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.

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.

Red Chicken Curry in Coconut Cream

Here is a recipe I made today. If it’s winter where you live, it’s warming and hearty.One more thing, please toast your spices and then blend them – if you can. It’s worth the small effort and your nose will thank you!Ingredients

  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1 tsp nigella seeds
  • 3 – 4 cardamom seeds
  • 4 tblspn oil or butter
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 – 2 shallots
  • 4 – 6 large chicken thighs
  • 1 tblspn garam masala
  • 1 – 3 tblspn curry (I like spicy!)
  • 2 tblspn turmeric
  • 1 tblspn chilli powder
  • 1 can coconut cream
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 4 – 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 fresh green chilli
  • 1 thumb ginger
  • 1-2 carrots or small yam
  • 2-3 zucchini
  • 3 red/yellow bell peppers
  • 2 tsp turmeric

Continue reading

Keto Lamb Stew: the spring edition

Hello! It’s been a while as life has been busy with getting vaccinated, more work and less time for cooking. Yesterday I made this ground lamb stew. We had some beautiful big radish and I subbed them as potatoes. I’m sure you know, but radish cook soft and just like potatoes, absorb the delicious flavours of a stew and are very satisfying.

To summarise: while browning the onion cut your veggies up, add the lamb, veggies and top with herbs, fresh or dried, add seasoning and simmer until tenderly cooked. Lets go!

Continue reading

Pork Butt Pot Roast in Red Sauce

Tender, tasty and time saving.

Ingredients

  • 1 pork butt 3 – 5 lbs (depends on your large pot capacity!)
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 4 tblspn Grapeseed oil
  • 4 shallots
  • 1 large can crushed tomatoes 28 oz
  • 1 small can tomato paste
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 8 garlic cloves
  • 1-2 chillies
  • 1 tblspn smoked paprika
  • 1 tblspn cumin
  • 2 tblspn parsley
  • 1 tblspn thyme
  • 1 tblspn rosemary

Continue reading

Keto Chile Rellenos

This was quite an adventure to make. My partner was kindly given some peppers at the community garden by a fellow gardener. My sister gave me a fab Mexican cookbook some time ago that I love and I watched a video of an amazing woman cooking chile rellenos on a wood stove in Mexico. Both inspired me. I hope you’re inspired too!

Recipe at the bottom!

Continue reading

Keto Chicken Mayonnaise

One of the quickest throw together meals for leftover chicken or a handy tin of shredded tuna (which I’m not a big fan of) is shredding a chicken breast or two, adding mayonnaise, a few other diced ingredients and seasoning. I like my Chicken Mayo’ to be chunky, have some tang and a little bit of crunch. If you want some sweetness for those non-keto members of your household, sliced grapes or small dices of firm yellow peaches or apricots are delicious too. A splash of curry powder for a spicier version is also good!

Continue reading

Tender Buttermilk Chicken Curry with Summer Veg

We’ve had a cool start to summer, it’s been more of an extended spring. I’m not complaining as it meant I could make a late seasonal curry with some local farm chicken.

I tried slow roasting one of these chickens, but the good outdoor life made them strong, tough and healthy, just like chickens should be! Tasty but a tad chewy!

In South Africa we call these chickens “scratchy fowls” meaning they have had a free happy life, scratching in the fields for bugs. Nothing happier than the a vision of a happy scratching fowl roaming free!

So, as buttermilk tenderises chicken meat beautifully,

Continue reading

Bobotie Egg Bites

We’re going to friends tonight for a party and I’m taking these along as an appetiser. Bobotie is a favourite traditional South African dish, basically a curried ground beef casserole, topped with turmeric egg custard and bay leaves served with “yellow” rice which is infused with turmeric and cooked with cinnamon sticks and raisins, served with a sweet chutney and tomato sambal.

It’s a great gluten free dish. As keto, I would serve it with cauliflower rice tossed with butter, mustard seeds and turmeric. It’s a terrific dish.

Continue reading

Hot Salad with Pork Chops

When we’re having guests to dinner, I think I go a little bonkers sometimes. I scramble for crazy complex recipes online and get so anxious and stressed about cooking. I was thinking about it tonight while I cooked our supper and the fun I was having winging it for just the two of us. Imagining the flavours, experimenting and then being so happy with the adventure of trying out my musings and the flavourful outcome. It’s my favourite way of cooking.

Tonight was one of those nights. I’m sure you’ve done it too. You’ve experimented and and created a meal that wove the flavours together delicately and delightfully. It’s so satisfying. Then I thought … why don’t I trust my instincts like this when having friends over, and just wing it like I do when it’s just the two of us? It’s so much more fun!

Continue reading