3 Ingredient Cheesy Burger Skillet (low carb)

Three ingredients! 

That's all it takes to make this delicious low carb dish. 

3 Ingredient Cheesy Burger Skillet
 
1 lb. Ground Beef, cooked and drained
1 can french style green beans, drained
4 oz.  shredded cheese
 
After browning and draining the grease off the ground beef, add the green beans; stir.  Cover and cook on low for 10 minutes or until grean beans appear tender.  Remove from heat and stir in the cheese.  Cover for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Season with salt and pepper, then serve.

*I know I'm bad, but this  is really good with Velveeta cheese, too.  :)

Sugar-free Oreo Blast (low carb)

Want a quick and easy treat or a simple after-dinner dessert?  What about a Sugar-free Oreo Blast?

Sugar-free Oreo Blast (low carb)
 
1 serving Breyer's CarbSmart vanilla ice cream
1 serving Sugar Free Oreos, broken into pieces
 
Place ice cream and cookie pieces into food processor. 
Pulse until blended.  Serve in a cute ice cream dish or
small glass.  Top with 1/2 a SF Oreo. 

Now, find a nice quiet spot outside in the swing on a warm sunny day and eat slowly.

Tomorrow...an easy 3 ingredient recipe for a quick supper.

Steak and Onion Salad with Creamy Homemade Dressing

I like to use leftovers and I love salads!

What better way to use up the leftover grilled ribeye steak than on a bed of crispy salad greens and top it with homemade salad dressing, shredded cheddar cheese, and bacon pieces?

We had some leftover steaks  that kinda cooked longer than we like'm to, (it wasn't quite as "done" as it looks in these pics, really) so I decided to make Steak and Onion Salad.

Usually I stir-fry a cheaper cut of steak for this dish.  Sometimes I sauté the onions or sometimes I used fresh green onions or sliced Vidalias.  Sometimes I even throw both on there!  I'm liking onions, okay?

Sorry, there's no real recipe for this.   I just throw together a salad using my favorite salad ingredients, top it with the grilled steak, dressing, and peppercinis.

Steak and Onion Salad with Creamy Homemade Dressing (Lower Carb)

Your favorite salad greens: baby lettuces, radicchio, endive, butter...

I used Fresh Express prepackaged.

Shredded cheddar cheese

real bacon pieces

cucumbers, peeled, sliced, quartered (my DD did this :) )

sliced radishes

grape tomatoes, quartered

sliced yellow onion or green onions

sliced peppercinis.

steak, grilled or stir-fried and sliced into strips

To serve: Toss tomatoes, cucumbers and salad greens and other salad ingredients in a large salad bowl.  Place portions in individual salad bowls.  Add steak and onions.  Serve dressing alongside.

~~~~~

Ok, don't laugh, this is not a fancy-schmancy recipe, I usually just throw together some type of mayo based salad dressing.  I can't stand the bottled stuff.  Not sure if this is kinda like a homemade Thousand Island, maybe?  Nevertheless, it's pretty good.  :)

~~~~~

Creamy Homemade Dressing

1/2 cup mayo

1 T Heinz LC ketchup

1 tsp mustard

1 T peppercini juice

a dash of spices: salt, pepper, garlic powder

1 pkt Splenda, optional (if you prefer a sweeter dressing)

Mix all together in a small bowl.  If you prefer a thinner dressing, add some water or milk.

For a great low carb dessert, what about Mini Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Pie?

Deep Fried Cauliflower Florets (Low Carb)

As I was deep frying these little golden bites, different ones wandered through the kitchen and asked what it was that I was cooking. My Handyman finally decided that this was our pre-dinner appetizer.  I didn't tell him they were low carb.  They wouldn't have come within an inch of his mouth had he known.  ;)

These can be served without or with any tasty dipping sauce you like.  We chose Ranch and Heinz LC Ketchup.

Deep Fried Cauliflower Florets (low carb)

One 16oz bag frozen cauliflower

1 egg

3 T cream, half and half, or water

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup grated romano cheese

seasoning spices (garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, etc)

hot oil for deep frying

Rinse and thaw the frozen cauliflower.  Drain off the water.  With a fork or whisk, mix the cream, half and half, or even water with the egg.  Set aside.  Add your preferred spices to both cheeses, stir and set aside.

Put about a cup of cauliflower florets into the egg mixture, stir around until the florets are coated with egg.  Next put the florets into the cheese mixture (I put the cheese into a quart size freezer bag) and shake around until the cauliflower florets are well coated with the cheese mixture.

Carefully drop into the hot oil.  Deep fry 6-8 minutes or until golden brown.  Continue until all the cauliflower is cooked. Drain on paper towels and serve with your preferred dipping sauce.

Floral Signs of Spring

Buttercups by the wild berry tree.

 



See the little bug on the flower?  I didn't even notice it until I uploaded the pics.  He was really tiny.



I was really proud of my little Olympus point and shoot.  This is the portrait setting.  You can barely see what I suppose is a spider web...or a web of some sort.



Daffodils or Buttercups by the porch and a empty flower pot just waiting for some soil and beautiful flowers to take up residence.

Happy Spring!

Tomorrow: a lowcarb appetizer

Another Brownie Recipe

Honest, that's the title of this recipe.  I considered calling it Easy One Bowl Brownies, but decided to go with what I wrote down on the card.  This is another from my vintage recipe collection.

This recipe is very forgiving and I have made substitutions in the past with great results.

Another Brownie Recipe
 
1 stick butter, melted ( I have used 1/2 cup oil or 1/2 cup applesauce)
5 T cocoa ( I used 2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate)
2 eggs
3/4 c flour
1 cup sugar (I added 1/2 cup brown sugar)
1/2 cup pecan pieces, optional

Mix all together.  Pour into 7 x11 dish for thicker brownies. 

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Ribeyes on the Grill

My Handyman, aka Grillmaster, loves to grill a steak.  Did I tell you about the whole ribeye we found at a meat sale for $2.99 a pound?!  We got 22 steaks out of that almost 15 pound slab of meat.  That comes out to a cost of about $2.00 per steak! 

Handyman does an awesome job.  He usually seasons the steaks with some garlic, lemon pepper, and Season All and lets them sit while the coals are getting hot.  Then depending on the thickness of the steak, he grills it about 6 minutes or so on each side.  That's all it takes. 

The steak he grilled for me Monday was so much better than the one I got a Chile's a few weeks ago.  That steak nowhere resembled or tasted like a Ribeye in any way.  I even mentioned it to the waiter and he talked to both managers and they all insisted it was a ribeye.  It was the strangest shape and was way too dry.  I ate as much as I could around the edge of it, then gave up.  It will be a long time before I go to Chile's again, even if I do love their Chili Con Queso in those little cast iron skillets.

What is your favorite beef steak? Do you prefer a ribeye or T-bone, or perhaps another cut?

Peanut Butter Balls

I’ve been making this recipe for 27 years now.  I first made it as a teenager while living at home back in the 1980's.  It was a favorite of my brother and he still requests them today.   This recipe is great for the Christmas holiday or even Easter! 


Peanut Butter Balls

One 18 oz jar of peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
2 sticks butter, softened
1 & ½ boxes of powdered sugar (I usually buy the 2 lb bag and guesstimate according to the mixture’s consistency)
Chocolate Bark (1 lb or as needed to dip the balls)
(My recipe actually calls for chocolate chips and parrafin melted over a double boiler, but chocolate bark melted in the micorwave is easier)

 Cream the peanut butter and the butter in a heavy duty mixer. I burnt up a couple of handheld mixer motors before my Handyman got me a Kitchenaid stand mixer.  Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until mixed thoroughly. The mixture will be VERY thick.

Roll into 1” or smaller balls. I then chill mine for a few hours. Melt the bark in a small deep bowl in the microwave until creamy smooth. Proceed to dip balls and place on a parchment covered sheet pan until the chocolate hardens.  This recipe makes several dozen.

Store in the fridge for several days or on the counter ‘cause they won’t last long!

Wednesday Wordles

What's going on with my Wordles?

My Wordles always have some funny things going on.  Is it the text or perhaps my monitor settings?  Drives me bonkers.  Then I couldn't post the link, so I had to do a screenshot.



For more fun with Wordles, visit www.wordle.net.

Cheesy Sausage Egg Muffins (Low Carb)

There are several versions of the Low Carb Sausage Egg Muffin out there.  I came across this recipe a few years ago and have continued to use it when I have a desire for an easy take-along breakfast.

Cheesy Sausage Egg Muffins (Low Carb)

6 Tbs crushed pork skins
1/2 cup chopped veggies of your choice
sausage or bacon, cooked and crumbled
5 eggs, beaten and seasoned with salt and pepper
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Using a 6 cup muffin pan, place about 1 tablespoon of crushed pork skins in the bottom of each muffin cup.  Next, place meat and veggies on top of the pork skins.  Pour the beaten eggs over the pork skins, meat, and veggies layers, enough to fill the cup.  Top with shredded cheese.  Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes or until the muffins have puffed up and look set (done).

Sorry there's no specific measurements.  I usually just guesstimate on the amounts.  That means the muffins are usually different, but always good.  There's so many possibilities. 

One of my favorites combinations is pizza toppings where I use pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers and onions.   Another possibility is a savory cheesy chicken and broccoli muffin.

After baking, I let them cool, then bag them up by twos.  That gives me three days of a ready-made low carb breakfast that I can take along to work with me to have with my coffee.

Happy Low Carbing!

For more low carb recipes, go here.

Pepperoni Bread (Bread Machine)

Pepperoni Bread

Ingredients:

 

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water (70° to 80°)


• 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese


• 2 tablespoons sugar


• 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic salt


• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano


• 3-1/4 cups bread flour


• 1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast


• 2/3 cup sliced pepperoni

Directions:

In bread machine pan, place the first seven ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select basic bread setting. Choose medium crust color and loaf size if available. Bake according to bread machine directions (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed). Just before the final kneading (your machine may audibly signal this), add the pepperoni. Yield: 1 loaf (about 1-1/2 pounds).

Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home.

Special Cake with Fudge Sauce

The strawberries were gone too soon.

But, there was still plenty of Aunt Mary's Special Cake to be eaten.  I recalled my Mom's  famous Skillet Cake and Fudge Sauce that I always requested for my birthday.  This recipe is not like hers, but it was quite yummy and was gone very soon.  I even had to make another batch to finish off the Special Cake.  My oldest daughter couldn't get enough of it.  I think she had it for supper one night along with another piece (or two) for dessert!

I just kinda threw this together and here's my sketchy instructions.

Microwave Fudge Sauce

1 square of semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/3 stick butter
1/4 cup cream or sweet milk
powdered/confectioner sugar (as much as needed for taste and consistency - I think I used a cup or more)

Place chocolate, butter, and milk in a microwave dish.
Cook on high for 2-3 minutes.  Stir until chocolate is melted and sauce is smooth. Begin to add confectioner sugar, stirring after each addition until desired sauce consistency is achieved.

Butter Pecan Creme Brulee (Low Carb)

When my sister-in-law blessed me with two dozen farm-fresh country eggs yesterday,

I started digging through my old low carb recipes.  I had a breakfast custard recipe in mind, but ran across this creme brulee recipe.  I would love to find out the recipe creator, so I can give them thanks and proper credit. *Updated - I found out the recipe's creator is named Roni.  Thanks that for info, Linda Sue.

I found this particular recipe several years ago on one of my favorite low carb sites.  Some of the absolute best cooks congregate on the recipe board at Low Carb Friends!

I used my Pampered Chef Prep Cups (with storage lids) to bake the creme brulees.  Not fancy, but servicable.



I sprinkled a little nutmeg on the creme brulee before baking, like the breakfast custard recipe calls for.  Not sure why, since I planned on topping them with praline pecans. Don't you just love the sound of praline pecans?!



Butter-Pecan Creme Brulee

2 cups cream
4 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Dash of salt
2 tablespoons Splenda (I used 1/2 cup granulated Splenda)

Heat cream over medium heat, just until bubbles start to form.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, vanilla, salt and Splenda.
Gradually whisk in cream. Strain mixture.
Divide into four custard cups.
Bake in a water bath for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.  (I baked mine for 50 minutes in a toaster oven.)
Custards should be set, but still jiggly.  Chill for one hour.
Make butter-pecan topping and divide between between cups.
Refrigerate for four more hours or overnight.

Butter-Pecan Topping:
1 tablespoon butter
1/8 cup pecans - finely chopped
1 teaspoon Splenda

Melt butter.
Stir in pecans and Splenda.
Heat just until nuts begin to color, being careful not to burn.

This is definitely a keeper! The butter pecan topping is delcious!  I think I will double or triple the topping recipe next time, so it will completely cover the top of each creme brulee dish.

See another low carb dessert.

Dill Pickle Cashews

My newest favorite snack.

See more snacks and appetizers.

Ugly Green Bean Fries (Low Carb)

Ugly Green Bean Fries (Low Carb)

16 oz bag of frozen beans (I used whole green beans)
1 tbsp of butter or bacon grease
1 tbsp of olive oil
salt, pepper, garlic powder

Put green beans in a plastic bag, pour in fats, season to taste. Shake the green beans in the bag to coat with the fat and seasonings.   Bake at 400º for 45 minutes or until brownish and crispy.  Cool and enjoy with Heinz 1 Carb Ketchup (the best!).

Check out my other low carb recipes!

Aunt Mary's Special Cake with Strawberries

Several years ago I had a chance

to go through Aunt Mary's little recipe box.  I copied down the recipes that I thought I might like to make and read through those that I remembered her making.  There was Date Nut Cake, Chess Pie, Pecan Crisp Cookies and even a recipe on stationery sent from a friend along with a greeting and personal  note.  One that stood out to me was hid near the back of the box, with no name other than Cake.  Not wanting it to get lost in my files I renamed it "Special Cake". 



Over the years, I've made Special Cake several times, usually during the summer to go with strawberries and fresh whipped cream.  My oldest daughter happens to love Strawberry Shortcake. 



I made it again this weekend and decided to use my new bundt pan (can you call it a pan if it's ceramic?) from Williams-Sonoma that was a gift from my dear youngest brother.



My cake wanted to stick a little and didn't brown as well as the one on the cake pan lable, even after baking for 45 minutes.  I took a slice of it and cubed it up for Strawberry Shortcake Trifle. 



Don't you just love spring?  Spring brings us those delicious little red bits of delectable fruit we call strawberries.  Aunt Mary brought me a Special Cake recipe to use with that delicious fruit,  along with many wonderful memories.



Happy Spring and happy Strawberry Shortcake Season!

Read more about Aunt Mary's life and recipes

Friday fun with word clouds

 This is the neatest thing! 

You may have seen it already on other blogs, but if not, go check out Wordle.net.   Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text.  Add the text, press CREATE and out comes a cool word map, for which you can change the font, color, orienation of the words, etc.  The images are yours to save and share as I'm doing here today.

Tags from this blog:



Lyrics to Love Me Tender:



I've seen these designs printed on t-shirts.  Didn't know it was so easy to do!  Maybe I'll do my daughter some birthday invitations or have some shirts printed for her party...kewl!  Go try it for yourself.  Have fun!

I don't usually care for German Chocolate Cake

with Coconut Pecan Frosting.  I'm not sure what it is.  I love chocolate cake and I love the Coconut Pecan Frosting, but the two together have never impressed me.  I've really tried to like it...what is there not to like?

So, having all the ingredients on hand and wanting to try a new-to-me recipe, I decided to use that chocolate cake mix that I had picked up on sale and top it with a delicious homemade Coconut Pecan Frosting.  I skipped the ton of cookbooks that I have and immediately Googled for the recipe.

Here's the "traditional" recipe.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

• 1 cup sugar


• 1 cup evaporated milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream


• 3 large egg yolks


• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces


• 1 1/3 cups flaked sweetened dried coconut


• 1 1/3 cups chopped pecans

Combine sugar, milk, egg yolks, and butter in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the mixture is thickened and bubbling gently around the edges. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut and pecans. Let cool until spreadable. This keeps, refrigerated, for about 1 week. Soften before using.  The only change I made was to use 1/2 cup evaporated milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream.


The frosting turned out to be delicious, the cake was another thing...drier than usual.  Most everyone was eating the frosting and tossing the cake!  So that's a mistake I hope to never make again. 

I'd like to make the Coconut Pecan Frosting again, but top a different cake.  Maybe a Fresh Apple Cake...or a Piña Colada Cake...or a yummy Sour Cream Pound Cake.  Maybe I could use the  Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake recipe.  

The options are endless!   What do you think?

Chicken Broccoli Fettucine Alfredo

What else to do on a cold snowy Sunday than cook?!

My oldest daughter loves "white" sauce on her pasta.  She loves to go to CeCe's Pizza, not for the pizza but for the pasta and Alfredo Sauce.  She loves this dish, without the broccoli, of course. 

Chicken Broccoli Fettucine Alfredo (Low Carb)

4-6 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, stewed & cut into small pieces
1 small package frozen broccoli, steamed until tender
1/2  lb fettucine pasta, boiled, drained (I used Dreamfields)
Alfredo sauce (see recipe below)

In a large pan on medium-high heat, stew the chicken thighs until done, 45 minutes to an hour.  Remove from pan to cool. Add fettucine to broth and cook until done, about 12 minutes; drain.  In the meantime, chop the chicken into bite size pieces. 

Mix together the chicken, steamed  broccoli, fettucine pasta, and the Alfredo Sauce.  Spoon into dish and top with grated Parmesan cheese.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Alfredo Sauce

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese - freshly grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
Ground white pepper
Dash of ground nutmeg

Place butter and cream in large skillet over medium-low heat.  Cook and stir until butter melts and mixture bubbles; cook and stir two minutes more. Stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat. Gradually stir in cheese until thoroughly blended and smooth. Return briefly to low heat to completely blend cheese, stirring constantly.  Sauce recipe makes four servings; 1.9 grams of carbohydrate per serving.