Egg Cup Florentine & Sausage Balls

These two recipes go together so nicely and they are really easy to prep for the week. Grab and Go at it's yummiest! The best part is they are enjoyed by the whole family!

Egg Cup Florentine
12 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces Appleton Farms pork sausage, cooked and crumbled
3 green onions
1 to 2 cups spinach leaves
Salt and pepper
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese or cheese of choice

Mix eggs and cream with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Spray 12 cup muffin pan with cooking oil. Place 1 T of crumbled sausage in each cup. Cut up onion and spinach and distribute evenly amoung cups. Place half of the cheese evenly amoung each cup. Pour in egg and fill each cup almost to the rim. Top each cup with the remaining cheese.
Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until completely set. Serve warm. Once cool store in the refrigerator.

I eat these with Sausage Balls either cold or heated in the microwave for a few seconds.

The sausage balls are really yummy. Kristi Davis has a great recipe and it's super easy. Check out her YouTube channel here for the ingredients and steps. While you are there check out out her other recipes. You will not be disappointed.

Almond Flour Cookies....Two Ways!

Sometimes finding a basic cookie that fits into specific diets can be difficult or at least challenging. Too much flour (dry...cough), too many ingredients (a pain in the patooty), too much sweetener (the after taste can be unpalatable) and so on. So today I have two cookies, one basic and one with more ingredients. Both easy, soft and so yummy. I have a hard time keeping my hands off them. The whole family will enjoy these little gems. 

Almond Flour Butter Cookies
1 cup (112g) almond flour
1/4 cup Lakanto Golden sweetener 
15 drops Now Foods Better Stevia liquid in french vanilla 
1/4 cup butter melted (I use salted)
1 egg beaten
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp of salt
1/2 cup coconut flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Mix butter & sweetener to creamy. Beat in egg & French Vanilla Stevia.
Mix dry ingredients together. Mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Using a small cookie scoop, place cookie dough balls close together. These do not spread. I get 18 cookies from this batter normally.
Bake @350° F for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Cool completely. 

Almond Walnut Protein Cookies
2 cup (112g) almond flour
1/2 cup Lakanto Golden sweetener 
30 drops Now Foods Better original stevia liquid
1/2 cup butter melted (I use salted)
2 T coconut oil
2 egg beaten
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp of salt
3/4 cup coconut flakes
1 scoop Isopure whey protein powder
4 T collagen powder (I use Anthony's Collagen Peptides)
38 Walnut halves (or any prefered nuts)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. 
Mix butter, oil & sweetener to creamy. Beat in eggs, vanilla & Stevia.
In separate bowl, mix dry ingredients together. Mix dry ingredients into wet.
Using a small cookie scoop, place balls of dough on sheets. Press a walnut half into the top of each cookie. 
Bake @ 325° F for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely. Makes 38 cookies.

Chile Relleno Keto Quiche.....without all the mess!

Anyone who makes or has made Chile Rellenos know they are time consuming, not keto friendly and messy. But I just cannot get that yummy chile craving to go away. I looked for a casserole recipe but none have measured up to the egg, chile, cheese flavor from traditional Rellenos. So I decided to just wing it today with my breakfast. I had to roast some peppers I purchased so why not, right?!

Everyone in the family (keto and non-keto) loved this dish and wanted more! It makes your heart happy when your recipes work. I hope you and your family enjoys it as well.

For the recipe pictured below, I used my mini Dash 8" electric skillet. It can be just as easily be done on the stove or in the oven. Please read the whole recipe because you will need to prep your chiles. Canned chiles will work, but the flavor will not be the same. Once you have fresh roasted chiles, nothing compares. I recommend fresh roasting your chiles. Oh! And yhe chiles freeze really well after roasting. I keep them on hand in the freezer for when those cravings hit!

Chile Relleno Keto Quiche

2 roasted poblano chiles*, peeled and seeds removed
1 roasted jalapeno or serrano*, peeled and seeds removed diced (optional adds tons of spicy heat)
100g pepper jack cheese shredded
4 large eggs
2 T heavy cream
2 T coconut flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp pink salt
1/2 tsp Black pepper
1/2 tsp Simply Organic Adobo seasoning
1 T Coconut oil
Spicy Green Chile Recipe

Make the Spicy Green Chile sauce.
Mix eggs, cream, flour, baking powder, pink salt, black pepper and Adobo. Mix well and sit aside for at least 5 minutes. This allows the flour to absorb and soften.
Shred the cheese. You can use any cheese to your liking.
Heat skillet with coconut oil. Stir egg mixture and pour half into the heated skillet. Place one poblano (open flat) over the egg. Top with most of the cheese and the diced jalapeno. Top with second poblano. Pour the rest of the egg over the skillet. Top with remaining cheese. Cover skillet reduce heat to low. Cook until set and all cheese has melted. This takes a good 20 to 30 minutes. (For oven in greased 8x8 baking dish layer as directed, cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.)
I serve this with the hot Ranchero sauce over the top.
For dinner I serve with warm taco meat, avocado, sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomato and queso fresco.

*To roast chiles I wash the peppers and dry completely. Cut off the stems but don't cut into the chiles (this helps them fit in the air fryer). Place dry chiles in your air fryer (no oil required). Air fry at 390° for 12 to 15 minutes for large chiles. This works for all peppers just adjust the time for the size of the chiles. I turn the chiles half way through. The chiles skin should be blistered when they are ready. Remove from fryer to a large bowl and cover until cool enough to handle (30 minutes). Take each chile, pull out stem, slit down one side and scoop off seeds. Flip over and peel the "plastic" looking skin. Chiles are ready to use whole, strips or diced in your favorite recipes.

Spicy Green Chile Sauce, Low Carb and Keto Friendly!!

Mexican foods have always been my downfall. Tacos, enchiladas, chile rellenos, burritos, nachos or just tortilla chips. That crunchy corn goodness. Thick and creamy green chile sauce! Oh! My!!!

But we all know that low carb and corn is not a good fit. Corn is gluten free but still has too many carbs per serving to handle for weight loss. Maybe in the future. Still looking for a good substitute too!

Another food that was on a regular rotation was Green Chile sauce. I would make a flour based green chile sauce that I miss. I tried psyllium husk, xanthan gum and keto flours with horrid results. Xanthan gum is slimy no matter what I do! I have used it in baking with great results though. So not going to waste!

Last night I made mashed cauliflower, which is creamy, thick, super easy and so good! I thought, will creamed cauliflower thicken my green chile? Yep, it does!! Jon had seconds, which is such a compliment from a pickier eater!

So here is my recipe for a Low Carb Green Chile Sauce. Please read the recipe through before starting. Your peppers need roasting and you will need to prepare the cauliflower mash for thickening.

Carb-Less Green Chile Sauce

46 grams roasted poblano peppers, seeds and stem removed*
76 grams jalapeno peppers, seeds and stems removed
61 grams onion
Dice the peppers and onions. In a large skillet or saucepan, saute in oil until onions start to turn clear.

Then add to your skillet:
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp cumin
Salt & pepper to taste
Saute to heat your seasonings 1 minute.

Then add to the skillet:
1 cup Great Value fire roasted diced tomatoes Tex Mex/Salsa Style
1 cup Great Value chicken broth or favorite bone broth
Stir to combine and mix well.

Once bubbling, add to your skillet:
1/2 cup cauliflower mash**
1 tsp better than bouillon chicken flavor
Stir and bring up heat. If too runny, it can be reduced by letting it cook uncovered or you can add more cauliflower mash. Carefully taste the sauce. Adjust the seasonings if needed. If too much salt, add more tomato or cauliflower.

Serve hot over your favorite mexican dish with your favorite toppings!

Note: You are welcome to use all poblano peppers or a combination of peppers. My favorites are poblano, hatch new mexico (when in season) and jalapeños.

* I use my air fryer to roast my poblano peppers. Wash your peppers (as any produce) , dry them and place in your air fryer basket. No oil needed. Air fry at 390°F for 12 to 15 minutes or until skin is blistered. Transfer peppers to a heat safe dish and cover with plastic wrap or a plate. This steams the peppers for easy skin removal. Once cool enough to touch. Cut or pull out stems. Slice down the side of the pepper and lightly scrape out seeds. Turn over and peel off the skin. I roast peppers every two weeks and freeze them. Then I pull out what I need and cut into bite size pieces. I use these in omelets or just for a taco topping. So good!

**For cauliflower mash I use a 12 ounce steamable bag of Great Value frozen cauliflower florets. Microwave as directed on bag. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Dump bag contents into a blender/processor. Add 1/4 cup chicken broth and blend. I add up to another 1/4 cup of broth if needed to make it creamy. It's now ready to use as a thickener in sauces and soups.

Shown here is this green chile sauce over my shredded pork taco. The taco shell is a psyllium husk/almond flour tortilla. While it holds together nicely,  it's a little thick, more like bread. I'll share once I prefect the recipe. Stay safe y'all!!

Keto Cinnamon Rolls....without cheese!!

Fathead dough.......I have a fondness for fathead dough pizza, wrapped hot dogs and empanadas. But when it comes to cinnamon rolls I'm not a fan. I don't want cheese in my pastry dough. Well, a huge thank you to Matt and Megha with ketoConnect.net for a cinnamon roll recipe that is not fathead dough! Y'all it's so good too. The best cinnamon rolls ever! They are soft, doughy, bready, gooey and oh so delicious! Even my non-keto family loves them. The frosting I'll be using on all my cupcakes and cakes too! It's that tasty!

I made two changes to adapt to my taste. I reduced the cinnamon and used only 4 teaspoons in the filling. For the frosting I used Now Foods Better Stevia English Toffee and omitted the vanilla.

I hope you hop over to the ketoConnect website and will give this recipe a try. Stay safe y'all!

Want to make bread........Well come on!

What's your most missed food eating low carb or keto?  Bread, the answer is bread. Well, maybe ice cream......and pasta, wait I'm getting off here. Bread, right, we are talking about bread.

I purchased a Mini Dash Waffle Maker to make chaffles. Ok, confession time, I don't like chaffles. Eeeekkk, I know, but I want bread! Or at least a bread like texture. So my journey began.

I found 90 second bread, but the microwave makes weird air bubbles or holes when cooking. Then I have to toast it. I can only make one serving at a time. So I decided to try it in my waffle maker. I did buy it to use. To shorten this journey I finally found an amalgamation of recipes tried for the perfect bread replacement. I use this recipe for breakfast sandwiches, a cheesesteak, reubens, club, BLT, and a grilled ham & cheese.

I hope this helps on your journey as well.

Best Savory Waffle Bread

2 T (28g) unsalted butter
2 oz (57g) cream cheese
1 cup (112g) Blue Diamond almond flour
2 tsp (17g) baking powder
1/2 tsp pink salt
1/2 tsp Mrs Dash Onion Seasoning* (optional; I don't use this normally any longer only occasionally.)
3 large eggs
4 T heavy cream or half n half

Measuring butter in microwave bowl and soften. Add cream cheese and microwave for 5 seconds to soften. (I never remember to lay these out to soften.)  Stir to combine butter and cream cheese together. Measure and add flour, baking powder, salt and seasoning to bowl. Mix slightly. Add eggs and cream. Stir until well combined. Set aside. Plug in the Mini Dash Maker to heat it up. When ready, stir the batter. Place 2 T of the batter in the maker and cook until the steam is gone. Remove and cool on a wire rack. Once cool, I store in the refrigerator. Makes 10 waffles.

*Note: Everything Bagel seasoning works well in these too. You might need to reduce the pink salt though. You can also omit the seasoning (still add the salt) to use as toast or PB&J.

Breakfast sandwiches: sausage, egg and cheese; bacon, egg and cheese (to heat waffles, wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for 5 seconds); toast waffle and eat with lox and cream cheese; I usually eat these cold for the BLT and club sandwiches. They also work

Any mini Dash maker will work with this recipe as well!

**Update: I finally remembered to take a picture of my sandwich! I hope you try and enjoy this recipe! 😁

Jalapeño Popper Bites

I love jalapeño poppers and I have made unbreaded poppers with amazing results. I also love a omelets with peppers, onions and cheese. I made Kristi Davis' Pizza Bites and thought these woul be great as popper bites as well. Please check out Kristi's YouTube channel to find the Pizza Bites recipe. These also make a quick grab-n-go breakfast. Here's what I did for the popper bites.

Jalapeno Popper Bites

3 jalapeños chopped, (seeds and veins removed for less heat)
4 oz cream cheese softened
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp Simply Organic Adobo seasoning
1/2 tsp Mrs Dash onion
1/4 cup real bacon bits
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. I add just a pinch of salt and pepper as well. Set mix in fridge for 10 minutes to set up. I use a small cookie scoop and evenly place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake @ 350° for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

NOTE: To make Denver Omelet Bites, use 1/3 cup minced green bell pepper in place of jalapeño and 1/3 cup diced ham for the bacon. Add an extra egg.

Carb-Less Mini Pumpkin Pies

During Thanksgiving I made mini pumpkin pies, pecan pie muffins and pumpkin pie fat bombs. I've found I like the flavor of recipes better if I cut the called for amount of sweeteners better in half. These pumpkin pies are better than any I've ever made. Even my full carb loving family loved them. My mom ate more of the fat bombs than me too! So I hope y'all enjoy this recipe as much as my family.

Mini Pumpkin Pies
Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with silicone liners or paper cupcake liners.

For the Crusts:
1 cup nuts (I used a mix of walnut & pecan halves)
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Pulse in food processor to a fine sand texture.
Then add to processor:
2 Tablespoons Blue Diamond almond flour
1 Tablespoon Lakanto powdered sweetener
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pulse 15 seconds to combine.
Spoon into lined cups evenly. Press crust into bottom and up the side just a bit. Set aside.

For filling:
1 cup pure pumpkin puree (100% pumpkin only)
1/4 cup Lakanto Golden sweetener
1 large egg
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon maple extract (optional)
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix all filling ingredients together thoroughly. Spoon evenly over crusts. Tap pan to remove air bubbles. Bake @ 350° F for 30 - 40 minutes. Remove and let cool to room temp. Then refrigerate for 8 hours. Remove from liners and serve with whipped cream if desired.

The recipe for the Pecan Pie Muffins can be found on Dat Keto Lady YouTube Channel. I did make changes to fit my taste. I reduced the golden sweetener by half, reduced butter to 1 stick, added 1/4 tsp maple extract and used Lakanto Caramel drink syrup in place of the sugar free pancake syrup. Very, very yummy!

The recipe for the pumpkin pie fat bombs can be found on Kristi Davis' YouTube channel. These are scrumptious y'all! If you do not have coconut butter and your little blender cannot make coconut butter (I tried, big mess), I used 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes and put everything in my little blender. Blended to smooth. Amazing recipe! I recommend a silicone mini muffin pan or at least the little candy liners, they do not remove from pans easily. The reason for the crumbs in the picture!

Carb-Less Coffee Cake Muffins

One thing I missed when eating carb-less was muffins or danish with my morning coffee. So it wasn't a daily or even weekly occurrence but you know when you cannot eat something now all of a sudden want it. That was me.

So I found a recipe on All Day I Dream About Food for keto coffee cake muffins. Only drawback was it called for whey powder. Another specialty item and I wasn't going to purchase it. So I omitted it and made some other adjustments. I also cut the recipe in half. It made 24 muffins y'all! ....24! I would be eating muffins for a month!

So here is my adjusted recipe. These are so yummy! I even like using the crumble topping on other baked goods. I hope you try these and find them just as yummy.

Carb-Less Coffee Cake Muffins

Crumb Topping:
1/4 cup almond flour
1 1/2 T Lakanto Golden sweetener
1 T coconut flour
1/4 + 1/8 tsp cinnamon
2 T unsalted butter melted
1/4 tsp pink salt

Muffins:
1 cup Blue Diamond almond flour
1/4 cup Lakanto Golden sweetener
1 1/2 T coconut flour
1 T baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp pink salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Drizzle*:
2 T Lakanto powdered sweetener
1 T water
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Crumb Topping:
In a small bowll, mix all crumb ingredients together.  Set aside.

Muffins:
Preheat the oven to 325° F and line a standard muffin tin with parchment or silicone liners. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sweetener, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in the butter, eggs, cream and vanilla until well combined. Divide the batter among the prepared muffins cups. Top each with some of the crumb topping and bake 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean. Let cool completely in the pan.

Drizzle:
Whisk together the sweetener, water, and vanilla. Add more water if the mixture is too thick. Drizzle lightly over the cooled muffins.

*Note: I have never made the drizzle. The muffins are so yummy that I never thought the drizzle was necessary.

Ginger Garlic Beef & Broccoli

I don't know about you, but I love an easy peasy recipe. Thirty minutes and dinner is on the table. Just so you know, I make a lot of my dinner recipes on the fly. I barely remember to weigh or measure, but I hope you try this. It's so yummy and spicy.

Ginger Garlic Beef & Broccoli

8 ounces ground beef (I use 80/20)

85g sliced onions

12 oz steam bag broccoli florets

3 T Tamari sauce gluten free

1 T Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce

2 to 4 T water or broth

1/2 tsp Lakanto powdered sweetener 

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1/2 tsp ginger powder or 1 tsp grated fresh ginger

Mrs Dash Onion, black pepper and pink salt to taste

Brown ground beef with salt, pepper, Mrs Dash and onions. While this is cooking, in a small bowl mix together sweetener, tamari and chili garlic sauce. Set aside. Microwave broccoli as bag directs (I let it cook and leave in microwave until needed).

Once meat is done, reduce heat. Sprinkle with ginger, more mrs dash and xanthan gum. Stir, increase heat and pour in sauce. Stir to coat meat. Add water if too thick. Put broccoli in large bowl and pour hot meat over broccoli. Toss to coat. Serve immediately. 

NOTE: This recipe works with any cut of beef, chicken or pork. It also works with cabbage, carrots, mushrooms and zucchini for the veggie.

Banana Bread, real bananas and it's keto friendly!

Wait, bananas? I can eat bananas and still remain keto? Uh, yes? So here is what I mean. Some believe there are keto foods and non-keto foods, but keto or ketosis is actually a metabolic state.  Bananas are a whole food and not processed which is great. Will the amount of banana in this recipe, divided amoung the number of servings, be enough to kick me out of ketosis. The answer is no. As long as you are counting the number of carbs you eat per day. When I sliced my bread, thick slices, each serving was 5g net carbs. You can always cut more slices or, for me, this makes a great breakfast with some scrambled eggs.

Carb-Less Banana Bread

Bread Batter
4 T unsalted butter
120 g ripe bananas (more ripe, more flavor)
2 T heavy cream
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cup almond flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 cup Lakanto golden sweetener
1/2 tsp pink salt

Crumb Topping
1/2 cup almond flour
3 tbsp Lakanto Golden sweetener
2 tbsp coconut flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of pink salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 325°. Prepare a large loaf pan with spray or parchment. I prefer parchment for easy lift out.

For crumb topping, melt butter in small bowl. Stir in remaing crumb ingredients. Set bowl aside.

In large bowl soften butter. Peel and mash in banana with a fork. Whip in the eggs, golden sweetener and heavy cream. Set aside.

Mix together (or sift) almond flour, baking powder, spices and salt. Mix the dry into the wet until completely combined. I let the batter sit about 5 minutes. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle crumb over the top and press in lightly. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick tests clean.

In the picture I skipped the crumb topping and just pressed the walnuts into the top of the batter. It is just as yummy!