Made in YOUR home!
I’ve always had people send me photos of their recipes, but it doesn’t happen very often; just the occasional random unsolicited shot. I REALLY love this, though! It’s almost impossible to explain what it feels like to create these recipes and then send them out into the universe. I have no way of knowing whether they are used, loved, shared, talked about, cooked, loathed, modified, despised, fed to the family dog, etc. It’s a very strange feeling! I’m always eager to hear feedback from people, as it allows me to feel that the recipes are working for (or against!) them, that they’re (hopefully!) tasty, that the instructions are easy enough to follow, etc. This feedback goes great lengths towards driving how future recipes are developed. It’s actually quite important to me! Ultimately, it is my sincere hope is that these recipes are more than worth the time it takes to make them; each and every one!
When people send me photos of their food, it really gives me a sense of what’s really happening in peoples’ homes. I get a sense of the attention they pay to the food, their enthusiasm for the recipe, their thinking as they make personal modifications, etc. As much as I love a good compliment, my absolute favorite thing is when someone sends me a photo of their food (especially if it’s one of my recipes!).
This week, for some reason, I’ve received several! I really hope more are sent. I love them! I always share them on my Facebook page. This time, I’m also including them in my blog. Perhaps, in time, if I get enough of them, I’ll create a special page on my website with all the photos, your recipes, your tweaks, etc. I’m not THAT picky about it being my recipe. I love any good recipe, especially if YOU love it!
Here’s another way of looking at it: All y’all get a fairly deep look in to my world, on a fairly regular basis. These photos, recipes and words each of you send along with them really help me look into your world. This helps me gain a greater appreciation for how they’re used and what is looked at, what is seen as important, etc. I love it. I think it’ll help make me a better blogger, too!
If you cook something low-carb and you really enjoyed it, take a picture and send it off to me. I’ll post it somewhere! Please include the recipe, if you’ve got it!
Here are the photos sent, this week!
First, we have Leeanne W. O., who says, “Your Singapore Style Noodles were over the TOP awesome !!! Thank you ! We like spice so we used extra medium yellow Curry powder … and a couple of tablespoons of Sriracha chili sauce …. best meal in weeks ! Thank you !”
Next, from Tina P. who made them for Memorial Day weekend, she says they were a big hit!
Then, I had an exchange with Laura R. Q. about the Red Slaw. She loved the idea, but wanted to tinker with it. We chatted and she finally came up with, “red cabbage, edamame, and cucumber slaw! Mmmm! Thanks for the idea!!”
Through a discussion on my Facebook page about the Gefu Spirelli (apparently, the world’s greatest zoodle-making tool!), Wendy M. P. sends us a photo of her Zoodles!
Amy S. sends a photo of her Broccoli-Cheddar soup with a note that it’s the best soup, ever! She had to make a second batch!
Here’s one that doesn’t come from my website, but is still a great idea. The funny part is, I had literally just made something VERY similar the day before, but with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and goat’s cheese. Baked eggs are super simple and a tasty way to start the day!
Christie’s Baked Tomato and Eggs
Butter
Very small onion, diced
1/8 cup bellpepper, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
green onions
6 Roma tomatoes, deseeded and diced
2 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
2 eggs
1 T beef base
garlic
pepper
- Preheat oven to 350
- Saute onion, bellpepper, and celery in butter, till tender.
- Add tomatoes and cook down a little bit. Add the beef base, garlic, and pepper.
- Add the chopped bacon. Stir and then transfer to your baking dish of choice. Ramekins would work good here.
- Split up the mixture into two (using ramekins may allow for getting more dishes..so then you would need more eggs)
- Make a dent in the middle with a spoon, crack an egg into the center.
- Top eggs with pepper
- Sprinkle green onions over each portion.
- Bake 15-20 minutes. (till the whites are set)
Christie says, “I am going to add Feta cheese next time to the tomato mixture right before it goes in the baking dish.”
We’ve also got one from Julie W. H., who says, “Hey DJ Foodie, I modified your Pork Scallopini with Bacon Jus recipe to make a Chicken Saltimbocca. It was amazing. So I am sharing it with you. You might be able to tweak it even more. Love your site, love your recipes, love your success story!”
Julie’s Chicken Saltimbocca
Note: this recipe is a modification of DJ Foodie’s Pork Scallopini with Bacon Caper Jus. This recipe will make 4 small servings or 2 hearty servings.
Ingredients:
1 lb of thinly sliced Chicken Breast (Scallopini style), Purdue packages fit & trim, chicken breast
1 T. Olive Oil
1/2 pint of fresh sliced mushrooms, rinsed
4 slices of bacon
3 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto (roughly 1 slice for each breast)
1 C. Chicken broth
8-10 fresh sage leaves
1/2 C. Butter (1 stick) cut into approx. 12 cubes
Salt & fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 250
- In a large skillet, fry bacon until crisp.
- Remove bacon and drain, then chop into bacon bits when cool.
- In the same pan, with the bacon grease, sauté the mushrooms until softened to your liking.
- Remove mushrooms and set aside.
- In a separate (or clean skillet), add the olive oil and heat to medium temperature.
- Brown the chicken breasts and cook until cooked through.
- In a glass baking dish, place the cooked chicken breasts side by side.
- Fold one slice of prosciutto on each piece of chicken.
- Place 1 fresh sage leaf on top of the prosciutto.
- Place the chicken, prosciutto & sage stacks, in the warm oven.
- In the hot pan used to brown the chicken, add the chicken broth, mushrooms, chopped bacon bits and 4-5 sage leaves (If you love the flavor of sage, feel free to go crazy and add more!).
- Cook on medium high and reduce to about ½ the liquid, stirring frequently, until it slightly begins to thicken.
- Turn off the heat, and begin adding the butter slices one by one, and swirl it around to melt. Keep adding the butter and stirring until it creates a luxurious bacon jus. The slow cold swirling method emulsifies into the chicken broth mixture and makes a lovely rich flavored sauce.
- When all butter has been incorporated, and the sauce is thoroughly stirred, remove your baking pan from the oven.
- Spoon the sauce mixture over your chicken, prosciutto & sage stacks, evenly distributing the mushrooms & bacon bits.
- Serve immediately. Bon Appetite!
Finally, and last (but certainly not least!), we have one from Tamara H. She says, “Just gotta share this. Taco Shells. Very good and sturdy too. I used Stacey from beautieandfoodie’s recipe as a start for my Tacos. 1Tbs coconut flour, 2TBs ground flax, 1 large Egg, spices to taste. Rolled out thin and formed it into theses taco molds from Wally World. Baked at 400 degrees. Ok done bugging you. But had to share my newest experiment.”
The original recipe came from Stacey, who … funnily enough … is going to do a guest post for me, next week! Small world! Stacey is one of my new favorites, and the brilliant mind behind my French Toast recipe. Next week, she’ll be presenting us with a low-carb pizza pocket. I’ve seen the photos … THEY LOOK WONDERFUL!
Speaking of things to come …
Coming Attractions!
Funnel Cakes!
Coco-Cocoa Macadamia Smoothie
Coconut-Macadamia Brittle
Some Kind of Super-Awesome Strawberry Thingy
Today’s Recipes
This is another long one … by now I’d be shocked if you’re still reading this. On with the recipes!
DJ
Orange-Blueberry Chia Breakfast Pudding
One of the things I really enjoy about my blog is that it pushes me. I low-carbed for about 2 1/2 years prior to starting this blog. I needed to know that it really worked for the long haul (Answer: With some tweaking for personal preferences and body types … YES it does!). During that time, I’d grown comfortable with my short list of recipes and techniques that I’d developed. It was interesting enough and always delicious. I never much felt like going outside what was already working.
With a blog focused on a new recipe, every single day, I need to push what I know. I can’t make the best chicken salad ever, every day! It needs to change. I need to grow and learn … and you along with me!
Chia is new to me. I am no expert … at all. What is Chia, you might ask? Chia is probably most known in the US as being the seeds responsible for Chia pets.
Asking the gurus at Wikipedia.org, we learn that Chia is actually a flowering plant of the mint family. It is grown commercially for its seeds, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and gut flora feeding soluble fiber. Chia has been eaten in South and Central American for thousands of years. When I lived down in Mexico, I saw it quite often. I even owned a few unopened bags! I’d see it at the local farmers market and even tried it in a few beverages, sauces and preserves. I was generally indifferent towards it. It didn’t seem to have any flavor and just sort of boosts viscosity in a liquid, while suspending small black seeds within it. I don’t know why, but it just never really held my interest.
Then, for whatever reason, I decided to give it a shot. I just went for it and make a big bowl soaked in almond milk with some nuts and cinnamon and Swerve. I waited about 20 minutes and took a bite, expecting a foreign taste and a slimy texture. I couldn’t wait to hate it. I WAS WRONG! DEAD WRONG! SO WRONG!!!
What I held in my hand was nothing short of oatmeal. It just about blew my mind how tasty this stuff was. It was a full flavored experience; sweet, spicy, thick and a bit nutty. The actual SEEDS have a texture not entirely unlike the little seeds (achenes) on the outside of strawberries. They’re quite pleasant! I was not prepared for how much I loved it. Now, I make little bowls of this at least once a week. For whatever reason, it’s always either the first thing I eat in the day, or the last. I can’t really decide if this is a breakfast food, or a dessert, but I love it. It’s delicious. I want a bowl, right now. Mmmmm ….
Note: When I make this, rather than using a fresh orange, a put a few drops of orange oil into it. This drops the carbs by about 3 or 4, while still giving me a very similar taste sensation. Just add a touch more almond milk to make up the lost volume. I didn’t want to add it to the recipe, as it might be seen as a strange ingredient (even though it’s one I love!).
Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato & Avocado Salad
Growing up, one of my favorite things was a BLT. You know … a Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich: thick slices of warm toasted bread slathered with mayonnaise and stuffed with fresh salted tomatoes, a whisper of lettuce and enough bacon to kill a small pig. Ahhh … Memories …
I want to say my mother made these for me, growing up. The funny part is, I have no clear memory of it. All that remains is the sense that she did. Whoever introduced me to these simple sandwiches, thank you! Great sandwich!
One of the most common additions to the famous BLT is avocado. It really makes sense, too. Adding some big wedges of soft creamy avocado to the sandwich is clearly the right fit.
Word on the street is, avocados, while containing loads of fat (more than the bacon!), it’s a wonderful healthy fat and oh so good for you! They’re also high in anti-oxidants. Eat avocados and live longer, with better skin! I’ve never been a big fan of these weird green pear-shaped things, but there is no denying that they belong in this salad, that they are super healthy and that I should learn to love ’em.
BBQ Cheddar-Chicken Salad with Tomatoes & Bacon
I was trying to think of recipes for Memorial Day Weekend, when I came up with this recipe. I was in the middle of doing one of my favorite things … buying a roasted chicken from the local grocery store and then cutting it up and using parts for different things. I’m a BIG fan of making curried chicken salad with the chilled leg meat, for example.
In any event, I was picking my chicken, about to make some chicken salad; my mind was flooding with ideas about family BBQ’s, picnics, potlucks, the outdoors, etc. Then, this recipe just popped straight dead into the middle of my mind and almost knocked me on the floor. I KNEW it was an awesome idea, right when it hit me. It’s so simple, but it’s got nothing but full, fresh and well rounded flavors. It’s totally rustic and coarsely chopped, without any refined edges, whatsoever. It’s perfect!
Chicken Note: This recipe basically calls for cooked chicken meat. I personally use cut up chicken from roasted grocery store chickens. The salad is excellent whether the chicken is hot or cold. I can envision something like a pre-mixed salad, with everything already assembled and ready to go, except the chicken. Bring some raw chicken, marinated in a little BBQ sauce and grill it up just before ready to eat. Then, cut up the freshly grilled hot chicken, throw it in with the rest of the salad, toss it with the dressing and serve a warm BBQ’d chicken salad!
Other Random Note: I used big chunks of stuff. In the pictures, it’s just whole warm breast meat from a grocery store chicken. I’ve also got whole strips of bacon, but cut them about every inch, as well as cherry tomatoes, which I just cut in half. Big chunks of roasted peppers, too! I’m kind of drooling as I type this …
All I can say is, since this one hit me upside the head, I’ve been making it A LOT. This is EASILY one of my new favorites.
Smoked Salmon Chowder
As of this recipe, I’m living in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, in Seattle. It seems that something about the geography dictates that we must love smoked salmon, much in the same way people from Vermont love maple syrup, or the people of Wisconsin can’t get enough cheddar cheese. It’s an incredibly common gift around these parts, causing me to amass a medium-sized stash of this naturally preserved meat. I’ve been looking at it since the holidays wondering what to do. I’m not a big fan of the stuff, but it’s all high quality and a shame to waste.
AHA! CHOW-DAH!
The definition of a chowder is pretty elusive. The only clear trend between them is that they are always hot and always cooked for a good long time, and they’re usually pretty thick and chunky. I’d originally thought that they needed fish or seafood, but there are clearly vegetarian chowders. I’d also thought perhaps they needed to be creamy, but … the Manhattan Chowder has no dairy, whatsoever. So … what makes a chowder, a “chowder”? This, I think, is the mystery of the universe.
Squash Note: I also happened to see a big pile of “Hubbard” squash, wrapped in nice pre-cut packages. I cut some really nice cubes out of it for this chowder, but you could really use any of the following: Kabocha squash, pumpkin, delicata, butternut, acorn, buttercup, etc. You could even use sweet potatoes. The method remains the same, but the flavor will vary, somewhat, as will the carb amount. My suggestion would be to stick with Hubbard or Kabocha, if you can.
Salmon Note: Any kind of smoked salmon will do, but I used some high end Alaskan stuff, which came in a wooden box. Mine was a “hot” smoke, which tends to be a bit tougher and will hold its own in this chowder. If you’re using a cold smoked salmon (usually bright orange and very soft and moist), this will also work, but I’d suggest adding it near the end of the process. It will harden a bit and take on a more “cooked” texture, but will still taste quite excellent in this chowder. This chowder is, quick honestly, amazing. Really really really really really delicious! I said “really” 5 times. So, you KNOW it must be good!
Slow Cooker Pork Spare Ribs
This is another recipe showcasing perhaps not necessarily a lesson in technique, so much as a lesson in persistence. Anyone that’s been around my website for a while probably knows that I have a strange relationship with the slow cooker. They are enormously popular tools in peoples’ homes. I understand why, too! They’re a great way to load stuff into it, forggeddabouddit, and then dinner is automagically ready at the end of the night! It’s almost perfect!
For me and my peculiar ways, it takes one of my favorite things about cooking and … locks it away and hides it underneath a locked lid, in the darkest corner in my kitchen. I can’t really poke it, play with it, adjust the seasonings, tweak it, turn, fiddle, etc. It’s just … set it and forget it. Slow cookers kind of steal some of my fun!
In any event, I’ve just never really gotten used to them. This is maybe the 8th or 9th time I’ve ever tried to use one and wanted to do something simple and seemingly reliable. In this case, I got into a bit of trouble, but … thankfully … due to my nature (the desire to have my fingers in many different pots), I kept looking to see what’s doin’. The center of my pile of pork was not cooking. It was too densely packed! As a result, this recipe DOES require just a little bit of fanoodling. About every 2 hours, you need to adjust the ribs, so they cook evenly. Lesson learned!
These ribs were AWESOME! After I removed them from the liquid, I reduced it in a separate pot and poured it back over the ribs and served them.
While I certainly miss my smoker and my grill … this slow-cooker method may not be so bad, after all! 
Note: Photos taken with Red Slaw.
PB Protein Pucks
I’m asked a lot of questions as a result of my website, but also the change its had on my own life. It’s undeniable that there have been positive results from this change to my diet. Amongst those questions, there is one I’m frequently asked that I never had much of a response to. That question was, “Do you have any recipes to help boost my protein in the morning?” I usually respond with something like, “Sure! Try my ‘Poorly Cooked Eggs’ recipe!” This is usually followed up with a headshake and a question about protein powders.
I’ve never really gotten into protein powders. I suspect there’s no lack of protein in my diet. I do eat a lot of meat; very rarely having a meal without some form of animal protein. As a result, I’ve just never gotten into them! I do own some and I have played with it, but not enough to claim any level of proficiency with it. For me, it’s just a tasty powder that makes my shakes taste just a little extra yummy. For me, it’s a shake flavor enhancer. I’ve never been in it for the protein.
However, lately, I’ve just been sort of … meated out … it’s the strangest thing! To remedy this, I’ve been dumping egg protein powder into chia seeds and making a bit of a morning porridge (YUM!). This seems to fit the bill!
Anywhoo … in an attempt to give SOME kind of answer to this question, I’m adding this PB Protein Pucks recipe to my website. The weird part is, I don’t know where I got it from! It’s in my notes. I may have made it up, but … don’t remember creating it. If I stole this from you … I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!
Here’s the inception of this idea:
I LOVE Dixie from LowCarbZen.com and her Low Carb Eating Facebook page. She’s done more for me than another other stranger ever has. She was an early supporter and still is just a rock star in my life. In any event, she had been asked the same question and floated it on her Facebook page. This was responded with a variety of recipes, but it was the Peanut Butter Squares that really seemed to attract the most attention. Dixie then asked if anyone had a photo! That’s when this particular seed was planted in my mind and the idea went into my notes. Roughly a week later, someone else either took a photo, or found one. Here’s that photo, along with corresponding recipe. In my mind, I stole THIS recipe, except … I DIDN’T! My recipe and this recipe are different, by quite a bit!
There does stand a good chance that I just made it up and wrote it down as I threw things into the mixer, but … I have no recollection of that. Maybe it’s some kind of divine intervention? Perhaps!
So … to make a long story short and to answer the age old question about quick protein breakfasts on the run. The answer is: PB PROTEIN PUCKS!
Coco-Cocoa-Walnut Bark
Within the world of low-carb eating, there are certain concepts that can’t be ignored. There are certain recipes and types of foodstuffs that are seen again and again; over and over. One of them is the ‘One Minute Muffin‘ which I added to my site, not long ago.
Another is ‘Bark‘. No, not like the dog. More like the tree!
It’s actually a bit of a wonder food. It’s really no surprise that it’s as popular as it is. It’s got about 4 very clear characteristics that qualify it as a super food, in my humble opinion:
- It’s quick and easy to make.
- It quenches that “sweet” tooth, as well as the one seeking chocolate!
- It’s made with good fats, which leave people feeling satisfied for hours.
- It’s versatile! I’ve seen people toss all kind of things into their barks. This creates an endless variety!
I think the secret 5th bonus characteristic is that removing the nuts makes it induction friendly!
I’ve seen people infuse them with flavored oils and extracts. I’ve seen all varieties of nuts. I’ve seen all varieties of sweeteners. I’ve seen people throw dried fruits into it. I’ve seen people experiment with different colors, making “white” barks, too!
Such a simple thing, but it fills so many needs. Oh, did I mention … it’s delicious!
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