Valerie's Roasted Tomato Arugula Salad

My boss gave me 10 clamshells of baby arugula to demo/sell the other day. I was like, "Nobody likes arugula, what the hell am I gonna do with this stuff?" Then, my brilliant coworker Valerie suggested a roasted tomato-feta salad she made for company a while back. So I went over to the cheese department and they gave me Noah's Valley Israeli Feta cheese. It's a very fresh feta that's very creamy, and unfortunately we are discontinuing it. :( So, any fresh, high quality feta will do. This recipe has no dressing, which shocked my customers. Instead, the herbed oil that the tomatoes are packed in mixes with the creamy feta to create a faux dressing that my customers drooled over, and for good reason too. So this 3 ingredient salad sold all of our organic arugula, TWO kinds of feta (the one I mentioned and a French feta), and I sold so many roasted tomatoes they had to pull out the frozen stuff in the back! So, hit recipe, EVEN IF YOU HATE ARUGULA, which many of my customers do.

~5 oz. clamshell/bag of baby arugula
4-6 oz. French Sheep's Milk Feta or the Noah's Valley (or any other good quality feta you can find)
3.5 oz. Wegmans Italian Classics Roasted Tomatoes (packed in olive oil, garlic, and herbs), chopped up

Combine all ingredients in a bowl just before serving. Make sure to use that yummy oil from the tomatoes,  it's basically the dressing. Garnish with a bit of freshly ground black pepper. If you need to transport this, put the tomatoes on the bottom, then the cheese, then the arugula on top so it doesn't get soggy.

If you don't have a Wegmans near you, one: I'm very sorry, two: you can use some canned tomatoes. Try to get the fire-roasted ones that have some sort of basil, garlic, or other italian spices in them. You'll want to add your own extra virgin olive oil to the salad.

Tuscan Pork Roast with Port Glaze

Pork Roast

• 1 to 1.5 lb. pork roast
• Tuscan spice mix/seasoning/rub (if you can't find this, it's basically garlic and onion powder, lots of parsley, salt, sage, and black pepper)
• Herbs de Province
• poultry seasoning
• salt to taste

Place the roast in a cast iron pan, and sprinkle on some poultry seasoning. Rub so that it covers the top and sides. Sprinkle over the herbs de province and the Tuscan spice mix. Pour some non EV olive oil into the pan around the roast. Using tongs, sear the meat on medium high on the bottom, sides, and then top (yes some spices will fall off, that's fine). Turn back onto the bottom again to coat that side with the spices that fell off of the top. Finish in the oven at 350 F for about 30 minutes or until pork is cooked in the middle.

Port Wine Glaze

• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 c. sweet port
• dash of salt
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 squirt orange mio (optional)
• 2 packets Splenda

Combine all ingredients in a nonstick pan and simmer until combined and reduced by 2/3 or more, stirring occasionally with a silicone spatula.  Allow to cool slightly. If it's thickened up, it's ready. It should be shiny and deep in color. 

UPDATED! Crab Bisque

1 can Wegmans Italian Classics Diced Tomatoes, undrained
2 red bell peppers (or red and orange)
1 Tbsp. Old Bay
1 32 oz. container Kitchen Essentials Fish/Seafood Stock
1.5 c. heavy cream
2 6 oz. cans crabmeat (I used Trader Joe's)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. onion powder

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Line a pan with foil. Wash the peppers and cut out the stems and seeds. Slice them from top to bottom, like this:

and lay them flat as possible on the foil. Roast until skins crack and start to peel. Blackened spots are fine. Remove from oven, turn the oven off, and use a butter/dinner knife to scrape off the skins when the peppers are cool enough to handle. Discard skins. Rough chop the peppers until they fit into your Ninja or food processor. To the Ninja/processor, add the tomatoes (undrained), Old Bay, crabmeat (be careful of potential paper), minced garlic, and onion powder. Process until smooth. Pour contents into a soup pot. Add fish/seafood stock and bring to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for about 15 to 30 minutes, depending on how much time you have. When time's up, add in the cream and stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Wegmans' Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Tomato Pesto

These are a hit at the store with both employees and customers. The walnuts are optional, I'm not a huge fan of them. I also use more than 3 Tbsp. of the tomato pesto sauce- I use the whole jar. Feel free to add other things, but the original is exceptionally tasty, enticing both children and veggie-haters to try the infamous Brussel sprout.

2 lbs. Brussel sprouts, halved if small, quartered if large
1 jar Wegmans' tomato pesto sauce
1/2 red onion, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp. Wegmans' Basting Oil
salt and pepper to taste
Optional: 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Toss the sprouts in the basting oil, some salt and pepper, and 1/2 the jar of pesto. Add in the onion pieces. Lay flat on a baking sheet and roast at 350 F for about 45 minutes, or until loose leaves are dark brown and crunchy, and sprouts are slightly browned. Toss with rest of the sauce. Add in your walnuts if you choose.

Italian White Fish, Roasted Red Pepper Zucchini Noodles, and Mashed Cauliflower +Bonus Soup!

Italian White Fish

2 large white fish fillets (can be cod, halibut, tilapia)

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. parsley

1 tsp. basil

1/3 c. parmesan cheese

1/4 of a bunch of green onions, chopped finely, set aside for AFTER cooking the fish

Grease/butter a casserole dish or pan. Lay out fish evenly; try not to overlap. Combine all spices in a small bowl and sprinkle over the fish evenly. Sprinkle over the parmesan, using more or less as you please. Bake fish at 350 F for 20ish minutes, or until parmesan starts to turn golden. Serve over the zucchini noodles. Top with green onion.

Zucchini Noodles 

in Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce

2 medium zucchini, washed (or more, depending on how much pasta you want. Do about 1 small/medium zucchini per person)

2 red/orange bell peppers

1/2 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. low sugar tomato pasta sauce

Wash peppers. Place on a pan and bake at 450 F until soft and skins start to peel. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Peel off skins carefully. Cut out the seeds and stem. Puree in a food processor/Ninja. Add 1/2 c. heavy cream and 1/2 c. tomato sauce. Puree again to combine well. Add some salt and pepper to taste.

Use your kitchen tool of choice to julienne the zucchini. You can use a peeler, a special julienne tool, or a veggie spiralizer. Place zucchini noodles into a medium pot and pour 1 cup of the sauce over it. Allow to simmer until zucchini is soft. Sprinkle grated fresh parmesan over top when plated. 

Bacon & Chive Mashed Cauliflower

2 c. chicken broth

1 large head cauliflower

1/2 c. heavy cream

8 oz. cream cheese

3/4 of a bunch of green onions, chopped

1-2 Tbsp. chives

3 slices bacon, cooked, grease reserved

Spices: garlic and onion powder, salt, black pepper

Wash and chop up the cauliflower into small florets. Place in a microwave safe bowl. Add the chicken broth, chives, heavy cream, green onions, and spices. Microwave for 6 minutes in high. Stir, add the cream cheese, and cook another 6 minutes. Put bacon and grease into the bottom of the food processor/Ninja and put 95% of the cooked cauliflower into the processor. Whatever liquid and cauliflower is leftover (should be about 2 cups), set aside. Puree the bacon and most of the cauliflower until smooth. 

Bonus Soup! Cream of Roasted Red Pepper

Take 1 cup of the leftover red pepper/tomato/cream sauce and add to the rest of the chicken broth/cream/cauliflower liquid (about 2 cups). Add some salt and puree in a food processor to mix well. Heat and serve. It was creamy, frothy, and surprisingly light. I had already dug into it before I decided to take a picture. Oops. :)

Cream of Chicken and Mushroom Soup

This is a nice comfort food, or even a base for another dish. I ended up blending with my stick blender which created lots of teeny chunks of chicken which affected the texture. But nevertheless, it was very creamy and delicious.

3 c. chicken broth
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning

~7 (or 2 c. chopped) baby bella mushrooms (cremini is ok too)
5 Tbsp. Kerrygold butter (salted)
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. sage
1 tsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire
1 medium onion, finely chopped (I used my Ninja)

1 lb. chicken, breasts or thighs, or a mix
2-4 Tbsp. regular butter
Chicken seasoning (I used onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, poultry seasoning, and black pepper)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Over medium heat, melt regular butter in skillet, lay chicken carefully into skillet and sprinkle on spices listed under chicken seasoning. Cook on one side then flip and season again. Place partially cooked chicken on a baking pan and bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until internal temp reaches 165 F. (You can do step 2 while you wait.) Remove from oven and let cool. Chop up the chicken into centimeter sized chunks using a sharp knife and a cutting board. Set aside

2. Wash the mushrooms and chop them into small pieces, about centimeter sized cubes. Wash and chop (or Ninja) the onion as well. In a nonstick pan, melt the kerrygold and toss in the chopped mushrooms and onion, Add the spices and Worcestershire listed. Start on a higher heat and move to a simmer. Let simmer until mushrooms are greatly shrunk and the butter is nice and brownish. (While you are waiting you can pull the chicken out of the oven and do step 3) Do not let it burn! There should be enough butter to ensure it doesn't burn. Add in the 1/2 c. cream. Let simmer a few more minutes.

3. In a large soup pot, bring 3 c. of chicken broth to a simmer. Add in the poultry seasoning. Add your chopped, cooked chicken and the cooked mushrooms. Add in another 3/4 c. cream. Season to taste. I like a dash of cayenne pepper. Let simmer until nice and hot. Serve and enjoy!

Thanksgiving Menu Preview!

Appetizer

Rye Crisps with Dip (TBD)

Main Course

Roasted Turkey with Gravy

Side Dishes

Garlic & Bacon Mashed Cauliflower

Green Bean & Mushroom Casserole

Sausage Stuffing

Tomato Pesto Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Cranberry Sauce

Dessert

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Cranberry Sauce and Simple Green Bean Casserole

Cranberry Sauce

I decided to try to make a cranberry sauce that was sugar free, and it's actually quite easy. I used Ocean Spray diet cranberry pomegranate and cranberry cherry juice in mine. If you just want the cranberry flavor, use their original diet flavor.

Ingredients:
1 12 oz. bag cranberries
3 c. Ocean Spray diet cranberry juice
1/2 to 1 c. stevia or Splenda (depending on your sweetness preference)
1 squirt orange MiO (optional)
2 tsp. xanthan gum

Wash cranberries and place in a pot. Add cranberry juice and sugar. Bring to a boil and let simmer until all cranberries pop. Add MiO if you want. Remove from heat and stir in xanthan gum. Try to get out all the clumps. Chill until ready to serve.

Notes: I've never made cranberry sauce before, and while it turned out pretty good, the cherry and pomegranate flavors from the juice seemed to sort of overpower the cranberries themselves, so that's why I have the plain one in the recipe. Also, I think I let the cranberries cook for too long because the skins came completely off and rolled up into little chewy tubes. Not too appetizing, so I will not boil it as long next time. Also, be very careful when adding the xanthan gum because it clumps fast. May be do like they do with cornstarch and add it to some warm water before adding into the pot? I will be making this recipe again soon to fix some of the kinks.

Simple Green Bean Casserole

I absolutely love green bean casserole, but the cream of mushroom condensed soup has about 6 g net carbs per 1/2 c., and the flavor of canned green beans isn't so pleasant anymore. I used fresh green beans, cream, and fresh mushrooms in this deliciously creamy casserole.

Ingredients:
~24 oz. bag green beans
1.5 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. mushroom broth or chicken broth
1/2 red onion
3 Tbsp. butter
20 white mushrooms (1 small package)
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. xanthan gum
salt and pepper
3 strips bacon (optional)

Pan fry or cook bacon in the microwave. Let cool and crumble. Poke some holes in the bag of green beans for ventilation and microwave for about 5 minutes or until green beans are bright green, steaming, and soft. Using kitchen shears or clean scissors, chop green beans into ~2 inch pieces. Place in a casserole dish. Rough chop and saute red onion in 1 Tbsp. butter until slightly soft. Add to casserole dish. Wash the mushrooms and chop them into roughly 1/2 inch sized cubes, or large slices if you prefer. Saute in 2 Tbsp. butter until reduced and soft. Add to casserole dish. Add cream and broth to dish. Add garlic, and salt and pepper to your liking. Add in the crumbled bacon. Bake at 350 F for about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and mix in xanthan gum to thicken. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving to allow xanthan gum to set. The cream should coat the beans.

Homemade Coffee Creamer

Coffee creamers may last a long time, but they contain highly processed soybean oils (that may be partially hydrogenated: aka the dreaded trans fats), and corn syrup (the second ingredient). For quite a long time now I've been looking for a non-Nestle sugar free coffee creamer, and I've only found one, which I was not impressed with. I try as much as possible to boycott Nestle and their products due to their company's dubious and sometimes downright disgusting ecological record (Just read up on what they did to a small town's water supply in Michigan). So, in the interest of health and ecological responsibility, here's my super simple recipe for coffee creamer:

Thicker version (24 cal/Tbsp.)

11 Tbsp. heavy cream
8.5 Tbsp. unsweetened coconut milk (I used So Delicious)
4.5 Tbsp. DaVinci Sugar Free Vanilla (or any flavor you desire) syrup
1/2 tsp. madagascar bourbon vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes 24 Tbsp, or 1 and 1/2 cups.

1/2 c. serving = 190 calories
1/4 c. serving = 95 calories

Thinner Version (19 cal/Tbsp.)

11 Tbsp. unsweetened coconut milk
8.5 Tbsp. heavy cream
4.5 Tbsp. DaVinci Sugar Free Vanilla (or any flavor you desire) syrup
1/2 tsp. madagascar bourbon vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes 24 Tbsp, or 1 and 1/2 cups.

1/2 c. serving = 152 calories
1/4 c. serving = 76 calories

You're welcome for doing all the math =)

Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

These were so good I could not stop eating them! They taste just like cereal. It was Alex's idea; he looked up the recipe himself. I've altered it to make it sugar free and match the amount of seeds I had. I used 1 (carving) pumpkin's worth of seeds (about 2 cups).

2 cups pumpkin seeds (raw and unshelled)
3 Tbsp. butter
2 1/2 Tbsp. Splenda
2 tsp. cinnamon

Rinse your pumpkin seeds if they're fresh out of the pumpkin. Dry between paper towels. In a  microwave safe bowl, melt butter. Add in sugar and cinnamon and stir. Mix in seeds, coat well. Lay on a foiled baking pan and roast at 350 F for 16 minutes. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Broccoli Cheese "Rice"

Broccoli Cheese Rice

• 2 large heads of broccoli, chopped into small florets
• 10 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 c. chicken broth
• 2/3 c. sour cream (or cream cheese)
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

1. Rinse the cauliflower and broccoli. Chop cauliflower into florets and process in a food processor/ninja. Place into a microwave safe bowl. Add chicken broth and garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Microwave for 10-12 minutes or until soft. 

2. Chop broccoli into florets. Boil until bright green and slightly soft. I place the florets into a metal colander, and submerged that into the boiling water. It's very easy to then take right out and drain.

3. Mix riced cooked cauliflower, broccoli florets,  8 oz. cheese, and sour cream in a casserole dish. Top with remaining 2 oz. cheese. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until cheese melts. 

Drinks!

Sugar free drinks are as important as sugar free food. Sometimes you want something other than water or coffee. I've compiled a few drinks that you can make just for yourself, or for a big group; and the best part is nobody will know they're sugar free!

Peach, Raspberry, and Orange Herbal Iced Tea

Use 3-4 bags of your favorite flavors of herbal tea. I used Celestial Seasoning's Country Peach Passion and Raspberry Zinger, and Tazo Wild Sweet Orange. In a small pot/pyrex measuring cup boil water either on the stove or in the microwave. Remove from heat and let the bags steep. I used a glass container to store/chill my tea in. Never pour hot tea into a cold glass. Warm up the bottle under warm water from the tap, then pour in the hot tea. Let sit out on the counter a few minutes to start cooling, then put into the fridge to cool completely. You can add mint or basil leaves, or citrus slices to your tea for an extra punch. See all Celestial Seasonings flavors here.

Apple Cider

It wouldn't be fall without apple cider! Now as real apple juice/cider is chock full of sugar, I like to do Orchard Apple MiO flavored water with some cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves heated in a mug. You won't even miss real apple cider! Here's the MiO website for more flavors!

More later!

Delicious Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Alex and I were both fans of Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Unfortunately, it has 10g of carbs per 8 oz., which is half our daily allotment of carbs. So I made a version that has no roux. Cream cheese makes a great thickener for cream based soups, and gives it a silky texture. I like sharp cheddar, but you can substitute mild or medium if you like. I did put in some carrots because Panera's has carrots in it, but if you don't want to, you can leave them out. Cover the soup and let it warm back up after adding each batch of ingredients, this helps bring the flavors together and makes sure everything gets incorporated. This is especially important after the cream cheese.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

2 heads broccoli

1 c. shredded carrots

16 oz. shredded cheddar, sharp or mild

16 oz. (2 bars) cream cheese

32 oz. chicken stock/broth

2 small cooking onions

2 tbsp. butter

4 tsp. minced garlic

salt, pepper, onion powder

1 tsp. thyme

1. Chop and saute onions, garlic, and thyme together in the butter until onions are soft and translucent

2. Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a soup pot.

3. Chop up 1 head of broccoli into florets and add to broth, along with the carrots.

4. Chop up other head of broccoli and process in a food processor. Add to broth. Cover the soup and bring it to a low boil (more than a simmer, less than a full on boil). Let the veggies soften up.

5. Microwave the cream cheese until you can stir it. Add to broth. Stir until well incorporated.

6. Add cheddar and stir well until incorporated. 

7. Serve with some fresh cheddar for topping.

Jalapeno Popper Soup

This delicious soup had Alex and I going back for seconds. Even my brother, who turns his nose up to everything I make, got a bowl for himself. This soup is delicious, and the jalapenos are just enough to give you a back-of-the-throat tingle. Alex introduced me to jalapeno poppers years ago, and they were amazing, but unfortunately coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. I came upon this recipe from Pinterest, which lead me to iBreatheI'mHungry, which is where I've adapted a lot of my recipes from. 

Jalapeno Popper Soup

 

Ingredients:

6 slices bacon

1 block (8 oz) cream cheese

1 c. heavy cream

4 c. chicken broth

4 Tbsp. salsa verde (I was able to find a small can in the Mexican section in Wegmans)

1-2 tsp. minced garlic

2-3 c. shredded cheese (I used colby jack, use monterey jack for a whiter soup)

8 jalapeno peppers, fresh

1/2 tsp. guar or xanthan gum, optional

Directions:

1. Keep the bacon together as it is in the pack, and cut 1/4-1/3 in. wide slices. Peel the layers apart and pan fry until almost perfectly crispy. Save the grease. Set aside.

2. Wash the peppers. Place them on a baking sheet and roast at 450 F for about 20 minutes. Char them. When they are done, you can blanch them in cold water so they cool enough to work with them. Using the blunt side of a dinner knife blade (or a butter knife), scrape off the charred skin and discard. Cut off the top. Slit the pepper open lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Chop finely and set aside. 

3. Melt the cream cheese in the microwave. Put the cream cheese into the soup pot on medium and add the chicken broth bit by bit , stirring the whole time. (Note: I made the mistake of putting the cream cheese into the pot with all the broth when the cheese was still cold. I ended up having to puree everything with my stick blender to smooth out the still remaining chunks of cream cheese at the end.) 

4. Add the minced peppers, the garlic, the cheese, the salsa, the bacon grease, the heavy cream, and a dash of pepper. Let simmer until everything is melted and the soup is bubbly. Optionally, you can add xanthan gum to thicken it. You can also use an immersion blender to make it completely smooth, especially if you're having issues with cream cheese chunks. Ladle into a bowl and top with a pinch of the bacon crumbles. Enjoy! 

Asian Meatballs with Zucchini Noodles

Asian food definitely isn't my strong point- it's probably my weakest. But I still love Asian food, and since it's hard to get Asian-American food at a restaurant without it being dunked in sugar sauce, every once in a while I take a crack at it at home. My meatballs were a little dry in this recipe; I think the mushrooms soaked up at lot of moisture from the pork, making them dry. I'd suggest maybe adding eggs to the meatball mixture if you'd like. Since I'm still having issues with eggs I didn't do that.

First, take some baby bella mushrooms, about 3 handfuls, and wash them, dry them, and put them through the food processor/Ninja. You will need about 2 cups of pulverized mushrooms for this recipe.

Meatballs

1 lb. ground pork
1.5 c. pulverized baby bella mushrooms
1/2 c. green onions, washed and chopped
1/2 small red onion, pulverized
1 tsp. seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp. soy sauce (I used Bragg's Liquid Amino's)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic (the stuff in the squeeze bottle makes my life so much easier)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix all ingredients. I like to use food grade gloves to mix it all with my hands. Line a baking pan with either oiled foil, parchment paper, or a silpat mat. Roll your meatballs into 1 inch diameter balls and space equally apart on the baking sheet. Bake at 375 F for about 15 minutes, or until no pink remains inside.

Sauce and Veggies

1/2 red onion, sliced
1/2 c. pulverized mushrooms
1 Tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sriracha (chili garlic sauce)
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 packet sweetener
2 zucchini, peeled and julienned
1 c. shredded carrots
2 tsp. guar gum
3/4 c. chicken broth
1 squirt of orange or pineapple water flavoring
2 c. napa cabbage, shredded

Saute mushrooms, onions, carrots, and garlic in some olive oil (No EV) or butter. Add rice vinegar, soy sauce, sriracha, sweetener, chicken broth, and water flavoring. Let simmer until onions are translucent. Add zucchini, cooked meatballs, and cabbage. Stir until cabbage wilts and zucchini is soft. Add guar gum to thicken. Serve with sriracha sauce on the table for those who like it spicy! :)

Low Carb Yogurt, Delicious Chicken Broth, and EPIC bars

Yogurt

Recently I found out that Siggi's brand yogurt makes a plain, full fat yogurt that only has 4g of carbs. It's Icelandic skyr yogurt, which is made using 4x more milk than regular yogurt since the whey is strained out. Thus, the 4.4 oz. size (plain) has a whopping 11g of protein, 4g of carbs, and a yummy 5g of fat. I like to add 2 tbsp. of sugar free Smucker's brand fruit preserves (raspberry is my favorite) and 2 packets of Splenda. You can always leave out the sweetener if the preserves is enough. Siggi's also has 4 other flavors which are low in sugar if you are doing a moderate carb diet, they have about 9g of carbs, 8 of which are sugar. Check out their website. Other ideas for flavors are:

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract and 2 packets sweetener
• 2 tbsp. any sugar free preserves or jam (jelly might work but it's too gelatinous)
• 1 tsp. cocoa powder and 3 packets sweetener
• MiO water flavoring. I like Apple Orchard + cinnamon for an apple pie flavor, or Vanilla Orange for a creamsicle flavor 

I've missed sweet and creamy yogurt, and this is a good way to get in your fat and protein for breakfast (with some bacon or sausage) or dessert!

Yummy Chicken Broth

When you're in ketosis, it's important to keep your electrolytes balanced. If you feel a headache coming on, make this delicious broth that tastes just like the broth in chicken noodle soup.

3/4 c. chicken broth

1/4 c. bone broth, chicken

dash of poultry seasoning

Heat in a mug in the microwave, stir well and enjoy sipping your headache and fogginess away! 

And now my favorite part of the post:

EPIC meat bars!!

EPIC is a great company that focuses on putting real, high quality meat and poultry in their bars. The bars come in different meats with different flavorings. Some are higher in sugar (some have a bit of fruit in them) than others, so read the packaging. They are sort of expensive, but they make a wonderful, sustainable, occasional treat. As much as I like the taste of Atkins bars, these are much better for you. :) My favorite are the uncured bacon bar (no sugar yay!) and the pork and pineapple (my absolute favorite, at 5g carbs). Other ones that are low carb are the Chicken Sriracha (1g),  Beef Apple Bacon (4g), and Chicken Sesame BBQ (5g). Want to share with friends? They also sell bites. Check out their website and their vision for sustainable nutrition and snacking here.

Amazing Zucchini Alfredo Pasta (+Miracle Peeler Product Review)

Alex and I were shopping in TJ Maxx today and saw an as seen on TV product called the Miracle Peeler and I decided to buy it. I was only $7, so why not? We picked up some zucchini and other ingredients at the store to test it out. The peeler peels very thin slices, and the julienne side works well too, but you have to apply a good amount of pressure. It sliced my zucchini into nice thin pasta-like pieces that cooked wonderfully. The Miracle Peeler has two two-way blades. One side peels and one side juliennes. You're supposed to be able to go back and forth on a carrot or such and half your peeling time. I haven't tried that out yet. It also comes with a small mandolin- type device that snaps onto the peeler to make it faster to peel your chosen veggie. I will put the commercial at the bottom of this entry.

Zucchini Alfredo Pasta

2 medium zucchini
4 oz. pancetta, diced
2 oz. sundried tomatoes
6 oz. heavy cream
2/3 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. minced garlic
sprinkle of dried basil, oregano, & parsley
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper
sprinkle of onion powder

1. Chop off each end of the zucchini. Peel the zucchini so that none of the dark green is left. Julienne both zucchinis. 
2. In a skillet, heat some butter or non EV olive oil. Chop up your tomatoes to desired size.
3. Saute the garlic, tomatoes and pancetta until hot. 
4. Add the zucchini and saute until hot.
5. Add in the parmesan cheese and herbs/salt/pepper.
6. Pour in the heavy cream and mix well. Turn down the heat to a simmer and let the sauce thicken.

Pumpkin Pie Bake

Every stage of making this pie, I tasted the batter. It was amazing. If you want a cold custard-like dessert, beat the cream cheese, pudding mix, cream, spices, and pumpkin together and eat it just like that. The cream cheese, pudding mix, and cream can be used for other recipes. Try a chocolate pudding mix or even a different flavor, see what happens.

Pumpkin Pie Bake

Ingredients:

1. 1.7 oz. pkg sugar free vanilla pudding mix
2. 8 oz. cream cheese
3. 3/4 c. heavy cream
4. 1 can pumpkin puree (100% pumpkin with nothing added)
5. 2 eggs
6. 1 tsp. vanilla extract
7. 2 tsp. cinnamon
8. 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
9. 1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Directions:

Beat cream cheese, pudding mix, and heavy cream in a blender. Add in pumpkin and mix again. Add in both eggs, vanilla, and spices. Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream in a bowl or chill and make it more pie-shaped.

Appetizer: Italian Cream Cheese Balls

An updated version of my previous cheese balls, these are much more flavorful. Everyone loved them. I'd say the serving size is 2-3 per person. They're very rich.

Italian Cream Cheese Balls

Ingredients:

1. 8 oz. cream cheese
2. 2 Tbsp. basil pesto
3. 2 Tbsp. pasta sauce
4. 6 oz. shredded cheese (any kind really)
5. 3/4 c. grated parmesan romano cheese

Microwave cream cheese until soft and stirable. Add in next 3 ingredients. Cover and chill until more firm. Remove from fridge/freezer and roll into tsp. sized balls. Coat with parmesan romano. Chill on a baking sheet in a freezer or fridge until firm.

Gordita Casserole/Dip/Soup Thing...

I attempted to make the gordita soup for Alex a few weeks ago....aaaand I burnt it... cause I didn't pay attention. Anyway, I felt bad cause he had so been looking forward to it, so I decided to make him a gordita casserole tonight (Thurs). It came out a little liquidy, so more like soup, but whatever, it was so good he wanted to go back for 3rds so I think I nailed it. So here's my lazy recipe!

Gordita Casserole/Dip/Soup

1 lb. ground beef

1 low carb tortilla (you can use more if you want, or not use it at all)

1 jar salsa con queso (can also just use the creamy cheese dip, since we're adding salsa)

1/2 c. salsa (mine was very fresh and thus very watery)

1 small jar green chilies, not drained

4 oz. by weight shredded cheddar/whatever

1 packet Taco seasoning (made my own)

1/3 c. water

Brown the ground beef, break it up, add the taco seasoning and the water. Let simmer a bit until most of the water has evaporated. Grease a casserole dish and mix the seasoned, browned ground beef, the queso, the salsa, and the chilies together. Cut the tortilla(s) into strips and lay across the dish. Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

For a thicker casserole, drain the chiles, don't add the water to the beef, and use less salsa or sub fresh tomatoes and onions.

You can even serve this as a dip with toasted low carb tortillas for dipping.

Baked Cajun Walleye with Crab Sauce and Creamy Broccoli

Walleye is a meaty, white-fleshed fish that lives in the lakes of the northeast U.S. It is not sold commercially, so getting to try it was quite a treat. When Alex and I went up to NY, his uncle served us some walleye he'd caught himself. It was delicious, and he sent us home with some. I cajun'ed it up and it was delicious. The sauce is a simplification of a Pontchartrain Sauce.

Baked Cajun Walleye

4 walleye (or other white fish)
Cajun seasoning (I used McCormick)
bit of oil

Oil a pan and place fillets equally spaced apart. Rub the fish with some rub. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes, or until ends curl a bit.

Crab Sauce

6 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 tsp. cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. dehydrated minced garlic or 1 tsp. garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh minced
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. mustard powder
2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 6 oz. can crab, not drained

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer until thick. Stir occasionally. You can add a little xanthan/guar gum if needed.

Broccoli with Alouette

Garnish/Snack: Cheese Crisps

These cheese crisps look super fancy, but are quite easy to make.

1. Line a flat pan with parchment paper cut to size.
2. Preheat oven to 400 F.
3. Choose a medium hard cheese, like a cheddar, pepper jack, colby, monterey, swiss, Jarlsberg, etc.
4. Slice into roughly 1 in by 1 inch slices, being 1/4-1/8 inch thick.
5. Lay cheese slices on parchment paper evenly apart and bake for 5-6 minutes. Be careful, don't let them burn.
6. Remove from oven and let cool. Peel off from paper and slice into whatever shapes you'd like.

Pizza Mega Post!

I have 3 or 4 posts about pizza, so I thought I'd combine them all together to make all of my pizza recipes easy to find! :)

Crust Recipe 

1 8 oz. package cream cheese (remember to use full fat)

2 eggs
1/4 c. Parmesan (Parm-Romano is fine too) cheese from the canister
couple of twists of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Bit of rosemary or basil optional

Directions:
Soften cream cheese in the microwave, about 30-45 seconds. Beat cheese, eggs, and parmesan in a mixer until creamy. Add spices. Line a lipped baking sheet with parchment paper and let the paper hang over the edges just a bit. Pour mixture into baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes. Add your sauce, cheese, and toppings and bake 5-10 minutes more, or until cheese is melted.

Toppings

Chicken Pesto Alfredo Pizza

Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:
1 stick of butter
1 c. heavy whipping cream
2 c. parmesan
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper if desired
Directions:
In a medium sauce pan, melt butter and mix in parmesan cheese. Add in cream and pepper(s). Stir until well combined.

Other Toppings:

1. Fresh Basil leaves, washed
2. Strips of grilled chicken
3. Pesto: You can spoon some into a ziplock bag cut a small hole in the corner, and drizzle over the pizza.
4. Oregano
5. Fresh grated parmesan reggiano
6. Optional: fried and crumbled pancetta or prosciutto

Buffalo Chicken Ranch with Bacon

1. Low sugar tomato/pizza/pasta sauce (I like Rao's)

2. Grilled chicken strips

3. Strips of bacon

4. drizzle of buffalo sauce or Frank's Red Hot for a little kick

5. drizzle of buttermilk ranch

Traditional Pepperoni and Veggies

1. pepperoni
2. mined red onion
3. spinach
4. basil
5. diced bell pepper
6. mushrooms
7. olives
8. banana peppers
9. minced garlic
10. low sugar pizza/pasta sauce

I ended up doing a double layer of cheese, one before toppings (just mozzarella), and a lighter layer on top of the toppings (mix of shredded romano, parmesan, and mozzarella).

Slow Cooked Venison in Garlic Chili Sauce with Creamy Sauteed Broccoli

When Alex and I went to upstate New York, his uncle gave us some different cuts and venison and walleye (fish) to take home. Today I decided to cook the loin (I think it was sirloin). Venison is gamey tasting and very, very lean. Even when it was raw, I found no fat in it whatsoever. Keeping it moist while cooking is important, so I decided to slow cook it in a strong sauce to cover the gamey flavor. I found this recipe and tried it out. Very yummy and low carb! I also added a few things.

Slow Cooked Venison in Garlic Chili Sauce

2 lb. venison roast/loin (you can do this with a lean cut of beef too)
1 c. low sugar ketchup
1/2 c. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. soy sauce (I used Bragg's Liquid Aminos)
1/2 c. chili garlic sauce (I used Wegmans' Tom Tom sauce)
2/3 c. water or beef broth
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 tsp. minced garlic (I used the jarred garlic)

Option 1:
Saute 1 diced onion and strips of red bell pepper in 2 tbsp. of butter and add to slow cooker.

Option 2:
Add 2 tsp. onion powder and some strips/diced red bell pepper to slow cooker.

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together (except roast) in the slow cooker. Choose option 1 or option 2 (you can leave out the red bell pepper all together if you want). You can either chop your roast into 1-2 inch chunks and cook that way (it's faster), or you can leave it whole. I cut it into chunks to increase the surface area and decrease the cooking time. I put mine in at 12:45 and it was done at 3:30... I set the slow cooker to 8 hours... so maybe try 10 and expect it to be done in 4 hours haha. If you leave it whole, set to 6 hours or so and it will probably be done in 5-6 hours. Don't overcook it. Check on it once and hour or so. Also feel free to add some fresh herbs to your cooker.

Everyone liked it, and my mom said the strong marinade really masked a lot of the gamey taste, and I agree. I could have taken mine off the heat a little earlier, it was definitely well-done.

Creamy Sauteed Broccoli

I wanted a veggie to go with my roast, and I spotted my Alouette in the fridge (original garlic and herb). It turned out delicious. You can't go wrong with creamy, cheesy broccoli really. It's quite impossible. :)

2 crowns of broccoli, chopped into large florets
1/2 c. Alouette original garlic and herb spreadable cheese
1 tbsp. butter

Melt butter in pan, saute broccoli until slightly soft, add cheese and mix until the broccoli is coated. Serve immediately.

I'll definitely be making the broccoli recipe again; maybe I'll try different flavors of Alouette.

Chocolate Torte with Cream Cheese Frosting

Sometimes you gotta try a lot of recipes before you get a good one. This was the first chocolate brownie/baked type of thing that was actually tasty. Usually they're gritty, bitter, and dry. Not these. These were rich, smooth, sweet, and fudgy. This recipe comes from All Day I Dream About Food, a wonderful blog.

Chocolate Torte/Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake Ingredients:
7 oz. unsweetened chocolate (not cocoa)
14 Tbsp. butter (1 and 3/4 sticks) or coconut oil
1 and 1/4 c. Swerve (erythritol)
5 eggs

Frosting:
1 stick of butter (8 Tbsp.)
8 oz. cream cheese (1 brick)
1/4 c. heavy cream or almond milk
1/4 c. sweetener (I used some sugar free drink syrup (DaVinci brand) so I didn't have to worry about solids)
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Over medium low heat, melt butter in a saucepan. Add chocolate slowly and stir continuously until melted. Add the Swerve slowly while mixing.
2. Set aside to cool. Once the pot is cool enough to touch with your hands for an extended period of time, whisk in the 5 eggs one at a time.
3. Grease an 8 inch pan and line with parchment paper (or grease mini muffin tins or silicone muffin cups). Grease parchment paper.
4. Cook at 375 F for 25 minutes.
5. Let cool on cookie rack.

Melt butter and cream cheese together in microwave and stir. Add vanilla and sweetener. Add heavy cream or milk. Whisk/beat until smooth. Spoon over hot cupcakes/torte or chill and pipe onto cooled cupcakes/torte.

Low-Carb Cocktail Sauce

Cocktail sauce is the sort of thing that gets bought, used a bit, and then the bottle sits in the fridge for 3 months... I picked up some shrimp at BJ's, and since Alex absolutely loves chilled shrimp with cocktail sauce, I was gonna get some sauce at the store. I turned the bottle over and curiously glanced at the carbs. I let out a little yelp. 16 grams of carbs for 2 tablespoons!!! Holy crap! So we get home and he pulls up a recipe for some homemade sauce. We used reduced sugar ketchup. Aim for about 1-3g carbs per tablespoon. 

1 c. low sugar ketchup

4 Tbsp. horseradish (not the creamy sauce, just the ground root)

dash of Worcestershire sauce (we used A1 in a pinch)

1 tsp. lemon juice or vinegar (optional), ours tasted fine without

Mix it all up and chill or serve immediately. Tastes just like the store bought stuff without all the corn syrup....

Coconutty Cream Pie (No eggs)

COCONUTTY CREAM PIE

This coconut cream pie was very dense and coconutty. The dried coconut soaked up a lot of  the coconut milk. It was very good though.

Crust:
1 oz. shredded unsweetened coconut
3/4 c. coconut flour
2 tsp. Swerve (an erythritol sugar substitute)
1/4 c. coconut oil, unrefined (shortening-like consistency)

Mix all ingredients well and press into a pie pan. Bake crust at 350 F for 10 minutes.

Filling:
13.5 oz. can full fat coconut milk
5 oz. shredded unsweetened coconut
8 oz. full fat cream cheese
1/4 c. Swerve
1 tsp. xanthan or guar gum

Mix coconut milk and shredded coconut and let sit for about 5-10 minutes. Mix in remaining ingredients. Pour into crust and bake again at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until golden grown around the edges.

Toast 2 oz. shredded unsweetened coconut on a small pan either in the oven or in a toaster oven. Sprinkle over pie when it's done baking. Cool in fridge. Serve with whipped cream and/or Carb Smart Vanilla ice cream.

Wegman's Squash Boats

These squash boats are a recipe from Wegmans. They are a huge hit with customers and are already fairly low carb. I cut the squash thinner so I have a better ratio of toppings to squash; and so they cook faster. You can use zucchini or yellow squash. I know that hummus isn't super low carb, but you only have to use a smear of it for each squash slice.

2 goldbar squash or zucchini, sliced lengthwise
~7 oz. basil pesto
1/2 c. roasted tomatoes, chopped
3/4 c. hummus (I used roasted red pepper, original recipe calls for Lemon Dill Hummus)
8 oz. feta cheese (I used mediterranean blend)
butter or oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Oil or butter a baking pan. (You can put down a silpat mat first if you want)
2. Lay out squash slices on pan. Smear on the hummus evenly on all slices.
spread pesto evenly on top of the hummus.
3. Place a few pieces of chopped tomatoes on each slice. Sprinkle on feta cheese. Top with black pepper if you want and drizzle with a bit of oil. Bake for 15 minutes.

If you want to grill these, you can:
Slice the squash only in half and scoop out the seeds in the middle with a spoon. Oil and grill flesh-side down until heated. Flip over, add toppings, and let sit until toppings are all melty and delicious.

Breakfast: Crepes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese and Strawberry Sauce

Breakfast: Crepes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese and Strawberry Sauce

I recently started getting sick after I eat eggs. Scrambled, panfried, whatever, they make me feel like hurling. Eggs are the best thing to eat for breakfast when you're following a low-carb lifestyle, so I felt utterly stuck when it comes to breakfasts. One day I was craving a sweet breakfast, so I made this fruity, creamy "crepe" using a thin, low carb tortilla that I get from Wegmans. It's very delicious, but I'd suggest having a side of bacon with it to keep you satisfied for longer.

Serving size: 1

1 Tumaro's Low in Carb Wrap (multi-grain has only 4g net carbs per tortilla)
2 oz. (1/4th brick) cream cheese
2 packets splenda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3-4 fresh strawberries, sliced
1/4 c. Marzetti sugar free strawberry glaze (optional)
1 tbsp. Kerrygold butter

1. Melt the butter in a pan large enough to fit the tortilla.
2. In a microwavable bowl, mix cream cheese, splenda, and cinnamon and microwave until cream cheese is soft and stir-able.
3. In another bowl, combine sliced strawberries and glaze and warm in microwave until strawberries are soft.
4. Fry the tortilla in butter on both sides.
5. Place the cream cheese mixture down the middle of the tortilla.
6. Pour about half of the strawberry glaze on top of the cream cheese mixture. Fold both sides of the tortilla towards the center and remove from heat. Plate.
7. Pour remaining strawberry glaze on top.
8. Top with whipped cream if you want. Serve with a delicious side of bacon. Enjoy. :)

Macaroni and Cheese

I love macaroni. I recently found macaroni-shaped shirataki noodles at my local international supermarket, Global Foods. I've used shirataki noodles in several dishes before, some turned out ok, others didn't. But still, these were the tofu ones, which tend to be less crunchy and chewy than the originals. I immediately thought of a macaroni and cheese dish, of course. I made too much cheese sauce, so I'm going to put in the recipe to add either meat or veggies (or both) or reduce the sauce amount so your noodles aren't swimming. I mean, not that I'd complain about too much cheese!

Ingredients:

• 3 bags Shirataki Tofu Macaroni Noodles
• 10 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
• 2-3 oz. another cheese (I used Havarti)
• 2 oz. another cheese (I used a bit of leftover smoked Gouda)
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1/3 c. white wine
• 4-5 slices of bacon
• 3/4 c. chopped green onions
• 1 shallot, chopped finely
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 tbsp. garlic cheese butter (optional)
• 1 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 c. grated parmesan 
• Choice of veggies (precooked): broccoli, asparagus, baby spinach, etc.
• Choice of meat: chopped ham, chopped turkey, chicken, sausage, even ground beef

Directions:

1. Use a colander to drain the noodles and rinse them well for at least a minute. You must do this or your noodles may have a weird taste. Set aside to drain and dry off a bit.
2. Microwave/cook the bacon until slightly crispy. Let cool.
3. In a sauce pan, melt 1 tbsp. of the butter and add the shallot. Saute until shallot is soft and translucent. Add the rest of the butter and the minced garlic. Add the garlic cheese butter if you have it. 
4. Add the cheddar and other cheeses except the parmesan to the sauce pan. 
5. Add the heavy cream and white wine.
6. Add the pepper, onion powder, basil, and parsley. 
7. Chop up the bacon.
8. You can either add the chopped green onions, noodles, bacon, parmesan, and your choice of meat and/or veggie to the pot and stir and serve, or you can put the noodles, onions, and bacon into a casserole dish, add the meat and/or veggie, pour over the cheese sauce, sprinkle on the parmesan, and bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes. I prefer to bake it to make the cheese sauce thicker and more cohesive. If your sauce is a bit runny, try adding more meat and veggies, or even xanthan gum. 

It was very delicious, and if I hadn't been full after one serving, I'd have gotten seconds. 

Update on the Kitchen Remodel!

It's finally done! For the most part anyway. We're still going to have people come in and fix small things and do touch-ups. And the curtains still have to be made. BUT, I have counter tops now, which is what counts. So, I am planning on posting two recipes today, one is a simple one for a cheesecake milkshake and the other is the zucchini lasagna I'm planning on making tonight. School is all done for me for the summer so I have my three days off that I'll try to post on every week. Thanks for being understanding about the remodel and my schedule. <3

Some pictures for you:

Rum Cheesecake with Hot Caramel Rum Pecan Sauce

A special meal requires an equally special dessert, and the Cheesecake I made was very delicious, despite being a tad eggy/fluffy (hey, I'm still working on getting my texture to be dense and creamy). BUT, it was super flavorful. So here's the recipe. It's based on the one on the Betty Crocker website: "Hot Buttered Rum Cheesecake with Brown Sugar-Rum Sauce". Since obviously the real recipe has sugar and stuff, I've changed it up a bit (okay, a lot).  *Note: Some of these quantities are estimated to the best of my memory because I didn't have time to measure out perfectly and write down my exact usage of ingredients. Please feel free to use more of something if it is so required.*

Rum Cheesecake with Hot Caramel Rum Pecan Sauce

Ingredients

Crust:
1 and 1/4 c. almond flour
1/2 stick butter (1/4 c.) melted
1 c. Stevia powder

Filling:
8 oz. sour cream
4 8 oz. pkgs cream cheese (softened)
1 c. stevia powder
1/4 c. sugar free simple syrup (or simply flavored beverage syrup like caramel or vanilla)
1/4 c. spiced rum, like Captain Morgan
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1-2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs

Sauce:
1 jar smuckers sugar free caramel sauce
4-8 oz. of pecans (optional)
1/4 c. spiced rum
2 tbsp. butter
1/8 tsp. sea salt

*Note: before I press the crust into the pan, I like to make a circle of parchment paper to put into the bottom of the pan. It makes remove of the cheesecake from the bottom part of the pan much easier.*

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix all crust ingredients until mixture is crumbly yet cohesive when pressed.
2. Oil a springform pan and press crust into the bottom. Crust should reach the edge.
3. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 F and let cool.
4. Combine all filling ingredients (except the eggs) in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth.
5. Add the eggs and mix on low until incorporated.
6. Pour over the crust and bake at 325 F for an hour and 15 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and the center is still soft. 
7. Turn off the oven, but don't remove. Crack the door about 4 inches and let sit in the oven for 30 minutes. This helps prevent cracking caused by the quick temperature drop of removing it.
8. Remove from oven after the 30 minutes and let cool completely. Use a small rubber spatula to loosen cheesecake from the sides of the pan before releasing the latch.
9. Release the latch and remove the sides.
10. In a small saucepan, mix all sauce ingredients and heat until combined and bubbly. Serve over top of the cheesecake immediately or chill the cheesecake and sauce separately until it's ready to be served.
11. (Optional) Serve with vanilla Carb Smart ice cream. Cut small pieces of the cheesecake. It's incredibly filling.

Miso-Maple Glazed Salmon with Mango Balsamic Reduction

July 1st is Alex's birthday, and I still remember him raving about a meal he had at the Chart House in Alexandria last year for my 21st birthday. So, I made a mental note (or Google Keep did, thanks Google) and searched up the recipe. 2 sauces, I remember. Okay, not that big of a deal. 2 sides. Alright. And dessert. Mmhmm. Aaaand an appetizer (thanks Wegmans). The 2 sides were green beans with Wegman's Miso Ginger Vinaigrette, and my popular smoked gouda and bacon cauliflower mash. Because I either have these posted elsewhere (cauliflower recipe can be found here), or are self-explanatory, I will just be posting the main salmon dish and its 2 sauces in this post. There is a separate post for the Rum Cheesecake here. Here is the full menu for the evening:

Appetizer

Wegman's Artichoke Asiago Cheese Dip w/ pork rinds for dipping

Main Course

Wild Caught Miso-Maple Glazed Salmon with Mango Balsamic Reduction and Lemon Shallot Butter

Bacon and Smoked Gouda Cauliflower Mash

Green Beans with Miso-Ginger Vinaigrette

Dessert

Rum Cheesecake w/ Rum Caramel Sauce and Pecans 

(optional vanilla bean Carb Smart ice cream)

Wild Caught Miso-Maple Glazed Salmon with Mango Balsamic Reduction and Lemon Shallot Butter

Mango Balsamic Reduction

Do this first because it needs time to sit and simmer to reduce and thicken.

Ingredients:

• 1 tree-ripened mango, cut into cubes/slices
• 4 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (I used the white, normal is fine too)
• 4 Tbsp. honey (I used real honey because we were carb cycling. You can use sugar free simple syrup- unflavored, or some stevia/splenda equivalent)

Directions:

1. Puree the mango and add to saucepan.
2. Add vinegar and sweetener.
3. Mix well and cook over medium-low heat until reduced to a thick consistency.  Mix often or it will sputter all over you and the stovetop. 

Salmon and Glaze

Ingredients:

• 4 wild caught Alaskan salmon fillets
• 3 Tbsp. seasoned miso paste
• 3 Tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar (if you don't have seasoned, you can add just a bit of sugar substitute and salt to your vinegar)
• 3 Tbsp. maple syrup (I used the real stuff since we were carb cycling) You can use sugar free syrup flavored with maple flavoring
• 2 tsp. hot chili sauce (Sriracha)
• 2 tsp. oil (any kind that's liquid at room temp and not EVOO)

Directions:

1. Whisk/mix together all sauce ingredients together (miso, vinegar, syrup, sriracha) in a bowl.
2. Brush an cast iron/oven safe skillet with the oil.
3. Place salmon fillets skin side down onto the cold pan. The cold pan makes the salmon skin stick to it so it easily separates later after cooking.
4. Set the oven to 350 F.
5. Over medium heat, cook the salmon just until the skin starts to sizzle.
6. Brush on the glaze and place in the oven to finish cooking. Remove from oven and slide your spatula under the fillets, separating the skin easily from the fish. Drizzle (or pour, I won't judge) the mango balsamic reduction over the fillets and serve.

Lemon Shallot Butter

This is good on just about everything. Place a puddle of it on the place before setting down the salmon and/or add it to the green beans. 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 stick Kerrygold butter
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 shallot
• 1 tsp. organic Santa Cruz lemon juice

Directions:

1. Mince and saute shallot. 
2. Add in butter to hot pan to melt it. 
3. Add salt and lemon juice.
4. Set aside/serve.

Oven-Roasted Goldbar Squash

I've never really been one for squash, but doing low-carb forces you to seek out new things so you don't get bored with your cauliflower mash (which is my favorite side dish now, btw). My friend had been demoing grilled squash and zucchini with our store's garlic cheese finishing butter. I tried it and really liked it. But, of course, I thought I could do one better. I bought one of those beautiful goldbar squashes:

and thought about what to do. This was the recipe I came up with, and I ended up going back for seconds. Now, let me repeat: I am not really a squash person. They are pretty bland but have a particular subtle flavor that I just didn't care for. This recipe, however, was so good I told myself that this would become another staple side dish, right behind my dreamy, creamy cauliflower mash. So without further ado, here it is:

Oven-Roasted Goldbar Squash

Note: 1 medium squash serves about 3 people

Ingredients:

1 Goldbar squash

2-3 tbsp. Kerrygold butter

1 tsp. garlic powder

1-2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 to 1 tsp. sea salt

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Wash and slice squash into 1/8 inch thick rounds.
2. Place a bit of oil on a baking sheet and spread it evenly.
3. Place your squash down, as flat as possible on the sheet.
4. Sprinkle evenly with garlic, basil, salt, and the parmesan.
5. Microwave butter in a small bowl until melted. Pour evenly over top of the squash. 
6. Bake at 350 F until parmesan turns golden.
7. Fight over the delicious squash medallions; seriously, they fall apart on your fork they're so tender.

Egg Muffins

This quick breakfast is grab and go once they've been prepared. I recommend making them the night before or on a weekend so you can enjoy them throughout the week. You can put any combo of ingredients into these besides the eggs, like:

• spinach and mushroom with mozzarella cheese
• sausage and red bell pepper with swiss or cheddar cheese
• ham and broccoli with cheddar
• bacon and chive with gouda

Egg Muffins

I used a set of silicone muffin cups. They are flexible enough to bend, but stiff enough to not spill when full. I used Hamilton Beach brand. The ones I used were standard size, but you can use bigger ones if you want. Here is how I made them, although feel free to try new combos like those listed above.

Makes 6 "muffins"

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1/4 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 tbsp. butter (for sauteing pepper)
• 1/4 c. ground pork sausage
• 1/4 shredded cheddar cheese
• pinch of parsley
• salt & pepper
• onion and garlic powder

Directions:

1. In a small non-stick pan, saute bell pepper in butter until slightly browned around the edges and soft. Set aside in a small bowl.
2. Cook sausage in the same pan, using the butter leftover from the peppers. Cook until you don't see any more pink. Set aside in a bowl.
3. In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs and add the spices and herbs. 
4. Place muffin cups on a pan, and place 3/4 of the sausage in the bottom of the cups. 
5. Put 3/4 of the pepper in on top.
6. Top with 1/2 of the cheese. 
7. Top with rest of the pepper and sausage.
8. Pour egg mixture into cups. Be sure to divide it fairly evenly.
9. Top with rest of cheese.
10. Bake at 350 F until puffed up and cheese is melted. Egg should be cooked through and fluffy.
11. Serve, or let cool and bag in 2s and pop in the fridge for when you're in a hurry.