Sauteed Zucchini and Cabbage

Zucchini and Cabbage - So good together!

If you visit my blog often you'll know I'm not one for doing photo shoots or half the time, even remembering to take pictures of the food I make.  This is one dish my daughter (or anyone else reading this) is lucky I took a picture of because it smelled SO GOOD we couldn't wait to eat it.  It was just a quick side dish I threw together at the last minute to go along with the meal, but it ended up being the highlight.   My husband isn't crazy about cabbage - ok, that is putting it politely.  Let's be honest.  My husband hates cabbage.  He eats it every so often in my cole slaw or as a light topping to fish tacos but that is it.  He had seconds. 

I didn't measure anything - you'll see why you see the ingredients.  I can 'guesstimate' for you but you really need to just throw this together using the amounts you need for the number of people you are feeding.  Play with your food.


Sauteed Zucchini and Cabbage

Olive Oil
Butter, real
Sliced zucchini
Fresh grated cabbage (bagged mix from the store works great)
Fresh, minced or chopped garlic
Onion, sliced (optional)
Salt and pepper

In a saucepan on the stove over medium high heat, cover the bottom in a light layer of olive oil and add about a tablespoon or two of butter.  Add 1-2 zucchini's that have been sliced into coins or on the diagonal.  Saute until just starting to turn golden on one side and flip them.  Now add about 1/2 - 1 t fresh garlic, salt and pepper, a handful of fresh cabbage and if you wish, a bit of sliced onion.  Saute until golden brown and just starting to caramelize a bit, giving it a nice color and also that 'almost sweet' hint that caramelized vegetables have.  Serve hot!

A handful of zucchini and a handful of cabbage in hot olive oil and butter

Golden brown - just about perfect to remove, plate and serve

 

 

Low Carb Bagels

 

So many of my posts end up online because it's what I'm eating at the time.  That is part of the reason I don't do extravagant photo shoots like many 'food bloggers'  -  I don't consider myself a food blogger.  I started this site back in 2006 to store my recipes so the "point and shoot" pictures are what you get.  Half the time we eat the food before I even think 'Oh, I should have taken a picture!'.   That is why you get this lovely photo of my lunch today... on a paper plate.  Because I had just finished doing dishes, decided to grab a quick lunch and there was no way I was going to dirty another plate!

Now that I've rambled on a bit, let me get to the point.  The POINT is I've posted about this particular product before, but I truly like it and although I don't do a lot of product reviews (make most things from scratch) - I really suck at making good low carb, sugar free BREAD items and haven't perfected a good bagel recipe yet so this is what I'm using in the meantime.  And?  They are good.  Really good.

Here is the photo I used last year when I first posted this low carb bagel recipe using Pizza & Bagel Flour I bought online (because I can't find anything similar locally).  It's a dry mix manufactured by LC Foods.  It's diabetic friendly, low carb, sugar free, high fiber and high protein.  It's made with high gluten flour so it works well for pizza, calzones, bagels and pizza rolls.  I've only used it for bagels personally as it's about $7 - $8 per package so I don't splurge on it all the time!








When I ordered this mix a couple months ago, I thought it would come with a bagel recipe enclosed.  It does not.  So I went looking for one.  I found a basic bagel recipe for it online and then improvised to personalize it. We like onion bagels the best in our home, so that is the kind I decided to make.

Please note one issue I had with this recipe; I made the decision to use a small amount of sugar to proof the yeast. Because the yeast eats the sugar and because I used so little of it, I didn't feel bad in the least using sugar in this recipe and of course I don't have any health issues that mandate I can't do so.

Low Carb Bagels

1 Pizza and Bagel Flourmix
1/2 t instant dry yeast
1 1/2 t sugar or a sweetener with no sugar alcohols
scant 3/4 c warm water
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t canola oil
Seeds or flavors for a bagel you like;  dried minced onion, poppy seeds, onion powder, garlic, etc.
1 pot of boiling water and a pinch of baking soda will be needed later

In a small bowl, mix the yeast, sugar and warm water.  Stir and let set to proof while you mix the rest.  In another bowl place 1 2/3 cups of the bagel flour mix, salt and oil.  Mix well - it will be very dry.  Add the yeast mixture, but don't add all of it.  Depending on your humidity level, the temperature and the exact measurements of your cups, the amount needed will change.  Pour most of it in, but not all.  Start to mix.  It should come together as a dough ball, pulling away from the sides.  It will be a little sticky, but will be forming a ball.  Use a little more water OR a little more of the flour mixture as needed.  When it's a sticky dough ball, scrape all onto a lightly 'floured' surface with more of the bagel mix.  At this point I wanted a light onion flavor so I added about 1/2 teaspoon onion powder to the surface so it would be kneaded into the dough.  You could add things you want. 

Knead well, sprinkling additional LC bagel mix on it until it's no longer sticky and forms a nice ball.  (See image below).  Now divide the ball into 3 pieces and each of those into 2 so you have a total of six (6) dough pieces.  Roll each into a ball, punch a hole in the center with your finger or a wooden spoon.  Form a circle and place on a non-stick baking pan or parchment.   Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm area to rise for 1 hour.  They will double in size.  After an hour, bring a pot of water to boil and preheat your oven to 390 degrees. (400 degrees if you don't have a digital oven).  Add a pinch of baking soda to the water.  Place each circle in the water to boil for 15 seconds per side.  Place back on the baking sheet.  At this point, top your bagels with seeds or whatever you wish.  I reconstituted dried, minced onion for ours.  Sprinkle if you wish with a topping (or leave plain) and bake for 12 minutes until starting to get golden brown.  Remove from oven, let cool and serve with cream cheese or whatever you like on your bagels.  Makes 6.

You might be interested in the product I used as well as some other items they carry;      

• Low Carb, Sugar Free, Corn Syrup Free
• Diabetic Friendly, Low Sugar Product, Soy Free
• Net carbs. 2g Protein 11g Fiber 7g per 1/4 cup
• Serving size 27.2g-1/4 cup
• Package size 227g Approx. 2.08 Cups

They have a LOT of items - here are just 4 of them;


Cinnamon Buns
Country Biscuit Mix
Snickerdoodle Cookies
Hamburger Rolls





Ingredients: contains a proprietary/patent pending blend of wheat protein isolates, resistant wheat starches, flax seed meal, and vital wheat gluten.





Warning: Processed in a facility that uses nuts

Raspberry dressing from seedless jam

Salad Greens with Raspberry Dressing (made from jam!)

I originally posted this back in 2008 or 2009, but this morning it caught my attention because I have sugar free jam on hand and looking over the ingredients in this recipe, if I cut down on the lime juice a bit I can make this a nice light dressing that is sugar free and lower carb.  If you missed this one the first time around, here it is again.


The salad greens are important to the presentation, so if you can, don't chop up Ice Berg lettuce or even just romaine. Use a nice, pretty mixture.


Salad Greens with Raspberry Dressing

3/4 c lime juice
3/4 c seedless raspberry jam
3 T oil
3 garlic cloves, pressed
3/4 t salt
3/4 t ground red pepper
1 bag (4 cups) mixed salad greens

Process first 6 ingredients in a blender until smooth. Cover and chill 2 hours. Drizzle over salad greens.

Honeyville Almond Flour - Free Shipping

I don't normally post at night as I usually update in the morning but I'm putting this here because I am an idiot and just wasted $4.49 and as a reminder to myself I'm putting this on my website.

We are starting up low carb and sugar free again, so today I placed a couple orders online for items I have a hard time finding locally or cost too much locally.  One of the things I like is Honeyville's brand of almond flour.  It's a finer grain than other brands and it's much better than the almond flour I grind myself.  It's expensive - so it usually takes me two days to convince myself to spend the money and order it (hitting that 'send' button is so hard for a frugal person like me!)  but in the end, I do, and I did.  I was down to half a bag, so I knew I needed to purchase more.

I order straight from Honeyville's site, where their price fluctuates a little but is currently $35.99 and shipping is $4.49.  The order was placed this morning.  Done. Over.

But I just whipped up some brownies (in the oven as I type this) and as I walked out of the kitchen it hit me.  Amazon.  I bet I could have saved on shipping through Amazon.  Sure enough - there it was.  The exact Honeyville Blanched Almond Meal Flour, 5 lb. bag that I ordered... but with free 2 day free shipping.  Darn!!  I could have saved almost 5 bucks.   Be smarter than me.  Check Amazon before hitting that send button!

Zucchini or 'squash' noodles! Great for a buttered comfort food or better yet? No Pasta Lasagna!

Do you need:

• Something new to do with yellow squash or zucchini? 
• A different kind of side dish?
• Faux noodles for a low carb diet?
• All of the above?

Noodles and pasta are a favorite since my childhood; it's a simple food but just so good.  Here is a faux noodle idea that you can make this way (like buttered noodles) but my favorite way to use  these is in a vegetable based, pasta-free lasagna.  Just make the lasagna like you normally would but use thin strips of uncooked zucchini or yellow squash zucchini in place of the noodles.



Faux Noodles

Yellow Squash
Butter
Salt and Pepper

Wash your squash.  If you wish to scoop out the seeds first, slice in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the center seeds (see photo).  Using a potato peeler, peel your yellow zucchini squash into thin strips.  Boil a pot of water on the stove and immerse your 'faux noodles' into the water.  You only have to boil about a minute as they are so thin.  Remove, drain very well, pressing down a bit as it will hold a lot of water.  While hot, add your toppings.  Can use alfredo sauce, spaghetti sauce, etc. but I like mine with butter, salt and pepper to taste.

Slice your yellow squash into strips

I like to clean my squash out with a spoon to remove the seeds

Boiling just like pasta

Homemade Rice Mixes you can Pack in Mylar, glass jars or baggies. (Great for Emergency Storage)

Originally, these were posted on my blog about 6 years ago.  I revisited them last summer but now I'm posting them today because they are perfect for a project I'm going to be working on soon for our emergency storage kits and our 72 hour bags.  You might also be interested in these for hiking, camping and backpacking.

To make them you simply add water or another liquid you prefer (like broth if you wish).  The project I'm going to working on involves mixing these recipes together then dividing them equally between 4 empty Capri-Sun packets and resealing with high heat from a hair straightener set to 450 degrees. I saw this idea on a few different emergency and camping boards and I thought it would be fun to try.  These individual packets are light, small, thin and easy to pack in a backpack.  You can adapt preparation by adding boiling water, resealing and waiting 10-12 minutes and then enjoying.  I happen to have Butter Powderin my storage as well so I can add that to the mix - but you wouldn't have to do so of course.  Also, if you are preparing these for a long term storage option and are not using a FoodSaver, I would insert an oxygen absorber packet.  This will suck the moisture and air out of the packet and allow you to safely store them as long as they were properly sealed.  I'll let you know how my 'capri-sun' packaging endeavor goes in a future post!

If you are not using these for backpacking or storage, think about making these and then storing them in an air tight Mason or other canning jar.  I think you could even put them in a Ziploc style baggy - and if you wish, freeze the mix. 



Onion Rice Mix
4 cups uncooked rice
1 envelope onion soup mix
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1 T. parsley
1/2 t. salt

Lemon Dill Rice Mix
4 cups uncooked rice
1/4 cup grated lemon peel
1/4 cup powdered chicken soup base
2 T. dill
1 T. chives
1/2 t. salt

Vegetable Rice Mix
4 cups uncooked rice
1 envelope vegetable soup mix
2 T. dried minced onion
2 T. dried minced celery
2 T. dried minced pepper
1 t. salt

Spanish Rice Mix
4 cups uncooked rice
1/2 cup Mexican seasoning mix
1/2 cup dried corn
2 T. parsley
1 T. basil

Creamy Herb Rice
4 cups uncooked rice
1/2 cup instant nonfat dry milk
1/4 cup dried minced celery
2 T. parsley
2 T. thyme
1 T. marjoram

Combine the ingredients specified for each different mix, and store each different mix in a glass jar or tightly closed container on the pantry shelf for up to 4 months.

To Use: Mix 1 cup of any of the rice mixes with 2 cups of liquid, either water, juice, broth, or a combination along with 2 tablespoons of butter. Place the rice, liquid, and butter on high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Immediately reduce the heat to very low, cover and simmer the rice for 10-15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.

To cook in a microwave, combine the rice, liquid, and butter in a 1 1/2 quart casserole, and heat, uncovered on high or full power for 12 minutes. Top and stir once or twice during the cooking. Cover the casserole and let rice stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Variations: It's easy to make a meal in one pot if you sprinkle a cup of rice mix around a roast or several meat or fish pieces before baking. Just remember to add 2 cups of liquid, cover, and bake for at least 30 minutes or until meat is tender. Or, try serving the prepared rice combined with stir fried vegetable, shrimp, or chopped ham. When making Spanish Rice, it's a good idea to use tomato juice or sauce as the liquid. The mixes make 32 oz. each.




You might also be interested in a Food Saver, mylar bags or oxygen absorbers;


     


 

Jalapeno Pasta and Homemade Jalapeno and Cheese Ravioli

Here is the basic recipe I posted last October but I'm craving homemade pasta (before we start to do some low-carbing again).  Some of the products I use to make them into ravioli are at the bottom of the post if you are interested in learning more about them.

Jalapeno Pasta

2 1/4 c flour
1 t salt
1-2 t olive oil
3-4 eggs
2 - 5 small jalapenos (depending on how hot-spicy you want your pasta)

In a food processor bowl, place the salt and flour.  Put the top on and while pulsing or running on low, add a teaspoon-ish of oil and start adding eggs.  You probably only need 3 eggs so start with that.  Add your jalapenos.  I used 2 small jalapenos and the dough was so mild even children could eat it without spice.  If you know you like jalapeno's, use more.  Process until the dough forms a ball shape.  If it hasn't gathered itself in a ball by the 3rd egg, you can add another teaspoon of oil or water or use a 4th egg.  Water or additional flour by the teaspoon will give you the texture you need for it to be a ball.

Let it rest 10 minutes.  Then either roll very, very thin with a rolling pin or use a pasta machine.  I use a manual, hand crank pasta machine and starting with number 1, I run it through to a number 4.  You can then cut into thin noodles or use wide sheets to make homemade ravioli.

I roll my dough through a manual pasta machine

You don't need fancy fillings!  Cream cheese does just fine!

Rolling the pasta over the mold to seal the edges

Cooked in boiling water for about 5 minutes and drained

Serve with butter, an alfredo sauce or a marinara sauce - anything goes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You might also be interested in some of the products I use;

         

The Best Fish or Shrimp Tacos (NEW! An option to use a store bought fish instead of marinating your own!)

Fish taco with cabbage and sauce

I have been craving fish and shrimp taco's, and I can make them with lettuce (like my shrimp taco to the left)  but my favorite version uses cabbage, which I never seem to remember to pick up at the store.

This week I made sure to remember it and am planning which night this week we'll get to have them (I want to make sure Mr. Husband is home for dinner that night and not working late, as he loves these as much as I do!)






*UPDATE with an OPTION:  the parmesan crusted Tilapia from Sam's Club (and I think also at Walmart) is a great low carb option if you don't want to marinate and grill your own fish.  It works GREAT in this recipe; just pan fry or oven bake it and serve as below.
 

Fish or Shrimp Tacos 

1/4 c olive oil
2 T white vinegar
2 T lime juice
zest from 1 lime  (low carb, leave this out)
1 1/2 t honey  (low carb, use 1 1/2 t Xylitol)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t chili powder
1 t Old Bay seasoning
1/2 t pepper
1 t hot pepper sauce of your choice
1 pound fish - shrimp (cleaned, tail off), cod, tilipia, etc. 
flour tortillas (low carb - use your favorite low carb tortilla)

Whisk the ingredients for the marinade together, put in a Ziploc Baggy (or whatever you use to marinate) and add the shrimp and/or fish.  Refrigerate at least 6-8 hours, flipping every now and then so it's all covered equally.

While it marinates, make the dressing.

heaping 1/2 c sour cream
heaping 1/2 c mayonnaise
2 T lime juice
1/2 teaspoon each of oregano, dill weed, cumin, chipotle powder and ground or crushed coriander
2 small jalapenos, chopped fine (you can use less if you really hate spicy dressings)
2 t dried cilantro or parsley
1/2 teaspoon sugar  (low carb use 5 drops of sucralose or 1/2 t Splenda, etc.)

Whisk ingredients together and refrigerate until it's serving time.

Grill or broil your fish until flaky and done.  This is usually about 10 minutes.  Serve the sliced fish with sides of the sauce, lettuce, shredded cabbage, diced tomato, guacamole, and extra lime slices if you wish.  Enjoy!




These are photos from when I made them in July

I like to marinate in a ziploc as it's easy to flip and mix

Making the yummy sauce

The fish, sauce and cabbage come together... just right.

If you enjoy visiting An American Housewife, please consider using this affiliate link if you are planning to shop for anything (seriously, anything! Not just food or kitchen products) at Amazon. - An American Housewife at Amazon



You might also be interested in these related products - low carb tortillas and sugar free sweeteners;