Roasted Sausage Ratatoulli with Cabbage Shreads

With garden overflow I made a wonderful sausage ratatoulli with cabbage shreads.

1 Large eggplant
2 Summer squash
1 Large onion
4 Hot banana peppers
3 Fresh tomatoes
2 Tablespoons fresh basil
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 pound breakfast sausage
4 ounces mozzarella cheese
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley
For cabbage shreads
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
Butter
Salt to taste

In a covered dutch oven brown the sausage.

Chop all veggies in uniform pieces.

Drain the sausage but leave enough to coat all veggies.

Add veggies and salt to the sausage stirring to coat with grease.

Cover and roast in a 350 degree oven for one hour.

Uncover and slice another tomato on top and cover with cheese and fresh parsley. Bake another 15 minutes uncovered or until cheese bubbles and melts.

For the cabbage shreads just shread cabbage and cook in microwave 10 minutes covered in butter and salt to taste.

Low Carb Eggplant Parmesan

I harvested my first eggplant. It was beautiful. I got six 1/2 inch slices from it.

I wanted to do parmesan but needed to low carb it.

Pork rinds. That’s the ticket. Just grind rinds fine and add italian season and garlic powder.

I served it with garden green beans and garden tomatoes. So very good.

Low Carb Eggplant Parmesan

1 large eggplant, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 egg
3 tablespoons water
4 ounces pork rinds, ground fine
1 teaspoon dried italian season
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup low carb spaghetti sauce, purchased or home canned
1/2 pound ground beef
1/4 cup grated parmesan
12 ounces mozzarella

Preheat a deep fryer.

Grind your pork rinds and add the garlic powder and italian season.

In a small bowl whisk your egg with water.

Dip your sliced eggplant in the egg and then dip into the pork rind. Press the rind into the pieces of eggplant, getting it to stick , and then one at a time fry in the deep fryer until golden, about 4 minutes.

Drain eggplant on paper towels and then transfer to a casserole dish.

In a skillet on the stovetop, brown and drain the groundbeef. Add spaghetti sauce to drained groundbeef .

Pour about 2 tablespoons prepared sauce on each piece fried eggplant. Top each with parmesan and then 2 ounces mozzarella.

Place casserole dish in a 400 degree oven until cheese melts and bubbles.

Serve immediately.

Low Carb Corn Dogs

I got this recipe at

Low carb corn dogs recipe

They turned out well but I felt I might have liked the batter sweeter. Next time I’m doubling the sweetener.

I didn’t have coconut flour so I subbed some all purpose low carb baking mix for that.

I also got 4 dogs out of the batter.

I am not going to waste my precious almond flour by throwing out batter even if the last dog didn’t get coated well.

One of my sticks broke off too.

I will try making this again with more sweetener.

All in all it was enjoyable even by my not low carbing hubby.

Low Carb Corn Dogs

2 hot dogs
2 disposable chopstick or skewers
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1-3 tbs half and half or cream
1 tsp coconut flour
1 packet Stevia

Stick the hot dogs on the skewers. Sprinkle with coconut flour and turn to cover evenly.

Make batter by combining almond flour and baking powder with egg and cream. Add cream until you have a nice thick batter. Add batter to a thin tall glass to help with coating the dogs.

Preheat a deep fryer to 370F. Coat the floured dogs with the batter.

Add battered dog to fryer and cook until golden brown. Turn often. About 5 minutes.

Pesto Chicken with Kale Alfredo

For the past two weeks I have been eliminating breads, pastas, and potatoes from my diet.

It was hard at first but slowly cravings have subsided.

What happens when an Alfredo craving hits? I substituted kale for pasta. I think it was a successful venture.

This low carb adventure seems to be working for the time being. It’s only for a few weeks. Maybe I’ll feel better and take it on longer next time.

Pesto Chicken with Kale Alfredo

2 skinless boneless chicken thighs
4 tablespoons Pesto sauce , store bought or homemade (I made a pesto with garden basil, parsley, and Nasturtium leaves)
4 ounces mozzarella cheese
season salt
3 cups chopped kale
1 clove minced garlic
2 spring onions chopped
Alfredo sauce (I used a canned but homemade would be awesome)
1/2 cup mushrooms sauteed in butter
Bacon grease for frying

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt some bacon grease in a covered dutch oven. Lightly season your chicken with season salt. Fry one side of chicken until it browns well and then turn it over. Place 2 tablespoons pesto on each thigh and cover that with 2 ounces of mozzarella cheese. Cover the dutch oven and place in preheated oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is done.

In the meantime melt a small amount bacon grease in a frypan. Add garlic and onion and kale. Cook kale down and then add Alfredo sauce. Simmer on lowest setting until chicken is done.

Saute the mushrooms and then place some kale on a plate along with a chicken thigh and top each with the mushrooms.

2 servings

Pad Thai Cucumber Salad

I used cucumber,  carrots, radishes, green peppers. You can use whatever you have available.  Zucchini and onion would be nice.

Pad Thai Cucumber Salad

Cut cucumber and assorted vegetable into “noodles” using a mandoline

Whatever won’t mandolin well, like green peppers, dice fine.

Just slather on dressing and serve.

Ingredients
1 large cucumber, mandolin
1  large carrot, mandolin
1/4 green bell pepper, chopped fine
4 radishes, chopped fine

Dressing
Juice of 1/2 lime and the zest
3 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 clove of garlic, pressed
2 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped fine

A pic of my herb bed cilantro. I LOVE that stuff.

Summer Squash Ratatouille

I’m trying again. Trying to grow eggplant.

I have yet to be successful so I have to improvise if I have one of my favorite dishes, ratatouille. This is a throw together with no real measuring. Just layer with plenty of garlic and basil.

I always freeze enough summer squash for months of this dish, so that is what I use.

I freeze the blanched slices of summer squash about 3/4 to 1 inch thick. I’m also using frozen basil here.

I start off by spraying a low rimmed casserole dish with olive oil and then layer onions, green peppers, basil, sea salt and garlic. I top that with my frozen pieces of summer squash and mozzarella cheese.

Another spray of olive oil.

Layer more onion, basil, garlic, salt and green peppers.

Top that with a layer of tomato.

Then a bread crumb parmesan topping on top of that. I added a bit of fresh parsley to the bread crumbs too.

Press the topping down over the layers and spray with oil again. Cover with aluminum foil tightly. Bake in a 350 degree oven about one hour 15 minutes. Uncover and place back in the oven long enough for the bread crumbs to brown.

Pretty easy just layers of onion, green peppers, garlic, basil, summer squash, tomato, salt and olive oil spray with a parmesan bread crumb topping.

I like to serve it on top of spaghetti with garlic toast.

Anyway keep your fingers crossed that I will be successful growing eggplant this year.

In the meantime here are some pics of a few things growing well so far.

Radish

Strawberries

Chives and baby kale

Lettuce, cabbage, and onion.

A lot of things aren’t peeping out of the ground yet.

Oh please little eggplants…grow!

I am sharing this with Tell em Tuesday #11

Sausage Lentil and Kale Soup

Baby kale covered up right now so I’m trying something new. A soup more in line with fall, but it tasted great with a grilled cheese this spring.

This was adapted from one of Rachel Ray’s recipes.

Sausage Lentil and Kale Soup

1/2 pound breakfast sausage
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 stem fresh rosemary
1 carrot, finely chopped
5 spring onions sliced, tops included
1 potato, peeled and cut into small dice
3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 bunch baby spring kale
Dash nutmeg
6 cups water
3 teaspoons powdered chicken bouillon
1 1/4 cups dry lentils , cleaned and rinsed well
Garlic salt to taste

Simply brown and drain grease from your breakfast sausage.  Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about one hour. Remove bay leaf and rosemary stem before serving.

Scalded Greens

It is that time of year again. Harvesting greens and onion.

I have heard this called roadkill greens or wilted greens.

I always called it scalded greens.

Scalded Greens

Big bowl mixed leaf lettuce and baby kale mixed
Lots of green spring onion, tops included, chopped
For dressing
3 tablespoons bacon grease
4 tablespoons vinegar
5 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water

Simply heat all dressing ingredients. Pour dressing,  while warm, over the large bowl of greens and onion. Mix well. The greens will wilt. Serve immediately.

Sharing with Let’s get Real Friday #89

Wacky Mac Antipasto Pasta Salad

Who can’t love a pasta called Wacky Mac.

It is a wheat pasta combined with dried vegetables.  Tomato, spinach, carrots,  and even beets.

Wacky Mac Antipasto  Pasta Salad

Servings: 12

Ingredients:
1 pkg (12 oz.) WACKY MAC Veggie pasta uncooked
1/2 cup diced green peppers
1/4 cup pepperoncini peppers minced
1 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes diced
1/3 cup vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 ounce sliced pepperoni
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water to cool quickly; drain well. Toss all together lightly until well blended. Season to taste. Cover; refrigerate to blend flavors. 10 to 12 servings.
Serves: 10-12

Let’s party at Let’s Get Real Party #88

Baked Chimichangas with Spanish Rice

One of hubby’s favorite meals.

I think the cinnamon and cloves really give these a great flavor so I hope if trying you won’t skip it.

Baked Chimichangas

1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup stewed tomato with green chilies, home canned or can use Rotel
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
pinch dried oregano
pinch cumin
7 or 8 homemade tortillas according to how full you fill them

Brown your ground beef and drain any excess grease. Add all ingredients but tortillas and simmer about 10 minutes.

Place a couple heaping spoonfuls of this filling in the middle of each tortillas and roll burrito style. Place on a well sprayed cookie sheet about a half inch apart and then spray the tops of each. Bake in a 375 degree oven about 25 to 30 minutes.

Spanish Rice

1 cup stewed tomatoes with green chilies,  home canned or can use Rotel
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons chili powder
3/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon cumin
3/4 cup white rice

Place all ingredients but rice in a covered pot and bring to a boil.  Add rice and cover tightly.  Lower heat to simmer and don’t uncover for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

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