W30: One Pan Tandoori chicken

Another sheet pan recipe. This time we used a Tandoori marinade. So super simple.

The marinade has all the flavors of India. Garam masala, coriander, cumin, and cayenne.
The recipe is on https://whole30.com/recipes/whole30-chicken-marinade-recipes/

I added cauliflower, shrooms, onions, and sweet potatoes. So good. Definitely a repeat. And next time I’ll add in some potatoes.

Kayte’s post is HERE.

 

W30: Cauliflower – Sweet Potato Mash

If you look on page 270 of Melissa Hartwig’s Fast and Easy you will find a recipe that mixes and cauliflower and sweet potatoes. A mash. And it is a nutritional powerhouse. And it can fix your sweet cravings.

It is one of the easiest recipes ever. Cook cauliflower, cook sweet potatoes, and peeled garlic. Drain then add ghee. s/p and mash together. Does it get any easier? No!

But is it good, I did not think so. I would rather have one or the other. The cauliflower overpowered the flavor of the sweet potatoes. I do like cauliflower but not in this recipe. Sorry.

Kayte of Grandma’s Kitchen Table and I are cooking through our two shared Whole 30 cookbooks through the end of March. Check out what we are making. We are making the same recipes but not at the same time yet. She is catching up on the recipes and I am catching up on the blogging.

But you can find her post here.

 

Eating with Ellie

A whole new year as begun. 2022. Fingers crossed it is a good year for everyone.

And it is time to start eating healthy again. I have been neglectful since Thanksgiving. Too long to neglect my health. I am going back to KETO which has been my friend off and on for the last year to so. It is easy to stick to and the food is often delicious. Especially since it is all made at home with fresh ingredients and NO sugar. No processed food. No starch, etc.

So, this week I decided to start the year off right with Ellie’s Autumn Vegetable Curry. Delicious!!

• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 1 1/2-inch length fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 2 tablespoons yellow curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1/2 head cauliflower, broken into 1½-inch-wide florets (about 3 cups)
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 pound medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds
• 2 tomatoes, cored and chopped
• Grated zest of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 15-ounce can no-salt-added chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 5 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 3 cups cooked brown rice, for serving, optional

Directions

Place the onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, and cayenne pepper in a food processor and
process to combine. Add the oil and process until a smooth puree is formed. Transfer the
curry puree to a large pot and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to darken,
about 5 minutes more.

Add the vegetable broth, coconut milk, cinnamon stick and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and
bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower, sweet
potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and return to a boil. Reduce
the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 25
minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick. Stir in the lime zest and juice, chickpeas, and spinach
and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with up to ¾ teaspoon salt.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.

Cook time is about 30 minutes.

You can see that I left out some ingredients. Some of them simply because they aren’t keto friendly. I did leave in the sweet potato but decreased the amount. A little of it was needed for the taste of the stew. I also increased the amount of broth to use it more as a soup rather than a stew. It was just spicy enough to warm you up on a winters day.

The recipe is HERE if you want to see it in the original form and in Ellie’s comfort food fix (page 208).

Check with

Kayte, Peggy, and Gaye or their first Eating with Ellie post for 2022.

If you would like to join in, just leave a link to your post in any of the comment sections of the participants and we will come and see what you made.

 

GFGF: Season of Renewal

This week we are sharing recipes that sets your culinary hopes for the New Year. In 2022 I hope to go back to my healthy eating which, sadly, I have neglected since Thanksgiving. KETO has been my friend for most of 2021 and it is that I am going back to.

One of my favorite things to make is the Broccoli salad. It is super simple to make. Really doesn’t need a recipe and the dressing is delicious.

The only part of the recipe I ever follow is for the dressing.

Raw broccoli and cauliflower florets. Chopped green onion. Sunflower seeds. Chiopped pecans. Shredded cheese. Crumbled bacon in just about any amount you like to taste. (If not on KETO you can throw in some dried cranberries.)

Dressing:

• 1 cup real mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/4 cup granulated erythritol (sugar)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and mix into the other ingredients.

I usually make at least 1/2 more of the recipe just to be sure I have enough. I love this salad. And make it often.

This is the last post for Good Friends Good Food. But we have revived Eating with Ellie (Krieger) and Wednesdays with Donna Hay. Both are healthy food chefs. And many of their recipes are easily adaptable to KETO. YAY!!

You can access our blog posts each week.

Kayte

Peggy

Ulrike

We also all are members of Tuesdays with Dorie where we are working our way through Dorie Greenspan’s Baking with Dorie.

If you would like to join in, just leave a link to your post in any of the comment sections of the participants and we will come and see what you made.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, Y’ALL!!

 

Good Friends Good Food

This weeks veggie is EGGPLANT! My choice! I love eggplant but don’t get to use them that often in recipes as the Man is NOT a fan of this lovely purple fruit.

I thought about making Moussaka but I wanted to try something different so I found a new recipe for a Veggie Moroccan Tagine. But I wanted a dish I could use for a meal rather than just a side so added some chicken to it. That was a good choice as it made a great KETO meal. The recipe is from Essential Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet Cookbook gifted me by my great friend Kayte who is also in this group.

You can find the recipe here. Veggies include eggplant, cauliflower, zucchini, onions, garlic, green olives, and artichoke hearts.

I browned some seasoned (salt and pepper) chicken thighs in some EVOO until almost done. Then I simply added it to my dutch oven (sans skin) with the veggies and let it cook just a little longer to get the flavor into the chicken.

Absolutely delicious. The spices: ginger, cinnamon, cumin, and paprika added so much flavor to the vegetables. I wanted to just sit down and dig into the pot with a big spoon. I’m sure there will be some veggies left over. Maybe…I hope…

This serves 6 and (without the chicken) has; 309 calories, 21 grams fat, 24 grams carb (15 net) 9 grams fiber and 6 grams protein. Each chicken thigh adds

More Eggplant recipes from…

Kayte

Nancy

Ulrike

Peggy

Ellen

Donna

Our next Ingredient is corn

And then we start with some salads. Looking forward to that in mid-April.

 

GFGF: Cauliflower

I will admit I was a weird kid when it came to food. Especially veggies. While other kids were loving corn and green beans I was crazy about broccoli and cauliflower. I loved these two veggies. And ONLY these two.

Things have changed little. They are still my fave veggies but I have added others to my likes as well: okra, squash, asparagus (NOT the canned), cabbage.

Is it a surprise there fore that my pick for this week’s Good Friends Good Food was CAULIFLOWER. And since I am on KETO it was perfect to pick Caulirice. With other veggies. And shrimp.

This is not my photo. I lost mine.

3 cups cauliflower florets

3 Tbl unsalted butter or coconut oil

1/4 cup yellow onion, diced

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

2 Tbl coconut aminos

2 Tbl sesame oil

1 large egg

4 oz cooked, peeled shrimp

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup cashews

Place cauliflower florets in a good processor. process until cauliflower resembles rice. Set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. When the skillet is hot add the butter or oil. Add yellow onion, carrot and cook, stirring occasionally until onion and carrot have softened.
Add cauliflower rice and ginger, and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
Make an opening in the center of the skillet. Pour sesame oil into the
sesame oil into opening, and then immediately add egg. Stir egg continuously until scrambled.
Add aminos shrimp, green onions, and cashews and stir to combine. Cook for until shrimp are warmed through, about 1 minute
.Serve immediately.

I really enjoyed this recipe I adapted from Deliciously Keto Cookbook.

It is so easy to make.

(This recipe makes 2 servings of 2 cups each. (534 calories, 12 net carbs)

For more Good Food from Good Friends visit

Kayte

Peggy

Nancy

Donna

Ulrike

 

{EwE} SPRING IS HERE!

It’s SPRING!  I LOVE Spring!  Flowers!  Planting the Garden.  Cool days and nights.  Fresh Spring Veggies.  Spring Fruits. I know there aren’t many but what is Springy is always fresh and delicious.  Each region of the US has a different growing season and different fruits and veggies available.  The South has a nice long growing season so were are more fortunate than some areas.

Since it has been a busy week I went with something quick and simple for Peggy’s pick this week – Spring Harvest.

Cauliflower “Rice” Pilaf

Since I am still doing the Whole30 program for 90% of my meals this fit in perfectly.  And only four main ingredients:  cauliflower, pine nuts/almonds, onions and parsley.  It was perfect with some leftover Black Pepper Chicken.  

I did make one change.  Ellie called for OO for sauteeing the onions and cauliflower but I decided to use some toasted sesame oil instead.  It added a little Asian flair to the rice and a little bite.  Good!

The recipe is from Ellie Krieger’s You Have it Made.  page 306.

For more Spring Harvest visit Eating with Ellie.

And if you want to cook/bake along with us the weekly themes are listed on the right of the Ellie page.  We don’t publish the recipes.  We would rather you purchase Ellie’s books.

 

{CC#15} Cauliflower Rice

Last night was the end of Day 21 on Whole30.  So I celebrated with a Diet Coke, a HUGE plate of pasta and some mini cupcakes…

No!  Just kidding.  Maybe it was in my dream.  Funny thing, I started out thinking of all the things I CANNOT have – pizza, pasta, bread,  DIET COKE – but now its thinking about all the good things I CAN have.  Fresh fruit.  Fresh veggies.  Shrimp.  Beef.  Nuts.  Baked Potato.  I. Will. Survive!

Last night we had fresh fish browned in a little ghee and coconut oil  Okra. And while The Man had leftover ‘non-compliant’ mashed potato cakes browned in ghee I had..

Cauliflower Rice

It was easy to make.  Process cauliflower in the food processor.  Brown some onions, garlic, and carrot in ghee.  Add in the ‘rice’ and let it steam until soft.  Easy!  I think I liked it but I’m not really sure.  I think using a little Sesame Oil would really up the flavor.  

The recipe is on page 272 of  The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom.    I also found the recipe on Recipe Girl’s Website if you want to try it.

I will try it again.  As much as I love cauliflower I’m not sure if this will be a hit or not.

I’m linking this post with Cookbook Countdown 15 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily’s Cooking (Makan2).

 

{EwE} Where’s the Beef? Shepherd’s Pie

I don’t know about you but Shepherd’s Pie is a common occurrence in our kitchen. Whenever I need something easy and filling I usually turn to Shepherd’s pie. And there is not much difference between one recipe and another.  Except years ago I stopped using any kind of canned soup and started making my own filling.  SOOOOO much better.  But I was still unhappy because of all the potato topping the pie.

I don’t have to worry about that any more because of Ellie.  This topping is made with potatoes and cauliflower.  A new twist on your every day Shepherd’s Pie.  And a good one.  Even The Man liked it and he is NOT a cauliflower fan.  The steamed cauliflower mixes in very well with the potatoes so that the taste is more potato.  And although Ellie doesn’t add the cheese on top it just wouldn’t be Shepherd’s Pie with out a little cheese.

The filling is lean ground beef mixed with onions, carrots, mushrooms (which I left out), peas, and seasonings.  Very tasty.

The recipe is from Ellie’s Comfort Food Fix (page 131) but it is also HERE!

More Beef recipes are on Eating with Ellie.

While you are there check out the schedule of Themes for Eating with Ellie.  Won’t you join us?

 

{SRC} Cooking in Jammies

Hard to believe it is already March 18th.  I am constantly astounded at how quickly time goes by.  Seems like just yesterday I received my ‘assignment’ for The Secret Recipe Club and now it already time to post about it.  This month I cooked with Sarah.  She is the cook/baker and mother of three adorable kitties who blogs over at The Pajama Chef.  Lucky for her husband she  loves to try out new dishes and he becomes her sous chef.

As usual I found more recipes than I had time to make.  For some reason I gravitated toward sides and sweets this month so that is what I went with.

First the veggies:  How about Baked Cauli-Tots Two Ways

Cauliflower is one of my favorite veggies.  As a child I only ate three – cauliflower, broccoli, and corn. And the only way I would eat the cauliflower was with cheese.  Times haven’t changed much except this time the recipe is different.  Shredded cauliflower baked with herbs and cheese.  Good Stuff!!  I made mine in mini cupcake tins and they were perfect bites.

And then two sweets.  The Man has been asking for something to eat with lunch.  Just a little bite of something sweet.

How about Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies and not just any filling but dulce de leche – Caramel!  Yep, made from Sweetened Condensed milk.  Cooked until it is thick and super sweet.  Fortunately I keep several cans in the pantry already to use.  While she empties the can into a double boiler and cooks it until it is very thick I have always just cooked 3 – 4 cans in boiling water so I always have some.  These are very sweet and one or two are all you need to satisfy that sweet tooth.  I don’t think I will make just plain cookies again.

One night I needed something just for the two of us.  Something that would be gone in one night.  Sarah’s Twice Baked Apple Crisps were just the thing.  They were good, but the crisp just would not cooperate for me.  So we had Baked Apples in Sauce.  :(.

I don’t know what happened here.  But it was still good, especially with a little whipped cream.  Sarah suggested ice cream and that would have been so much better.

Next on my list:

Butternut squash and quinoa salad

Stovetop Mac and Cheese with Broccoli
Sausage Pepper Penne”

Amish Cheeseburger Soup

and lots more….. I’ll be going back to visit Sarah because I know I will want to make more of her dishes. Too good to pass up.

Please visit the rest of Group C and see what they cooked up this month.

If you want to join in the fun visit The Secret Recipe Club to find out how.