Grilled Steak, Yellow Cheddar Squash Casserole & Easy Coleslaw

This evening I decided to take a chance and grill steak in between forecasted rainstorms and I lucked out! I planned to grill them last night but the weather didn't cooperate. I also made a half-recipe of my Yellow Cheddar Squash Casserole. I cooked it in a quiche dish that is about 1-inch deep. It turned out great and only took about 25 minutes to cook since it was so shallow. I sautéed some red peppers and Vidalia onions to go with my steak and also made my Easy Coleslaw. It was an easy meal to put together and a perfect Sunday summer meal. I snapped a few photos below. The recipes for my squash casserole and coleslaw can be found by clicking the bolded name of the dish in this paragraph above.

       

Pan Seared Halibut in Brown Butter & Creamed Dijon Spinach

This evening I was looking forward to preparing the remaining 3 fillets of fresh Wild Pacific Halibut. First of all, I really, REALLY love halibut; second of all, it only took 6 minutes to cook (how great is that)! I wanted to change it up a bit from last night so I kept the halibut very simply. I heated 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet until it just began to brown (it was deep golden). I added the 3 fillets that had been seasoned with a pinch of sea salt and few grinds of black pepper and cooked them over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, and then flipped them over and cooked for an additional 3 minutes before transferring them to a plate and covering for about 3 minutes to sit.

Before I cooked the halibut, I prepared the most delicious and easy Creamed Dijon Spinach with the pound of organic baby spinach I had in the fridge (I only cooked about 10 ounces of it). It served as both a delicious side dish to our halibut as well as an amazing creamy Dijon sauce for the fish. The best part is that it required no flour to thicken...only creamed cheese. I used the creamed spinach as a base to place the halibut atop of and then added another spoon of it over the fish, too. You'd be amazed at how great cream cheese substitutes for flour in creamy sauces. I included the easy peasy recipe for the Creamed Dijon Spinach below. Enjoy!

Creamed Dijon Spinach

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
3 ounces brick style cream cheese
3/4 cup of half-n-half, cream or milk
Pinch of salt, to taste
Few generous grinds of black pepper, to taste
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
Dash of garlic powder
1 rounded tablespoon Dijon Mustard (add more if desired)
10 ounces of lightly sautéed baby spinach

Directions:

In a small saucepan over low heat, add butter and cream cheese to soften and melt, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once it has softened, whisk it together until smooth; add milk or cream, whisking to blend. Increase heat to low-medium until sauce is hot, then turn back to low. Add salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and Dijon mustard. Whisk together over low heat and heat until hot. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired; add more milk for a thinner sauce or more mustard for a stronger mustard flavor. Stir spinach into sauce and heat through.

*Note: If desired increase amount of spinach to 16 ounces.

        

Pan Seared Wild Pacific Halibut & Oven Fried Vidalia Onion Rings

This evening I prepared the beautiful piece of wild Pacific halibut that I picked up at Costco on Saturday. I went there looking for wild Copper River Salmon but sadly, they had not received a shipment of it yet. I'm hoping they will soon! However, I was excited because they had 3 packages with single large halibut fillets. I picked up the largest 2-pound package and cut it into 6 nice sized fillets. I prepared 3 tonight (the third one is for tomorrow's lunch for me). I kept it simple and pan seared it in butter (with a bit of salt and pepper for seasoning) and fresh lemon juice near the end of cooking. You can find the easy recipe for the pan seared halibut here (it only takes about 7 minutes total, depending on thickness) ---> Pan Seared Wild Halibut.

To go along with our halibut, I made French style green beans and my Oven Fried Onion Rings made with sliced Vidalia onions. I doubled my recipe and made 2 large baking sheets of onion rings; one for tonight and I didn't brown the 2nd tray of onion rings as much so I could just pop the tray of them in the oven to heat to go with tomorrow's dinner. I make a seasoned "breading" using almond flour and a few spices and dip them in an egg/cream wash before coating. This evening I used buttermilk (because I had it on hand) in place of the cream or milk and it made a much thicker "egg wash" that clinged a bit better to the onion rings. They are so delicious...even hubby who isn't an onion lover will eat these. Vidalia's are a sweet onion grown in Vidalia, Georgia. It was a delicious meal and I realized how much I've missed FRESH (not frozen) wild fish. My two favorites are Copper River Salmon (King, Sockeye and Coho) and wild Alaskan and Pacific halibut. Even Spike, our Bichon loves it! He kept sneaking tastes from my plate. I've copied and pasted my recipe for the Oven Fried Onion Rings below. Enjoy!

Oven Baked Onion Rings

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium to large sweet onion, sliced into 1/4" rings (I used Vidalia)

1 or 2 eggs

3-4 Tablespoons half-n-half (or cream, buttermilk or almond milk)

1/2 cup (slightly heaped) almond flour

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika (or enough to give color to the almond flour coating)

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil (I used Reynold's non-stick foil) or you can use parchment paper; brush lightly with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil (no need to use your good Extra Virgin olive oil; I used my light "non-virgin" olive oil for this).  In a small bowl, beat egg and half and half together; season with salt and pepper to taste; add onion rings to the egg mixture, toss and let sit to soak while you make the coating/breading.

In a shallow bowl or plate, mix almond flour, salt and pepper to taste, onion powder, paprika and mix well with a whisk to remove any lumps. 

Take onion rings out, one or two at a time and place in the flour mixture, pressing and turning over with a fork until well coated on both sides.  Place on lightly oiled foil covered baking sheet in a single layer, not touching each other.  Place in oven and bake 7-8 minutes; flip and continue baking another 7-8 minutes or until golden brown and done.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with salt, if desired.

        

Thanksgiving Recipes: 12 Breakfast Ideas, 12 Side Dish Ideas, and 16 Dessert Ideas

Well, it's that time of year again for sharing my Thanksgiving recipes. I'm a bit late this year because things have been a little crazy around here. This will be my 6th low carb, wheat free Thanksgiving. It's hard to believe. It just seems so "normal" now that I don't stress about it or worry about what to make since I've recreated so many of my favorite recipes over these last 6 years. I still make a few things for the family that I don't eat but I really don't mind at all because I have plenty of dishes to choose from. If this is your first wheat free Thanksgiving, you might feel like you will never be able to eat your old favorites again...trust me, you will. There are so many options and choices available and so many wheat free recipe conversions of your old favorites. I'm sharing some of my favorites that I have made and enjoyed over these past 6 years.

I've attached 3 different collages of recipes below; 12 Thanksgiving Breakfast Ideas, 12 Thanksgiving Side Dish Ideas, and 16 Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas. To get to the page where you can have access to the recipes via links under each individual enlarged photo...simply click on the 3 headings over each collage below. That will take you to the blog page where you can scroll through enlarged photos of each dish with a link in the caption underneath each photo to that particular recipe. Certainly you should be able to find something you'd like to try or something you worried you would never be able to enjoy again. I hope you find some new favorites to put on your Thanksgiving table this year. These recipes also work for Christmas dinner, too. From my table to yours....Enjoy!

12 Thanksgiving Breakfast Ideas

12 Thanksgiving Side Dish Ideas

16 Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas

         

Grilled Chipotle-Tangerine Thighs and Roasted Vegetable Medley

Last night I made a delicious and oh so simple meal that we enjoyed again tonight. I grilled boneless chicken thighs that I coated in a large pot with olive oil, McCormick's Grill Mates Chipotle & Roasted Garlic Seasoning, and the zest and juice of a tangerine. I grilled them on high for 5 minutes on each side (about 400-425 degrees F), then moved them to a platter and covered with foil and let them sit for about 5 to 10 minutes. They were delicious and the subtle undertone of tangerine was a bit more prominent when we ate the leftovers this evening. The zest is what gives it the most flavor but it's still delicate and if you wanted it to be stronger you could simply add more tangerine zest.

Both hubby and my favorite part of the meal last night was the Roasted Vegetable Medley that I made to go with our grilled chicken. I stopped at Sprouts Farmers Market on my way home last night and picked up a bag of fresh brussels sprouts (I only used 1 pound of the 3 pounds that I bought), a small bunch of organic rainbow carrots (5 to 6 slim carrots that were white, yellow, purple and orange), and a small head of fresh cauliflower. I halved the sprouts, sliced the carrots diagonally on the thin side and cut the head of cauliflower up into florets. I placed everything in a big bowl and coated them with olive oil and generously seasoned them with sea salt and black pepper...that's it. I roasted them for about 30 minutes and they were absolutely awesome...not just good but amazing. We both agreed we could literally have made a meal on just the veggies. I made a big huge pan of veggies so we enjoyed them again this evening. I still have just enough food left for one more meal. I own probably 4 or 5 different roasting pans and I purposely chose my Circulon roasting pan because it has a textured and ribbed bottom that I believe help the veggies brown even better, but any roasting pan will do. I just think that veggies taste so much better when cooked with little or no water (roasted, sautéed or steamed). I snapped a few photos below and included the easy peasy recipe for my Roasted Vegetable Medley. You can swap out and use whatever veggies you like. Enjoy!

Roasted Vegetable Medley
6 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound of fresh brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
3 to 4 small to medium carrots
1 small head of cauliflower, trimmed, cored and broken into florets
1/4 cup olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl or pot, add vegetables, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Spread in a single layer in a large nonstick roasting pan. Place in oven to roast for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees, stir vegetables and continue roasting at 400 degrees F for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until they have begun to brown and caramelize.

           

Marinated Grilled Chicken w/ Brussels, Bacon & Onions

This evening was another not-too-hot and not-too-humid evening. Another perfect night to grill dinner. I marinated boneless chicken breasts that I pounded to less than 1/2" thick to even out their thickness and then marinated them for a couple of hours in a delicious new dressing/marinade that I purchased at The Fresh Market. It was a Cracked Black Pepper Dressing/Marinade made by Tessemae's and it was delicious. I added a pinch of sea salt and crushed a teaspoon of dried rosemary and placed everything in a large Ziploc bag for 2 hours. I grilled it for about 5 to 6 minutes per side over a hot grill (about 400 degrees F). 

I quartered, halved and trimmed a 2-pound bag of Green Giant fresh brussels sprouts that I picked up at Costco and prepared them with bacon and Vidalia onions on the stove top and browned everything in a bit of butter so they would be just like roasted sprouts without heating up the kitchen with a hot oven. I used my nonstick wok and they turned out great! I prefer using my wok to a skillet because of its depth, and there isn't any splattering on my stove. I included the easy peasy recipe for my Brussels, Bacon & Onions below as well as a few photos. Enjoy!

Brussels, Bacon & Onions

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds of fresh brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved or quartered
1/2 of a small Vidalia onion, diced
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
4 - 5 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
Sea Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Place brussels sprouts in a 2-quart microwave safe, covered casserole dish along with 1/2 cup water. Cover and steam in the microwave on high for 2 minutes to soften slightly. While sprouts are steaming, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick wok or skillet; add onions and cook until translucent and beginning to brown and caramelize. Drain sprouts well. Add to skillet with onions and increase heat to medium-high. Add butter and stir-fry uncovered for a few minutes until sprouts begin to brown. Cover and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes until desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add crumbled cooked bacon and cook an additional minute.

        

Spicy Grilled Chicken Thighs w/ Stir-Fry Veggie Cauli Fried Rice

This evening I was so excited to be able to grill because it wasn't raining for a change or it wasn't so miserably hot and humid like it has been recently. I love to grill boneless skinless chicken thighs on the grill. I simply spritz both sides with olive oil spray and season them with one of McCormick's Grill Mates Seasoning. Tonight I used their Spicy Montreal Seasoning. I grilled them about 4 to 5 minutes per side at about 400 degrees and then turned the grill off and let them "bake" in the covered grill for another few minutes with the flames off.

To go along with our chicken, I wanted to make Stir-Fry Veggie Cauli Fried Rice (cauli-rice) and try a package of frozen Cascadian's Organic Cauliflower Rice that I picked up at Costco. You can rice cauliflower yourself in a food processor or blender but this was super convenient and quick. It took about 10-12 minutes to prepare and cook and it was delicious along with our chicken. I included a few photos below and the easy peasy recipe as well. Enjoy!

Stir-Fry Veggie Cauli-Rice

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 sliced green spring onions, divided
1 12-ounce bag of frozen cauliflower rice (I used Cascadian organic)
1 cup lightly steamed broccoli florets
1 small grated organic carrot
1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a nonstick wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute half of the onions for 2 to 3 minutes. Add cauliflower rice, stir and cover pan. Continue to cook over medium-high heat for approximately 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and continue stir-frying for about 3 minutes. Add steamed broccoli, grated carrots and tomatoes. Stir fry for an additional 2 minutes until heated through. Add butter and season with salt and pepper; stir. 

        

Marinated Grilled Chicken and Yellow Cheddar Squash Casserole

This morning we enjoyed the cool morning temps and sat out and had breakfast on the porch. It might be one of the last cool mornings because temps are heading upward over the next couple of days. We ran errands and then just relaxed and watched movies this afternoon. This evening I grilled boneless chicken breasts that I marinated in a blend of olive oil, vinegar, Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper that I simply whisked together. I marinated the chicken in a Ziploc bag for a few hours (it's even better if you can marinate it longer). I grilled it over medium-high heat (about 400 to 425 degrees) for about 6 to 7 minutes per side, but the cooking time depends on the thickness of your chicken. I like to use a rolling pin and beat the chicken breasts while in the Ziploc bag (before adding marinade) so they are even in thickness. They turned out juicy and flavorful.

To go with our grilled chicken, I made my favorite Yellow Cheddar Squash Casserole. It's the perfect side dish for this time of year when squash becomes more plentiful. It truly is one of my favorites and my entire family loves it. The recipe is linked in the red colored letters in the first sentence of this paragraph. If you haven't tried it before, this one is worth trying. I have plenty left to use over the next couple of days and it reheats nicely. I snapped a couple photos below. Enjoy!

          

Stove-Top Skillet Cheesy Squash Casserole - Low Carb

Yesterday was a busy day here. We're still getting situated in the new house and working on the final unpacking. We're beginning to hang pictures and decorate as well. I finally can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. I'm still waiting for one more appliance to arrive...my fridge. It's supposed to come this week...but I'll believe it when I see it! I ordered it 1 month before we moved in so it's been over 2 months now.

I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to the coming fall weeks when I can sit back and enjoy the house and start my fall baking. I'm dreaming of pumpkin, cranberries and the smell of cinnamon in the crisp cool fall air. Meanwhile, yesterday was yet another unbearably hot day here in the Atlanta area. It was 95 degrees before noon; I'm sick of the summer weather and it's been an unseasonably hot summer to boot. Hubby and I began our Saturday morning yesterday with going to get our address changed on our driver's licenses. We got there at 8:00 (they opened at 7:30) and we were already number 270 and 271 in line!!! We stood and waited for over 1-1/2 hours to do what took less than 2 minutes to do when we finally got our turn. Ugh...the joys of moving!

I decided to keep dinner simple and cool. I made a very simple chicken salad (chicken, a tiny bit of onion, celery, diced pickles and mayo). I've been craving my Yellow Cheddar Squash Casserole recently but did not want to add any additional heat to my kitchen at the end of a hot and exhausting day. I decided to experiment a bit with making a "stove top skillet version" of my cheesy squash casserole. It turned out great. Now, I'll be honest...it wasn't as pretty as the golden brown oven version, but it was every bit as delicious. If you wanted to brown the top a bit after cooking, place skillet (ovenproof skillet only) under the broiler for a few minutes until browned. I tweaked the casserole recipe a little by bumping up the amount of squash and slightly reducing the liquid part since it was going to cook covered in a skillet on the stove instead of uncovered in a dry hot oven. I snapped a few photos of my Stove-Top Skillet Cheesy Squash Casserole and included the easy peasy recipe for it below as well. It only took about 20-25 minutes to cook and it kept my kitchen much cooler than turning the oven on would have. Enjoy!

Ready to cover and cook on the stove

Cooking for 20-25 minutes

Ready to serve

Stove-Top Skillet Cheesy Squash Casserole

Ingredients:

8 cups yellow squash, sliced

1/2 cup onion, diced

4 tablespoons butter, divided

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup milk or cream

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (powdery style)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste

Dash cayenne pepper, optional

1 cup blanched almond flour, divided

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Paprika, optional

Directions:

Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons butter in a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Saute squash and onions (do not add any water).  Cook until tender (covering pan while cooking hastens cooking time). Uncover skillet and increase heat to high to cook off any remaining liquid in bottom of pan (or drain off any remaining liquid). Remove skillet from heat.

In a medium bowl or glass measuring cup, beat eggs, milk, and Parmesan. Stir in salt, pepper, and optional cayenne. Set aside.

Add 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup almond flour to skillet of cooked squash, mixing until evenly distributed. Pour egg and milk mixture over squash, combining well. 

In a separate small bowl, place remaining 1/2 cup of almond flour and remaining tablespoon of butter. Cut butter into the almond flour with a pastry/dough blender or fork until crumbly (like you do when making a topping for a fruit crisp). Add remaining 1 cup of cheddar and cut into flour and butter mixture with dough blender until coarse and crumbly. Top squash with crumbly mixture; sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Cover skillet and cook on stove top over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes, or until casserole is set and cooked through (no jiggling when skillet is gently shaken). 

        

12 Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes - Low Carb, Gluten Free & No Sugar Added

As promised, today I'm sharing 12 of my favorite side dishes, all of which would be perfect for Thanksgiving dinner. The collection includes everything from Stuffing to Green Bean Casserole, to Southern Buttermilk Biscuits, "Cornbread"...and many more. I actually made a huge casserole of my Yellow Cheddar Squash Casserole today to take to work for our Thanksgiving Luncheon. Everyone LOVED it (and none of them are grain/gluten free)! I've brought it to our holiday lunch for the past 3 years and get requests for it now. So,, while these recipes may be grain and gluten free, they are recipes that can be enjoyed by EVERYONE!

All of these recipes are my favorites which is why I chose these to share. I have many other side dish recipes but thought these would be the best for Thanksgiving. I have a couple of other collections I'm working on for this week as well but thought I'd start with side dishes first. Beneath the collage of photos below is an individual larger photo of each of them, along with the name of each recipe underneath. If you click on the name of the recipe, it will take you to the recipe. I hope you find a few ideas to try out. Stay tuned because I have new collections coming for the next few days as well as a NEW recipe for later in the week. Enjoy!

A Collection of 12 Side Dish Ideas for Thanksgiving

***********

Simply Click on the Recpe Title Beneath Each Photo Below to Get to the Recipe

Herbed Grain Free Stuffing

Rich & Thick Parmesan Cauliflower Mash

      Yellow Cheddar Squash Casserole

Green Bean Casserole - Low Carb

Roasted Acorn Squash w/ Butter, Brown Sugar & Pecans

Cranberry Orange Coconut Sauce

   Cheddar Green Chile "Cornbread"

Southern Style Buttermilk Biscuits

Baked Cauli-roni & Cheese

   White Cheddar Cauliflower Bake

  Brown Buttered Brussels Sprouts & Pecans

Golden Cheddar Broccoli Pie