Ground turkey and cabbage

This meal is great when you need something to eat really quick. I browned up a pound and a half of ground turkey in butter with some pappy's 50% less salt seasoning and herbamare seasoning to taste, then added half a sliced onion, a sliced red pepper, and some garlic sauteed for a minute, then in goes some shredded cabbage, I sauteed till softened, done! It's wonderful with any ground meat even sausage. Omit the seasonings and add some soy sauce for an asian taste with some roasted chopped nuts like almonds or peanuts.

Cantaloupe

I'm so excited this cantaloupe is from my garden! I can't believe it. It tastes wonderful. This is the first year we have had them grow so well.

Refried black soybeans

A great substitute for regular refried beans. Here they are just coming to a boil.

Refried black soybeans


1 pound black soybeans soaked overnight and drained
water
salt
butter
cream
1 or 2 dried chile de arbol

You can cook the soybeans without soaking but they taste better if you do. Put beans in a large pot with fresh water, bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer for 4 to 5 hours add salt the last half hour of cooking. Drain off the water, blend half at a time in the blender with butter, cream and chilies to taste. Soybeans don't get as soft as other beans that's why I use a blender.

Serve with my Chili verde. These beans work really well for a layered bean dip too.

Chile verde

Chile verde takes a bit of time to make, but oh so worth it! I made a big pot of this so we can reheat it all weekend. If you don't do pork or don't like it, chicken or turkey are delicious too.

Chili verde

3 pounds pork shoulder cut in cubes
2 tablespoons lard
1 large onion diced
6 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 cups water
2 large chicken bullion cubes
6 fresh poblano chiles
4 Anaheim chiles
1 yellow bell pepper
1-1/2 pounds fresh tomatillos
2 fresh jalapeno peppers diced
cilantro if you like it

Char all chilies except jalapenos under the broiler, set aside to steam in a bowl with foil till slightly cooled then remove skin, seeds, and veins then chop it should look like this. Cover tomatillos with water and simmer till soft.

Then brown pork in a dutch oven with lard, this step takes some time if you have three pounds of meat, I do it all at the same time cooking till light brown the add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno continue cooking till softened, add in the cumin stir then add water and bullion cubes simmer for half an hour

Add chopped chilies and tomatillos simmer for another half hour to 40 minutes. I served it with sour cream, avocado, cilantro too but I forgot it from the grocery this time, and a side of refried black soybeans.

I'll post that recipe tomorrow.

Peanut butter cookies sugarfree glutenfree

I had a craving for peanut butter cookies and I remembered this easy recipe idea. I'm not sure where it came from.

Peanut butter cookies

1 cup peanut butter creamy or crunchy
1 egg
1/4 cup splenda granular
1/4 cup xylitol
1/4 cup erythritol powdered in a coffee grinder
1 teaspoon of vanilla

 Mix everything till well combined. Shape in walnut sized balls and put them on a parchment lined cookie sheet. I got about 18,  criss cross with a fork to look like traditional peanut butter cookies.

Bake 12 minutes on 350 till lightly browned on the bottom, cool and enjoy!

Fresh spaghetti sauce

This has been an incredibly busy week!!!

My oldest daughter is my guest chef for today. One of her clients had given her many tomatoes and she was pondering what to do with them, she asked me and I thought spaghetti sauce would be wonderful!!! It's easy to make and so delicious! Here is her pot just started. These photos she sent from her Iphone.

Spaghetti sauce

1 1/2 pound ground beef or sausage or a mix
1 onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
garlic to taste I use a handful crushed
2 pounds or more fresh tomatoes ( canned would work too)
1 6 oz can tomato paste
2 teaspoons brown sugar (I use a teaspoon of molasses and erythritol)
1 1/2 teaspoon dry oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 or 2 bay leaves
2 cups water
1 cup wine white or red

Saute meat, onion, pepper, and garlic add the rest and cook on low all day. My mouth is watering, I'm going to have to make some too! I used to add about 6 raw chicken wings to cook in the sauce, they add a great flavor, that's my little touch. Adjust seasonings if needed. Be sure to have lots of parmesan to serve with it. You won't want to eat jarred sauce again.

She serves it with glutenfree pasta. I would serve it with zucchini noodles like these here or once in a great while I might use shirataki noodles or dream fields pasta. It's also wonderful in lasagna with thin sliced roasted eggplant and zucchini for the noodles or anywhere you would use spagetti sauce.

Pulled pork

Pork roasts are economical as well as delecious, this is so easy! All I did is cover the roast with pappys 50% less salt seasoning, then stick it in the oven in a baking dish covered with foil on 375 till it's tender this one took 4 and a half hours. Sometimes I roast it overnight (about 7 hours) at 275 but I forgot to put it in before I went to bed.

I use 2 forks to make it into pulled pork with a bit of bbq sauce. I like this brand in the picture Stubb's spicy it's low in carbs and tasty. I just ate it plain it would be good in lettuce cups or low carb buns like oopsie rolls.

Low carb chicken strips

Simply I cut boneless skinless chicken breasts in strips, sprinkle with pappys 50% less salt seasoning then dip in beaten egg, and in almond flour, arranging on a parchment lined cookie sheet, brush with melted butter and bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Great with the zucchini alfredo recipe or a low carb dipping sauce. These chicken strips are my youngest daughters favorite!

Zucchini alfredo

I was so happy how this turned out, it's the best meal that I've had in a while...well since yesterday anyway!

I took long strips off a zucchini with a vegetable peeler, then wrap it up in a lint free kitchen towel to take out some of the moisture and stuck it in the fridge for a bit.

In skillet on medium with bit of clarified butter I sauteed the noodles, they're done almost instantly.

Then I made the alfredo sauce. I sauteed the zucchini cores from making the noodles in clarified butter as in this previous recipe idea here until very soft and pureed them with some cream, parmesan, salt and pepper. I topped the zucchini noodles with the afredo sauce and chicken strips.

I'll post the chicken strips recipe idea tomorrow.

Mashed zucchini

I got the idea to make mashed zucchini when I made zucchini noodles. With a vegetable peeler I took off long strips of zucchini for the noodles then I got to thinking what could I do with the core. I hate to waste a good vegetable!

I cut up the cores and sauteed them in a bit of butter and a pinch of salt and pepper till very soft.

I added a couple of ounces of cream cheese and blended it up in a bowl with a stick blender, adjusting the seasonings. There you have it, mashed zucchini! If it's to thick add a bit of cream I've also tried it with garlic and parmesan. A great substitute for mashed potatoes. I wonder how it would taste with some sour cream. I'll post the zucchini noodle recipe idea tomorrow.

Late night visitor

Isn't this the cutest little cricket! It was waiting at the back door when I put the dogs out for the last time in the evening.

Crickets are said to be a sign of moving forward in your life. They can only jump forward not backwards or sideways.

Zucchini rounds (oven fried)

All I did is sliced a zucchini in rounds, dipped it in beaten egg and then in parmesan, arranged them on a parchment lined cookie sheet, take care to not over crowd or they'll just steam, baked them in a hot 425 oven, if they look like they're browning to fast you can turn down the temperature. Dip in mayonnaise or sf ketchup.

Carne asada

This is a Sunday staple in our house. We get bbq meat from a small butcher in town every week or so.

I sprinkle pappys 50% less salt seasoning over the meat sometimes lemon or lime juice too and grill quickly over high heat. Serve with some avocado and my easy salsa recipe here

Chocolate cheesecake mousse

I wanted something chocolaty and creamy... fast!

This is what I came up with, my daughter and I shared this bowl of yummy goodness. Starting out with 3 ounces of cream cheese softened and a couple squares of lindt 85% chocolate bar melted a few seconds in the microwave. Adding a few drops of stevia liquid, a splash of vanilla, a tablespoon sugar free vanilla torani syrup, and a splash of cream. Blend everything up with a stick blender top with a few shavings of the 85% lindt chocolate. Chocolate crisis  averted, whew!

Hot wings

Hot, spicy, and delicious! These are so good!

I like to use frozen wings because they're economical and convenient. Defrost the wings on a cookie sheet lined with foil and parchment. I place the wings unseasoned in a hot 425 oven. Then start on the hot wing sauce, melt together in a small sauce pan a stick of unsalted butter, one cup of Franks hot sauce, 2 teaspoons of tabasco, and a couple handfuls of small red chilies powdered in a coffee grinder or 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper. Add more or less chilies, garlic or any flavoring you want. When the wings in the oven are browned and a bit dry put them in a bowl and add some hot wing sauce and toss. Serve with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing.

Sweet baked zucchini

With the abundance of zucchini coming from my garden I'm trying to prepare it in as many different ways as I can. In mexican cuisine squash is often used for dessert so I decided to give it a try low carb style.

I cut a large zucchini in quarters and nestled it in a baking dish. Then melted half a stick of unsalted butter in a small saucepan adding a teaspoon of molasses, 4 tablespoons of erythritol, 2 tablespoons of sugarfree pancake syrup, a few grains of salt, cooked on medium till thickened, adding a teaspoon of vanilla. Poured it over the cut zucchini, baking in a hot oven for an hour, brushing or spooning the sauce as it cooks. If the liquid is to thin boil it down on the stove then pour over the top.