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Keto Bread Review
Shakshuka with Feta
Have you ever tried Shakshuka with Feta? Shakshuka (or shakshouka) -- pronounced "shahk-SHOO-kah" -- is a staple of Middle Eastern cuisine.
Traditionally it's cooked in a cast iron pan with a tomato-based eggs and sauce as the main ingredients.
However, I've seen all types of shakshuka ingredients such as chickpeas, potatoes, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean spices, and various kinds of meats and cheeses.
I create my shakshuka with feta and some form of meaty bacon, ham or pancetta. I love how the saltiness of the meat and cheese compliments the sauce, eggs and lettuce.
Anyway you make it, it is a show stopper. The stunning yellow yokes, beautiful green leaves, and a red sauce served in a cast iron skillet are sure to have everyone oohing and aahing when you pull it from the oven.
An easy shakshuka recipe for all meals
Since shakshuka features eggs, it's often served as a breakfast or brunch dish. It might remind you of a somewhat similar Mexican dish, Breakfast Chilaquiles.
You can serve it with pita, gluten free toast, or some crusty French or Italian style bread to sop up the sauce.
Consider serving it lunch or dinner with a hearty side salad, like a Kale Salad with Fruity Vinaigrette.
It's also a festive dish for the holidays as it is red and green!
How to Earn shakshuka eggs just right
I've decided to make my shakshuka recipe as easy as possible when it comes to serving this up. But some people might not like runny eggs. Not to worry!
For those who have a mixed group, serve it to the"runny" people first. Then stick your skillet back in the oven for a few more minutes to firm up the remaining eggs.
Or serve the shakshuka in oven safe bowls and place those in the oven for a couple of minutes to firm up the eggs.
In any event, everybody's happy with their eggs cooked to order!
To make this a vegetarian dish, forget the pancetta, meaty bacon or country ham and add a little more feta.
If you grow fresh basil and oregano in your kitchen garden, use that instead of the dried herbs. Use 1/2 tbsp of finely chopped fresh herbs rather than 1/2 teaspoon of dried herbs.
Like spicy dishes? Add a few more pinches of crushed red pepper or serve the shakshuka with your favourite hot sauce.
What Sort of skillet?
I made this simple shakshuka recipe in my yellow 11 3/4-inch Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron Skillet. I was lucky enough to purchase it from a buddy for next to nothing because she was moving to the UK.
However, if you're searching for an affordable cast iron skillet, I recommend Lodge Cast Iron Skillets. They're made in the USA, well made, and will work on your own Induction Cooktop Stove.
You don't need to create Shakshuka with Feta in a cast iron skillet, however. But it ought to be a large oven safe skillet. You don't need the handle to melt and ruin your food!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 ounces pancetta, meaty bacon or country ham, finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 (15 oz ) cans tomato sauce
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- pinch crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 (10 ounce) container baby spinach leaves
- 6-8 large eggs (depending on sized of skillet)
- 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
- Pita, gluten free toast, or crusty bread
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large oven safe skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the tomato sauce, dried basil, dried oregano, crushed red pepper, salt and ground black pepper. Simmer until the sauce is thickened -- about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, using a steamer basket over boiling water, steam lettuce leaves till wilted -- about 3 to 5 minutes.
- When sauce has thickened, removed skillet from stovetop. Add spinach leaves a few at a time to the skillet, creating a"nest" for the egg with a hole at the center. Based upon the size of the skillet (I used a 11 3/4 inch ) you should be able to create 6 to 8 nests. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake the eggs for 10 to 12 minutes until the egg whites are just starting to set.
- Slide the skillet from the oven rack and sprinkle with feta and parsley. Place back into the coven and cook for 3 more minutes until egg whites are set and the yolks are still runny.
- Serve with pita, gluten free toast, or crusty bread.
- Serving size: 1 to 2 eggs
Originally posted on December 9, 2013. Updated with new photos and information.
Food
Emotional eating, binge eating and friends – some definitions
Howdy comrades! I’ll be writing updates here about how I’m getting on with my binge eating recovery shenanigans since I got home from Green Mountain, as well as sharing some resources that I’ve found helpful. But I thought it might be helpful to define things somewhat, as the terms can be obscure and/or confusing.
“Binge eating disorder (BED) is a serious, life-threatening, and treatable eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large amounts of food (often quite quickly and to the point of distress ); a feeling of a loss of control during the binge; experiencing shame, distress or guilt afterwards; and not regularly using unhealthy compensatory measures (e.g., purging) to counter the binge eating. ”
There's also a fantastic definition and helpful information on the NHS site in their beautiful British non-nonsense style.
While I have frequently met the clinical criteria for BED over the years, I’ve found the most helpful way of looking at eating behaviors is Green Mountain’s approach:
“Binge and emotional eating aren't necessarily two separate and distinct processes, but rather the identical procedure on a continuum. ”
Imagine a continuum like this:
At the start of the continuum you have your bog standard psychological eating, a wholesome thing which most people do. For instance, bitching to a friend about your bloody awful day over a pizza and glass of wine. Or something like scoffing a plateful of your Mum pavlova at Christmas all year long, after looking forward to it.
Like numbing out with the whole tub of Haagen-Daaz.
The next station stop along the line is binge eating, when large quantities are eaten, often quickly and accompanied by feeling out of control and unable to stop.
Then it moves up to standards of diagnosable Binge Eating Disorder, which is about the frequency of the binges and the impact they're having on one’s life. In 2013 BED was recognised as an eating disorder diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is the American Psychiatric Association’s handbook used by health care professionals as the authoritative guide to the diagnosis of mental disorders.
I’ve discovered the idea of a continuum. Firstly because I see how fast one can proceed up it when food is the only coping mechanism happening. However, it’s also helping since I appreciate that moving down that the continuum is a sign of progress. It stops that nothing or all, perfectionist thinking.
I’m not hung up on labels or diagnostic criteria, but I’m finding it useful to check in with this continuum and ask – Where am I right now? What’s going on to be in this position? Do I need to make some adjustments so that I can move back down?
Thanks gazillions to everybody who gets in touch during or since Green Mountain. It s so bloody good to realise we’re not alone!
It goes without saying I’m not a health professional, and the above is from my own reading and doesn’t constitute advice. Thanks to my buddy Sara for connection assistance.
The article Emotional eating, binge eating and friends – some definitions appeared first on Shauna Reid.
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Easy Cioppino Seafood Stew
You have to try my Easy Cioppino Seafood Stew if you love any kind of Italian seafood stew.
For those of you unfamiliar with cioppino seafood stew, it originates in San Francisco, and has its roots in Italian and Portuguese seafood stew.
It’s usually considered an Italian-American dish.
My husband loves ordering classic cioppino when we dine out. (Me, too!)
Why make this cioppino seafood stew recipe at home?
Going out to restaurants is a wonderful treat from time to time. But the reality is, most of us are trying to save a buck by learning to cook our favorite dishes at home.
What’s nice about making a cioppino San Francisco seafood stew at home is you know exactly what’s going in it.
That way you can avoid anything you don’t like or are allergic to. Or you can tweak the recipe to your specific diet or preferences.
For example, if you like spicy, you can add more red pepper flakes. (Or the opposite, don’t like spicy – use less!)
Or if f you’re on a keto diet and want to be strict with your carbs, you may want to use only chicken broth and clam juice and not add the wine.
You’re the chef!
Using frozen seafood in this quick cioppino recipe
When I first tried to develop some recipes for cioppino seafood stew, I had trouble finding fresh shellfish, fish and shrimp that were affordable.
That’s why I decided to create a classic cioppino recipe based on a Giada De Laurentiis cioppino recipe that relies on frozen seafood.
I used Trader Joe’s Frozen Seafood mix, which is a combination of shrimp, scallops and calamari. (Sam’s Club also has a good seafood mix as do some Asian markets.)
In addition, I bought frozen, shell-off shrimp at Kroger and used the tilapia I had in the freezer from Costco.
Unfortunately I couldn’t find frozen mussels that weren’t breaded (blech!) for my Easy Cioppino Seafood Stew recipe, so we had to forego the fun of picking them out of the soup.
If you can find frozen mussels at your store, feel free to add them.
If you can’t find seafood mixes at your local grocery stores, use an equivalent amount of shrimp, scallops, or whatever seafood you can find locally. This recipe is pretty versatile.
More substitutions in the tomato seafood stew
Traditionally, fish stock is used in most seafood stews, but I couldn’t find fish stock at the store. And I didn’t have time to make any from scratch. (Who has time for that anyway?)
After doing a little research and finding recipes for cioppino seafood stew that used either chicken broth or clam juice, I decided to do a mix of the two.
Even with the simplifying of a more traditional cioppino Italian seafood stew recipe, my Easy Cioppino Seafood Stew was very tasty.
Since it relies on frozen items, you can easily make a batch on the weekends when you have a little time to cook, but don’t want to spend the whole day in the kitchen.
More tips for making and serving cioppino
Can you freeze cioppino? YES! Double the batch and freeze it for later. However, you’ll need a large stock pot if you want to double the recipe.
Can you reheat seafood stew in the microwave? Sure! Leftover shellfish cioppino heats up well in the microwave. Just don't overheat it or the seafood will end up chewy and rubbery.
Can I omit the wine? If you don’t want to use wine in your batch of Easy Cioppino Seafood Stew, use the equivalent amount of gluten free low sodium chicken broth.
Serve on Christmas Eve: This cioppino style seafood stew recipe is also perfect for Christmas Eve dinner, since many people traditionally have seafood or fish that night.
Another soup option for Christmas Eve dinner would be my Easy Dairy Free Oyster Chowder.
What to serve with cioppino? Make sure to have crusty French or Italian bread on hand for dipping into the broth. So tasty!
If you’re gluten free, toast some of your favorite GF bread for dipping. Mmmmmmmm.
I also like to serve a simple side salad like this Kale Salad with Fruity Vinaigrette with the fish.
Soup, salad and bread is a perfect meal.
Looking for more easy seafood recipes?
If you love seafood or fish, you have to try:
● Crab Pasta with Pesto, Mushrooms & Tomatoes
● Shrimp Puttanesca with Quinoa
● Ahi Tuna Tacos with Wasabi Cream and Mango Avocado Salsa
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 large shallots, chopped
- 2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more for seasoning
- 4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for seasoning
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
- 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
- 2 1/3 cups low sodium chicken stock (gluten free)
- 3 (8 ounce) bottles clam juice
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 pounds frozen seafood mix
- 1 pound frozen, uncooked shell off shrimp
- 1 1/2 pounds white, firm-fleshed fish fillets, cut into 2-inch chunks
Directions
- Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.
- Add the fennel, onion, shallots, and salt and sauté for 10 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
- Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, and sauté for another 2 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes with their juices, wine, chicken stock, clam juice, and bay leaf.
- Cover and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for another 30 minutes.
- Add the frozen seafood mix to the pot. Cover and cook until the seafood is cooked through, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and fish. Simmer gently until the fish and shrimp are just cooked through, about 5 minutes
- Season the soup to taste with more salt and red pepper flakes, if needed.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.
- Serving size: 1/6 of recipe
Originally published on January 10, 2013 and November 7, 2016.
Updated with new pictures and information.
Marinated Olives Recipe (for Meat & Cheese Platters) – Keto Recipe
Looking for the best marinated olives recipe? Here it is. Save money with this easy olive recipe. It’s a great appetizer for impromptu entertaining and the perfect addition to meat and cheese platters. Serve as is or with marinated feta cheese for easy low carb snacking.
THIS POST INCLUDES AFFILIATE LINKS TO SHARE THE THINGS I LOVE.
I love the beautiful gourmet olives at the olive bar in upscale grocery stores. I typically bring home 3-4 different options to try. Some are green and others black, some are brined and others not, but my favorite olives are those marinated with herbs and spices.
How to make marinated olives
Have you ever wondered how to marinate olives? You’ll be surprised how easy they are to make. To make marinated olives you just need olives, herbs and spices, aromatics, olive oil, vinegar, and salt. Mix everything together, cover, and refrigerate – that’s it! Just a few simple ingredients result in the best marinated olives.
Marinated Olive Ingredients
These are the ingredients I use when making marinated olives. They’re easy to customize per individual taste and what you already have at hand.
- Assorted olives
- Fennel seeds
- Minced garlic or shallot
- Fresh chopped rosemary or thyme
- Fresh chopped parsley, basil or tarragon
- Red pepper flakes
- Red wine vinegar or lemon juice
- Olive oil
- Salt
How to serve marinated olives
For large gatherings, serve marinated olives in small bowls and place around the room for easy access.
For more intimate or impromptu settings, serve the marinated olives in a larger bowl with a spoon. I like pairing my olives with a bowl of marinated feta cheese or low carb hummus and almond crackers.
Don’t forget to include marinated olives on cheese platters or charcuterie boards. Place the olives in small glass or wooden bowls right on the meat and cheese platters or at least within reach.
Best olives for cheese platter or charcuterie board
I like to include a variety of black and green olives. Try punchy Kalamata olives or green olives stuffed with pimento, jalapeno, almonds, garlic, or cheese. And, mild green Castelvetrano olives are a must. Of course, including this recipe for marinated olives is appropriate.
For the ultimate Mediterranean inspired appetizer board serve marinated olives with Parmesan crisps, low carb focaccia bread, marinated feta cheese, roasted eggplant dip, rosemary crackers, and warm cocktail nuts. Don’t forget to offer a selection of dry and fruity wines.
NOTE: Specialty made olive serving bowls that include containers for olive pits are attractive and practical. Look for ceramic olive serving bowls and wooden olive serving bowls on Amazon or Etsy.
Olive Platter and Olive Tray Ideas
A good meat and cheese platter is always in style, but make olives the star with on-trend OLIVE PLATTERS! What a perfect way to enjoy your homemade marinated olives recipe.
What are olive platters you ask? Olive platters flip the script on traditional appetizer platters by showcasing olives and filling in with other ingredients.
To Make an Olive Platter
Choose a wide, flat platter or cutting board – the size is up to you.
Select 3-4 kinds of olives to showcase:
- Store bought or homemade marinated olives
- Brined tangy olives like Kalamata
- Stuffed olives with: almonds, pimento, jalapeno, garlic or cheese,
- Dry cured olives
- Whole olives like Castelvetrano
Place olives in bowls on the platter or cutting board or arrange them in groups.
Fill empty spaces with a selection of nuts and berries, cheese (try Manchego and soft goat cheese) and selected meats like shaved ham, cooked cut sausage, or roasted chicken.
How do you store marinated olives?
It’s best to store any leftover olives in their original container in the refrigerator. Brined olives and olives packed in oil will last for several months in the refrigerator. Make sure to use clean hands and utensils when handling the olives to avoid contamination.
Store canned olives in a clean container in their brine or salted water for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Store drained olives in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.
Store marinated olives in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Marinated olives last for 1-2 weeks if kept covered and refrigerated.
Marinated Olives Recipe
Equipment
- Small sauce pan (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 cup medium pitted green olives* (6 oz)
- 1 cup medium pitted black olives* (6 oz)
- 1 tsp whole fennel seeds
- 1 medium garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (or thyme)
- 2 tsp chopped fresh parsley (basil or tarragon)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Warm the fennel seeds in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until fragrant.
- Turn the heat to low and add olive oil, vinegar, rosemary (or thyme) garlic, and red pepper flakes. Heat until the oil is fragrant, about 8 minutes.
- Pour over olives, and stir. Add parsley and salt, stirring to combine. Can serve immediately, but let marinate for at least 2 hours for better flavor.
- Alternately, crush the fennel seeds in a mortar with a pestle. Then, add the garlic and work it into a paste. Stir in the next 7 ingredients. Toss the olives with the marinade. Marinate for several hours for best flavor.
- STORE: Place into an airtight container or into a bowl covered with cling film and refrigerate for up to a week.
- Makes approximately 2 cups serving 6 – 8 people. NET CARBS: 4.46g per 1/3 cup serving (2 oz, or 57 g, or 1/6th of the recipe).
Notes
Nutrition
The post Marinated Olives Recipe (for Meat & Cheese Platters) appeared first on Low Carb Maven.
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