Paleo

Low Carb Banana Muffins (Paleo & Gluten Free)

February 4, 2017 by polishhousewife 1 Comment

Two bananas had been parked on the kitchen counter for too long. They were well past the speckling of brown in the yellow peel banana. Mushing them into some kind of bread seemed like a good idea. A quick search of the internet, and I found a recipe for inspiration on Gimmedelicious.com. Not only are these low carb banana muffins, they fit the bill for paleo and gluten free too.

The muffins are light, almost souffle-like. I’ve adapted the recipe by adding chopped cherries rather than chocolate chips, not that I have anything against chocolate chips. There just weren’t any on hand.

If you’re committed to eating a paleo or gluten free diet, these muffins are just the thing. I might be better off if I fit that description, but I haven’t made that lifelong commitment. I do, however, like to try things. Ours is a kitchen where you’ll find coconut flour in the freezer. These low carb muffins are very satisfying in a way that food that’s low on the glycemic index tends to be. I can feel the benefits of that fact that my baked goodie had no added sugar and no white wheat flour. I’m satiated, I don’t feel hungry, I’m not tempted to pop back into the kitchen to eat the other five muffins.

At the same time, I can’t say this is the best banana muffin/bread I’ve ever eaten. That distinction belongs to this recipe. I missed the al dente quality that wheat flour and it’s gluten provide, and the way sugar seems to amplify the banana flavor. Maybe there’s a perfect option out there. Perhaps next time I’ll try combining the two recipes, get the added fiber of the coconut flour, use less wheat flour and sugar. Maybe you can have it all.

Low Carb Banana Muffins

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
Yield: 6

Description

A low carb, paleo, gluten free banana muffin

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs
1/4 cup almond butter
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
1/4 cup diced cherries, fresh or frozen in a pinch

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350
Spray muffin pan (6 muffins)
Combine bananas, egg, almond butter, and vanilla (I used my food processor)
Add coconut flour, cinnamon, baking powder,baking sods, and salt (again a quick blitz)
Stir in cherries
Spoon into muffin cups
Bake 15-18 minutes, or until browned
Cool before removing from pan

Low Carb Tortilla Espanola

July 30, 2013 by polishhousewife 1 Comment

Tortilla is a Spanish favorite – usually a potato omelet (no similarity to the Mexican tortillas). I wanted to omit the potatoes, which taste terrific, but add a lot of carbohydrates to the dish. So in their place, I’ve added broccoli, cauliflower, and red bell pepper. I usually serve tortilla in wedges for dinner (or breakfast) or 1-inch squares for an appetizer. We ate this plain for breakfast, but you could also top with salsa.

Ingredients
Adapted from The Foods & Wines of Spain

head of broccoli, sliced 1/4 inch thick (leaving the core behind)*
head of cauliflower, sliced 1/4 inch thick (leaving the core behind)*
red bell pepper, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
coarse salt
6 – 8 large eggs

*save the cores for soup; I’ve been making this one without the cream and it’s still thick and tasty!

DirectionsThis technique takes some practice, be sure to read through it before beginning.

Preheat oven to 375
In a 9 x 13 baking dish, toss the broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper, and onion with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, bake until tender (about 45 minutes)
Beat 6 eggs in a large bowl, salt lightly
Add the hot cooked vegetables to the beaten eggs, pressing them down so they are completely covered in egg. Add additional beaten eggs if necessary. Let the mixture sit 15 minutes
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over high heat until very hot
Add the vegetable and egg mixture, spreading it evenly in the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-high and shake the pan to prevent sticking
When the mixture begins to brown, invert a plate of the same size (or slightly larger) over the skillet. Flip the tortilla onto the plate; add 1 T. of reserved oil to the pan, slide the tortilla back into the skillet to brown the other side. (If the pan wasn’t hot enough, some pieces may have stuck to the bottom. Scrap them off and fit them back into place. They’ll reattach as you continue to flip the tortilla.)
Lower the heat to medium. Flip the tortilla 4 or 5 more times (this helps with the shape), cooking for a bit on each side, 8 – 10 minutes in total. Spaniards like their tortilla to be a little juicy inside; I prefer my eggs cooked all the way through. Adjust cooking time accordingly. Transfer to a platter and serve hot or at room temperature

This is caloriecount.com’s analysis of the recipe assuming 2 cups each of raw broccoli and cauliflower and 6 eggs:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 155 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

167

Calories from Fat

117

% Daily Value*

Total Fat

13.0g

20%

Saturated Fat

2.6g

13%

Cholesterol

164mg

55%

Sodium

470mg

20%

Total Carbohydrates

6.9g

Dietary Fiber

2.4g

10%

Sugars

3.2g

Protein

7.4g

Vitamin A 20%	•	Vitamin C 115%
Calcium 5%	•	Iron 7%

Nutrition Grade B+

How to Cook Bacon – Bake It!

January 3, 2013 by polishhousewife 2 Comments

I’ve been frying bacon all of my life. I even remember the days when we kept a can of bacon grease in the fridge and used it in other cooking. For many years, that seemed unthinkable to me, but living in Poland, I’m coming back around to the idea.

Many years ago, Ed was running a golf course in Green Valley. The military provides great training and the apprentice program for PGA professionals added to that. With all this experience, this was his time to oversee a restaurant kitchen. He brought home many food related stories, how the chef made the borderlaise sauce, and among other things, the fact that they baked their bacon.

We tried it at home for the first time Christmas morning, and I’m convinced; this is the way to cook bacon. There are many advantages when compared to my faithful frying pan:

It doesn’t need to be tended constantly, just pop it in the oven and set a timer
Your stove top/back splash/wall won’t be splattered in grease
The bacon shrinks less and cooks more evenly
The bacon stays flat (unless you have it jumbled up in a heap as it cools after leaving the oven as we did)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (175 C)
A household cookie sheet will hold about a pound of bacon. Line the pan with parchment paper, foil, or in a pinch, wax paper as we have here
Bake for 20 minutes or to desired crispness

Another plus – you’ll be really popular!

Lemon Brine Chicken

March 24, 2010 by polishhousewife 6 Comments

Start this in the lemon brine early in the day, and by evening you’ll have moist, lemony chicken. It’s a classic flavor combination!

I’m not usually the one to do the grilling in our family, but I must have learned a little something watching over the years because this chicken turned out pretty well.

My parents have been brining the Thanksgiving turkey for the last few years. (Brining is soaking the meat in a salty, spicy solution before cooking.) It makes for very moist, flavorful meat. I would love to tell you that I always fix chicken this way, but the truth is I don’t usually plan that far in advance. (That’s why I don’t have a list of crock pot recipes for you too!)

I had to take photos outside to get the last bit of natural light. The chicken looks pretty good; the taste was even better!

Adapted from: myrecipes.com