Palmini Lasagna Noodles (Product Review)

BENEFITS: Lower carb than regular pasta noodles. They can be eaten raw and are quite nice that way. They could be used cut into ribbon shapes in soup.

CONS: Baked they get stringy and chewy, as well as they put a lot of lemon-flavored fluid into the dish.

BEST USE: Fish-based lasagna with white sauce, “hamburger helper” style pan lasagna with these noodles tossed in at the very end of the cooking process so they don’t get over cooked.

MUST: Rinse and drain well before use.

THOUGHTS:

These pasta-substitute noodles are made from palm. They are cut in the shape of lasagna noodles. They are readily available at local grocery stores (at least in my area) or online from the manufacturer or amazon.

Unlike the angel hair Palmini pasta substitute, the lasagna noodles didn’t work for me. When I saw them for sale at the grocery store, I got some to try. I thought immediately of using them to create a lasagna version of my “kale bake”.

The package says to rinse and drain the noodles then use them as you would normally use lasagna noodles. So I did so. I discovered in a 9×9 baking dish, a layer included 8 pieces of Palmini laid four wide, two deep, fit in the pan perfectly.

The result? Yulk! Baked as a new layer into the Kale-Bake recipe I recently posted here (this recipe is my own creation) these noddles get stringy and fibrous; as well they taste like artichoke hearts once baked. Very lemony. So if you enjoy seafood/fish lasagna with a white sauce, go for it! Otherwise, I’d skip this version.

Having said that, however, I’d also be willing to try in the future (if I buy more of these) these noodles roughly chopped up to make a “hamburger helper” style of pan lasagna. To do so I suggest cooking the meat or beans, draining if needed, adding any veggies and sauce to cook those completely, seasoning to taste, and then adding chopped Palmini lasagna noodles which have been rinsed and well drained. Serve as soon as they are hot.

SERVINGS:

One package, as shown above, rinsed and drained had 20 lasagna shaped pieces in it.

SIZE:

I found the only photos of what is inside this package to be a bit misleading or confusing as to side. The rectangle Palmini sheets are about the size of a 2lb block of cheese thinly sliced.

Bread Flour (Conventional)

Did you ever find a recipe which calls for “bread flour” but you don’t have any and don’t want to run out to the store? If you have the following two ingredients, then you can make your bread flour at home, easy peasy. NOTE: This is also some times called “strong flour” for baking bread.

INGREDIENTS:
1. 1 Cup Flour (all purpose)
2. 1.5 tsp vital wheat gluten

DIRECTIONS:
For each cup of “bread flour” called for in your recipe, combine 1 cup of all purpose flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons of vital wheat gluten. Mix to incorporate these two flours until thoroughly mixed, then proceed with the recipe which calls for “bread flour.”

NOTE:
If you recipe calls for more than one cup of “bread flour” repeat the above recipe times the number of cups of “bread flour” called for in the recipe.

Example: This recipe yields one cup of bread flour. If your recipe calls for two cups, use 2 cups of all purpose flour with 3 teaspoons of vital wheat gluten, and so on.

I used this recipe in adjusting the quantities of ingredients for the Conventional Brioche Buns Recipe.

Keto “Rye Bread” (Bread Machine)

Tried a bread machine recipe that is lower carb. What is great about this recipe is how it smells wts baking, that ability to “fill” the entire house with that wonderful fragrance, the chewy crust factor, and having “real” bread. However, having said that, it is also likely not worth getting a bread machine, if you’ve not got one already. Too pricey (and bulky).

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 C warm water
• 1 TBS yeast
• 2 TBS caraway seeds (vital for flavoring)
• 2 TBS sesame seed oil (vital for flavoring)
• 1 tsp Allulose (liquid)
• 2 eggs, beaten (or substitute with JUST eggs plant based for vegan)
• 2/3 cup ground golden flax meal
• 1/2 cup oat fiber
• 1 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
• 4 TBS Allulose Powdered Sugar form
• 1 TBS Psyllium husk powder
• 1 TBS Real Salt
• 2 TBS room-temp butter

METHOD:

Great thing about this recipe, it is simply putting the above ingredients, in the amounts given, into the bread machine in this exact order as outlined below:

1. Warm water with yeast. Let it sit for 5-7 minutes until it foams slightly.
2. Liquid Allulose.
3. Caraway seeds.
4. Sesame Oil (here is where it starts to smell amazing)
5. Eggs.
6. Golden Flax meal (this doesn’t taste “flaxy” in the end product!)
7. Oat fiber.
8. Vital Wheat Gluten.
9. Powdered Allulose.
10. Psyllium Husk Powder
11. Real Salt.
12. Butter (room temp)
13. Close lid.
14. Set on the 3 hour bread making cycle.

NOTES:

• The original recipe stated 2 carbs per slice and this loaf was sliced into 16 pieces to arrive at that net carb count (NOTE: this recipe is high in fiber). I found the crust (my machine was on “Medium” by the way) was difficult to slice thru, making it P E R F E C T L Y chewy on the outside and nice and spongy on the inside. Because of this, I only managed to cut my loaf into 8 slices making the carb count roughly 4 carbs per slice.
• I could not taste the Allulose in this recipe at all. It is not sweet or obvious. It just blends in. Having said that, I’m not certain substituting it with another sugar alternative would produce the same result(s) but I also wouldn’t hesitate to switch it up or leave it out if needed. The liquid allulose could be substituted with sugar, in the yeast water, as the yeast will eat up the sugar to start growing.
• Holds butter well!
• To toast, try toasting it in a pan. This bread wasn’t the best toasted, but it works. I made a toasted cheese sandwich.
• One of my neighbors tried this bread. They said they like it better than regular store-bought conventional bread. They are not a low carber.
• This bread tasted even better frozen, then thawed. Simply slice it before freezing, so it is easier to thaw just what you need. The texture, stays chewy, and the “rye” flavor intensified.

SOURCE: I found this recipe on Pinterest, and adapted from the original recipe posted at https://lowcarbinspirations.com/wprm_print/306483.

My adaptation was to make it egg-free and it turned out great! Anyone looking for a lower carb vegan or egg free bread will be happy with the plant-based substitute. It doesn’t add any odd “mung bean” flavor (I think the sesame oil covers it up). Also, I think this same basic bread recipe can be made without the “rye” flavoring, by switching out the sesame seed oil and caraway seeds for dill (perhaps 1-2 tsp), dried onions (perhaps 1 TBS), and a bit of buttermilk powder. When this “rye” version is gone, I will try to adapt the dill version sans the sweetener and post the results here.

UPDATES:

As this bread sat a day, at room temperature on the counter top (covered, of course), it became an entirely different experience. The taste didn’t change much but the texture did. It is fabulous the next day. Better than the “cooled” from the bread machine same/day bread. For my taste buds, eat the heels of the bread loaf the same day, save the rest for subsequent days.

Having shared this bread with others, everyone who tried it liked it and wanted more, I’m not going to have any trouble finishing this before it may go bad. Nevertheless, I”m going to freeze a slice, just to see how it thaws. I ate it raw, despite originally expected to have to toast it. Most keto and/or lower-carb breads need to be toasted to be eatable. This one is great as it comes. I also found it way easier to slice thinly even nearly “shaved” thin. It is quite flexible the next day and doesn’t easily break. Cut thinly and cut in 1/2 it makes the perfect “cocktail” size slices of rye bread I grew up with.

Macaroon Bake

This simple to make sweet treat is easy to make, comes together in minutes, and combines macaroons with a nutty graham -cracker crust substitute. Bonus: Easy clean up!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package unsweetened coconut
• 1 package JUSTegg
• 1 splash cream de cocoa
• sugar-free chocolate bits
• pecan meal
• room temp stick of butter
• Swerve brown sugar
• Swerve granular

METHOD:

1. In a 9x9Pan, spread pecan meal to cover bottom of pan.
2. Top pecan meal with a layer of Swerve brown sugar.
3. Stir to combine.
4. Add softened butter to the pecan/brown Swerve mixture. Mix well to combine. Spread out evenly over bottom of 9×9 pan.
5. Now, mix a splash of cream de cocoa over the opened package of unsweetened coconut, add a bit of Swerve granular, and JUSTegg. Stir to combine. Spread in an even layer over prepared pecan crust.
6. Top, if desired, with unsweetened (or stevia sweetened) chocolate bits.
7. Bake 350 until fragrant and edges of coconut are just browning.
8. Cool. Cut in to bars. Enjoy.
9. Store left overs in bite-size pieces in fridge or freezer to thaw and enjoy later.

This recipe is my own creation mocking “graham cracker crust” and macaroon cookies but making them with egg-free and sugar-free ingredients.

Brioche Buns (Low Carb)

I have two recipes I’ve tried for Brioche Buns. One is conventional (high carb) and the other is low carb. Both are really great recipes. Given some time, I may combine the two methods and come up with my own version, as there are things I like about each version. Normally, when I test out a recipe from the internet (this one I found on Pinterest) I simply list the “source” of the recipe I tried, and modified for various needs, at the bottom of the recipe. This time I’m putting the source right up top because this food blogger has a lot of tips you may want to read thru prior to making this recipe. The source for this recipe is FatKitchen.com

INGREDIENTS:

• a quality kitchen scale
• a baking sheet
• a clean kitchen towel
• 236 grams 80-degree water
• 1.5 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp yeast
• 100 grams room temperature JUSTeggs
• 80 grams lupin flour
• 170 grams vital wheat gluten
• 38 grams Oat fiber
• 3.5 TBSP allulose
• 3.5 grams real salt
• 2 TBSP room-temp butter
• (Optional) egg wash, melted butter, everything bagel seasoning or sesame seeds to top the rolls before baking.

METHOD:

1. Add water , sugar, and yeast to the bowl of your stand mixer. Allow this to begin to bubble to test the yeast.
2. Meanwhile, in another bowl measure by gram weight and mix together the lupin flour, vital wheat gluten, and oat fiber until combined. Set aside until later.
3. If your yeast is proofed, then add the dough hook to your stand mixer and slowly add the JUSTeggs on low speed until mixed.
4. Now add 1/2 of the flour mixture we sat aside above. Let the dough hook in the mixer run on low for 3 minutes. Then add the remaining flour mixture and let the mixer’s dough hook run on low for another 12 minutes. (Great time to clean up and put things away!)
5. Add the real salt and softened butter. Allow both to mix in well. The dough should not be greasy if the butter is mixed all the way in. Keep mixing longer if the dough feels greasy.
6. Remove the dough hook from the mixer. Cover your mixing bowl with the dough in it with a clean towel and allow to rest 30 minutes.
7. Remove dough from bowl. Turn out onto a cutting board. Cut in to 8 equal sized portions.
8. Shape as desired. Cover.
9. Allow to double in size (approximately 1.5 hours)
10. Bake at 375 for 18 minutes.
11. Allow to cool before cutting.
12. Enjoy!

Source: https://www.fatkitchen.com/low-carb-brioche-buns/

Thanks Charisse (pronounced ‘sha-reese’) for working out this great base recipe.

Quinoa Salad

Great middle-eastern style chopped salad. The tinnier you chop the herbs and onions, the better the result. It is super nice once its marinaded. Great salad to make ahead and set out when guests arrive.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup quinoa, dry (yields 4 cups cooked)
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• ¼ cup chopped mint
• ⅔ cup pomegranate seeds (1 pomegranate or frozen, thawed)
• ½ small red onion, finely chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon (approx 2 tbsp)
• Zest of 1 lemon (1 tsp)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp cumin (optional)
• sea salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

1. Begin by making the quinoa according to the package directions. Alternatively, make this recipe to use up left over plain quinoa. NOTE: If you use left over quinoa, allow it to come to room temperature before stirring in additional ingredients.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, fluffing, and cooling, wash the mind and the parsley. Allow to dry. Finely minced or use an herb scissors to finely mince the leaves.
3. Mix together Pomegranate seeds, the minced red onion, with the herbs. Stir into cooled quinoa.
4. Mix lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic powder and cumin together. Pour over salad as a dressing.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Refrigerate (over night is best).
7. Serve.

Kale Bake

This casserole is a lower-carb version of a lasagna-like dish, with similar flavors, but unique. This is a great, gluten-free, nightshade-free, recipe to use up things you have on hand and it tastes great. It is lovely paired with a side salad.

INGREDIENTS:

• 9 x 9 pan
  • White sauce (home made or store bought)
    • Kale (or spinach)
      • One or more cheeses (can be vegan, homemade, or store bought). Suggestions include: Italian cheeses, ricotta, cottage cheese (drained), fresh shaved Parmesan, mozzarella, or Monterrey Jack.
      • Dried Italian Seasoning to taste.
      • Pepperoni (vegan, or turkey based) or sausage (vegan or beef)

METHOD:

Layer, alternating layers, into – 9×9 Pan the following:
– kale pesto white sauce
– Kale
– 1 to 3 Cheeses (ricotta, cottage cheese, fresh shaved Parmesan, mozzarella, Monterrey Jack)
– Italian Seasoning
– (optional crumbled sausage or other favorite protein source)
– repeat layers as needed to fill the pan
Bake 350 for 45 minutes, or until cheese is to your desired brownness.

SAUSAGE (optional):

To make sausage (optional) take 1 lb of your favorite protein source and place it in a bowl. (If you are using canned beans, rinse and drain well before placing in the bowl). Lay down a “bead” (where you can still see the spice and it doesn’t get lost into the moisture of the protein source) of each spice: fennel seeds, pepper, salt to taste (optional-cheese is already salty), celery powder, garlic powder, parsley, dried onion flakes, a pinch of brown sugar, and a pinch of mustard powder. Mix the spices throughout the protein source so it is equally distributed. For raw-meat, cook and cool before placing on pizza or in the lasagna-like kale casserole. If using beans, add enough onion flakes and spices to bind the beans together and you can skip the cooking step for this recipe and use them in bit-sized drops as a protein layer in your casserole dish.

I’ve tried this recipe with an additional ingredient. Read about my trial of adding Palmini Lasagna sheets to this recipe.

Oven-Roasted Okra

Recently, I viewed a video with the topic of the three healthiest veggies you can eat. In that video, by YouTuber, Dr. Steven Gundry, he reported Okra is super healthy because of its overall benefits to gut health.

INGREDIENTS:

• Frozen Okra
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Pepper

METHOD:

1. Thaw a frozen bag of okra.
2. Preheat Oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Cut Okra in half. (or skip this step if your okra is already pre cut)
4. Place on baking sheet.
5. Drizzle with olive oil.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
8. Flip it over.
9. Bake for 10 minutes longer.

NOTES:

The video claimed that these are crispy, and a non-slimy way to eat Okra. When I made the recipe, it wasn’t “crispy” by any means. This leaves me to looking for a better way to enjoy Okra. I used to have a fabulous recipe, from Vegan Times, which used okra as a tuna-salad substitute. Unfortunately, I’ve not been able to locate that recipe again.

Plant Family:

Recipe Source: https://youtu.be/foemoLcDo7s?t=326

Nutritional Info:
Per Dr Alan Mandell, DC Okra has the following benefits:

1. Better Digestion
2. Cleanses colon.
3. Low calorie.
4. Assists kidney functions.
5. Diuretic.
6. High Fiber.
7. Lowers cholesterol.
8. Improve cardiac function.
9. Great antioxidants.
10. Fights off free radicals (which can lead to cancer)
11. Help immunity with vitamin c and works with good bacteria in the intestinal track.
12. Fertility benefits: folic acid.
13. Blood Sugar: hypoglycemic. For diabetic prevention, take fresh okra, poke holes in it, soak in water overnight, then drink it.
14. Asthma: vitamin C is proven to help some.
15. Brain: okra’s health benefits include anti-inflammatory properties, brain boost, and helps prevent neurological issues.
16. Eye health: cataracts.
17. Vitamin K and Folic Acid helps with bone health, osteoporosis.
18. Helps skin.
19. Helps heal ulcers.

HEB

My local grocery store is HEB (which is a Texas grocery chain). HEB regularly has okra available frozen (plain and cut, or breaded) as well as fresh (sold in a clam shell in the produce area) . I’ve tried all of these and the breaded isn’t worth purchasing. As it cooks, the breading falls off and this is not crispy.

Do you have a favorite method of making Okra? Or recipe?

Turkey Nuggets

This recipe was adapted (source linked below) to make Turkey-based nuggets from ground meat. Currently, in the local market, ground turkey is $1.99/lb (less costly, per pound than beans or any other local protein). It is versatile. The original recipe, which I adapted to be nightshade free, included hot sauce. If you prefer that “buffalo” flavor, tap thru to the original recipe for details at the Paleo Spirit blog.

INGREDIENTS:

• Coconut flour (divided: 1/4 cup for the nuggets, another 1/4 cup for the breading)
• Flax meal (2 TBSP ground flax seed for breading)
• Real Salt (divided: 1 tsp for the nuggets, another 1/4 tsp for the breading)
• Black pepper (1/4 tsp for the breading)
• 1 lb chub ground turkey (or other ground meat, or 1 lb meat substitute for vegan)
• Egg (1; or 1/4 cup liquid JUST egg replacement for vegan)
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp parsley flakes
• Seasoning of choice (Options: such as none, celery salt, pepper, hot sauce, or horseradish, if using)

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or us a non-stick, silicone-based mat liner.
• Combine 1lb of ground turkey (or other protein choice) in a bowl.
• Add over turkey meat 1/4 cup coconut flour, 1 tsp salt, and various seasonings.
• Mix to combine well.
• Add 1 egg (or the plant-based egg substitute equal to one egg).
• Divide mixture into 24 more-or-less equal portions and roll into a ball. Place each formed ball equally spaced on the prepared baking sheet.
• Mix the “breading” ingredients (1/4 cup coconut flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 2 TBSP ground flax meal) into your breading tray. (Note: these are too soft for the “shake” method of breading. You’ll need to dredge these in the breading carefully so they don’t fall apart. )

NOTES:

• This recipe yields 24 nuggets (or approximately 12 “fingers”).
• The flax meal in the breading really helps with the over all texture.
• This recipe, and its lower-carb method of “breading” food which is traditionally deep fried, is a fabulous technique to know and use in a number of different styles, flavors, spice combos to take advantage of low-cost proteins, yet switch them up to make the interesting and allergen free.
• Shape these into meaty style nuggets, or “fingers” with ease. Use ground beef for a fabulous steak finger alternative.
• Other spice combos to try: lemon pepper, horseradish (dip or in nugget) for more night-shade free heat)
• These freeze well for make and bake later meals or snacks.
• These taste great hot, but they also aren’t terrible at room temp and therefore good for a “road trip” snack.
• Serving suggestion: with ranch dip, with celery or other veggies, or in/alongside a salad, or as a snack.

Source: https://paleospirit.com/paleo-buffalo-chicken-nuggets/

Fajita Spice Blend (nightshade free)

This recipe is versatile and can be used in salads, sandwiches, quesadillas (made using low-carb, traditional corn or flour, or gluten-free tortillas), or used to flavor proteins (beef, chicken, lentils, or beans such as pinto, black, red, broad, lima, chickpea, or fava).

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 TBS ground cumin
• 1 1/2 TBS oregano
• 1 TBS sea salt
• 1 TBS freshly ground black pepper
• 1 TBS coriander
• 1 TBS onion powder
• 1/2 TBS horseradish powder (optional: for some heat, to taste; ginger, in tiny quantities, can also add some heat if horseradish does not work for you.)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Blend all of the ingredients together well.
2. Store in an air-tight glass spice container for up to 6 months

Notes:

To use this to spice blend to flavor a protein of choice (bean, lentils, meat, soy, or a mixture of these), use 2-3 TBS of this seasoning, along with approximately 1/3 cup of water for every 1lb of protein. This quantity flavors about 3 lbs of protein. If the protein happens to be fairly dry, you may also need to add approximately 1 TBS of an oil per pound of protein. Cook the water off, reducing the fluids, to help the spice mix “stick” to the meat (but don’t’ cook so long it is dried out completely). You can add a bit more water or oil if you “miss” the sweet spot while reducing the sauce to stick to the protein. This method of reducing the water until it sticks the spices to the protein, helps the flavor endure refrigeration. As a result this seasoning blend, and method, are excellent choices for cold taco-style salads or meals in jar(s) which will be refrigerated and served later.

Traditional Taco Seasoning

Tips:

• Whole cumin seeds, freshly ground, add way more flavor than store bought powders. If you have a good, dedicated to spices, coffee grinder this is easy work and worth the price of the coffee grinder (manual, or electric). Happening to live in Texas, our local stores carry a nice-sized (1 ounch) whole cumin seed variety which is excellent in flavor. Bolner’s Fiesta Extra Fancy Comino Seeds are amazing! If you happen to have some near by, or another brand of whole cumin seeds, I recommend you give that a try for authentic “Mexican flavor” foods without nightshades, if you need a night-shade free diet.