Crab Bisque

It's been quite a while since I've last posted, and it's because I've been out for dinner a lot lately, or we just kinda ate nothing spectacular in particular. Last night was some Italian sausages from Wegmans with a broccoli casserole type dish. I think I've already posted a cheesy broccoli type thing, so I'll just give a quick run down of what I threw into a baking dish:
3 slices chopped deli ham, 1 head broccoli (chopped into florets), 1/3 of a brick of cream cheese, 1 c. shredded cheddar, 3/4 c. small cubes of pepper jack, onion and garlic powder, salt, paprika. Bake all that at about 350 F for 20ish minutes and enjoy!

Okay, now on to the main attraction! I used to make these amazing crab puffs, but the delicious things were wrapped in crescent rolls. I had (3) 6 oz. cans of Bumblebee crab to use, so I found a bisque recipe. It was delicious, and I even got to use my new immersion blender I got for Valentine's Day! It tasted a lot like Silver Diner's Kickin' Crab Chowder (which has some corn in it). It needed a few tweaks once in the serving bowls, but I'll reflect those in the recipe.

Crab Bisque

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. butter
3 shallots, diced
2 bell peppers, either red or orange (Don't use green. I guess yellow is ok too, probably not as sweet though)
5 c. chicken broth
2 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. salt and extra to taste
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper and extra to taste
1/2 c. dry sherry (I had to use white wine, it was fine)
18 oz. canned crab, NOT DRAINED (you can use more if you want, or add in the optional lump crab meat near the end after blending, or both, your decision)
2 tsp. xanthan gum or guar gum

Cut around the top of the peppers, allowing you to pull out the stem and seeds all at once. Like this:

I know it's green...don't use green..it's not my picture!

Be sure to check inside for extra seeds and pull the white fleshy parts out. Cut a long slit in one side, from top to bottom.  Salt the insides of the pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15ish minutes at 400 F. It will char a bit, that's fine. Turn over halfway through roasting time.

Saute shallots in butter until translucent. In a large pot, combine chicken broth, sauteed shallots, crab with its liquid (not the lump yet if you are using that at all), white pepper, cayenne pepper, salt, and sherry over medium high heat. When peppers are done roasting (they should be soft), use a food processor to puree them. I chopped them up a bit to fit around the blades better. Add the puree to pot.

Add in cream. Turn down to medium heat. Use immersion blender to blend until fairly smooth. I still had bits of red pepper, but it was fine. Now, the crab is already practically dissolved even before you puree the crap out of it with the immersion blender, but after you can't even feel it with your mouth. So, if you want, you can add in however much lump crab meat you'd like. Add xanthan/guar gum gradually while stirring. If you get lumps from the gum, puree again with the blender.

Cover and simmer for about 10-20 minutes. Stir every 7ish minutes to make sure there's no sticking to the bottom. You can also do chunks of shrimp if you'd like instead of (or in addition to) the crab. Hey, I don't know how fancy you're feeling today.... But if you want to keep it simple, using just the canned crab is perfectly fine. Add salt to your liking. Serve with salad if you want.

Fun Fact: Apparently the difference between a chowder and a bisque is that a bisque is smooth with no chunks, and chowder has large chunks of veggies or potato in it.

Recipe courtesy of Williams-Sonoma... sorta... I changed and added stuff.

Ravishing Russian Dip and Dark Rye Bread

Dark Rye Bread*

My hands are tied. I must post this. I have no choice. My mom and Alex loved this bread so much they suggested variations of it and my mom told me to hide the leftovers from her 'cause she'd eat them! I have decided that from now on I will use the ninja to process my dough before cooking. It made this bread very smooth, if you can even say that. It was pound-cakey in its texture. It tasted a lot like rye bread because of the caraway seeds, which I was worried would be licorice-y (I hate licorice and anise), but it wasn't. It was a little sweet due to the molasses (which yes, does add a few extra carbs per serving) that is added for color and maybe flavor. Maybe I will half the molasses next time and add some sort of natural coloring agent, because I didn't feel like the hint of sweetness was acceptable for a rye bread. This is, like almost all low carb breads, more eggy and more moist than regular bread. It is very dense and filling.
*Recipe from Linda's Low Carb

Ingredients:
2 1/3 c. almond flour (8 1/2 ounces)
1 tbsp. caraway seeds
1 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. oil
3 large eggs
1 tbsp. blackstrap molasses
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. +1/4 tsp. white vinegar

Preheat your oven to 350º. Have all of your dry ingredients pre-measured and your wet ingredients handy before starting. Grease an 8 1/2" by 4 1/2" loaf pan. I actually used a silicone bundt pan. Place the following ingredients in a food processor with the chopping blade inserted: almond flour, caraway seeds, onion powder, and salt. Let this dry mixture process for 60 seconds.

Add water and oil and process until it forms a soft dough, about 60 seconds.

Add eggs and molasses and process this mixture until it become a thick batter. 

Scrape up from the bottom with a rubber spatula to make sure that everything is properly blended in and process for another 30-60 seconds.

Add baking soda and white vinegar and process about 60 seconds.

Spread the batter in your prepared baking pan and bake for 35 minutes (bundt pan took 6 minutes less) or until firm to the touch and browned on the top. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack before slicing.

Makes 10 thick slices or 16-18 thin slices

Nutrition:

Per 1/10 Loaf (thick slices): 231 Calories; 20g Fat; 8g Protein; 7.5g Carbohydrate; 3.5g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs
Per 1/16 Loaf (thin slices): 136 Calories; 12g Fat; 5g Protein; 4.5g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 2.5g Net Carbs

The first time I had Ravishing Russian Dip was when Alex's sister made it. It wasn't like anything I'd had before. Because it's made with corned beef (Which I will post about too), and since Tuesday I'd made corned beef for St. Patrick's Day, I decided to use the leftover beef to make dip. However, I discovered that corned beef, if you buy it raw, shrinks quite a bit and has a fair amount of fat. It's also pretty tough if you don't cook it low and super slow. So after cutting off the fat, and making a meal out of it, I didn't have enough left. I went down to the store and got some roast beef deli slices and used that as well. They do sell corned beef in a spam-shaped can (don't get the stuff with hash in it), but my fresh stuff was very yummy. I halved the recipe and that much dip goes well with the amount of bread I made, so I'll post the halved recipe here. You can easily double it if needed.

Ravishing Russian Dip

Ingredients:
16 oz. cooked corned beef
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. dried dill
1 c. sour cream
1 c. mayo

Place corned beef cubes/ slices into a food processor. Process until finely chopped. Mix all other ingredients together. Stir in meat. Chill and serve with rye or pumpernickel bread.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie (For Pi Day)

This pie was very delicious. I altered the original recipe a bit. The crust was way too bitter so I added more stevia. The changes are reflected in the recipe. I also added a bit more to the filling. I found this big jar of "PB Fit" powdered peanut butter at BJ's, so I mixed it with water and measured it out just like regular peanut butter. It's pretty good by itself.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Picture was taken a bit too soon; it's not completely set yet. We were eager to eat it haha.

For the Crust:
1 1/2 c. almond flour
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 cup Stevia
1 large egg, beaten
4 tablespoons coconut oil or melted butter, plus more for greasing pie pan

For the Filling:
3/4 c. heavy cream
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
3/4 c. stevia
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Chocolate Sauce:
2 tbsp. coconut oil or butter
6 oz. stevia sweetened chocolate
1/4 c. heavy whipping cream

Make the Crust:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Grease 9 inch pie pan with coconut oil or butter. In a medium bowl, stir together all the ingredients for the crust until dough comes together. Press evenly into the bottom and sides of pie pan with your fingers.  Bake crust for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Make the Filling:
While the crust is cooking make the filling.  In the bowl of a standing mixer or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat heavy cream until peaks form. Remove whipped cream to a small bowl and set aside.  In the bowl that you used to whip the cream, add cream cheese, peanut butter, stevia, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add whipped cream to mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.  Add filling to crust and put into freezer while you make the chocolate topping. Pie should freeze for 10 minutes before adding topping.

Add Chocolate Topping:
Combine coconut oil or butter and chocolate in a bowl. Microwave until chocolate is mostly melted. Remove and stir until fully melted. Add cream and mix until combined. Remove pie from freezer. Pour and gently smooth melted chocolate over the entire top. Return pie to the freezer for 2 hours before serving.

recipe from cookinghawaiianstyle.com

Chicken Shawarma with Tzatziki

This shawarma recipe is very flavorful. To make it even better, after the initial cooking time, cut up the chicken into small strips and pan fry it with more of the marinade. I served it with tomato and basil feta cheese and some fresh parsley, along with the tzatziki sauce.

Chicken Shawarma

1 Tbsp lemon juice
½ c. olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced (or 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. paprika
½ teaspoon turmeric
A pinch of ground cinnamon
Red-pepper flakes, to taste
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 large red onion, peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Prepare a marinade for the chicken. Combine the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon and red-pepper flakes in a large bowl, then whisk to combine. Add the chicken, and toss well to coat. Cover, and store in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 F. Spread the chicken and the onion out evenly onto a rimmed sheet pan. Put the chicken in the oven, and roast until it is browned, crisp at the edges and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to rest 2 minutes, then slice into bits. (To make the chicken even more crisp, set a large pan over high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, then the sliced chicken, and sauté until everything curls tight in the heat.) Scatter the parsley over the top and serve with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, feta,  — really anything you desire. I topped mine with feta, parsley, and the tzatziki.

Recipe from cooking.nytimes.com

Tzatziki

1 c. greek whole milk yogurt or sour cream
1 cucumber, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1.5 Tbsp. dried dill weed
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Mix all ingredients and chill or serve.

Gordita (Or Nacho) Soup [Edited]

This soup was such a big hit that I came up right after dinner to post. Alex said it tasted like the gorditas they used to serve in school (albeit much higher quality than dog-grade mystery meat and processed cheese that were par for the course in Virginia public schools) that he loved so much. He went back for seconds before I even finished my first bowl. My mom loved it as well, and she had groaned when I told her that I was making yet another soup- cheesy to boot. The recipe comes from paperportion.com, but I have modified it just a bit.

Gordita Soup

1 pound ground beef
32 oz. beef broth
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 large or 2 small white or yellow onion, finely diced
1 yellow/orange/red pepper, finely diced
1 small can mild green chiles
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
3 tsp. Adobo with pepper seasoning, divided

Heat the broth on medium heat and cover. In a skillet, combine onions, peppers, green chiles, chili powder, garlic powder, and 1 tsp. Adobo. Saute until onions are translucent. Set aside. Use the same pan to cook the ground beef in, add 2 tsp. adobo powder. Cook until no pink remains.

Microwave cream cheese in a bowl until soft enough to stir. I did 3 minutes at half power so it wouldn't splatter. Add to broth. Add in cheese. Turn the heat up to medium high and stir constantly for about 5 minutes, breaking up the cream cheese as much as possible. Turn the heat down to medium and use an immersion blender to combine until smooth.

Add in beef and pepper/onion mix, stir well. You can serve it at this point if it's hot enough. If not, set to medium low heat, cover, and let simmer, stirring every 5 minutes or so to prevent burning.

Per Serving (1 cup): 340 calories; 26g fat; 17g protein; 4g net carbs

Cream Cheese Balls (Appetizer/Snack)

These cream cheese balls make a great snack as they have some hunger-slaying fat in them. Everyone liked them, but I had to eat them slowly with almonds because they are quite rich. You can add pretty much anything to these- bacon, different kinds of cheese, nuts, etc

1 & 1/2 packages 8 oz. cream cheese
3/4 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp. dried chives
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil

2 Tbsp. grated parmesan
1/4 c. sesame seeds (you may need a bit more)

Soften cream cheese in microwave, mix in next 6 ingredients. Mix the parmesan and seeds in a shallow bowl. Grease your hands. Take a teaspoonful of the cream cheese and roll it to form a ball. Cover it in the seeds and parm. Lay on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. Repeat until all of the balls are formed. Chill in the freezer for 15-20 minutes and serve, or store in the refrigerator.

I liked these with almonds, but you can serve any nut with it. Here are some ideas for sweet ones:
1. cream cheese with a packet of sugar free strawberry, cherry, raspberry, or blackberry jello covered in sugar free chocolate
2. cream cheese with peanut butter (& chocolate?) and sweetener and roll in peanuts
3. cream cheese mixed with sweetener and cinnamon and a bit of sugar free vanilla pudding mix

Crispy Fish with Coleslaw

For all you who follow the religious rules/suggestion to not eat "meat" on Fridays during Lent (last I checked fish was meat but whatever), here's a yummy recipe. My mom used to do this same kind of thing with salmon all the time, and everyone likes it. You can pretty much use any type of fish, but I've tried it with both salmon and white fish. The crunch on top comes from crushed pork rinds. If you've never had pork rinds because you think they're nasty, they're not. They are crunchy and savory. They are great with heavy dips. I also made a really good coleslaw that everyone liked.

Crunchy Spiced Mayo Fish

1 lb. white fish
3/4 c. mayo
2 tbsp. parmesan cheese
dash of each:
paprika
garlic powder
onion powder
oregano
(small dash) cayenne pepper
salt
black pepper
white pepper

~1 cup crushed pork rinds
butter

Take a lipped pan or baking dish and melt some butter in it. Lay fish in the pan. Mix all remaining  ingredients except for pork rinds, and spoon mayo mixture onto the fish. Spoon pork rind crumbs onto mayo evenly and bake at 350 F for about 10 minutes. Fish will flake and be opaque when done.

Coleslaw

1/2 head cabbage, chopped into roughly 1/4 in squares
1 c. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. dry minced onion (or a dash of onion powder)
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
1 tsp.Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp.pepper
1/2 tsp. celery seed
Pinch chives, optional
1/8 tsp. onion powder
Dash cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/4 tsp. horseradish

Mix all ingredients except for cabbage, then add cabbage bit by bit until it's all covered. It may look like it's not enough sauce to cover everything, but as the slaw sits, it will get a bit soggier.

Creamy Chicken Soup and Cheesecake w/ Raspberry Sauce

Creamy Chicken Soup

This soup tasted like something a restaurant would serve. It needed a few tweaks (which are included in the recipe), but everyone loved it and went back for seconds. 

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. butter

2 cloves garlic

1 medium onion

1 head of cauliflower

2 c. shredded or sliced carrots (if using whole, that's about 3 carrots)

40 oz chicken broth

1 and 3/4 lbs. chicken breast or thighs

1 tsp. stevia or splenda

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp basil

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp celery seed (optional)

1 Tbsp. salt

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 c. heavy whipping cream

1/2 cream cheese

12 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Chop the onion and garlic finely (I used my Ninja) and saute in the butter until onions are translucent. Wash and chop up the cauliflower into florets. Place in a microwave safe container with about a cup of water and microwave for 20 minutes. Boil chicken, then chop into ~1/2 inch cubes or pull it apart with two forks. Pour chicken broth into a large pot. Add the cooked chicken, cooked onions and garlic, carrots, and all the spices. Bring to a simmer. When the cauliflower is done in the microwave, put it into a food processor and process until mostly smooth. I had some chunks of florets still in mine, but it was still yummy. Add the cauliflower mash to the pot. Add the cream and the cheddar. Microwave the cream cheese a bit until it's able to be stirred. Add into the pot. Let simmer some more so the flavors can come together. Serve with some more cheese on top if you want.

Cheesecake

This recipe is very basic, and is easily scale-able. The ratio of eggs to cups of cream cheese is 1:1. I burnt my crust a bit, so I'll change it to reflect a better length of time.

Ingredients for Crust:

2/3 c. almond flour

2/3 c. coconut flour

2 Tbsp butter, melted

2 Tbsp. stevia

Combine ingredients until crumbly and well mixed. The mixture shouldn't really stick together too much. Press into the bottom of an oiled springform pan, or a glass baking dish, using a spoon and/or your hands. Make sure it's mostly even. Bake at 350 F for 5-7 minutes.

Ingredients for Cake:

3 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened

3 eggs

1 c. stevia

2 Tbsp. vanilla extract or 1 Tbsp. any other kind of extract. (I've heard almond extract makes it taste like mexican wedding cookies) 

Directions:

Mix all ingredients well in a mixer using the whipping attachment. Pour over crust and bake at 350 F for ~30-35 minutes. When the timer goes off, turn off the oven and crack the door and let it sit like that, still in the oven, for 30 or so minutes. Then you can either serve it or chill it.

Raspberry Sauce:

2 cups frozen raspberries

1/4 c. sugar free beverage syrup (I used vanilla flavor)

1 tsp. xanthan gum

Microwave berries until defrosted. A lot of the juice should come out. Add in syrup and sprinkle xanthan gum evenly over the berries. Mix well and mash the berries. Spoon over cheesecake slices and serve.

The cheesecake was yummy. It was pretty thin, as you can see, but very filling.