Salchicha Skillet

This is so super yummy. I mean it. Amazing stuff to do all sorts of things with. Fill a mini bell pepper. Amazing. Make some low carb tortillas and you are in heaven with the most delicious burrito ever. Scramble some eggs and you will be a happy camper. Promise.

I do several similar dishes. My Cowboy Comfort is a family favorite from my e book. I also do a Sausage Egg Gravy to put over toast. That recipe was in April's Diner News. This is a cousin, a very south of the border cousin. Take a recipe method you already love, and add some spices you love. Green chilies, cilantro and ohh baby some real Mexican hot sauce. What you get is inspired I tell ya. Muy bueno.

Salchicha is the Spanish word for sausage, but this is not using Chorizo. Just your standard American pork breakfast sausage, but this recipe transforms it into something different. I made this version rather mild by my personal standards. Even a gringo will love it. If you like spicy, go ahead and add a few more shakes of hot sauce in there. You could even add a fresh jalapeno pepper while the sausage browns. If your husband would still eat it that way. Mine wouldn't. His mom was too much of a Yankee. Despite his pepper phobia, I do have a bunch of fresh jalapenos which are going to find their way into the Diner News for May. Guess those will all be for my and my boy.

Salchicha Skillet

1 lb bulk pork sausage

4 oz canned chopped mild green chilies

4 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

½ tsp hot pepper sauce

4 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack

In a skillet, brown the sausage along with the green chilies and cilantro. Drain fat. Add cream cheese and hot sauce to the meat mixture. Heat on low until the cheese is melted. Transfer to a serving bowl and immediately top with shredded cheese. Garnish with a little more chopped cilantro if desired.

Serves 4 at 447 calories   2.4 g net carbs   22 g protein   28 g fat

Serve on low carb tortillas or in egg crepes. This is also fantastic over scrambled eggs or along side sauteed veggies.

So this is from my upcoming May issue of the Diner News. The theme will be Mexican food this month. I love Mexican food. We may have a tough time avoiding the chips and salsa, but we are the envy off all when the sizzling fajitas come from the kitchen still singing and tempting all with that amazing aroma! I have some hints for making those, as well as some new entrees, sauces, dips, desserts and salads. You won't want to miss this issue.  That will be available May 1. To subscribe, go here.

This is a bit on the caloric side, but I promise they fill you up like nobody's business. Tonight I ate mine with a side of yellow squash. Not too many calories there. If you have enough sides, you may choose to serve 6 with this. I had to be honest though; it is so good we were tempted to eat it all gone. Some people think pork sausage is just breakfast food. We don't. This particular dish is great for any meal or appetizer. Don't limit it!

So try some of this Salchicha. As fun to say as it is to eat!

This recipe could be in a future volume of Low Carbing Among Friends. Order any of our great cookbooks at  http://amongfriends.us/24-7-LCD.php

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Cream of Asparagus Soup

Spring is always such a busy time for me. This is a cheater recipe. It is a lovely soup, mind you, but uses a can of asparagus rather than fresh. If I bother to buy and cook fresh, I want to eat it that way! And I never eat canned asparagus as a side. Way too mushy for me. That mush makes a wonderful soup, though.

This is creamy and cheesy. Yum. And that lemon pepper just makes in sing. Don't leave it out! On the run today, so that is all I have. This soup will be done in almost no time at all. Enjoy.

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

This is a lovely, light green soup with a delicious cheesy flavor. Perfect for a springtime lunch.

14.5 oz can asparagus (411 g)

2 cups chicken broth (500 mL)

¹/₂ cup cream (125 mL)

¹/₄ cup Parmesan cheese (60 mL)

1 tsp lemon pepper (5 mL)

¹/₂ tsp salt (2 mL)

¹/₂ tsp onion powder (2 mL)

In a blender, puree the asparagus with the chicken broth. In a medium sized saucepan, combine the puree, cream, cheese, salt, lemon pepper and onion powder. Simmer over low heat for ten minutes.

Yield:  4 servings at  129 calories  7 g protein  10 g fat  1 g fiber  3 g net carbs 

This recipe is in Low Carbing Among Friends. Order any of our great cookbooks at  http://amongfriends.us/24-7-LCD.php

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Island Strawberry Mousse Mini Pies

These little mini pies will make an extra special treat for Easter! Two bites and they are gone. They are pretty and bursting with strawberry and coconut flavor. The crust is sturdy and does not crumble in your hand so they are perfect for parties and gatherings. Finger food!  I love the creamy sweet coconut and berry taste combined with the nutty crust. They are healthy too with an extra serving of coconut oil.


Island Strawberry Mousse Mini Pies

Crust:

1¹/₂ cups blanched almond flour 

¹/₄  teaspoon salt 

1 tbsp salted butter 

1 tsp coconut oil 

1 egg

Mousse:

10 strawberries, cleaned

¹/₃  cup unrefined coconut oil 

¹/₄  cup heavy cream 

2 packets powdered stevia or other sweetener to equal 4 tsp sugar 

Place almond flour and salt in food processor and pulse briefly. Add butter, coconut oil , and egg and pulse until mixture forms a ball. Press dough into 12 mini muffin cups . Bake at 350°F  until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

Place berries and coconut oil in a microwavable bowl. Heat 1 to 2 minutes until oil is melted and hot. (1 minute for fresh berries, 2 for thawed frozen berries) Transfer to a blender or food processor. Add cream and sweetener and process. Chill in blender jar until mixture firms up. Blend again if necessary. Once the oil is incorporated, this will stay mousse-like for days.

Fill the crusts with mousse and too with a strawberry half for garnish if you like.

12 mini pies      214 calories    20 g fat     4 g protein     4 net carbs

If you don't want to bother with the crust, the mousse is excellent in a shot glass or other mini dessert dish as well.  This recipe is included in Low Carbing Among Friends Volume 5. If you don't own this book, you really should order it. Order our books at: 

http://amongfriends.us/24-7-LCD.php

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Good for You Brownies

We low carbers have the freedom to make some pretty wonderful desserts. But most desserts, while well deserved and well received, don't pack a nutritional punch. It is strange how many trolls we get over on the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook page-- constantly telling us that meat is bad, fat will make you fat, artificial sweeteners will poison you, etc. etc. etc. To each his own since we all have to make our own choices. No need to be rude, but sometimes we have a hard time convincing people that we do make healthy choices. Why do they frequent our page anyway? We must be making an impact!

Take this recipe, for instance. I went into it not to make a luscious decadent treat, but to make a good-for-us treat that was sweet and fudgy and easily packed into a lunchbox. Rather than just make a brownie with lots of nut flour and butter, I tried a few new things. Chia seed and flax. Protein powder too. How about pumpkin? Medium Chain Triglyceride oil? Weird, I know. This is high in protein, has good fiber and tastes good too. Not at all like pumpkin to me or the hubby. Here are the healthy stats for these healthy brownies. Each one has:

 181 calories   4 net carbs     5 g fiber    13 g fat     11 g protein

Go ahead and make one breakfast!

Good For You Brownies

1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tbsp MCT oil, or coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 scoops vanilla or chocolate protein powder (figured at 3.5 carbs per scoop)
1/4 cup granulated erythritol or equivalent sweetener
4 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp chia seed
3 tbsp flax meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt

Frosting:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered erythritol
2 tbsp cocoa powder

In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, egg, oil and vanilla extract. To that mixture, add the protein powder, erythritol, cocoa powder, chia seed, flax meal baking powder and salt. Stir well until no lumps remain. Spread into a sprayed 8x8 inch pan. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes. 

Frosting: Melt butter in a microwavable bowl or in a small saucepan. Stir in the powdered erythritol and cocoa powder. Spread the frosting over the brownies. Cool until the frosting hardens. Serves 8.


You may notice the not totally square shape in my photo. I made these in a brownie appliance. Yes, I am the gadget queen. I found it on sale at Aldi for just 5 bucks and I thought it might make good slider buns. I have tried several recipes, none of them a huge hit so far. The jury is still out. These brownies almost ended up in the "OK but not good enough to share" category. The brownie part alone is not all that wonderful and they did not end up very square. They very moist and cakelike but the flavor is not intense enough for me: not thoroughly fudgy. To liven things up, I added a bit more sweetener to this published recipe. My original trial had relied on sweetness from the protein powder-- that just did not come through. Good news is that missing wow factor is what made me choose to frost these brownies. I promise this frosting would make old sneakers taste great. Since the brownies are way better than old sneakers, it is a win-win. The frosting takes the flavor up several notches and is not too bad for us. Just promise me you won't use margarine. So remember all the nutrition points in the brownie and all the flavor points of the frosting.

So all the trolls need to go research the nutritional value of  MCT oil, chocolate, chia seeds, flax, pumpkin, real butter, sea salt, erythritol and stevia. I will even caution you to be sure to use aluminum free baking powder.

There you have it. Brownies are good, and sometimes they are good for you too. To those who think low carbers just eat bacon and cheese...well, think again! We eat brownies too. (she said with a smurk)




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Crisp Salami Cup Appetizers

These are so fun and really delicious. Perfect for parties and showers, picnics or movie night munching. They have a lot of eye appeal with the color and flowery shape, yet they are so easy to make. Ready to try?

Start with a package of super thinly sliced salami. That is important. I used Hormel slices. Choose your veggies, herbs and cheese. I saw lots of recipes for these online, including Rachel Ray's Antipasti Bites. Most used marinated artichoke hearts and jarred red peppers. I have a few who are not big fans of artichokes, so I went fresh with my recipe.  Zucchini is great, very neutral and let the other flavors shine. I also used fresh herbs from the beginnings of this year's herb garden. I don't have basil yet, but lemon balm was excellent. Either would be wonderful. You can't really go wrong with the filling, so feel free to play around. Don't like olives? Leave them out.

When it comes to baking the salami cups, you have a choice. You may choose to place a ball of foil inside each slice in the muffin tin to ensure the salami does not move, making it hard to fill. This makes for a more open cup. I like the wavy shapes, so I chose not to add the foil. Some cups are more of a challenge to fill, but it still works. I think they are prettier with more waves in the salami.


Crispy Salami Cup Appetizers

16 slices very thin salami
1/4 zucchini, unpeeled
6 grape tomatoes
6 Kalamata olives (or any type)
3 tbsp fresh diced chives
3 tbsp fresh chopped basil, lemon balm or any fresh herb
3 tbsp feta cheese
1 tbsp Italian dressing

Using a standard muffin tin, press the salami slices into the muffin cups, using a spoon to help press the meat to the sides.  Add foil balls if using. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.* Let the salami cool 5 minutes before removing from the pan, but don't wait too long, or they can stick to the cooled fat in the base of the cup. Drain on a paper towel.

Finely dice the zucchini, tomatoes and olives. Mince the fresh herbs. In a medium bowl, combine the vegetables and herbs with the cheese and Italian dressing. Spoon this mixture into the salami cups and serve.

* I heard from one Diner that her salami burned in that amount of time in the oven. Since slice thickness and brand may vary, be sure to check yours about 8 minutes in.

Makes 16       each cup has approximately 45 calories and  just under 1 carb.  

If your package of salami has more slices, just add  a bit more of the filling ingredients. Precise measurements are really unnecessary. Put what you like in there! If I wasn't feeding my hubby, I would shake some crushed red pepper in as well. Take these to a party and everyone will be so impressed with your mad cooking skills.

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Tac-ole Personal Casseroles

Tac-Ole cups have been a favorite in my family ever since we started low carbing. I love my Tex-Mex food, but there is really nothing I can find that is legal at the fast food Mexican chains. Fajitas are an option in nicer places, but not so great for quick and cheap lunches. Besides, it is just easier to stay far away from that bowl of chips. This recipe is fun and tasty, not exactly like tacos or burritos, but the flavor cures the craving. Better yet, it is so simple to throw together!

I usually make a big Multiply Meal batch that are cupcake size. Today, I did that with most of the batch, but first, I filled three personal casserole dishes for our lunch meal. Yum. I baked some mini peppers stuffed with caulirice, salsa and cheese, and also added a nice side salad. Great lunch. Better yet, some go in the fridge for later this week and some go in the freezer for quick meals in the future!

Here is the recipe for a single batch. You really should buy the Diner e-book so you can work the system and always have food in the freezer and a meal plan in place. It really does de-stress life.

Tac-Ole Cups

1 1/4 lb ground beef
4 eggs
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup almond flour or any low carb flour blend
3 tbsp taco seasoning ( 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp Mexican oregano 
2 cups shredded cheese

Brown ground beef and drain off fat. In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs. Stir in salsa. Add in flour and seasonings. Stir until no lumps remain. Stir in cheese and beef. Spoon batter into 12 standard muffin cups. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serving: 2 cups     614 calories   2 carbs

These travel really well and are great in a lunch box!


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Full Moon Sausage and Cream Cheese Muffins

Pinterest strikes again. I saw a Pampered Chef recipe for Crescent Sausage Bites. That sounded so tummy. Knowing I couldn't do the three ingredient recipe, which used two cans of crescent rolls, I wondered how the "cornbread" recipe from my Mexican Cornbread casserole would work. Let me tell ya. It works!

Since I seem totally unable to cut any dish into cute squares, I opted to make my new creation in my mini muffin silicone pan. (If you can call it a pan--seems weird) That worked with my play on words too. Since the original recipe calls for crescent rolls (think of the moon shape)  mine would be fully round like a full moon. Yeah, I try.

Having made this, I am going to reduce the salt in the original bread recipe a bit. I also found that I didn't have room for the full pound of sausage called for by Pampered Chef, so I will adjust that too. I had plans on testing this one for the April Diner News, but my to do list was just too long. I did manage to get it done today, and so I will share it here on the blog instead. You may want to go ahead and get the newsletter because it if filled with great pork recipes this month.

The bready part of this dish is light and airy. The sausage is creamy and flavorful. I think they are really great and they really fill you up. Kids and men will really like these.

Full Moon Sausage and Cream Cheese Muffins


1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup golden flax meal
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 lb pork sausage (bulk)
4 oz cream cheese

In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, flax meal, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs and olive oil and stir well. Stir in the shredded cheese. Spoon half the mixture into 24 oiled mini muffin cups. Use the back of a spoon to press the batter flat. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes and remove from oven.

Meanwhile, brown the sausage. Drain fat. Stir in the cream cheese until melted. Spoon the sausage mixture over the top of the partially baked muffins. Top with the remaining batter and smooth with the back of a spoon. Bake an additional 15-20 minutes until muffins are golden and set. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan. 
Makes 24 muffins    89 calories each    7 g fat   .6 g net carb

Gotta try these. My mom just tasted them--though she is not a low carber, she thinks they are great.

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