Italian Sausage Burgers with Garlicky Spinach

Italian-Sausage Burgers with Garlicky Spinach I love a big, juicy cheeseburger but they can get boring after a while. This recipe is one that will definitely take away the boredom and might even be one that I can whip out at a tailgate this football season to change it up a bit!

This can easily be #KetoFriendly by eliminating the ciabatta roll and eating with a knife & fork on top of the spinach. #ThisGirlLovesToEat but this girl loves her skinny jeans too!

Italian Sausage Burgers with Garlicky Spinach

10 ounces baby spinach
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
Salt
1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausages (or a combination of both), casings removed
4 slices of provolone cheese
1/4 cup sun-dried-tomato pesto
4 round ciabatta rolls, split and toasted (If you’re Keto, skip the rolls)

In a large skillet, bring 1/4 inch of water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until just wilted, about 1 minute; drain and press out as much water as possible. Wipe out the skillet.

In the same skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil until shimmering. Add the garlic and anchovy paste and cook over high heat, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the spinach, season with salt and stir just until coated, about 10 seconds.

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Using slightly moistened hands, form the sausage meat into four 4-inch patties, about 3/4 inch thick. Brush the burgers with oil and grill over moderate heat until browned and crusty on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Carefully flip the burgers. Top with the cheese and grill until the burgers are cooked through and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes longer. Spread the pesto on the rolls. Top with the burgers and spinach and serve.

These burgers would be great paired with a fruit forward zinfandel like a 2015 Sextant Zinfandel Holystone out of Paso Robles, CA or an Artezin 2016 Old Vine Family Farmed Sustainable Zinfandel out of Mendocino County, CA. #GirlsGoneWine

Dreamy Creamy Mustard Chicken

Anyone who thinks living a #KetoLifestyle or following a #KetoDiet to lose weight has to be boring and consists only of mass quantities of cheese, bacon, and butter, couldn’t possibly be more wrong!

This chicken thigh recipe, adapted from one featured on The Food Network by Ina Garten, has every component of Keto covered (High Protein, Moderate/High Fat, Low Carb) with flavor to spare! Served alongside a pile of arugula & spinach tossed with lemon juice, olive oil, cracked black pepper & shaved Parmesan and a mound of creamy ricotta mashed cauliflower, it’s certainly far from boring! #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Chicken Thighs in Creamy Mustard Sauce

6 Medium – Large Chicken Thighs (about 2 pounds)
Freshly Ground Himalayan Pink Sea Salt & Black Pepper
Garlic Infused Olive Oil
1 Medium Yellow Onion, cut in half & sliced thin
1/4 Cup + 2 TBLS Dry White Wine (I used an open bottle of Chardonnay)
8 Ounces Crème Fraîche
1 TBLS Dijon Mustard
2 tsp Whole-Grain Mustard
1 TBLS Chopped Fresh Parsley

Liberally season both sides of the chicken with the sea salt and pepper.

Heat 2 TBLS garlic olive oil over medium heat, in either a 10-12″ cast-iron pan or stove top dutch oven. I used a 5.75 qt Le Creuset dutch oven. When the oil is hot, place the chicken in the pan in one layer, skin side down. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes without moving, until the skin is golden brown. If skin gets too brown before the cooking time is up, lower the heat slightly.

Turn the chicken, add the onions to the pan, it’s ok to add some under the chicken, and cook over medium heat for another 15 minutes, stirring the onions occasionally, until the thighs are cooked to 155 to 160 degrees and the onions are browned. Transfer the chicken (not the onions) to a plate and allow to rest uncovered while you make the sauce. If the onions aren’t browned, cook them for another minute. TIP: I took the chicken and moved it to a smaller dutch oven so that I could make this before the sides and keep it warm with the lid until it was time to serve.

In a 2 Cup bowl/mixing cup, stir together the mustards, Crème Fraîche, and 2 TBLS of the wine. Set aside.

If you have an excess of chicken skin and/or onions that burned or stuck to the pan during the browning stage, deglaze the pan with the 1/4 Cup of white wine. Scrape up only any burned bits and scoop them, with the tainted wine, out of the pan and discard. Add the sauce ingredients to the pan, making sure to use a rubber spatula to get all of the flavor into the pan.

Cook and stir about 2 minutes, over medium heat, then immediately pour over the chicken you’ve moved to your smaller dutch oven OR return the chicken and the juices that settled back into the pan. Cover until ready to serve. Spoon sauce over chicken and sprinkle with chopped parsley when plating, if desired.

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The Wonders of Keto Cocktails

Woman (and) man cannot live on low carb food alone! This woman needs, what my daddy used to call, a 5 O’Clocker when the stressful day is through. Be it a lovely glass of red wine, a bubbly glass of Champagne, or a down and dirty cocktail, there is just something comforting about that time when I finally get to sit and pet my labs while I throw off the stresses and worries of the day.

vanillaoldfashioned

Thankfully, there’s no reason I have to ruin my diet while doing so. There are no carbs in a 1+1/2 ounce pour of straight spirits like whiskey, rum, and vodka; a 5 ounce glass of red wine has 2.5 grams of carbs, and the drinks below, adapted from Lowcarb-ology, have 0-3 grams of carbs, so those of us who actively participate in the #KetoLifestyle can imbibe guiltlessly, as long as we also remember that frequent consumption of alcohol while dieting can stall weight loss (if that is our goal).

Vanilla Old Fashioned

1″ piece of orange peel
1″ vanilla bean, split in half
2 ounces good quality bourbon (I prefer Maker’s Mark/Maker’s 46)
1 tsp sugar free vanilla syrup (I use Torani)
Club Soda or Zevia sparkling water mandarin orange (I get it at Whole Foods) – optional

Rub the inner part of the orange peel around the inside and rim of the glass, then muddle the peel and vanilla bean at the bottom of the glass.

Add the bourbon and vanilla syrup. Stir, add a single globe or block cube of ice (for slow melting) & top with an ounce of club soda (give a quick stir) if desired. 130 Calories / 0 Carbs

Arctic Mule

1 ounce Pineapple Vodka (I like Skyy Infusions Pineapple)
2 ounces Vodka (Grey Goose is my preference)
1 drop peppermint oil (it needs to be for ingestion) or 1 ounce sugar free Torani peppermint syrup (optional but for the minty taste, you need one or the other)
1-2 drops blue food color or, if you have it, you can use blue zero calorie water enhancing drops like Zio blue
1 tsp lime juice
6 ounces sugar free ginger beer (I like 0 carb/0 calorie Zevia – I found it on Amazon)

Add all ingredients, except the ginger beer) to a shaker with ice and shake until well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice, top with ginger beer and garnish with a wedge of lime & sprig of peppermint. 194 Calories / 0 Carbs

And, as always, my #MomReminder, anyone who drinks alcoholic beverages please do so responsibly. Always designate a sober driver, pre-schedule the very inexpensive option of Uber or take a taxi. #DontDrinkAndDrive.

Low-Carb Coconut Macaroons

I’m a total carb girl, which is why I need to go Keto occasionally to make my jeans less tight, but my carbs of choice trend toward the savory: breads, chips, and salty snacks. But, even a #SaltyGirl needs something sweet & #KetoFriendly once in a while. 😉 #ThisGirlLovesToEat

coconutmacaroons

Chocolate Drizzled Low-Carb Coconut Macaroons

2 Large Egg Whites (Cold)
1 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Granulated Stevia Sweetener (like Swerve)
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
2 Cups (loosely packed) Baker’s Sweetened Shredded Coconut
1/4 Cup Sugar Free Chocolate Chips (I use Hershey’s)
1/2 tsp Crisco Solid Shortening

**Note – Because the coconut is sweetened, you can cut the amount of the sweetener down to 1 or 2 TBLS.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add your egg whites and lemon juice to your stand mixer bowl (with the wire whip attached). Beat the egg whites until medium-stiff peaks form. Make sure you beat the whites until they barely move in the bowl if you shake it – it makes a difference in the end result of your cookies. Gradually add the sweetener, sea salt, and vanilla while continuing to beat at medium-high speed.

Gently fold in the coconut a little bit at a time. Be careful not to break down the whites, you want a fluffy batter. Caution: Your cookies will spread out if you break down your egg whites too much. They’ll taste the same but be flatter and take less time to cook.

Use a medium (About 1 TBLS) cookie scoop to drop the batter onto the lined pan. I got 15 cookies from my mixture.

Baker for 20 minutes, or until a nice golden brown around the edges and tops of the cookies. Remove from the oven and leave sitting on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes then move to wire rack to cool.

Melt chocolate chips (with the shortening) in a small bowl or mug in the microwave, in increments of 30 seconds on high until smooth enough to drizzle. I use a fork to drizzle lightly across the cookies then move them to a plate to finish cooling in the refrigerator so the chocolate is completely set before serving.

Cookies can be stored in a sealed container on a cool counter for a few days, the refrigerator (if they last) for about 10 days, and can be frozen for longer term storage.

Nutrition Information Per Cookie:

Calories – 65
Fat – 3.75 g
Sat Fat – 2.93 g
Sodium – 31.33 mg
Carbs – 2.66 g
Protein – .53 g

Oven Bacon Wrapped Omelettes

FinalProduct

When I don’t have the time to pull the pressure cooker out, and want to make more than the 7 egg bites that my silicone insert allows, I turn to my oven to make a big batch of breakfasts for the week. Prep is quick and cleanup is a breeze.

Prepared as is, this breakfast is #KetoFriendly. Take out the cheese and it becomes #PaleoPerfect.

Oven Bacon Wrapped Omelettes

10 – 12 Pieces of Thick Cut Bacon (I buy mine at the meat counter – it’s less expensive, meatier and thicker)
11 Large Eggs
1/3 Cup Chopped Bell Pepper
1/2 Cup Shredded Cheese (Any Type)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cut your raw bacon so your strips just overlap at the edges when you line each muffin cups. I use the small cut pieces to fill in any spots where pieces are short. Divide the bell pepper and cheese evenly between the 12 muffin cups.

In a large bowl or 8 cup measuring cup, crack open your eggs and whip them up. Add salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture evenly between the muffin cups – fill just below the level of the bacon – you don’t want them to overflow when they cook.

Put your muffin tin on a cookie sheet and put into the oven. You want to make sure that any bacon grease that may drip doesn’t end up in your oven. Bake for 20 minutes.

Step3

Remove from oven then immediately use a knife to slide around the edges of each cup to loosen the edges. Remove each omelette to drain off the grease on a cooling rack with a paper towel on top, set on a baking pan.

Step4

Store uneaten omelettes in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Easily reheats in the microwave for quick hot breakfasts all week. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Nutrition Information Per Omelette:

Calories 197
Fat 15 g
Protein 14 g
Cholesterol 22.5 mg
Carbohydrates < 1 mg

Fiery Spinach Artichoke Dip

chileartichokedipporkrinds A friend complained that she was spending #SuperBowlSunday at the home of someone who “only eats Keto,” like that was a fate worse than death for her snack choices during the game. To me that sounded like heaven. She had no idea what to bring, so I suggested she bring this #KetoFriendly dip with plenty of celery sticks and a couple of bags of 4505 pork rinds and she’d be the hit of the party. I haven’t talked to her today, but she didn’t end up beside me on my couch, so I assume she wasn’t booted from the party. 😉

Fiery Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 TBLS Butter
1 – 4 oz Can Diced Chiles (Any type and heat level) I used Mild Green Chiles today.
3/4 Cup Chopped Green Onion (white and green parts)
3 Cups Fresh Spinach, chopped
1 – 14 oz Can Artichoke Hearts (in water) drained & chopped
8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Paprika
1/8 tsp Cumin
1 Clove Garlic, finely chopped
3/4 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
3/4 Cup Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease an 8×8 baking pan with butter. Combine the shredded cheeses in a bowl and set aside.

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add green onions to the butter and saute for 2-3 minutes then add the diced peppers. Cook another 2 minutes then layer the spinach on top (do not stir in) and continue cooking another 2 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and garlic to the pan and stir to combine the vegetables and spices thoroughly. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine chopped artichokes, cream cheese, and mayonnaise, and mix. Stir in the vegetable mixture from the pan and 1 Cup of the combined shredded cheese (reserve 1/2 cup to sprinkle on top). Stir until completely combined.

Pour mixture in the greased baking dish and spread evenly. Top with remaining cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve warm with zero carb pork rinds or low net carb veggies like cucumber slices, celery sticks, florets o broccoli or cauliflower, or slices of bell pepper!

This dip also doubles as a great topping for chicken breasts, pork chops, and even steak! I’ve even rolled it into slices of deli turkey breast, I’ve had sliced extra thick, for a different take on lunch. Let me know what you think or how you make it your own! #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Sweet Holiday Gifts From Your Kitchen – They’ll Never Know They’re Keto!

trufflebox Once we get into December the invitations to holiday celebrations, cookie exchanges, progressive dinners, cocktail parties, office parties, and the like start rolling in and that means there will be many times you’ll need to bring a dish, a treat, or hostess gift.

It’s easy to go with a stand by recipe full of sugar and all of the ingredients that many are trying to consciously avoid, myself included, but wouldn’t it be fun to be the person who brings the treat that secretly isn’t quite as #badforthehips as all the others? Here’s one that’ll let you tuck that secret into a hidden recipe card as the real #giftthatkeepsgiving:

Chocolate Mint Truffles

2 large room temperature eggs
1 stick softened butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 drops (safe to ingest) peppermint essential oil OR 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
10 drops liquid Stevia
1/3 cup granulated Stevia (Swerve or the like)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Hershey’s)
2 TBLS coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream butter and both sweeteners until light & fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and peppermint. Beat again until well incorporated. Add coconut flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until a dough forms.
Spread dough out onto your lined cookie sheet. It should be about 1/2″ thick. Bake for 15 mins or until set up and starting to get firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Once cookie has cooled, break into chunks and put into your food processor. Pulse until cookie is well crumbled.
In the cleaned out bowl of your stand mixer, put 8 oz block of softened cream cheese and the crumbs from your cookie. Using the paddle attachment, stir until cream cheese and crumbs form a sticky dough.
Roll dough into about 3/4″ balls and put onto wax paper lined cookie sheet. When all of the dough is rolled, put into the refrigerator for about 15 minutes while you prepare the chocolate coating.
In a 2 to 4 Cup, microwave safe, Pyrex (glass) measuring cup, combine 2 TBLS Heavy Whipping Cream and 1-12oz bag of Hershey’s Sugar Free Chocolate Chips. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds at a time until melted. Stir between each 30 seconds until chocolate chips are melted.
Dip each truffle into the melted chocolate and put back on the cookie sheet. Sprinkle with colored sugar free cookie/candy sprinkles if desired. Refrigerate until chocolate sets. Store in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container between layers of waxed paper. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

You should be able to make 24 truffles and the nutrition information for each is:

Calories: 109
Fat: 10.45g (Sat fat 6.5g)
Net Carbs: 2.5g
Protein: 2g

Peppermint Mocha Latte – Keto Friendly

starbuckPMLatte I love my Starbucks® and my normal latte is #KetoFriendly, but once the holiday peppermint drinks come out it’s really hard to stay away. Instead I experimented in my kitchen until I got close enough to not feel completely deprived.

Keto Peppermint Mocha Latte

2 – Medium to Bold K-Cup Coffee Pods (Brewed so you have 20 oz of coffee) OR 2+1/2 Cups Bold Brewed Coffee
1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Cup Whole Milk
2 tsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/4 tsp Stevia® Liquid Sweetener
1/4 tsp Pure Peppermint Extract OR 1-2 drops #SafeToIngest Peppermint Essential Oil
1 Square (about 1/2 oz) Bittersweet 70% Dark Chocolate
Canned Whipped Cream (If Drinking as a Mocha)

peppermintmochalatte

To drink as a Mocha: In a small saucepan, combine the brewed coffee, the whipping cream, the milk, and the cocoa powder. Stir until the powder is incorporated. Add the square of chocolate and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in the Stevia® and peppermint. Divide evenly between 2 oversized coffee mugs that hold at least 16 ounces and top with whipped cream.

To drink as a Latte: In a small saucepan, combine the brewed coffee, the whipping cream, and the cocoa powder. Stir until the powder is incorporated. Add the square of chocolate and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in the Stevia® and peppermint. Divide evenly between 2 oversized coffee mugs that hold at least 16 ounces.

I have an easy to clean milk steamer that foams as well, but if you don’t there is a very easy solution that I found online: Place the cup of milk in a microwave-safe 2 1/2 cup container with a lid. Shake vigorously for 1 minute or until milk is frothy and doubled in volume. Remove lid; microwave milk at HIGH for 30 seconds. Top each coffee cup with a dollop of milk froth. Divide any remaining hot milk evenly between the cups.

**TIP You can make this recipe as fat or thin as you want it based on the milk you choose. If you don’t need as much fat for your day you can eliminate the whipping cream and use Whole or 2% milk instead.

#ThisGirlLovesToEat

Chicken Saltimbocca with White Wine Sauce

Very reluctantly, I’m back from my week of culinary indulgence. I gorged myself while sipping on every delectable wine I could in Napa and Paso Robles, so it’s back to the kitchen (& the gym) I go.

I adore veal saltimbocca, but have greatly cut back my intake of red meat, even the lighter pink/milky white young beef that is veal. With this recipe, I’ve kept the flavors, cut some of the fat by using a lean chicken breast, and even snuck in some vegetables.

Some saltimbocca ([saltimˈbokka]; Italian for jumps in the mouth) recipes are fried in olive oil and rely only on pan drippings for their sauce, which I find to be too dry, while others are covered in a heavy creamy – lemony sauce. I like to use a combination of the preparation methods and a make a lighter wine based sauce with just a kiss of lemon and cream to make the whole dish a little less guilt-inducing. #GirlsGoneWine

Chicken Saltimbocca with White Wine Sauce

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 oz each)
4-8 thin slices of Prosciutto ham
10 oz package frozen chopped spinach
16 whole leaves fresh sage
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3 TBLS olive oil
1 TBLS all-purpose flour (use finely ground almond flour for keto)
5 ounces artichoke hearts, quartered
1/2 ounce capers
1/2 cup dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 TBLS butter
2 TBLS fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
freshly ground salt and pepper

Pound the chicken breasts to flatten so they are all roughly the same thickness (3/8 to 1/2 inch). Lightly salt and pepper.
Squeeze the thawed, frozen spinach to remove the excess water. In a small bowl, toss the spinach with salt & pepper and 1 tablespoon of oil to coat.
Sprinkle flour on one side of first chicken breast and place flat on your work surface.
On one half of the unfloured side of the chicken, spread 1/4 of the spinach in an even, thin layer. Sprinkle 1/4 of the Parmesan cheese over the spinach and fold the empty side of the chicken over the filled side.
Wrap the sliced Prosciutto around the floured side of the chicken, placing leaves of sage between the chicken and the ham as shown.
Follow same steps with remaining chicken breasts until all 4 are ready to cook.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
Add the butter. When it melts add the wine and lemon juice and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
Add the cream, chicken broth, artichoke hearts and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Prepare your Angel Hair pasta while the chicken is simmering.
Remove the chicken & artichoke heart pieces from the pan and cover to keep warm.
Simmer the cooking liquid over high heat until it is reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 5 minutes. Season the cooking liquid with salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve the chicken breasts on a bed of Angel Hair pasta topped with the reduced sauce and garnish with capers if desired.

Enjoy with a chilled glass of the wine you used to make the sauce. #ThisGirlLovesToEat