CHRISTMAS PINE

LASDI©

Amid all the hullabaloo, the to-and-fro, and the busiest time of year since EVER, it's okay to treat yourself in a way you can still rely on not to expand your waistband for the holiday season.  This is a great way to have a holiday treat without inflammation as you destress from the hordes of chaos outside. This was an appetizer I made when The Kid brought The DIL and our Litlelest Grittle for dinner, which happens to be during the holiday season.  Being our youngest, he seems to be the one that will eat just about anything, and not quite as picky as his siblings.  So I knew he would be adventurous enough to try it - and he LOVED IT! I then used the lone leftover piece for The Hubster's brekkie the next morning with a sunny egg and it went over even better than the night before! As the intense themer I am, I also felt pine nuts and rosemary added just the right Christmas touch to the very Italian meal I made. So READ ON, Readers!  And then make yourself a magical dish that can do just as well as an app, a side, or a main!  Or even leftovers!

CHRISTMAS PINE

(PINE NUT BRANDIED CARAMELIZED ONION ROSEMARY FLATBREAD)

1 1/2 cups pine nuts

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

8 onions, sliced

1/2 cup brandy

4 sprigs rosemary, minced

your favorite low-carb crust (see notes)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

sea salt, to taste,

pepper, to taste

Start by setting your oven to 375.  Next, pour your pine nuts into a preheated pan on medium-high heat, stirring and shaking them around every thirty seconds or so until browned and toasted - about five minutes. Set those aside and allow them to cool whilst you start the onions cooking by pouring about two teaspoons of evoo into a heavy pan (I use my cast iron!) over medium-high heat.  Add your onions (see notes).  Now LEAVE THEM ALONE.  Though you may feel the urge to stir - DON'T!  Let them cook for two minutes, stir, then leave them alone again!    Repeat this process for about fifteen minutes, or until onions are browned and the edges look a tad crispy.  Pour half of your brandy in and let cook for one minute.  Sprinkle your rosemary in and stir.  Pour the other half of your brandy in and allow to continue to cook another minute or two.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Once cooled, put your mozz on your flatbread or pizza crust (see notes), sprinkle the onions over the entire crust, then top with pine nuts.  Put into the oven for seven to ten minutes, or until cheese is melted and onion-nut mixture is heated through.  Cut into desired-sized pieces and garnish with rosemary if ya like!

NOTES: As the Low-Carb Girl of The Fam, I pre-make the King Arthur's Keto Pizza Crust mix, but you can use whatever your favorite low-carb or regular pizza crust recipe or pre-made crust you wish!   It may seem that the onions are overloading the pan, but they will break down by the first time you carefully stir.  Make sure your crust or flatbread is pre-cooked and ready to have the ingredients put on.  Enjoy! And Merry Christmas!

DINNER FOR BREAKFAST

I just don't like to waste food!  I cannot even begin to tell you how it pains me to do so.  So when there are just three or four sauteed yellow peppers (for my obsessive-color-compulsivité for August, of course!) left over from dinner, I pack them in a snack baggie and save them.  Or when there are a few spoons-full left from the yellow squash casserole, I don't throw it away.  I have no idea at the time what I may do with it, but I know I have to do SOMETHING.  I am using those specific examples because that is exactly what I had in the fridge this morning and knew I needed to use it so it didn't go bad.  I also saw a jalapeno pepper on its last leg and felt sorry for it so I took out the leftovers and the pepper.  I created one of the very best frittatas I've ever had in my LIFE.  The recipe will give the measurements of the leftovers, in case it sounds so good, you just want to create it from scratch, but remember: you can use practically ANYTHING in a frittata!  This is also SHEtox Week-Three friendly and low-carb!  So go wild and take your dinner left-overs and make yourself some breakfast!!

DINNER FOR BREAKFAST FRITTATA

Extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

1 jalapeno, sliced thin *de-seeded if you don't like heat*

4-5 slices sauteed yellow bell pepper and onion, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup yellow squash gratin   (sliced yellow squash, now diced, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, ro-tel tomatoes, mozzarella cheese)

4 eggs

1 tbs milk

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika 

1 tsp cumin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium-sized oven-safe frying pan, sprinkle enough evoo to barely cover the bottom and heat for one minute over medium heat.  Add jalapeno slices and cook leave in oil, making sure they are not stacked, for about two minutes until almost crisp.  Add (left over) yellow bell pepper and onion, and (left over) yellow squash casserole.  Stir and let warm through (see notes) for about a minute.  Meanwhile, put eggs and milk in a small bowl and whisk like crazy.  Add seasonings and whisk again.  Pour over mixture in pan and with a wooden spoon or delicate spatula and gently scrape bottom of pan through egg mixture, and then gently scrape egg edges down toward the bottom of the pan.  Remove from heat and place in oven.  Bake for about ten minutes, or until cooked through and to desired consistency.

NOTES: If you are not using leftovers and are starting from scratch, place the yellow bell pepper and onion, as well as the diced yellow squash a some tomato in the pan with the jalapeno.  Directly before adding the egg mixture, sprinkle the mozzarella over the top of the veggie mixture in the pan.  But a frittata is the perfect avenue for any of your dinner leftovers!!

Green Eggs & Span (ish Chorizo)

SHE2016©

There are up sides and down sides to my obsessive compulsivity.  I know a lot of people can't imagine what the up sides could be, but I can tell you that for Life As She Does It, they scream volumes about the Bohemian Glitter Girl I am, and help me reach The Masses (that's YOU!), all while being a cathartic-and-helpful outlet.  The particular obsessive complusive part of me I'm referring to (Yes.  There are several) is the monthly themes.  I've been doing it for as long as I can remember.  It stretches from clothing to food, too.  So for example: March = Green or Irish.  Yes, I'm Italian, but the OCD transcends that fact.  I wear green every day in March.  Please don't ask me to explain in one post, just trust that there is a method to my madness.  As far as food in March, I either cook green food items, or Irish food.  This last Saturday morning, I created a Spanish take on green eggs and ham by making scrambled eggs loaded with cilantro with some Spanish chorizo and avocado on the side.  The Spanish chorizo was quite salty, so I drizzled some of the leftover mustard sauce  I made for the corned beef a couple of nights before, and it was absolutely luscious.  Stay tuned for the monthly themes to come; in the meantime, eat green to your heart's content and know Spring is right around the corner!

CILANTRO SCRAMBLED EGGS

4 eggs

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tbs cumin

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pepper

1` cup packed cilantro, chopped coarsely

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

2 tbs butter

In a medium-sized bowl, scramble the eggs using a small whisk or fork for a solid minute.  

On the Third Day of Christmas - I Got Goosed!

SHE©

Our tradition after Christmas Eve Service is Chinese Food takeout because we have usually worked the service somehow, whether I'm leading worship or we are managing the Guest Services Team; this year, I catered with 600 cake ball truffles.  Soooooo, no cooking on Christmas Eve!  Of course, that changes come the next morning when we make the traditional Christmas goose.  So by day-after-Christmas, it's time to figure something out for leftovers!  I took the leftover goose and stir-fried it with veggies in the fridge needing to be cooked, and put it over the leftover fried rice.  It was pretty dang good!!

canola oil

1 pnd leftover Christmas goose (or any comparable meat like chicken or turkey)

1 crown broccoli, chopped

1/2 bok choy, choppped

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 cup red cabbage, chopped

1 cup cilantro

1/4 cup peanut butter

3 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs brown sugar

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced

sesame oil

leftover fried rice (or your own home-made!)

In a wok or heavy pan, coat the sides and bottom of pan up to about 1/2 inch and heat on medium high for about a minute or so.  Add all ingredients up to peanut butter and cook through, about three minutes, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, and garlic cloves.   Add to the wok, stir through and let cook for one more minute.  Remove from heat.  Serve over reheated (or fresh) fried rice!

NOTES:  Want low-carb?  Simply omit the rice!  

EGGPLANT PARMA-PARADISE

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Look, I know some of you have an eggplant Parmesan recipe you swear by; whether it's your own or your mama's or your noni's or a coveted recipe passed down for generations.  But I'm here to tell you that this recipe is THE ONE -the holy grail of eggplant Parmesan - the GOLDEN TICKET TO EGGPLANT PARMESAN PARADISE.  For real, People.  FOR REAL.  This was fresh, organic eggplant picked on our Annual Fall Family Day.  And it will be forever the annual eggplant Parmesan recipe from here on out!!

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

3-small-to-medium-sized eggplant

grated Parmesan cheese

1 pinch sea salt

1 pinch pepper

1 tsp sea salt

2 tsp pepper

2 tsp cumin

4 eggs

splash of water

canola oil

shredded pizza cheese or mozzarella

1-48 oz can diced tomatoes, drained and split in two

1 can rotel, drained

Italian seasoning

1 bunch thyme

6 cloves roasted garlic, chopped fine

1 onion, chopped fine

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Wash and dry your eggplant, and cut it into slices about 1-inch thick.  In a  bowl, take your eggs and whisk them like crazy.  Add a splash of water, a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of pepper and whisk again.  In another bowl, pour about two cups of grated Parmesan, and add your sea salt, pepper, and cumin and mix with a fork.  In a heavy pan (I use my cast-iron, of course!), pour about an inch of canola oil and heat on medium.  The oil is ready when you can put a tiny sprinkle of water in it and it sizzles.  Take a slice of eggplant, dip it in the egg-mix and then the Parmesan mix.  Put it in the hot oil and let cook about a minute-and-a-half on each side (until crust is hard).  Do not put more than four slices at a time so that they don't steam but get good and crunchy.  Place each one on a drying or cooling rack and continue to cook until all slices are done.   

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In the same pan the eggplant was cooked in and on medium heat, place the thyme, roasted garlic, and onion and saute for about three minutes (see notes).  Remove from heat, take out the thyme sprig and discard,  and set aside the onion and garlic.  In a prepared baking dish, layer your cooked slices of eggplant, breaking apart a few to fit and cover the entire bottom of the dish.  Your next layer is the first half of the drained diced tomatoes.  Cover the tomato layer with your cheese and sprinkle Italian seasoning generously over the cheese.  Next, layer half the onion and garlic mix over the Italian seasoning and cheese.  Repeat layers, starting with eggplant and ending with the second half of the onion and garlic mixture, but in place of the tomatoes, layer the rotel.  Repeat for the last (third) layer, using eggplant, second-half of the diced tomatoes, and a heavy layer of cheese with a sprinkle of the Italian seasoning.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Let rest for five minutes.  Eat it up - I will feel your love from afar!!

NOTES: I had some leftover roasted garlic from the meal the night before.  You can either roast it yourself, buy it already roasted, or simply use regular garlic.  I use organic ingredients whenever possible for clean eating, and in this case, I believe it helped the eggplant flavor!  This is FANTASTIC for Meatless Monday AND it is low-carb, though it is so rich it sure doesn't taste like it!  Wanna see it happen fast-and-on-video on Life As She Does It's YouTube channel?  Click HERE

STAPLE IT - WITH A TWIST

I am all about staples.  Some people have one, some have a handful.  They're the go-to's.  You know.....it could be your spaghetti and meatballs.  Or maybe it's the chili you make every winter.  Perhaps it is your mac-n-cheese with the recipe you got from your grandmother.  I have staples, too!  One of them happens to be mini-turkey patties with pan gravy over rice with a side salad.  It is definitely one of my go-to's in a pinch and a staple when I just can't think of something new to make. HOWEVER COMMA, this particular night I had some Asian leftovers to get rid of - and you know me and leftovers!!  So here's what I did: I made the staple, but with a twist.  I created a new-but-old-go-to-staple!  

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MINI-ASIAN TURKEY PATTIES 

2 pnds ground turkey

1/4 cup oats

1 egg

1 tbs sea salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tbs garlic powder

1 tbs cumin

1 tbs Chinese five-spice

1/8 cup soy sauce

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

4 tbs extra virgin olive oil (evoo), for cooking

Mix everything down to second evoo in a bowl until just combined (see notes).  With the side of your hand, score the meat mound into eight equal parts.  Roll each one and flatten to a small patty.  Sprinkle the four tablespoons of evoo into a pan and heat on medium for one  minute.  Place four patties at a time into pan and cook for 8 - 10 minutes on each side, or until cooked through and brown on each side.  Let rest on paper towels and serve with pan gravy over rice.

NOTES: Do not mix too much or the meat can get tough.  I use organic turkey for this recipe and it does seem to make a difference in flavor.  I sauteed mushrooms and added atop the patty with gravy for a super-delish punch!

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ASIAN BROWN PAN GRAVY

turkey patty bits and juices in the pan

2 tsp almond flour

1/2 tsp cornstarch

2 tsp brown sugar

4 tbs soy sauce

1 cup of your favorite broth (I use my home-made vegetable stock, but chicken broth works here as well)

sea salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

1 tbs butter

In the same pan the patties were cooked in on medium heat, pour almond flour, cornstarch, and brown sugar and cook for one minute.  Turn up the heat to medium-high, add soy sauce and broth and bring to a boil, whisking constantly until thickened.  Add sea salt and pepper.  Remove from heat, add butter and stir, and let sit one minute before pouring over turkey patties and rice.

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.

NOTES:  I cooked the rice like usual, and once it was cooked just added a little diced red pepper,  soy sauce and Chinese five-spice.  For the salad, I used leftover baby bok-choy and Chinese radish and just added a little ground ginger and ketchup to some mayo and mixed it in with lettuce and green onion.  SO YUM.  And leftovers gone.  Waste not, want not!

ALL FUN & GAMES

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Put together a game night for us and two of our favorite humans and just HAD to have some delish snackies.  So with leftover tuna steaks I made tuna-cakes, and with leftover ham, sun-dried tomatoes and 1/2 a bell pepper I made some bruschetta sammies (that's what I call them, anyhow), set out some cheese, crackers, and olives, and we had a full belly and a great time!  I've given you the bruschetta sammies recipe below.  DO IT.

BRUSCHETTA SAMMIES

1 brick cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup cheddar shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 bell pepper, diced finely

6-8 sun-dried tomatoes, diced finely

1 cup sandwich ham, diced finely

sea salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp paprika

1 loaf of your favorite crusty bread, sliced into 1-inch slices and open-faced

Mix all ingredients down to bread.  Generously pile onto bread.  Eat.  Say YUMMM!!

NOTES:  Isn't is crazy that it's THIS EASY?!?

Left Chop

I was at my local grocery store that happens to carry whole-and-natural foods, and found the most beautiful turkey chops (which actually taste just like pork chops if cooked correctly) so I bought them.  When I got home, I saw I had leftovers that would make this meal something GRAND.  Check this out:  I had leftover roasted potatoes from dinner the night before, leftover unused red cabbage from salad that week , leftover onion and cilantro from a meal train meal, leftover chipotle in adobo sauce from fish tacos, and leftover cream sauce I made for the fish tacos as well.  Woo!  That's a-lotta-leftovers!!  But it was such a beautiful meal no one ever would have known......except I'm sharing the secret with you!

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SEARED TURKEY CHOPS WITH ADOBO CREAM SAUCE

one package turkey chops

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

sea salt 

pepper

1/2 cup home-made cream sauce from fish tacos (or ranch dressing or sour cream with some seasoning)

2 chipotle in adobo peppers, chopped, with sauce

1 tbs butter

Sprinkle a pan (I use my cast-iron skillet, of course!) with enough evoo to cover the bottom and heat on medium heat for one minute.  Meanwhile, sprinkle the chops with sea salt and pepper on both sides.  Cook in pan for five minutes on both sides.  Remove from heat and let rest for a few minutes

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.

While chops are resting, in the same pan the chops were cooked in and on medium heat,  add chopped adobo peppers and adobo sauce and cook about two minutes.  Add cream sauce and cook another two minutes until creamy and cooked through.  Add butter to smooth.  Turn off heat and let butter melt.  POUR OVER CHOPS AND BE PREPARED FOR HEAVEN IN YER MOUTH!!

NOTES: For less heat, use one pepper or just the sauce.  I just cannot STAND leftovers and couldn't let those two peppers go to waste!  It was perfect heat for us, but could be too much for others.  If so, add a little cream or more cream sauce.  Serve on top of the leftover roasted potatoes to make it magical.

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.

MEXICAN CABBAGE

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

red cabbage, sliced chunky

leftover onion, chopped (about one onion)

leftover cilantro, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

sea salt

pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

In a heavy pan, sprinkle enough evoo to cover the bottom of the pan and heat on medium heat for one minute  Add remaining ingredients and cook for about five-to-ten minutes, or to desired consistency.  

NOTES: Serve alongside chipotle chops and leftover roasted potatoes for an amazing experience.  TRUST ME.