Category Archives: Vegetables & Salads

Main Dish, Recipes, Seafood, Vegetables & Salads

About that Salmon Salad

Photo: Salmon and Bacon Salad

Heavy winds and rain are blasting my area as we approach the end of March. (I think it came in like a lion, but not sure it will depart like a lamb.) We can only hope April looks more like spring than March has. When the month started, I promised to post the recipe for a great salmon salad. Then it totally slipped my mind as I started getting more of the St. Patrick’s Day recipes up. But here it is. This works great if you have left-over salmon, or you can grill a piece before you make it. You can also use canned or packaged cooked salmon.

This is another yummy recipe from Paleo Leap’s web site, so it is good for Atkins, South Beach, Keto, and Paleo.

1 cup Salmon, grilled and flaked (8 oz)
1 hard boiled Egg, diced
1 Mini Pepper
1/2 Avocado, diced
2 slices Bacon, cooked and broken into pieces
1/4 Onion, minced
2 tablespoons Mayonnaise (homemade or your preference)
1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon fresh Parsley, minced or 1/2 teaspoon dried Parsley
2 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 drop liquid Sweetener
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups of fresh greens (Spring mix lettuce, spinach, arugula – your choice)

To make the dressing:

In a bowl, add the mayonnaise, parsley, lemon juice, cayenne, sweetener, and olive oil then whisk until it is blended.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the salmon, diced eggs, bell pepper, avocado, and red onion. Add the mayonnaise mixture and toss it together gently. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Divide the greens into two bowls, then top with half the salmon mixture into each bowl. Serve.

Makes two healthy servings.

TIP: If you’d rather have shell fish, make this with shrimp, crab, or lobster instead of salmon. It will work just as well.

Image: Nutrition Info

Main Dish, Recipes, Seafood, Vegetables & Salads

Scintillating Salmon with Orange Sauce

Photo: Salmon with Orange Basil Sauce

PK’s new doctor recently suggested she try the paleo diet to improve her health. With this pronouncement in mind, I took a look at some of the paleo recipes and chose some that I thought I could adapt to low carb that would suit both of us. As a result of this quest, I will be posting more recipes that work for both low carb like Atkins and South Beach as well as ones that work with keto and paleo.

This is a delicious recipe that I found as Orange Rosemary Salmon at PaleoLeap.com. I didn’t have any rosemary, so I substituted basil. Dried basil at that. But it worked exceptionally well, and we loved the flavor of this dish. I grilled the salmon on my new Copper Chef stove-top grill, which worked perfectly, and I cleaned it up in just a few minutes after I was done. Yay for that! I even grilled the asparagus spears along with it. The side serving that looks a bit like rice is actually riced kohlrabi, which is amazingly delicious when cooked with a bit of broth, butter, and basil.

If you were going true paleo, you would use all fresh ingredients and your chicken stock would be made from chicken bones. I, on the other hand, made mine from Better Than Bullion.

Orange Basil Salmon

Atkins, Keto, and Paleo-friendly

2 salmon fillets (about 1/2 lb)
1 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh Basil, minced 0r 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Use a grater or zester to scrape the orange skin until you have 1 teaspoon of orange zest. Cut the orange and squeeze out as much of the juice as you can from one large orange. I use a little of the pulp as well since I like to have it in my sauce. Combine the orange juice, lemon juice, chicken stock, and zest.

Heat the grill on high heat until hot, then turn to medium heat. Brush the salmon fillets with a little olive oil then season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill with skin side up and cook until the salmon is about half-way done, about 5 minutes. Flip so the skin side is down and continue to cook another 4 to 5 minutes. (Time will vary based on the heat and thickness of the salmon.) Add any vegetables to the grill at this point.

On another burner, heat up a saute pan and add a teaspoon of olive oil or cooking fat. Cook the garlic and fresh basil in it for a minute or so. If using dried, add it to the orange juice mixture. Pour the juice and broth into the pan and stir well. Lower the heat to medium-low and add salt and pepper to taste, about a pinch of pepper and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Stir and cook until the mixture begins to thicken.

Meanwhile, check on the salmon as you work and turn any vegetables that need it. When the flesh looks done all the way through, use a pancake spatula and slide it between the skin and the meat. The salmon will lift off easily. Transfer it to a serving plate and spoon or pour half the orange sauce over the top.

Serve with vegetables and riced cauliflower or kohlrabi. Makes two servings.

Photo: Riced kohlrabi

Riced Kohlrabi with Basil

1 medium (4″) Kohlrabi
1/4 cup Chicken Broth or Better Than Bullion
1/2 teaspoon dried Basil
Pinch Salt
1 tablespoon Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, or Butter

Prepare this before you begin the main meal.

Peel kohlrabi, cut into cubes and put in the food processor. Pulse until the vegetable is chopped into rice-sized pieces.

In a skillet, add oil or butter, then add the kohlrabi. Stir and cook for about a minute, then add the broth, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Add water if it is too dry. The kohlrabi will take about 20 minutes to cook until it is tender. Add seasonings about part way through.

When done the kohlrabi should look like rice in texture. Makes about three half-cup servings.

Nutrition: Salmon with Basil Orange Sauce

 

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Delightful Bacon, Cheese, and Turnip Puffs

Photo: Turnip Puffs

Looking for a different way to prepare turnips or even potatoes? How making them into a puffed cake that is a nicely controlled serving as well as a delicious alternative to mashed or boiled vegetables.

This recipe originally used mashed potatoes, and you can still go that route if you don’t mind the higher carb count. Or you can swap them out for turnips for something a little different. Fresh turnips have a slightly sweet taste, so they bring a touch of sweet to the dish that marries well with the onions. For my version of the recipe, I use a tablespoon of low carb flour to help absorb some of the moisture from the turnips. I also added bacon because everything goes better with bacon, right? Also, if you don’t care for turnips, but want to keep the calories low, this works with mashed cauliflower.

As you’re preparing your New Year’s Eve party, or any other gathering of friends, keep these in mind. You can make them as tasty bite-sized appetizers by putting them in mini-cupcake molds. A simple topping on each adds a nice decorative touch.

Photo: Close up of Turnip Puffs

Bacon Turnip Cheese Puffs

1 cup Turnips, cooked and mashed (2 medium)
1 Egg, beaten (can use liquid eggs)
2 tablespoons Ricotta Cheese, whole milk
1/3 cup Cheddar Cheese
2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese (Grated)
2 tablespoons Onions, chopped
2 slices Thick-cut Bacon, cooked and broken into pieces
1/4 teaspoon Lawry Seasoned Salt or to taste
1 tablespoon Low Carb Flour
2 tablespoons Butter (for coating the muffin cups)

Cut turnips into 2 to 3-inch cubes and cook in boiling water until fork tender. Drain well and mash or put in the food processor to mash until smooth.

Cook bacon until done, then break into small pieces.

Preheat the oven to 4oo degrees (F.) Butter six 1/3 cup cupcake molds. I used silicone molds, but standard ones will work fine.

Put the turnips in a medium-sized bowl. In a small bowl, beat egg until mixed or use prepackaged mixed eggs. Add all the remaining ingredients and egg to the turnips and mix together until well-distributed and smooth.

Using a tablespoon, distribute the turnip mixture evenly to the muffin cups. It should come almost to the top of the cup.

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the mixture pulls away from the side of the cup. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then gently remove the pan.

Top with a bit of sour cream, a sprinkle of cheese, a few slices of olives, a few chopped chives, or a tablespoon of salsa if you wish.

Makes six 1/2 cup servings.

Note: To make these as appetizers, use mini-cupcake pans or molds and put about one tablespoon in each cup. Makes 18 appetizer-sized puffs.

Photo: Nutrition Information

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Delightful Taste of Celery and Kohlrabi

Photos: Braised Celery and Kohlrabi

While I’ve posted a recipe for a celery and kohlrabi dish before, this is a different version of one. It is delicious and beautiful with all the color in it.  It makes a wonderful side-dish for almost any meal.  Celery is a low-carb and low-calorie food that should find its way into our meals more often, but it is easily overlooked when we’re planning out meals.  If you try this recipe, I think you’ll want to include in the menu more often.

Can’t find kohlrabi in your store? Apart from asking them to order it, you can substitute in turnips or cauliflower.

Braised Celery and Kohlrabi

6 stalks of celery, trimmed
1 medium Kohlrabi. peeled and chopped
2 to 3 mini peppers
2 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Chicken Bullion
1/4 cup Water

Put chopped kohlrabi in a microwaveable bowl and cook for one minute to partially cook it.

Cut celery into 1-inch slices on the diagonal. Cut peppers into pieces.

Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add celery, kohlrabi, and seasonings and cook 10 minutes.

Mix chicken bullion with 1/4 cup hot water. Add broth and peppers to the celery mixture, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 10 minutes more until the celery and kohlrabi are fork tender.

Serve immediately.

Makes four servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories 77.7 Fat: 5.9 g Net Carbs: 2.9 g Protein: 1.4 g

If you enjoy my recipes or have any questions about them, please comment below. I’d love to hear from you.

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads, Vegetarian

Yummy Bacon and Cauliflower Salad is Cool

Photo: Cauliflower salad

As I was getting ready for a 4th of July BBQ potluck, I found this recipe for a delicious-sounding potato salad with ranch dressing and bacon. Hard to go wrong with that, but of course, I had to substitute in a different vegetable. Not content to do one, I added another one as well. Actually, I had the asparagus in the ‘fridge, and I needed to use it before it turned.

The result is a wonderful summer salad that is reasonably low in carbs and big in flavor. I did find the original recipe a little bland, so I added  salt, garlic pepper and a touch of sweetness to it. I think I might add a little red pepper to add zing to it the next time I make it.

The full recipe makes about 12 servings, which is great for a potluck while the half size makes 6 servings.  The carb count is the same for both.

Bacon and Cauliflower Salad with Asparagus

 

Full-sized recipe makes 12 servings:
2 to 2-1/4 pounds Cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 (16 ounces) container sour cream
1 package ranch dressing mix
1¼ cups cooked bacon, crumbled
1½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese
10 green onions, thinly sliced
12 spears medium Asparagus, chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons Cream
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Ground Garlic Pepper
1 teaspoon Sugar Substitute (optional)

1/2-sized recipe makes 6 servings:
1 to 1-1/4 pounds Cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
8 ounces sour cream
1/2 package ranch dressing mix
3/4 cup cooked bacon, crumbled
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
5 green onions, thinly sliced
6 spears medium Asparagus, chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon Cream
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Ground Garlic Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Sugar Substitute (optional)

Trim the cauliflower of the leaves and the tougher part of the stem and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Slice green onions and trim and cut asparagus ahead of time. Cook the bacon. I used a block of bacon ends that are less expensive than sliced bacon. I cut off slices of the bacon ends which makes nice-sized bacon pieces. Cook in batches in the microwave until you have enough for the recipe. Or you can spread them out on a rack on a baking sheet and bake them about 15 minutes until crisp at 400 degrees (F.)

Put a large pot of water on, add a little salt, and bring to a boil. Add the cauliflower pieces and cook about 15 minutes until the pieces are fork tender. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking.

If you’re using asparagus, heat the water a second time to boiling, then add the asparagus pieces and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and cool the asparagus.

In a medium bowl, add the sour cream, cream, ranch dressing mix, salt, garlic pepper, and sugar substitute (if using) and mix together well.

In a large bowl, add the cauliflower, asparagus, onions, bacon, and cheddar cheese. Mix together with a large spoon or put on a food glove and use your hand. Add the dressing and mix it until all the salad is coated with the dressing.

Cover and chill for two to three hours before serving.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 250 Fat: 18.4 g Net Carbs: 7.3 g Protein: 12.8 g

Substitutions:
If you can’t eat dairy, omit the cheese, and use mayonnaise to mix the ranch dressing or substitute an alternate dressing such as a potato salad mayonnaise-type dressing.

If you are a vegetarian, omit the bacon pieces. You can add mushrooms for a little more protein in the mix.

Don’t like sour cream? Use plain yogurt (a little higher in carbs) or mayonnaise instead.

Will you try this recipe? Let me know how it turns out and if you like it.