Dirty Cabbage KETO

 

Dirty Cabbage 

This is actually an incredible high protein meal, so easy to make, so good, and something you can prep in less than 15 minutes. Chopping up the veggies is the hardest part!

You can add some rice, quinoa, or my high protein lowcarb Kaizen rice here to make it even more substantial.

Ingredients: 

• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into small pieces
• 2 jalapeno peppers (de-seed to make less spicy)
• 1 Small head of green cabbage, cored and roughly chopped
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Cloves garlic
• 2 lbs ground beef (I used 85/15)
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup beef broth

• 2 tsp each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika

Instructions: 

• Start by finely dicing 1 large yellow onion, 1 red bell pepper, and 2 jalapeño peppers. Set them aside, separately.
• Wash and pat dry 1 small head of green cabbage, core it, then roughly chop it into bite-size pieces. You want pieces that soften over time but have some body, that is important here! Set it aside.
• Bring a pan to medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add your onions, 2-3 finely minced garlic cloves, a couple pinches of salt and pepper, then sauté until translucent.
• Add 2 lbs ground beef, 1 packet of taco seasoning, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. Then using a spatula break it down so it’s finely minced.
• When it’s browned up, add your finely diced bell pepper and jalapeño, pour in 1/2 cup of bone broth, then toss in your cabbage, add a couple pinches of salt, and cover the lid on medium heat.
• Let everything steam, covered, for 10-15 minutes until the cabbage has cooked down and softened. Remove the lid, give everything a really good mix so the cabbage gets coated in all those juices and seasonings, then cook uncovered for another 3-4 minutes until most of the liquid has absorbed.
• 7.Serve it up as is, or top with whatever you like (sour cream or finely chopped cilantro would be great, with a squeeze of fresh lime!)

Storage:

• Store left overs in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, Re-heat in microwave or stovetop. 

Macros:

• Calories:  270 cal | Net Carbs: g | Protein: 42g | Fat: g 

Source: IG: shredhappens

Szechuan Sauce

 

Szechuan Sauce 

Szechuan sauce (or Sichuan sauce, after the Sichuan province in China), is a flavorful and complex condiment from the Sichuan province of southwest China, known for its sweet and spicy combination.

It is a foundation of Szechuan cuisine, which is filled with bold flavors, lot of spices, particularly Szechuan peppercorns and chili peppers, making it perfect for spicy food lovers.

Szechuan sauce itself isn't overly spicy, though you can easily spice things up with hotter chili flakes and powders to your liking.

Servings: 4

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey or sugar substitute for low carb
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon ground ginger fresh minced ginger is good, too
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder fresh minced garlic is good, too
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon szechuan peppercorns lightly toasted and ground
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch optional, for thickening
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
• 1 teaspoon sriracha or more to taste

Instructions: 

• Whisk all of the ingredients except the cornstarch (if using) together in a small pot. You can blend them in a food processor or blender if you'd like.
• Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
• If you'd like to thicken it, dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water until well mixed. Stir it into the szechuan sauce and stir until it thickens up, 2-3 minutes. For thicker szechuan sauce, use 2 tablespoons cornstarch.
• Cool and serve.

Storage:

• Store your Szechuan Sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate the sauce promptly.

Notes:

• Szechuan peppercorns (aka Sichuan peppercorns) and Szechuan pepper have a unique flavor described as lemony or perfumy, though they are most known for their tongue-numbing sensation. Black peppercorns can be used instead, though they are quite different.
• Fun Fact - McDonald's Szechuan Sauce. A bit of history to this, and a funny story worth mentioning - McDonald's introduced their version of this iconic sauce to promote the movie Mulan in 1998, then promptly dropped it from its menu, despite being a huge hit.
• People clamored for the stuff. It was brought back briefly after being mentioned on the series "Rick and Morty" in 2017, though in limited quantities, prompting offers of thousands of dollars for a single sauce packet. I guess people love their Szechuan sauce!

Macros:

• Calories:  69 cal | Net Carbs: 16g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g 

Source: chilipeppermadness.com

General Tso Sauce

 

General Tso Sauce 

General tso sauce is a sweet and spicy Chinese sauce popular in Chinese American cuisine. It is made with a base of soy sauce and chili sauce with a touch of vinegar and a sweetener, like honey, then thickened with cornstarch.

It is hugely popular with Chinese takeout dishes like general tso chicken or tofu, or other types of stir fry dishes.

Servings: 4

Ingredients: 

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce light soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chili sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch use 3 teaspoons for a thicker sauce

Instructions: 

• Whisk together the soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, chili sauce, chicken broth, and cornstarch in a small bowl.
• Add to a sauce pan or pot and heat 3-5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
• Use as desired

Storage:

• Let your general tso sauce fully cool to room temperature prior to storing in an airtight container in the fridge. Properly stored, it should keep well for up to a week.

Notes & Substitutions

• Other optional ingredients. This is my preferred recipe, though I have seen some with other ingredients you might try, including sesame oil or sesame seeds, garlic and ginger, white wine vinegar, other red chilies or dried chili flakes, green onions. Feel free to experiment and make it your own.
• The chili sauce! There are several options available for this recipe. I enjoy using Doubanjiang, which is a Chinese chili bean paste. Gochujang can work, though the flavor is different. Use a simple chili-garlic sauce from the store, or make your own like I like to do. Sambal Oelek is also a potential option.

Macros:

• Calories:  69 cal | Net Carbs: 16g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g 

Source: chilipeppermadness.com

Nikki's Re-Take of Dilly Beef Stroganoff ❤⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Nikki's Re-Take on  Dilly Beef Stroganoff

I had been using the same recipe for quite some time and then decided to try something different and gluten free.  I 'winged it" like always. My son said this is soooo good and then I just ate some and said "Dang, I gotta write that down while it's still in my noggin."

 

4 Servings

Ingredients: 

• small bag wide egg noodles or Rice for GF

• 1 pound top round steak

• 8 oz. container sour cream or sub full fat Greek plain yogurt 

• 1 container beef broth

• optional: 1/2 container of sliced button mushrooms or heck throw the whole thing in if you love mushrooms. No judgement here. 

• 2 tsp olive oil

• 1 Tbsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce ( get a good brand like this that lasts a long time in your pantry)

• 2 Tbsp kitchen Bouquet - this gives it a nice richness

• 2-3 Tbsp corn starch

• 2 Tbsp minced onion or 1/4 finely or grated onion

• 1 tsp garlic powder or 1 Tbsp fresh minced garlic

• 2 tsp dried dill and a little more for topping each serving

• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

• fresh ground pepper - 2-3 tsp or more

• sea salt to taste

Instructions: 

• Take out the steak and bring it to room temp or close to it. Salt and pepper on both sides. Poke a sharp knife all over both sides of the steak to tenderize it. DO NOT cut it into strips. I find this keeps the meat more tender. 
• Heat up a pan on medium/high heat, put a little olive oil in it and sear the steak, 2 minutes on each side. 
• Optional Step with Mushrooms:  If using mushrooms, before you brown the steak, first saute the mushrooms in a little olive oil with the onions and garlic.  I would put a splash of white wine in there or cooking sherry to give it some depth but that's totally up to you. Once cooked, remove from pan, THEN cook the steak. 
• In a crock pot, on high, put about 1/3 cup beef broth and place the steak (and mushrooms if using) in the crock pot with the minced onion or fresh onion if not added in with the mushrooms.
• Cover and cook for 3 hours or low for about 5 hours, keeping an eye on the liquid - you should be just fine.
• Remove the steak and place it on a plate and cover with foil. Do not cut the steak. Let the juices remain in the meat.
• Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, heat up the remaining beef broth, Kitchen Bouquet, Worcestershire sauce and all of the spices. bring to a simmer and whisk in the corn flour. Keep stirring until it thickens. You may or may not need to add more corn starch or liquid depending on how thick you want it.  Be patient. It takes its own sweet time then... boom - decides to thicken fast.
• Once it's thickened, stir in 1/2 of the sour cream container until well blended. You may add more if you want more tangy - you do you.
• Return back to the crock pot, slice the meat into strips or however it falls apart (because it will), and add back into the sauce. 
• Cover and let it cook on low setting for about 20-30 minutes to get happy and while you make a bed for it. 
• Bring a pot of water to boil, salt generously,  and add the egg noodles. Cook 7 minutes or until el dente. Remove and drain noodles in a colander.
• I like to serve in bowls. Add some egg noodles on the bottom, top with sauce and meat mixture. 
• Optional: sprinkle some fresh or dried dill on top, some parmesan cheese and fresh black pepper.

Storage:

• Left overs are so dang good!  I usually portion them out the same way I serve it. In a container, put the noodles on the bottom and then sauce and toppings then voilà winner winner - just microwave it for about 3 minutes and you'll have another amazing meal.

• Stays in the refrigerator for 4 days but highly doubt it will last that long. 

Notes:

• You can always add in a can of sliced mushrooms too. No need to cook them with the olive oil and garlic.  You can just toss them into the crock pot with the steak. 

• Notice I did not use cream of mushroom soup - you can certainly put in a can in place of using corn starch. And get a gluten free can to keep it GF.  I choose not to add all of those additives/preservatives/sodium to my dish. But if you'd prefer to do that, go for it. My grandma would certainly approve.

Macros:

• Calories:  cal | Net Carbs: g | Protein: g | Fat: g 

Source - Me! Cooked with love!