Air Fried Skinny Bloomin’ Onion

outbackonion While there aren’t many of them left around near me, the worst part of going to Outback Restaurant was having to pass up their Blooming Onion because of the 155 whopping grams of fat and 123 grams of Carbs from the corn starch and flour they have in them from the deep frying. Thankfully there is a work around now that there’s the Dash air fryer, using this slimmed down recipe, that results in a total of 8 grams of fat and 10 grams of carbs per serving! That makes this a treat I can add to my #KetoLifestyle on occasion, which makes me very happy!

Air Fried Skinny Bloomin’ Onion

1 Large Sweet Onion (I use a Vidalia) about 1 Pound
6 ounces Beer or Seltzer
1+1/2 Cup Flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour Mix)
1 Egg
2 tsps Salt
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 TBLS Paprika
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Olive Oil Spray

Peel and cut your onion: 1. Cut off 1/2 inch from the pointy stem end of the onion, then peel. 2. Place the onion cut-side down. Starting 1/2 inch from the root, make a downward cut all the way through to the board. 3. Repeat to make four evenly spaced cuts around the onion. 4. Continue slicing between each section until you have 16 evenly spaced cuts. 5. Turn the onion over and use your fingers to gently separate the outer pieces.

In one bowl mix the beer, 1/2 cup of the flour, and the egg. In a second bowl mix the remaining flour and the seasonings.

Dip the onion in the beer batter first and be sure to get in between all of the petals, next dip the onion in the flour and spice mixture making sure that there is coverage in between every petal. I wear rubber gloves and use a separate hand for wet and dry.

Spray the entire onion with Olive Oil Cooking Spray and Air fry for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown and done in all of the crevices.

While the onion is cooking prepare the sauce. Combine:

2 TBLS Mayonnaise
2 TBLS Sour Cream
1+1/2 tsp Ketchup (I use sugar free ketchup)
1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 TBLS Drained Horseradish
1/4 tsp Paprika
Pinch Cayenne Pepper
Freshly Ground Salt & Pepper to taste

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve the onion piping hot with the sauce. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Avocado Fries II

When you get a new #KitchenToy, like the 6 qt, 1700 Watt #DashDeluxeAirFryer you experiment. My husband said he loved the recipe last week for Air Fried Avocado Fries, but he drenched them in Spicy Ranch dressing, so I’m not sure if he was being objective, and the amount of salt from the almond flour in the main breading component just wasn’t doing it for me, so I decided to give them another shot. This version wasn’t as heavy, or as salty, and, I think, much better suited to the buttery freshness of the avocado.

Air Fryer Avocado Fries II

2 Medium Avocados
2 TBLS Coconut Flour
2 Large Eggs
3 TBLS Extra Fine Almond Flour
2/3 Cup Crushed Pork Rinds (Any Flavor) I used 4505 Cracklins BBQ

Using a rolling pin, meat tenderizer, or even a rubber mallet from the garage, crush your pork rinds (TIP: I leave them in their bag or use a paper/zip bag to avoid a big mess) until they resemble coarse crumbs. Using a fork, combine with the almond flour in a shallow dish.

Put the coconut flour in a zip bag or shallow bowl. In a separate bowl lightly beat the eggs.

Slice the avocado in half, remove from the shell, remove seed and slice each half into 4 portions.

Dip each slice in the egg wash then immediately coat with the crumb mixture. Lay in a single layer in the basket of your air fryer.

Set the temperature to 400° F and set your timer for 8 minutes of cooking time. Open the drawer at with 1 minute remaining, and, depending on the thickness of your slices, you may want to add 1-2 minutes if you want them crispier/browner. When your slices have reached your desired shade of brown, remove the basket from your Air Fryer and immediately move them to a serving dish. I served with Hidden Valley Spicy Ranch dressing, which has only 2 grams of carbs per 2 TBLS serving, making this a perfect #KetoFriendly treat! #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Changing over to a Keto focused diet has meant embracing some foods that I wasn’t a fan of out of necessity, like cauliflower. But, not having been a prior fan of anything cauliflower related, it’s been a journey making cauliflower my friend.

To be completely honest, without mass quantities of Frank’s Red Hot, Butter, Zatarain’s Creole Seasoning, Pesto Sauce, Cheese Sauce or any version of Queso, and plain old Salt & Pepper, I would likely still be struggling with it…

I’ve had buffalo cauliflower at restaurants but never been able to replicate it at home using my oven. It has either come out overcooked or soggy. Major fail! Now that I have jumped on the #Airfryer bandwagon, I have finally managed to create a recipe at home that I’d actually serve people I like. 😉

Air Fried Buffalo Caulifower Bites

Medium Head Cauliflower OR 1 Bag Fresh Cauliflower Florets
2 tsp Dried Cilantro
2 TBLS (or more to taste) Frank’s Red Hot or other Hot Sauce
2 TBLS Butter, melted

Either cut the head of cauliflower into florets or empty your bag into a medium sized bowl. Sprinkle the cilantro over the cauliflower and stir with a rubber spatula to make sure it’s evenly distributed.

Mix the Franks (or other hot sauce) and butter until well combined and pour over the cauliflower. Toss to coat the cauliflower.

Spray or brush the basket of your air fryer with olive oil.

Pour the cauliflower into the basket and close the drawer of the air fryer. Set to 400° F and set the timer to cook for 18-20 minutes, depending on how much cauliflower you have. Shake your basket every 4 minutes. If, at the end of your cooking time your cauliflower isn’t as browned as you want it (I like mine to be browned at the edges), add some more time in increments of 2 minutes.

Serve with low carb ranch dressing and carrot & celery sticks if desired. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Air Fried Avocado Fries

I bought another #KitchenToy and now have a whole new way to cook healthy meals. Last week Amazon delivered a 6 quart, 1700 Watt, #DashDeluxeAirFryer to my front porch, and my avocados have finally ripened enough to give it a test run! I’m not sure why, maybe because it was a killer #LightningDeal, but I bought the biggest one they make. I hope I use it enough to justify giving up my storage space for it, it’s HUGE!

Air Fryer Avocado Fries

2 Medium Avocados
2 Large Eggs
1/2 Cup Almond Flour (I use regular, not finely ground)
1/2 Cup Crushed Pork Rinds (Any Flavor) I like 4505 Cracklins Spicy Green Chili & Lime
1/2 Cup Grated Paramesan Cheese (I like to use a 3 cheese blend of Asiago/Parmesan/Fontina)
1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Using a chopper, food processor, or your Vitamix, crush your pork rinds until they resemble coarse crumbs. Combine with the flour and cheese.

In a separate bowl lightly beat the eggs.

Slice the avocado in half, remove from the shell, remove seed and slice each half into 4 portions.

Dip each slice in the egg wash then immediately coat with the crumb mixture. Lay in a single layer in the basket of your air fryer.

Set the temperature to 400° F, set your timer for 10 minutes and cook for 5 of the 10 minutes. Open the drawer at 5 minutes and flip the slices over then continue cooking to the end. I served with a low carb spicy ranch dressing. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Air Fried Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

buffalochickenmeatballs2 After my first Dash Air Fryer test with the avocado fries didn’t bomb, I moved on to the scary territory of chicken. Chicken can be hard to cook because you need to monitor the temperature very closely. It has to be cooked enough so you don’t get sick, but if you cook it too much it turns into a rubbery or dry mess. The out of sight, cook in a drawer without benefit of monitoring with a meat thermometer, method was a little bit daunting. It turns out I had no reason to fear.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

1+1/2 Pounds Ground Chicken Thigh
1 Egg beaten
1 Green Onion chopped
1 Stalk Celery, finely chopped
2 +1/2 TBLS Almond Flour (not finely ground)
2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Onion Powder
2 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Ground Black Pepper.
1 tsp Salt
1 – 1+1/2 Cups Buffalo Wing Sauce (I like Frank’s Red Hot)

Layout a sheet of waxed paper on your counter.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, minus the buffalo sauce. Mix well using your hands. Mixture will be sticky, I wear disposable gloves.

Roll mixture into about 2″ balls and layout on the wax paper until all of the meat is formed into balls.

Remove the air fryer basket and grease or spray it lightly with olive oil. Place a single layer of the meatballs into the basket, put it into the air fryer, set the temperature to 400° F and cook for 13 minutes. When cooking is complete check your meatballs to make sure they are evenly browned all the way around. If they aren’t, add another 2 minutes time and finish cooking the meatballs.

buffalochickenmeatballs

When time is done, immediately remove the meatballs from the basket to a serving dish and drizzle with the sauce or put the meatballs into a bowl with a lid and toss the meatballs with the sauce to cover them completely in the sauce. Serve with low carb ranch dressing and carrot & celery sticks if desired. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Crustless BBQ Chicken Quiche

A hearty, meat-filled quiche can be breakfast, lunch, or dinner. If you skip the meat, it’s a great main course on #MeatlessMonday or during #Lent, and is a perfect way to use up #Leftovers!

This week I made more chicken thighs than we could eat, so they became the star of this spicy main dish pie! I served it alongside a peppery arugula salad and a big glass of #WesterlyWines Côte Blonde Syrah.

Easy Crustless BBQ Chicken 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 Cooked Chicken Thighs
1/4 Cup Chopped Onion
1/2 Cup Sliced Mushrooms (Any type)
1/2 – 6 oz Can Diced Green Peppers or Jalapeños (If desired)
2 Cups Fresh Greens (Any type I used Spinach)
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 TBLS Low Carb BBQ Sauce (I use Stone Brewing Arrogant Bastard)

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, jalapeños, 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 chopped chicken thighs to the pan. Stir in the BBQ sauce and cook about 2 minutes. Remove from pan and scatter across the cheese layer in the prepared pan. Top the chicken 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. 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
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

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

Buffalo Shrimp Lettuce Boats

I just ate my first true #CheatMeal since going Keto 4 months ago. 3 huge, luscious, cheesy, hand tossed pieces of pizza from my favorite neighborhood pizza place, #NorthwoodPizza. I loved all 3 of them but I couldn’t feel any worse about myself right now. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

I don’t feel bad about myself for eating the pizza. I wanted it so I ate it. I feel bad about myself because I’ve reprogrammed my body to not overeat carbs and now my body feels awful. I’m bloated, I have a stomach ache and my digestion is all out of whack. Tonight just proves Keto is working for me. It’s time to go right back to adapting my favorite cheats so they work FOR my body, not against it.

One of my very favorite meals is deep fried buffalo shrimp eaten alone or in tacos. My take on this recipe, from Delish, allows me to get my buffalo shrimp fix without destroying my diet goals or the improved way my body functions and feels.

Buffalo Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

1 TBLS Butter
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 Cup Hot Sauce, I prefer Frank’s Red Hot
1 TBLS Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Pound Shrimp, peeled & deveined with tails removed
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Head Romaine, leaves separated
1/2 Small Red Onion, finely chopped
1 Rib Celery, finely chopped
1/2 Cup Blue Cheese, crumbled
1/2 Ripe Avocado Chopped (optional)
Ranch Dressing (optional)

Make buffalo sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. When melted completely, add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add hot sauce and stir to combine. Turn heat to low while you cook the shrimp.
Make shrimp: In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Cook, flipping halfway, until pink and opaque on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Turn off heat and add the buffalo sauce, tossing to coat.
Assemble wraps: Add a small scoop of shrimp to the center of a romaine leaf, then top with red onion, celery, avocado (if desired), and blue cheese. Drizzle with additional Hot Sauce and Ranch Dressing if desired.

Dessert Wine Pairings

dessertwines

It’s no secret that I love food and wine, but even I have to admit that sometimes the wine you drink with dinner may not be the same wine that you want to keep drinking when it comes time for dessert. #GirlsGoneWine

Generally, it’s not a bad idea to follow the rule: the darker the dessert the darker the wine. If you don’t feel secure with a rule that is so non-specific, there are a few other taste guidelines according to the different dessert types:

Custard and Vanilla
Fruit and Spice
Caramels and Chocolate

Custard and Vanilla

When your dessert is based around the light, mild, buttery flavors found in most custard based desserts you want your wines to have the same basic flavor profiles. So, if you are serving a vanilla custard, pudding, flan, crème brûlée, tart or pie, you’ll want to serve a white wine like a late-harvest Riesling, or a sparkling wine like an Asti Spumanti or demi-sec Champagne. This Vanilla Crème Brûlée from The New York Times is #FastAndEasy and needs only 5 ingredients!

Vanilla Crème Brûlée

2 cups heavy or light cream, or half-and-half
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
5 egg yolks
½ cup sugar, more for topping

Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a saucepan, combine cream, vanilla bean and salt and cook over low heat just until hot. Let sit for a few minutes, then discard vanilla bean. (If using vanilla extract, add it now.)

In a bowl, beat yolks and sugar together until light. Stir about a quarter of the cream into this mixture, then pour sugar-egg mixture into cream and stir. Pour into four 6-ounce ramekins and place ramekins in a baking dish; fill dish with boiling water halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until centers are barely set. Cool completely. Refrigerate for several hours and up to a couple of days.

When ready to serve, top each custard with about a teaspoon of sugar in a thin layer. Place ramekins in a broiler 2 to 3 inches from heat source. Turn on broiler. Cook until sugar melts and browns or even blackens a bit, about 5 minutes. Serve within two hours.

Most crème brûlée recipes need a torch, but this one is simpler & safer: it uses your oven’s broiler to get the crackly top.

**TIP: Make sure the custard sets for several hours in the refrigerator before brûléeing the top so you don’t end up with soupy custard.

Fruit and Spice

When your dessert is fruit based with a spicy profile, like those with apple, pear, pumpkin or cinnamon in them, you’ll want to lean toward white wines that have more character to them. In this case you’ll want to consider Pink or Rosé Champagne, Sauternes, or late-harvest Gewirtztraminer.

Caramels and Chocolates

When your dessert is rich and full of any of the flavors across the chocolate spectrum turtlebrownies1 (except white chocolate) or has the gooey richness of caramel’s toffee goodness, then the wines you’re looking for will be Red. Late-harvest Pinot Noir, Banyuls, Grenache, Australian Shiraz, Port (the classic chocolate pairing), and Grappa all are excellent pairings for these rich dessert choices. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Kumquat Margaritas

Kumquat-Margaritas

We have a Kumquat tree in our backyard and I honestly never know what to do with them! Now I do. As they say about lemons, when life gives them to you, make lemonade…well, apparently kumquats and tequila are a thing too! Who knew?

Kumquat Margaritas

1 Pint Kumquats (About 40)
2 Medium Limes
1 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Sugar
3/4 Cup Silver Tequila
1/4 Cup Grand Marnier
3 Cups Crushed Ice
3 TBLS Kosher Salt
4 wedges of lime (for serving)

Pressing down, roll the limes on your counter, or a cutting board, to release the juice. Cut your limes in half, remove the seeds, and put 3 of the halves in your blender container. Cut the remaining half in half again, then use the wedges to wet the rims of your margarita or old fashioned glasses, dip the rims in the salt, and set aside. Drop the lime wedges into the blender container. Slice the kumquats in half, remove the seeds, and add them to the blender container. Add water to the blender and puree until mostly smooth.

Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a medium saucepan, pressing the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard skins and pulp. Add sugar and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and syrupy, 20-25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes, then refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.

Mix tequila and Grand Marnier with 1/3 Cup of the kumquat reduction. Serve over crushed ice in the salt rimmed glasses with a wedge of lime. Makes 3 Drinks (about 2/3 Cup each) #ThisGirlLovesToEat