Western Breakfast Sandwiches

Hope you all have missed me. Two steps forward three steps back these days. It has been tough to blog without a computer. Yep, I need to call out a posse.  The same thieves returned and got things this time. Including my laptop, complete with recipes and photos for the upcoming Among Friends book. I am so stressed out. I lost much of my documents for our school as well. Currently, I am working on John's laptop. Fortunately it was not at home that day. It doesn't even have Word loaded on it though. Add the cost of a new computer to the price of the new locks and the new glass in the French doors, and we are beyond broke. Just the new glass was over $400. Time to redo all that work is even more scarce, as we are in the midst of year end evaluations and writing curriculum for summer camp programs. Yikes. The police are fairly sure they know who did it,  but told us we needed to be our own detectives because my city has only 8 cops working hundreds of burglaries a day. That is reassuring.

Life is slowly returning to normal. Well, a little closer to it anyway. I have a friend who has offered to replace my laptop with an older desktop computer. Our thieves don't seem to want those. Maybe sometime this week I will be able to begin reformatting all my recipes. I will have to rephotograph most of my submissions too. Stupid me. I should have backed it all up when they tried to steal it the first time.

So thank you if you are still reading through my saga. I will reward you with a breakfast sandwich that we really liked. Since we finally got a Sprout's grocery, and I found psyllium husks, I had made a couple of batches with Maria's Toasted  Sub Sandwich and Panini Bread. I made some bun sized rolls that worked great. I use the coconut flour version and they are awesome...and not purple with my Sprouts brand, either.

The filling is a take off of one of our all time favorites from the Diner e-Book. The Cowboy Comfort breakfast. There are some changes, but it is a great change from sausage and eggs. Try it, and make any changes that best suit you! I have been reading a novel about the Indian Territory, and that western theme made this breakfast extra tasty. I would love to share the story behind that story, but that is for another day.

Western Breakfast Sandwich

11/2  lb lean ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1/2 yellow or green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 tsp Wright's Liquid Smoke
8 oz cream cheese
6 eggs, beaten
6 low carb sandwich buns (http://mariahealth.blogspot.com/2012/07/toasted-sub-sandwich-and-panini.html)

In a large skillet, brown ground beef with onion and peppers. Drain off any fat. Stir in the liquid smoke. Set the burner on low under the skillet. Use a knife to cut pieces of cream cheese and add them to the skillet. Let the cream cheese melt for about 5 minutes, then stir into the meat mixture. Turn meat to medium. Stir in beaten eggs and stir until eggs are set. Salt and pepper to taste. Split and toast buns. Fill with meat mixture and serve.

You could also use sausage in this, or add mushrooms, chilies, whatever you like! As soon as I get a computer of my own again, I hope to be back blogging more often. If summer camps don't kill me, that is.

Bacon Cheesecake Cups

 First off, this is not one of those sweet bacon recipes. The cheesecake is not sweetened at all, but I can promise you these are amazing!

That said, wow has it been a crazy week around our house! Our home was burglarized on Monday. My husband returned home from work just about an hour after we all left because he had forgotten something. He found the house ransacked, and all of our laptops missing, as well as both Playstations and games. Scary stuff. Talking to me on the phone, he saw they had broken in our French doors off the kitchen. Looking outside, John noticed a  backpack near the back fence. Inside that and another bag were the items being stolen. We can only assume that his unexpected return surprised the thieves, and sent them running over the fence. They must not be very good jumpers, because they seem to have dropped everything they stole.  Now I would like to say that my guard dog  Tinker, the almost 90 pound pit bull scared them away. I think not. It seems that they had time to look through upstairs and even use our own bags to haul away our things. Tinker is so darned friendly! Still, I am glad they didn't hurt my hubby or my dogs, but those were some brave or stupid robbers. They opened my bedroom drawers, but passed over a diamond necklace in a velvet box. They must have been hoping for drugs. Too bad for them, we are all so healthy. Had I lost my laptop, the newsletter would not have gone out either--and let's not talk about all the recipes I already have done for the next edition of Low Carbing Among Friends!

This week, I had convention to attend for our school, and all the preparations for it. Our educational program is so small, just a few of us do all the work! It is amazing how tired one gets at these events. It wasn't physically demanding, but the stress of putting your best face on for hours seems to take a toll on me. Long days anyway! Crazy weeks like these seem to be the norm lately. Seems I am busier now than ever before! Blogging my recipes takes a spot on the back burner when I have the newsletter to get out and all these other obligations.  But I am back today. Doing some prep for the week with a recipe to share.

It is funny how I get stuck on a theme. Last week I was busy creating muffin tin meals, since that was the theme of the May Diner News. I had lots of fun stuff in that one. Seemingly, I am having a hard time letting that concept rest. This recipe is made in a muffin tin too. It is sooo delicious! I took my old recipe for cheesecake muffins and left out the sweetener. Instead I added some onion and jalapeno seasoning. That and baked them up inside bacon crusts. Amazing!



Bacon Cheesecake Cups

13 slices thick cut bacon
1 lb cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp minced dried onion
1 tsp jalapeno seasoning OR 1 tbsp minced jalapeno pepper (optional)

Place slices of bacon on a cookie sheet. Place into a cold oven. Turn the oven on to 350 degrees. Cook bacon for about 20 minutes. or until it is cooked but not crisp. Remove from oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes. Wrap one strip around the outer edges of each of 12 standard muffin cups. Crumble the remaining strip. Place a drop or two of the bacon grease in the base of each muffin cup.

In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to combine cream cheese, eggs, onion and seasoning. Divide the batter among the muffin cups, taking care to stay inside the bacon ring. Bake for 20 minutes. The cheesecake will puff, but fall after the cups cool. Garnish with crumbled bacon.

All my guys loved these.  John's did not have the jalapeno seasoning. I mixed the cheesecake batter first without the peppers, poured his out, then added seasoning to the rest of the batter. You can add it--or fresh peppers--as you like.

If you want to go even easier, you can skip the bacon around the edges, and instead just cook it more thoroughly, then crumble it and add it to the batter. I tried that out too. They both taste great, but I definitely prefer the wrapped version because the bacon is crispier. But then, I am a crispy bacon gal, myself.

Hoping for an easier week, but thanking the good Lord for keeping us safe and miraculously in possession of our electronics.

Triple Layer Coconut Candies

I like to get in my coconut oil every day. I recommend it for my students too. I believe the brain needs fats, but I seem to have a tough time convincing my students and parents that coconut oil is healthy for them. Perhaps this recipe will do it. It is so easy to use, I just don't get it. Why are they wary? Read this article about Coconut Babies.

I have been making coconut oil candies--"coco-crack" as some call it for several years. It is so easy, just melt, mix, pour and chill.  I love plain chocolate.  I adore peppermint added to the chocolate. And oh, the peanut butter flavor! I promised yesterday that I would post some recipes I have been playing around with. This one is nothing new--just a bit fancier than the type I have told you about before... a triple layer delight.

But since so many of you have asked on FB for the recipe. Here it is...just a quick bit of info first. The great folks at Tropical Traditions sent me this jar of their finest coconut oil. This is the good stuff. Amazing quality. Check it out here. I will have more news from them soon, so stay tuned to learn more about how you might be able to sample the Gold Label oil for yourself. No announcements today because I wanted to send you off to read the health benefits of the oil before we get going that direction. Contests have all sorts of rules about making health claims and I am certainly no researcher or doctor.

This is my simplest recipe, but I have more that I want to send to the Tropical Traditions site. I have a strawberry mousse that is incredible. That will be the one I will post with more news. Be watching.

Triple Layer Coconut Candies

3/4 cup Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup natural peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
liquid sweetener to taste, about 18 tsp equivalent, divided

Heat coconut oil until it is melted. Divide it among three bowls. In one bowl, stir in the cocoa powder until completely dissolved. Add liquid sweetener to taste. (I used about 6 drops of E.Z. Sweetz) In another bowl, stir in peanut butter until smooth. Add sweetener to taste. In the last bowl, add sweetener to taste.

To make individual candies, use a silicon form. Mine is squares, but mini muffin cups would work well,  as would conventional candy molds. The pan I use to make the square candies is available here. Divide the chocolate flavored oil among 12 small cups. Set the mixture into the refrigerator to set up. Be sure the mold rests evenly. Chill for about 10 minutes. Spoon the peanut butter mixture over the chocolate layer. Return to the refrigerator to set. When firm, take out and pour the remaining clear layer over the peanut butter. Chill until ready to serve.

Just a note--sweeteners really vary a lot, so I cannot emphasize enough to taste and adjust the sweetness to your liking. This brand of coconut oil seems sweet and flavorful already, so yours may vary. Stevia is also a good choice, and you may want to use a vanilla flavored stevia in that case. I love the contrast of the flavors in this candy. The peanut butter lends a slight salty bite, and the coconut is creamy and delish. Chocolate speaks for itself.

Remember to keep these chilled. On hot days, coconut oil will melt quickly. On cooler days, they do just fine in my bento box where they are protected. I limit myself to 2 a day. These really take care of any sweet cravings. Today is my youngest son's 20th birthday. These are my only sweet treat. Good enough. I do kinda miss the days of the big birthday parties, but I don't miss baking those cakes and sorting a dozen little boys!

Remember to watching for bigger news coming soon.

Browned Butter Asparagus

As promised, the recipe for the delicious asparagus my mom and I dined on last Wednesday for our girls lunch. There are lots of ways to do asparagus, but I have often found myself a little perplexed as how to get the base parts tender without turning the tips to mush. I know to trim them, but I hate cutting off too much. When I grill or roast, it seems the ends stay a little woody. This method worked for me. Tender but not mushy.

The boiling broth tenderizes the ends, and adds flavor too. Then top it off with some browned butter and it is delish! I adore browned butter! This dish is the best of spring.

Browned Butter Asparagus

1 bunch fresh asparagus
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp butter

Wash and trim the woody ends from the asparagus. Heat a small skillet with the chicken broth. When simmering, add the asparagus. Braise until just tender, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Place the asparagus into a serving bowl and set aside. Pour the broth off, saving it for soup. Melt the butter in the skillet. Stir it gently over a medium temperature until it begins to brown. Cook until most of the butter takes on a light brown hue. Remove from heat immediately and pour over the asparagus spears. Serves 4.

We are prepping for a fundraiser garage sale for our school this weekend, so I have lots of washing and sorting still to do. I did manage to make a great new recipe today, so I will share that one later this week. Gotta run while the sun still shines!

Rosemary Balsamic Glazed Salmon

Not my regular Diner fare. This lunch was shared with my mom today--a girly meal. I don't do many of those. She supplied the fresh rosemary and the asparagus. I supplied the salmon and did the cooking. Not being the biggest fish eaters, we decided a flavorful glaze was in order. I found this method  at Victory or Death in the Kitchen and decided to adapt it just a bit. As usual, I read the recipe and then headed into the kitchen to do what felt natural. Far less vinegar and lighter on the rosemary too. I didn't grill, but slightly overbaked our fillets (not the plan), but they were still pretty good. I will put the changes I will make next time into the recipe below.

I think I will post the recipe for the asparagus later, as I did a little special thing with some browned butter.  Be looking for the recipe soon--Browned Butter Braised Asparagus. Yummmmmm. Seems to me that asparagus is either too soft and mushy or still stringy at the base. This method worked.  Maybe I was paying more attention to the vegetables than the salmon. That could have something to do with overbaking a tad. Maybe just maybe. My friends know I tend to overcook everything if given the chance. Don't be telling me I burned the onions. That is the way I like them--those little crispy dark brown ends. You can keep yours lightly golden.

Rosemary Balsamic Glazed Salmon

This recipe is for 2. Feel free to multiply for more servings.

2 wild caught Salmon fillets (4 ounces each)
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 small springs of fresh rosemary

Topping:
1/2 onion
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Glaze:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves

Brush salmon fillets with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place each fillet on a foil square. Top with a  sprig of rosemary. Close the foil and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven.  Open the foil packets and return to the oven to bake for another 5-10 minutes. Fish should flake at the thickest part.

While foil is baking, slice onion into slivers. Saute in olive oil until browned. Stir in vinegar and set aside. To assemble glaze, place vinegar and rosemary leaves in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until reduced by half. When salmon is fully cooked, remove and reserve the rosemary sprig and place each fillet in the saucepan to coat with glaze. Plate the fish and top with onions. Place the reserved rosemary sprig on top and serve.

My mom's friend offered up the rosemary from her large potted plant that mom swore was as big as the landscaping bushes. Wouldn't that be nice to have!? We are having a freeze tonight. Because I was thinking of getting a large rosemary bush for my mom for Mother's Day--do any of you know how these large plants survive freezing? I certainly don't want her trying to haul it inside for winter. I don't have a green thumb, so I really don't know these things. In the mean time, she also brought some thyme. What shall I do with that? I felt bad that I hadn't started anything out in my pots. Now that the next two nights are freezing temperatures, I don't feel so guilty.  Brr.

Sunflower Chocolate Muffins

With last Sunday being Easter, I didn't manage any prep cooking. Today, I am working double time! Already got our breakfast casserole and batch of muffins made for breakfasts this week. Made some sandwich wraps, egg salad and pepperoni chips and cheese crisps for lunches. I have the carne picada in the oven for our Triple Play meal this week--it will become Mexican, Asian and barbecue dishes. I still need to make the salad and prep some Minute Beef. I wanted to take the time to share these muffins before heading back into the kitchen.

I am currently out of almond flour, and I am a little tired of coconut flour muffins. I know Honeyville is having a sale right now, and I really wanted to order some, but it is just not in the budget. I do still have some raw sunflower seeds. My mom made some delicious cookies with ground sunflower seeds, but I know that combined with baking powder, you can get a green baked good. I don't know the exact chemistry of it all, but I really didn't want green muffins. The best anecdote? Cover any potential problem with chocolate. Come to think of it, that works well with all sorts of problems!

So I grabbed my trusty Ninja and made a batch of fluffy Sunflower Seed Flour. You could use a food processor or high end blender. (If you have one of those I am officially jealous) These muffins do have a flavor that is different from almond flour. If you like sunflower seeds, that shouldn't be a problem. The texture is light and fluffy. It is almost like a chocolate nut flavored muffin...with no nuts.  We liked these, and the sunflower seed flour has a couple distinct advantages over almond flour. First, it is cheaper by far. Second, these are seeds, so the flour is technically nut free too. I think I will do some more experimentation. This recipe could be adapted using different fats, and any sweetener you like. You might even prefer half almond and half sunflower seed flour. One cup of seeds makes one cup of flour. That is easy.

What is not easy is finding one source that agrees on the carb profile. My Mastercook program is having trouble today recognizing this. It seems to give the same numbers for flour and seeds still in the shell? I certainly don't trust that one, but then it also seems to give me an extra high carb number on almond flour. Imperfect software, I suppose. From what I can see from various sources, the carbs are very close to those of almond flour, so use accordingly. I don't know of any place that sells the flour pre-ground. Woohoo. Another chore to do from scratch, you say. You decide if it is worth it. If you think so, you might want to go all the way and soak and dehydrate the seeds first. I am not going there, so we will take our chances. It is either this or he will resort to Little Debbie.

Chocolate Sunflower Muffins

2 cups raw sunflower seeds
1 cup erythritol OR equivalent sweetener
2 tsp baking soda
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1 stick butter
4 eggs
1/2 tsp liquid stevia OR sweetener equivalent to 1/2 cup
Glaze:
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp powdered erythritol
1 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp butter, softened

In a food processor or blender, grind raw sunflower seeds into a flour. Be careful not to process too long, or you may get a nut butter. In a medium bowl, combine sunflower seed flour, erythritol, and baking soda. In a heatproof bowl, melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave. Add stevia and stir to blend. Add eggs to the chocolate mixture, beating one egg in at a time.Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Spoon batter into 12 baking cups, filling 2/3's full. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes. The tops will crack. Remove from oven when centers are set. Let cool.

To make glaze, blend cocoa powder, erythritol and hot water until smooth. Stir in softened butter and stir until butter is incorporated. Dip the tops of 6 muffins into the glaze, and drizzle the glaze over the remaining muffins. If you prefer, double the glaze recipe. Dip all the muffin tops and use the remaining glaze on as a topping for ice cream or strawberries.

Ginny's French Toast

I have been so lax about photographing and reviewing the wonderful recipes in the newer Low Carbing Among Friends books. Starting and running an alternative school is a load of work! But hey, we all have lives, right? This morning I made this French Toast recipe from Ginny in the Low Carbing Among Friends Volume 2. It is on page 187. If you don't have the book, go get it now!  Go here.

We really liked it, although I had to change up one ingredient. Ginny's recipe calls for almond flour and Parmesan cheese. I had some cheese, but when I grabbed it, I found out the one I had left had crushed red pepper and Italian seasonings added. Not such a great match with French Toast. I decided to try a substitution of Golden Flax meal. Thankfully, that choice worked very well. The recipe is for one and goes together really quickly. The batter is baked in the microwave oven in under 2 minutes. Wow.  That is easy. I found a little Corningware casserole dish that is the perfect size for one piece of bread. Ginny says this can also be made into Texas Toast--you know the thick cut bread. It does bake up nice and thick. That is great since it doesn't fall apart after being dipped in the egg mixture.

I like to use a screaming hot cast iron skillet, so my French Toast cooked up faster than the recipe calls for. I even held it with the spatula to brown the sides a little bit. Just a bit of sugarfree syrup and breakfast was done. Really filling too. One piece will do ya!

This Easter weekend, my newlyweds are bringing their panini machine for sandwiches. I think this just might be the bread of choice for us low carbers. The thickness is going to work very well in the press.  I will keep you updated on that when the time comes.Until then, go make yourself some yummy French Toast. Thanks Ginny. Go check out her blog too. Ginny is a diabetic's inspiration! She may not know it, but I have been a fan since the days we first began low carbing for my Hubby's diabetes. You could say that I was probably her stalker on the Bernstein forum. She and I just gel because we both like to make real foods that feed our families and pass the "man" test! When you meet people who have maintained this way of eating for years, then you know it is the real thing.