Friday, September 28, 2012

Spaghetti Squash Arrabbiata

from The Low-Carb Gourmet by Karen Barnaby

2 T olive oil
2 (or so) cloves of garlic, minced
2 (or 3) oz prosciutto, finely diced
1-2 hot chile peppers, finely chopped (I used 2 jalapenos, removed all the seeds, and scraped 3 of the 4 halves.  Next time, I will scrape a little less.)
1 cup canned tomatoes with juice, pureed
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 a spaghetti squash, prepared according to Basic Spaghetti Squash
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (or Pecorino) cheese

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the garlic, prosciutto, and chiles.  Cook until the garlic is golden.
Add the tomatoes.  Cook until it thickens slightly.  Add salt and pepper.
Add spaghetti squash and simmer until hot, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the cheese and serve.

Spaghetti Squash, Carbonara-Style

from The Low-Carb Gourmet by Karen Barnaby
This is better than pasta Carbonara! (In my opinion.)  The book called this 8 servings, but I think it's 4.

3 oz prosciutto, finely diced (or thinly sliced, and chopped)  (the book says 2, but I found 3 oz packages)
2 T. olive oil
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup water
1/4 t salt
1/2 t (or so) ground black pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan (or Pecorino) cheese
1/2 of a spaghetti squash, cooked according to the directions for Basic Spaghetti Squash

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Fry the prosciutto in the oil (over medium or medium-low heat) until it starts to brown. (Use a small frying pan, because that's all that goes in it.)
In a medium to large bowl, combine the egg, yolk, cream, water, salt, pepper, and cheese.  Stir in the prosciutto and oil.  Stir in the squash.
Pour into a 8x8" baking dish, or gratin dish about that size.
Bake 35-40 minutes, until the center barely jiggles.
Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Basic Spaghetti Squash

from The Low-Carb Gourmet by Karen Barnaby

Cut off the stem end of the squash, and split it in half lengthwise.  This part is difficult, because the squash is very hard.  I scored the squash with a carving knife, and wedged it apart with a santuko.  I felt like I needed a cleaver.
Scoop out the seeds with a spoon.  Also, not exactly easy.  They are slimy, and the strands attaching them to the flesh of the squash don't want to let go.  I used my hands as well as the spoon.

Oven method:
Preheat the oven to 350F (before you cut the squash).
Put the squash halves, cut side down, in a baking dish big enough to hold them.  Add water until it is about 1/2" deep.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake 40 minutes (or more).  (After 40 minutes, I poked it with a fork, and it didn't seem all the way cooked, so I put it back for another 10 minutes, and it wasn't over-cooked after that.)

Microwave method:
Put the squash halves, cut side down, in a microwaveable dish big enough to hold them.  Add water until it is about 1/2" deep.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap.
Microwave on high for 10 minutes.  "The squash is done when the skin yields to firm pressure."

Uncover the squash, and let it cool enough to handle.
Use a fork or spoon to scrape out the shreds.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Slow-Roasted Spice-Cured Pork Shoulder

from The Low-Carb Gourmet by Karen Barnaby

4-5 lb boneless, skinless pork shoulder (I used a 7 lb bone-in pork shoulder)
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
12 cloves
1 tablespoon salt
2 bay leaves, crumbled
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped (I used 1 T dried rosemary)
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

With a sharp knife, score the pork fat in a crosshatch pattern.  Mash up the coriander, peppercorns, and cloves with a mortar and pestle.  (Mine is small, so next time I would do one at a time.) (Or combine them, and coarsely grind them in a coffee grinder.)  Combine the previous spices with the salt, bay leaves, rosemary, and garlic.
Spread half of the spice mixture in the bottom of a glass or other non-corrodible baking dish.  Place the pork on top.  Pat on the remaining mixture.  (I rubbed it in on all sides.)  Cover and refrigerate over night.
Preheat the oven to 250F.  Rinse the pork with cold water, and pat dry.  (I forgot the drying part, and it was fine.)  Place, fat side up, in a large baking dish.
"Bake for 6 hours (that's right, 6 hours).  Let sit for 15 minutes before slicing."

Mashed Rutabaga with Balsamic Vinegar and Browned Butter

from The Low-Carb Gourmet by Karen Barnaby

The recipe says that it is 8 servings.  It was enough for 7 people.  They seemed to like it.
My husband didn't think the vegetable itself had much flavor, and that the vinegar added a lot to it.  He does, however, get hives when there is vinegar in the air, and adding it to hot butter made him start itching.  Sigh.  I'll need to keep that in mind if/when I make this again, and either change the method or warn him beforehand so he can take a benedryl.



4 lb rutabagas, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoons sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Place the rutabagas in a large pot and cover with cold water. (The stock pot was too big.)  Bring to a boil and cook at a moderate boil until the pieces are tender, 45 minutes to an hour.  Drain well.
Mash, or puree in a food processor.  (I recommend the food processor--work in batches.)  Return to the pot and stir in HALF of the butter, the sour cream, salt, and pepper.  Stir over low heat until hot.  Transfer to a gratin or baking dish.
Melt the remaining 4 T of butter in a small saucepan over low heat until it turns nut brown.  Add the vinegar.  Drizzle over the puree and serve immediately.

"Rutabagas are those large waxed golden and purple roots that are frequently called turnips.  Regular turnips are the smaller white-bottomed and purple-topped roots.  You can substitute them for the rutabagas here, if you like.
"The balsamic vinegar balances the sweetness of the vegetable...
"You can make the rutabaga puree up to two days ahead, cover, and refrigerate.  Bring to room temperature and reheat, covered, in a 400 degree F oven for 20 to 30 minutes.
"I serve this for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, which is shy the recipe makes a large amount."

Roasted Mushrooms with Garlic and Thyme

from The Low-Carb Gourmet by Karen Barnaby

1 lb small mushrooms (I used white button mushrooms)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme)

Put one oven rack in the lowest position.  Preheat the oven to 450.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.  Clean (and if necessary, trim) the mushrooms.
Combine in a large bowl: the mushrooms, oil, salt, and pepper.  Toss them until they are evenly coated.
Spread them evenly on the baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven.  Roast for 10-15 minutes, or until the juice from the mushrooms has almost evaporated.  Turn the mushrooms, and continue to roast for another 10 minutes, or until they are browned all over.
Toss with the garlic, vinegar, and thyme.

The book says this is 4 servings.  I made a double batch for 7 people, and we would have eaten a lot more.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Kale, Carrot, and Mushroom Saute



1 bunch of kale
3 cloves of garlic
a couple tablespoons of olive oil
2 carrots
8 oz mushrooms
salt (probably a generous 1/4 teaspoon)
Clean and chop the kale.
Mince the garlic.
Heat the olive oil in a large wok or other pan.
Add the garlic.  When it starts to sizzle, add the kale, stirring it so it's all coated with the oil.
Continue to stir the kale occasionally as you shred the carrots and clean the mushrooms.
Add the carrots, and continue to stir occasionally  as you quarter the mushrooms.

Add the mushrooms, cook and stir occasionally.
Add the salt.  Let it cook until everything is as done as you like.  (My total cooking time was about 15 minutes.)

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Donald's Awesome Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

From The Low-Carb Gourmet by Karen Barnaby

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
about 3 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (The book said 8 6-oz. breasts.  I used two huge ones that were over two lb, total, and cut them into several pieces each.)
3 cups broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used 4 cups.)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced (The book said 1 cup)
4 celery ribs, diced
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced (I used crimini)
3 cloves of garlic, chopped (This was my addition.)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded cheese (The book suggests Monterey Jack and cheddar.  I used Pepper Jack and medium cheddar--and slightly more than 2 cups.)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (I used garlic salt.)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 9x13" baking dish with olive oil spray (or butter as the book says).
Heat the olive oil and 2 T butter in a large frying pan (or, as I prefer, my dutch oven).  Add the chicken, and brown on all sides.
Transfer the chicken to the baking dish.
Arrange the broccoli around the chicken.
Melt the remaining butter in the frying pan.  Add the onion, celery, mushrooms, and garlic.  Add a little salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.  Spread over the chicken and broccoli.
In a medium bowl, mix the cream, mayonnaise, garlic salt, salt, and pepper.  Mix in the cheese.  Spread over the chicken and vegetables.
Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 40 minutes.  Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
I didn't like how the top looked, so I turned on the broiler, and browned the top.



Low(er)-Carb Pot Roast


Parsnips, while better than potatoes, are not low-carb.  But they taste good!

1 boneless cross rib roast
2 parsnips
3 turnips
about 7 cloves of garlic, squished but not really chopped (they were small cloves of garlic--hence a lot of them)
5 carrots (they were on the small side)
1/2 cup red cooking wine
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
sprinkle of thyme
generous sprinkles of lemon pepper and seasoned pepper
generous sprinkle of salt (it wasn't enough)

Brown (in some olive oil) all sides of the roast in a pan that can go on the stove.
Put the roast in a nice big crock pot.
Put the vegetables around the meat.
Pour the liquid in.
Sprinkle the seasons on.
Put the lid on.
Cook on low for 8 hours.