Tag Archives: side dish

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Delightful Creamy Side Dish is a Winner!

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I think turnips are making a comeback. More and more, I’m seeing them used on cooking shows and in new and exciting ways. I started using them several years ago as a potato substitute, then as an alternate to rice. They are best when used fresh, but they do keep for several weeks in the refrigerator. If they have greens attached, remove them before you store them. They tend to get a fibrous layer the longer they sit. Peel the turnips and cut this layer off if you encounter it.

Parsnips are also being used more often. They are a little higher in carbs than turnips, but with the turnips, they are still much lower than an equal amount of potatoes.

This dish is my own recipe, and it is absolutely delicious. I made a much larger version to take to a potluck dinner, but it sat too long in the crockpot and the cream separated. So, if you think about doing that, cook it right before you go and just keep it warm in the pot until served. It still tasted good, but not as pretty. The little bit of sugar in it sweetens the turnips and masks any bitterness.

The recipe makes about three servings. You can easily double it to make six. To make this vegetarian, omit the bacon and swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth or just use water. The broth adds a little more flavor, but isn’t required. For the low carb flour, you can use Carbquik, DCC All Purpose Flour, or possibly coconut flour. I haven’t tried it with coconut flour, but since it absorbs liquid, you would only need 1/2 tablespoon to make the paste. If it is too thick, add a little water.

Turnips and Parsnips with Bacon and Cream Sauce

Rene’s recipe

1 7″ Parsnip, peeled and sliced
1 medium Turnip, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup Green Onions
1/4 cup Bacon pieces (about 2 slices)
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon Butter
1 tablespoon Low Carb Flour
2 tablespoon Chicken Broth
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 teaspoon Sugar Substitute
2 teaspoons Garlic and Herb Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste (optional)

Cook 2 slices of bacon and break into pieces or use precooked bacon.

Put the parsnips and turnips in a pan of boiling water and cook for about 15 minutes until they are fork tender. Or put them in a microwaveable bowl and cook for two minutes on high.

In a medium-sized skillet, melt butter and stir in low carb flour to form a paste. Add heavy cream and chicken broth and stir until it begins to thicken.  Add seasonings and sugar substitute, then add in parsnips and turnips. Cook for about 15 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Add bacon pieces and stir a few minutes until heated. Then add green onions and Parmesan cheese. Cook another minute or two to melt the cheese.

Serves 3.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:
Calories 234 , Total Fat 17g , Cholesterol 65mg, Sodium 776mg, Potassium 201mg, Carbohydrates 8.5g, Fiber 2.5g, Sugars 3.3g, Protein 13g, Net Carbs 6.0g

If you make this, please let me know how you liked it.

Note: Nutrition information is based on the ingredients I used in this recipe and my measurements. Although they are a close calculation, your results may be slightly higher or lower. Ingredient substitutions may affect the carb count. Different brands may have other carb counts.

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Savory Acorn Squash

Photo: Herb roasted acorn squash

If you’re like me, you haven’t thought about using acorn squash or butternut squash with savory seasonings. I grew up with it being covered in butter and brown sugar with cinnamon, so it was more of a sweet treat. It’s still a favorite way to eat the squash, but others are also delicious.

The herbs and butter mix on this one is wonderful, bringing a delightful flavor to the squash. It pairs well with ham, pork roast, or chicken.

This recipe is adapted from one at therealfoodrds.com and is slightly easier, mainly because I use a pre-packaged mix of herbs rather than mixing several together myself. For this recipe, I used Mrs. Dash Garlic Herb Seasoning, one of the staples in my kitchen. Any garlic herb mix will work.

Herb-Roasted Acorn Squash with Parmesan

1 large acorn squash (about 4″ in diameter)
⅓ cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese
2–3 tablespoon Mrs. Dash Garlic Herb Seasoning
1 tablespoon Butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 400℉. Prepare 2 baking sheets by covering with either aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Cut acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Then slice each half into ½-inch thick slices.

In a small bowl, mix the spices, cheese, salt, and pepper.

Arrange the acorn slices on the baking pans with flat sides down. Spread the melted butter over each piece with a cooking brush. Use a spoon to sprinkle the herb and cheese mixture over the squash liberally. Coat the entire top of each slice.
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Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the squash, and the parmesan cheese is crispy and slightly browned.

Serve hot. Makes 6 servings.

Image: Nutrition Information

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Cauli-Potato Pancakes: Make an old favorite with fewer carbs!

Photo: Cauliflower Potato Pancakes

For the most part, I’ve avoided potatoes because of their higher carb count. But when mixed with cauliflower, this lowers the hit considerably. Mashed potatoes are lower than some of the other ways of serving them, but they can be cut with cauliflower to lower the carbs. This recipe is a great one for using leftover cauli-potato mash, or you can make them just to make the pancakes. You can add in other ingredients, such as bacon bits, onion flakes, chopped green onions, garlic, or chopped green chile. Do not add cheese to the mix, but you can top it with cheese after they are cooked.

Eggs and flour help hold the mash together while you cook it. You can use any low carb flour, but if you use coconut flour, use 1/4 cup and allow time for it to absorb the liquid before cooking. Low carb flours break easily, so you need to allow time for the cakes to cook until the top looks dry before flipping. Even then, they might split apart. Smaller cakes work best as it’s easier to get the entire pancake over the spatula. I used Bakesquick in mine, and they held together pretty well.

Photo: Pair of pancakes
A pair of nicely browned cauliflower-potato pancakes.

The instructions below are to make the pancakes from scratch for this recipe. If you have leftovers, use 2 cups of the cauli-potato mash and omit the cream and butter. Then, skip to the second paragraph of the instructions.

 

Cauliflower and Potato Pancakes

1 cup Mashed Potatoes
1 cup Mashed Cauliflower
2 tablespoons Heavy Cream
2 tablespoon Butter
2 large Eggs
1/2 cup low carb Flour
Salt and Pepper
Seasonings of choice

Optional add-ins:
Chopped Green Onions
Drained Chopped Green Chiles
Bacon Bits or Pieces
Chopped Onions

To make the cauliflower and potato mash, combine one cup of cooked and cubed potatoes and one cup of chopped cauliflower in a pan of boiling water. Cook until tender, about 15 min. depending on the size of the pieces. Drain and dry off as much as possible. Put back in the pan and add cream, butter, salt, and pepper. Mix together and use a masher to break up the potatoes and cauliflower, or use a mixer or a food processor. They can be lumpy. Put in a medium-sized bowl and chill about an hour. (You can do this the day before if you wish.)

In a large bowl, mix the mashed cauliflower and potatoes, eggs, and flour together. Add seasonings to taste. If you are using add-ins, add them now. Mix well. The dough should be fairly thick.

Coat a skillet or griddle with baking spray and let it heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-high. Put a heaping tablespoon of the mixture in the pan or on the griddle and press to form about 1/2″ thick cake.

Photo: Pancakes cooking in a pan.
My square copper skillet can handle four pancakes. You can also cook them on a griddle.

Cook about 3 to 5 minutes per side, then flip to cook the other side about the same time. If the cake doesn’t hold together when you first try to turn it, give it a couple of more minutes. Remove to a plate. Repeat with the rest of the cauliflower-potato mix.

Photo: Cheese-topped cauliflower potato pancakes
As this picture shows, not all of my cakes held together. I can attest they still taste great and a little cheese covers the failure. The garlic honey pork chop recipe will be coming up soon.

Serve with a cheese sauce, sour cream, or ranch dressing, although the cakes are tasty just the way they are.

Nutrition Information

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Tastes of the Season: Crustless Brussels Sprouts Pie

Depending on how you feel about baby cabbages, as we tend to call Brussels sprouts around our house, this could be a great recipe or one to avoid. I will mention here that you can substitute other vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and kohlrabi, for the sprouts and it will make a very taste quiche.

I served this with prime rib for Christmas dinner and it was a hit with even someone who wasn’t that crazy about Brussels sprouts. So, for the adventurous, here’s a different side dish for the holidays or any time. This is based mostly on a recipe I got from 12Tomatoes.com and adapted a little bit. I eliminated the crust since most of the carbs are in it, which leaves a much lower carb’d dish. I also added a little ricotta to tone down the eggs and add more texture.

My Christmas dunner with prime rib, cranberry sauce, Brussels sprout pie, creamed cauliflower, and Harvard beets; all low-carb.

Crustless Brussels Sprouts Quiche

2 cups of Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and outer leaves removed
1 cups Heavy Cream or half-and-half
1 cup Gruyere or Swiss cheese, grated
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons Ricotta Cheese
1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground Pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F.) Coat a pie plate with butter or cooking spray.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook Brussels sprouts for about five minutes until fork tender.

Arrange the sprouts in the bottom of the pie plate, standing them on end if possible. I used frozen sprouts and they refused to stand up. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top.

In a medium bowl, add eggs, cream, ricotta cheese, and seasonings. Whisk together until blended, then pour carefully over the sprouts.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool a few minutes before servings. It will deflate some.

Makes 6 to 8 servings depending on appetite.

Nutrition Information per serving (6 per pie):
Calories: 263 Fat: 23 Net Carbs: 3.8 g Protein: 10.2 g

Nutrition Information per serving (8 per pie):
Calories: 197.3 Fat: 17.3 g Net Carbs: 2.9 g Protein: 7.6 g

Have you tried this recipe? Let me know how you like it.