Category Archives: Vegetables & Salads

Main Dish, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads, Vegetarian

Summer Harvest Cauli-Risotto Is Amazing

After four years of making cauliflower pretend to be something it isn’t, I am still in awe of all the things you can make using this wonderful vegetable to substitute.  One of its applications is to reduce it to rice-sized pieces in a food processor (or by hand with a grater) and use it nearly anywhere that you use rice.  I have used it for Spanish Cauli-rice, a Basic Cauli-rice and with an Asparagus Cauli- Risotto.  All of them are great.

This adapted risotto recipe is also outstanding.  I don’t know why I don’t make risottos more often.  The flavor is wonderful and it isn’t too difficult, just takes a little longer to get all the liquid absorbed into the cauli-rice.  Unlike rice risotto, the cauliflower doesn’t expand as it absorbs liquid, so while it does puff a little and soften as you cook it, it doesn’t use as much liquid as rice does.

The other vegetable that contributes to the deception in this dish is daikon radish.  You’ve probably seen it at the grocery store.  It’s that long, white 3 or 4 inch in diameter root that may have puzzled you.  It has a slight peppery taste, but is otherwise very mild.  It works well in cauli-rice recipes and is great when grated and fried for hash browns.  You can also make fries out of it or simply cut or shred to add it raw to a salad.  Very versatile!

Summer Harvest Cauli-Risotto

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 cups riced cauliflower
1 cup riced daikon radish
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
2 1/2 cups hot water
Salt and black pepper
1/2 cup snow peas or 1 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (small dice)
1/4 cup Mushrooms, chopped (optional)
2 green onions, chopped (white and green parts)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10-12 basil leaves, torn up small
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

 Bring the water to a simmer in a small pot or use an electric pot to heat the water and rewarm it as needed while cooking this.

In large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the riced cauliflower and riced daikon and coat with the olive oil. Sauté, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes.

Add the white wine (or chicken broth) to the skillet and stir. You will stirring frequently as you continue adding liquid to the skillet.  When most of the liquid is absorbed,  add a cup of the hot water to the pan and add a about 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Reduce the heat to a high simmer and stir often while the water is being absorbed and cooks out.  When it is almost dry again, stir in another 1/2 cup of hot water.  Continue to cook and stir until it is almost dry again, then add another 1/2 cup of hot water and repeat the process.

Take a small taste of the cauliflower to see if it is getting tender.  If so, then proceed to the next step.  Otherwise, add another 1/2 cup of hot water and stir it in until it is absorbed.

Add the snow peas or zucchini and red bell pepper. Add another 1/2 cup of water and stir until it is absorbed. Repeat with another 1/2 cup of hot water and large pinch of salt.

Cauli-risotto with zucchini, mushrooms and bell pepper is delicious and filled with healthful vegetables.

By now the cauli-rice should be close to being done; it should be firm, but not gritty and the zucchini should be soft, but a not mushy.  Now, stir in the green onions and grated Parmesan. When the water has been mostly absorbed, it is ready to finish.  Stir in the basil and butter and serve at once.

Makes 6 side dish servings or 4 main course servings.

Nutrition Info per 1/6 of recipe:
Calories: 122.6 Fat:8.0 g Net Carbs: 4 g Protein: 4.6 g

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads, Vegetarian

Delightful Tostada Salad Features Butternut Squash

Butternut Chicken Tostada

Recently, I ran across a recipe for a taco filling using butternut squash, which is something that I had been thinking about anyway.  It’s similar to adding pumpkin to a recipe or acorn squash, which I think are almost interchangeable.  And they also substitute for sweet potato pretty well.  Add to this that I picked up two tostada molds at the dollar store and I had the inspiration for this Butternut Squash Tostada.    The metal molds are easy to use, just put the tortilla in and press it into the shape.  Put in the oven to toast and you’re done.

Based on a recipe from my local grocery store, Raleys. I made a few adjustments for low carb and added chicken to what was a vegetarian taco.

Butternut Squash Tostada Salad

1/2 cup Onions, chopped
1/2 cup 1/4 -inch cubes Butternut Squash
1/2 cup diced Bell Pepper
1 cup Cooked Chicken, shredded or diced
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
1/4 cup Taco Sauce
4 low carb Flour Tortillas
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Fresh Cilantro leaves, torn
2 cups shredded Lettuce
1 Hass Avocado, cut into slices
4 tablespoons Pico de Gallo or Salsa

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F.)

Use a tostada mold to make the tortilla shells or turn a muffin pan upside down and arrange the tortillas over the cup and press down to make a well in the tortilla. If the tortilla doesn’t bend easily, heat it over a burner for about 30 seconds until it softens or warm in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Bake the shell for 8- 10 minutes until it is lightly browned. Let cool.

In a large skillet, heat the oil, then add the onions and bell pepper and saute for about 1 minute over medium high heat. Add the squash cubes and the chicken and continue to cook for about 5 minutes. Add the taco sauce, cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 5 minutes. (If the vegetables are getting dry, add a little water to the pan.)

Put lettuce in the bottom of the tortilla shell, then spoon 1/4 of the filling into the shell, making sure to distribute it into the points. Top with shredded cheese and put a slice of avocado on top of each point of the tostada. Spoon the pico de gallo or salsa into the middle. Serve with a low carb chipotle ranch dressing if you like.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition Info per serving:
Calories: 191.2 Fat: 19.9 g Net Carbs: 10.2 g Protein: 25.5 g

TIP: Want to reduce your carbs a little? Omit the tortillas and just eat as a salad. This reduces the meal by 3 net carbs and 60 calories. To make this vegetarian, omit the chicken. 

Condiments and Sauces, Main Dish, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Six Hot Weather Dining Options

“Hot August Nights” is underway in Reno, Nevada and the weather is doing its best to provide the atmosphere for it.  For those who don’t know, “Hot August Nights” is a classic cars event with the highlights being on cars from the peak of Rock ‘n’ Roll, but really, lots of old cars, in excellent condition, are motoring all over town.

But when the weather is hot, the last thing you want to do is spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  This is great for grilling outdoors if you can take the heat, but it’s also a good opportunity to make salads, particularly if you pick up one of the pre-grilled chickens from the grocery store and use that rather than heating the oven up to roast it yourself.  Other options are the deli-cuts at the store, canned tuna, turkey, chicken and salmon made into a tasty chicken salad.   You can add hard boiled eggs easily, and avoid the heat in the kitchen if you purchase pre-boiled ones — also saves on peeling them.

If you do have to cook ingredients, like for a tasty turnip cauliflower salad, do it early in the morning or late at night when it’s a little cooler.  With this in mind, here some links to a few salad options that I already have posted on this site and my latest offering, which is up today.  They are all delicious and low carb, so you enjoy the summer with cool, refreshing salads.

Turkey Salad With Golden Beets – My newest addition to the Summer Salad lineup is a delightful offering.  It’s easily made with canned turkey or freshly chopped cooked turkey, so it doesn’t heat up the kitchen when the nights are barely cooler than the days.   The page includes a recipe for Low Carb French Dressing or use a low carb commercial one.

Crisp Cucumber Salsa –  This is so refreshingly delicious.  I’ve made it a few times this summer already.  You can use it as a dip or as a salad.  The lovely sweet taste of cucumber mixes wonderfully with the slight bite of chile.

Mexican Style Asparagus Salad –  So very tasty.  It has a little bit of a bite, but it isn’t detracting.  Asparagus are a little pricier at the market now, but this salad may be worth it.  Make it a main meal salad by adding grilled or roasted chicken or salmon to it.

Springtime Coleslaw – This is just as good in the Summer as it is in the Spring.  The only iffy thing, carb-wise, in this is the pineapple.  It isn’t on Phase I or Phase II of Atkins, so you might omit it.  If you decide to use it, be sure it is fresh, not sweetened pineapple.

Strawberry Chicken Salad – This is one of my favorite salads.  I love the fresh berries in it, although it does come in a bit higher in carbs than I normally like my main meal to be.  It is filling and satisfying though.  To make it a little lower, you could omit the golden beets and cut the lime juice in the dressing back to just 2 tablespoons.   You can also swap out those strawberries for raspberries to get a slightly different flavor.  Or you could use salmon or turkey in place of the chicken.  Want to try a different dressing?  Why not?  Just be aware of the carb counts on the dressing.

Texas Style Turnip Cauliflower Salad – Such a part of my childhood, this style potato salad was a staple at every picnic and many Sunday dinners.  I had to recreate it in a low carb version and this was my solution.  Since I first put this recipe out, I have added kohlrabi into the mix and even a cup of celery root.  Both of these bring even more to the flavor and I don’t really miss the potatoes at all, because the dressing and the blended flavors of the vegetables are just as good.

 

 

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Too Hot to Cook? A Cool Turkey Salad Helps

With a few thunderstorms in the area this past week, it’s really been too hot and muggy to do much cooking in the kitchen after the lunch hour.  But it’s a great time for no-cook options or meals that you can prepare in the morning and eat cold or reheat in the microwave.  I went back to an old favorite chicken salad made as a spread for sandwiches and updated to turkey to put on top of a salad.  By adding a few beets and cooling cucumber, it makes a wonderful and filling evening meal.

If you want additional salad dressing, other than what is in the turkey, you can use a low carb French dressing or a Ranch Dressing (most are around 2 net carbs for 2 tablespoons) or you can make your own French from the recipe after the salad recipe.

Turkey Salad With Beets

10 oz. can White Turkey Meat or 1 cup cooked Turkey, chopped
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1 large Egg, hard boiled
4 to 5 sugar free Sweet Pickles or 2 tablespoons sugar free Sweet Pickle Relish
1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Tomato, Basil and Garlic Seasoning

6 cups lettuce, torn or chopped (I used Romaine and Bibb)
1 cup Baby Spinach, chopped or torn
1 Golden Beet, cooked and cut into cubes or small pieces
1 cucumber, sliced
1 cup diced tomato

Drain the turkey meat if you are using canned meat. Put the turkey in a bowl. Cut the hard boiled egg into quarters to make it easier to mash and add it to the bowl. . Using a fork, mash the egg and the turkey together. If you are using whole pickles, chop them finely or put them in a food processor and pulse a few times to chop. Add them to the bowl. Add the mayonnaise and use the fork to mix them all together. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

When ready to serve, mix the lettuce and spinach together and put into individual large salad bowls. Put 1/4 of the turkey mixture in the middle of the lettuce in each bowl. Arrange 6 slices of cucumbers and 6 cubes of golden beets around the edge of each bowl. Put 2 tablespoons of diced tomato on top.

Drizzle Low Carb French Dressing, if desired, onto the salad and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Info per serving:
Calories: 216 Fat: 13 g Net Carbs: 6.9 g Protein: 16.2 g

Low Carb French Dressing

2 tablespoons Ketchup
3 tablespoons sugar substitute
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Two tablespoons onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon White Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon dry Mustard

Put all ingredients into a food processor or blender and pulse until it is liquefied. Pour into a clean jar or dressing cruet and chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Shake before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Info per serving:
Calories: 48 Fat: 0.7 g Net Carbs: 1.5 g Protein: 0.0 g

TIP: Save a couple of your salad dressing bottles for putting your “from scratch” dressings in. Just be sure to sterilize them before using them. A trip through the dishwasher should do the trick.

Main Dish, Pork, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads, Vegetarian

Turnips and Cauliflower Gratin Side Dish

I’m sure no one really misses potatoes with their meals, right?  Of course not, but, oh, the flavor of a potato with cheese casserole.  Yeah, sometimes it would sure be nice to have that with a steak or roasted chicken, wouldn’t it?

Well, this isn’t quite that potato recipe, but it is a very good substitute.  The truth is that after four years, I have only eaten potatoes twice, and they were baked both times, and I haven’t  missed them that much.  I have found that I honestly like the taste of turnips and the combination of turnips with cauliflower is deliciously good.

Not everyone agrees with that and  they absolutely hate turnips, but I say, at least give them a chance.  You could use kohlrabi  or celery root for the turnips or the cauliflower in this recipe or swap them around however you want.  Any combination equals a side dish that is very tasty and much lower in carbohydrates than using potatoes in the dish.

Turnips and Cauliflower Gratin

Turnips and Cauliflower Gratin

1 1/4 cups Turnips, (about 2 medium), sliced thinly
1 cup Cauliflower,sliced thinly
1/2 Onions, sliced thinly
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream,
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Thyme, ground or 1 tablespoon fresh
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 cloves Garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon Fresh Chives or 1 teaspoon dried
3/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese or Parmesan Cheese, shredded
3 tablespoon Butter

Put the cream and seasonings, except chives, into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and taste to check the seasonings. Adjust, if needed. Let the mixture sit for 15 to 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F.) Lightly spray a 9×9″ baking dish with cooking spray or butter the bottom and sides.

Peel turnips and boil them for 20 minutes. Cut into thin slices as evenly as possible. If you use a mandolin to cut, then cut the slices before cooking and only cook about 5 minutes to soften them. Drain. Cut 1/4 head of cauliflower into slices, put in a bowl and microwave for 4 minutes to partially cook. Cut a small onion into thin slices. You should have about 1/2 cup.

Layer 1/2 of the turnips on the bottom of the pan and dot with 1 tablespoon of butter. Remove the garlic from the sauce and spoon about 1/3 of the sauce over the turnips. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese. Layer the cauliflower and onions on top of the first layer, dot with butter and spoon 1/3 of the sauce over the top and sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese.. Layer the rest of the turnips over the top layer, dot with the remaining butter, pour the rest of the sauce over the top, and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Sprinkle a little paprika over the top if you would like.

Cook at 375 degrees (F) for 35 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 15 minutes until golden brown.

Makes 6 servings

Nutrition Info per serving:
Calories: 195 Fat: 17.4 g Net Carbs: 4.2 g Protein: 5.1 g

As this stands, this is a nice vegetarian dish.  Want to make a main dish out of this?  Add about 6 to 8 slices of bacon torn into pieces or 1 1/2 cups of ham cut into cubes.  Just add them to the middle layer, then put on the top layer of turnips.