My favorite sweet since I was young, reimagined without sugar!  Amazing!  "Reeses" choco-peanut butter cups made with 95% Lindt chocolate, coconut oil, peanut butter, and a sprinkling of xylitol.  No insulin or glucose spike! Oh lordy, I am in Reeses Heaven without the guilt of sugar sinnin'! It's choco-peanut butter jesus and I am saved! One of these completely satisfies and is actually quite filling because of the fat content, fiber in the pb and choco, and lack of sugar--so it won't activate sugar addiction!

LCHF (Low-Carb, Healthy/High Fat) Vegetarian fare!  Main dish of Roasted Eggplant and Carmelized Onion Gratin, baked with fresh-from-the-garden mint and parsley, goat and gleu cheeses, with a heavy cream pour-over.  Served with a side of pan-seared red onion wedges and brussel sprouts.  

For this flavour-intensive main dish, I used a local Heirloom Pumpkin, brought over from the neighbor’s garden.  
I made fresh vegetable stock, too!  Find the full recipe link at the bottom.

The entire meal was labour-intensive because everything needs separate prepping, but the result was well worth it!  In the future, I will increase the ingredients by half so that the effort provides leftovers; the recipe makes enough for four, but with only one serving.  I baked garlic bread so that the meal would feel more complete and amply satisfying. 

The pumpkin took a while to prepare: first to cut and de-seed, then cube into bite-size chunks.  The danger is having an inappropriate knife or one that lacks adequate sharpness; that’s a recipe for injury.  I wasn’t in a hurry, so I took my time and enjoyed the process.  I roasted the seeds with turmeric, cumin seeds, and s&p. Tossing the pumpkin with EVOO and s&p, I then roasted the chunks separately.  After the gourd cooled, it was quick work to cut the peel off and then toss it in with the mushroom and cauliflower rice, AKA, risotto. 

I created the broth the same way I make my Savory Prep for other dishes, by sauteing onion, celery, garlic, and carrots, with spices in some type of fat (most of the time, I use ghee — if I have it — or butter or EVOO); I was out of carrots and used leftover bacon grease for the fat this time.  Once the veggies softened, I pop the spices in the center of the pan. I thought the seasoning in the recipe would combine well with whole coriander, whole black mustard seed, and s&p, so I popped those.  I added water, then reduced the broth by simmer, and finished that part by pureeing half of it. When I sauteed the mushrooms, I left them whole cut them after they cooled; they finished cooking in the risotto mixture. 

The cauliflower rice was fun and easy! I trimmed and chopped the ‘flower, then riced it in the food processer. I  then sauteed the “rice” with the remaining bacon grease for a few minutes.  The texture turns out to be akin to firm rice! And tasty! After the ‘flower was a little crispy but not browned, I poured in the broth and continued to cook until the “rice” absorbed all the liquid.  Adding the mushrooms and squash was almost the final step, as I folded them in gently.  Finally, I folded in the whipping cream and 3/4 of the cheese, saving the rest for garnish.  While this was finishing in the skillet, I popped some sourdough under the broiler, after drowning it in ghee and dusting with garlic powder.

Filling the soup bowls, I topped the risotto with a bit of thin-sliced Parmesan and Asiago, sprinkled pepitas (the roasted pumpkin seeds) over that, and added a splash of color with parsley sprigs.  I dunked the big chunk of steaming hot garlic bread in the bowl, and voila! Deliciousness in a bowl, sans the carbs!

Full recipe:  https://ketodietapp.com/Blog/lchf/low-carb-pumpkin-and-mushroom-risotto

Random dishes I have made, from makgeolli to fernbrake.

July 2013
Peeps, you gotta try this.... it is soooooooo good! From The Goddess' Kitchen....

Roasted Veggies with Grains and Chocolate Dijon Balsamic Reduction.

I roasted a bunch of veggies (eggplant, onion, tomato, carrots, etc).
Made some millet (quinoa and couscous would be great too!) separately.
Made a Balsamic Reduction dressing with dijon mustard, olive oil, garlic, brown sugar, and a Tsp or so of cocoa powder.
cool, and mix all. OMG!!!

     Peel and core a fresh pineapple.  Did you know you can grow your own pineapple in a pot by planting the top?  Yummies! Save the peel and boil with rice to make Panamanian Horchata!  Ok, I have ADD, let's get back to the water!
     Take the core (that you normally throw out!) and cut into cubes that will fit into a large water container.  I recycle any bottle I can, or use a glass jar, a milk jug, whatever... add filtered water.  It's that simple.  Let it sit in the frig for a few hours, and poof!  Deeelish water with a hint of pineapple!  
     I also add Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and stevia for some extra healthy benefits and taste.  You may have to get used to the flavor of the vinegar, so just add a small splash to start.  Stevia is derived from a plant, has no effect on insulin uptake or blood sugar levels, and is calorie and carb free.  It's a great source of sweetness without the negative side effects of carcinogenic chemically made sweeteners like Splenda, SweetnLow, Equal.   (Throw those out!).  
     I learned the vinegar trick in Korea, where you are served a deeelish healthy drink at the spas (Korean Bathhouses, called Jjimjjilbangs---best place on the planet for relaxation!)  The Korean vinegar drink is a concentrate of healthy vinegar and fruit juice, diluted in water, with a splash of sugar added.  So I've re-worked the recipe with sugar.  My favorite was pomegranate and blueberry!  You can do the same if you have a super-powerful blender!  That's for another blog post...  
     Enjoy drinking your healthy and deeelish Pineapple Water all day!!