Keto Pig in Blanket

INGREDIENTS

• 4 medium hot dogs
• 1/2 cup Shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup Almond Flour
• 1 large Egg
• 1/4 tsp Baking powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp Pink Salt
• 1/2 tsp Sesame Seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut each hot dog into 3 equal sized pieces and set aside.
2. Melt mozzarella in microwave and add almond flour and egg. Combine well.
3. Add baking powder, garlic and salt. Combine well.
4. Form dough in hands and split into 12 equal sized pieces and roll into dough.
5. Place dough balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Press each ball into oval shape.
6. Place each hot dog piece into the dough and wrap like a blanket.
7. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (press down so they stick to dough).
8. Place pigs in 350 degree oven for 17-20 minutes.
9. Serve warm and enjoy!

        RECIPE NOTES

          The nutrition listed is per serving.
          The entire recipe makes 12 pigs in a blanket.
          This recipe makes 4 servings which means that 1 serving is 3 pigs in a           blanket.
                                Net Carbs: 5g

Garlic "Gnocchi"

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded Mozzarella (Low-Moisture Part-Skim this is a MUST–otherwise it will fall apart when boiled! I find Kraft to work the best!)
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• butter & olive oil for sauteing

Method:

1. Place cheese and garlic in a microwave safe bowl and toss around to combine. Melt cheese in microwave for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
2. Fold in one egg yolk at a time until a homogeneous dough forms. This actually takes a little elbow grease!
3. Portion dough into 4 balls.
4. Chill in refrigerator for at least 10 minutes.
5. Lightly grease a silpat or parchment (and your hands-it helps from sticking!) and roll out each ball into a 14-15″ log.
6. Slice each log into 1″ pieces. (If you like, you can press the tip of a fork onto each piece to get that “gnocchi” look but it’s not necessary)
7. In a large pot, bring about a half gallon of salted water to a boil (like you would for normal pasta). Place all the gnocchi into the pot and cook until they float, about 2-3 minutes. The strain into a colander. (*note: a few of my readers say that have skipped this step and the gnocchi still turns out great!)
8. Heat a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of oil to pan.
9. Add gnocchi and saute each side for about 1-2 minutes, until golden brown.
10. Season with salt and pepper and serve!

Slow cooker Taco soup Keto Style

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning (see below) 
• 1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder
• 2- 10 oz. cans Rotel with green peppers (or diced tomatoes (you can add or omit diced peppers)
• 8 oz. block cream cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 4 cups beef broth (or bone broth) 
• optional toppings: (shredded cheese, jalapeno, and avocado)

Directions

• Step 1: 
  In a skillet on the stove, crumble and cook ground beef, diced onion, and garlic.
• Step 2: 
  Transfer ground beef mixture to slow cooker. Add seasonings and remaining ingredients.
• Step 3: 
  Close lid and cook on low for 4 hours, or 2 hours on high.
• Step 4: 
  Serve with your choice of toppings.

Homemade Chili Powder :

4 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less depending on how spicy you like it)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
3 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper

Directions: Mix ingredients together in a bowl and store in an airtight container. That’s it! Easy Peasy! 

Keto Cheesecake Fat Bombs

These lemon cheesecake fat bombs are snack-sized frozen treats made with cream cheese, butter, lemon juice, and a sugar-free sweetener. Keto, low carb, and gluten free.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) granular swerve sweetener  (hw: 1 Tbls honey or sweetener of your choice) 
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest optional

Instructions

1. Let the cream cheese and butter sit at room temperature until softened before continuing with the recipe.
2. In a bowl, combine sweetener, lemon juice, and lemon zest (if using), stirring until well-mixed.
3. In a separate bowl, microwave the cream cheese for about 10 seconds until very soft and pliable. This is an optional step, but it makes the cream cheese more easily combined with the other ingredients.
4. Add cream cheese and butter to the bowl with the lemon juice mixture. Use an electric hand mixer on low speed to beat until well-mixed.
5. Divide the batter into 16 round silicone molds. Freeze for several hours until completely solid, before serving. Store leftovers in the freezer.

Keto Bread

INGREDIENTS LIST FOR THE KETO BREAD

• 2 1/2 cups Mozzarella, shredded
• 2 oz cream cheese
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups almond flour (super-fine)
• 1 teaspoon baking Powder
• 1/3 cup cooked bacon bits
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (fresh grated not canned)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• HOW TO MAKE THE KETO BREAD

  1. Start by greasing a medium cast iron skillet with oil, butter or cooking spray and set aside. In a shallow plate, combine parmesan and Italian seasoning(you will use this mixture as a coating for rolling bread in later, before baking)
• Melt shredded Mozzarella and cream cheese in a large bowl for one minute in the microwave. You can work by 30 seconds increments.
• Remove from microwave and mix well with a spatula until smooth
• Add the eggs, baking powder, almond flour and bacon to melted cheese.
• Using a spatula, mix until smooth. The texture should become a bit sticky. If it’s too sticky, you can add a bit of almond flour.Using a large cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll into the parmesan and Italian seasoning mix in the plate you prepared in the beginning.
• Place each ball into the prepared cast iron skillet. Sprinkle with more parmesan cheese. Place the skillet in refrigerator for 10 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 400ºF (200ºC) with the rack positioned in the middle.
• Remove the cast iron skillet from the refrigerator. Bake the keto bread for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. The bread should have puffed a little bit.You can brush the baked keto bread with garlic butter sauce, or serve as is. Enjoy!

Low Carb 2 ingredient Pasta Noodles

INGREDIENTS LIST FOR THE KETO / LOW CARB PASTA

• 1 cup (100 g) store bought shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg yolk

DIRECTIONS

1. Add shredded mozzarella to a bowl and melt in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Allow to cool down for 30 seconds to avoid “cooking” the egg yolk when mixing.

2. Gently fold the egg yolk into the melted mozzarella, using a spatula or wooden spoon. You should obtain a smooth, slightly elastic texture. Form a ball with the mixture.

3. Arrange the ball onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place another piece of parchment paper on top of the dough and press down with your hand until thin. You can also use a rolling pin. Note that the dough is a bit elastic so take your time.

4. Remove the top parchment paper and cut the dough into thin strips with a sharp knife. Let dry the pasta in the refrigerator for four hours or overnight.

5. Place the “pasta” in boiling water for just one minute, or even less depending on the consistency. Drain into a colander and run cold water over the pasta to prevent sticking. Serve with your favorite sauce and toppings – We used parmesan, basil and fresh cracked black pepper for the photos, but a good tomato sauce will do the trick – Enjoy!

Note: Don’t use salted water to cook the pasta as mozzarella is already salty.

This recipe is inspired by Tasty’s 2 Ingredients Pasta.

Sweet Potato Chili w/cumin essential oil

3 lbs ground beef 
 4 sweet potatoes
half a pureed beet
 1 quart stock
 1 quart beans.  precooked (optional) 
2-3 T salt
 a couple small handfuls of oregano chopped
 10 drops cumin essential oil, 
1.5 tsp ground white/black pepper mixture (2/3 of it white) Mountain Rose Herbs

This a recipe from my corn allergy group so it is very basic. 

cook and puree the sweet potato and beet.
Saute the onion , brown the ground beef. 

Add all but the essential (stir in after cooked) cook till heated.

Not All Oils are Created Equally

Types of oils

Cooking oils are culinary oils used in baking, frying, sauteing 

Carrier oils  A “carrier oil” is simply one of the cooking oils that you have sitting in your cupboard. They are oils derived from the fatty parts of a plant — usually the nuts, seeds, or kernels. Carrier oils are often used to dilute essential oils and carry the healing properties to deep within the skin.

Essential oils are derived from the non fatty parts of the plant, such as the leaves or the flowers. They are used for  medicinal and healing purposes. Internally, externally, and aromatherapy. Because essential oils are very concentrated , care should be used when mixing and using; especially internally.  

Cooking Oils: 

what are the best, healthiest oils cook with?

There are many studies done on this subject with number one picks being different, but at the top of the list is:

Unrefined Coconut, Olive oil, Avocado and Ghee. 

What are the worse?

 The omega-6 fatty acids are more prone to damage — one reason to stay away from corn oils, soybean oil, safflower, cottonseed oil and canola oils, this  includes margarine. 

a little bit about how oils are extracted

 Oils are not created the same way. The main difference lies in how they are extracted from the nut, fruit, vegetable, or seed. (For coconut oil, it’s extracted from the meat of the coconut.)

In general, we have three basic ways this is done:

1. With heat: Manufacturers apply heat to the source material, which separates the oil over time. Picture olives piled in the sun, or palm fruits boiled in water, after which the oil is skimmed from the surface.
2. With chemicals: The nuts or fruits are ground or rolled up, and then washed with a chemical solution that releases the oil. These processes usually include heat as well, as the oil is heated to separate it from the chemical solution.
3. By pressing: A mechanical press actually presses the oil out of the source material. The result is thought to be purer and less contaminated than that which results from other types of extraction.

Refined or Unrefined? 

Once the oil is extracted, it is then usually refined in some way to get rid of impurities. Though mass produced coconut oil may go through a number of processes, we have two main alternatives to choose from:

• Unrefined: The oil is filtered to remove large particles, but is subject to no additional refining.
• Refined: The oil is exposed to chemicals, heat, or other materials to remove impurities.

Coconut Oil: Solid or Liquid

Coconut oil becomes a solid at temperatures under 76F. This makes it hard to use in some recipes like salad oils and bath oils. Fractionated coconut oil is use in making products where "liquidy-ness" is needed. Fractionated coconut oil, also called “liquid coconut oil " is basically, a form of the oil that has had the long-chain fatty acids removed via hydrolysis (  a chemical reaction in which water is used to break down the bonds of a particular substance) and steam distillation. This process makes the oil liquid at room temperature, and extends the product's shelf life.

What do all the Olive Oil names mean?

1. Extra virgin olive oil is the highest quality olive oil with the best flavor. It is produced from the first cold pressing of the olives and pits. Cold pressing means that heat or chemicals aren't part of the production process. "Virgin" olive oil, without the word "extra," is the oil produced from the second pressing. It has a lighter flavor and color than extra virgin olive oil. These oils are best for salad dressing, stir fry and bread dips, where the strong olive flavor can be enjoyed.
2. Pure olive oil is a blend of mostly processed olive oil and a small percentage of extra virgin olive oil. The ratio could be as high as 95 percent processed olive oil to 5 percent extra virgin olive oil. It is less expensive than extra virgin olive oil and gives a strong fruity flavor in baking, where olive flavor might be objectionable.
3. Light or sometimes called extra light: is the the lowest quality olive oil. Manufacturers use chemicals and heat to remove impurities, producing an oil that's often lighter in color and flavor than virgin olive oils. It is generally used in baking and making homemade mayo ,where a overly olive taste is not preferred. 

Cassava Flour Pizza Crust Recipe (Gluten-Free, Paleo)

This crust is very very similiar to "regular" pizza crust. It has the chewiness, and texture that gluten crusts have. Last night I made for Scott and I , a gluten free, nightshade free pizza.
Pesto sauce (cashews, pine nuts, basil, olive oil, and parmsean cheese blended smooth- I actually found an organic , citric acid free one on the store shelf), topped with nitrate free bacon, fresh mozzarella (more tolerated on histamine diet), parmesean cheese (block style) and goat cheese.

author mommypotamus

This recipe makes two 10 inch pizzas.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups cassava flour
• 1 cup arrowroot, flour
• 2 teaspoons sea salt (I like Redmonds Salt for its high mineral content) 
• 1 teaspoon onion powder 
  ( I omit this one now 3.2.2022) because of sulfate sensitivity) 
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for oiling dough (I use butter or bacon grease now 3.3.2022)
• 1 cup water

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425F and place two baking sheet/pizza stones inside. (If you just have one you can bake the crusts separately.)
2. Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Add wet ingredients and mix well. Allow dough to sit for about 5 minutes to allow it to firm up a little.
4. Coat your hands in olive oil, then scoop up the dough and divide it in half. Form one half into a ball. Place it on parchment paper and press it into the form of a 10 inch crust with your hands. Do the same with the second half.
5. Slide the baking sheet/pizza stones under the parchment paper/crust and bake for 12-15 minutes, then remove and add toppings. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted - I like to set my oven to broil for the last few minutes so that the mozzarella browns a bit.

Ottos Cassava Flour

There it was, just sitting there. A big, red, juicy, local, fresh, Georgia tomato. Reminding me of the days we would visit my Grandparents on the farm. We live on the farm now, 22 yrs. Mama was allergic to tomatoes, so they were never in our house. But Granny always had them on the table , sliced and ready for Daddy and I. Bread , mayo, salt , pepper and her homegrown tomatoes. Yummy goodness. So that tomato was looking good for this Mama who just realized why she was hungry at 8:30 pm . Mama got busy and well ya know how that goes.
So , hmmm, no bread, no store within miles to get any safe bread (if there is any safe store bought bread) no time to make any. I am really wanting the taste of that memory, a tomato sandwhich! Ahhhhh, cassava flour pancakes, quick and easy, some mayo in the fridge. So .......

What is cassava flour?
Otto's Cassava Flour is unlike anything your kitchen has ever experienced. It is an all-natural, amazing, grain-free replacement for wheat flour and can often be used as a 1:1 substitute in countless recipes. There are no fillers. Only 100% Yuca (Cassava) and water are used to create this single-ingredient wonder.

Foods made with Otto's Cassava Flour do not have that familiar dry or "alternative flour" taste or texture that often comes with gluten-free flours. In fact, many users comment that baked goods made with Otto's are indistinguishable from their wheat based counterparts in taste and texture.

Imagine cakes, cookies, brownies, pancakes, and crepes all turn out just as you remember them! Happily, Otto’s Cassava Flour also shines in savory applications like tempura, sauces, gravy, and searing flour.  Although it does not bake up 1:1 in yeast based recipes, several have already been formulated for your convenience and can be found in the Recipes section and many more on our www.Pinterest.com/OttosNaturals/ boards.

Otto's Cassava Flour is the very highest quality cassava flour available. Other cassava flours are hand peeled and sun dried. That sounds romantic, but it can produce undesireable results. As the cassava dries in the sun it ferments and takes on a sour, musty smell and taste. If it happens to rain, it must sit longer, allowing opportunity for mold to grow.

Otto's Cassava Flour, on the other hand, is thoroughly peeled and baked into a beautifully clean smelling and tasting flour you can count on again and again. This proprietary method leaves no chance for mold or fermentation to develop. 

Plantain Nachos

I have been eating a little more simply lately and this is not a recipe but more of an idea. The best thing about nachos is a nacho bar! Everybody can choose their own topping and chip depending on dietary need. Today we did plantain chips. We have also had sweet potato chips, sweet potato fries, purple potato chips.... and the toppings are endless, meat or no meat.

Today:
Plantain chips
Gaucomole
Tomatoes
Chives
Irish grass fed cheese

Roasted Okra

Preheat oven to 400.
Slice okra into medallions , the thinner the crispier. Adjust oven time based on thickness. Thinner will cook quicker.
Lay okra , single layer on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes and the flip with spatula and cook 5 more minutes. They are ready when brown on each side.

Remove from oven sprinkle with salt.
Options: pepper, parmsean cheese, your choice of herbs and spices.

STRAWBERRY SPINACH PASTA SALAD WITH ORANGE POPPY SEED DRESSING

From Creme de la Crumb

• 8 ounces penne noodles, cooked according to package directions (GF)
• 2 cups packed fresh baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 1 cup pineapple chunks
• ¼ cup dried cranberries, or dried blueberries
• ½ cup salted cashews, or other nut like pecans or walnuts

orange poppy seed dressing

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup plain greek yogurt ( Hw: you can omit for dairy free) 
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons honey
• ⅓ cup orange juice
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
• optional: pinch of salt and pepper

You can also add chicken or steak.