Cheesy Beef & Cabbage Bake - Low Carb

This evening I made a simple meal that turned out great. It's another ridiculously easy meal using ingredients that are easy to find anywhere and also simple to make. I made a Cheesy Beef & Cabbage Bake. It begins in a large skillet and ends in a casserole dish, although if you wanted to, you could prepare it in a large oven safe skillet and just pop it into the oven to finish up.

I browned ground beef and onions in a bit of butter and then added a bag of coleslaw mix and cooked it down, seasoned it with salt and pepper, added a bit more butter and then stirred in about a cup of diced fresh tomatoes then moved it over to a casserole dish, topped it with cheese and baked it for about 15 minutes and ran under the broiler for a few more until the cheese was melted and bubbly. I happened to have several types of sliced cheese that I used a medley of (Swiss, Cheddar, Pepper Jack, and Colby Jack) but you can keep it simple and top it with shredded cheese or whatever you have on hand. That's it. It turned out delicious and uses very few ingredients. I snapped a few photos below and included the easy peasy cheesy recipe. Enjoy!

Cheesy Beef & Cabbage Bake

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef (I used ground sirloin)
1 small onion, diced
16-ounce bag of coleslaw mix
1/4 cup water
3 to 4 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup diced tomatoes (fresh or drained canned tomatoes)
8 ounces shredded or sliced cheese (Cheddar, Pepper Jack, Swiss, etc.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" oblong  or oval casserole dish and set aside.

In a large skillet, brown ground beef and onion in 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add coleslaw mix and 1/4 cup water; cover skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until cabbage is tender-crisp or desired consistency, Uncover and add butter; season with salt and pepper. Stir in diced tomatoes and cook uncovered for another 5 minutes. Transfer beef and cabbage mixture to prepared casserole dish. Top with cheese and bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. If desired, run under the broiler for a few minutes until cheese is bubbly. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving to allow cheese to set.

        

Blackberry Crumble - Low Carb & Sugar Free

This evening I wanted to make a quick and easy dessert using the beautiful fresh blackberries I had. I decided to make Blackberry Crumble. It turned out absolutely delicious and the topping was awesome. A crumble is not really a crisp or a cobbler, but somewhere in between. This crumble uses very few ingredients and only takes a few minutes to put together and pop into the oven. I served mine warm topped with whipped cream but it would also be delicious with sugar free vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, too. The topping is similar to cookie dough when mixed together and is dropped on top by rubbing between your fingers and dropping in little loose clumps on top of the berries, then baked. This method produces crispy chunks of a pastry like textured topping when baked. I baked mine at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes and then reduced the heat to 325 degrees and baked an additional 10 minutes so it wouldn't brown too much (check for browning after about 20 minutes so it doesn't burn). I snapped some photos below and included the easy peasy recipe. You could swap out the blackberries for other berries or use a combination of berries if you'd like. I did not sweeten the berries, only the topping. If you like a sweeter crumble, you can add a little sweetener to the berries if you want. Enjoy!

Ready for the oven

Fresh out of the oven

Blackberry Crumble - Low Carb & Sugar Free

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh blackberries
1 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 cup Swerve sweetener (or preferred granular sweetener)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons chilled butter, diced
1 egg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Divide blackberries and place in 4 lightly greased 8-ounce sized ramekins or a lightly greased 11" x 7" casserole dish.

Using a pastry/dough cutter, in a medium bowl, cut flour, sweetener, cinnamon, butter and egg until crumbly and combined (it will have a similar consistency to cookie dough). Using hands, drop and scatter bits and clumps of dough (rubbing between fingers) on top of blackberries. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly (reduce heat to 325 degrees if it begins to brown too quickly). Let stand about 15 minutes. Serve warm topped with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, if desired. Refrigerate any remaining leftovers.

            

Easy Grilled Steaks Topped w/ Kerrygold Butter & Mushrooms

This evening we grilled steaks for dinner. When we were shopping at Costco this afternoon, I initially picked up a package of tenderloin steaks (filet mignon) and then remembered that not long ago I tried a different cut of steak that I found there that was as good, if not better, than filet mignon and they cost half the price per pound. That's a win/win in my book! The steaks I prepared this evening are Beef Loin Top Sirloin Cap Steaks (it's a mouthful, I know). They are sometimes referred to as Coulotte Steaks. It's a fairly lean cut of steak but extremely tender, moist and flavorful. They have the tenderness of filet mignon and the flavor of sirloin...a match made in heaven! At my Costco, they are $7.39/lb which is half the cost of their filet mignon and I actually prefer these. I've used this steak to make Beef Kebabs with too and they work perfectly. If you can't find this particular cut, you can use whatever your favorite cut of steak is.

I kept things simple and seasoned the steaks with McCormick's Chipotle & Garlic Seasoning and right before plating the steaks, I added a pat of Kerrygold butter to melt over top. It adds a wonderful flavor to them. I also topped them with thickly sliced fresh mushrooms sauteed in a bit of butter. I served steamed fresh broccoli and Parmesan Biscuits alongside our meal (the guys also had baked potatoes with theirs). It's amazing how something so simple can taste so good. I snapped a photo below and included the easy peasy recipe. Enjoy!

Easy Grilled Steaks Topped w/ Butter

Ingredients:

4 6 to 8-ounce steaks (filet mignon, sirloin, or beef loin top sirloin cap)
Seasoning, to taste (McCormick's Grill Mates Steak Seasoning; Chipotle & Garlic Seasoning; or salt and pepper)
4 tablespoons butter
Mushrooms cooked in butter, optional

Directions:

Preheat grill to 400-450 degrees. Season both sides of steak with seasoning or salt and pepper, to taste. Place on hot grill; cover grill and cook about 2 minutes, then turn half turn (on same side) and cook an additional 2 minutes. Turn steaks and repeat on the other side for 4 minutes or until desired doneness. Transfer to a platter and cover with foil and allow to sit about 10 minutes to help retain juices. When plating steaks, place a pat of butter on top of each. Top with cooked mushrooms, if desired.

      

Scrambled Pimento Cheese Eggs & Parmesan Biscuits - A Cheesy Breakfast

Happy Saturday! This morning we awoke to a bright, sunny beautiful morning. Last night both hubby and I fell asleep without eating dinner. We almost never do that...but we both just crashed. This morning we both woke up in the mood for a good breakfast. One of his favorite things to eat is "pimento cheese" (it's a Southern thing but has grown on me over the years). I've been planning to make it for a while now. I bought a big wedge of hoop cheese (the big wheel of yellow cheese that comes encased in red wax and is sold in wedges) and a big brick of my favorite Cabot Classic Vermont White Cheddar Cheese (it comes encased in a black wax covering). I find both of these cheeses at Costco. I've got the pimentos, too, and plan to make it very soon. Homemade is much better. Until I get around to making it, I decided that making Scrambled Pimento Cheese Eggs would suffice for now instead. They were simple to make and I captured the flavors of pimento cheese without having to actually make it. I scrambled eggs and added crumbled cheddar cheese and a few teaspoons of diced pimento (from a jar). They add a unique sweet flavor that contrasts nicely with the sharp cheddar. I also added a few dashes of dry mustard to the eggs when I beat them. They turned out great and the pimento really adds a nice flavor...quite different than diced red bell pepper that I frequently like to use. I served our eggs alongside bacon, Parmesan Biscuits and some fresh blueberries. While the eggs were cooking I popped a few biscuits in a hot oven for a few minutes to get nice and toasty...they went great with our breakfast. I snapped a couple photos below. Enjoy!

         

Parmesan Biscuits - Low Carb, Grain & Gluten Free

As promised, this evening I'm posting the recipe for my Parmesan Biscuits. They turned out great. I added 3/4 cup of powdery style Parmesan cheese in place of some of the blanched almond flour. It gives these biscuits a more savory flavor but not an overpowering Parmesan flavor and it still maintains the "biscuit texture." If you wanted to, you could add some herbs (Italian seasoning and/or garlic powder) to make them even more savory. They went great with last night's Tomato Ricotta Frittata. I enjoyed one with my lunch today, too. I'm looking forward to making them to enjoy with soups this fall and winter as well as alongside Italian style meals. I snapped a couple of photos below and included the easy peasy recipe. If you wanted to bump up the cheese flavor, reduce the almond flour by 1/4 cup and increase the Parmesan by 1/4 cup. The Parmesan cheese I use has the consistency of the one that comes in the familiar "green can" except I use a brand made by Cello that I find at Costco and it's the exact same consistency, except it has no fillers. I keep it stored in my freezer and pull it out to use as I need it and it lasts a long time. Enjoy!

In case you are wondering, I was not drinking when I took this photo...it's purposely "askew"

Parmesan Biscuits

Ingredients:

2-1/4 cups blanched almond flour
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (I use Cello brand without fillers)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons chilled butter, small diced
3 ounces very cold brick style cream cheese, diced
2 large eggs, beaten 
1/4 to 1/3 cup cold buttermilk (*see note below)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly greased non-stick foil.

In a medium mixing bowl, add flour, Parmesan, baking powder, soda and salt; whisk to mix well.  Add diced chilled butter and cream cheese.  Using a pastry/dough blender, quickly cut butter and cream cheese into dry ingredients until it appears crumbly and moistened.  

Crack both eggs into glass measuring cup; fill with buttermilk to the 3/4 cup mark. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; add buttermilk and egg mixture and mix until it pulls together into a soft sticky dough. The dough will be light and fluffy.  

Scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet using a 3-tablespoon size retractable scoop, spacing evenly apart to make 15 equal sized mounds. Lightly tamp down tops to slightly flatten top only (do not flatten biscuit). Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Makes approximately 15 biscuits.

*Notes: Total liquid mixture should equal 3/4 cup. Because eggs vary in size and volume, add them to the glass measuring cup first and then fill with buttermilk to the 3/4 cup mark (amount of buttermilk used will be between 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup, depending on the volume of eggs). To make a dairy free buttermilk substitute, add 1-1/2 teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice to a glass measuring cup and fill with almond, coconut or cashew milk to the 1/2 cup line (this same method works using regular cream, milk or half-and-half). Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes and use as directed. Optional biscuit add-ins: garlic powder or Italian seasoning.  

         

Tomato Ricotta Frittata & Parmesan Biscuits - Low Carb & Grain/Gluten Free

This evening I decided to make "breakfast for dinner."  I had a large bowl of fresh ripe multi-colored tomatoes on the counter that need to be used so I decided to make a Tomato Ricotta Frittata (try to say that out loud 3 times quickly...LOL). I kept it simple. I considered adding fresh basil but decided to keep it more mild and used green spring onions (scallions) instead. It turned out delicious. I beat ricotta and Parmesan into the eggs and then topped it with additional small dollops of ricotta. The combination of flavors from the fresh tomatoes, scallions, and cheeses went nicely together. To go with our frittata, I made Parmesan Biscuits which turned out amazing (I'll post the recipe for the biscuits tomorrow). I also browned some turkey sausage links to go with our meal. We really enjoyed our Italian themed "breakfast for dinner" this evening. I posted the recipe for the Tomato Ricotta Frittata below (the biscuit recipe is coming tomorrow). I snapped a few photos below. Enjoy!

Tomato Ricotta Frittata

Ingredients:

6 large eggs
1/2 cup ricotta cheese, divided
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes, drained
2 thinly sliced green onions

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, beat eggs, 1/4 cup ricotta, Parmesan, salt and pepper together until smooth. Heat butter in an ovenproof 10-inch nonstick skillet. Add tomatoes and onions and saute for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly softened. Pour egg mixture over top and cook on top of stove for about 5 minutes over medium high heat. Drop remaining ricotta by teaspoon sized dollops over top of frittata. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until puffed up and done (no jiggling in the center when shaken). Cool slightly, about 5 minutes in pan; slide onto cutting board and cut into wedges to serve.

       

Grilled Wild Alaskan Salmon w/ Chipotle & Lime - Southwestern Style

Today was another scorcher here in Atlanta. It is ridiculously hot and humid. I didn't want to prepare anything that would heat up the kitchen if at all possible. While running errands last night, I swung by Costco, which I almost never do during the week. To my surprise they had just put out a fresh shipment of wild Alaskan sockeye salmon! I was so excited because I felt like I had just won the salmon lottery! So, this evening I prepared our "lottery prize" for dinner. Since it was so hot, I decided to cook it outside on the grill. It turned out absolutely amazing!!! I cut the large 1-1/4 pound fillet into 4 pieces, brushed them with olive oil, seasoned them with McCormick's Grill Mates Chipotle & Roasted Garlic Seasoning (usually easy to find in your grocery store) and then grilled them. I served the salmon with freshly squeezed lime juice on top and it went together so nicely with the chipotle seasoning. We absolutely loved it! I didn't over season the fish because I didn't want to overpower it but simply add a bit of pizzazz. We enjoyed leftover Yellow Cheddar Squash Casserole and sliced fresh tomatoes along with our salmon. It was quick, simple, fresh and delicious! I snapped a quick photo below and included the easy peasy recipe that was on the table in 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Just so you know...farmed salmon does not resemble this beautiful piece of wild Alaskan salmon whatsoever...it doesn't get more gorgeous than this!

Grilled Wild Alaskan Salmon w/ Chipotle & Lime

Ingredients:

4 5-ounce salmon fillets

2 tablespoons olive oil

McCormick's Grill Mates Chipotle & Roasted Garlic Seasoning, to taste

1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions:

Brush salmon fillets with olive oil. Season with chipotle seasoning. Heat grill to approximately 400 degrees. Lightly oil grates. Place salmon flesh side down first, close grill and cook for approximately 3 minutes. Flip fillets over and cook skin side down for about 4 minutes, or to desired doneness. Transfer to a platter and serve with fresh lime wedges. 

*Note: To safely oil the grates on our gas grill, I preheat the grill; briefly turn off the burners and spray with olive oil spray then relight and place salmon on grill. Never spray oil over an open flame.

          

Stir-Fried Sausage & Slaw - Low Carb Fast Food

This evening I had lots of errands to run after work so I needed dinner to be super quick and easy. While hubby was on his way home I threw together 2 ingredients (3 if you count the butter) and literally made our dinner in less than 15 minutes. We ate as soon as he walked in the door and then headed back out to run all our errands without feeling pressured to eat out instead for convenience.

I had a package of Aidell's Smoked Chicken & Apple Sausages (nitrite/nitrate free) that I simply sliced and tossed into a large nonstick skillet with a little butter and browned them until nice and caramelized on both sides. Then I opened up a large 2-pound bag of coleslaw mix (by Taylor Farms) and dumped about half of it on top of the sausages and stirred it around, added about 1/4 cup water, covered and cooked over medium-high heat to allow the cabbage to steam and cook down until tender-crisp. The coleslaw mix consists of mostly green cabbage but also had shredded red cabbage and some grated carrots in it as well. I added a little more butter and uncovered the skillet to allow any remaining liquid to completely cook off. Voila...dinner was ready in 15 minutes.

I frequently make Stir-Fried Sausage & Sprouts...but this version was even easier to prepare since I used a bag of coleslaw mix which didn't require any prep like necessary when I make it with sprouts. I snapped a couple quick photos below. It's nice to have food available to put a quick dinner together when you're in a pinch, and believe it or not, something this simple turned out so tasty. I can't wait to have leftovers for tomorrow's lunch. I included the easy peasy recipe below. Enjoy!

Stir-Fried Sausage & Slaw

Ingredients:

2 to 3 tablespoons butter, divided
4 smoked sausage links, sliced diagonally into 1/4-inch slices (like Aidell's Chicken & Apple Sausage)
16-ounce bag coleslaw mix

Directions:

In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter and add sliced sausage links. Cook, stirring frequently until browned on both sides, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in coleslaw mix and about 1/4 cup water; cover and cook until cabbage is tender-crisp or desired doneness, about 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover and add remaining butter and cook another minute or until all liquid is cooked off. 

   

Grilled Greek Marinated Chicken, Yellow Cheddar Squash Casserole & Easy Coleslaw

This evening dinner was super quick and easy to put on the table. Yesterday, both of my sons came for dinner and we had plenty of leftovers to enjoy again this evening. Since I didn't take a photo of my plate last night, I snapped a quick photo of tonight's plate. I enjoyed it as much, if not more, than I did last night.

Since I didn't have a lot of time to prep last night's meal yesterday, I marinated chicken cutlets instead of whole breasts so they would marinate more quickly. I marinated thinly sliced chicken cutlets for about 2-1/2 hours in a mixture of olive oil, the juice of 2 large lemons and about 1 tablespoon of Greek Seasoning (by Penzey's) and a pinch of sea salt. Since they are so thin, they not only marinate and become tender more quickly but they only take about 6 minutes or so to cook (and since it was so hot here yesterday, it was a blessing not having to stand outside for long to cook them).

For our side dishes, I made my favorite Yellow Cheddar Squash Casserole. I absolutely love it and so does the rest of my family. I use blanched almond flour, butter, eggs and milk in place of the 52 Ritz Crackers that used to go into the original version I used to make. I also made my Easy Coleslaw as our other side dish. It was a meal that screamed summertime. We enjoyed a complete repeat of this meal tonight and it was so good. For dessert last night I served the Chocolate Zucchini Walnut Cake I made over the weekend and both of my sons absolutely loved it. One of them actually had 2 pieces BEFORE dinner and somehow they both still managed to be able to eat second helpings of dinner, too. It was a perfect summertime Sunday night dinner using retooled versions of some of our old favorite recipes. I snapped a quick photo of my plate this evening which looks almost the same as last night's plate (except I added a sliced Campari tomato this evening). To get my squash casserole recipe, click here to get to it: Yellow Cheddar Squash Casserole. To get to my coleslaw recipe, click here to get to it: Easy Coleslaw. Enjoy!

          

Chocolate Zucchini Walnut Cake - Low Carb & Grain Free

Happy Sunday! Today's dessert recipe is one that takes me down memory lane. Years ago when my 3 children were younger and I lived out in the suburbs of Washington, DC, I used to have a really big garden. It was full of many different varieties of tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, green beans, eggplant and other veggies. I was never very successful at growing watermelons or cantaloupes for some reason. I even grew corn one year. Besides tomatoes, one of my yearly bumper crops was always zucchini. It grew like crazy and if you turned your back on it for just a second, you literally had "big green baseball bats" in your garden where the zucchini was just a day or two before! LOL We always had tons of fresh produce that we gave away by the bagful. I think neighbors ran when they saw my kids pulling their loaded little red wagon down the street.

I found all kinds of ways to use zucchini. I made tons of zucchini bread and froze it to pull out throughout the fall and winter months. I even found ways to sneak it into almost everything so my kids wouldn't notice it. I diced it and browned it with the meat when I made meat sauce for spaghetti or lasagna. I tossed it into chili and quiche...pretty much everything you could think of. One of the sneakiest ways I used to use it was in a simple "snack type cake." I used to make a Chocolate Zucchini Walnut cake which was a chocolate cake that was topped with chocolate chips and walnuts instead of frosting (baked in a 9" x 13" pan). They loved that cake and I loved that it had veggies in it and they had no clue! I had come across the recipe in a magazine one day and tore it out to try. Yesterday I revamped that old cake recipe to make it grain free and without added sugar. The only sugar contained is in the 1/2 cup of 70% chocolate chips that I scattered on top. If you wanted to, you could swap out Lily's chocolate chips that are sweetened with stevia to remove all sugar. It turned out amazing! It's nice and moist and chocolatey just like I remember. I did not make it as sweet as I used to. The original recipe had 2 cups of sugar. I used 1-1/2 cups of Swerve sweetener instead and it was plenty sweet enough for me. I snapped a few photos below as well as included the easy peasy recipe. Enjoy!

Ready for the oven

Fresh out of the oven

Chocolate Zucchini Walnut Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 cup ground golden flax seeds
5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1-1/2 cups Swerve granular or confectioners sweetener (or preferred sweetener)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup oil (extra light olive oil or coconut oil)
2-1/2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (preferably 70% cacao or higher)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" baking pan.

Whisk almond flour, ground flax, cocoa powder, sweetener, salt, baking soda and cinnamon together in a bowl to break up any lumps.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and oil together. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and beat well. Stir in zucchini. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle top with walnuts and chocolate chips.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan. Serve topped with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

*Note: If desired, sugar free chocolate chips can be used (like Lily's). If a sweeter cake is preferred, increase the sweetener by 1/4 cup, or to taste.

       

Low Carb Pizza w/ Herbed Grain Free Crust

This evening we had pizza for dinner. I made my grain free Herbed Pizza Crust. I was actually in the mood for pizza last night but we had so many errands to run and didn't get home until close to 10:00 so I just had Greek yogurt for dinner.

I topped this evening's pizza with pizza sauce, mozzarella, diced red bell pepper, thinly sliced Vidalia onion, wilted baby spinach and turkey pepperoni. I scattered some diced fresh Campari tomatoes on top after pulling it out of the oven. It was delicious! My pizza crusts are nice and crisp enough to pick up and eat with your hands just like traditional pizza crusts made with wheat. The crust recipe I made this evening uses both almond flour and ground golden flax and is one of my favorites. I also love my grain free pizza crust that uses almond flour and ground chia; it's hard to pick which is my favorite. This evening I mixed about 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella into the dough before pressing it out. Here is the link to this evening's crust recipe: Herbed Grain Free Pizza Crust. Enjoy! 

P.S. - Stay tuned for tomorrow's new dessert recipe; hint...it includes CHOCOLATE! 

Here's the baked crust; notice the browned bits of mozzarella in it.

This is what I'm talking about...a crust that can be picked up with your hands!

      

Ancho Marmalade Butter Glazed Wild Alaskan Salmon & Fresh Berry Caprese Salad (Cordova Inspired)

This evening I was in the mood for salmon again (imagine that). Both our Sprouts Farmers Market and Publix still have fresh wild Alaskan sockeye salmon available for a few more days but said this will probably be the last of it. So, I picked up a large fillet (about 1-1/4 lbs). I wanted to make a glaze to change it up a bit. It was so very simple to put together. I mixed 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 rounded tablespoon organic no sugar added marmalade, 1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder, dash of garlic powder and about 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. I heated it together in the microwave for about 30 seconds and blended it until nice, thick and sticky. I first brushed the fillet with olive oil and placed it on a baking sheet in a 375 degree oven for about 5 to 7 minutes; pulled it out and brushed it with about half of the glaze, then baked it an additional 5 minutes. I added another very light layer of glaze and ran it under the broiler for a few minutes until it began bubbling and very lightly browning. I removed it from the oven and allowed it to sit for about 5 minutes before serving. If you plan to use any glaze when serving the salmon, do not dip your brush into the bowl of glaze and cross contaminate it; simply pour some on and then brush over the fillet.

While the salmon was baking, I put together an easy peasy Fresh Berry Caprese Salad that was inspired by my recent visit to Cordova, Alaska. In Cordova, they are blessed with an abundance of wild blueberries, strawberries and salmonberries (salmonberries look like raspberries but are not as sweet and can be either yellow or reddish colored). Click here to see what a salmonberry looks like: Salmonberry. Unfortunately I don't have access to wild berries like they do in Alaska, but I did happen to have fresh strawberries and blueberries in the fridge along with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil; so I decided to make a Cordova inspired Fresh Berry Caprese Salad. I tossed the berries in a bit of white balsamic vinegar (similar to many strawberry and balsamic recipes that are out there) and then right before serving, tossed in fresh mozzarella and torn fresh basil. I included the easy peasy recipe below as well as a couple of photos. Enjoy!

Here is a red salmonberry growing outside the Orca Adventure Lodge

Here's a yellow salmonberry growing right outside my window at the lodge

Fresh Berry Caprese Salad (Cordova Inspired)

Fresh Berry Caprese Salad (Cordova Inspired)

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 to 3 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar
Pinch of sea salt
3 to 4 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
2 fresh basil leaves, torn

Directions:

In a medium bowl, toss strawberries and blueberries with balsamic vinegar and set aside. Add mozzarella and fresh basil; toss together with berries immediately before serving.

*Note: If a slightly sweeter salad is desired, add sweetener, to taste (I added 1 teaspoon Swerve sweetener).

         

Chicken Salad Burgers - Two Low Carb Summer Favorites Rolled Into One

This evening I had leftover cooked chicken that needed to be used. I finely chopped it and then made chicken salad with it by adding celery, spring onions, red bell pepper, pickles, cheese, salt and pepper. I kept it on the dry side adding minimal mayo just to barely moisten because I made burgers with it. Yes, BURGERS! I pressed the mixture together into patties and sauteed in a skillet until a golden brown crust formed and then flipped them (carefully) and cooked the other side until golden. The little bit of cheese that melts in them helps bind them together. One word of advice...let them sit for at least 5 to 7 minutes before moving them to your plate so the cheese can set up so they don't fall apart. I should have snapped a photo of the first one I transferred to my plate...whatta mess! LOL The cheese was still oozy and it broke as I moved it over with a spatula. I waited 5 or 6 minutes and then transferred the 2nd one with success. I served it with roasted fresh asparagus (roasted for about 15 minutes at 375 degrees after drizzling with avocado oil and seasoning with salt and pepper). I cooked them at a lower temp because these were super thin stalks...thinner than a pencil. I sliced a garden fresh ripe tomato gifted from our dear neighbor Helen...and "voila"...dinner was on the table! We enjoyed chicken salad and burgers all in one. I snapped a couple photos below as well as the easy peasy recipe. Enjoy!

I saw more seagulls in Cordova than I've seen at any beach I've ever been to

Chicken Salad Burgers

Ingredients:

3 cups finely chopped cooked chicken
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 spring onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons finely diced pickle (I used sugar free bread and butter pickles)
2 ounces finely diced or shredded cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, etc.)
1/4 cup olive oil based mayonnaise or homemade
Salt and pepper, to taste
Smoked paprika, optional
1 to 2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil (for cooking)

Directions:

Combine chicken, celery, onion, bell pepper, pickle, cheese, mayonnaise and salt and pepper until lightly moistened. Divide equally and shape into 4 patties, pressing firmly to hold together. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place patties in pan and cook until golden brown and crusted; carefully flip and repeat on other side. Lightly dust with smoked paprika, if desired. Remove from heat and allow to sit 5 to 10 minutes until slightly cooled before transferring to a plate. 

*Note: If necessary, add a tablespoon of finely grated (powdery style) Parmesan cheese if patties are too moist when forming to help bind.