Dreamy Lime Tart

Menu Note:

• This is the dessert on my Christmas Menu 2015, on this blog.

The Ingredients (for 12 servings):

• 190 g (or 2 cups) of finely ground almond flour
• 2 g (or ¼ teaspoon) of salt
• 2.5 g (or 1 teaspoon) of powdered cinnamon
• 110 g (or ½ cup) of unsalted butter
• stevia equivalent of 100 g (or ½ cup) of sugar
  
  
• 675 g (or 1½ lb) of chèvre, a creamy goat cheese
• stevia equivalent of 100 g (or ½ cup) of sugar
• 5 ml (or 1 teaspoon) of pure vanilla extract
• 120 ml (or ½ cup) of lime juice
• 3 eggs

The Method:

1. Set the oven to heat to 175°C (or 350°F).
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, and cinnamon, stirring to distribute the ingredients uniformly throughout.
3. Place the butter in a small bowl and soften it in the microwave.
4. Add the stevia to the butter and stir to distribute it evenly throughout.
5. Mix the butter mixture into the almond flour mixture with a spatula until it has a consistency like a grainy dough.
6. Butter or oil a suitable baking pan, about 25 to 30 cm (or 10 to 12 inches) in diameter.
7. Pat and press the almond flour mixture into the pan.
   
8. Bake the almond flour crust in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove it immediately but leave the oven on.
9. Place the chèvre into a mixing bowl and whisk it until it is light and airy.
10. Add the stevia, vanilla, and lime juice and whisk again until it is homogeneous.
11. Add the eggs and whisk or beat the mixture until the eggs are completely incorporated into the lime-chèvre mixture.
12. Pour the lime-chèvre mixture into the baking pan, on top of the almond flour crust.
13. Place the tart into the oven and bake it at 175°C (or 350°F) for 30 minutes.
    
    
    
    
14. After 30 minutes, remove the tart from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature before storing it in the refrigerator.

The Story:

I found this recipe on the website www.informationaboutdiabetes.com and adapted it for our family's needs and wishes. The taste is tangy and cheesy, with a slightly crumbly crust. The 13-inch diameter disposable tray was a little too shallow and very much too frail for a baked tart. The next time I made it, I baked it in a 10-inch pyrex dish, which was much easier to manage.

Cheeziti

The Ingredients (for 8 to 10 servings):

• 4 shallots, weighing approximately 200 g (or 7 oz)
• 6 to 8 cloves of garlic, weighing approximately 30 g (or 1 oz)
• 0.75 kg (or 1¼ lb) of lean ground turkey meat
• 30 ml (or 2 Tbsp) of Worcestershire sauce
  
• 15 ml (or 1 Tbsp) of dark soy sauce
• One 425-g (or 15-oz) can of thick tomato sauce; preferably Muir Glen Pizza Sauce
• 80 ml (or ⅓ cup) of pesto; preferably home-made to your taste
• optional 450 g (or 1 lb) of prepared meatballs (I used Hawaiian-made Portuguese sausage, casing removed)
• 350 g (or ¾ lb) of lentil flour ziti
• 2 eggs
• 300 g (or 11 oz) of chèvre
• 4 g (or ½ teaspoon) of salt
• 1.5 g (or ½ teaspoon) of  freshly ground black pepper
• 160 g or 5 oz of hard cheese such as Romano (I used Manchego)

The Method:

1. Chop the shallots and garlic finely and sauté them together in olive oil over medium-high heat until they are translucent and no longer smell raw.
2.  Add the ground turkey and continue to sauté until the meat has lost its pinkness.
3. Add the Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce and mix them throughout the meat mixture.
4. Add the tomato sauce and simmer the mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated.
5. Off-heat, add the pesto and, optionally, meatballs or sausage to the tomato sauce, and set aside.
6. Turn on the oven and set it to 190°C (or 375°F).
   
7. In a large mixing bowl, break the eggs and whisk them to break the yolks.
8. Add the salt and pepper and whisk again until the eggs begin to froth slightly.
9. Add the chèvre and mix it into the eggs, breaking it up with a fork if necessary into smallish lumps.
10. Cook the ziti in boiling water for 4 minutes, then immediately rinse them under cold water until they lose their heat.
11. Strain excess water off the ziti and mix them into the egg mixture so that each piece is coated.
12. Lightly brush or spray with oil the inside of a casserole dish.
13. Place half of the tomato sauce mixture in the bottom of the casserole.
14. Place all of the ziti mixture on top of the tomato sauce.
15. Spread the remaining tomato sauce mixture on top of the ziti.
16. Grate the hard cheese and sprinkle it on top of the tomato sauce.
17. Bake the ziti casserole in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese melts and the sauce begins to bubble around the edges.
    

The Story:

We are always trying to find low-carb versions of, or alternatives to pasta. Imagine our curiosity recently when we discovered a new product on the shelves of our local Costco—ziti made from green lentil flour. We bought some immediately and a label comparison showed that the ziti have about 20% less carbohydrate and 33% more protein than our favorite Dreamfields brand whole wheat spaghetti, and about the same amount of fiber. This is the latest dish I made with the ziti, based loosely on a recipe by Ree Drummond on FoodNetwork.com. We find the lentil flour pasta more satisfying—more filling, I suppose—than the equivalent amount of the spaghetti, meaning we take smaller portions. All of this is good, and I am already thinking of variations for the recipe above, as well as other uses for this and hopefully other products made by Tolerant.

A Hearty Vegetable

Menu Note:

• For this dish, I made some substitutions in a recipe I found on foodnetwork.com.

The Ingredients (for 4 to 6 servings):

• 16 bottled artichoke hearts in water
• 30 g (or 2 tablespoons) of unsalted butter
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 6 anchovy fillets
• 200 g (or 1 cup) of  quick-cooking, 1-minute, whole grain rolled oats
• 5 g (or 1 tablespoon) of dried or fresh dill
• 5 g (or ½ tablespoon) of freshly ground black pepper
• 100 ml (or ⅓ cup) of white wine
• 60 g (or 2 oz) of cheese (I used Manchego)
• salt
• cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. Drain the artichoke hearts upside down in a colander for at least 15 minutes.
   
   
   
   
2. Meanwhile, grind together the garlic cloves and the anchovies. If the anchovies are unsalted, add a pinch of salt as you grind.
3. Place the butter and an equal quantity of olive oil into a small pan and place the pan over medium heat.
4. When the butter is melted and starting to foam, add the garlic anchovy mixture to the pan and stir to blend it with the olive oil and butter.
5. When the anchovies are dissolved and the garlic no longer smells raw, add the oats, dill, and pepper, and stir frequently until the oats are slightly toasted.
   
6. Allow the oat mixture to cool.
7. Set the oven to heat to 190°C (or 375°F).
8. Spray or brush a light layer of olive oil over the inside of an oven-proof dish.
9. Place the artichoke hearts, cut side facing up, into the dish.
10. Drizzle approximately 5 ml (or 1 teaspoon) of wine into each artichoke heart.
11. Grate the cheese and, when the oat mixture is cool, mix the cheese into it.
12. Sprinkle the oat mixture across the tops of the artichoke hearts.
13. Place the artichoke hearts in the oven and bake them for 20 minutes.

The Story:

I usually buy artichoke hearts marinated in herbs and olive oil, to put on salads. On one recent shopping trip I mistakenly ended up with plain, watery artichoke hearts. After not remembering to take them back for several weeks I decided to figure out something that would make these little bites a bit more appealing, and found a recipe that got me started. The main substitution I made to the Food Network recipe was whole grain oats for bread crumbs—an idea I got from my daughter. Oats do make a satisfactory crumb topping, although the grains are a bit big. Next time around, I might try to grind the oats to a finer consistency before adding them to the pan. Next time around, I might even buy artichokes in water on purpose.

Pizzus

The Ingredients (for 35 to 40 pieces):

• 2 or 3 zucchini
• 2 cooked sausages (I prefer Silva Zesty Chicken Italian)
• 225 ml (or 1 cup) of pizza sauce
• 115 g (or ¼ lb) of mozzarella cheese
• cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. Wash the zucchini and cut them crosswise into rounds approximately 8 mm (or ¼ in) thick.
2. Peel the outer membrane off the cooked sausages and cut them crosswise into rounds approximately 4 mm (or ⅛ in) thick.
   
3. Grate the mozzarella cheese.
4. Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-high heat and spray or lightly brush it with olive oil.
5. Place the zucchini rounds on the griddle and toast them lightly for about 2 minutes; turn them, and toast them on the other side for the same amount of time. 
6. When the zucchini rounds are still firm but show small browned spots from the griddle, transfer them to a baking dish or foil-covered grill pan.
   
7. Heat a broiler on highest heat.
8. Place one sausage round on top of each zucchini round.
9. Spoon approximately 5 ml (or 1 teaspoon) of pizza sauce onto each sausage round.
10. Spoon approximately 3 g (or 1 teaspoon) of grated mozzarella cheese on top of the pizza sauce.
    
    

Popeye Pancakes

Menu Notes:

• The spinach topping for these pancakes is adapted from a recipe for spanakopeta in Greek Cooking for the Gods by Eva Zane.
• Popeye Pancake is pictured here with Squid Row Top Hit, a fried calamari recipe on this blog, and ranch dressing. We have also enjoyed it as an accompaniment to my chicken Wings That Will Fly on this blog.

The Ingredients (for 4 to 6 servings):

• 1 bunch of scallions, weighing approximately 70 g (or 2½ oz)
• 1 small bunch of parsley (preferably flat-leaf, Italian parsley), weighing approximately 85 g (or 3 oz)
• 680 g (or 1½ lb) of spinach
• 2 g (or 2 tablespoons) of dried, or a small bunch of fresh dill weed
• 4 eggs
• 225 g (or ½ lb) of feta cheese
• cooking grade olive oil
  
• 1 small head of cauliflower, weighing approximately 680 g (or 1½ lb)
• 115 g (or 4 oz) of chèvre, a creamy goat cheese
• 4 eggs
• 4 g (or ½ teaspoon) of salt
• 1.5 g (or ½ teaspoon) of freshly ground black pepper
• 1.5 g (or ½ teaspoon) of dried, powdered garlic
• 35 g (or ⅓ cup) of finely milled almond flour
• cooking grade olive oil
  
  
  
  

The Method:

Spinach topping

1. Wash the scallions and chop them finely.
2. Wash the spinach and dry it as much as possible. If the leaves are large, chop them roughly. (I try to use baby spinach, which does not need to be chopped.)
3. Wash the parsley and chop it finely.
4. Pour enough olive oil into a large saucepan or small soup pot to cover the bottom completely.
5. Over medium-high heat, sauté the scallions until they begin to turn slightly brown.
6. Turn the heat to medium and add the spinach and parsley. Sauté the spinach mixture until all of the leaves are wilted.
7. Turn the heat to medium low and cook the spinach mixture, stirring as often as necessary to prevent it from sticking and burning, until the accumulating liquid has evaporated.
8. Meanwhile, wash fresh dill and chop it finely, discarding the thick stems.
9. Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk them together.
10. Crumble the feta cheese.
11. When the spinach mixture is ready, turn the heat to low, add the dill, and stir.
12. With the heat still on low, add the eggs slowly, stirring constantly. Cook the mixture until the egg is no longer raw.
13. Add the feta and stir gently until the pieces of cheese begin to melt.
14. Take the spinach mixture off the stove and pour it into a colander to drain any remaining liquid.
    

Cauliflower pancakes

1. Trim all of the florets off the cauliflower and discard the thick stems.
   
2. Grind the florets in a food processor or use a fine grater to make small grains of cauliflower, about the size of coarsely milled coffee.
3. Place the cauliflower (approximately 2½ cups) into a mixing bowl. 
4. Add the chèvre and, using a table knife, cut it into the cauliflower meal until it is distributed throughout.
5. In a smaller bowl, place the eggs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Whisk them together thoroughly.
6. Heat a skillet or griddle to medium-low and spray or smear it with olive oil.
7. Mix together the cauliflower meal, almond flour, and egg mixture.
8. Spoon approximately 60 ml (or ¼ cup) amounts onto the griddle and flatten them gently into pancakes with a diameter of approximately 10 to 12 mm (or 4 to 5 in).
   
9. Set a timer for 4 minutes. 
10. After 4 minutes, test the pancakes to see if they have formed a firm, toasty base. If not, leave them one minute longer on the griddle.
11. When the pancakes are cooked on one side, turn them, and cook for the same amount of time on the other side.
12. Keep pancakes warm in a low-temperature oven.
    

Green, Eggs, No-Ham Breakfast

Menu Note:

• This is my version of a recipe published by Katie (the Wellness Mama) on her blog.

The Ingredients (for two servings):

• 1 large avocado
• 2 eggs
• 1 scallion
• 40 g (or 1½ oz) of feta cheese
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. Turn on the oven to 175°C (or 350°F).
2. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise and remove the seed.
3. Line a small baking sheet or pie pan with aluminum foil or parchment
4. Place the two avocado halves, face-up, on the foil or parchment.
5. Crack an egg into a small bowl and estimate whether it will fit in the seed cavity of the avocado. If not, enlarge the cavity by scooping out some of the flesh with a spoon. 
6. Pour the egg into the avocado half.
7. Repeat steps 4 and 5 with the other egg.
8. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the egg and exposed avocado
   
9. Place the avocado halves into the oven and bake until the whites are just set. This may be from 15 to 20 minutes. (In my toaster oven, which I have never calibrated for temperature, it takes 20 minutes for a very large avocado.)
10. In the meantime, chop the scallion finely and crumble the feta.
11. When the egg whites are done, sprinkle the feta and then the scallion rounds over the eggs and exposed avocado.
    

A Pair of Pizzas

Menu Notes:

• After researching low-carb options for pizza crust, I based this recipe on a New York Times article on farinata (Italian for 'made of flour'). The Tuscan cecina ('made of chickpeas') is a more accurate description.
• To make a deep-dish pizza, use the whole of the farinata batter for one pizza. After step 5, below, heat a large cast iron skillet on the stove top, spray or smear it with olive oil, and pour part of the batter in, swirling it around and up the sides. Return the skillet to the stove top for a few minutes until it sets, then repeat the pouring, swirling, and reheating until you have a thick enough crust. Then continue with step 11 et seq.

The Ingredients (for 2 pizzas, or 4 to 8 servings):

• 170 g (or 2 cups) of finely ground chick pea (garbanzo bean) flour
• 8 g (or 1 teaspoon) of salt
• 3 g (or 1 teaspoon) of freshly ground black pepper
• cooking grade olive oil

• 140 g (or 5 oz) of chèvre, a creamy goat cheese
• 170 g (or 6 oz) of sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
• 110 g (or 4 oz) of sausage (I used a neighbor's home-made wild boar Portuguese sausage)

• 75 ml (or ⅓ cup) of pizza sauce
• 140 g (or 5 oz) of Manchego cheese or the equivalent
• 85 g (or 3 oz) of salami or pepperoni
• 1 can of anchovies, approximately 10 fillets
• 12 kalamata-style cured, pitted olives

• 1 bell pepper
• 6 scallions
• 2 sprigs of basil

The Method:

1. At least 2 hours before serving the pizzas, place the chick pea flour into a mixing bowl.
2. Add salt and pepper and stir to distribute evenly.
   
3. Into the flour mixture, trickle 470 ml (or 2 cups) of tepid water, while whisking to make sure that no lumps form in the batter.
4. Add 30 ml (or 2 tablespoons) of olive oil and whisk briefly to distribute it evenly. There will be about 700 ml (or 3 cups) of batter.
5. Allow the batter to rest for at least one hour at room temperature and up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
6. Meanwhile, about half an hour before you want to serve the pizzas, prepare the toppings. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes, sausage, salami, olives, bell pepper, and scallions into manageable pieces. Grate the Manchego cheese.
7. Set the oven to 220°C (or 425°F).
8. Heat an ovenproof pizza pan or skillet measuring approximately 25 cm (or 10 in) across the bottom. Either place it in the oven or heat it gently on top of the stove.
9. When the oven temperature is reached, add 15 ml (or 1 tablespoon) of olive oil to the pan and swirl or spread it evenly across the bottom and part way up the sides of the pan.
10. Pour half of the batter into the pan and place it immediately in the oven.
11. Bake the batter for 15 minutes, or until the edges and bottom of the crust are a light, toasty brown and the top is dry, slightly spongy. The crust may have small, fine cracks across the top.
12. Repeat steps 9 through 11 with the rest of the batter. If it is necessary to use the same pan twice, gently slide the first crust onto a baking sheet and set it aside while the second is being baked.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

Zucch it Up

Menu Notes:

• I got this idea from a recipe on Laura Powell's web site, and added a little more flavor and variety.
• The motivation for making a large batch was to take something to a potluck, to make sure that my husband could have something tasty and nourishing to eat.

 The Ingredients (for 50 rolls):

• 6 zucchini, each about 20 cm (or 8 in) long
• lemon pepper seasoning
• cooking grade olive oil
• 225 g (or 8 oz) of chèvre (preferably) or any other creamy cheese
• suggested fillings: thinly sliced smoked salmon, thinly sliced smoked turkey, tapenade (described in this blog)
  

 The Method:

1. Wash the zucchini, trim off the tops and bottoms, and slice them as thinly as possible lengthwise (I use a mandoline slicer).
2. Discard the outside slices that are all skin.
3. Heat a grill  until it radiates medium heat, and maintain it at that temperature.
4. While the grill is warming, lay the zucchini slices flat on a board and sprinkle them with lemon pepper on one side only.
5. When the grill is ready, spray or brush olive oil on it, then lay the zucchini, seasoned side down, across the ridges.
6. When the slices begin to show faint brown lines over the grill ridges, turn them over with a long spatula and cook the other side for approximately the same amount of time.
7. Remove cooked slices onto paper towels to cool. The seasoned side of each slice will be uppermost.

  
8. When all the zucchini slices are cooked and cooled, divide them into three approximately equal groups to make the three differently filled rolls.
9. On one third of the slices, place a strip of smoked turkey meat flush with one end of the slice. Then place a small spoonful of chèvre on top of it.
10. On one third of the slices, place a small spoonful of chèvre at one end. Then place a sliver of smoked salmon on top of it.
11. On one third of the slices, place a small spoonful of chèvre at one end. Then place an equal or smaller amount of tapenade on top of it.
12. Roll up each zucchini slice, starting at the end where the chèvre is, and secure the roll with a cocktail toothpick.
13. Stand the rolls on end and refrigerate them for at least half an hour before serving them.