The Low Carb Kitchen: Palmini and meatballs

Palmini noodles are a great alternative to pasta if you are watching your carbs. They are made from hearts of palm so it counts as a veggie! To me it has a texture similar to spaghetti squash with a bit more of a bite than traditional pasta. 

The ingredients:

Meatballs:

1lb ground beef

1 egg

1 garlic clove

2 TBSP heavy cream

1/4 C parmesan

1/4 C mozzarella

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Palmini pasta:

1 jar Rao's marinara

2 pouches of palmini pasta

Italian Seasoning

Salt and pepper

Grated parmesan

The recipe:

Meatballs:

In a bowl add all the ingredients for the meatballs together and mix until combined by hand.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a lined baking dish, add small 1-1.5 in Meatballs. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes until done. 

Palmini Pasta:

For the pasta dish, add the meatballs to a skillet and the jar of marinara. Season with Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Drain and rinse the palmini noodles according to the package then add to the sauce and meatballs.

Toss to coat evenly with sauce.

Garnish with additional cheese and fresh basil.

Notes:

I used garlic powder instead of garlic clove in the meatballs as well as cheddar instead of mozzarella.

I used beefalo instead of ground beef.

The Low Carb Kitchen: Monterrey Chicken

This is a spin on the Chili's Monterrey Chicken. It was easy to make and a great option for your chicken.

The ingredients:

1lb chicken breast boneless skinless

Avocado oil

Salt and garlic seasoning

Pepper

4 TBSP sugar free BBQ sauce

3/4 C Crumbled bacon or 4 strips

1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 C shredded monterrey jack cheese

The recipe:

Season both sides of the chicken by rubbing oil then sprinkling with garlic salt and pepper.

Sear chicken on both sides or precook in air fryer.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

On a baking sheet add chicken to a foil packet then top with bbq sauce, bacon, and cheese.

I use the other side to make roasted veggies for a side dish.

Bake for 20 minutes until chicken reaches temperature of 165 degrees.

Notes:

I used white cheddar instead of monterrey jack cheese because thats what I had.

I used G Hughes sugar free BBQ sauce.

I cooked the chicken alone in the air fryer for 10 minutes then added the rest and finished baking in the oven.

The Veggie Kitchen: Oven Roasted Purple Cauliflower

This was a farmers market find that I've always wanted to try and it was sooo good. So fun and colorful! Once baked the purple turns a deeper shade. 

The ingredients:

1 head purple cauliflower

Olive oil

Garlic powder

Shallot or onion powder

Salt and pepper

The recipe:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Cut cauliflower into florets and add to a large mixing bowl.

Add oil and seasonings and stir to combine.

Add to parchment lined baking sheet and add roast for about 25 minutes.

Notes:

Liberally seasoned.

For added flavor add some parmesan cheese once baked if desired.

The Breakfast Kitchen: Chili Crisp Egg Bake

This recipe was done in a couple stages. First, I roasted the veggies and meat. This can be done the night before. For this recipe, I used brussel sprouts, bacon, and radishes.

The ingredients:

Chopped brussel sprouts

Crumbled bacon

Diced radishes

Olive oil

Everything seasoning

Chili crisp oil

Garlic and salt

8 eggs

2 C egg whites

Baking powder

Feta crumbles

Salt and pepper

1 tsp Chili crisp seasoning

The recipe:

Roast the brussel sprouts with the bacon and radishes with olive oil,  1 tsp chili seasoning, everything seasoning and garlic and salt. Bake at 425 for about 30 minutes.

Grease a 9x13 pan.

For the egg bake, combine the eggs, egg whites, baking powder, salt, pepper, some chili oil and everything seasoning. Stir in the feta cheese and veggies mixture. 

Add to the pan and bake at 375 for 30 minutes until eggs set.

Garnish with additional chili oil if desired.

Notes:

I use a chili onion crisp and seasoning from Trader Joe's.

You can also top with some chili crisp compound butter. For that, such combined softened butter with the chili crisp and stir to combine well. Place in plastic wrap and roll into a log. Place in fridge or freezer to harden. 

The Salad Kitchen: Dolly Partons Pecan Chicken Salad

My twist on Dolly Parton's Pecan Chicken Salad. My addition was adding grated parmesan cheese.

The ingredients:

2-3 C chicken chopped

Pinch of celery seed

1/2 tsp shallot powder

3/4 C pecans

1 C mayo

1-2 TBSP Dijon mustard

Salt

Pepper

Grated parmesan cheese

Greens (optional)

The recipe:

In a bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.

Serve on greens or bread of choice. Or just eat it with a spoon if you like. 

Notes:

You can replace the shallot powder and celery seed with onion and celery for added crunch.

I like to add hemp seeds to top of chicken salad once dished up.

This recipe was found on Taste of Home.

Nutrition:

Yield: 4 

Carbs: 5g

Calories: 647

Protein: 28g

Fat: 59g

Fiber: 2g

The Breakfast Kitchen: Chicago Style Egg Bake

This was a breakfast inspired of foods from the windy city like sausage and giardiniera. 

The ingredients:

8 eggs

2 C egg whites

1.5 C crumbled bacon

2 beef kiolbasa sausage links quartered

1/4 C giardiniera

1 C shredded cheddar

Dijon mustard

Baking powder

Salt and pepper

Savory

Everything seasoning

The recipe:

Preheat oven to 375 and grease 9x13 pan.

Crisp up bacon and sausage if not using precooked. Add to 9x13 baking dish.

In a bowl, add eggs, egg whites, baking powder, salt and pepper, giardiniera, mustard, and savory and mix well.

Mix in cheese and pour over meat in pan. Top with everything seasoning.

Bake for 30 minutes until set.

Notes:

I used mild giardineira. If using mild I would maybe add a bit more. Next time I'd like to try a hot version.

I used Kiolbasa smoked beef sausage.  

Nutrition:

Calories 495

Total carbs: 3g

Protein: 36g

Fat: 35g

The Flavor Kitchen: Chimichurri Sauce

Chimichurri is an uncooked sauce used often in Argentinian cooking. It is used with meat mostly but is also great on veggies and eggs. Traditionally it uses parsley, but I use cilantro because I am not a fan of parsley.

The ingredients:

1 bunch of cilantro leaves and stems roughly chopped.

3/4 tsp dried oregano or 2 TBSP fresh

1/2 C olive oil

2 TBSP red wine vinegar

2-3 garlic cloves crushed

1 TBSP lemon juice

1/2 tsp lemon zest (see note)

1 tsp crushed red pepper

3/4 tsp salt

Pinch black pepper to taste

Kitchen equipment used:

Food processor

Spatula

Cutting board

Knife

The recipe:

First, crush garlic with side of knife blade then add to food processor. 

Take bunch of cilantro cut off ends and discard then roughly chop remaining stems and leaves. Add to food processor.

Add the other ingredients except the oil.

Pulse the food processor until cilantro in small pieces and combined well. I had to add some of the cilantro then add the rest once pulsed.

Add the oil and pulse again until combined.

Use the spatula to scrape down the sides as needed 

Add to a covered dish and refrigerate for 1 hour to combine the flavors.

Notes:

I did not have any lemon zest so added a bit of black lime. 

The sauce can be frozen for later use. Use ice cube tray for individual servings. It is good in the refrigerator for a few days. 

Don't skip refrigerating the sauce after it makes a difference.