It’s Homecoming Weekend! If you’re looking for a sandwich option that is as flavorful as the tailgate is energizing, this is one for the menu.
Layer sliced deli meats such as soppressata or capocollo and provolone cheese for an Italian-American pressed sandwich with no cooking required! We also offer an option for a yummy, grilled sandwich if you have access to a skillet or a sandwich press.
Potato chips and sliced fruit, such as figs, for serving alongside
Instructions
Remove insides of bread halves; reserve for another use. Stir together mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, and capers in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Divide mixture evenly between top and bottom bread halves. Layer half of turkey, cheese, and capocollo on bottom, then repeat layering with remaining meats and cheese. Pack watercress into top half; layer with tomato slices and season with salt and pepper.
Close sandwich. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil. Place a heavy skillet on top; press down to flatten sandwich slightly. Add several heavy canned goods to top of skillet. Let sit at least 45 minutes or, in refrigerator, up to 12 hours before unwrapping, slicing into wedges, and serving with chips and fruit.
OR…. Make it into a Grilled Italian Sandwich. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Spread mayonnaise on the other before layering the sandwich as noted above. Grill in a stovetop skillet over medium to medium-low heat until golden brown on each. If you don't have a sandwich press grill, you can still get a pressed sandwich by using a cast iron pan to press for 2-3 minutes while the cheese melts. We also recommend adding smashed avocado for extra flavor.
While soufflés have a reputation for being challenging to make, following a few simple techniques can deliver you a beautiful soufflé each time. This is one of those recipes that encourages the exact right kitchen tools for an accurate result. In case you were thinking about getting rid of that old wooden spoon, think again!
1. Start with a spotlessly clean bowl and balloon whisk (an electric mixer with a whisk will work too) 2. If you don’t have a copper bowl, a pinch of cream of tartar is the secret ingredient to stabilize the egg white foam 3. Use a rubber spatula to fold (sweeping over & under motion) the egg whites into the soufflé base. Your goal is to keep the egg whites as puffy as possible
It has been a full day for healthy meals straight from our kitchen. We started off with some good, old fashioned egg salad sandwiches. Truth be told, they weren’t quite ‘old-fashioned’ but they were super healthy while still being very tasty.
Start with your bread… Manna from Heaven low carb bread. I followed “The Blood Sugar Diet” recipe, but needed to make a quick substitution due to the lack of psyllium husk powder in the grocery store. Due to a quick Google search, I opted for 2 tbsp ground chia seeds which I already had on hand. Check out my video making the bread, which I guarantee we will have again…
Next up, the Greek Yogurt Egg Salad from Damn Delicious. Instead of a crispy, warm baguette, I served a deconstructed sandwich with a small wedge of Manna from Heaven bread, a large lettuce leaf and 1/2 an avocado sliced alongside 2 scoops of egg salad.
And it’s now time for dinner…. man, we are eating well today!
Are you craving spaghetti? How about a low-carb, no sugar compromise with zucchini noodles and turkey meatballs?
Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix ground turkey, egg, parmesan, oil, parsley and spices to a large bowl using a wooden spoon until well incorporated.
Using a medium sized scooper, portion out the meatballs on the baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.
Garlic Butter Zoodles
Melt butter in a large skillet; add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add zucchini noodles and toss in the garlic butter; squeeze the lemon for the juice.
Cook until the liquid is mostly absorbed.
Top with the meatballs and sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese.
The only thing that would make this day better for food would be a hot, fresh chocoalte chip cookie straight from the oven…. A girl can dream, can’t she? 😉
Do you like what you read here? Shop Now for all the tools needed to make this awesome dinner on our sister site, La Cuisine, a French inspired kitchen store. We might be located in Bozeman, MT but we ship UPS nationwide.
Have I told you before I eat primarily beef? I am even happy to go bunless on a burger or wrap in lettuce to reduce the calories and carbs, as long as it is beef. Since the rules haven’t changed and beef is still off limits, I am compromising for a turkey burger. I started this menu using some inspiration from https://oursaltykitchen.com/paleo-turkey-burgers/, but chose to simplify life a bit by purchasing the Butterball all-natural turkey burger patties at the grocery store and therefore created my own version of keto, low-carb turkey burgers.
Served alongside the burger are zucchini fries and string beans. I’m not going to share my recipe for zucchini fries because, let’s just say, they weren’t very good. To be honest, the flavor was fine, but they look weird and the texture was odd, I believe because the almond flour was simply not fine enough. I would have rather cut the zucchini fries – just like fries – and roasted them in the oven, or even pan fried in a bit of avocado or olive oil. They would have been just as good – maybe better. The breading of an egg, almond flour and seasoning was to trick the mind and make us think we were eating french fries, but it is time to just be honest… they are either french fries or they aren’t. Tricking the mind into thinking we are eating something we are not only lasts so long. Eventually you just desperately want a stupid french fry – who cares how much fat, starch and calories are in it!? I am not encouraging any of us to go on a french fry binge, but honestly, I would rather have 2-3 really high quality french fries once a month than outcast them for life. Moderation, people, moderation.
In the meantime, I will do the best I can to eat what I should and how I should to get my body as healthy as possible. Just don’t tell me I’ll never again taste a grain of sugar, a bite of the best tenderloin steak ever, or in this case, a hot, glorious oil laden french fry.
1-2smashed avocado(s)(season with salt & pepper, add a tbls lime juice)
4lglettuce leaves
salt & pepper
Instructions
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add two tbls oil and heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, until browned and crispy about 10 minutes.
Add the peppers and onions to the skillet. Continue to sauté, stirring occasionally, until the peppers and onions soften, about 5 minutes.
Remove the vegetables from heat and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the skillet and cook the turkey burgers over medium heat. Season with salt & pepper. Cook until browned on each side, about 5 minuter per, or until a meat thermometer reads 165°.
Top each patty with a slice of provolone cheese and melt.
Build your burger. Place lettuce leaves on a plate, then add an equal portion of smashed avocado, add the burger with melted cheese, top with vegetables and a fried egg.
I know what you’re thinking… She’s about ready to crack. It’s barely been one week and the woman is going to lose it. Listen to her talk about french fries! Truly, I am just trying to be real. I can do this because I want the benefits on the other side of it, and honestly, I am enjoying alot of these meals. I am cooking things I rarely do, or maybe have never even tried, and they are really good. However, I will be the first to say, in many cases it is taking more time and is more work to get all these vegetables prepped, cooked and everything on the table at the right time.
Overall, I would say we can adopt many of these low-carb principles forever. We could stand to eat far less rice and potatoes, we can easily remove buns from our burgers, add two-to-three times as many vegetables, and eat much smaller portions. We will be healthier, stronger, and more than likely, thinner. Here we go, quickly moving into week 2 and looking forward to it!
Are you interested in checking out the weekly meal planner? Download your copy today… (this file will keep updating as we move throughout the 6-week program)
And remember, please let us know how you are doing on your 2021 healthy eating goals! Do you like what you read here? Shop Now for all the tools needed to make this awesome dinner on our sister site, La Cuisine, a French inspired kitchen store. We might be located in Bozeman, MT but we ship UPS nationwide.
Most of us have experienced days that take on their own identity, their own schedule. That was Day 3 of our new meal plan, so leftover fish was the only option for dinner, pushing the promised Chicken Fajitas to day 4, but menu 3.
I think its safe to say, it was worth waiting for!
Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled, mixed with chunky chicken sausage, sautéed spinach, mushrooms and onions. Add some chopped avocado on the side and you will be full for hours! This can be cooked as a scramble or an omelet, your choice. Decaf Tea
Lunch: Left over salmon and roasted cauliflower
The cravings were pretty strong today. I should win a gold medal for passing right by the Christmas caramels in the pantry! I tried to keep the urges at bay with extra water and some cashews for snacking. I have to admit, the touch of salty seemed to do the trick for an hour or two until I was again wishing for a little sweet treat. There is something about being told you can’t have something and therefore that’s all the mind wants.
Dinner:Chicken Fajitas with a sprouted corn tortilla shell Smashed avocados, lettuce & vegan shredded Mozarella cheese
Low Carb Chicken Fajitas, Keto Approved
I made some tweaks to the fajita recipe, simply to keep them more mild for my personal preferences. I did not include any chili powder and maybe only a 1/4 tsp of cumin. Due to the fact we aren’t supposed to have any condiments right now, I elected for the ground mustard rather than the Dijon, and instead of chicken thighs I used breast meat. The meat was incredibly tender and flavorful – pretty much perfect with the adjustments. No cilantro – it’s one of the herbs this family does not eat at all, and only 1 pepper, 1/2 red and 1/2 orange. Gosh, I guess I made more changes than I thought… I also never use red onion because my husband doesn’t care for them, and my preference is vidalia sweet onions, but it was less than half. As a result of all these edits, I’ve provided my altered recipe below…
The fajita is layered with cheese on the bottom, topped with a dollop of smashed avocados (mixed with a bit of lime juice, salt & pepper), lettuce, chicken mixed with peppers and onions and topped with a tablespoon more cheese for color.
Combine all the ingredients for the fajitas seasoning.
In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, lime juice, mustard and fajita seasonings. Toss in chicken chunks until well coated. Let chicken marinate while you prepare the vegetables.
Slice the onions and peppers.
Heat 1 tbls. butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers and cook another 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Melt the remaining 1 tbls. butter in the same skillet and brown the chicken. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until heated through. Return the onion and pepper to the pan to heat.
Compile the fajitas in the corn tortillas; avocado, lettuce, cheese, chicken, onions and peppers.
I can honestly say the meals are really superb – flavorful and filling – which is so important to keep me focused and on-target. I hope you’re finding the same success if you’re following along with us. We would love to hear how you’re doing!
Do you like what you read here? Shop Now for all the tools needed to make this awesome dinner on our sister site, La Cuisine, a French inspired kitchen store. We might be located in Bozeman, MT but we ship UPS nationwide.
With a little inspiration from Spend with Pennies, I put my own spin on some baked fish tacos made with a Rockfish from Alaska. No need to worry about left overs because there won’t be any!
prepared (Black Bean & Corn or Mango Habanero salsa, optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine rub ingredients in a small bowl. Rub into fish fillet(s). Place fish on a parchment lined pan and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes until flaky.
Meanwhile, combine taco sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk together until smooth and set aside.
Combine salsa ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
Warm tortillas on griddle or in the microwave covered with a damp paper towel.
Assemble the fish tacos; tortilla, fish, avocado salsa, and fish sauce. Optional: Top with a black bean & corn salsa or mango habanero salsa and serve with tortilla chips.
