Low Carb or GF Archives - Page 28 of 41

Brussels, Bacon, Balsamic

Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Bacon Shards, 18-Year Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

Thinking about my upcoming Thanksgiving menu, wondering if my nephews would try the Brussels sprouts this time around. Can Aunt GeeGee sell one of America’s most-disliked vegetables to 11 & 13-year-old boys?

Hmmm…maybe bacon would help, but not some puny bacon bits. This would have to be real bacon, the thick smoky meaty kind from my butcher, not the pre-packaged grocery store variety. And it would have to be substantial. Bacon shards. And I will drizzle it with the most heavenly vinegar, a vinegar older than both of them…rich and creamy, sweet and subtly sour, aged 18 years!

Stone at 6-years-old — Stone at 6-Years-Old

Who am I kidding? I know what their plates will look like…turkey, their grandma’s mashed potatoes, gravy, and shards of bacon (no Brussels sprouts in sight). Maybe I can get them to try my pumpkin risotto, it’s full of cheese after all.

Brussels, Bacon, Balsamic Recipe

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Grilled Eggplant Pizza with Low-Carb Cauliflower Crust

Grilled Eggplant Pizza with Cauliflower Crust
with
Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Garlic, Basil, Mint, Red Chile Flakes, Mozzarella

OK Low-Carb, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian friends – this pizza is for you! Smoky grilled eggplant tops a pizza crust made of cauliflower. Grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, garlic, basil, and mint are tossed with a bit of olive oil, salt and red chile flakes then loaded on top of the eggplant. Sprinkled with shredded mozzarella then popped in the oven until everything is nice and hot – this pizza will delight everyone, but especially those who want to replace the dough. Cauliflower naturally has lower carbohydrates, higher fiber, and more nutrients than traditional flour-based pizza dough. This is a true veggie pizza.

How to Make a Cauliflower Pizza Crust

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Korean BBQ Chicken, Lettuce Cups, White Seaweed Salad

Spicy Korean BBQ Chicken with Iceberg Lettuce Cups
garnished with
White Seaweed Salad, Sliced Scallion & Chiffonade of Perilla

Warning: This is not your ordinary barbecued chicken. Here, grilled Korean-style spicy smoky chicken with a hint of sweetness (dak bulgogi) is nestled in refreshingly crisp iceberg lettuce cups, topped with a white seaweed salad dressed with garlicky mayonnaise and sesame seeds, then finished with slices of scallion and herbaceous ribbons of perilla.

The chicken marinade’s main ingredient is gochujang – a Korean red chili paste with sweet heat and a fermented umami richness. It is definitely spicy – but also has a balanced fruitiness, slight smokiness and depth of flavor from the sun-dried Korean red peppers.

The chicken is served in “under-appreciated” iceberg lettuce cups. Iceberg is the perfect vehicle for transporting the chicken – the leaves are pliable, just the right size, with a beautiful pale green color, and adequate crunch. My unique white seaweed salad is made of crunchy springy kelp noodles. Perilla (wild sesame leaf) is sliced into thin ribbons and sprinkled over the chicken, adding a complex herby flavor. It’s all very fresh and summery. Low-carb too.

Korean BBQ Chicken, Lettuce Cups Recipe

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Unique Korean Banchan: A White Seaweed Salad

White Seaweed Salad
Garlic Mayonnaise, Toasted Sesame Seeds, Sea Salt

White seaweed salad makes a unique sea vegetable banchan (side dish). Seaweed “noodles,” also called kelp noodles, are made from kelp, water, and sodium alginate. Sodium alginate is extracted from the cell wall of brown seaweed. It is used as a stabilizer, thickener, and emulsifier in many common foods. In modernist cuisine it is used as the cold gelling agent to form spheres that have a thin membrane and are filled with a flavored liquid – a technique called spherification, pioneered back in 2003 by Chef Ferran Adrià at El Bulli.

Kelp noodles are fat-free, gluten-free, and low in carbohydrates and calories, and rich in oceanic trace minerals. They have a neutral taste and surprisingly crunchy texture with a curious elasticity. Here, the salad is made with minimal preparation – the noodles are served raw, simply rinsed and coated with a garlicky mayonnaise, toasted sesame seeds and sea salt. The result is an unusual side dish that pairs especially well with spicy Korean dishes.

White Seaweed Salad Recipe

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Filet Mignon à la Nancy Silverton

Filet Mignon, Horseradish-Olive Tapenade
Cannellini Beans, Wilted Spinach & Arugula, Arugula Flowers

Welcome back to the Borage & Basil Bistro, this summer’s virtual restaurant where all the menu items feature fresh snipped herbs, exotic ripe fruits, and/or edible flowers from our garden.

Tonight’s dinner special is inspired by Chef Nancy Silverton, adapted from a recipe she shares in A Twist of The Wrist, a terrific book of quick flavorful meals. It’s a version of a meat lover’s entree that had been popular for years at Campanile – a truly seminal restaurant – one that influenced the LA dining scene with its farmers market-driven fare spanning over two decades…

The beauty of this dish is that it marries the flavors in one pan – our filet mignon is seared – then the beans are heated in the beef juices, greens added at the end to wilt. Silverton’s suggestion of jarred black olive tapenade paired perfectly with the filet, but here at Borage & Basil, we swirl in some prepared horseradish, which gives the dish an extra kick. Our arugula is flowering, so to finish the plate, the attractive tasty arugula blossoms are scattered about. Arugula flowers taste much like the leaves, but with a delicate crepe paper-like texture.

Borage & Basil’s centerpieces come from the garden as well. Tonight the tables are adorned with a casual bouquet of roses, fennel flowers, yarrow, and Mexican heather.

Beef Filet, Horseradish-Olive Tapenade Recipe

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