There is always someone to help, someone who needs help and much to be grateful for if you are reading this.

I wish I could share this soup, because it has a soothing effect. It’s creamy, and flavorful in a way that creates a good soup memory. Perhaps you know someone who needs a bowl. Make it, put it in a big jar and deliver it to a friend. It woucl mean a lot.

True Food Kitchen Butternut Squash Soup (copycat)

 I’ve made butternut squash soup here before made with roasted apples, and that’s quite delicious, but this this version, inspired by True Food Kitchen has become my new favorite. The chef, at the time, gave me the recipe for the soup. I lost it, so I went back and ordered the soup again, taking in every bite, and memorizing the flavor.

Here’s the thing with the True Food Kitchen Butternut Squash Soup. It’s more about the texture that makes this soup so special and I remembered that the recipe used coconut milk. This is what gives the soup its special creaminess that makes this one of my all time favorite soups that comes out of my vitamix on a frequent basis. 

What do you need to make this butternut squash soup?

You need a beautiful, roasted butternut squash, a  can of coconut milk, freshly ground ginger,  turmeric and some heat. I use   piment d’espelette.   You could use a dash of cayenne pepper, but I find that can be harsh if not used properly, so go gently. 

 If I still find the soup a little too thick I’ll add a small amount of water or broth if available. Salt and pepper are a must, and if you like to garnish soup, as I do,  add some fried sage and toasted almonds. You could also add in some arils from a pomegranate! Arils are great in a spicy soup, balancing out the heat and adding a fun texture.

What Coconut Milk do I use for True Food Butternut Squash Soup?

I use the organic coconut milk from Trader Joe’s. It works beautifully. Coconut cream will be too rich. I have a friend who adds a banana to his butternut squash soup instead of coconut milk. He says it comes out very creamy and you don’t taste the banana. If anyone does that, please let me know how that goes.

How do you make a roasted butternut squash?

This is the best part. Roast it whole. It will shrivel and shrink up. Let it cool a bit, cut it lengthwise, take out any seeds, and scoop that beautiful flesh into a super blender, like a Vitamix. 

More Butternut Squash Recipes from Spinach Tiger

More Healthy Soups from Spinach Tiger

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True Food Kitchen Butternut Squash Recipe

Butternut Squash Soup made with Coconut Milk

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword butternut squash, soup, true food kitchen

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon piment d'espelette or cayenne
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger or to taste
• 1/2 cup water or broth if needed
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Garnish

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 12 sage leaves
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds toasted

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• Roast butternut squash, whole until softened (about 30-40 minutes), depending on size.
• Once the butternut squash skin blisters and is softened, remove and cool until you can slice in half.
• Scoop the seeds out and discard. Scoop out flesh into a bowl.
• Season squash salt, pepper. Add turmeric one teaspoon at a time (for personal taste), piment d'espelette or dash of cayenne (or heat of your choice).
• Place squash, fresh ginger, half of coconut milk, blend until thoroughly completely pureed. Add more coconut milk until incorporated and you get the creamy texture you desire. I use the whole can, but you may not want to.
• Move the soup into a pot to heat on low. You may choose to add in a little broth if you need to thin soup down.

Make Sage Leaves, Browned Butter

• In small frying pan, brown two tablespoons of butter. Add sage leaves should be browned not burned.
• Roast almonds for 3 to 4 minutes in 400 degree F. oven.
• Season again with salt and pepper as needed.
• Add garnish upon serving.

Notes

  I use Piment d’espelette often in soups like these. You can use cayenne, but do so gently.

The post Copycat True Food Kitchen Butternut Squash Soup appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

If you are looking for the keto version, there are two ways to enjoy keto chicken pot pie, and I’ll list those at the bottom of this post.

Made with roasted white meat chicken, leeks, rutabagas, green peas, onions, carrots, celery, it has just the right balance of textures. Chicken broth, white wine, butter and heavy cream enhance the flavor.

What Kind of Chicken for Chicken Pot Pie

You have choices, depending on time and budget.

• Roast a whole chicken, use the white meat and freeze the roasted thighs with legs intact for another time.
• Poach boneless chicken breasts.
• Use a store-bought rotisserie chicken

I like to roast a whole chicken, use the white meat and eat the thighs and legs on another day. You can also just roast two chicken breasts on the bone with skin or poach boneless chicken breasts.

Ingredients for Best Chicken Pot Pie

I like leeks instead of onions, but you can use a half onion in place of a leek. I like rutabagas instead of potatoes. They are mild tasting yet hold a better structure than potatoes.

Butter, heavy cream, white wine and organic chicken broth for the sauce. Herbs like parsley and thyme are great neutral herbs. In other words they add flavor, but don’t overpower.

Flaky Pie Crust

The key to a really amazing traditional chicken pot pie is not just what’s inside. The pie crust has to be light, flaky and buttery. This pie crust has just the right amount of flour to butter ratio and will be the flakiest crust, as long as you don’t overwork it.

These are a few kitchen tools that I think are worth it and yield success.

• Kitchen Scale – If you are going to do any baking at all, invest in a food scale. We all have a tendency to overpack a cup of flour. Weighing flour and butter yields a consistent product.
• Pastry cutter – You could make your dough in a food processor, but I have found I get a better product just cutting in the butter. This way I don’t over mix the butter.
• Silicone Baking Mat for Rolling Dough – Helpful but not completely necessary.

What kind of Flour Makes the Best Flaky Pie Crust?

There are a lot of opinions about this, but I recommend buying the best all purpose flour you can buy. Some will say to add in a portion of bread flour, but I like to use a soft wheat all purpose flour. I actually use a flour from Italy, but that’s expensive and you can still get a high quality pie crust with the all purpose flour of your choice. A good pie crust really depends on getting the technique right.

Chicken Pot Pie with Store Bought Rotisserie Chicken or Pie Crust

You might be wondering how to short-cut the chicken pie recipe. You CAN use a store bought rotisserie chicken. You can even use a store bought pie crust or even top your chicken pot pie with a store bought puff pastry. I do, however, like to make everything from scratch for this recipe because it’s a very special recipe for my family. However, there may be times I buy a roasted chicken or use a puff pastry. Just know some of the roast chickens are not always high quality. If you use puff pastry, just top the pie and avoid Peppridge Farms. Publix Greenwise is a better, cleaner choice.

More Recipes

• Keto Chicken Pot Pie with Almond Flour Crust
• Keto Chicken Pot Pie with Grain Free Biscuits
• Chicken Francaise
• Spatchcock Chicken Greek Style
• Ricotta Stuffed Chicken Breast
• Parmesan Mayonaisse Chicken Bake

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Chicken Pot Pie with Flaky Pie Crust

Homemade chicken pot pie made with leeks, white wine and the most tender pie crust.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Keyword Chicken pot pie, pie crust

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

1 hour hour

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

Chicken Pot Pie

• 1 recipe double pie crust see below
• 4 tablespoons cold butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
• 3 carrots peeled, diced
• 1 leeks or 1 small onion see notes
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 1 small rutabega peeled, diced (optional)
• 1 teaspoon umami seasoning Trader Joe's (see notes)
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (4 sprigs)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 cups chicken broth more if needed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded See Recipe below

Baked Chicken Breasts on Bone (Method 1)

• 2 chicken breasts on bone with skin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup frozen peas

Poached Boneless Chicken Breasts (Method 2:

• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Pie Crust

• 226 grams all purpose flour more for rolling dough
• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup ice water (more if needed up to 1/2 cup)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg for egg wash
• 2 tablespons water for egg wash

Instructions

Poached Chicken

• Boil water. Turn to simmer and add chicken. Simmer chicken in water with a little salt until chicken reaches 165 Degrees F. (10-15 minutes). Do not overcook.

Baked Chicken Breasts

• Salt chicken breasts. Roast in oven at 400 degrees F. until chicken reaches 165 F. Don't over bake. I like the texture of baked chicken. See blog notes for more ideas. You CAN roast a whole chicken as I did.

Make Pie Crust

• Mix the flour with salt.
• Add cold butter that has been cut into very small pea sized pieces and refrigerated again to make sure it's very cold.

  Don't grate the butter. It must be in pieces to turn flakey. Cut it into the flour with a pastry cutter or very slowly with food processor.
  
• Add cold water 1/4 cup at a time. Use up to 1/2 cup, no more than that. You will be able to bring the dough together. One way to bring together is to put it all in a large ziplock and smoosh together. This keeps the warmth of the hands off.
  
• Form into a two discs. Refrigerate for one hour or more. Take out about 15 minutes prior to rolling.
  

Make Chicken Pie

• Melt butter and in large frying pan or dutch oven.
• Add vegetables (except peas) to pan. Cook about five minutes. Add sprigs of thyme (to be removed later).
• Sprinkle flour over vegetables, Stir well.
• Deglaze pan with white wine about a minute.
• Stir in chicken broth. Add more if you think it's too dry.
• Once chicken broth is warmed through about twenty minutes, add in heavy cream.
• Add chicken and frozen peas to vegetables. Season with salt, pepper, umami seasoning (if you have it) and fresh thyme. (or herbs of your choice).
  
• Allow to cool, while rolling out prepared pie dough.
• Take pie dough out of fridge and let sit for 10 minutes.

Prepare Pie

• Roll out two discs, using extra flour to make sure they don't stick.
• NOTE: If you want to use a decorative cut out, cut out first and then refrigerate your rolled out pie dough and cut-out for ten minutes in fridge so it will be easy to handle. Then place the pie dough over the chicken filling first. THEN place the cut-out back in.
  
• Place first pie crust in pie pan, not forcing or stretching.
• Add cooled chicken filling. Top with remaining pie dough. Cut slits on top for steam to escape. Cut off excess around the pie. Crimp or use fork to press together.
• Egg Wash: Beat one egg with two tablespoons water. Brush over pie crust.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes at 400 degrees F. in lower third of oven.

  Cool for ten minutes before cutting.
  

Notes

Slice leeks down the center. Wash, rinse. Slice across. 

Flour for Pie Crust: 2 cups flour less 2 tablespoons. 

Butter for Pie Crust: 7 ounces or 14 tablespoons

Umami Seasoning (I  use the one from Trader Joe’s). You can substitute with poultry seasoning, or your seasoning of choice). 

Rutabega: You can sub with potato, cauliflower florets or leave out.

 

 

The post Chicken Pot Pie with Flaky Pie Crust appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This is probably my most popular post in this 16 year old blog. It’s simple. It works. It’s delicious.

I’m proud to say I love meat and I especially love steak. Meat is very pricey right now and is a splurge for most people. While I love a good ribeye, the next favorite is the New York strip steak. You can find them in family packs at Costco for a decent (still not cheap) price.

Choose a Steak with Fat Cap

Most butchers agree that a cast iron pan is essential for cooking a good steak. We talk about how to best sear, and we look for steaks that has that nice fat cap. Fat equals flavor!

The New York Strip Steak

The New York Strip steak gets its name from the first fine dining restaurant in New York. In 1937 Delmonico’s opened and served the short loin cut of meat. There are differing stories as to whether the Delmonico steak was a strip steak.

Today when you order the delmonico steak at Delmonico in New York City,  you most likely will get a rib eye steak.

What is a New York Strip Steak?

It’s comes from the short loin of the cow, is not as tender as filet, but tender enough to be cooked quickly and still be tender. It can be lean but if it’s prepared properly, it’s still tender and has an exceptional taste. I like thick strip steaks about 2 inches thick.

My New York Strip Steak Recipe: Cast Iron Pan fry and oven finish.

I get a cast iron pan smoking hot and then sear the steak on one side, turn it over and stick it in the oven. Make sure you put on your exhaust fan and open windows or your smoke alarm will probably go off.

• Salt the steak 24 hours in advance. It goes into the meat overnight, adds moisture and enhances flavor
• Don’t cover steaks in the fridge. The outside of the steak should be dry if you want to sear them. Put them on a rack so both sides dry.
• Make sure the steak is dry, before searing. When ready to cook, I used to think my steak needed to come down to room temperature, but I now find that I get a better sear  with a cold steak, as long as the steak is dry. It’s the water that comes out of the steak that prevents that nice sear, also known as the mailard effect.
• Start with a very hot cast iron pan.
• Do not add oil until pan is hot.
• Use a round grill press, if you can, but no worries if you don’t have one.

What is the Maillard Effect?

The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between an amino acid and a reducing sugar, usually requiring the addition of heat. It’s what happens when the meat is seared, creating a much deeper flavor profile.

My New York Strip Steak Recipe

The seasonings are up to you. Sometimes I just use salt and pepper. Other times if I don’t see enough marbling  in the steak, I will marinate it in an olive oil, red wine, and minced garlic. When I do that, I will still dry my steak before searing.

I like a steak medium rare and will take it out of the oven at 135 degrees F. I use my oven probe. This meat thermometer works well too. Then, let your steak rest for five to ten minutes. During that time, make a nice salad from the list below.

If you’re a meat and potatoes type, (like me) make these smashed buttery fingerling potatoes or  purple lemon dijon roasted potatoes.

• Tomahawk Ribeye Steak (Reverse Sear)
• Steak Au Poivre
• Carne Asada

My Best Salad Recipes

• Chopped Kale Salad with Toasted Almonds
• Arugula Salad with Strawberries
• Lemon Vinaigrette
• Wedge with Blue Cheese
• Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Baby Peas, Toasted Almonds
• Caprese Salad with Pesto

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How to Cook a Perfect New York Strip Steak

How to cook a good a New York strip steak, from frying pan to oven with optional marinade.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• New York Strip Steak
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Marinade (Optional)

• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 clove garlic minced
• sea salt
• black pepper
• 
  Kitchen Tools for this recipe
• Cast Iron Pan ORDER HERE
• Meat ThermometerORDER HERE
• Grill Press ORDER HERE

Instructions

• If you have a few days, salt steak and place uncovered on open rack to dry out. If you don’t have days, salt at least for 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat frying pan on medium to medium high heat for a few minutes. Add small amount of oil.
• Heat a few more minutes.
• Use paper towel to make sure steak is dry.
• Add in steak. Place grill press over steak if you have one. Don't worry if you don't have one.
• Turn over at 3 minutes when steak easily moves. If it's not moving easily, give it another minute.
• Turn over, place in oven and cook for 5 more minutes for rare, 7 minutes for medium rare, 9 minutes for medium. These are approximates. Use a meat thermometer to check.
• Remove from oven at 135 degrees for medium rare.
• If you want to add butter and thyme, add a tablespoon of butter to pan when removing from oven.
• As butter melts, spoon on top of the steak.
• Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

The post The Perfect New York Strip Steak Recipe, Pan-Fried, Oven-Roasted appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

What is Braciole?

Braciole is thin slices of steak, (round or flank) stuffed with parmesan, garlic, parsley, prosciutto and bread crumbs, browned and braised in a tomato sauce. I skip the bread crumbs and I add wine and broth to the tomato sauce and allow it to cook down for several hours. You end up with a flavorful and tender Italian braised steak.

This is a simple dish, which helps to stretch the budget, using a less expensive cut of meat. I like to make this with flank steak, but round steak is cheaper and will still be delicious if you opt for that.

However, you must use fresh parsley, freshly chopped garlic and a very good cheese such as pecorino romano or parmigianna reggiano.

Often a braciole recipe will call for prosciutto, which is a nice addition and adds more flavor like these prosciutto meatballs. I’ll leave that as an option. Prosciutto is expensive and as prices are today, I found that chopped pepperoni is a great addition. Make your own simple tomato sauce from scratch, which is nearly just as easy as opening a jar. Trust me.

You can choose to serve braciole with pasta, mashed potatoes or just an Italian salad and bread. This is a dish that is better the next day, and one in which you should make plenty and freeze.

When I made this braciole recipe a few years ago, I got kids involved. They enjoy the pounding, stuffing and wrapping in string. Please do engage your family in the kitchen. I know, I  say this all the time, but it’s one of the few joys in life and makes amazing memories.

How to Pound Steak for Braciole

You can use flank or round steak. I use round steak, which is not that easy to pound. If either steak is too thick, try to get your butcher to slice through it butterfly style.

Put the meat on either parchment sheets or a plastic cutting board with colored mats that you only use for meat. I like this set from Amazon. Use a meat pounder like this (which I’m an Amazon affiliate).

If your round steak is not wide enough to roll from short side up, roll it cross wise. You will need to use string. If I can roll it all in one piece, I will do that and then cut it into more individual pieces. These are easier to fry and put into the sauce. Don’t worry how it looks. By the time it’s fried, braised and sauced, it will look delicious.

Don’t worry if your rolled steak does’t look good before you fry it. Just make sure it’s tied enough to be able to fry without falling apart. Once it is in the sauce, it will look just fine. Serve with more sauce, and smattering of cheese and parsley.

Add wine and broth (beef or chicken) to the Sauce to add more flavor, and let the braciole cook for hours. You’ll know it’s ready when you jab at with a fork and it wants to comes apart.

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More Italian Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• Italian Pork Chops
• Italian Pork Steak
• Beef Ragu
• Brined Pork Roast
• Italian Cheese Stuffed Meatballs
• Italian Pot Roast
• How to Cook Pasta Like an Italian
• Mashed Cauliflower for Low Carb Option

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Authentic Braciole (Stuffed Rolled Steak)

Flank or Round Steak stuffed with parsley, cheese and garlic, braised in tomato sauce.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Keyword braciola, braciole, flank steak, round steak

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons avocado or olive oil
• 2 pounds flank steak or round steak
• 1/2 cup Itallian Parsley chopped (more for garnish)
• 6 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 cup Pecorino or Parmesan freshly grated (more for garnish)
• 1/4 cup chopped pepperoni
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs optional
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Tomato Sauce

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 28 ounce cans San Marzano whole tomatoes
• 1 cup broth or water can be beef or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Steak

• Pound steak very thin. Depending upon the size of steak, you may get more steak slices. You may stuff two large pieces and then you will roll lengthwise and cut into pieces.
• If you are using prosciutto, lay a piece across the steak before filling.
• Chop parsley, mince garlic, grate pecorino or parmesan cheese together along with pepperoni.
• Add this mixture to center of each piece.
• If you want to add a little heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
• Roll up from short side to long. You might also roll lengthwise as stated above, depending on what is easier.
• Tie with string. If rolling lengthwise in large piece, cut Into pieces before tying. You will will get 6 to 8 pieces.
  
• Fry in large frying pan, browning all sides.
• I prefer to make my sauce separately and add braciole to pot.

Tomato Sauce

• Add olive oil and a few garlic cloves to pan. Remove garlic once it turns golden.
• Using hands squeeze tomatoes into oil, along with the juice.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Add browned braciole to sauce and braise on low for 2 to 3 hours.
  
• Remember to remove string before eating.
• Freeze: Braciole freezes well and can be reheated in oven or microwave.

The post Braciole Recipe, Italian Stuffed Steak appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

When I took a cooking class in Italy, we made an Italian apple cake. It’s very simple, made with melted butter and slices of apples. This is the Pear version using mostly almond flour with a little bit of added cardamom for that Christmas flavor profile. 

2020 has been one of our most stressful times in many decades. 2021 isn’t looking very bright either. Thanks heavens for cake!

Now it’s 2021 and it’s not much better, as the news about Afghanistan is quite distressing.

One of the hardest things for me has been a diminishing social life. I live in a county that is more free than most. Our gyms and restaurants are open. Yet, it still feels odd when everything is at low capacity or everyone is wearing a mask, making conversation, connection stilted. 

It was sad at Christmas, as many people were unable to carry on their yearly traditions, the fun, the travel, the parties, the things that make short days and the dark cold of December palatable. 

I’m happy we can still bake. It’s not just therapy, it turns the kitchen into amazing heartwarming smells.

I don’t usually bake with too many pears because pears have a lot of sugar. But with one big pear in the cake, it’s still only 5 net carbs.  

I rely on my wonderful recipe that makes 12 muffins. You can bake muffins or a 10 inch cake. If you only have a 9 inch pan, just make a few extra muffins. 

What are the ingredients for a low carb Italian pear Cake?

Almond flour, coconut flour, sour cream, eggs, almond milk,  baking powder, pears, fresh cranberries, cardamom, salt and xanthan gum.  You can switch out the cardamom for more vanilla extract. 

Is this cake gluten free?

Yes, the only flours used are almond and coconut flour. 

Is this cake sugar free?

Pears have a high sugar count at 27 carbs each. However,  one slice of cake is one slice of pear. The sweetener used is Swerve, a powdered erythritol, which does not spike blood sugar. Read more about why I use Swerve here.  

What fat is best for this cake?

I used melted unsalted butter and it was incredible. The cake is moist, tasty and flavorful However, I have formerly used avocado oil in a similar recipe and that works so well too. 

How to know when an almond flour cake is done?

Baking with almond flour and coconut flour is different than baking with wheat flour. It’s not as easy to tell when a cake is done. Your tester can come out clean and the cake is not done. To remedy this I always take the cake’s temperature. It should measure 210 degrees F. in the middle of the cake. I’ll take it out once it reaches 207. 

Tips for Baking

• Use Parchment Paper.
• Don’t over-mix, once you put dry ingredients in.
• Use spices you love. I used cardamom, but you could flavor this cake with cinnamon or maple extract.
• Cut pears with skins on. Use fresh cranberries.
• Cake is done when inside is 210 degrees F. 98 C.

Play Around with this Recipe: Use Apples instead of pears. Use cinnamon instead of cardamom. Use berries instead of cranberries or skip the berries altogether. 

If you like this recipe, you’ll love these from Spinach Tiger:

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Low Carb Pear Cake

Low Carb Pear Cake, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Keto Friendly

Course Low Carb Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword low carb cake, pear cake

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 202kcal

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Dry Cake Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup granulated swerve

Wet Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup avocado oil
• 4 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pear
• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (180 C., Gas 4)
• Line 9 or 10 inch cake pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.

Dry Ingredients

• Mix all dry ingredients together including Swerve. Set aside.
• Slice pear thinly. I didn't bother to peel.

Wet Ingredients

• Mix eggs on high for about 3 minutes until very well blended.
• While mixer is still running. stream in oil slowly.
• Mix sour cream, vanilla and almond milk together in separate bowl. Stream into mix.
• Add dry mix on low just until mixed. Over-mixing makes cake tough.

Assemble

• Add cake batter to cake pan. Smooth out top with offset spatula.
• Arrange pears on top. Add cranberries in between the pears.
• Bake in lower rack of the oven for about 35 minutes. Cake will be able to bounce when touched. Inside middle should be at 210 degrees F. It will depend if you use a 9 inch pan or ten inch pan.
• Allow to cool completely before removing cake. Use a knife to go around the sides.
• Cake can be kept in refrigerator up to one week, can be frozen.

Notes

You can use fresh cranberries or frozen cranberries. Put them in the cake frozen.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 12 | Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g

The post Low Carb Italian Pear Cake appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Chocolate lovers, you are going to be so happy. Keto chocolate lovers will be even happier with this sugar free ganache that tops my favorite keto chocolate ganache cake, the cake people order again and again.

This shelter in place season is not fun, and may be why the bakery is so busy. A little sweet treat, especially chocolate helps get through the day. However, we don’t need piled high frosting in the era of hard to find butter. This is where ganache comes in so handy.

Look at the shine on these keto brownies. Instead of the topping I usually use in this brownie recipe, I poured the ganache and added toasted pecans. Amazing!

What is ganache?

Ganache is very easy to make when you are using chocolate that has added sugar. It’s chocolate and heavy cream.

It’s a thick glossy topping made usually from heavy cream and rich chocolate. Sometimes it’s also made with the addition of butter, which is important when using sugar free chocolate chips. It’s smooth, glossy and fudgy.

What Chocolate is best to use for keto ganache?

A good ganache should remain glossy and this one does. I use Choc Zero chocolate chips, which I believe are absolutely the best of the sugar free chocolate on the market. They don’t contain erythritol and is probably why the gloss remains and the topping does not get grainy.

However, the same recipe does not apply when using sugar free chocolate chips. You must add butter to attain that creamy, not grainy consistency. 

When I’m making my regular ganache, I chop the chocolate and add heated cream, wait five minutes and stir in one direction.

This method for my keto chocolate ganache is actually easier and quicker.

How do I make keto chocolate ganache?

I have found the best ratio for ganache is 1 cup chocolate chips to 1/2 cup heavy cream. HOWEVER, if you are using a different brand of chocolate chips other than the dark chocolate chips from Choc Zero, you may find a different brand needs a tablespoon of butter or more cream). I can only tell you my experiences with Choc Zero, which have given me the best results. I make this recipe every single week for the bakes I bring to various farmer’s markets.

• Choc Zero Chocolate Chips – they work the best (but you could use other sugar free chocolate chips)
• Heavy Cream
• Dash Salt
• Bain-Marie Process

The Process for Keto Chocolate Ganache must be heated in a bain-marie and you can put all ingredients in at once. It’s marvelous really, because it’s just so fool proof and can be reheated right back to its original state.

What is a bain-marie?

It’s basically a double boiler. I simply put my ingredients into a stainless bowl over a small sauce pan of boiling water. This prevents scorching.

What I love About this Keto Chocolate Ganache

• It’s easy. Three ingredients go into a bain-marie and ganache is ready in minutes.
• It’s Rich. The ganache will cool to a rich chocolate that can even double for a hot fudge.
• Can be made in advance. As a bakery owner, this is the best news. All you need to do is microwave or reheat in bain marie.
• It’s glossy and remains glossy.
• It’s delicious. It’s got the right chocolate taste that everyone loves, and opens the door to so many keto recipes I didn’t know I could do.
• It’s truly keto. It’s high fat, and very low carb.

This keto ganache is not too sweet, and is made with my favorite sugar free chocolate chips, heavy cream, and butter.

I have tried many times to make a glossy ganache without standard chocolate. I’ve tried many variations, and I just couldn’t get what I was looking for, a thick, rich chocolate ganache that retains its gloss.

I was so happy with this sugar free chocolate ganache recipe, I quickly added it to my keto bakery, and the response has been joyful.

While I have delicious pile high chocolate frosting recipe here, sometimes I want an elegant simple chocolate cake with ganache.

I am so impressed with the topping, I may change the topping I currently use on my keto  brownies and use this ganache. It’s seriously just as good as any ganache I’ve made in the past with other chocolate.

Why I use Choc Zero 

While I am an affiliate and do earn a commission, I just want you to have the best chocolate for this recipe and honestly don’t care where you buy it. I’m more interested in you having a great outcome. I would never recommend a product I wasn’t 100% sold on.

Save 10% on Choc Zero

As an affiliate I earn a small commission for Choc Zero, but you get to save 10% when you use the code SPINACHTIGER.

When you are at the Choc Zero website, take a good look around. I can’t live without the maple syrup and they have amazing peanut butter cups. I also love their almond bark. I use the white chocolate chips in this Raspberry Bundt Cake. 

My favorite keto cake to make and feature in the bakery is the chocolate ganache bundt cake and that recipe is coming.

Top my Favorite Chocolate Recipes with this Sugar Free, Keto Chocolate Ganache:

Keto Brownies (instead of the topping at the recipe).

Keto Chocolate Cake

Keto Chocolate Budino

Keto Chocolate Whoopie Pie

Keto Texas Sheet Cake

Keto German Chocolate Cake

Keto Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake

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Keto Chocolate Ganache

A glossy, rich ganache made without sugar to be used for so many keto and sugar free desserts.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Chocolate Dessert, Ganache, sugar free

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 16 servings

Equipment

• Medium Sauce Pan
• Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl
• Whisk
• Measuring Cup

Ingredients

• 1 cup Sugar Free Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 dash sea salt

Instructions

• Put a stainless steel bowl over a sauce pan of simmering water.
• Add all the ingredients. Stir until chocolate chips are melted and ganache is smooth.
• If adding to a cake, especially a bundt cake, allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes for it to thicken.
• You can refrigerate and reheat in microwave or same bain-marie.
• This will cover 16 cupcakes, top one large cake or bundt cake.

Notes

This recipe makes 10 ounces or 300 ml, or 20 tablespoons. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1.25tablespoon

The post How to Make Keto Chocolate Ganache that Stays Glossy appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

One of the best recipes I’ve put on the blog   is one for grain free tortillas. Since I’ve published these keto spinach tortillas, it has gone to my top ten out of 1100 recipes every week.

The flavor is subtle, the color is beautiful and the tortilla is pliable. This  Keto spinach tortillas recipe makes 8 tortillas, you can use for enchiladas, tacos and wraps. They store well in the freezer and I recommend making a double batch because if you’re following a low calorie (98 calories) or low carb (2 net carbs) diet, you will make these at least weekly to have as a staple.

I made these on a whim when I wanted to make green enchiladas and just happened to have fresh spinach in the house. I threw a big handful  of raw baby spinach into a food processor with some almond flour and got a gorgeous green mixture. This was a very happy development.

I laugh to myself wondering why I don’t have 100 spinach recipes here, as I am the Spinach Tiger.  If you’re wondering how I got the name, it was christened from a friend who said “she’s a real spinach tiger” in a lively debate. I knew it that moment it was a name I was suppose to embrace and about a year later, it became my blog name. It seems to fit my food view perfectly and almost ten years later, I’m still here and I’m glad you are too.

This recipe for grain free keto spinach tortillas is very similar to my regular grain free tortilla, which is a serious staple in our kitchen.

You’ll need a few things to make these, but it will be a wise investment. I am very conscientious about products I recommend, as I don’t like gadgets or wasting my money or your money.

If you ever have questions about the products I recommend, please contact me at angela@spinachtiger.com.

Kitchen Tools and Ingredients needed for the Keto Spinach Tortillas

All of these can be found at my Amazon Shop, which earn a small commission, but do not increase prices. I’ve also linked them in the recipe for your convenience.

• Tortilla Press. You could roll them out, but to get a uniform shape, this is worth it.
• Pre-Cut Parchment papers. (trust me).
• Blanched Superfine Almond Flour.  
• Coconut Flour
• Xanthan Gum (do NOT skip this ingredient. You can’t make the grain free spinach tortillas without them). They will stick to the parchment paper and you’ll hate me. You only use a small amount, so this investment will have a big return.
• Food Processor
• Golden Flax Meal
• Chia Seeds  (optional, but I always use them).

Additional ingredients include white vinegar, an egg  and baking soda, (which you’ll probably have on hand.)

Once you make the tortillas, you’ll want to make this chicken enchiladas recipes.

More Related Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Keto Tortillas (not spinach)

Keto Fish Tacos

Roasted Salsa Verde

Keto Taco Meat 

Pan Seared Salmon Tacos

Pico de Gallo

Authentic Table-side Guacamole

Carnitas

Keto Taco Cups

 

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Keto Spinach Tortillas

Grain Free Spinach Tortillas made with almond flour, are pliable and delicious. 3 Net Carbs per Tortilla.

Course Grain Free Spinach Tortillas

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 minute minute

Total Time 31 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 98kcal

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• This recipe contains Amazon affiliate links which earn a small commission but do not affect price.
  
• 125 grams almond flour about 1 cup Order Here
• 21 grams coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons xanthan gum Order Here
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 large handful raw baby spinach
• 2 teaspoons chia seeds optional Order Here
• 1 tablespoon golden flax meal Order Here
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 egg
  
• [
  b]Kitchen Tools
• Tortillas Press Order Here
• Parchment Rounds Order Here

Instructions

• Mix all dry ingredients together.
• Process spinach in food processor with a little of the dry mixture.
• Eventually add remaining mixture.
• Add in egg, vinegar, and water.
• Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 20 minutes. You can chill overnight.
• To make tortillas that are uniform in size, I weight the dough in grams, divide that number by eight. I weigh each ball.
• Using a tortilla press with parchment paper, make tortillas and cook on griddle or frying pan one at a time.
• I start with a high heat and then reduce to medium low. Tortillas cook quickly about 20 seconds each side.
• Allow to cool before storing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 98kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Fiber: 3g

This site contains affiliate links, which earn a small commission.



The post Grain Free Keto Spinach Tortillas Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I am Italian American, but my grandparents were Italian immigrants. Pasta was a constant in our home. However, when I went ot Italy and ate several different pasta dishes, I was surprised by the texture, and understood what al dente meant.

Pasta al dente has a bite to it

When pasta is cooked al dente, it means it has a tooth to it or a bite to it. It resists slightly.  This takes longer to digest and avoids a spike in blood sugar.

The first time I ever ate a pasta cooked correctly was a Pasta Carbonara dish in Rome. It was so delicious and satisfying and it felt almost as if the center wasn’t cooked. I learned that we Americans are doing it all wrong!

We tend to overcook pasta to a mushy, gummy mess, doing stupid things like adding in olive oil and then rinsing in cold water. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Trust me on this.

First of all there is a difference in cooking times and sauce preferences between homemade and factory made dried pasta. If you buy a quality dried pasta, and it is cooked properly, it’s often better than pasta made from scratch at home.

While homemade pasta is wonderful, factory pasta is suited more to most Italian dishes.  For example, spaghetti, rigatoni, penne pasta, and bucatini are factory pastas we all adore. These pastas are made from water and semolina flour, a golden yellow hard wheat flour, which gives the pasta its structure. There are no eggs used, and the pasta is very firm.

Factory pasta is best suited to olive oil sauces and can be used with butter sauces.  This zucchini basil  pasta dish is so delicious and a wonderful summer dish.

No matter whether the pasta is homemade or store-bought,  the rules for how to cook pasta are the same.

Spaghetti is the most overcooked pasta on earth. It should resist and have a bite to it. It’s easier to digest that way too!

You don’t always need to have a ton of pasta to make a wonderful dish. This is simply olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper with broccoli.

How Much Pasta Per Person

However, if pasta is the main course (spaghetti and meatballs), make sure you cook enough for a crowd. You will want to cook 4 ounces per person to be on the safe side, even though two ounces is a portion. This is the dish you’ll want to have leftovers.

Classic Genovesa Pesto with Green Beans and Potatoes is a bit of Carb Heaven, but make sure that spaghetti has a bite to it.

Spaghetti with Meatballs and Garden Vegetables Doesn’t Need a Sauce. This is a pasta you absolutely want to cook al dente!

Pasta Carbonara is a delightful classic.

Pasta Water 

Where there’s a sauce involved like a warm pesto, you might want to finish the cooking in the pan to bring more favor to the pasta. Put the pesto in frying pan. Add in pasta, but reserve a little of the pasta water. See Number 8 on tips.

Pasta and Chicken with Pistachio Pesto

Pistachio Pesto can be used on any pasta and is so good. 

Factory pasta is best suited to olive oil sauces and can be used with butter sauces. Bread crumbs as a topping often give pasta that little extra something.

Pasta La Fritteda 

This spinach pasta is store-bought from Trader Joe’s and will have a longer cooking time than homemade.

How to Cook Pasta al dente: Here are the rules for factory produced, dried pasta.

1. Choose the right pasta for the intended sauce.
2. LOTS OF WATER – I use a 7 quart pot fill it with 6 quarts of water to cook one pound of pasta. WHY? The more water per pasta ratio, the faster the water gets back to boiling and the faster the pasta will cook. The more water per pasta ratio, the more room the pasta has, and this avoids sticking.
3. Do NOT put oil in your pan. Just use an ample amount of water. The exception to this rule is homemade, filled pasta such as ravioli.
4. LOTS OF SALT – Once the water begins to boil, add the salt and not before. Wait a few seconds until the water is rapidly boiling and then add pasta.
5. COOK Al Dente – Only cook the pasta until it is soft, yet still has a chew. Do not overcook. Test the pasta starting at two minutes before suggested cook time.
6. RESERVE some pasta water. Before you empty the pot into a colander, reserve a cup of pasta water for your sauce
7. Do NOT rinse pasta with water. The starch on the pasta needs to stay put!
8. FINISH cooking the pasta in the sauce. Place enough sauce into a large frying pan or dutch oven and finish cooking the pasta. It will absorb some of the sauce and flavor. At this time, add in some of the pasta water. The starch in the water will help to thicken the sauce.
9. ENJOY!

Pasta with Spicy Eggplant Sauce

How You can Tell if  You have a good pasta

What’s a good pasta? You should be able to tell the difference between a good quality boxed pasta and a so so pasta, because the quality pasta will have more body to it when cooked. It will plump more and have flavor, not be just bland starch.

There are two brands I think are exceptional in the moderate price range.  Alma’s and La Molinari. I’m mentioning these brands because they are only slightly higher in price than the cheaper brands and worth a few extra cents.

I also like the higher priced De Cecco pasta a lot! There are other brands with Italian names that are priced right and get premier space, and while they are not bad, they are not exceptionally good either.

It’s so important to get the pasta right, because a few simple things can make the difference between a great bite of pasta and a dish no one really cares to eat.

How to Cook The Right Pasta for the Right Sauce

A thick bolognese sauce is great with a papparadelle (a wider noodle) , but also memorable with an extra thick spaghetti that is hollowed, called bucatini.  It’s one of our favorite pastas! De Cecco makes a great bucatini.

The Best Pasta for Chicken Soup

I grew up on pastina (affilate) in my chicken soup and now the boys absolutely love and prefer this.

Pastina (affiliate)  is amazing with scrambled eggs and parmesan cheese. It’s the dish my grandmother made for me and a pasta kids can eat with a spoon. As we got older, we started scrambling eggs into spaghetti with olive oil and cheese and it’s my husband’s favorite.

Homemade Papparadelle is perfect for bolognese, but is lovely with chanterelle mushrooms and butter. A homemade egg based pasta will cook very quickly. Homemade pastas are made with eggs and softer wheat flour. They cook quickly and absorb sauces deeply.

How to Cook Gluten Free Pasta

The same rules apply, but read the directions carefully. Some gluten free pastas have long cooking times. Keep in mind that most gluten free pasta is not good reheated and will fall apart.

Gluten Free Rotini Mexican Style

Pasta is a Perfect Ingredient for a One Dish Dinner

We love one dish pasta dishes, and sometimes we turn to low-carb pasta.

In this case, a low-carb, high protein pasta was used and cooked extra long with the last few minutes cooking in the olive oil mixture to absorb the flavor.

Pasta with Salmon, Olives, Tomatoes, Cauliflower

Low Carb Pasta with Peach Pork Bolognese.

Pasta is one of those dishes the whole world loves and makes in so many different ways. Eaten in moderation, it’s a great part of life. Properly cooked, it’s easier to digest and enjoy!

Here’s my latest pasta dish. Stuffed Shells and How to Stuff Pasta, great for a crowd.

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How to Cook Pasta Like an Italian (al dente) and Which Pasta to Use

How to Cook Pasta Properly.

Course Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 pound of pasta or as desired.
• 6 quarts water
• 2 tablespoons salt

Instructions

• How to Cook Pasta: Here are the rules for factory produced, dried pasta.
• Choose the right pasta for the intended sauce.
• LOTS OF WATER – I use a 7 quart pot fill it with 6 quarts of water to cook one pound of pasta. WHY? The more water per pasta ratio, the faster the water gets back to boiling and the faster the pasta will cook. The more water per pasta ratio, the more room the pasta has, and this avoids sticking.
• Do NOT put oil in your pan. Just use an ample amount of water. The exception to this rule is homemade, filled pasta such as ravioli.
• LOTS OF SALT – Once the water begins to boil, add the salt and not before. Wait a few seconds until the water is rapidly boiling and then add pasta.
• COOK Al Dente – Only cook the pasta until it is soft, yet still has a chew. Do not overcook. Test the pasta starting at two minutes before suggested cook time.
• RESERVE some pasta water. Before you empty the pot into a colander, reserve a cup of pasta water for your sauce
• Do NOT rinse pasta with water. The starch on the pasta needs to stay put!
• FINISH cooking the pasta in the sauce. Place enough sauce into a large frying pan or dutch oven and finish cooking the pasta. It will absorb some of the sauce and flavor. At this time, add in some of the pasta water. The starch in the water will help to thicken the sauce.
• ENJOY!

The post How to Cook Pasta al Dente, Like an Italian appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Friends, I am excited. Finally, a Southern, fluffy, gluten free biscuit I am proud of.

I  worked for six months experimenting on a gluten free biscuit. The feedback has been heart warming, and gratifying as it quickly rose to my number one food post out of 1,000 recipes.

This is my rice flour based gluten free biscuit.  The next biscuit that is wildly popular is my almond flour based low-carb, grain free biscuit. Both are very worthy, so it will be up to you.

I never set out to make a good Southern fluffy biscuit here at Spinach Tiger, but I did and the comments and emails I still receive years later on this recipe  have proved how good my biscuit recipe and technique is.

However, I know many of you are gluten free, as am I, because of a health issue, and you deserve to have the best biscuit possible.

I have Hashimoto’s and wrote about my personal story with this immune disorder that affects the thyroid, and while gluten doesn’t seem to make me sick, it’s very discouraged. This is why you are seeing an increasing amount of gluten-free baked goods and grain free baked goods.

I am one of more blessed people with this disease, because I haven’t had any serious symptoms, as it was discovered early and medication has balanced my thyroid numbers. I want to keep it that way and eat as healthy as possible. That means no gluten. (It pays to get a wellness blood test every year that checks your thyroid).

About Gluten Free Biscuit Recipes and My Trial and Error

This is not going to be the exact duplicate of my original Southern biscuit. However, I’ve gotten as close as I think I can get.

I experimented with flours.  I experimented with eggs, no eggs, buttermilk, fake buttermilk and cream, corn starch, no corn starch.

I made several batches, sometimes one after another. Then yesterday morning, the second batch of the day got the result I was looking for.

The challenge in gluten free biscuit baking is that too many of the biscuits were grainy, tasted funky, and didn’t rise. Sometimes they were too gummy and sometimes they didn’t brown. The most noticeable issue was that, if left on the counter all day, they turned to rocks.

One unusual counter intuitive attribute about gluten free biscuits is that you cannot eat them right out of the oven. The texture will be a bit gummy; let them cool about five or 10 minutes. 

My Criteria for a Gluten Free Biscuit

Realizing gluten free biscuits cannot be exactly the same as wheat-floured biscuits, I still had a criteria.

1. Texture could not be grainy, but must be crispy outside, fluffy inside.
2. Flavor. No after taste, just buttery.
3. Rise. Biscuits would have to rise or they are not biscuits.
4. Southern Approved. Mr. Spinach Tiger, who has a perfect palate, gives the thumbs up. He tasted every batch, and actually guided me to the right balance of ingredients and texture.

My Secret for a Gluten Free Biscuit

This might seem odd, but I tried adding in ricotta cheese and this gave me the texture and flavor I was looking for. If you don’t want to use ricotta cheese, they will still be good, especially since I have added in golden flax meal.  

Gluten Free Flour. I did not mix my own gluten free flour for this biscuit.   I know you’re not going to do that and truthfully, that is just too tenuous and inconsistent. I chose a flour readily available in the grocery store. If you want to make your own gluten-free flour, I do have a recipe for you here. 

Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 Baking is the flour of my choice and you can order it here.  If that changes, I’ll let you know. If you think you have something better, let me know. They have a biscuit recipe on the back and I did not use that. Mine is better.

Stay away from gluten free flours that have beans because the flavor will not be satisfactory. Stay away from gluten free flours where the first ingredient is corn starch.

No to Corn Starch. I’ve seen some recipes out there that add a half cup of corn starch. I tried that recipe that claimed greatness and it was the worst of ten batches.  The biscuit was grainy, flat, and tasted terrible.

Eggs. Many recipes call for 1 egg per cup of flour. I found that 1 egg per two cups of flour reduced that odd gummy texture I didn’t like.

Butter. Real unsalted butter is the only way I make biscuits, again for flavor and texture.

You can make really small ones too out of the same batch.

Salt and sugar add flavor and the sugar helps the biscuits brown.

Golden Flax Meal adds something to the texture and flavor, but it’s an option. My original recipe didn’t include this. I discovered it when I made these biscuits for this chicken pot pie.

Liquid: I like Real Buttermilk.  It’s not just for texture; it’s for flavor.  See notes below for substitutes. However, you can also use whole milk with a teaspoon of added white vinegar. Some have had great success with almond milk!

I paid attention to the tips I’ve outlined in my original Southern Fluffy recipe.  I decided that the gluten free biscuit should not touch (we call this kissing) as I recommend in regular biscuits so that the edges brown, but I still maintain a hot oven of 450°F.

Size of Biscuit – This recipe only makes eight biscuits. The dough round that the biscuits is cut from is about 7 inches in diameter, no more, as that will result in a flat dry biscuit. It’s very important that you do not roll this out any larger or flatter or you will be disappointed.

You Need Sticky Dough to Make a Good Biscuit

You need sticky dough. If you feel the dough is too sticky to work with, you can make these drop biscuits, but just spooning the dough onto the cookie sheet. You may want to watch the video to see how I deal with the sticky dough. I highly recommend you watch the video. 

You Can Make This Dairy Free by Doing This

If you have to eat dairy free, substitute the buttermilk with almond milk, water or coconut milk along with a teaspoon of white vinegar. 

Vinegar will add tenderness to the biscuit dough. Mix the egg right into the liquid.

Substitute the butter with this shortening by Nutiva. Using a fork, add in shortening in small pieces. You may need to use your hands. Freeze this for twenty minutes, and refrigerate the liquid. Once you add the liquid into this flour mixture, then mix according to the directions. Remember sticky dough!

Chicken Pot Pie with Gluten Free Biscuits, a Comfort Food Dinner

You may also like to make a dinner with these biscuits, making a gluten free Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits.

More Gluten Free Baking from Spinach Tiger

Gluten Free Strawberry Biscuits with video – Similar to this recipe, but sweeter and with strawberries. Instead of ricotta cheese, I use yogurt to get the right texture.

Gluten Free Pizza Crust – The one thing I missed the most was pizza. Friends, this gluten-free pizza crust is just simply amazing. It’s chewy and crispy and there’s a video.

My Absolute Favorite Gluten Free Baking Recipe is this Bread and It’s Easy

This recipe for Gluten Free French Bread is another one I did ten times to make it perfect. It’s so easy, made in 60 minutes start to finish,  and you can freeze it.

Gluten Free Focaccia

You may also want to try these gluten free sweet potato biscuits.

You may also like my latest this grain free BISCUIT which is also keto, low-carb, low calorie and diabetic friendly, made with almond flour.

I get a lot of emails about this biscuit. Feel free to write me at anytime at SpinachTiger@me.com

Let me know what gluten free baking you would like me to do! What are you missing the most?

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Gluten Free Biscuit Recipe with Video

Gluten Free Biscuit, Fluffy and great tasting.

Course Biscuit

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Total Time 38 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp Butter unsalted
• 2 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill 1-1 Flour order here 288 grams
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons of golden flax meal (optional) see notes
• 2 tablespoon sugar optional
• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk see notes for substitutes
• 3 tablespoon whole milk ricotta cheese see notes

Instructions

• Cut butter into small pieces. Freeze for 15 minutes.
• Whisk together the dry ingredients, flour, salt, baking powder, golden flax meal, sugar.
• Add in butter with your hands or pastry cutter. (The Video shows how to do this).
• Mix Ricotta Cheese with Buttermilk. Add egg to the milk mixture. Stir.
• Add in to mixture. Use a wooden spoon.
• Mixture should be wet. Put some more flour on bottom and top of sticky dough.
• Form into a disc. Cut Biscuits.
• Put on a baking dish separated.
• Bake at 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Let them cool at least 5 minutes or longer. Until they cool, the biscuits are gummy. They get better as they cool, very different from biscuits with gluten.

Notes

Golden Flax: If you don’t have golden flax meal, you can leave it out.
However, if you are skipping the ricotta cheese, adding the two tablespoons of golden flax meal will make a difference.

Milk Substitutes: You can use water with a teaspoon of vinegar. Some have also been successful using coconut milk. (Still use vinegar). Vinegar is a tenderizer.

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

I am Italian. I’m picky about my tomato sauces, but you may be surprised. I like my sauce understated, balanced, bright and fresh, even though I used canned tomatoes. If you need a recipe for fresh garden tomato sauce, I have one here.

Here is a Video I made for my Italian Grandmother’s Homemade Tomato Sauce

I make two kinds of tomato sauces. The basic sauce is plain and balanced,  with no seeds, no pulp, nothing chunky, suitable for a manicotti or ravioli, the kind my Italian grandmother and my aunts made. It didn’t have to have meat, although it often did. This is the recipe I’m sharing here. But I will give you the option of keeping the tomato sauce chunky. I like it both ways.

This authentic Italian Tomato sauce is the little black dress of many Italian dishes.

Easy, authentic, homemade tomato sauce is what I grew up on nearly every Sunday, maybe made with meatballs and spaghetti, maybe made plain and used for stuffed shells.

If you’re looking for a sauce that has a lot of ingredients and spices and sits on the stove all day building up acid and later an attack to your stomach, this is not the sauce for you. I liken that kind of mutated tomato sauce to cheap, tacky dresses that never make a woman look good.

No no no, this is the Audrey Hepburn of sauces. Classy, classic, understated, hard to improve. In tomato sauce terms, bright, fresh, clean, as opposed to the heavy, overpowering, overcooked, over-seasoned sauce found in one of those restaurants with red checkered table cloths and Chianti bottles holding candles. (You shouldn’t eat at those places).

That’s like thinking every Italian is in the Mafia or on Jersey Shore. They are not; it’s just that those stereotype train wrecks are just fun to watch.

In South Philly, where my family originated,  this basic sauce was simply referred to as gravy.

If you really want to get into the head of Italian cooking, watch this scene from the Big Night. It’s hysterical, but it explains a lot.

Easy, Authentic, Italian Homemade tomato sauce is almost as easy as opening up a jar, but better.

In Italy, restraint for tomato sauce is understood. In America, the sauce reflects our culture and  the way  we are. We think more is more, more ingredients, more cooking time, giant portions.

When I make classic spaghetti and meatballs, I like to use this basic sauce, maybe with some optional red chili flakes.

I usually make a sauce like this for lasagna, manicotti or stuffed shells.

Use the Right Tomatoes for Authentic Homemade Italian Tomato Sauce

I always start with San Marzano tomatoes, DOP.  They cost twice as much as regular Italian plum tomatoes, but they are worth it. This is one place to splurge. I use the Cento D.O.P. certified Italian Tomatoes. You will taste the difference.

How to Make Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce

These tomatoes squish easily in your hand and are then taken through a food mill to make sure there is no pulp or seeds. I sauté big chunks of onion with a few cloves of garlic olive oil, then add in the tomato puree. Don’t worry if you don’t have a food mill. If you use Cento tomatoes, they yield very little pulp and you can just crush with your hands and add to the pot.

A little salt, pepper, parsley or fresh basil and that’s it. If I don’t happen to have San Marzano tomatoes, I add a carrot to the sauce to sweeten it up a bit.

I cook it just to the point that I’m happy with the thickness. This sauce is strained to a puree, to make sure I get out all of the onion and herbs.  I cook this sauce no longer than two hours on very low and that is just to reduce it down.

This homemade tomato sauce just might  be good enough at one hour and that all depends on the viscosity you desire. That’s just a fancy word for the flow or thickness of the sauce.

If you’re stretched for time, you can make my grandmother’s homemade tomato sauce in one  hour. 

If you’re stretched for time, do this. Do NOT add water. Use one onion, quartered and one carrot quartered per 2-4 cans of strained tomatoes. Cook for one hour on low. For extra flavor, use an immersion blender and blend in the onion and carrots.

Freeze this homemade tomato sauce for future meals.

Now that you have the perfect sauce, make sure you cook pasta al dente like an Italian. 

Make a double or triple batch. Make sure sauce is cooled completely, and freeze in large ziplock bags for up to six months. Take out and defrost in a bowl of cold water.

Use this sauce with  Paleo Meatballs, ,  Cheese Stuffed Meatballs or  Veal Meatballs, 

You might want to go and make some homemade pasta to go with it.

This sauce is great in Manicotti

This sauce is perfect for my Spinach Lasagna.

Try it with Eggplant Parmesan, (there’s also a gluten-free option)

To find out about some other great tomato sauces and one of the world’s legendary Italian cookbook authors, see the article I wrote here about cooking Italy with Marcella Hazan for a year.

Use My Homemade Tomato in these Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Three Cheese Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Cheese Stuffed Meatballs

Chicken Parmesan Old School Style

Keto Chicken Parmesan

Meatball Sliders

You might also like this Pizza Sauce from Spinach Tiger

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My Italian Grandmother’s Basic Homemade Tomato Sauce

My grandmother’s easy Italian tomato sauce made with San Marzano Tomatoes

Course Sauce

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 10 cups

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 onion coarsely shopped
• 1 carrot coarsely chopped
• 4 large cans 28 ounce San Marzano Tomatoes (I use these)
• fresh basil or parsley
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Saute onion and carrots for 5 minutes on low.
• Add in garlic for a few minutes, being careful not to brown. You don't want bitter sauce.
• Strain tomatoes either using a food mill or colander. If you don't have that, break up with your hands and take out the bigger pieces of pulp.
• This recipe is for a smooth marinara sauce. You can, however, chop the tomatoes and use entire can. If you use good tomatoes as I recommend, you will not have any waste, when using food mill.
• Add in softened butter.
• Season with salt pepper and herbs.
• Cook on very low without a lid for 2 to 4 hours, stirring frequently, or put in a crock pot on low for 6 to 8 hours.
• Strain out the vegetables and herbs before serving.
• If you don't have a food mill, just feel free to put all the tomatoes crushed in your hands into the pot. You will have a thicker sauce with some chunks of tomato but it's equally delicious.

Notes

If you’re stretched for time, you can make my grandmother’s homemade tomato sauce in one  hour. 

If you’re stretched for time, do this. Do NOT add water. Use one onion, quartered and one carrot quartered per 2-4 cans of strained tomatoes. Cook for one hour on low. For extra flavor, use an immersion blender and blend in the onion and carrots.

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