Breadless Benedict!

My son LOVES eggs benedict. I swear, I’m just in it for the sauce. Now, I have found a low carb way to have my lemony wonderful that is hollandaise!

• Easy Blender Hollandaise Sauce
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 cup melted grassfed butter or Ghee, unsalted (Ghee is easy to find at Trader Joes and Whole Foods)
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice (more if you like it lemony)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon paprika, or cayenne if you like a little heat

Puree all ingredients in a blender (except paprika).

Heat in a saucepan over medium heat until desired temperature. Spoon over eggs and serve with breakfast meat (I prefer bacon). Top with paprika or cayenne (optional).

Bruschetta Chicken

I LOVE the bruschetta sauce from Trader Joe’s. Only 3.5 carbs per portion for this recipe (from the tomatoes). It has great flavors, and tastes awesome! This was basically a three ingredient dish that was incredibly simple. I chose to sear my chicken before going into the oven in the hopes of sealing in moisture. I know that the bruschetta sauce will yield some liquid at the bottom, but the taste with the cheese is spot on. It has a really perfect Italian flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp avocado oil or other healthy fat
• 2 lbs chicken breasts, pounded to similar thicknesses
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup Trader Joe’s Bruschetta Sauce
• 1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Sear the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a baking dish. Spoon bruschetta topping over the chicken (try to grab the “chunky” portion and allow the liquid to fall to the bottom of the container). Sprinkle the cheese over the top.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, checking the temperature for doneness and juices run clear.

Cauliflower Carbonara

I am a HUGE carbonara fan. It is the Italian in me. I have the recipe memorized at all times, and I have been known to make it for comfort and company. With the low carb action going on, I really had two options. I could use miracle noodles (scary thought with the cream sauce), or I could use cauliflower. I went for the cauliflower. The key here is to cook the cauliflower until it is no longer “crunchy”. The flavor will be spot on, and without the crunch, the texture is really pleasant.

Ingredients:

• 5 cups cauliflower rice–about two heads (or two bags Trader Joe’s Organic Cauliflower Rice)
• 8 strips of bacon, chopped
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• tabasco, 2 shakes (optional)

Method:

Over medium-high heat, cook bacon until desired tenderness. Remove to paper towels, drain all but 1 Tbsp fat, and keep brown bits. Add the cauliflower to the pan and cook, covered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check to be sure the “crunchy” texture is gone, though don’t cook to the point of mushiness.

While the cauliflower is cooking, heat the sour cream, black pepper, salt and tabasco over low heat. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and parmesan cheese together.

Once cauliflower is done cooking, add the butter and stir. Then, add the cream sauce. Last, stir in the egg mixture until all are combined.

Enjoy!

Breakfast Hot Pockets!

So since the hot pockets were SO amazing, I wanted to expand on it and make some ahead to reheat for breakfasts during the week. Since the dough is a cheese base, it’s a good idea to allow them to cool for a few minutes after reheating. A toaster oven is ideal, but still quite awesome in the microwave on the run.

I decided to knead the sausage into the crust dough, but that’s optional. It can be used as a stuffing or eliminated completely.

Ingredients:

DOUGH:

• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
• ¾ cup almond flour
• 2 tbs cream cheese (1 ounce), cubed
• 1 egg (optional)
• 1 tsp xanthan gum (optional)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 6 links breakfast sausage, cooked and chopped

Filling (possibilities are endless):

• 4 eggs, scrambled
• 4 slices deli american cheese (or any other cheese of your choosing)

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Put mozzarella cheese and cream cheese into a microwave safe bowl and heat for about a minute and 20 seconds. Measure out almond flour and xanthan gum and combine in another bowl. Stir the cheeses for 30 seconds; add almond flour mixture, sausage crumbles, and egg. It will be difficult to mix. If it is too stringy, heat for another 20-30 seconds in the microwave. Wet hands and knead the dough, if necessary. It is okay if it doesn’t appear fully mixed. Form into 3-4 equal portions (depending on how big you would like the pocket to be) on a baking sheet with parchment or a baking mat. With wet hands, press and form into rectangles. Try to work quickly so that the dough doesn’t cool too much. It is easiest to manage if it is still warm.

Fill with preferred toppings. Fold the top of the dough over to form a pocket. Press the edges firmly together so that your toppings don’t leak out. Bake for 20 minutes or until dark golden brown on top.

Pizza!!!

Woo hoo! Low carb pizza. I love this stuff. I made the crusts a couple of days ago and stored them in the fridge. If you don’t like dark crust, undercook them a bit when you first make them. The edges will get crispy and darken when you re-bake them with toppings.  The crusts were nice and crispy, and I just had to reheat in a hot oven (350 degrees until cheese is melty). My son chose BBQ chicken as his topping for his pizza, and I chose a standard cheese pizza. I discovered that the Safeway brand pizza sauce was REALLY low carb! Very excited about this.

I recommend placing the parchment or baking mat on the countertop or cool surface for a minute or two so that the crust can crisp up a bit before eating.

Italian Eggs (Keto/Primal)

I decided I wanted to have breakfast for lunch today, so I came up with these.  It was very easy since I had all of these ingredients already in my home.  It takes a bit of time in the oven, and the process could be expedited if you cover after adding the eggs. You can also make this with hard centered eggs if you want.  My friend, Jeannie gave me the idea of separating the eggs for the cooking process in order to get a runny egg. These were really great, and quite simple.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb italian sausage (I like Trader Joe’s. Make sure to check ingredients to avoid sugars, nitrates or any ingredients that you do not immediately recognize as real foods)
• 1/4 cup organic marinara (again, check the label for added sugar or oils that aren’t good to consume e.g. canola oil)
• 1/4 cup cheese (choose what you like)
• 6 eggs
• 1 green onion
• cayenne
• salt and pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mold the sausage into large ramekins (you could also use a muffin tin though it would be a tighter fit)
3. Bake for 10 minutes.
4. Spoon the marinara (low carb) into the cups to cover the bottom.
5. Sprinkle cheese (or put small slices) over the marinara
6. Add the egg to the ramekins (if you want a runny yolk, separate the yolk from the whites and cook the whites first)
7. Bake until the egg is set (about 20 minutes–faster if covered). Add yolk back for 3-4 minutes if you reserved it.
8. Garnish with green onion and add salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste.

You can either eat out of the ramekin (though it might be hot).  You can also take a large spoon, hold the ramekin with tongs, and ease the sausage cup out.

Serves 6

Keto Tuna Melts

I am putting my Fathead Pizza Crusts to good use, and I’m using them as a flatbread today. I made tuna melts!!! I like mine with some cumin, but that is totally optional.

Ingredients (makes 2):

• 2 fathead pizza crusts (individuals made from the larger batch).
• 1 5oz can wild tuna
• 3 Tbsp mayo
• 1/2 tsp cumin (optional)
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• 4 Tbsp shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix all ingredients (except for the crusts and cheese). Spread the mixture onto the flatbread. Cook in oven for 1 minute. Add cheese and cook until cheese is melted.

 

 

Fathead Pizza Crust

I made a batch of fathead crusts so that I could create some different meals. One of these with toppings seems to be filling enough for me. Today, I made a tuna melt. The BBQ Chicken Pizza was really to die for and a huge hit with my boys.

I made some smaller rounds to create individual goodies, and then I made another batch to create two, 8-inch rounds for pizzas specifically.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
• ¾ cup almond flour
• 2 tbs cream cheese, cubed
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp xanthan gum (optional)
• garlic powder
• sea salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Measure out almond flour, add garlic powder, salt, and xanthan gum and stir in a bowl. Put cheeses into a microwave safe bowl and heat for about a minute and 20 seconds.  Stir the cheeses for 30 seconds; add almond flour mixture and egg. If it is too stringy, heat for another 20-30 seconds in the microwave. Wet hands and form into 5 balls on a baking sheet with parchment or a baking mat. Spread with wet hands. You want it to be relatively thin so that it is crispy (unless you like really soft doughy texture for your pizza).

Poke the crust all over with a fork. Bake for 8 minutes. Poke down bubbles with a fork and cook an additional four minutes or until crust is browned.

Spread with toppings of your choosing!

Crispy Chicken with Spinach Cheese Sauce

Happy, happy, happy with this! It was really great, and I finally got in some much needed leafy greens.

Ingredients:

• 4 skin on chicken thighs, deboned
• 1 Tbsp oil (I use avocado oil because it can be used at high heat)
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 2 cups fresh chopped spinach (or 1 cup frozen with moisture squeezed out)
• 8 slices prosciutto, chopped
• 1 cup shredded monterey jack or mozzarella cheese
• salt and pepper

Method:

Salt and pepper the chicken on both sides. Over medium-high heat, cook the chicken skin side down for about 7 minutes or until skin is light brown and crispy. Turn and cook for an additional five minutes. Remove chicken to a plate. Add cream and garlic to the the skillet. Once it comes to a boil, add remaining ingredients and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Create a bed of spinach sauce and lay the chicken on top. Enjoy!

 

Chicken Roulade

This was my spin on an Against All Grain recipe. It was not too difficult, and everyone liked it. It’s also “pretty”.

Ingredients:

• 4- large chicken breasts with “tenders” removed (it’s the little flap hanging off)
• 1/4 cup pesto
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
• 6 slices of prosciutto
• 1/2 cup paleo breadcrumbs (don’t worry, they’re crazy easy)–optional
• toothpicks

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a flat surface, pound the chicken to approximately 1/4 inch thickness. Smear a thin layer of pesto over each piece of chicken, add approximately 1 Tbsp sun dried tomato to each piece, but space them out. Add a layer of prosciutto over the top. Roll the chicken and secure with toothpicks. Sprinkle (or roll) chicken with the breadcrumbs. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Using a thermometer is recommended. Remove the chicken once it reaches 155 degrees, and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes.  Slice and enjoy.