The Starter Kitchen: Mini Italian Egg Bites

These are a great finger food for a party and can be served hot or at room temperature.

You will need a mini muffin pan.

The ingredients:

5 eggs

1 C cottage cheese

1/2 C diced ham

1/2 C shredded cheese

1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning 

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 C pepper

The recipe:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well until eggs combined.

Using a small cookie scoop or spoon add to greased mini muffin pan to 3/4 full.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until set.

Let cool and remove from pan.

Garnish if desired.

Notes:

A silicone pan makes removal super easy.

You can freeze or refrigerate.

You can change up meat or make veggie only. Just make sure to dice very small. 

The Soup Kitchen: Creamy Taco Soup

A twist on a taco soup making it low carb. Perfect spiciness to warm you up on these cold days in the fall and winter.

The ingrefients:

1 lb ground pork or beef

1 bell pepper diced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 can rotel

10 oz Cauliflower rice

4 C broth

2 tsp beef better than bouillon

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1-2 TBSP taco seasoning

1 TBSP olive oil

1 C cheddar cheese

4 oz. Cream cheese

1/2 C heavy cream

Parmesan rind

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp Xanthum gum

The recipe:

Cook pork in oil with green peppers, onion powder, and garlic powder until browned.

Add to crockpot with all other ingredients except the dairy and xanthum gum.

Cook on high for 3 hours or low 6 hours.

30 minutes before done add the dairy (cheese, cream cheese, heavy cream) and the xanthum gum.

Notes:

Garnish with cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, or crushed red pepper.

For a higher carb addition: you can add corn or black beans.

The Holiday Kitchen: Cauliflower Stuffing

A low carb twist on a classic. It has all the tastes of stuffing with a sweet crunchy twist.

The ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower in small florets

1/2 C diced onion

1/4 C diced Celery

Olive oil

Butter

1 tsp garlic

1/2 tsp sage

1/4 tsp thyme

Salt and pepper

The recipe:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a skillet, add oil, onion, celery, and butter and cook until softened.

Add garlic, sage, and thyme and mix well.

Add cauliflower, and stir until well combined.

Add salt and pepper.

Add to baking dish, bake for 30 minutes until soft but crunchy.

The Veggie Kitchen: Sautéed Mushrooms

Today I ventured out and had a mushroom and Swiss burger. The mushrooms were incredible! I just had to try and recreate them. It was very good! They are great to add into meals or top meals. 

The ingredients:

1 lb sliced baby bella mushrooms

1TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP butter

1 tsp garlic powder

1-2 TBSP herbs 

Salt and pepper

The recipe:

In a skillet, add oil and butter and cook on medium high until butter melts.

Add mushrooms, salt and pepper, and stir to coat.

Cook for 5 minutes.

Add garlic and herbs and stir to mix well. 

Cook for another 3-4 minutes until most of liquid dissolves.

Notes:

The mushrooms release a lot of liquid don't worry it will dissolve by the end.

You can use any herb you wish. I used basil.

If using dry herbs use 1 TBSP if fresh 2 TBSP.

You can use these as a side, on pizza, in pasta, on a burger. The options are endless. 

The Soup Kitchen: Crack Chicken and Rice Soup

A twist on a chicken and rice soup. This is made low carb by using cauliflower rice instead of regular rice. 

The ingredients:

1lb chicken

1 TBSP butter

1 TBSP olive oil

1 C diced onion

2 C carrots and peas

2 ribs celery diced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 packet ranch seasoning

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

6 C chicken broth

1 C cauliflower rice

4oz cream cheese softened

The recipe:

Cook the chicken in oil and butter then add Veggies. 

Add to crockpot with all the other ingredients.

Cook on Hi for 3 hours until all combined. 

The Seafood Kitchen: Blackened Shrimp

I cooked these in my cast iron skillet and they turned out great! I also used my shrimp tongs to flip.

The ingredients:

1 lb shrimp

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp thyme

2 TBSP avocado oil

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp salt

1 TBSP butter

Zest and juice of 1/4 lemon

The recipe:

In a ziploc, add the shrimp, oil, and seasonings and let marinade for 30 min.

In cast iron, add butter and shrimp.

Cook shrimp for 1 minute each side. 

Remove from skillet and add lemon juice.

Notes:

Service with spicy tartar sauce (see previous recipe).

Good rule of thumb add shrimp left to right once shrimp are all added start flipping from where you started left to right.

The Breakfast Kitchen: Linda's Ham and Cheese Souffle

This recipe is from my cousin Linda Nolte who had a bed and breakfast. It was super easy to make but would not reheat well. 

The ingredients:

3 eggs

2 TBSP sour cream

Pinch of salt and pepper

1/3 C diced ham

1/3 C shredded cheese

Basil

The recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray 5oz ramekin cup.

Put in ham, cheese, and herbs in bottom.

Whip eggs, sour cream, salt and pepper.

Pour eggs in cups.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Serve as soon as its done or it will fall.

Notes:

You can change up the meat and herbs and use whatever shredded cheese you like.

I used dried basil and shredded gouda. Swiss would be really good with the ham too.

This would be a great way to use up some leftover ham after the holidays.

You can make 2 servings or 1 large. If making 2- put 1/3 C meat and cheese in each cup and divide the eggs between the 2 cups.