Mississippi's Cousin Roast Beef

My favorite great aunt was from Mississippi. She was also a phenomenal cook...and she always smelled good. Funny the things you remember from your childhood. Her hugs were soft. She had a big fur coat. She made the world's best chocolate cake. And she loved me and my sis like we were her own grandkids. She never had children, so we were hers. Every little girl could do well with an extra pair of loving grandparents. That was my Aunt Gladis...and Uncle Worrall too.

Some have scoffed at this internet sensation of a recipe, declaring the ingredients to be somehow "unlikely southern." Granted not too many cooks from the old days of southern charms had pepperoncini peppers in their pantry. But, I have to say, despite what some seem to think, the South is still alive, and great southern cooks are able to innovate and take advantage of modern ingredients. I do get a little tired of the attitude that nothing matters in the U.S. but the coasts. But I will spare you all my soap box there. Afterall, some of you aren't even from North America, and here I am whining.

This is a tried and true recipe, popular for several years now. Even foodie snobs seem to like it. Thanks ladies, for a great recipe. If you want the history on the recipe, here it is from the NY Times. The original relies on packaged gravy and ranch dressing mixes. I opted for a less processed version and upped the peppers a bit too. I also left out the stick of butter: not because I hate fat, but because I am too cheap! I just couldn't figure out what it was going to do since I wasn't going to try to make a thick gravy. What I was going for was the flavor of the peppers with the beef.  I used sliced peppers rather than whole, so we could get the flavor in every bite with no effort on our part.  Maybe I shouldn't even call this the Mississippi Roast, having tinkered with the recipe so much.  I should call it my Mississippi's Cousin Roast Beef. If you want it more like the original, add some thickener and butter.

My family really liked this roast, but then, we never met a slow cooker roast we didn't like. It made fantastic leftovers too. It is good at any temperature. I loved the bit of a vinegary bite as part of a salad later in the week. Decidedly, this will be made again and again. And even though she never made this one, I will always think of my dear Aunt.

I featured this recipe in last month's crockpot edition of the Diner News. If you love your crockpot as much as I do, be sure to subscribe for this and other fantastic recipes.

Mississippi's Cousin Roast Beef

2 1/2 -3 lb beef roast

1/2 cup prepared beef stock, made double strength

1/2 tsp molasses

1 tsp dried dill weed

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 cup diced pepperoncini peppers

Place roast in the base of the slow cooker. Combine dill, garlic salt,  and onion powder. Sprinkle over the roast. Prepare a double strength beef stock. If using bouillon, just use half the amount of water. If using natural stock, reduce to half volume in a saucepan. Stir in molasses. Pour over the roast. Top with pepperoncini peppers. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.  Let meat rest for 20 minutes before shredding with two forks.   

Serves 8 : 299 calories  1 g carb

Just goes to show that lots of amazing things come from Mississippi.

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Mexicana Mama's Meatloaf and New Crockpot Recipes

I love my crockpots. Yes, that is plural. I love my multi-cooker too. A girl who has 4 slow cookers can never have too many crockpot recipes. They are wonderful time savers, energy savers, and money savers too. I often slow cook meats in large batches to use several different ways. But sometimes, it is great to have a complete meal or even a side dish in the slow cooker. This month, we gotcha covered.

I have some wonderful "filling" for soft tacos, salads and omelets. So versatile, and yet the flavor profiles you can make are endless. My Chicken Mole is incredible. I have enjoyed amazing salads with it, and my son loved it in quesadillas. But then, you will also want to try the new Tipsy Chicken Verde. Beer, salsa and cream cheese make so delicious. I admit to eating a bowlful alone, but it is meant to be on salad greens, in a low carb wrap or flavoring an omelet.

 I have terrific one pot meals too--like the totally tasty Stuffed Pepper Soup. That one uses Miracle Rice, but even my super picky hubby really liked it. Woohoo. Anytime I can serve soup as the main meal, I am happy. Plus, in my multi-cooker, I can use the browning function and skip browning the beef in a separate skillet. Fewer dishes to wash. Country Ribs are also excellent in the slow cooker. I still had some cranberries left from the holidays, so they combined with balsamic vinegar for a slightly sweet and tart main dish. Easy!

So that is a peak into what this month's Diner News features. Now onto the featured recipe to share here. I chose this meatloaf, because most don't think of making meatloaves in the crockpot. You so can! I have pressure cooked them too, but this was so easy. I prepped it the night before, then added it to the cooker in the morning before school. Because my multicooker can delay start time, I didn't have to overcook. I set it to start a couple of hours after I left. Can't tell you just how good the house smelled when I got home! I love my cooker because it keeps the dish warm after the programmed end time too. I love all these features.

The star in this dish is the fire roasted salsa style tomatoes. If you can't find those at Aldi, then you can substitute another brand or a can of Rotel style tomatoes. I am thinking they would make it a much spicer taste, but still good.

Mexicana Mama Meatloaf in the Crockpot

1 1/2 lb ground beef

14.5 oz can fire roasted salsa style tomatoes

1 egg

1 tbsp coconut flour

1 tbsp chia seeds

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Combine meat with 1 cup tomatoes, egg, coconut flour, chia, and spices. Form into a ball and place into an ovenproof bowl that will fit inside the slow cooker. Top with remaining tomatoes. Pour a  half cup of water in the base of the slow cooker and place the meatloaf inside. Cook on high heat for 3 - 4 hours. Use tongs to remove the loaf dish. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

If you own a multi-cooker, this can be pressure cooked also for 15 minutes on high pressure.

Serves 4:  460 calories   5 net g carb

 I think you might be able to cook directly in the base, but I chose to form my loaf inside a small casserole dish that fits inside my slow cooker. That way, it was easy to remove and still very pretty. Just a little water in the bottom, and the dish on the trivet. When it was done, I was able to tilt the dish a bit to pour off collected fat. It went into the water, making cleanup a breeze. 

This was so full of flavor! I made some sauteed zucchini on the side, but anything that goes with Tex-Mex would be amazing.

Now, for a sneak peak into the other recipes in the February Diner News. Get out that crockpot! Or as in my case, those crockpots. Now you see why I have 4!

German Caulimash

Cran-Apple Country Pork Ribs

Tipsy Chicken Verde

Crocked Burgers in Mushroom Gravy

Hungarian Caulimash

Lemon Kale and Chicken Soup

Chicken Mole

Spaghetti Squash in the Crockpot

Balsamic Brussels

Garlic Parmesan Chicken

Grandma's Green Beans

Hobo Dinner in the Slow Cooker

Beer Braised Brats

Poppyseed Chicken

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Mississippi Roast

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Chicken in Mole Sauce--Crockpot Style

We got our first real snowfall of the year today. Yes, it did change my plans for the day, but that was not too bad a thing. I got a jump on my weekend prep for meals. (and a strong start on the February Diner News) This was just the thing I needed to warm me up today. Nice and spicy! Chicken in Mole Sauce. The sauce is complex, for sure, but not at all hard to put together. If you have never made or enjoyed a Mole sauce, you may be surprised to learn that chocolate is an important ingredient. The sauce is a little sweet, and a little spicy. Both hot spicy and cinnamon and clove spicy. I loved this! My kitchen happens to have guajillo chile powder. That can be hard to find, but you can sub with an additional tsp of regular chili powder. The guajillo I have really adds some heat, so if you like it spicy better plan on a shake or two of cayenne or red pepper flakes too. If not, the plain chili powder will make this much more kid friendly. My big kid--the hubby--would find my version too spicy. Good thing for him I made three crockpot meals today. Yes, I am that crazy gadget lady that owns 4 different slowcookers.

The crockpot made it easy-peasy. Maybe this is not as striking as the rich mahogany colored sauce ladeled over a sizzling breast of chicken, but I am more into easy than fancy. I did bother to grab my pretty plate and placemat for the photo. That shows how much I love a theme! Speaking of which, this will be in my slow cooker themed Diner News for February.

Chicken Mole

14 oz canned diced tomatoes

2 tbsp finely diced onion

1 oz unsweetened chocolate

2 tbsp almond meal

2 tsp erythritol / stevia blend sweetener equal to sugar

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 tsp guajillo chili powder

1 tsp plain chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast

Add all ingredients except chicken to the crockpot. Stir well to distribute spices. Add chicken (may be diced, but can be put in whole) Cook at low temperature for 6-8 hours. Let cool 10 minutes. Shred chicken with two forks and allow sauce to seep into the meat.

Serve with a salad. Garnish chicken with cheese and chopped cilantro.

Serves 4 as a meal with 2 cups salad w/tomato and 2 tbsp cheese

248 calories and 10 net g carb

Don't you love lazy days? So good to have them once in a while. We could have ventured out, but why? As I sit here, I am still in my loungewear, no make-up and messy hair. Love it. John is wearing mismatched clothes and I don't even care. He his cleaning his office. Woohoo. I did battle yesterday at the grocery store. I promise you, here in Oklahoma, where we don't get much snow, just a forecast of an inch or two will send everyone scurrying to the store for provisions. It's crazy how we think somehow we might get snowed in for weeks without milk or bread.( Not that I buy those things)

Whatever the weather in your part of the world, enjoy!

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My New Baking Master Mix and Chocolate Zucchini Crockpot Cake

Hi all. I promise I have not fallen off the planet. Closing the school is taking much more out of me than anticipated. Emotionally and physically, it has been tough. Tomorrow is my final day of moving out. Things that didn't sell, a few things I want to hold on to sell from home, and of course the things I can't bear to part with...Then will come the final clean up and turning in the keys. Ending my dream of three years has been really hard. I have to admit, time and interest in making up new recipes have been rare lately.

I did have a foray into the world of baking mixes. I saw that the girls over at Trim Healthy Mama came up with a new one. I was going to try it, but they were all sold out. I looked at the ingredient list and started playing around on my own. I began with little bitty batches, since some of these ingredients are a little pricey. I hit a winner early on. Then, when I ran out of a couple of ingredients, I ventured into a slightly altered recipe for a second version. I have to say, I love them both. I have no idea if my recipe performs similarly to the THM version, but I was developing my own recipes anyway.  So make your own, or buy theirs here. It might be back in stock.

What I love about this new baking mix, I now call it my Master Mix, is that it uses the best properties of the well known flour substitutes and combines them into something new. In doing so, we also avoid some of the not-so-favorite qualities. You know, the expense and calories of almond flour. The grassy taste of flax. The dryness of protein powder. The obvious coconut flavor of coconut flour. The cardboard texture of too much oat fiber. The possible tummy issues with psyllium husk. 

The synergy is amazing when all these ingredients balance out. Plus, some texture help in binding from the glucomannan and gelatin. Gelatin is also good for you. Just look at the nutrition stats here. A 1/4 cup serving is really huge! Many of my recipes would be about half that amount. That puts us in the low calorie range. Choose lower fat ingredients like egg white and yogurt to take that even farther, or go with whole eggs and more oil for a luxurious mouth feel to baked goods. Good either way. I am not afraid of fat, but as an older girl, I need to watch calories.

This recipe #2 is what I have chosen to use with breadlike recipes and darker cakes. It is a little sturdier than version #1. It is also cheaper than the other, using whey protein rather than the purer isolate, and regular flaxmeal over golden flax. I am now buying my coconut flour and  flaxmeal at Sam's club at great prices. Coconut oil as well. If you want both Master Mix recipes, you will need the June issue of the Diner News.

Master Baking Mix #2

1 1/2 cup coconut flour

1 1/4 cup oat fiber

3/4 cup almond flour

3/4 cup whey protein powder

1/2 cup flaxmeal

1/4 cup ground psyllium husk (be sure to grind this yourself, don't rely on the flaked as it comes in the can)

2 tbsp glucomannan

2 tbsp beef gelatin

Combine all ingredients in an air tight container.

18   - 1/4 cup servings  116 calories 2 net g carbs

Now what can  you do with this? Sub it in any Minute Muffin. Make lots of terrific baked goods. I am not so crazy about pie crusts or pizza crust, but I love the lightness for cakes. Even made in the microwave and crockpot.

Here is a recipe to get you started. It is perfect for June when you don't want to turn on the oven. Let the crockpot do the baking. I used my little crockpot. It was so easy!

Crockpot Zucchini Chocolate Cake

3/4 cup Master Mix (#2)

1/2 cup Erythritol blend sweetener (Natvia is what I used)

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

Dash salt

1/2 cup unsweetened cashew milk

1/4 cup liquid coconut or MCT oil

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup shredded zucchini

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add wet ingredients to the bowl and stir until no clumps remain. Stir in zucchini.

Oil a mini crockpot and sprinkle an additional tsp of master mix in the base. Shake and turn to distribute. Pour batter into crock. Bake on low setting for about 3 hours.. Check at the 2 1/2 hour mark. If center is still wet, up the heat to high for the last half hour.

Serves 6:  163 cal.  2.5 net carbs  14.5 g  fat

This is so moist and delicious. The texture is amazing, and you really can eat it like a snack cake with no frosting. I added a spoon of frozen whipped cream. Remember that hack from the May Diner News? The cake lasted us three days, with the last piece as yummy as the first.

If you want more recipes with my new Master Mix obsession, you can get them in the June issue of the Diner News. Here is a sampling of what you get.

Banana Chocolate Chippers

Blueberry Crumble

Italian Cheese Crackers

Short Time Strawberry Shortcake

Italian Cheese Rolls

Snickerdoodle Cookies

Cheeseburger Pie

Sausage Bread

Vanilla Minute Muffin

Cool Ranch Wannabes

Pepper Cheese Waffles

Peanut Butter Muffins

Low Cal Strawberry Pie

Sriracha Crackers 

See? I have been busy even if I have not been posting. Life is just crazy, crazy, crazy. In just a bit, I will get my summer break. And who knows what the future holds?

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Layered Taco Salad with Crockpot Taco Beef and Other Big News!

It is summer, and I am busy on an exciting new project. I have a few weeks off from school. A few life changes too. With my empty nest unfolding, everything seems so different. In accordance, my traditional Diner system is undergoing some changes too. No boys to feed anymore. Prep days just don't have to be as involved. I am reorganizing my system to fit the needs of singles and couples rather than families.

As I am working things out, I am putting together a new Diner e-book on this smaller scale. Hopefully, I will get that formatted very soon and put it up for sale. I have needed another source of revenue to keep the rent paid for my school, and I am hoping this will do the trick. We are aiming to have it available for a download like the original book and Kindle as well. All that is keeping me busy! So much for summer break--but then, I have never been the type that is able to relax without a project of some sort.

So you don't forget me, I am adding a couple of recipes from the May issue of the Diner News. I love this shortcut of making Mexican Crockpot Beef. It is the easiest way to have this delicious taco meat filling for all sorts of meals. Tacos, casseroles, omelets and scrambles, quick chili and my absolute fav--Layered Taco Salad. This version makes individual salads in personal trifle bowls. You can make a bigger bowl if you have a bigger family. The Crockpot Taco Beef makes three pounds worth. For a big family, eat it all at once. For a smaller family, the planned leftovers are fabulous to freeze. I love having a package of this in the freezer. The meat is extra moist and tender too. You can add in half turkey too if you prefer.

Crockpot Taco Beef

3 lb ground beef

1 cup water

1 tsp salt

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp Mexican oregano

Place beef in the base of a crockpot. Break it up with a spoon. Add water and cook on low for 5 hours. Drain fat and water from the meat. Stir in spices and return to the crock for another hour. (If you are in a hurry, you may skip the additional hour of cooking)

Serves 12: 303 cal  24 fat   .5 carb  20 protein

a simple Taco Salad or go for the layered version

Layered Individual Taco Salad

Layer in order:

Shredded lettuce mixed with fresh cilantro

Diced tomatoes

Shredded cheese

Better Than Frijoles

Sliced jalapeno

Sour cream

Crockpot Taco Beef …       plus garnishes

Also consider adding red onion ,  black olives and avocado chunks

 Carbs will vary with the mixture of veggies you choose. This recipe can be a party favorite if you make the layered salads in smaller solo plastic cups.

There you have it. A little bit from the Mexican themed May Diner News. Every issue has recipes and tips that I don't share here on the blog, so order if you want it all! More exciting news--the hubby is finally getting the 2013 Diner News Bundle ready to order! So if  you would like to get a full year of the Diner News at once, just order here. A year is just $6--current subscription or a bundle of years past. And as usual, all my profits go to keep my school running. Be watching for the news about the new e-book too. So much to do!

If you would like to order a year of the Diner News, just head on over to our website.  It is a new theme every month. June is dedicated to picnic foods and has some great ideas.

http://www.247lowcarbdiner.com/html/newsletter.html

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