New Orleans Muffaletta Salad

I love anything New Orleans fare and the Muffaletta sandwich is no exception. Unfortunately, when you are following a Keto lifestyle, Muffaletta sandwiches, on big French rolls, are out of the question. Luckily, almost any sandwich can be made into a salad, and the Muffaletta is one of them that makes a great one.

It has a lot of ingredients, and involves a lot of chopping, but the end result is SO worth it! #ThisGirlLovesToEat

New Orleans Muffaletta Salad

First, whisk together your dressing so it can chill while you are prepping the salad. The dressing is a great one to have extra of for regular salads and even marinating chicken with, so I usually double or triple the recipe when I’m making this salad. So I can store the extra for easy use later, I use an OXO Good Grips Salad Dressing Shaker:

3 TBLS Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Clove Garlic, Crushed (I use 1 tsp jarred crushed garlic)
1/4 tsp Dried Oregano
1/4 tsp Dried Basil
Freshly Ground Salt & Pepper to taste

To create the salad, combine and toss the following in a large bowl:

1 Bag Romaine Lettuce (9 oz Size)
1 Stalk Celery, Chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, Chopped
1/2 Medium Red Onion, Finely Chopped
4 ounces sliced salami, chopped
4 ounces sliced Sopressata, chopped
4 ounces sliced Mortadella, chopped
4 ounces sliced Provolone cheese, chopped
1 (16-ounce) jar Giardiniera salad, drained and chopped
1/2 cup chopped Kalamata olives
6-8 pepperoncini, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Once your salad is prepared, drizzle all of the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly. Serve cold.

Nutrition Information (Serves 6 Main Course Servings):

Calories: 295 – Salad 158 – Dressing (453)
Fat: 22.5 – Salad 18 – Dressing (40.5)
Carbs: 5.5 – Salad 0 – Dressing (5.5)
Protein: 17 – Salad 0 – Dressing (17)

Cheesy Jalapeno Cauliflower Cakes

cheddarjalapenocaulicakes These little flavor bombs are #KetoFriendly and are a multi-meal side dish option. They can be a nice hot side to meat, savory stews, or even beside eggs for breakfast. You can even eat them cold, or at room temperature, beside a spicy bowl of chili!

Cheesy Jalapeño Cauliflower Cakes

2 Cups Riced Raw Cauliflower
1 Medium Jalapeño, chopped finely
2 Large Eggs, beaten
2 TBLS Melted Butter
1/3 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Cup Grated Gouda Cheese
1 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup coconut flour

Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease a 12 Cup muffin tin with olive oil spray and set aside.

Combine the cauliflower, egg, and jalapeno in a medium bowl.

Combine the grated cheeses and the rest of the dry ingredients, then stir into the cauliflower mixture.

Divide evenly between the 12 muffin cups and bake 30 minutes, or until tops are browned. Turn off the oven and leave cakes in the oven for another 30-45 minutes.

Store any uneaten cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Cheesy Green Chili Keto Breakfast Casserole

Steve-Swartz-1392x928_edited I’ve been Missing in Action for the past two weeks. My brother-in-law passed away unexpectedly and cooking has been the last thing on my mind. Eating however, has continued thanks to the wonderful people of the community of San Clemente, California. The San Clemente Sunrise Rotary and the neighbors in their Flora Vista community have kept meals on our table round the clock the entire two weeks. I have never been more thankful or humbled. The generosity and outpouring of support has been beyond anything I could have imagined, and I am so very grateful.

Very grateful and now 6 pounds heavier, LOL! They’ve brought so much comfort food, and what is comfort food typically made up of? Carbs…a Keto dieter’s biggest FOE! So, it’s time for this girl, who LOVES to eat, to get back on track.

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Cheesy Green Chile Keto Breakfast Casserole

8 Large Eggs
6 oz Trader Joe’s (or any brand) Shredded Swiss & Gruyère
8 oz Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 – 4 oz Can Mild Diced Green Chiles (Ortega or any brand)
2 TBLS Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour
1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Freshly Ground Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350° F, and butter the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 glass baking pan.

Using a whisk. combine 1/2 of your whipping cream with the flour in a large mixing bowl to make a thick paste, then whisk in the rest of your cream and your eggs and set aside.

Combine your cheeses and put about 1 Cup of it into the bottom of your buttered pan.

Evenly distribute the diced green chiles over the top of the cheese layer.

Give the egg mixture another quick whisk and pour over the top of the chile & cheese in the pan, then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the eggs are set in the center. Mine took about 29 minutes.

Allow the casserole to set about 5 minutes after removing from the oven then cut into 12 pieces. Serve as is or top with salsa and/or sour cream and chopped green onion or chives if desired. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Nutritional Information (12 Servings)

142 Calories
12 g Fat
<1 g Carbohydrates
8.5 g Protein

Air Fried Coconut Shrimp

You might be able to tell I’m obsessed with my air fryer. It’s so stinkin’ easy to use, clean up, and it’s great for healthy cooking! The best part of having the air fryer is that the possibilities with it are endless. All I’ve had to do so far is go to Google for recipe inspiration. Today’s ingredient: raw shrimp.

airfriedcoconutshrimp

Coconut Shrimp with Honey Lime Sauce

1/2 Cup Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour
1+1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 Large Eggs (I use Eggland’s Best)
2/3 Cup Unsweetened Flaked Coconut
1/3 Cup Panko Crumbs
24 Medium Peeled, Deveined Raw Shrimp, Tail-on
Olive Oil Cooking Spray
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Lime Juice
1 Serrano Chile, thinly sliced
2 tsp Chopped Fresh Cilantro (Optional)

Stir together flour and pepper in a shallow dish. Lightly beat eggs in a second shallow dish. Stir together coconut and Panko in a third shallow dish. Holding each shrimp by the tail, dredge shrimp in flour mixture, making sure not to coat tail; shake off excess. Dip in egg, allowing any excess to drip off. Dredge in coconut mixture, pressing to adhere. Coat shrimp well with cooking spray.

Place half of the shrimp in air fryer basket in a single layer, and cook at 400°F until golden, 6 to 8 minutes, turning shrimp over halfway through cooking. If you have larger shrimp it may take up to 10 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Repeat with remaining shrimp and salt.

While shrimp cook, whisk together honey, lime juice, and Serrano chile in small bowl. Sprinkle shrimp with cilantro, if desired. Serve with sauce. Note: If you are keeping to a Keto lifestyle, skip the honey based sauce and just squeeze a bit of lime juice on instead.

Serving size 6 shrimp. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Nutrition Information per serving (Shrimp only – no sauce): Calories 213 Fat 11 Carbs 9 Protein 14

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

Ham Wrapped Asparagus

asparaguswithhamaf2 Talking to friends, I have heard a lot of them losing hope as the months of their dieting, and slow movements on the scale, drag on. They’re getting bored with the foods they’re eating, or hate the foods that are promised to be the biggest help in losing weight, particularly eggs, on the #KetoDiet. As one who suffers occasional food boredom as well, I’ve been sharing some of my favorite #MakeAhead snacks and #GrabAndGo meals that make me less tempted to cheat.

Air Fryer Ham Wrapped Asparagus

8 Spears Fresh Asparagus, woody ends trimmed
4 Large Thin Slices Ham, sliced in half (I use Columbus Brand Apple wood Smoked Ham)
Olive Oil Spray
Freshly Ground Salt & Pepper

Lay asparagus spears in the basket of your air fryer and spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray. Shake the spears in the basket to make sure the spears are coated.
Season with salt and pepper and shake again before closing the air fryer.
Cook spears for 3 minutes at 400° F, and remove from basket.
Wrap each spear of asparagus with 1/2 piece of ham.
Place back in basket, seam side down and lightly spray again with olive oil spray.
Cook another 5-7 minutes at 400° F, shaking once in the middle of the time, until ham is lightly browned.
Remove spears from basket and serve warm with grained mustard, if desired.

This is a great appetizer, light lunch, or even breakfast. I love to make some of these and put them into the refrigerator to pack for a midday snack at the office! #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Crustless Veggie Quiche

One of the easiest ways to meal prep for the week is to throw a Quiche or two together while you are prepping other meals. A quiche can be breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It can be dinner on #MeatlessMonday or during #Lent, and is a great way to clean out your #Leftovers and veggie drawer once a week!

This week I had some tasty ingredients that gave me a hearty, flavorful pie that fed me all week.

Easy Crustless Veggie Quiche

5 Large Eggs
1/8 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 Cup Whole Milk
1 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Or any type you choose)
2 Cups Chopped Frozen Broccoli
1/4 Cup Chopped Onion
1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms (Any type)
2 Cups Fresh Greens (Any type I used Spinach)
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (If desired)

Preheat oven to 350° F and grease a 9 x 9 square baking pan or Quiche/pie pan generously with olive oil. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese to the bottom of the pan and set aside.

In a medium skillet, over medium-high heat, add 2 TBLS Olive Oil (I used garlic infused oil). Add onions and mushrooms and sauteé until onions are translucent and begin to soften a bit. Add the spinach, another TBLS of olive oil, and cook another 30 seconds or so, just until the spinach begins to wilt. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add broccoli and another TBLS of oil to the pan. Cook about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and scatter across the cheese layer in the prepared pan. Top the broccoli with the Spinach mixture, making sure to distribute evenly around the pan. Top with the remaining cheese.

In a medium bowl or large mixing cup, combine the eggs, milk, cream, salt & pepper. Whip thoroughly with a wire whisk.

Pour the egg mixture over the vegetable and cheese layers in the pan. Top with red pepper flakes, if desired. Put pan into preheated oven and cook for 40-45 minutes, or until center is set. Remove pan from oven and cool on a wire rack.

If eating immediately, slice into 8 wedges and serve warm. Suggested toppings:

Guacamole
Sour Cream
Chives, Cilantro, or Parsley
Sliced Avocado

If meal prepping, slice into 8 sections and put into a large container in the refrigerator to eat during the week. To reheat: Microwave a single portion on high for 30 seconds, top and enjoy! #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Quick Cream of Mushroom Soup

Every once in a while you just need a hearty, comforting bowl of soup, especially one that can be put on the table in under 30 minutes! The great thing about this soup is that it’s #LactoVegetarian and #KetoFriendly so you can keep it as a #GoToRecipe for when you are hosting friends or family who may be making those lifestyle choices.

Once you’ve seen how quick and easy this soup is to make, and how great it tastes, you’ll never stress about hosting Keto or Vegetarian friends for lunch or dinner again!

creamofmushroomsoup

Keto Cream of Mushroom Soup

24 oz Sliced Cremini Mushrooms (681 g)
4 TBLS Butter (1/4 Cup)
4 TBLS Olive Oil (1/4 Cup)
2 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
3 Green Onions (Scallions) Chopped – Reserve 2 TBLS for garnish
2 Cups Vegetable Stock
1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 Cup Brandy
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 Pieces Thick Cut Bacon (Cooked), Chopped – Leave out for Vegetarian
Sour Cream or Crème Fraîche (optional)

In a 5 qt Dutch oven, or large saucepan, heat the oil and butter until melted. Add the garlic and all but 2 TBLS of the chopped green part of the scallions to the pan. Sauté for about 3 minutes.

Add all of the mushrooms and stir to make sure they are well coated with the oil/butter. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, or until mushrooms have released their moisture and are softened. Add the vegetable stock and cook and stir for 5 minutes, or until soup reaches a boil.

Remove soup from heat and, using an immersion blender, process the soup until it reaches your desired consistency. I like mine to have pretty good texture, so I leave it kind of chunky. If you like it really smooth, you can process the mushroom/broth mixture in batches, in your Vitamix or blender and return the blended mixture to the pan. Make sure that you don’t over fill your blender container and watch your steam build up.

Once you’ve processed your soup, stir in your whipping cream and chopped, cooked bacon (if you’re not keeping it Vegetarian) and heat soup over low heat, but do not let it reach a boil. Stir in the brandy for the last minute of heating and then turn off heat. Keep covered until ready to serve. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Serving suggestions:

Top with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche
Top with chopped chives or scallions
Top with additional chopped bacon

Weekday Breakfast to Go

eggbitesbaconmushroom

Despite following a #KetoLifestyle, I am lazy about making myself a proper weekday breakfast. Before switching to the low-carb diet plan, I often ate oatmeal with berries, but, because that isn’t allowed on Keto, I’ve had to give that particular pleasure up. 😦

I need to do a better job of spacing my meals out, so I’m not starving by the time I finally eat a meal, so I’m diving into the craze I’ve heard about but never tried: pressure cooker egg bites. Once I looked at the recipes, I realized that they’re like a fluffy crustless quiche or hand held omelette, two things I love! Since I have the tools I need to make them: an electric pressure cooker and a silicone egg mold insert, there’s no excuse left for not giving them a try.

There are many different ways to make egg bites.

Pure Protein – featuring just eggs, or eggs and meat
Vegetarian – using an egg substitute and vegetables, tofu, vegetarian cheese, or other sources of protein
Combo – eggs, meat, cheese and veggies
Super Combo – eggs, meat, cheese, veggies, plus cottage or ricotta cheese

Pressure Cooker Egg Bites

6 Large Eggs
1 Cup Shredded Cheese – I used 1/2 Cup Sharp Cheddar & 1/2 Cup Pepper Jack
2 TBLS Finely Diced Onion
2 TBLS Finely Chopped Bacon
1/4 Cup Chopped Baby Bella Mushrooms (Or Fresh Spinach Stemmed, Rolled and Chopped)
1/4 Cup Yellow or Green Zucchini Diced (Or Bell Peppers)
1/4 tsp Oregano (if desired)
1/2 tsp Cajun Spice (if desired)
Freshly Ground Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Using olive oil spray, or olive oil and a paper towel, grease each individual cup of the egg bite mold.

In a pan, over medium heat, cook the bacon until browned, then add onion, mushrooms and zucchini and cook for about 3 minutes.

Whisk the eggs with your seasonings in a large measuring cup. Add the cooked vegetable mixture and cheese and stir well. Spoon or pour mixture into egg bite mold. It should fill all spots evenly to just below rim. Cover egg mold with foil.

Add 1 1/2 c water to pressure cooker. Put trivet inside and set egg bite mold onto the trivet. Close the lid and set machine to cook on high for 8 minutes and then allow to release naturally for 4 minutes. Immediately remove the egg bite mold and then remove the egg bites from the mold so that they do not sit in any water that has pooled in the bottom of the mold.

Eat immediately or cool sightly then store in a covered container in the refrigerator to reheat for later meals or snacks. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Nutrition Facts

Calories 109 Calories from Fat 63

Total Fat 7g

Saturated Fat 4g

Cholesterol 137mg

Sodium 208mg

Potassium 96mg

Total Carbohydrates 1g

Protein 7g

Vitamin A 14.6%

Vitamin C 15.1%

Calcium 12%

Iron 4.4%

Treat Week: Christmas Breakfast With A Sweet Keto Twist

pumpkinpancakes

Every year we go out for cocktails, then a five-course steakhouse meal with wine on Christmas Eve that rarely gets us home before midnight. Once we get home I prep #SantasGoodyPlate, pour him a tummy warmer of #KentuckysFinestBourbon, and finally, snuggle down with the labs in my jammies to watch The Pope lead #ChristmasEveMassAtTheVatican. Just a few hours later, my family insists I make a proper Christmas morning breakfast after we open gifts.

Usually that consists of eggs, spicy Italian sausage and cinnamon rolls or some other type of pastry, but I think this year I’ll slide in one of my weekday Keto breakfast go-tos instead. Once they pile on the butter and #MrsButterworths, they’ll never know the difference. 😉

Keto Pumpkin Pancakes

1/4 Cup Coconut Flour
4 Large Eggs (I use Eggland’s Best – 60 Calories each)
3/4 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1+1/2 tsp Liquid Stevia
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg

Whisk eggs in medium mixing bowl (or even better, in the bowl of your stand mixer) until frothy. Stir in the pumpkin puree and Stevia, then add the dry ingredients. Whisk until well incorporated.

**Note – Coconut flour sucks up more moisture than almond flour that you may be accustomed to using in Keto recipes – if you feel like your mixture is too dry: add a TBLS of water at a time and whisk thoroughly until you like the consistency.

Spoon onto hot griddle greased with butter, or coconut oil if you are using that as your fat. The batter will be thick but spreadable. You want your pancake to be 3 to 4 inches. Cook over medium heat until nice and brown on both sides. Makes 5 pancakes.

Butter and enjoy dusted with confectioners (powdered) Stevia or sugar free syrup if you need more sweetness.

Nutrition information per pancake:

111 Calories
4.55g Fat (2g Sat Fat)
140g Cholesterol
4.6g Carbohydrates
1.9g Fiber
2.1g Sugar
5.7g Protein

#ThisGirlLovesToEat

Baltimore Style Crab Cakes

When I am in the mood for crab but don’t want the mess & hassle of cracking shells and digging the meat out, nothing fits the bill like a crab cake. I’m not talking about a crab cake that’s mostly crappy breadcrumbs and other cheap fillers, I’m talking a cake filled with lush, sweet crab meat and little more.

The September 2018 Food & Wine Magazine features their 40 “Best Ever Recipes,” which lured me in with a luscious chocolate cake on the cover, but they hooked me with this recipe for crab cakes, nine pages from the back of the magazine on page 95!

Andrew Zimmern’s Baltimore Style Crab Cakes

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (See note below)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat, picked over
20 saltine crackers, finely crushed (See note below)
1/4 cup canola oil (See note below)
Lemon wedges, for serving

In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce until smooth.

In a medium bowl, lightly toss the crab meat with the cracker crumbs. Gently fold in the mayonnaise mixture. In Andrew Zimmern’s words, if you don’t over mix, and don’t pack your mounds too tightly, you will experience “pure, unadulterated crab cake heaven.” Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Scoop the crab mixture into eight 1/3-cup mounds; lightly pack into 8 patties, about 1+1/2 inches thick. In a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the crab cakes and cook over moderately high heat until deeply golden and heated through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the crab cakes to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

Tip 1: If you prefer, you can substitute 1 1/2 tsp yellow or spicy mustard and omit the Dijon mustard and hot sauce
Tip 2: You can substitute 1/2 cup Panko crumbs for the saltine crackers
Tip 3: You can substitute any lightweight oil for the canola oil. I prefer olive oil.
Tip 4: If you plan to serve these as appetizers you can scoop them with a small cookie scoop, a soup spoon or melon baller – depending on whether you want them to be a 1 or 2 bite app.
MAKE AHEAD Crab cakes can be prepared thru Step 2 & refrigerated overnight

The recipe as written serves 4 people 2 patties each alongside a peppery arugula salad topped with diced mango, pineapple & cucumbers with a squeeze of lemon juice & a tablespoon of vinaigrette dressing. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

This recipe was originally published in 2012, and also appears on Andrew Zimmern’s website. Food & Wine Magazine recommends pairing these crab cakes with a Muscadet. #GirlsGoneWine I’m not familiar with Muscadet, so I looked to my go to wine reference site, Wine Enthusiast, for an education on this brisk, lemony wine from the Loire Valley region of France. Wine enthusiast says the flavor profile of Muscadet wine can vary from very neutral to tangy and saline. Basic Muscadet wine is light in body and light in flavor, and may have a little spritz. Higher quality examples lean more towards a tangy saltiness and notes of flinty minerality, with a smooth texture and friendly, approachable nature. As for specific recommendation, here’s a very affordable option:

Bougrier Les Martinieres – This crisp, fruity white is an enjoyable accompaniment to shellfish and light appetizers. Its light sweetness adds richness to the light lemon, mineral and peach notes. Total Wine $10.99