with home made mayo, ketchup, or even a sweet hot mustard dip.

Blackberry sorbet

Sorbet is so easy to make. I literally walked in the door from the farmers market, rinsed two baskets of perfect blackberries then put in the blender with a couple of squirts lemon juice, two tablespoons xlylitol, a couple of squirts of liquid stevia, chilled it in the fridge and then dumped it in my ice cream maker for half an hour and I had the most perfect jewel colored sorbet. If you don't like the seeds you could strain them out before making the sorbet I left them in.

It's divine by itself or with a splash of cream.

Easy salsa

I'm making this salsa most everyday, we have seemingly unlimited tomatoes and chili peppers coming out of out garden right now. All I do is take a strainer full of cherry tomatoes or any tomatoes, 3 or 4 chilies, a quarter of a onion with a couple pinches of salt, pulsing it together in a food processor.

Before

After

This salsa is so fresh, flavorful, and good with so many dishes or alone with jicama dippers!

Hummus dip on a hot afternoon

It's a hot, hot day not much you can do but sit around lounging on this lazy Saturday so I whipped up this yummy appetizer. I love hummus. It's a dip made with garbanzo beans. Here is my original recipe. I say original because I have never seen a recipe using whole sesame seeds. I don't like sesame seed paste (tahini) that comes in a can it doesn't have a fresh taste, I prefer to add fresh toasted seeds the flavor is wonderful. I was so excited I forgot to garnish in the picture oh well, still tastes good! It tastes even better if it sits in the fridge for a while I always have some right away though!

Hummus dip

2 cups garbanzo beans (I cook a package of dry beans but canned would work)
garbanzo cooking liquid as needed
2oz sesame seeds toasted in a skillet
2 cloves garlic
lemon juice to taste
olive oil to taste
toasted sesame oil to taste
salt to taste
paprika or flat leaf parsley for garnish

Add to a blender the garbanzos, sesame seeds, garlic, splash of lemon juice, a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of toasted sesame oil, and enough cooking liquid to blend. Blend on high to desired consistency, taste and correct seasonings. transfer to a serving dish and top with a splash of olive oil and a splash of toasted sesame oil. Garnish with paprika or flat leaf parsley. I serve it with jicama slices, celery sticks, pea pods, pork rinds or even pita chips if I'm serving it to high carbers.

Pineapple sorbet

Pineapple isn't low carb but I have a small amount once in a while. Pineapples are on sale for 2.99 this week at Safeway in my area so I had to have a couple. I couldn't make scoops out of the sorbet because it was so fluffy so I just smoothed it out in the cup.


Pineapple sorbet

one ripe pineapple
couple squirts of stevia
2 tablespoons of xylitol
water or crystal light (any flavor) enough to blend pineapple in the blender.

Cut pineapple in chunks blend in blender with just enough liquid to blend. Freeze in ice cream maker till frozen.

This salad is heaven

I have made this salad several times, when I have all the ingredients prepared and waiting in the fridge I can hardly wait till lunch time! I followed the recipe here. I did replace the pasta with shredded chicken to lower the carbs. I also used a couple of squirts of liquid stevia, two tablespoons of xylitol, and a teaspoon of molasses for sweetening and a small hot chili pepper from our garden along with the jalapeno in the dressing and a pinch of xanthan gum, a couple of pinches of chia seed meal, and a teaspoon of mayonnaise to add some body.

Here is the dressing in the jar, see the emerald flecks of jalapeno.

After you make the dressing let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours to let the flavors meld together.

Camping and a birthday

We went camping to celebrate my oldest daughters birthday, it was so much fun! Here are a couple of pictures of our trip. Can you guess what lake this is?

Here is her birthday cake. I made it for her with regular sugar but I have made it before with these sweetening substitutes with delicious results.

Flourless chocolate cake

10 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped
1 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup erythritol
2 tablespoons xylitol
couple squirts of liquid stevia
1 teaspoon molasses
1 tablespoon vanilla
5 cold eggs

Melt butter, chocolate and water in microwave at 30 second intervals until almost melted let sit to cool stirring a few times. Beat remaining ingredients till tripled in volume about 6 or 7 minutes. Fold half of the egg mixture in the chocolate mixture to lighten it then fold the rest in carefully as to not deflate the batter. Pour into a greased 10 inch spring form pan bake at 325 in a water bath for 20 minutes, it should be jiggly in the middle. Refrigerate overnight. I served it plain camping but it would be so good with a berry sauce, chocolate icing, or whipped cream. Take care to wipe the knife after every cut a plastic knife works great for cutting too.


I took this cold salad to replace potato salad it's my mothers potato salad recipe but I replaced the potatoes with cauliflower. She used to add cubes of american cheese too but I prefer it without the cheese. It would look good with a couple of sprinkles of paprika on top.

Not potato salad

1 head of cauliflower cut up, lightly salted and steamed
1/2 to a cup of homemade mayo
1/2 small onion diced
1 or 2 ribs celery chopped
6 hard boiled eggs mashed
relish to taste dill or sweet (I use Mt Olive no sugar added sweet relish)
squirt of mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Simply mix together ingredients and chill.

We cooked mostly over the campfire here is our morning bacon cooking along with the coffee percolator.

Then some hot dogs fried in the bacon grease, yummy, yum, yum!


I made a pancake with a minute muffin recipe it was very good with bacon and sf syrup.

Minute muffin campfire pancake

1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 tablespoon sf syrup
1 Egg
1 tablespoon butter
1-2 tablespoons cream

mix well, cook in a skillet over an open fire.

Happy trails to you!!!

Cinnamon ice cream

I make ice cream once or twice a week, almost always it's vanilla but today I wanted a different taste I decided on cinnamon.

I have been developing this ice cream base recipe for a while, I think it's very good much faster and fresher tasting than most recipes. No waiting for the mixture to cool, I'm impatient that way. This recipe uses pasteurized eggs, I use this method here so I'm sure the eggs are safe without cooking them. These eggs can be used for any recipe that calls for raw egg like mayonnaise, cesar dressing, or this ice cream I keep a few in the fridge for impromptu cooking.

Cinnamon ice cream (no cook recipe)

1 quart cream very, very cold
2 pasteurized eggs very, very cold
2 tablespoons vanilla torani syrup
2 tablespoons xylitol
a couple squirts of stevia
1 teaspoon of honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (yes cayenne, leave it out if you don't want the kick but it works well with the cinnamon)

I blend everything together with a stick blender and put it in the freezer to chill till I have the ice cream maker ready to go. I start my machine, pour the mixture in churning for half an hour then I transfer it to a glass dish that I have chilled in the freezer adding plastic wrap on top and let it freeze till firm. The flavor possibilities are endless. Toasted walnuts would be so good with this cinnamon variation.