March 14

Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta Fazool)

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Pasta e fagioli (Pasta Fazool)
Author: 
Type: Main
Prep time: 
Cooking time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
Pasta with beans, usually well tolerated by kids since they can recognize the bits of vegetables. And adults love it... Great as leftovers as well. Traditionally served with fresh crusty bread.
Ingredients
  • 250 grams ditalini pasta (or other small sized pasta)
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 1 handful of fresh basil (torn into bits by hand so as to not blacken when reheated)
  • 400 gram cans cannellini (white) beans, rinsed and drained
  • 400 gram can borlotti beans, rinsed and drained
  • or 2 cans of chickpeas if you prefer)
  • 425 gram can whole tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
  • 1L (4 cups) vegetable bouillon
  • 50g (2 handfuls) baby spinach, washed
  • Lemon wedges, to serve*
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a large, deep pot over medium-low heat.
  2. Saute the celery, carrot and onion for about 10 minutes until softened but not browned.
  3. During the final minutes of cooking, stir in the garlic and rosemary.
  4. Add beans, tomatoes, bouillon and 1 cup (250ml) water to onion mixture.
  5. Bring to a simmer, add the pasta and cover and cook for 10 minutes.
  6. Remove from heat, stir in the spinach and basil and season to taste.
  7. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan and lemon wedges.
Notes
*Lemon wedges can be omitted If you don't have Parmesan, use whatever hard cheese you have in the fridge, or crumbled feta.

 

Category: Recipes, Vegetarian | LEAVE A COMMENT
December 27

Aïoli

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Aïoli
Author: 
Type: Dressing
Prep time: 
Total time: 
 
Aïoli is great on fish stew / soup, paella, jambalaya etc. Also delicious with french fries, burgers, steak... Prepare the aïoli one hour before the meal, to let the flavor develop. It should be eaten the same day.
Ingredients
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 dl extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. Mince and mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt using a large heavy knife.
  2. Whisk together yolks, lemon juice, and mustard in a bowl.
  3. Add the oil, a few drops at a time, to the yolk mixture, whisking constantly, until all oil is incorporated and mixture is emulsified.
  4. (If mixture separates, stop adding oil and continue whisking until mixture comes together, then resume adding oil.)
  5. Whisk in garlic paste and season with salt and pepper.
  6. If aïoli is too thick, whisk in 1 or 2 drops of water.
  7. Chill, covered, until ready to use.
Notes
*All ingredients should be at room temperature. ¡¡¡ Americans mix garlic and mayonnaise; they think it's Aïoli !!!

 

Category: LCHF, Recipes, Vegetarian | LEAVE A COMMENT
December 22

Baby beets and blue cheese salad

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Baby beets and blue cheese salad
Author: 
Type: Salad
Prep time: 
Cooking time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Beet salad, nice with Christmas dinner.
Ingredients
  • 2 bunches baby beets (about 12 beets)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup (50g) walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted
  • 100g blue cheese, crumbled
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
  2. Trim the leaves from the beets, leaving a small amount of stem, and scrub clean.
  3. Line a roasting pan with a piece of foil and place the beets in the pan.
  4. Roast for 50 minutes or until just tender.
  5. Remove the beets from the oven, cover with foil, and leave to cool; then peel and place in a bowl.
  6. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and mustard, and season with salt and pepper.
  7. Drizzle this dressing over the beets and scatter with the walnuts.
  8. Crumble the cheese into the salad just before serving.

 

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September 6

Creamy Cauliflower

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Creamy Cauliflower
Type: Main
Prep time: 
Cooking time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • 2 small, or 1 large cauliflower (4.2 g of net carbs per 100g)
  • 2 medium cloves of garlic, about a teaspoon each (1 g of carbs per tsp)
  • ¼ c full-fat cream cheese (2-4g of net carbs – check your label)
  • ½ tsp salt
Instructions
  1. You’ll need a pot (preferably a heavy one) with a lid, large enough to hold the cauliflower, and a food processor.
  2. Cut the leaves from two small or one large cauliflower. I find this is easiest if the head is cut in quarters, from the base.
  3. Wash and drain the quarters, then chop into chunks and place in a heavy pot with about ½ inch (1 cm) of water, depending on how well your pot lid fits.
  4. Peel the 2 cloves of garlic and throw them in the pot, too.
  5. If I weren’t counting carbs, I’d add more garlic, but a teaspoon has nearly a gram of carbs.
  6. The garlic becomes mellow and sweet with cooking, providing subtle depth of flavour.
  7. If you want a carb count, weigh the cauliflower without the leaves before cooking, and calculate the total number of carbs.
  8. For example: if the cauliflower weighs 1 lb or 454 g, calculate its carbs: 4.2 g/ 100 x454g = 19 g of carbs
  9. My cream cheese container lists 1 carb per tablespoon, and there are 4 T in a quarter cup.
  10. Add 2g of carbs for the garlic, for a total of 25 carbs in the whole recipe.
  11. For a portion count: Measure the puree by weight on a scale, or by volume (e.g. in a 4-cup measuring cup), and divide by the number of servings.
  12. If you have 4 cups of puree, that’s 8 half-cup servings, so 25 divided by 8 is 3.1 carbs per half-cup serving.
  13. With the lid on, steam over medium heat for 15 to 20 min., till a paring knife pokes into a floret without any resistance.
  14. Drain well, tossing the cauliflower to help any water find its way out.
  15. Return the cauliflower to the pot, leaving it uncovered and using the residual heat in the pot to evaporate as much water as possible.
  16. A heavy pot is helpful, as it holds the heat better for this stage.
  17. I place the pot back on the burner of my gas stove, where the heated grate also helps to keep the pot warm.
  18. Use your judgement, or a heat diffuser, if you are cooking on an electric element.
  19. These efforts to eliminate as much water as possible is important, or you’ll have cauliflower soup, instead of puree.
  20. After a few minutes, or longer if it suits your schedule, proceed.
  21. Transfer the cauliflower and garlic to the bowl of a food processor, and puree, scraping down the sides once or twice.
  22. Add ½tsp of salt or to taste, and a quarter cup of cream cheese.
  23. Process to mix.
  24. Turn out into a serving bowl, or covered dish.
  25. Refrigerate leftovers – this reheats well in oven, on the stove, or in the microwave.
  26. Makes a nice side for a roast chicken, or a stewed dish, such as Hungarian goulash.
Category: LCHF, Recipes, Vegetarian | LEAVE A COMMENT
August 4

Garlic Soup

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Thunder Soup
Author: 
Type: soup
Prep time: 
Cooking time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Dundersoppa på svenska. Great when you are beginning to feel a cold coming on.
Ingredients
  • 1 large head garlic
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 5 dl flour
  • 1 liter bouillon
  • herbal salt
  • fresh parsley
Instructions
  1. Peel and slice the garlic.
  2. Saute in the olive oil, do not brown!
  3. Sprinkle in the flour, mix well.
  4. Add bouillon.
  5. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes.
  6. Beat the eggs, then add a ladle of soup slowly to the eggs while mixing.
  7. Now slowly stir in the egg mixture to the hot soup while mixing constantly.
  8. Turn off heat, it should not boil again, that would curdle the eggs.
  9. Flavor with the herbal salt and chopped parsley.
  10. Serve with warm fresh bread.
  11. If you have a sore throat, tear the bread into chunks and add to your soup.

 

Category: Recipes, Uncategorized, Vegetarian | LEAVE A COMMENT