Laurie – Page 6 – Laurie’s Healthy Cooking

Easy Deviled Eggs

By Laurie on Tuesday, February 12, 2019

If I’m in the mood for a savory snack that’s creamy, rich and satisfying, one of my go-to recipes is deviled eggs. I can prepare a batch on the weekend, and keep them in a sealed container in the refrigerator to snack on all week. They make great appetizers for a party, too.

One of the most difficult parts of making deviled eggs is cooking perfect hard-boiled eggs. I have over cooked them, under cooked them, and then had the peels stick to the eggs so that half of the egg white would peel off along with the shell!

Then I received an electric Dash egg cooker for a gift, and it changed everything! It comes with a tiny device that you use to prick a hole in the top of each egg shell before cooking, which makes it easy for the shells to slide right off when they’re finished cooking. The instructions tell you the amount of water to add, you plug it in, turn it on, and the whole process is very quick.

My one complaint is the loud noise that the machine makes when the eggs are finished…it can be quite startling! And I found that I need to keep the eggs in the cooker for 5 additional minutes after the buzzer sounds, so that they are perfectly cooked.

If you don’t have an egg cooker, no problem! I also provide instructions for cooking eggs the usual way.

Easy Deviled Eggs

Servings: 6

6 large eggs, free-range
1/4 cup mayonnaise, preferably organic and made from avocado oil
1 scallion, green parts only, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste
Paprika

Directions:

Using a Dash egg cooker, add the specified amount of water and place eggs on the tray. Close the lid and turn on. When the timer goes off, turn off the machine and unplug, but leave the lid on for 5 more minutes. Fill a bowl with ice cubes and cold water. Place the cooked eggs into the ice bath and let cool.

To cook the conventional way, place eggs in a pot covered with cold water. Bring to a boil, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let stand for 12 minutes. Fill a bowl with ice cubes and cold water. Place the cooked eggs into the ice bath and let cool.

Tap the cooled eggs on several sides to loosen the shells, then peel under running water. Place the eggs on paper towels to dry.

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise, and drop the yolks into a small bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork until smooth. Add the mayonnaise, scallion, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste, and mix well. (Note that the mustard is quite salty, so you may not require additional salt.)

With a small spoon, fill each egg with the mixture and sprinkle with paprika.

Variations: There are endless combinations…you can add diced bacon, jalapenos, roasted red peppers, celery, pickles or relish, minced parsley or other fresh herbs, cayenne pepper or hot sauce.

Mains

Low Carb Chicken Enchilada Casserole

By Laurie on Monday, February 11, 2019

I love Mexican food, the spicier, the better, and would be happy eating tacos or burritos every week. Unfortunately, chips, tortillas, beans, corn and rice are all too heavy for me.

I wanted to come up with a dish that had the same wonderful flavors as chicken enchiladas, but without the starchy tortillas.

Each component had to be seasoned well and able to stand alone, so that when they were assembled in the casserole, the combination of flavors would be that much better.

The base of the casserole would be a version of Spanish rice, using riced cauliflower instead of regular rice. I started by cooking some peppers and onions in a bit of avocado oil.

Then I added garlic, tomato paste, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, along with frozen riced cauliflower.

After everything was cooked and the vegetables soft, I poured the rice mixture into my casserole dish. The next step was to take shredded chicken, and toss it with a spicy sauce. Using prepared rotisserie chicken saves time.

Looking at a popular brand of canned enchilada sauce, I realized it contained a few ingredients that I’d rather not use: Wheat Flour, Vegetable Shortening, Caramel Color, Red Color No. 40.

Instead, I used a small can of tomato sauce, and just added my own spices. Then I tossed the chicken with half the sauce.

I added the chicken to the casserole dish, then poured the rest of the sauce on top, followed by shredded cheese.

After baking for 30 minutes, it was ready to eat! My husband didn’t even know that it contained cauliflower.

Low Carb Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Servings: 4

2 tablespoons avocado oil (or olive oil)
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (12-ounce) bag frozen riced cauliflower
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Spicy tomato sauce (see recipe below)
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
4 ounces shredded pepper- jack cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Directions:

Heat a large skillet, add the oil and saute the onions and peppers over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, tomato paste and red pepper flakes and continue cooking for about a minute, then add the frozen cauliflower rice, salt and pepper. Stir to combine everything and cook for 5 minutes to thaw the cauliflower. Cover the pan, reduce heat to low and let cook for another 10 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft.

Spicy Tomato Sauce:

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Mix tomato sauce and spices together.

To assemble:

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Spoon cauliflower rice mixture into a 9 x 9 inch square casserole dish. In a separate bowl, toss the shredded chicken with half of the Spicy Tomato Sauce, and layer the chicken on top of the rice. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the chicken. Finally, sprinkle the cheese on top.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, removing the foil for the last 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Notes: You can assemble the casserole ahead of time, and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Using prepared rotisserie chicken from the grocery store saves time. You can use any size casserole dish that you have handy: square, round or rectangular.

Salads

Salad with Mixed Greens, Goat Cheese and Roasted Nuts

By Laurie on Thursday, February 7, 2019

I am a big fan of salads and all leafy greens. Because of their high content of antioxidants, green leafy vegetables may be one of the best cancer preventing foods. They have anti-inflammatory properties, and are a good source of fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium.

I eat a large salad for lunch most weekdays, but have been known to eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, especially after over-indulging during holidays or vacations.

My husband complains when I serve them too often, but he eats them anyway!

When I lived in Los Angeles, one of my favorite restaurants served a fantastic salad with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and toasted pine nuts. This is a variation that’s just as delicious with a variety of textures, tangy dressing, creamy cheese and crunchy nuts.

Salad with Mixed Greens, Goat Cheese and Roasted Nuts

Servings: 1 entree or 2 appetizers

3 generous handfuls of organic mixed greens (approx. 3 cups)
1 ounce goat cheese
2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons Sweet and Salty Roasted Nuts

Directions:

Add lettuce to a large bowl, crumble goat cheese on top. Drizzle with Vinaigrette and sprinkle with nuts. Toss to combine.

Dressings and Sauces

Red Wine Vinaigrette

By Laurie on Tuesday, February 5, 2019

It’s so easy to make your own salad dressing, plus it saves money!

You can control the ingredients, use high quality extra virgin olive oil, and adjust the amount of salt and other spices you add. This is a simple dressing that I make often.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

Servings: 8

1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Black pepper to taste
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a shaker bottle with a tight lid and shake to combine thoroughly. The dressing will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

Appetizers and Snacks

Sweet and Salty Roasted Nuts

By Laurie on Monday, February 4, 2019

I often eat raw nuts as a snack, but sometimes they can be a bit boring. One day, I noticed some almonds that I had purchased weren’t as crunchy as they should have been…perhaps they were slightly stale. So I decided to roast them. What a drastic improvement! They were completely transformed into crunchy, flavorful, sweet and salty perfection.

The great thing about roasting them yourself is that you can control what kind of oil you use and the amount of salt, and you can vary the spices that you add. I like mine lightly salted and slightly sweet, so I add some sea salt and granulated stevia.

This recipe is so simple and only takes 10 minutes. You can serve these nuts as a snack, sprinkled over salads, or ground up to use in a pie crust.

Sweet and Salty Roasted Nuts

Servings: 16

2 cups of raw nuts of choice (walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, etc.)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 packet (or 3/4 teaspoon) granulated stevia sweetener
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Toss the nuts with the oil, sweetener and salt and spread evenly on the tray. Bake for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn.

Cool completely, then store in an airtight container. They will stay fresh at least 2 weeks.

Variations: Add additional spices such as cayenne or black pepper, any dried herbs such as rosemary, thyme or oregano. For a sweeter treat, add a touch more stevia, plus cinnamon and nutmeg.

Mains

Sloppy Joes

By Laurie on Thursday, January 31, 2019

With the Big Game coming up this weekend, maybe you’re looking for a warm, comforting dish to serve to friends and family. This healthier version of an old classic has all the flavor, but uses ground turkey instead of beef, as well as plenty of vegetables: mushrooms, peppers and onions. My husband is not a fan of mushrooms, but he doesn’t even know they’re in this dish, because they’re minced and look just like the ground meat!

Many sloppy joe recipes call for sugar, but I find that the small amount of sugar already contained in the barbecue sauce is plenty. But feel free to add more sweetener if you like. I recommend using a granulated stevia product (such as Truvia or SweetLeaf) rather than sugar.

If you’re having a big group, or just want to have leftovers, you can double this recipe. It freezes well, too.

Since I’ve been cutting down on the amount of starchy carbs in my diet, I serve this sloppy joe mix in a bowl over sauteed green cabbage. It’s delicious!

Sloppy Joes

Servings: 4

2 tablespoons avocado oil (or olive oil)
1 pound ground turkey
1 (8-ounce) package mushrooms, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup natural barbecue sauce (without high fructose corn syrup)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Black pepper to taste
A few dashes hot sauce, such as Frank’s Red Hot, optional

Directions:

In a large skillet, saute the ground turkey in the oil over medium heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon to cook evenly and prevent big chunks. Add the mushrooms, onion and bell pepper and continue cooking for several minutes, until the vegetables are softened and starting to brown.

Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds, then add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

I serve mine in a bowl over sautéed cabbage, but my husband likes it on a bun.

Cooked ground meat, vegetables and sauce in a pan on the stove.