Ground Sausage  and Spinach Bake

I had some smoked salsa to use up so put this casserole together. This takes a little extra time to prep but it makes 6 generous adult portions and keeps for up to 3 days. Turn this into something of your own, vary the ingredients and have fun! You can’t mess it up!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef and pork mix (plain beef would work too)
  • 2 large onions
  • Large bunch spinach, washed well
  • 1 jar smoky salsa or tin of cooked tomato onion mix, add 1 tsp each smoked paprika and taco seasoning if you are using plain canned tomato mix
  • 6 large eggs
  • ½ cup cream or half and half
  • Fresh cilantro, green onions, 3 large garlic cloves, diced
  • 2 cups grated sharp cheddar
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Fry diced onion until translucent
  2. Turn on oven to 350⁰F (180⁰C)
  3. Add ground beef mix to fried onion crumbling the mince well, and cook for about 5 minutes or until cooked through
  4. Grease a large flat casserole dish well and pour the meat and onion mix into the casserole dish and spread out out evenly
  5. Chop up washed spinach, drain well and re-use the pot you cooked the ground beef/onion mix
  6. When wilted, spread the spinach over the meat and onion in the casserole dish
  7. Sprinkle over a little onion powder
  8. Beat 6 eggs with a pinch of salt and ground pepper to taste
  9. Beat a ½ cup of cream into the eggs
  10. Pour the egg custard over the meat and spinach mix
  11. Spoon over the salsa or canned tomato mix evenly
  12. Bake at 350⁰F or 180⁰ C for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbling
  13. Top with the grated cheese, cilantro, chopped green onions, diced garlic and any other herbs or cheese you enjoy.
  14. Grill until cheese is melted and bubbling.
  15. Serve hot or room temperature and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.

The cheese didn’t bubble and melt as expected. It was a delicious smoked organic WI cheddar but it refused to grill and had such a low fat content did not melt. It was actually deliciously crispy, cheesy and smoky. This was a first time non-melty experience for me. Weird. 

I do hope you are well. It feels as if my efforts are focused on self care these days. Writing a blog post takes such discipline and effort. I think with all the events happening in our world drains the hours in the day and what I used to accomplish.

Be kind to yourself, nurture the light in your heart and the people that light up your life. This is the flicker and then the flame that builds the bonfire of love and endurance that unites us.

With love and stay well until next time.

💜

We have our dining nook back! My partners office is gone and we’re loving this sunny spot to spend time in and invite friends to share a meal again.

Lastly … Quick carrot and radish pickles.

Dressing: mirin, rice vinegar, light soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds and seaweed flakes.

Asparagus Tart

Almond flour crust, mozzarella, cream and shallot egg custard topped with asparagus, spring onions, feta and a few tomato slices.

Ingredients

Pastry:

¼ cup melted butter

2 ½ cups almond flour

1 large egg, beaten

Onion powder,  Salt,  Pepper

Bob’s Muffins: In Honour of a Wonderful Man

I adapted this recipe from the Bob’s Red Mill site to a more low-carb friendly version. I’m sad to hear they are closing the restaurant and on-site store very soon. We heard the line was 2 hours long to get in this weekend. Bob Moore was an amazing man, a legend in his own time, and passed not too long ago. I remembered being delighted to see his products in a grocery store as far away as Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, some years ago.

This is not represented by photos of a step by step recipe. It’s just too good not to share after baking them and I never took a photo journal of the prep.  Enjoy!

And… thank you Bob! ❤️

Oat Bran Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

  1. 1 cup Almond Flour
  2. ⅓ cup Ground Flaxseed  

Low Carb Rocky Road Treat

Do you have sugar-free baking chocolate, odds and ends of  nuts, low carb/keto cookies, and shredded coconut around to use up? I did, and this was my first attempt at making this LCHF treat.

ROCKY ROAD CHOCOLATE SQUARES

Ingredients

1. 2 chocolate bars, dark unsweetened

2. 1 cup chocolate chips

3. 1 stick salted butter (½ cup)

4. ¾ cup keto cookies, broken up

Veggie Thai Curry with Chicken Thighs

Hello! Are you still here? I hope you have been well! It’s been a while, but life has been happening at a pace!

Veggie Chicken Thai Curry

Ingredients

  • 2 tblspn avocado oil
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 thumb-sized fresh ginger, match-sticked
  • 4 tblspn Thai curry paste (red or green is fine)
  • 4 tblspn fish sauce
  • 400ml can coconut milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tblspn turmeric root and lemon grass paste (or sub ½ tsp turmeric with zest of ½ a lemon)
  • 2 chicken thighs, sliced (optional)
  • ⅓ cup smooth peanut butter
  • ¼ Napa cabbage (or any type, bok choy too)
  • 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced or 1 daikon radish to cut on carbs
  • 2 celery sticks, diced
  • ⅓ of a head of cauliflower flowerettes
  • 12 baby tomatoes
  • 2 small carrots, cut into medallions
  • ANY veggie alternatives you’d like to add
  • 2 diced chillies

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Naked Spring Roll Pork Stir Fry

I miss Spring Rolls. That wrapped crunchy goodness! Here’s a little recipe of what (probably) goes in them… and a little bit extra…without the roll.

Ingredients

  • 1 onion
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1 lb/500g ground pork
  • ½ a cabbage, green or red
  • 2 red bell peppers
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • Contd.

Spiced Pumpkin Cake with Rum Cream Cheese Frosting

I love spices. The house is still fragrant with ginger and cinnamon after this absolute winner of a cake. Enjoy this moist low carb high fibre and protein treat!Spiced Pumpkin Protein Cake with Rum Cream Cheese Frosting LCHFIngredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown keto sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream (not runny)
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (if using your own drain very well, must not be watery)
  • 2 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1 cup almond flour (press into measuring cup and level)
  • ½ cup vanilla protein powder
  • ¼ cup oat fibre
  • ¼ cup coconut or peanut flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp xantham gum powder
  • Cont’d.

Oatbran, Almond, Chia and Blueberry Cookies

Here is a recipe for you to try! They turned out sooo yummy that I wanted to post this before I forget how I made them today. Apologies for the lack of photos, but I just threw these together on a whim.

Oatbran, Almond, Chia and Blueberry Cookies

Ingredients: (makes 18+-)

  • 1 stick of butter or 113 grams
  • 1 ½ cup of keto sugar (I used 1 cup white, ½ cup brown)
  • Cont’d