All posts tagged: Recipes

Homemade Mayonnaise – Whole30 Compliant

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I admit I really like mayonnaise, but it HAS to be Best Foods or else.  When I found out I can’t have my mayonnaise as it contains sugar and I needed to make the homemade paleo stuff to be Whole30 compliant, well……hmmm…..not too happy.  But I promised to follow the program as strictly as possible for 30 days so I went online and tried making a few of the Whole30, paleo mayonnaise.  But they didn’t do well.  I tried a recipe that said to use the blender – but all I got was very thin salad dressing and it tasted way to0 strong of olives.  The second recipe I tried using a food processor and that one curdled and was not fixable even though there were instructions on how to salvage it when the mayo turns ugly, (mine was uglier than Frankenstein). Then this morning I was watching the movie Julie and Julia (the one about Julia Child with Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci).  Towards the middle of the movie there is Julia memorializing the beauty of homemade mayonnaise and I …

Whole30 – first week

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  Today completes my first week on the Whole30 program and I am in love with vegetables.  Here is a summary of my first week. PROS: Sleep:  Sleeping better than prior to Whole30 eating.  Slept very well the first 3 days, and then found myself exhausted upon waking on the 5th day.  Went to bed early that night and slept for 10 hours (very unusual for me!) Energy Level: Pretty good.  I usually have low energy so can’t say that I am zipping around or feeling especially “high”on energy this week, but then again I am not dragging at all – so feeling positive about this. Hunger:  Am used to eating 3 meals and 2 snacks daily.  Or on weekends, I just tend to “graze” a lot of the day.  Since I am eating only 3 meals and no snacks, I found I was usually ready to eat my lunch at Noon, and by 6:30 or 7pm when I got home, I was ravenous for dinner.  Since I made some dinners on the weekend, and then had …

Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad

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  Did you know that May is National Salad Month?   I didn’t, but I did know that when we have sunny weather like we did this weekend, I crave salads.  On Sunday the temperature reached 86 degrees in Seattle and it seemed fitting to fire up the BBQ, grill a burger, and serve Macaroni Salad, along with a beer.    Growing up in the Bay Area we had family and friends over just about every weekend to enjoy the pool and sun – to make the macaroni salad a little fancier, my Mom would add Bay Shrimp on top (about 1/4 cup).  It definitely made it more special – here is my Mom’s recipe.

Blood Pudding Sausage and Fried Egg (Low Carb)

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Yum – a Sunday breakfast treat, especially tasty when one has been soooooo good throughout the week.  Since I am avoiding potatoes at all costs I can’t have hash browns, yet I still want something special for breakfast on the weekend  – and this dish is it!  I have fond memories of my Father making Blood Sausage for us on Sunday morning after Mass – it was such a treat for us (although for him this was served most days as part of an Irish breakfast growing up in San Francisco).  Blood sausage (which is also referred to as Black Pudding or Blood Pudding), is generally made from pork blood and a high proportion of oatmeal and sometimes barley, in addition to pork.  I realize this might not be to everyone’s liking just from the name of the dish, but if you try it, you will be delighted that you did.

Shrimp Scampi (Low Carb)

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You can only eat so much beef when on a low carb diet, so I want to have a nice variety of seafood to choose from.  Shrimp Scampi is a goody – quick to make, intense flavors, and only 2 carbs per serving.  If you are not on a low carb diet I would serve this over toasted garlic crostini, or an ample serving of linguine.  I on the other hand, will serve mine over spaghetti squash – yum!

BBQ spareribs (Low Carb)

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    I have been spinning the idea of low carb dieting for a couple of weeks now and finally settled down to officially and firmly starting today (after back/forth a bit the last 10 days, which did yield a weight loss of 8 pounds.)   Eons ago I did the Atkins diet, but quickly tired of eating the exact same foods each meal every day (bacon/eggs, salads, etc.).  Since I am committed to eating Low Carb for the next few months, I feel I should also be committed to creating some new and interesting twists on my old recipes, and making them low carb.  Sugar substitutes have vastly improved over the years, and there are a number of really good low carb blogs out there.    The following BBQ sparerib recipe is only 8 carbs per serving, primarily thanks to Splenda Brown Sugar and Heinz Reduced Sugar Ketchup.  The original recipe I grew up with is 51 carbs a serving (2 ribs) –  huge difference, and the taste is almost identical.

Green Goddess sandwich with bacon

Green Goddess Sandwich

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Last day for eating sandwiches, as I leave behind bread for the next few months.  I love bacon and avocado sandwiches and I love Green Goddess dressing – so put them altogether and I am in pig heaven (no pun intended towards the bacon, really).  Goodbye bread, hello low carb.  Will miss this sandwich but all is not lost as I can still enjoy all of the other ingredients on my new food plan (notice I didn’t say “diet” –  am trying to avoid negativity, and diets always remind me of deprivation – Ha!)

Meatloaf with onion

Monday Meatloaf

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Growing up meant Meatloaf on Mondays. I had not made it in years, but am taking a healthier attitude this year in what I eat, which means eat less processed food, and stop picking up junk at a drive-through on the way home. I don’t know why Meatloaf gets a bum rap, as it is considered a staple in most American homes.  May not be elegant, certainly isn’t gourmet, but it has great texture, a ton of flavor and is easy on the wallet. One thing it doesn’t have?  Great looks. 

Crispy Potato Boats

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Not sure why Emma named these potatoes “boats” except that’s what my Mom always called them and this is her recipe.  We had these long before potato wedges became popular and they are wonderful when served with chicken or meatloaf, but are good just all on their own. (Hint: if you are just eating the potatoes, serve them with mayonnaise or Aioli – they become gold at this point).

Beet salad w Orange

Roasted Beet Salad with Mandarin Oranges and Mascarpone Cheese

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Beets and mandarin oranges are plentiful in my local grocery store, as both are in season.  I recently had a delicious beet salad with mandarin oranges at the Trellis Restaurant in Kirkland.  Then last week I had a great beet salad with mascarpone (no mandarins) at Tulio in Seattle.  I liked both salads very much and decided to combine the flavors from both salads and came up with what you see here.  This is about as easy a salad as you can get other than stopping at your local salad bar (which I am never in favor of).  You do have to roast the beets, but it is quite easy,