Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese and Putting up the Garden

I'm not a big gardener, I plant just enough to make me feel like a gardener.  I have 4 raised beds I use to grow some veggies and I like lots of flowers.

This year I planted 12 cauliflower plants, 6 of broccoli, 6 cabbages, 2 eggplant (for the first time), Swiss chard, lettuce, radishes, 4 green zucchini and 2 yellow squash, 2 cucumber plants and the tomatoes in the greenhouse.

Now, this year it rained a lot, so watering was pretty easy...I didn't have to do it much, which is a good thing because my dad isn't here to water for me.  But the problem with my garden is that everything is ready at the same time! I put harvesting off as long as possible (you can see in the picture below, one of my cauliflowers started to spread), but I finally had to deal with all that broccoli and cauliflower.

Freezing broccoli and cauliflower doesn't take a lot of work, just be organized and follow the steps.

Why does it all have to be ready at the same time?

Freezing Cauliflower and Broccoli

1) Cut cauliflower (and Broccoli) from garden, bring inside and wash.

2) Place large stock 2/3 full of water on stove and heat to a roiling boil.

3) While water is heating, cut cauliflower into desired sized florets.

4) Set up ice bath in sink, cold water and lots of ice (in Fairbanks we can skip the ice, our water comes out of the tap that cold)

5) Place several layers of towels on a table or big counter.

6) Once water is boiling, generously salt the water (this is optional)

7) Place about 4-6 cups of florets in the boiling water and set timer for 5 minutes for cauliflower or 3 minutes for broccoli.

8) When the time beeps, remove the florets from the boiling water (I use a big skimmer) and place in the ice bath until all the florets are cold. While one batch of florets are cooling, I start another batch in the boiling water.

9) Once the florets are cold, remove them from the ice bath to a colander to drain.

10) Once drained, tip them onto the layers of towels to dry further. I use a towel to GENTLY dry the tops, you don't want squished florets.

11) Place dried florets in sheet pans lined with parchment and freeze.

12) Once frozen transfer florets to ziplock bags and return to freezer until needed.

Blanched, dried and frozen for packaging.

I got some giant broccoli too.

Blanched broccoli drying, almost ready for the freezer.

So that is the way I blanched and froze 9 gallon bags of cauliflower and 3 gallon bags of broccoli.  The nice thing about freezing the florets this way is the florets don't freeze together and you can take out as much as you want and return the rest of the bag to the freezer.

But 9 gallons of cauliflower is a lot for Dave and me so I need to get a little creative in ways to fix it so Dave doesn't get too tired of it.  He loves mac and cheese, so I decided to give the "cauli and cheese" a try.  It was a hit! He even ate left-overs for lunch the next day.  

Cauliflower and Cheese

1 med. head cauliflower

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, or use 1/4 c. cream and 1/4 c. almond milk or water

3 oz. cream cheese

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

1/4 cup ground pork rinds, or pork panko

Preheat oven to 350°.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, spray a baking dish with cooking spray or butter.

Wash the cauliflower and break into small florets.  Place on prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.  

Meanwhile, make sauce. In a medium saucepan or a microwave safe bowl, mix whipping cream, cream cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, cheddar, mozzarella and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese.  Heat until melted and completely mixed and smooth.  

Gently mix cauliflower into the cheese sauce and pour into prepared baking dish.  

Mix remaining 1/4 cup parmesan and the ground pork rinds and sprinkle over the top of the cauliflower.  Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden on top and bubbly.  

1 year ago:    Birthday Cupcakes and Learning to Decorate
3 years ago:   Layered Panna Cotta and Dave's New Puppy
5 years ago:   Tazlina Wedding
7 years ago:   Lemon Bars

August 19, 2020   Sunrise 5:52 am  Sunset 9:53 pm  Temp. H 72/L 50°F

Keeping a Positive Attitude, Week 5

I'm finishing up week 5 of working from home.  I want to complain but I also understand how very fortunate I am that I can work from home, I have a warm home to shelter in place in, I have a wonderful husband, my children are all safe and healthy and sheltering in place in their own homes around the country, I have enough to eat, and I have toilet paper, with a few rolls to spare (no, I didn't hoard tp, I just bought a case at Costco, like I always do, in early February and we haven't used it all yet). So, I am getting a little tired of only my company during work hours, Dave winning 3 out of 4 games of cribbage after dinner, the terms "the new normal" and "unprecedented times" and snow, because we still have a butt-load of it.

I need to work on my attitude, even by gratitude journal is getting a little monotonous.  I'm trying to keep things in a routine (I do better with that), eating healthily, walking outside when possible, and touching base with family and friends, but I am over this.  I want everything to go back to how it was, I want to drive down to the fabric store and just wander around and shop, I want to meet a friend for coffee, I want to throw a tantrum....

I guess we all have those moments, and I'm having mine.  So I need to pull my big girl panties up and soldier on with a more positive attitude.  And when I need a more positive attitude, I make myself treats.  So this week for breakfast, I made myself some pumpkin spice toaster waffles (my little dash waffle maker makes the perfect size for the toaster) from All Day I Dream About Food.  I am eating them with some sugar free maple syrup and toasted pecans.  Add a couple of sausage links and the day is off to a better start.

Find the Pumpkin Waffles here.

For lunch, I've been craving salad.  So I made a lovely salad and eat them with these crackers from Sugar Free Mom.  I like to toast them in my air fryer so they are warm and crunchy. I used the recipe for her Quick Keto Toast and just cut them into smaller cracker size pieces.

And I've reinstated the daily drink, but with no alcohol.  I've been enjoying the Lava Flow from Maria Mind Body Health.  I made a whole batch but only mix the ice in with a single serving each evening.  Sometimes I add the  strawberry on top, sometimes I don't and sometimes I just mix the strawberry into the whole thing.  Any way it is a delicious way to end the day.

So I am working on my attitude, one meal at a time.  I'm walking outside more, riding my stationary bike, and still writing in my gratitude journal and meditating. What do you do to help you get through the hard days?

April 16, 2020  Sunrise 6:09 am  Sunset 9:33 pm  Temp H 42/ L 30°F 

Keto Cranberry Salad

One of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes is this cranberry salad.  I used to make it every year. Dave doesn't like cranberries so I would get the whole salad to myself.  Well, it has sugar and pineapple, not keto friendly ingredients, so I haven't had it the last couple of years.  This year I decided I wanted, no needed, that salad, so I set out to make it keto friendly.

The sugar substitution is easy, I just used swerve, but the pineapple was a little harder to manage.  I did buy pineapple extract and thought I could do something with that and it was perfect.

I followed the directions exactly the first time and realized the salad set up too tight because of the lack of extra moisture from the pineapple so the second time I added an extra 1/2 cup of water and more celery.

I do love this salad and I'll be eating it often now that I have a sugar free option.  When I put this recipe in Carb Manager with 8 servings (about 1/2 cup), it came to 5 carbs or 3 net carbs so definitely something that doesn't need to be in the treat category.  You're welcome.

Keto Cranberry Salad

1 Tbsp. plain gelatin
3 Tbsp. water
2 cups cranberries
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup sweetener, I use Swerve
1/2 - 1 tsp. pineapple extract
1 1/2 cups  diced celery
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Bloom gelatin in 3 Tbsp. water, set aside.  Cook cranberries and salt in 1 1/2 cups water until skins start to pop.  Add sweetener and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add bloomed gelatin and pineapple extract.  Stir until gelatin is completely melted and mixed.  Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Once cranberries are cooled, add celery and walnuts.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. 
Serves 8

1 year ago:    Zucchini Chips and the New Food Dehydrator
3 years ago:  Orangesicle Champagne
5 years ago:  Peppermint Pretzels

December 4, 2019  Sunrise 10:27 am  Sunset 2:54 pm  Temp H -15/ L -21°F

Roasted Broccoli Salad

I'm feeling very healthy these days. Mostly because I am getting my exercise in.  Our new offices are on the 5th floor of our building and the elevator is soooooo sssslllloooowww (really, we timed it and I can walk up to our floor, down to the first floor and up to our office floor BEFORE the elevator arrives). So, I walk the stairs every morning to get to my office.

Everyone in my office has been talking about what great shape we will be in as we huff and puff up those stairs.  I wonder how long it will take up to climb those flights of stairs and not be out of breath?

And because my new office is literally across the hall from the ladies room and so I don't get my steps in, I have decided to walk down the stairs and up the stairs every time I go to the bathroom...like 16 times a day. And, I placed little exercise cards in the windows of each floor so when I get to that floor I will do 10 wall push ups or 10 squats etc. So you see, I am getting a lot of exercise.

So continue my healthy habits I made this delicious roasted broccoli salad and have been bringing it for my lunch.  Broccoli is not my favorite, but I love it in this salad.  It has just enough crunch left in the broccoli and the bacon bits to make it very satisfying.  I think it gives me enough energy to climb those 5 flights of stairs up and down one extra time after lunch.

Roasted Broccoli Salad

4 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 cup avocado oil
2 bunches of broccoli, about 4 cups, separated into bite sized florets
1/4 cup onion
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. sweetener, I used swerve confectioners, optional
1/4 tsp. salt, more or less to taste
1/4 tsp. pepper, more or less to taste
3 Tbsp. salted sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Toss broccoli with avocado oil and spread in a single layer.  Roast for 15-20 minutes until just beginning to crisp edges.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Meanwhile, in a medium frying pan.  Cook chopped bacon until crisp.  Remove from heat to a paper towel to drain.  Add onion to bacon fat and sauté until translucent.  Remove to paper towel to drain. 

In a small bowl mix mayo, sour cream, sweetener, salt and pepper. 

In a large bowl toss broccoli with mayo/ sour cream mixture, add onion and bacon.  Pour into serving bowl and top with sunflower seeds.

1 year ago:    Homemade Coffee Liqueur and Keeping Traditions
5 years ago:   Garlic Chili Chicken and My Saturday Afternoon Date
7 years ago:   Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

October 17, 2010  Sunrise 8:49 am  Sunset 6:21 pm  Temp. H 31/ L 20°F

Franklin

We have a new family member and I am so in love.  Franklin is the cutest little guy you've ever seen.  He is little, but he is mighty, the big white dog is afraid of him, but we are working on that.  We got Franklin for Christmas, and I didn't realize what a hole we had in our family until Franklin came along.  I know who needs one more mouth to feed, but I think we can make an exception for this guy.

Franklin is an iRobot vacuum.  He is scheduled to clean every afternoon at 3:00 while we are at work.  We come home to a clean floor and no more poodles (piles of dog hair) hiding under the table or chairs between me vacuuming on the weekend.  I even put him down the hall every morning to vacuum the downstairs bedrooms.  I can't believe how much dog hair Franklin picks up every time he vacuums and how much I love our cleaner floors!

Tek is afraid of Franklin.  Dave put Franklin in the entry the other night and Tek stood guard the whole time he was working.  Franklin would get a little too close and Tek would run for safe ground, only to creep back on him when he was headed a different direction.  It is a good thing Tek and Mooree are in the garage kennel when Franklin makes his afternoon rounds.

I am loving Franklin so much, I'm looking for iRobots to go on sale and get one for my upstairs.  With 4 dogs we always are struggling to keep up.  I brush the dogs every morning and vacuum every week, but I just don't have time to vacuum every other day, like I should, to keep up with the shedding.  I think Franklin needs an upstairs buddy.

So, while I check for sales, I snack on bagels and cream cheese.

Bagels, you say?  Those are not keto, but yes these bagels are.  There are lots of keto bagel recipes around.  I used the recipe from Carolyn Ketchum over at All Day I Dream About Food.  My bagels didn't turn out at thick as hers because I use my own shredded cheese and she uses pre-shredded cheese, the starch that is added to prevent clumping pre-shredded cheese gives the dough a little structure and so a thicker bagel.  I just choose not to use the pre-shredded cheese, but you can.  These are delicious with Everything Bagel topping from Trader Joe or your made at home mix, or plain with cream cheese or Legendary Foods Apple Pie or Pecan Pie butter (I often eat that stuff just on a spoon!)

So, make some bagels and shop for an Roomba...I could buy one faster if Roomba would sponsor me for this post (hint, hint!)

For Bagels go to:
All Day I Dream About Food

I like to weigh my dough so I can divide it evenly.

First I cut it into 8 pieces.

Then I weigh it to make sure each piece weighs the same.

Roll it into a snake, just like preschool playdough time.

My favorite topping. I stock up when I go someplace that has
a Trader Joe's

Eight little rings of joy in my oven!

January 29, 2019  Sunrise 9:42am  Sunset 4:26pm  Temp. H 14/ L -1˚F

1 year ago:    Moussaka
3 years ago:  Physical Therapy for the New Hip and Beet and Orange Salad
5 years ago:  Lost Books and the Start of a New collection

Antipasta Salad

We had chicken.  Not Dave's favorite, so I made a side "salad" that I knew he would enjoy.  I can eat this for my meal, I just put it over some crunchy greens, but Dave likes this just the way it is.

Antipasta Salad
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and cut in quarters
1/4 cup aged provolone, broken into chunks or cut
1/4 pepperoni, sliced
1/4 hard salami, sliced into strips
1/2 cup olives, cut in half
1 cup mini mozzarella balls
1/4 to 1/2 cup Italian dressing or good oil and vinegar
1 head roasted garlic, garlic cloves removed and kept intact
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

Mix all ingredients together.  Serve as is or over greens.

1 year ago:   The Lost Jacket and Cinnamon Cream Cheese Kringle
4 years ago:  Peppermint Pretzels
5 years ago:  Biscuits and Gravy
7 years ago:  When Life Gives you Lemons, Make Meatball Subs

December 13, 2018   Sunrise 10:48 am  Sunset 2:41 pm  Temp. H-9/ L -14°F

Zucchini Chips

I have a new obsession.  It used to be things like hostess cupcakes, snickers bars, ice cream (o.k. so I still love ice cream), potato chips...the list goes on.  But most of those things I no longer eat and feel better for it, also for most of those things there is a keto version that I enjoy just as much.

However, I do miss the salty crunch of potato chips with a burger or hot dog.  In all honesty, I have eaten potato chips once in a while, just a few, but I know that goes directly against my food goals.  So you can imagine how excited I was when I saw some zucchini chips posted on Pinterest!  I tried to make my first batch in my oven, but my oven doesn't go below 250°F, so the chips were not ideal.

So, I did what anyone would do, I went and bought a food dehydrator.

I am loving this thing!  I use my mandolin to cut my zucchini nice and thin, lay them on the screens, turn  it on to 135°F and let it do it's thing.  8-12 hours later I have delicious, crunchy chips.  I like mine with salt, garlic and a little Parmesan. I have to be careful because the first day I ate two whole zucchini with my lunch and drank a ton of water and didn't feel so good the rest of the day!  I do need to learn the art of moderation!

So, this is what I do for my chip fix now.  I'm going to try radishes and see how that goes.  I also want to try cranberries for some keto cranberry bliss bars for the holiday season.  I might be late to the food dehydrator game, but I'm loving it now that I'm here!

Zucchini Chips

2 large zucchini, small just dry up to tiny nothings
2 Tbsp. avocado oil
salt
garlic powder
parmesan

Slice zucchini on mandolin.  Place zucchini in a bowl, add oil and toss to coat all the chips.  Place on dehydrator trays then salt and sprinkle with garlic (if I'm using parmesan, I dip one side in a little bowl of parmesan before I put it on the tray and top with salt and/or garlic).  Using manufacturer's directions, dehydrate (mine take about 12 hours and I like to rotate the top trays and the bottom trays half way through).

What other toppings should I try on my chips?

1 year ago:   Sleeping Pants and Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
4 years ago:  Sometime Home Made Bread is Love
5 years ago:  Words with Friends and Dutch Apple Pie
7 years ago:  Barbeque and Bird Feeders

December 11, 2018  Sunrise 10:45am  Sunset 2:43pm  Temp. H 7/ L -5˚F

Spinach Artichoke Pull-Apart Rolls

Our last camping trip, I think, at least the last one I can count on this year.  We are headed to Seattle for Gman's 2nd birthday, then I have surgery on my wrist, then Dave is gone to moose camp and I start my fall travel.  Posts will be few and far between for a while.

A ride up to the rock and a toast to the last camping
trip of the season.  

We camped, we rode our 4 wheelers, we took naps, we ate and drank (just a little).  It was a good weekend.  Any weekend out in Alaska is a good weekend.

We were trying to let the dog blanket dry.
Tek decided he still needed to sit on it.

I made a special little treat for before dinner.  I put this together at home and then assembled it out at camp.  I cooked it on the covered grill.  Next time I'll use my dutch oven.  The rolls cooked, but they didn't brown up nicely.  That didn't stop us from eating them and they were delicious.  Then we put the dip on our steaks at dinner.  Left-overs were my lunch the next day.

Cooking on the covered grill works, but the bread doesn't
toast up on the top like it will in your oven at home.

Spinach Artichoke Pull-Apart Rolls
adapted from Cast Iron Keto, blog

For the Rolls:
6 oz. cream cheese
2 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella, low moisture works best here
3 eggs
2 1/4 Tablespoons baking powder
1 cup + 1/2 Tablespoon almond flour

For the Dip:
4 oz. cream cheese
1- 7 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup mozzarella
1/4 cup parmesean
1/2 cup frozen spinach, chopped
4 green onions, sliced
2 large cloves garlic, chopped fine
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Make the rolls:  melt cream cheese and mozzarella in the microwave until soft and easy to mix.  Add eggs, baking powder an almond flour, mix well.  Chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, make dip.  In a medium bowl add all the dip ingredients and mix well with a hand mixer.  Set aside.

Take dough from refrigerator and make into 12 balls.  Roll them in your hands to shape them, I wet my hands and that helped the dough not stick.  Place balls around the edges of your cast iron pan.  Cool in refrigerator for at least 10 minutes or up to overnight. 

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Spoon dip in the middle of your pan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until rolls are golden brown and fluffy and dip is hot throughout.  Serve.

2 years ago:  End of the Summer
4 years ago:  Brandy Alexander and New Cookbooks
5 years ago:  Happy Home Makeer - Drink of the Week

August 13, 2018  Sunrise 5:31 am  Sunset 10:17 pm  Temp. H 59/ L 47°F

Pork Dust

With this new way of eating I have had to embrace pork dust.  It isn't as magical as fairy dust, but it has done me some good.  Pork dust is just plain chicharrones ground to a powder.  If you don't think about what they are, they are really good, and take the place of bread crumbs for so many things!  I use them for "breading" when I make minute steaks, chicken, or fish sticks, and they are the crunchy topping to this Halibut Olympia we have on the regular.  I'm going to try the spicy chicharrones ground and used as a coating for chicken wings.

I have gotten into the habit of buying a couple bags, grinding them all in my food processor, and keeping them in my freezer so I always have a ready supply.  If you are going low carb, this is the thing to try!

These chips are the perfect gateway recipe.  You'll never know what they are made of, they are crunchy, a little salty, and a good substitute for tortilla chips (something I can't have in my house or I'll eat the whole bag and not share).  I made a batch when I made some spicy pork tinga (recipe to come) and used it as a topping for my  chips.  It was a delicious, low carb dinner that really felt like such a treat!

I'm planning on making a double batch and having them for dips at our SuperBowl party in February.
These will be so good with artichoke-crab dip or spicy cheese dip.

Chips, pork, avocado, radishes, queso fresco, and cilantro...
the perfect bite.

This recipe makes 2 servings, but I ate most of them myself.  I had a couple left over that I crumbled and put on my salad for lunch the next day.  It was delicious.

It is a good thing they are easy and quick to make.  I know I'll be making them on a regular basis.  I might even have to take a little baggie of them with me when we go to our favorite Mexican place across the street and have them with the hot queso.  Tortilla chips are no longer a problem.

Pork Rind Chips

adapted from KetoConnect online

1.5 oz. pork rinds

3 oz. Queso Fresco 

2 Tsp. taco seasoning, homemade or store bought

Preheat oven to 450°F, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Break cheese up in chunks and add to food processor, process to break up into small pieces.  Add pork rinds, process until pork rinds and cheese are combined.  Add seasonings and process until well combined.

Pour onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and pat into a rectangle.  Keep the mixture about 1/8-1/4 inch thick, they tend to break if they get too thin.

Bake for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and cut into desired shapes ( I cut long strips, then made triangles).  Spread out a little to separate chips.  

Reduce heat in oven to 400°F.  Bake chips for 8-10 minutes more, watching carefully so they don't get too browned (or burned).  Cool.

Makes 2 servings

Top with your favorite toppings, or use to dip into your favorite dips.  Enjoy.

1 year ago:   Movie on a Plane and Chocolate Mousse

3 years ago:  Nutella Mug Cake and Enjoying my Birthday

5 years ago:  Dog Sledding

January 4, 2018   Sunrise 10:49 am  Sunset 3:02 pm   Temp H 11/ L 7°F

Pork roast with Eggplant

I was in Colorado last week for work.  I got to spend some time with my brother, went to Pikes Peak, saw my dear friends Mark and Suzanne, who used to be my back door neighbors, and then after work and all that fun, stopped in Seattle to visit the grandbaby and his parents.  I'll post pictures later this week.  

I'm headed to Seward for the rest of this week for work.  Fly into Anchorage and drive 2 hours to Seward.  It should be a beautiful drive, but there is so much to do this time of year, I'm struggling with my attitude about this trip!

It has cooled down in Fairbanks.  The mornings are very cool, the birds have all flown south, and everyone I talk to says it feels like winter is just around the corner.  

"Embrace the cold," is my motto for this time of year.  The cold is coming and there is nothing we can do to change it, so embrace it.  I guess that would be good advice for myself with this upcoming trip.

I made this delicious pork roast and eggplant.  The pork is done in the crock pot, so easy hands-off cooking, and the eggplant took about 20 minutes tops.  We had a warm, delicious dinner on this blustery evening.  Winter is coming so we might as well embrace it!

Pork Roast With Eggplant Mash

from Quick and Easy Ketogenic Cooking, Maria Emmerich

Pork Ragu

1 medium onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 tsp. finely chopped garlic

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried oregano

3/4 tsp. fine sea salt

1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes (with juice)

2 cups beef or chicken broth

3 lbs. pork spareribs, cut into individual ribs

Chopped fresh flat-leave parsley, for garnish, optional

In a 4-quart slow cooker, combine the onion, tomato paste, garlic, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and their juices an the broth; stir well to combine. Add the pork spareribs and turn to coat.

Cover and cook until the pork is very tender, 7-8 hours on low or 5-6 hours on high.

Remove the ribs from the slow cooker, leaving the cooking liquid in the pot. Using two forks, shred the pork. Return the pot to the slow cooker and mix it into the cooking liquid.

Then make eggplant mash.

EggPlant Mash

(In the cookbook, the author called this grits, I think that is misleading.  Grits have a very unique texture and this is more like a smooth mash.  You can call it what you want, I call it delicious.)

4 cups peeled and cubed eggplant (about 1 lb.)

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 cup chopped onions

1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic

1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

1/2 tsp. dried ground oregano

1/2 cup beef bone broth

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Place eggplant cubes and bacon pieces in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Stir-fry until the bacon is fried and eggplant is extremely soft, about 10 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant and bacon to a food processor; leave the bacon fat in the pan. Puree the eggplant and bacon until smooth.

In the skillet with the bacon fat, add the onions and cook, over medium-high heat, stirring until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and salt and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the eggplant puree and oregano to the skillet and stir to combine. Cook, stirring with heavy wooden spoon, until the mixture forms a thick paste, 5-10 minutes, adding the broth 1 Tbsp. at a time to keep the eggplant from getting dry.  Sprinkle with cheese, stir, and serve.

Divide the eggplant among wide, shallow bowls and spoon the ragu over the top.  Sprinkle each serving with chopped parsley, if desired, and serve immediately.

2 years ago:  Shotgun Wedding Soup and Waiting on the Mouse

3 years ago:  Moose Camp Good News/Bad News and Pasta with Two Peas

5 years ago:  Soup and Sandwich Night with Roasted Tomato Soup

September 19, 2017   Sunrise 7:26 am  Sunset 8:00 pm  Temp. H 50/ L 36°F

Zucchini tots

This is the time of year in Fairbanks when you NEVER leave your car unlocked, not even in your own driveway.  Because, if you do, you will end up with pounds of zucchini.
I swear, I pick all the zucchini and the next day I find 7 more and half of them are giants!  The two of us just can't keep up.  We are eating zucchini at every meal...now I like zucchini (especially in chocolate cake) but enough is enough!

Well, all my neighbors are on to me and they always lock their doors.  If I leave it on their porch, they kindly return it with a "I think you forgot this" note...darn it!
So, tonight with dinner, we had zucchini yet again.  This time in a tot.  They are warm, cheesy, and take about 15 minutes to put together and 15 minutes to bake.  I made a double batch and put them in the freezer.  I still have about 15 pounds of zucchini to use.  Any suggestions?

Zucchini Tots
the Ketogenic Cookbook, Jimmy Moore ad Maria Emmerich

You can find the recipe in this book:

1 year ago:   The End of Summer
3 years ago:  Chocolate Zucchini Quick Bread
5 years ago:  Zucchini and Cheese Tart

August 29, 2017  Sunrise 6:23 am  Sunset 9:18 pm  Temp. H 58/ L 48°F

Oat, Seed, and Nut Crackers

I love nuts and seeds.  My family, not so much.  I made this delicious bread and I was the only one who liked it.  I found this recipe for crackers and thought I would try them.  I love them, they are crunchy, nutty and delicious; but my family wasn't so keen.  Maybe it's just me, I thought.

Well, I was headed out for work for about 3 weeks and I didn't want these crackers to go to waste, so I took them to work hoping someone would like them...they were gone in one afternoon.  Everyone loved them and I had several requests for the recipe.  So, it isn't me who likes unusual things, it is the rest of my family who doesn't know what is good.  I felt vindicated.

I'm making them often so I have a supply through the holidays.  I hope you try them and enjoy them as much as I do.

Oat, Seed and Nut Crackers
Bon Appétit, November 2016

1 cup old fashioned oats,
3/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/3 cup sesame seeds
3 Tbsp. chia seeds
3 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 tsp. kosher salt
4 tsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
3/4 cup room temperature water

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir until soaked.  Let sit 10 minutes to allow mixture to thicken.  Form into a ball.  Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, press another sheet of parchment on top, and roll our to 1/8" thickness (the shape doesn't matter).  Remove top layer of parchment.  Bake cracker until golden brown around the edges, 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and carefully turn over cracker; remove parchment.  Bake cracker on same sheet until firm and the other side is golden brown around the edges, 15-20 minutes.  Let cool on baking sheet, then break into pieces.  8 servings.

1 year ago:    Celebrating a new Kick-Ass Dr. and Christmas Dreams Drink of the Week
3 years ago:   Tucker on the Sofa and Pumpkin Brownies
5 years ago:   Chinook Winds - Drink of the Week

December 2, 2016  Sunrise 10:24  Sunset 2:57  Temp. H -4/ L -12˚F