Cheesy Zucchini Beer Bread - The Low Carb Version!

Ok, so if you are NOT living a low carb life style you might not want to jump immediately to substituting your bread, pasta & rice products for substitutions! I will admit I have NEVER tasted a bread alternative that is more delicious & emotionally satisfying than the real thing! (And through the years I have tasted A TON of substitutions & tried a A TON of recipes) A wonderful soft & puffy on the inside, firm on the outside roll, a slice of soft white bread or a chunk of hearty beer bread will never ever be replaced in your heart if you already love & are addicted to those things! But Guess what?! If you have been restricting those gluten & carb loaded delights from your diet, a low carb, almond flour or coconut flour bread product, if done right, can feel like heaven & make you wonder why you haven't eaten these healthy substitutions all along!


Ingredients:
1 cup almond flour
1 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup ground chia seed
1/2 cup psyllium husks
1 1/2 cup grated percorino romano or parmesan cheese
2 cups grated zucchini
12 oz of light beer
1 egg
1 tbsp baking powder
1tsp xanthan gum
1tbsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt
1tsp pepper
4 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup shredded cheese of your preference

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix wet ingredients & then combine all ingredients to form a dough. Press dough into a large, greased casserole baking dish & top with shredded cheese & melted butter. Bake on 375 for about an hour. Test bread with a toothpick before removing from oven.

TIP: If you have not yet built your stock up of low carb pantry items & you only have chia seeds or psyllium husks but not both, you can easily use 1 cup of either. Both items are great to have in stock when making low carb desserts & when adding volume to baked items.

Cod & Shrimp Egg Foo Young with Gravy

Have a craving for some delicious Chinese take out? Here is the cure! Pair this with my Faux Fried Rice & you have a delicious, healthy & even low carb meal that feels like it should have come out of a delivery container!

Gravy Ingredients:

2 tbsp of Smart Balance, butter or your preferred butter substitute

2 cups beef broth (preferably low sodium)

1 1/2 cups of silken tofu

1/2 tsp xanthan Gum

2 tbs oyster Sauce

1 tbs soy Sauce

1 tsp ground pepper

1 thumb sized piece of ginger grated

a dash of garlic powder

Egg Patty Ingredients:

8 eggs whisked in a large bowl

12 oz Cod (or your preferred fish)

1 4oz can baby shrimp (want to go all out & use larger, fresh   shrimp? Go crazy, have a blast!)

1 sweet vidalia onion thinly sliced

5 baby bok choy chopped

3 scallions chopped

1tsp soy sauce

1tsp pepper

olive oil for cooking

Directions:

Make your gravy first. Melt your butter/butter substitute in a small pot on medium heat and add your beef broth. Once your liquids are simmering, add the remainder of your ingredients except for the xanthan gum & silken tofu. For the next step I used an immersion blending stick but you could also use a blender or get an arm workout in with a whisk! If you are using a device besides an immersion blending stick you may want to use a larger pot to minimize mess. Next add in your silken tofu, blend thoroughly & slowly add your xanthan gum while blending until desired consistency is reached. Remove pot from heat & keep gravy covered to keep warm.

TIP: Xanthan Gum is a low carb, vegan, gluten free thickening agent. I was reluctant to purchase it at first because a certain specialty store was selling a popular brand for $15, but I then found small packages for 50cents in my local ShopRite! Xanthan Gum is great in gravies or sauces that need thickening and also low carb breads that are missing that yummy gluten.

To start my egg patties, I first seasoned with garlic, salt & pepper & then cooked my cod fish in a little olive oil in a non stick frying pan. Remove the fish from your pan, roughly chop & place aside to slightly cool. Cook your vegetables in the same frying pan with the remaining oil & fish drippings until a little wilted. You want your vegetables to have a little firmness in your egg patties. Place vegetables aside to slightly cool. Whisk together your egg, soy sauce & pepper & then add the remaining egg patty ingredients. For the next step, I used a small 7" frying pan & a large serving spoon. My frying pan was the exact size I wanted my egg patties to be, but if you only have larger frying pans, make larger patties to share! I am hoping whatever size patty you create, you will be able to fry it golden & flip it in one shot so you do not end up with an Egg Foo Young Scramble! ( the smaller the pan, the better) Heat your pan & a little oil on medium-high & then spoon a heaping spoonful of egg mixture directly into the center. Once you can see the delicious brown starting to work it's way to the edges of your egg it's time to flip! This recipe made me 8 - 6" patties. Serve your egg patties with gravy, Faux Fried Rice or a side of real rice for those in your household who want it & top with fresh chopped scallions! 

Egg Foo Young, Gravy & Cauliflower Faux Fried "Rice"

Faux Fried "Rice" It's Cauliflower!!!

Craving fried rice but you are trying to stay healthy!? Try this amazing dish! I'll tell you the basics & you can add your own flair! Make it a pork, vegetable, shrimp or chicken fried rice or add your own preference of spice or ginger! No matter what it will be delicious & guilt free!

Remember! My dishes are usually large because I like to set up for a successful & healthy week! This recipe made about 4 quarts/16 1cup servings of "rice"... Please adjust accordingly!

Ingredients:
2 heads of Cauliflower
1 Zucchini
1 small onion chopped
4 eggs whisked in a bowl
1/4 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos or Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup coconut oil or healthy fat of your preference
2 tsp ground pepper
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 piece of fresh thumb-sized ginger finely grated or 2 tsp ground
1tbsp ground turmeric (because we love turmeric!)
3 pkgs Chinese hot mustard (optional)

Directions:
If you have a protein you would like add to your "rice" such as raw chicken, pork or shrimp, cook first in a non stick frying pan & then remove, saving any drippings in the pan. I being innovative, added a can of salmon along with the juices at the end of my cooking process for a little extra protein!

Take your cauliflower & remove the bottom green leaves & any stems that look undesirable. Many cauliflower rice recipes will ask you to "rice" your cauliflower in a fancy device such as a food processor. I wanted to be sure that this was a recipe anyone could follow, so this evening I finely chopped one of my cauliflower heads with a knife & the other I used a basic cheese grater. Either way gets the job done & I don't frown upon any fancy kitchen appliances that you may love!

Saute your coconut oil, garlic, grated ginger & onion in the frying pan & then add your riced cauliflower & zucchini or any other preferred vegetable such as chopped bell peppers, broccoli florets, snow peas or those adorable miniature corns! Add your pepper or any other preferred seasonings. Add your Liquid Aminos or Soy Sauce, water or any other preferred liquids you might enjoy replacing the water with for flavor such as teriyaki sauce, hot sauce, more soy sauce or that random Asian marinade you've had in your fridge & meant to use! Cover pot tightly with a lid & let the cauliflower steam tossing occasionally for about 15 minutes until tender.

TIP: Watching your salt intake? This recipe only contains 240 mg sodium per 1 cup serving if using Braggs Liquid Aminos. If using Kikoman Low Sodium Soy Sauce it contains 143 mg sodium per 1 cup serving. You may add soy sauce to your heart's content for flavor but remember this is the basic start for a "healthy recipe"! So try your best not to!!!! Add flavor with extra ginger, mustard, red pepper flakes or something your body will thank you for!

Create a whole in the middle of your frying pan by pushing all of your lovely vegetables to the sides, add your whisked eggs & cover until the egg becomes a little firm. Uncover & fold your vegetables over the egg & toss so the egg will disperse amongst your dish.

TIP: This is also how I added my canned salmon in at the end of the cooking process.

Taste your "rice" & then stir in your turmeric & hot mustard (two of my favorites!) or any other desired seasonings! VOILA! Guilt free fried "rice"!

Fennel *Bri's Keys*

 Fennel your way to a flatter stomach???

A crunchy, hearty, unique vegetable with a refreshing taste that I love to use in soups, salads or just eat roasted! If you have never tasted fennel before, you may be in for a treat! Many desserts use fennel seeds for flavor & even some natural toothpastes! Fennel, along with Anise which it is commonly mistaken for has a flavor unlike any vegetable I've ever tried. Fennel is often used to season Italian sausage & the taste is something you will be familiar with if you enjoy Sambuca or black jelly beans. If you do not typically enjoy these delicious treats do not assume you will not enjoy the much more subtle & cooling flavor of this healthy plant.

The fennel plant & its seeds are commonly used to treat heart burn, indigestion, gas, and bloat. When consumed, fennel acts as a natural diuretic helping eliminate water weight & eliminate toxins through urination. Fennel is another great source of fiber! Fiber helps keep you full longer & promotes a healthy colon along with waste removal. To me along with reducing bloat this translates to a flatter stomach! To read more on the benefits of fennel visit Livestrong.com

The Dr. Oz Show includes fennel seeds in their 5 Ways to Fight Fat with Ayurveda. The suggested detox tea "includes a combination of ingredients that help to improve digestion, break down fat, and “unclog” the channels in our body by removing ama."  I have personally tried this tea & would absolutely recommend it to anyone who feels the need to get their digestive system in gear!

I boiled a pot of water in the morning, added my fennel, coriander & cumin seeds to steep & then put the hot tea in my thermos mug to keep warm & drink throughout the day. You can also visit Joyfulbelly.com for information about this helpful tea!

Would you like to try some fennel with tonight's dinner?...
My most favorite way to prepare Fennel is the simplest!
Simply take 2 fennel bulbs & cut off the stalks. Slice each bulb lengthwise several times to create inch thick pieces. Coat a baking dish with a little olive oil, lay fennel pieces flat and lightly spray each piece with balsamic vinegar. Roast fennel in the oven at 375 for 30-40 minutes until you see a little browning or caramelizing taking place.





This post is a part of Bri's Keys: Daily Improvements with Ease
look for other posts like it!

Brussels Sprout Hash for all Ocassions!

 A healthy dinner side, an easy way to add veggies to any meal, a hearty meal in itself with potatoes & a side of meatballs or sausage or even dare I say, a new twist on breakfast with a runny egg! Brussels Sprout Hash is YUMMMMO no matter what your purpose!

I always make a very large batch of this since it is a big hit in my household but feel free to divide this recipe in half for your first batch & see what you think!

TIP: For those who may be skittish about Brussels sprouts, or onions for the first time (much like my husband who insisted he would not like Brussels sprouts & was WRONG!!!) try quartering all of your vegetables so the smaller pieces will not dominate the yummy potatoes & bacon in this dish! If you already know you love sprouts, feel free to just cut some in half and leave others whole!

Ingredients:
8 Cups Brussels Sprouts, stems removed, some split, some quartered
10 slices of bacon
3 Cups of fingerling potatoes some split, some quartered (Optional- Omit for low carb)
2 Cups pearl onions, peeled split &/or quarted
2 Garlic cloves chopped
A hand-full of fresh thyme or about 4 tbsp of dried thyme
1 Cup fresh chopped parsley
1 Cup low sodium chicken broth
1/4 Cup balsamic vinegar
Salt & Pepper
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 pkg of sugar substitute such as Stevia

BS hash with Sausage over Sauerkraut

 Instructions:
Cook all of your bacon along with the thyme in a large nonstick frying pan. If using fresh thyme, remove all of the stems from the pan & discard. Remove bacon from pan, chop & set aside. Add olive oil, chopped garlic, salt & pepper to the seasoned bacon grease & then add all of your Brussels sprouts, onions & potatoes. Let cook on medium heat, undisturbed until brown, toss & repeat until at least 2/3's  of your vegetables are brown. Turn heat up to medium-high, add chicken broth, cover & let vegetables simmer & steam for a few minutes until tender. Remove lid, allowing half of the liquid to evaporate, then add balsamic vinegar, chopped bacon, parsley & sugar substitute.  Remove from heat, toss & sprinkle with a little salt & pepper to your preferred taste.

BS hash served with egg & bacon

Besides being rich in taste Brussels Sprouts are known to be a great source of fiber, nutrient rich, a source of Vitamin C, they have been said to ward off cancer & also help lower cholesterol! www.livestrong.com states that "Brussels sprouts fall into the cruciferous category of vegetables, which also includes broccoli and cabbage. This group of vegetables offers a unique composition of antioxidants that promotes good health"

If you would like to lower your cholesterol or try this dish with an even healthier approach, why not skip the bacon & instead try it with turkey bacon, veggie bacon, or even a nice chopped & browned chicken or turkey cutlet!? Sounds delicious to me!!!