Mexican Skillet with Eggs

Ingredients:

1 medium poblano chili pepper, seeded & finely chopped
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
½ cup chopped onion
1 cup [canned] black beans, drained
1 cup zucchini, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 pinch salt (kosher?)
½ cup green salsa verde (plus more for serving)
4 large eggs
2 TBSP cilantro, chopped
Cooking spray



Instructions:
• Coat 12” skillet with cooking spray & heat over medium high flame.
• Add chili, corn & onion. Cook stirring often until onion is soft: 5-7 minutes.
• Add beans, zucchini, cumin & salt. Cook, stirring often, until zucchini starts to brown: 2-3 minutes.
• Stir in salsa.
• Make 4 wells in vegetables with back of a spoon. Crack one egg into each.
• Reduce heat to medium. Cook, covered, until eggs are cooked to desired doneness: 5-7 minutes for medium.
• Garnish with cilantro.
• Serve with more salsa if desired.

Sue’s Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound uncooked red or purple potatoes, diced large (golf ball size)
3 cups uncooked leeks, chopped
3 cups kale, chopped
1 bratwurst or sausage per person (optional)
1 TBSP canola oil
3 cups low-fat milk (1%? 2%?)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Pepper to taste.


Instructions:

• Cut potatoes into golf-ball size pieces. Spread on microwavable plate, cover & cook on high until tender, about 6 minutes.

• In stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. When it’s warm, add chopped leeks, chopped kale & salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. 
 
• Dice the sausage (if you're using them) and fry over medium heat.

• Add cooked potatoes, milk & nutmeg to stockpot and reduce heat to medium low. Mash potatoes into small chunks. Simmer until flavors blend, about 5 minutes.

• Serve in wide bowls, perhaps with crackers or toast. Garnish with pepper, finely chopped green peppers.

• Enjoy. 
 
COMMENT: Also works with rice milk instead of dairy milk; makes it vegetarian.

Vegetarian; no sausage.

Not vegetarian; with sausage.

 

TJ's Succotash

 INGREDIENTS: 

-1red bell pepper

-1 green bell pepper

-1orange bell pepper

-1 red onion

-1 Zucchini, small

-1 yellow squash (or two Zucchini if you can't find the squash)

-1 bunch of cilantro

-corn (frozen or fresh)

-Seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic, cayenne, paprika

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Basically try to have equal amounts of everything, though if the onions tip the balance, it isn't a bad thing.

Dice everything really finely.

Sauté red onions till translucent, add Zucchini, sauté for a couple minutes, add peppers and corn. 

Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic, cayenne, and paprika. Add more heat as you like. Add cilantro at the end.

(Thoughts: I think a little white pepper would go nicely, and fresh jalapeños or serranoes will also go well.) [I may try it with de-seeded scotch bonnets.]

Cook till a happy texture. Avoid mush.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Ingredients

4 or 5 pounds Roma tomatoes - halved and roasted

3 cloves garlic - peeled

1½  TBSP olive oil

1 tsp salt - divided

Some freshly ground black pepper

1½ tsp butter

1 onion - sliced

½ cup fresh basil - plus more for serving

1 TBSP chicken bouillon concentrate

1 cup milk (your choice what kind)

½ tsp red chili flakes - plus more, if desired

optional croutons or crackers

Instructions

    Roast the tomatoes and garlic (400° for maybe 45 minutes).

    Sauté the onions in olive oil and butter. Sauté on lower heat for at least 10 minutes or until starting to brown and caramelize. Stir often.

    Add the tomatoes, fresh basil, broth, and red chili flakes to the pot. Bring to a low simmer, reduce heat to low. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes to the pot with their juices, and return to a simmer.

    Simmer. Simmer the soup uncovered and over low heat for approximately 20 minutes.

    Puree with an immersion blender. Avoid over-blending; you want some chunks. You may also use a stand blender.

    Season and serve. Return soup to your pot and season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with fresh basil, croutons, or a splash of fresh cream, or crack an egg into a bowl of cool soup and microwave 4 or 5 minutes until egg is done.

Yummy! 

Low Carb Sandwich Bread

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. yeast
⅔ cup ground flax meal
½ cup oat fiber

1 cup vital wheat gluten

2 Tbsp. softened butter
4 Tbsp. artificial sweetener
1 tsp. salt (or bouillon)
½ tsp. xanthum gum
1 tsp. honey or sugar (only to feed the yeast)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup milk, room temperature


Add them all to your (smaller size) bread machine. Many machines prefer it if you load the ingredients into it in this order. Then turn the machine on and let it run through its process. I used a "Medium" baking setting.

For the artificial sweetener, Swerve is the popular brand. I used half stevia (because I have a lot), half erythritol (because the flavor is more neutral); I loved the results.

It came out quite good. Cuts nicely, has a good crumb. Toasts well. I will be making this again.

With 16 slices to the loaf, it's only one net gram of carbs per slice (4 gross, minus 3 grams fiber).

And it's pretty good!

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Variation (Version 2.0:

1 Tbsp. yeast

½ cup ground flax meal

½ cup oat fiber

½ cup almond flour

¾ cup vital wheat gluten

2 Tbsp. softened butter, warm

4 Tbsp. artificial sweetener

1 tsp. chicken bouillon or concentrate

½ tsp. xanthum gum

1 tsp. (honey or) sugar (to feed the yeast)

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup milk, warmed

The bigger bread machine kneads this more, the loaf rises more. Make adjustments. 

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Version 3.0:

2 tsp yeast

½ cup ground flax meal

½ cup oat fiber

½ cup almond flour

¾ cup vital wheat gluten
¼ cup ground coconut.

½ tsp. xanthum gum

2 Tbsp. olive oil

4 Tbsp. artificial sweetener (stevia)

1 tsp. chicken bouillon or concentrate

1 tsp. sugar (to feed the yeast)

2 eggs 

⅔ cup milk, warmed. Add slowly; don't feel obligated to use it all. 

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Update: I've put away the (smaller size) bread machine, and gotten out the big, 2-pound bread machine. It fills it up. Seems to knead better, which causes better raising.