Cooking Videos Archives - Spinach Tiger

Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts, an Amish Christmas Cookie

Angela Roberts — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 06:06:00 +0000

Pennsylvania Dutch Sand tarts are a cookie I grew up eating and taking for granted. I thought everyone’s family made them and little did I know that it was a very regional cookie, introduced by the Pennsylvania Dutch, Amish and Mennonites.

The beauty of this cookie is how thin and crisp it is, which makes it so addicting. I haven’t yet met a person who eats just one and can stop.

My Aunt Rita was the only one in the family who made made them and I still have her handwritten recipe. I combined it with a recipe I found in an Amish cookbook, Cooking from Quilt Country by Marcia Adams.

It’s the only recipe I’ve seen that separates the eggs and beats the egg whites stiff. You must use real butter, no substitutes, which is funny because my Aunt Rita hated butter, and the only time of year you could find butter at her house was when she was making sand tarts.

The sentimentality goes deep for me. Her son, Sam, my closest cousin was like a big brother to me. He passed away at 42 and left me everything including this book. I can actually remember the day he bought the book and showed it to me. He was very influential in how I view food.

It was years before I delved into the book, but it’s quite marvelous, highlighting all the regional dishes I grew up eating, and the type of cooking that has enjoyed a renaissance. I can’t bake these cookies without thinking about both of them, and I will pass this down to the children in my life, which is why I made a video.

Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts Must be Rolled Very Thin

A very simple cookie, but one not so easy to get exactly right, as they must be rolled quite thin. The cookies are challenging only in getting them thin enough; otherwise it’s an easy cookie dough to make, but they must be made the night before and refrigerated.

It’s very tricky to send cookies out of town and keep them from going stale. I used cylinder tins and made a cookie that the recipe says will keep indefinitely.

You will want a lot of different cookie cutters.

I made these for Thanksgiving, and used a maple leaf cookie cutter and placed a pecan in the center. For Christmas, you might see them just like this, or you might see them with colored sugar.

I Grew up Eating Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts Every Christmas

When I mention sand tarts to people who know and understand the regional component, they get excited and plead with me to make them a batch. I hope you and your family will enjoy this long time Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas tradition.

You will have to hide the cookies though, because they are so thin and crisp, it’s easy to eat a dozen at a time. This was the first time I’ve made Pennsylvania Dutch sand tarts and now I’ll be making them every year.

Tell me about your food traditions at the Holidays. Do you have a recipe that’s been passed down and have you ever heard of Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts? I put a lot of baking and cooking posts on Instagram and Pinterest.

Family Italian Christmas Cookies from Spinach Tiger

Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts

A Pennsylvania Dutch cookie, thin and crisp and traditionally served only at Christmas.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 10

Total Time 1 10

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

1/2 pound butter softened (no substitutes)
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs separated
3 cups all-purpose flour

Topping

1/4 cup sugar mixed with 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg beaten
4 cups whole pecans although I didn’t use that many

Instructions

If using a kitchen aid, beat the egg whites stiff first and transfer to another bowl.
In the mixing bowl, beat butter until very softened. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add salt, and vanilla. Beat egg yolks and add.
Fold in the egg whites, but not totally. You should still be able to see some of the white patches.
Add in flour 1 1/2 cups at a time.
Chill overnight.
Bake the next day at 350 degrees.
Roll out a quarter at a time, keeping dough in refrigerator.
Roll very thin and use a 2 inch scalloped cookie cutter to form or use any Christmas cutter you desire.
Brush with beaten egg, top, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and top with pecan.
Bake 9-10 minutes, not allowing cookie to get too brown.
Cool thoroughly on wire racks.
Pack in tins.

The post Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts, an Amish Christmas Cookie appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

No Baste Holiday Turkey, Cheesecloth Technique, with Video

Angela Roberts — Mon, 24 Nov 2025 14:19:00 +0000

My No Baste Holiday Cheesecloth Turkey is the only turkey recipe you’ll ever need. I’ve made at least 8 of these turkeys roasted with cheesecloth and every time, they come out perfect. Crispy skin. Moist meat. No stress!

As turkey recipes abound, I’m just like everyone else. I only cook a turkey once a year, so I watch all the cooking shows, and read the latest news on turkey cooking. When Michael Symon draped his turkey in a cheesecloth on the Chew a few years ago, and said “this bird will not need basting,” I knew I was in.

I didn’t use his Greek flavor profile, choosing my own, so feel free to adjust the recipe according to your favorite seasonings. I used oranges, thyme, sage, rosemary and shallots to season the bird and I made my own turkey stock.

What Kind of Cheesecloth.

You can get your cheesecloth here. It’s cooking grade and comes to your door from Amazon.

The seasonings and spices are not as important as the technique. I think you could use chicken stock, salt and pepper and still come out a winner. But, I know you’ll fuss with your favorite herbs just like I do.

To Brine or Not to Brine Your Cheesecloth Roasted Turkey

I’m in good company with all the major chefs like Bobby Flay and Micheal Symon who don’t brine their turkey. Bobby Flay says that brining is for folks who overcook their turkey. A fresh turkey should not need brining.

However, there is something called a dry brine, which is the secret to my roast chicken. You simply salt the turkey the day before, wrap in plastic, not unlike the way I roast a chicken.

What kind of turkey should you use to make turkey roasted with cheesecloth technique?

I think this is of paramount importance if you want a good tasting, healthy turkey.

I always buy a fresh turkey from a reliable source. I don’t think you need to spend $100 on a turkey, but I don’t recommend looking for a bargain. Do your homework. Dismiss hormone laden turkeys that don’t ever cook, and buy the best turkey you can find within reason. Having said that, even the $100 turkey can be a disaster if it’s cooked to death.

This is a tested recipe using a turkey which was humanely raised and vegetarian fed, free of antibiotics and growth hormones. It was absolutely perfect. Get my turkey gravy recipe here.

Temperature and Roasting Times for Roast Turkey

Turkey that is fresh, defrosting takes approximately 13 minutes per pound. Many ovens comes with a probe, which will release once the turkey (at the thigh) reaches the temperature you set, which should be 165° F. If you don’t have a built-in probe, use an instant read meat thermometer. Measure at the thigh, away from the bone. You may also want to check the temperature of your oven with this oven thermostat.

Tell me, do you watch cooking shows and use the recipes for your Thanksgiving dinner?

My Best Thanksgiving Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Click here or on this picture for over 60 of my tested Thanksgiving Recipes. I have made most of these recipes several times, and they are winners!

Check out the Thanksgiving Food Pinterest Board for some great recipes by top bloggers.

If you’re looking for sides and desserts, I have you covered in my Holiday Recipes Category. Don’t forget to check out my Turkey Leftovers post below. For fun, I’ll be cooking/baking lots of dishes on instagram stories, so please follow me there.

What to do with Turkey Leftovers

Leftovers

We Have You Covered for Healthy Thanksgiving

If you want a Keto Friendly, Gluten Free Thanksgiving go here.

No matter what your needs are for Thanksgiving, we can help you make it delicious and we are grateful you are here. If you’re a Nashville local needing keto or diabetic friendly bakes, I have a keto bakery and we are taking orders for the holidays now.

No Baste Holiday Turkey, Roasted with Cheesecloth Technique

Cheesecloth no baste turkey adapted from Michael Symon, turkey stock adapted from Guy Fieri. Perfectly moist, golden brown turkey with no opening oven to baste.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 3

Total Time 4

Servings

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

1 12-15 pound turkey adjust amount of turkey stock for larger turkey
salt
2 oranges quartered
4 large shallots peeled
3 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
bunch of fresh sage leaves
2 celery sticks cut into thirds
cheesecloth large enough for triple layer over turkey
Turkey stock Recipe follows (can use a chicken stock, chicken broth)
TURKEY STOCK INGREDIENTS
1 turkey neck
1 chicken back or chicken necks can use turkey wings
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 onions quartered
2 carrots chopped in thirds
3 stalks celery chopped in thirds
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon pepper
6 fresh sage leaves

Kitchen Tools Needed

Organic Unbleached Cheesecloth order here
Turkey Roasting Pan order here
Turkey boat order here
Turkey Platter order here
Carving Knife order here
Turkey Lifter order here

Instructions

Clean turkey, removing everything inside. Check all cavities to remove included gizzards, liver, turkey neck, etc.
Salt turkey generously, wrap in plastic, refrigerate overnight.
When ready to roast, Wash salt off. Pat Dry. Allow to sit at room temperature 1 hour.
Use warm/cool stock. Heat up first if taking out of refrigerator. Allow to cool.
Preheat oven to 425.
Pat inside of turkey dry. Season with salt and pepper.
Stuff turkey with celery, oranges and sage, thyme, shallots, rosemary.
If desired, place a few sage leaves in between breast flesh and breast skin.
Place turkey in roasting pan, over a rack.
Cover entire turkey with cheesecloth. Pour all of the turkey stock over the cheesecloth.
Roast for 45 minutes at 425 degrees F..
Lower to 350 degrees, and roast until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches a minimum 165.
Allow to rest 30 minutes before carving.
TURKEY STOCK INSTRUCTIONS
Roast turkey and chicken parts in oven for 45 minutes at 350.
Add chopped vegetables. Turn meat over and place over vegetables.
Continue to roast for 35 minutes.
Add turkey and vegetables and all pan drippings into 4 quarts of boiling water. Bring to simmer, and simmer for 2 hours on low heat.
Cool. Skim fat. Use immediately or make day before, refrigerate.

The post No Baste Holiday Turkey, Cheesecloth Technique, with Video appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Shaved Cauliflower Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette & Video

Angela Roberts — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 10:58:00 +0000

My inspiration for this shaved cauliflower salad came from Adele’s in Nashville. I only had it once, and I never stopped thinking about it. This is my version based on their very good idea. It makes a great holiday salad, especially at pot lucks because it can sit out all day and still taste great.

At a recent cookout, I needed a side for burgers. I didn’t want any starch, and a salad seemed too formal. No one around here likes mayonnaise based salads (except me). That delicious cauliflower salad came to mind when my friend texted me from Adele’s during brunch. I looked at the ingredients in their on-line menu and went from there.

Watch the Video for Raw Shaved Cauliflower Salad

Now normally I would not make anything with raw cauliflower, because it has no taste, and isn’t pleasant to eat. However once you add marinate shaved cauliflower in a strong vinegar based dressing, pistachios, golden raisins and scallions, it becomes a pretty addicting salad.

Here’s what I Learned about Raw Shaved Cauliflower Salad.

You almost can’t add enough vinegar and you need to let it marinate overnight. If not, it ends up being fairly tasteless. If you can wait or you plan ahead, it’s amazing, especially if you add nuts for crunch, and dried fruit for sweetness and texture.

You also needs lots of scallions, and a strong mustardy dressing. I used a ratio of vinegar to oil 1 to 2. Normally I use much less vinegar, but this salad needs a lot of acid. It also needs salt, but add the chopped nuts first (which are salted) before you add too much.

I used a large whole cauliflower and sliced each floret as thinly as possible. I tried both slicing with a knife and a mandolin. The mandolin works better and I use this one also featured below.

As far as nuts, I used chopped, salted pistachios. Harder nuts seem to work better in this salad, and you could also use chopped peanuts or sliced almonds. If you use almonds, sautè them first to intensify their flavor. I added in some red chili flakes for heat.

Tips for the Best Shaved Cauliflower Salad

Robust Vinaigrette made with Olive Oil and Mustard
Slice Cauliflower thinly
Scallions (lot of them)
Toasted Nuts for more texture
Add in heat with red chili flakes

Shaved Cauliflower Salad stays crunchy and is the perfect side dish to take to a party or pot luck.

I find that people really appreciate healthier choices at parties. This will be added to my list of salads that travel well, that include this Potluck Autumn Kale Salad and this Brussels Sprouts Salad with Raw Beet Pesto.

More Spinach Tiger Cauliflower Recipes

Shaved Cauliflower Salad with Champagne Mustard Vinaigrette

Raw Cauliflower Salad with pistachios, golden raisins, scallions, and a zesty dijon mustard champagne vinaigrette.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower
1/2 cup chopped salted pistachios
1/3 cup golden raisins
2 bunches of scallions
1/2 cup champagne vinaigrette see recipe below
sea salt
pepper
red pepper flakes as needed

Champagne Mustard Vinaigrette

1 clove garlic minced
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar more as needed
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

Cut out the bottom core of cauliflower. Discard
Slice cauliflower as thin as you can. Mandolin is best, but you can slice with good sharp knife.
Toss with vinaigrette.You will want the vinegar to be pronounced. I found that the cauliflower doesn’t hold the vinegar taste.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add in chile flakes.
Add golden raisins, chopped scallions, nuts, (reserve some nuts for garnish).

Vinaigrette Instructions

Infuse olive oil with chopped garlic for 20 minutes.
Put mustard in a jar and mix well with vinegar.
Slowly add olive oil. Mix well.
Add red pepper flakes.
Season with salt and pepper.

Video

Notes

Depending on how large your cauliflower is, you may need more dressing. Once you taste, you may need to add vinegar, but I found I didn’t need to add in more olive oil.
You might also want to add in more nuts, raisins depending on your own taste.

It’s important to refrigerate this salad for several hours or overnight to marinate the cauliflower.

The post Shaved Cauliflower Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette & Video appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Authentic Tableside Guacamole

Angela Roberts — Sun, 31 Jul 2022 13:25:00 +0000

I’m reposting this Authentic Tableside Guacamole recipe for National Avocado Day! I feel a bit presumptuous stating this, but I have a little history with authentic guacamole. Aside from having the legendary Budro’s tableside guacamole as our inspiration, we both tasted a lot of great guacamole in Mexico.

A visit to Puerto Vallarta before I knew Mr. Spinach Tiger with someone else I refer to as the surfer heel, if I can use a very old fashioned word, led me to a near death experience and an authentic lunch in the middle of nowhere in Mexico.

The Near Death Experience.

Our hotel had a secluded beach and a riptide someone forgot to tell me about. The surfer heel insisted we venture further out into the water from the shore and as usual he went ahead not looking back. He never noticed that I got caught in an undertow only a few feet from shore. The good looking outdoor bartender came to my rescue, got me out of the water and somehow my top, that came off in the rough waters, got back on. I was too frightened to care about that at the time and am grateful there were no cell phone cameras back then to embarrass me.

The guests were stunned. Not because of my wardrobe malfunction nor my near drowning, but that surfer heel didn’t even look back or take notice. Finally, he realized I wasn’t there and he came back to find himself at odds with all the guests. They shook their heads with disgust and wondered what a nice girl like me was doing with someone like him. This was the vacation that led to the demise of this relationship and that wasn’t the worst of it.

The Unsettling Beach in the Middle of Nowhere, Mexico

The next day, he insisted we rent a car and drive from the semi-safe tourist part of town to a smaller town where odd looking stray dogs run wild and tourists are no where to be found. While he was surfing, I had the pleasure of sitting on a very unsettling beach, scared to death that something worse than an undertow was going to come along. It was time to end this relationship and wait for a real man who put me first.

Mexican Lunch in the Middle of the Nowhere, Mexico
The food was surprisingly good and that’s when I tasted my first real guacamole, assembled from chunks of avocado with simple ingredients

Budro’s Tableside Guacamole

The next time I tasted anything as good was at Boudro’s Texas Bistro in San Antonio. I had dinner there with Mr. ST one Valentine’s week many years ago, comforted in the realization that I had waited for the right man. They took a picture of us on the patio wrapped in blankets which Boudro’s provides its guests. Romantic that he is, he framed the picture and has it on his desk.

He became just as smitten with the their famous tableside guacamole and recreated the recipe as soon as we got back home, adapting it to his own taste. The serrano pepper can be left out, but we love it.

His guacamole is legendary, and there is none better anywhere here in Nashville. He’s very particular about it, and I enjoy watching him do his table side magic especially because it always takes us back to that night in San Antonio, serving as a reminder to me how different my life could have been with the wrong person. (Although I’m not sure about those sunglasses. I think they are long gone, but he thought he looked like Bono. I laughed too).

Table-side Presentation for Authentic Guacamole

Table-side guacamole is something you can do when your guests arrive, but give them a drink first. The entire assembly takes about five minutes.How to Make Sure the Avocado is Ripe Enough, but not too Ripe

There is a little brown stem (button) on the tip of an avocado. If you flick it off, you will see either a brown spot (too ripe) or a green spot (ripe enough)

Peel Your Avocados. Did you know you can peel avocados. Let me show you here.

Chop your cilantro with this Tuo Cleaver, my new favorite kitchen tool.

Tableside Guacamole and a Beautiful Presentation

The key to a beautiful presentation is to have everything ready to chop freshly on the spot peel the avocados. This is much easier than you may think and I did a post on it. Peeling the avocado makes it easier to cut into attractive slices for some dishes or nice chunks for this one. It might be a good idea to have your onion pre-cut, but dice the tomato fresh.

Pin This ↓

So tell me, did you wait for Mr. or Mrs. Right? Did it take you as many dogs as it took me?

More Avocado Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Authentic Guacamole and Tableside Presentation

Authentic Guacamole and how to do a nice tableside presentation.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Note: To make enough guacamole: use 1 avocado per person and adjust ingredients accordingly.
4 avocados
juice squeezed from 1/2 large orange
juice squeezed from one lime
sea salt black pepper
1/2 purple onion diced
1 small tomato diced
handful of cilantro chopped
1 serrano pepper diced very finely (optional)

Instructions

Assemble the following into a bowl:
Peel avocados or carefully spoon out the flesh, keeping the avocado and intact as possible. Cut into large chunks.
Squeeze the juices of orange and lime over avocado.
Season with salt and pepper
Add in chopped onion, tomato, cilantro
Carefully mix together. You don’t want the avocado turned into mush.
Season again with salt as needed, perhaps another squeeze of lime.
Serve immediately.

Video

The post Authentic Tableside Guacamole appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Grain Free Biscuits, Low Carb, Keto with Video

Angela Roberts — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 20:22:22 +0000

Grain Free, Paleo, Keto Southern Biscuit

Here is the biscuit many of you have been waiting for. Grain Free Biscuits that are low carb, keto, paleo, gluten free and diabetic friendly. This the best recipe you will ever find for a keto biscuit. Make sure to scroll all the way down to watch the video.

I had to work very hard to make grain free biscuits that could join the line up.

If this is your first time visiting here, you may not know that my biscuit recipes have become viral posts.

Both my regular all purpose flour, Southern Fluffy biscuit and my Southern Fluffy Gluten Free biscuit are in the top ten every single day and get the most positive comments.

Here was my problem. I like to eat low-carb and gluten free. Regular gluten free biscuits are good, but they are not low carb, as they are made with rice flour. I knew people were looking for a GOOD grain free biscuit that can be eaten while on a strict low-carb, keto or paleo diet. They are also good for the low calorie plan if you go in that direction.

The extreme good news is that these grain free biscuits will not spike your blood sugar. I can’t even stress how important this is for diabetics, who have very little choice for breads that they don’t have to fear.

But, this is Spinach Tiger and again if you’re new, my food has to be amazing. My food philosophy is that it is as important to the human race (beyond survival) as language is. Bad food is like bad grammar and misspellings that mess up a beautiful speech or piece of writing.

Good food is like a novel that feeds your soul and changes your life.

Please check out my latest grain free sweet potato biscuits, sold in my keto bakery every week.

Use these Grain Free Biscuits to Make the Best Grain Free Stuffing

Here the grain free biscuit shows up with an oven-fried egg Recipe here.

Use this Recipe to Make Grain Free Egg Biscuits baked in Muffin Cup

Will these grain free biscuits be life changing?

Yes, if gluten and grains cause you health problems. That’s not all of you, but it’s many of you. When I gave up grains this year, my hip stopped hurting. I actually had a limp, and it wouldn’t go away. I am now pain and limp free.

This recipe was heavily tested in my kitchen. I made 9 different batches and did blind taste tests with my husband who is from the South and knows how a biscuit should taste.

We tested 9 different grain free biscuits recipes before we decided to publish.

The criteria for my grain free biscuits included taste, inside texture and outside texture. The biscuits had to rise enough to be fluffy inside and yet crispy on the outside. They needed to be light, but not so light that they had their horrible air texture a lot of low-carb breads have.

I kept the golden flax steady at one tablespoon, which I discovered is quite magical in arranging texture.

Then I tried different combinations of almond flour and coconut flour. In the end, adding two tablespoons of coconut flour made the difference between good and very good.

I tried adding extra unsalted butter, but the biscuits would be swimming in the butter after they baked. Two tablespoons is perfect.

I tried different amounts of coconut flour. While one tablespoon of coconut flour seemed good, two tablespoons proved better. We did a blind taste test leaving out the coconut flour and the recipe with coconut flour won for taste and for texture.

I tried various amounts of baking powder. Two teaspoons beat one teaspoon which beat 1/2 teaspoon.

Salt is important, but go lightly. 1/2 teaspoon is enough.

As far as egg whites, I beat them stiff and I weighed them first. You need at least 150 grams of egg whites, so use extra large eggs. They give the biscuits air and fluffiness.

Can you use egg whites purchased in a carton?

Yes. I discovered this recently and was thrilled. Use 1/2 cup egg white per recipe.

Can You Freeze these Grain Free Biscuits?

Yes. The best way to freeze these is to make the batter, scoop and put in a container with a lid. You can stack them between parchment paper, once frozen. You can freeze them once baked also, but I prefer to eat them fresh.

Since this original post, I’ve discovered using an ice cream scoop works best to drop these biscuits onto a baking pan.

Use a scale to weigh all the dry ingredients when making grain free biscuits.

You can measure out in cups, but a scale will give you a more consistent experience. This is so important to yield a consistently good biscuit. I even weigh the egg whites. I like this scale.

I took some biscuit tips from my original biscuit. I froze the butter and dry ingredients and kept the baking temperature high.

The grain free biscuit has no flour and it’s not fair to compare it to my southern fluffy biscuits. However, I used that as my standard to make sure that although an almond flour biscuit is different, it can be equally satisfying the way a gluten heavy biscuit is, but there will be no blood sugar spike.

You Can Make Your Own Almond Flour for this Recipe

You can make your own blanched almond flour. Blanched means you remove the skins, which results in a finer flour. Or you can buy it. I like this brand.

Make the grain free biscuits larger for sandwiches and burgers.

The recipe makes 6 biscuits at 4 net carbs.

If you want a sandwich or a burger like I often crave, make them larger. It’s still low carb and low calories. Cut them cross wise and put them back in the oven to crisp up a little and then enjoy sandwiches.

Stay tuned for many more low carb, Keto Recipes. If you are Diabetic, or anyone in your family is diabetic, please know you can eat big fat wonderful food, if you know how to follow a keto diet.

Take a minute to subscribe to get all the future big fat healthy recipes! Don’t forget to scroll up and watch the video.⇑

More Keto Breads from Spinach TIger

Grain Free Biscuits, Low Carb, Keto, Gluten Free

Paleo Grain Free Biscuits made with almond flour and coconut flour. Perfect for a low carb or diabetic diet.

Course Biscuit

Cuisine American

Keyword keto, grain free

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 18

Total Time 38

Servings biscuits

Calories 138kcal

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted grass fed butter
1 cup blanched almond flour 112 grams
2 tablespoons coconut flour 14 grams
1 tablespoons golden flax meal 7 grams
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
5 extra large egg whites about 1/2 cup

Instructions

You might want to scroll up and watch the video to see the technique.
Cut butter into pea sized pieces, place in freezer.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Measure all dry ingredients. Mix together well. Once butter is frozen, mix with dry ingredients, place in freezer.
Beat egg whites until fluffy and stiff enough to spoon.
Mix into dry ingredients.
The VIDEO shows forming into a round disc. Since then, I’ve discovered an ice cream scoop works better and gets a higher biscuits.
This will make 6 to 8 biscuits. The biscuits will increase in size.
Bake on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
A cookie spatula works great to remove them, as it is extra thin.
Bake at 425 degrees F. for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

Video

Notes

6 Biscuits: 4 net carbs

Nutrition

The post Grain Free Biscuits, Low Carb, Keto with Video appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Sausage Crusted Keto Pizza with Peppers

Angela Roberts — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 14:50:04 +0000

Making a sausage crusted keto pizza crust with bell peppers is super easy, super Italian delicious. Yes, you can cut it and pick it up with your hands. I knew you’d want to know that.

This is the third sausage-crusted pizza I’m sharing here, and might be my favorite. After all, peppers go so amazingly well with Italian sausage. Unlike the broccoli rabe sausage crusted pizza which requires pre-cooking the broccoli rabe, raw thin slivers of raw bell peppers go right on the pizza saving lots of time.

First, you must prepare the sausage crust. There is no fat-head dough, grains or gobs of mozzarella in the crust, just delicious Italian Sausage. Take the sausage out of the casing or buy it loose.

Place the sausage on a piece of parchment paper on your baking sheet. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and roll out. Take the plastic off. Bake on a baking sheet. You will see a pool of oil, once baked.

Note: If you use turkey sausage, you will have less oil and it still tastes good.

Drain the oil that comes out of the sausage, top with a cup of mozzarella, slivers of red and yellow bell peppers, top with fresh basil and enjoy! The whole pizza has about 7 carbs. How’s that?

In case you still don’t understand how this is made, we have a video for you below.

Frequently Asked Questions for Sausage Crusted Pizza

How do you easily roll sausage?

You must use plastic wrap or parchment. Otherwise the sausage due to the fat will stick to your rolling pin.

Do you have to use a rolling pin?

No, you can smooth out with your hands, but a rolling pin will be much easier, and the pizza crust will be even, so I recommend using it.

Ingredients for Sausage Crusted Keto Pizza

What kind of sausage should I use?

Whatever you love. We love a combination of spicy and mild Italian sausage. We buy it loose, but you can buy it in links and take it out of the casing. You can also use chicken Italian sausage, but I’ve not used that and not sure how well it crisps up.

How much will my crust shrink?

It does shrink about an inch at least and will yield a lot of fat. This is why using a baking sheet works. After baking for ten minutes, pour out the grease, pat dry with paper towels.

What kind of cheese should I use?

The cheese that works the best is the mozzarella that comes in a bag and is low moisture. However, you can use fresh (keeping in mind it’s moisture level), or a combo of your favorite cheeses. We made this with three cheeses in this version.

What tomato sauce should I use?

Here’s where I am very picky. I hate jarred sauces and find them a waste and too often full of sugar and too acidic. I like to take a good can of San Marzano Tomatoes (like the Cento Brand) and before I start rolling the sausage, I break up with my hand, cook down with a little olive oil and oregano or basil, salt and pepper. One can give you more than enough for one pizza and you can freeze in little baggies for your next pizzas.

My pizza is soggy. What did I do wrong?

You may not have drained the grease, patted down with paper towels. Also you need to wait a few minutes prior to cutting. Done properly, you should be able to pick up with your hand.

What do I do with the left over peppers if I want to have all these colors?

So glad you asked. Cut them all, lay them out on a tray, freeze and then put into a plastic bag. Make this low carb skillet cheesesteak with cauliflower.

Always know you can write me with any questions you have or leave in the comments below. I answer each and every one.

More Ideas for Spinach Tiger Sausage Crusted Pizza

Sausage Crusted Pizza with Broccoli Rabe

Sausage Crusted Three Cheese Pizza

Homemade Pizza Sauce

Sausage Crusted Keto Pizza with Multi Colored Peppers

Low Carb, Keto Friendly Pizza where Sausage is used for the Crust. (Sausage and Peppers)

Course Pizza

Cuisine Italian

Keyword basil, bell peppers, Italian sausage, keto pizza, pizza sauce, sausage crust

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Servings slices

Equipment

Ingredients

1 pound Italian sausage
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup tomato sauce Recipe below or use your preferred jarred sauce
1 cups grated mozzarella cheese more if you like
2 tablespoons Pecorino Romano Cheese
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 handful fresh basil

Pizza Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 can San Marzano Tomatoes chopped with juice
2 tablespoons fresh oregano or basil or dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper or more to taste

Instructions

Make pizza sauce first (below) or use your own favorite tomato sauce.

Make Sausage Crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Use loose sausage. If you have sausage links, remove from casing. spread out with fingers onto baking sheet. Use parchment paper for bottom and plastic wrap for top. Use rolling pin to roll out as thin as you can without forming holes. Place plastic on top of sausage and roll. You will not need any binders.
Sausage will shrink about an inch all around and will yield a good amount of oil.
Bake for 10 to 15 until sausage is browned.

Make Pizza

Once sausage is cooked, sop up any grease with paper towels.
Add about 1/2 cup tomato sauce to pizza crust.
Add mozzarella cheese.
Scatter bell peppers evenly over entire crust.
Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Sprinkle grated pecorino romano cheese if desired.
Put fresh basil on pizza.
Serve immediately, cutting into six pieces.

Make Pizza Sauce

Add olive oil to saucepan.
Add garlic. Fry for one minute but be careful not to burn. If burn, thrown all out, start over.
Using your hands, squeeze tomatoes into sauce pan. Include juice.
Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, fresh herbs in whole form to later be removed.
Cook on low while making the pizza crust. This doesn't take long.
Use a stick blender to blend smoothly if desired.
Season sauce with oregano or basil.

Video

Notes

You can use turkey Italian sausage.

The post Sausage Crusted Keto Pizza with Peppers appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Cold Fighting Smoothie for Sick Kids

Angela Roberts — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 12:47:38 +0000

Cold Fighting Smoothie. I am reposting this smoothie as flu season is upon us and this smoothie is one pro-active way to give the immune system a boost. Kid friendly and delicious.

My Vitamix is truly a workhorse and a natural doctor in the kitchen. Just look at the color of this cold fighting smoothie which has blueberries, oranges, kale, apples, carrots, and even a little bit of red beet (for color). This was developed to boost the immune system of a sick child who had no appetite. The response upon the first sip, was “this is the best drink you ever made.” And, he drank the whole thing.

When kids are sick, they tend to refuse food, even homemade chicken soup. When I originally posted this, the boys were only 7 years old, bringing home colds. Today, the concern of a parent is even bigger, and it’s good to get pro-active and feed healthy super nutrition dense foods.

That’s when my Vitamix performs its magic by taking whole foods and crushing them to a delicious, icy cold refreshing drink, delivering not just nutrition, but some needed quick energy.

Blueberries contained the most active antioxidants of any fresh fruit, thanks to their high levels of anthocyanins—one of the most potent antioxidants. Blueberries are also a brain food, so it’s a win all the way.

Kale helps clear congestion especially in the lungs.

Apple boosts the immune system, clears toxins through the liver, aids in diarrhea and constipation (often a part of a cold virus.)

Carrots, rich is beta-carotene (Vitamin A). Aids immune system and lungs.

Beets – Aside from these healthy benefits, beets are high in carbohydrates. When children are sick, they don’t eat much, and beets can serve as energy fuel. I added a little bit of beets to this drink, more for color, as blueberries and kale together don’t look appetizing and kids see their food first. Make it look good.

This cold fighting smoothie is dairy free.

The benefits of a cold fighting smoothie with blueberries, orange and kale are enormous, but the main thing about smoothies is that they are not all created equal. This is completely free of any dairy products which may promote mucus, and are tasty enough for someone not feeling so well to enjoy.

So tell me what kind of winter has it been at your house? This cold fighting smoothie is not just for when kids get a cold. It’s a great preventative measure.

More Smoothies from Spinach Tiger

Vitamin C Smoothie and Tips for Treating a Fever

Two Green Smoothie Recipes

Low Carb Chocolate Smoothie with Avocado

Red Beet Smoothie

Carob Peanut Butter Carob Banana Smoothie

Vitamix Cold Fighting Smoothie for Sick Kids with Blueberries, Orange and Kale

A smoothie made in the Vitamix with kale, blueberries and oranges, designed to boost the immune system and help with cold symptoms.

Course Smoothie

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Total Time 15

Servings

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

1 orange peeled
1 handful kale
1 handful spinach
1 carrot
1 apple cut in half, core and seeds removed
3 cups of blueberries
1 small raw red beet peeled
1/2 cup water
1 cup ice

Instructions

Place ingredients in Vitamix, and hit the smoothie button, or mix until all the ingredients are pulverized into a smoothie. Add more water if necessary.

The post Cold Fighting Smoothie for Sick Kids appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Grain Free Maple Pecan Cheesecake Bars with VIDEO

Angela Roberts — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 13:00:28 +0000

Maple Pecan Cheese Cake Bars

I’ve had more people ask me for this recipe than anything I’ve ever posted. This picture of the maple pecan bars went absolutely nuts on instagram. There is a video below to help you.

You’ll want to make this, because this is my most keto friendly popular post.

This made me a bit nervous because it’s not the typical super sweet pecan bar that resembles pecan bar, but now that I’ve made it several times, I can tell you, it’s addicting.

The Keto Maple Pecan Bar is Keto Friendly, Grain Free and Sugar Free

It’s decadent and yet it’s a keto friendly sweet, low-carb, and paleo friendly.

My inspiration comes from my favorite Christmas cookies, the Keto Friendly Pecan Tassie. My love for pecans led to this very easy cookie bar that works for any low carb or keto diet and it’s also diabetic friendly.

I had a friend taste test the first batch who is strictly following keto and she said the texture was perfect, and suggested adding in maple extract.

My husband concurred that the maple extract woke this cookie bar up and has become a family favorite.

This is not just for holidays, but is something you can easily make all year. I can have it all done in under an hour with ten minutes of active time.

How to Make the Almond Flour Crust

The only tricky part, although not difficult, is the almond flour crust. You can press it in with your hands, (instead of rolling it). In my video, I do roll it between two pieces of parchment paper. It doesn’t look like it’s going to work, but once you pre-bake it and you must pre-bake, it’s really good, not inferior in any way to other cookie bar bottoms.

As far as the cream cheese part, it’s so simple.

I use room temperature cream cheese, an egg, powdered erythritol (I use Swerve), vanilla and maple extract and you’re just about done. In my latest version, I added two tablespoons of sour cream. It’s not totally necessary, but I like it.

Chop one cup of pecans, bake for about twenty minutes and then chill thoroughly. Cut into squares and take to your next party!

An Important Word about Maple Pecan Bars

Maple pecan bars aren’t a cheesecake, but have a cream cheese filing that is inspired by cheesecake. After three tries, we flavored the cream cheese mixture with maple extract, and liked this version best. I had tried flavoring with various liquors and that just did not work!

There are also options as to where to place the pecans. In the first version, I put them first before the cream cheese mixture. Either way, it’s good. It’s a matter of how you want it to look. If I put the pecans in first, I save a sprinkling for the top.

A Word About Swerve

My favorite brand of powdered erythritol is Swerve and I wrote an extensive article about it here.

A Word About that Almond Flour Crust

This year I made pumpkin cheesecake bars and didn’t do a side crust, only a bottom. I loved it. You can head over there for that recipe, where I crushed some pecans in the pie dough and I love it.

I Made a Video for Keto Maple Pecan Cheesecake Bars

I used this rectangular tart pan, for this recipe, but a square tart pan or square baking dish would work, if you plan on cutting them into squares.

If you love this recipe, you will also love my new recipe for grain free pecan tassies

Keto Friendly Pumpkin Spice Cake

This is a cake with all the flavors of pumpkin pie. We love this so much, it’s part of my home bakery selection.

Low Carb Pumpkin Crumble

Low Carb Spiced Pear Cheesecake Tart

Grain Free Maple Pecan Bars, (Keto, Low-Carb, Sugar Free)

When pecans and maple come together for a cheesecake bar with an almond crust.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 116kcal

Author Angela Roberts

Equipment

Rectangular Tart Pan

Ingredients

Tart Crust

2 cups almond flour
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla optional
1/3 cup Swerve granulated
1 egg

Tart Filling Ingredients

8 ounce full fat cream cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream newly added and optional
1/2 cup Swerve granulated
1 egg
1 teaspoon maple extract
1 cup pecans plus two tablespoons for garnish

Instructions

Almond Tart Crust Instructions
Melt butter and mix with almond flour, vanilla and swerve.
Mix in egg yolk.
Put in tart pan, by pressing in with fingers.
Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Make Filling

Mix cream cheese with sour cream, maple extract, egg, Swerve. Start with 1/2 teaspoon extract and taste.

Tart Instructions

Chop pecans.
Mix with a little sea salt.
Put pecans in pan with tart crust first (although you can reverse this is you want)
Pour cheesecake mixture.
Top with two tablespoons chopped pecans for garnish.
To avoid the tart crust from burning, cover entire tart pan with tin foil. Use a pairing knife, cut out the middle tart part so that only the tart crust is covered.
Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. 180 C. or until cream cheese mixture is set.
Cool completely.
Refrigerate at least six hour, preferably overnight.
Cut into 16 squares.

Video

Notes

Pan Used: I used this kind of tart pan, cutting into 16 bars.
You can use any kind of square pan and just put the crust on the bottom as an option.
Use parchment paper if you do that.

Maple Extract: If you can’t get real maple extract, you can skip this part. They are stll good without it.

If using real cane sugar, you can substitute 1 to 1, but do taste filling to see if it’s sweet enough. You might want to start with 1/3 cup sugar for filling and add more as needed.

Nutrition

The post Grain Free Maple Pecan Cheesecake Bars with VIDEO appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Gluten Free Strawberry Biscuits Recipe with Video

Angela Roberts — Wed, 25 Apr 2018 14:45:28 +0000

Gluten Free Strawberry Biscuits with Video

I have had this gluten free strawberry biscuit ready since last summer. We made a video and then life got busy and the editing got put on the back burner. It’s a funny video with the twins, but it’s instructional and you might want to check it out. By the way, I hope you know I have a youtube channel with gluten free baked goods, and grain free baked good.

The gluten free biscuits are the most popular, and are similar to these but not sweet.

You can make these with sugar or go sugar free with Swerve.

There’s a story to the gluten free strawberry biscuit.

It’s a natural progression from a recipe we made one long hot summer.

Little orphan kittens were found in the wall of the barn and we decided to have a lemonade stand to raise money for their care. We added strawberry biscuits to increase our sales and it worked!

The twins couldn’t eat them fast enough.

I decided to make a practice batch changing the recipe to adapt this recipe to gluten free strawberry biscuits and within ten minutes, Mr. Spinach Tiger ate three of them. He just kept saying over and over, “I can’t believe these are gluten free.” These taste just like your other recipe.

So how did I develop the perfect gluten free strawberry biscuits recipe?

I took this recipe for strawberries and cream biscuits and tweaked it. I traded cream for milk with yogurt. I decreased the butter, increased the sugar and used the best strawberries I could find.

These are ten kisses. They are wonderful for breakfast, can be frozen and reheated.

I want to take this time to remind you that I have a very popular regular gluten free biscuit here. It’s our number 2 post of over 1,000 recipes here, and I have built upon its success, because you have loved it and told me so. It’s also number one on google and people have left the nicest comments for this recipe.

My favorite gluten free flour is Bob’s Red Mill One to One.

A Few Tips on Making Gluten Free Strawberry Biscuits

Make sure the fruit is covered with flour. This helps them stay whole.
You can freeze gluten free strawberry biscuits. Microwave for about 20 seconds.
Don’t eat gluten free biscuits until they cool. They tend to be gummy when piping hot, but the texture changes once they cool.
Add chopped fresh herbs to the flour such as basil or lemon thyme.

If you like this recipe, you will also love our gluten free strawberry scones.

More Gluten Free Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Grain Free Baking from Spinach Tiger

Disclosure: This site contains Amazon affiliate links which earn a small commission aiding in Spinach Tiger’s operations, but does not increase your price. Much appreciated.

Gluten Free Strawberry Biscuits

Gluten Free Strawberry Biscuits perfect for breakfast or anytime.

Course Biscuits

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Total Time 35

Servings

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped strawberries
1 cup milk minus two tablespoons
2 tablespoons vanilla yogurt
1 extra large egg
2 1/2 cups gluten free flour divided 2 cups and 1/2 cup.
2 tablespoons golden flax meal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar plus some sugar for sprinkling on top
1 teaspoon fresh lemon thyme optional
Use 2 1/4 inch biscuit cutter.

Instructions

Cut butter into small pieces. Freeze 15 minutes.
Gently toss strawberries with some gluten free flour.
Add vanilla yogurt to the milk. If you don’t have vanilla yogurt, add a teaspoon vanilla.
Whisk in egg. Set aside.
Important. Use only 2 cups of flour for mixture. The rest of the flour is used for strawberries and for cutting biscuits.
Mix all dry ingredients together. This would be the time to add in freshly chopped herbs. Add in butter. Mix with fingers.
Add strawberries to the mixture before you add in wet ingredients.
Using a wooden spoon, add in wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Dough will be sticky and that’s good. Use hands to form a disk and put flour under the disc and on top of it so you can cut the biscuits.
Use biscuit cutter and cut 12 biscuits (bigger or smaller if you prefer).
Sprinkle tops with sugar.
Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Notes

Can use plain yogurt. Just add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

The post Gluten Free Strawberry Biscuits Recipe with Video appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Lemon Budino (Keto, Sugar Free Option) with Video

Angela Roberts — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 14:27:57 +0000

Lemon Budino (with keto, low-carb friendly option) with Video right before the recipe.

This is the time of year that I start to get crazy lemon cravings. It happens every January and into February, probably attributed to winter blues and needing a boost of bright, tart citrus.

I could have made this grain free lemon cake or this amazing lemon tart. It’s a little too cold to make this Italian lemon ice. I still wanted the biggest bite of lemon I could find, which ended up as a big fat lemon budino.

Budino is an Italian pudding, and is thicker and richer than an American pudding.

I like the comfort and combination of cream and lemon, and I like the “body” or viscosity of this recipe.

I also like that it’s just about zero carbs if you use swerve. It’s a high protein dessert made up mostly of egg yolks, some butter and a little cream.

How to Make Lemon Budino

I’ve tested this lemon budino three times and it’s three times a lemony charm.

The ingredients for the lemon budino are very simple.

There are seven egg yolks 2 eggs , 3 tablespoons of heavy cream, 4 tablespoons of butter and lots of lemon juice and lemon zest. That’s it. Plus the sugar or swerve, whichever sweetener you prefer.

You can use about 4-6 fresh lemons to make 1/2 cup lemon juice. I just happened to have bottled lemon juice in large quantities, which worked just fine, but don’t skip the zest!

You will need to set up a bain marie (this means you will place a stainless steel bowl over simmering water that does not touch the bottom of the bowl). You will continue to monitor the temperature of the curd with a candy thermometer (or meat thermometer), not to exceed 170 degrees F. At this point the curd if fairly thick. If you don’t have a thermometer, it takes about three minutes and and the lemon cream gets very thick. As soon as it sticks to the back of the wooden spoon and feels like pudding, remove from the heat. At this point, you will take it through a mesh strainer and then add the cream.

This post includes Amazon affiliate links which earn a commission for Spinach Tiger.

This is a very different recipe than my chocolate budino, similar though in that it’s creamy, rich and has a wonderful low-carb option. You can use sugar or a powdered erythritol. I use the confectioner’s Swerve, which is a non-GMO erythritol product.

You can Make this a Low-Carb Lemon Budino

Check out the nutrition values in the recipe (using the swerve). If you’re following a high-fat, low-carb diet, you’ll be happy. If you’re diabetic, you’ll be happy. Sometimes replacement sweeteners don’t transfer well, but in this dessert they do!

If you love lemon, you’ll love lemon budino. I could also imagine this topped with fresh blueberries.