Here are a few of my favorite things to cook, bake, eat while hunkered down in a storm. If you have to be stuck inside, at least enjoy the food. Or perhaps take time to try some new recipes.

Smoothies

You might be stuck at home too many days, but still want to feel good and stay healthy. Try any of these smoothies which are tried are true for my family. The twins were sick last week and asked for the red beet smoothie. By chance, I had red beets and all the ingredients.

• Vitamin C Smoothie and Tips for a Fever
• Two Green Smoothie Recipes Kids Love
• Blueberry Banana Protein Smoothie
• Red Beet Smoothie (kids love, so do teens)
• Blueberry Protein Smoothie Bowl
• Chocolate Fix: Chocolate Avocado Smoothie

Snacks

Try some healthy snacks if you start getting bored.

• Olive Feta Salad
• Italian Sausage Balls
• Loaded Deviled Eggs
• Cowboy Caviar (Bean Dip)

Soups

I know EVERYONE is making soup this week. Here’s a few of my favorites.

• Chicken Vegetable Soup
• French Onion Soup
• Italian Meatball Soup
• Sausage Lentil Soup

Bread

Perhaps have always wanted to know about how to make your own sourdough starter. I just made a new one and it was ready in five days, just using all purpose flour. The bread was great.

• Sourdough Bread (Easy)
• Sourdough Starter (will be ready in five days)
• Best Traditional Southern Fluffy Biscuits

Stews

• Beef Bourguignon (low carb option)
• Old Fashioned Beef Stew
• Four Chicken Biscuit Pot Pie Recipes (Low carb options)
• Chicken Chicken Pot Pie with Best Crust
• Irish Stew with Soda Bread

Pasta

You can make most of these with any kind of macaroni.

• Tuscan White Bean Pasta
• Creamy Sausage Ragu
• Stuffed Shells
• Three Cheese Pasta Chicken Bake

Easy Delicious Ground Beef Recipes

• Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls
• Italian Ground Beef and Peas (my STILL number one post)
• Picadillo (Cuban ground beef with olives) serve with rice
• Our Favorite Taco Meat (made with bacon)

Eggs, Eggs, Eggs

I know you all have a huge amounts of eggs and here are some great ideas.

• Eggs in Purgatory (Italian Shakshuka)
• Arugula Hash with Oven Baked Eggs
• Spinach Frittata with Manchego
• Homemade Egg Pasta (even if you don’t have a pasta machine, you can do this using a rolling pin).

For Fun

• Snow Cream

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The post Snow Storm Food appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

It’s all in the ingredients and the technique, and it only takes minutes to make.

Ingredients for Keto Italian Parmesan Crusted Chicken Cutlets include herbs and pecorino romano cheese, the flavor boosters. Chicken cutlets, trimmed and sliced thin (for chicken parm) or thick are dipped into beaten eggs and dipped again in a mixture of herbs and grated cheese, then fried in olive oil on low setting.

Ingredients for Keto Italian Chicken Cutlets

• Boneless Chicken Breasts
• Eggs
• Pecorino Romano Cheese
• Italian Seasoning
• Olive Oil
• Lemon Wedges (for garnish)
• Salt, Pepper

These are ready to eat, or can be used for delicious chicken parm like here. Chicken cutlets can also be sliced and served in a big tossed salad with a vinaigrette.

• Lemon Honey Vinaigrette
• Champagne Vinaigrette
• Red Wine Shallot Vinaigrette
• Apple Cider Maple Vinaigrette
• Warm Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

One thing I always do is give my chicken breasts a little pounding to thin them out.

Take precautions with raw chicken, as you don’t want to contaminate your surfaces. I never lay cutlets on a wooden cutting board. I have a special “chicken only” color coded mat that I lay over my cutting board or on the counter. You can put the cutlets in a plastic bag or between parchment (my preference) and use the side of a mallot, a cast iron frying pan or a heavy rolling pin to thin the cutlets.

Note: You can skip the flattening and slice the cutlets into thinner pieces.

Of course one of the most popular ways to address chicken cutlets is to make chicken parm.

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Keto Parmesan Crusted Chicken Cutlets

Keto Parmesan Crusted Chicken Cutlets, (grain free, gluten free)

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Keyword chicken cutlets

Prep Time 14 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Baking Time 15 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• salt, pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups grated cheese (pecorino or parmesan) Or combination
• 4-6 tablespoons avocado or olive oil

Instructions

• Slice chicken breasts crosswise for cutlets. Cut into pieces. Pound thin. It's important to pound the chicken breast pieces, which helps to tenderize them. Place between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment and pound with rolling pin. Or use a meat tenderizer tool.
• Sprinkle chicken with Italian seasoning.
• Beat eggs with a two tablespoons of water.
• Season chicken with salt and pepper.
• Mix italian seasoning into cheese.
• Dip chicken in eggs, then cheese.
  
• Heat oil in heavy, large frying pan. Cook on medium low.
• Fry chicken cutlets about 3-5 minutes on each side. Don't turn over until chicken moves easily. Chicken is done when center is 165 degrees F.
  

The post Parmesan Crusted Chicken Cutlets (Gluten Free, Nut Free) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

The wedge salad  is very retro (circa 1950’s)  and I’m seeing it on a lot of menus lately. As much as I like a kale salad, I don’t want one every day.

Speaking of retro, have you watched the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel yet? It’s been out for a few years now, but was in season 3 when I first posted this wedge salad recipe.

The wit, the clothes, the storyline, the pace, are enticing in this absolutely original take on a New York Jewish housewife in the 1950’s who has it all, and then stuff happens. Of course, that “all” is defined by 1950’s Jewish mothers who want son-in-laws, grandchildren and close proximity.

This amazon original is just as refreshing and accessorized by proper twists and turns as this festive wedge salad.

Lately I’ve been on a wedge salad kick, ordering them everywhere I go. Typically, made with crisp iceberg lettuce, blue cheese and bacon, the wedge hits all the right notes, when I’m hungry and want salty yet refreshing

In my holiday version of the wedge salad, I add pomegranates and chopped pistachios for a festival holiday feel, bringing yet one more texture and color to the mix.

In a wedge salad summer version, I use fresh tomatoes and possibly some hard boiled eggs and fresh corn.

Sometimes I use a blue cheese vinaigrette; sometimes I make a homemade creamy blue cheese dressing.

I like to throw blue cheese crumbles in my shallot vinaigrette, but sometimes I long for a creamy blue cheese dressing like the one I made here. 

I  used a gorgonzola cheese which is an Italian blue cheese, a little more crumbly,  but not really that much different from other blue cheese.

What I Most Love about the Classic Party Wedge and Blue Cheese Dressing.

Iceberg lettuce gets a bad rap, and for so long has been the lettuce to make fun of, but I’m bringing it back to the table with gusto. The number one reason I love the wedge is that it’s can be a meal. It takes a long time to eat, and I like that. It can handle creamy dressings far better than most lettuces.

There’s a lot of crunch with the wedge and the bacon and a lot of umami satisfaction with the blue cheese. It’s also refreshing at the same time.

Iceberg lettuce has a high water content yet doesn’t wilt easily. It can sit high on a plate smothered in blue cheese vinaigrette or blue cheese dressing and stay crisp. Or the wedge can be the  height of luxury with homemade blue cheese dressing.

It’s the perfect thing to serve at a party! Don’t you just love this slate plate? You can order it here.

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Assemble Your Own Party Wedge Salad

The great idea for a brunch, lunch or dinner, is to allow people to assemble their own wedge. You can set out a bowl of crumbly blue cheese next to the dressing. There are always people who hate the blue, so set out cheddar and ranch for them. Everyone can be happy.

You can serve individual wedge salads on a platter with dressing applied or on the side.

So tell me do you make a salad for your parties? I always do.

Similar Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
• Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing
• Blue Cheese Purple Potatoes
• Blue Cheese/Apple Cole Slaw
• Blue Cheese Bacon Biscuit Sandwich
• Grilled Peach Salad with Blue Cheese

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The Wedge Salad Recipe with Variations for a Crowd

Classic Wedge Salad or Try it with a twist, with homemade blue cheese dressing, and various toppings, depending upon the season.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 head iceberg lettuce
• blue cheese dressing Recipe Here
• 4 slices bacon Oven Baked Recipe
• 2 hard boiled eggs Recipe Here
• 1/4 cup pomegranate arils or chopped tomato
• 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
• 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
• sliced radishes

Instructions

• Arrange wedges on platter or individual plates. Cut into 4 pieces for large sized servings or six pieces for party wedges.
• Top with dressing, followed by toppings.
• You can switch the toppings out as you see fit.
• Top with crumbled blue cheese.
• Serve immediately

The post The Blue Cheese Party Wedge Salad Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

We love frittatas, quiches, dutch babies, hash with eggs, shakshuka, and eggs benedict. These dishes are all appropriate for an easy supper and can be light on the budget. You can play around with these recipes, using your own leftovers, add to them with more sides or some fruit.

Cauliflower Hash is one of my favorites and so easy.

Every quiche can be made traditionally, or low-carb if you use my almond flour tart crust

Frittatas can be the main dish or a side dish. I’m bringing you one low carb dutch baby because it’s savory and loaded with cheddar and bacon. Eggplant Benedict can swap out english muffins for the eggplant, but do eat that hollandaise sauce.

My Favorite Quiches

• Asparagus Quiche with Herbed Keto Crust
• Asparagus Quiche
• Corn and Leek Quiche

Favorites

Make your frittata interesting with left over veggies, cooked spaghetti and any kind of cheese you love.

Here are more favorites that make great breakfasts for dinner. If you’re on the keto diet, try the cheddar bacon dutch baby and if you want sweets for dinner, check out all my dutch babies.

• Yellow Squash Bacon Frittata
• Brussels Manchego Frittata
• Shakshuka
• Red Flannel Hash (Sweet Potatoes, Beets)
• Heirloom Tomato Panzanella with Poached Eggs
• Country Sausage and Sweet Potato Quiche
• Eggplant Benedict
• Cheddar Bacon Dutch Baby
• Sausage Sweet Potato Egg Casserole

Breakfast for Dinner – Must Make Biscuits for All Diets

I know how to make biscuits for any occasion and any special diet. You will not be disappointed with any of these choices.

• Traditional Southern Biscuits (made with traditional flour)
• Keto Biscuits (made with almond flour)
• Keto Cheddar Biscuits
• Gluten Free Biscuits (made with gluten free flour)

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The post Breakfast for Dinner appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Sometimes I’m just like every other home cook in America. I run dry on inspiration. I started this food blog years ago to document my own recipes and bring easy, healthy recipes to make your job easier and more delicious. There are times I feel like I have no idea what to make and I even forget to take a look at my over 1300 recipes.

There was a time when I used to make more complicated dishes, but now that I have a keto bakery and have to spend at least two full days baking, I look forward to getting out of the kitchen. However, I want to get back in the kitchen with more savory dishes, so please take the time to subscribe if you haven’t already.

Three Things You Need to Know About Salmon Kabobs on the Grill

• 1. This is an easy recipe, that requires 5 minutes to make marinade, 7 minutes to grill.
• 2. This is a flavorful recipe with flavors of orange, sesame oil, chili oil, garlic and plenty of fresh ginger.
• 3. This is a versatile recipe that go low-carb (using cauliflower rice) or more filling when place atop rice or rice noodles. You can also change up the flavor profile as shown below.

Alternate Flavor Profiles for Salmon Kabobs

1. Mediterranean: Use Olive Oil, Lemon, Fresh Garlic, Fresh Thyme or Oregano.
2. Italian: Use Pesto as the marinade.
3. Middle Eastern: Use Olive Oil, Lemon, Turmeric, Parsley, Za’atar. Top with toasted almonds.

We usually serve this over cauliflower rice. Flavor the rice ahead of time if desired with fresh ginger and a squeeze of lime or orange.

Marinade for Salmon Kabobs on the Grill

• Fresh Garlic
• Fresh Ginger
• Juice of Orange with Zest (or use Lime).
• Sesame Oil
• Chili Oil or Red Chili Flakes
• Tamari or Soy Sauce (Tamari for gluten free)
• Sesame Seeds for Garnish
• Metal Skewers (can be used over and over and don’t burn)

How to Make Salmon Kabobs on the Grill

• Mix up ingredients for marinade.
• Cut salmon skin off. Cut salmon into large cubes.
• Place in marinade. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
• Soak wooden skewers in water for 20 minutes if you have time.
• Place pieces of salmon on skewers.
• Heat Grill to high (about 400 degree F.)
• Cook about 3-4 minutes each side. Make sure to turn on all four sides.
• Sprinkle with Sesame Seeds.

More Salmon Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• Easy Spicy Tuscan Salmon
• Spicy Mayonnaise Salmon
• Pan Seared Salmon Tacos
• Ginger Roasted Salmon with Orange Roasted Beets
• Pasta with Salmon Mediterranean Style
• Pan Fried Salmon

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Salmon Kabobs on the Grill

How to Marinade and Grill Salmon Kabobs

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Keyword keto salmon, Salmon Kabobs, Salmon on the Grill

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 7 minutes minutes

Marinade Times 2 hours hours

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 Salmon filets 6-8 ounces each
• 1 small Orange with zest or lime
• 1 tablesooon Fresh Ginger grated
• 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
• 1 teaspoon chili oil or chili flakes
• 4 tablespoons Tamari or Soy Sauce
• 4 Garlic Cloves minced
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Instructions

• Trim off salmon skin with sharp knife. Cut in to large cubes. Set Aside

Marinade

• Mix all ingredients together except sesame seeds. Save some of the marinade for later BEFORE placing salmon in bowl.
• Marinate for two or more hours.

Grill

• Soak wooden skewers in water for twenty minutes.
• Light grill to high. Place cubes in skewers
• Cook 2-3 minutes per side. Mine took about 7 minutes for the salmon to be perfectly cooked without being overcooked.
• Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

The post Salmon Kabobs on the Grill appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

A few weeks ago we went to New Orleans, and one of the restaurants inspired this dish of orange beets.

Compere Lapin served us a beautiful beet salad made with pistachios and kale pesto. When I purchased the beets to attempt to make this, the beet greens were so fresh I couldn’t discard them. Thus, beet greens pesto. If you can’t find beets with healthy beet greens attached go ahead and use kale or serve with this homemade basil pest0 or this seven herb garden pesto.

Beets are no stranger to Spinach Tiger. I have over 25 beet recipes and the most popular one has always been my red beet smoothie.

There are months that beets go off my radar, but that shouldn’t happen because the health benefits are just too powerful. 

Beets contain betaine, a substance that relaxes the mind and is used in other forms to treat depression. It also contains tryptophan which is also found in chocolate and contributes to a sense of well being, promotes the health of internal organs and a growing body of evidence shows that betaine is an important nutrient for the prevention of chronic disease. Beet Greens are also extremely healthy, high in iron, Vitamin K, magnesium and much more.

I’ve sauteéd beet greens in this recipe but this is the first time I’ve used them raw.

Ingredients

• Red Beets (feel free to use beets of other colors)
• Olive Oil
• Basil
• Garlic
• Orange
• Lemon
• Pistachio Nuts

Roasted Orange Beets with Beets Greens Pesto is the Foodie Salad for Health Nuts

I roasted the beets after dousing with a little olive oil and a lot of freshly squeezed orange. The beets greens were mixed with some olive oil, a little basil, garlic, orange and pistachio nuts. I had my doubts that this would work, but when you take a bite of the beet with the beet greens pesto, lemon it comes together well.

This is a simple dish, but it has complex flavors and layered textures. You could add in some goat cheese and make this a meal all by itself or serve it with a more subdued fish dish.

More Beet Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• Ginger Roasted Salmon with Orange Roasted Beets
• Golden Beets Carpacio
• Red Beet Risotto with Goat Cheese
• Red Beet & Bacon Goat Cheese Flatbread
• Raw Red Beet Pesto
• Red Beet Smoothie
• Beet Greens and Candy Striped Beet Salad
• Red and Golden Beet Crostini with Goat Cheese
• Roasted Golden Beets

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Roasted Orange Beets with Beet Greens

Orange Beets salad with a pesto of beet greens, pistachios and lemon for a wonderful side dish.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 pound red beets with beet greens attached
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• juice and zest of one orange
• squeeze of half lemon
• 1/4 cup pistachio nuts roasted salted
• 1 clove garlic
• few leaves of basil optional
• sea salt
• black pepper

Instructions

• Trim off beet greens. Wash well.
• Using a pairing knife or potato peeler, peel skin from beets and cut into quarters or large bite sized pieces.
• Douse with a tablespoon of olive oil and juice of half of the orange with zest.
• Wrap in foil and roast in oven at 350 degrees for 35-50 minutes or until tender. Check at 15 minutes and turn.
• Remove and douse with remaining orange and zest of that orange while still warm.

Beet Pesto

• Mix in small food processor or blender, beet greens remains olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and two tablespoons pistachio nuts. Blend until smooth. Taste to season with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil if needed.
• Bring beets to room temperature. Drizzle with more olive oil if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Top with beets pesto and remaining pistachios.

The post Roasted Orange Beets with Beet Greens Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Can we remain true to ourselves on our keto diet and enjoy a keto Easter dinner? Here’s two things I have to say about that.

• Yes, you can, even if you’re super strict and not eating above 20 net carbs.
• Yes, you can, even if you decide to have a cheat meal.

I’m going to list all my favorite keto friendly meals for a delicious keto recipes which work for easter brunch and Easter dinner, and I’ll tell you how to have a keto cheat meal that doesn’t take you down or set you back.

Thomas Delaurer says that women should eat carbs every two weeks on the keto diet. He also says “have a cheat meal, don’t have a cheat day, and be careful about the food you choose to eat.” I watch a lot of his Keto videos, because he explains the science behind what he says. 

A holiday keto Easter dinner could be a planned cheat meal, and may be the time to go all out on more vegetables, including some of the veggies you never eat, such as carrots, and beets. The holiday cheat meal is now the time to enjoy more keto friendly treats like the biscuits and cakes listed below. 

Make sure you make some of these keto peanut butter cups or keto coconut cream eggs in advance.

Starters for Keto Easter Dinner

I  love charcuterie boards. You might include cantaloupe with prosciutto. Each 1/8 slice is 5 net carbs. 

How to do a Cheese Board

Make Colored Eggs with Whipped Cream

Loaded Deviled Eggs

Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs

Shrimp Avocado Salad

Party Caprese Salad

The Low Carb Veggies for Keto Easter Dinner

Go to this post and see over 30 low-carb veggies with over 75 recipes, and fill up on these. Examples of these include:

The Keto Friendly Salads

Include a salad whether you’re having brunch or dinner.

Cauliflower Salad with Champagne Mustard Vinaigrette

Purple Cauliflower Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad 

Red Cabbage Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

Bacon and Broccoli Salad

Orange Beet Salad (cheat meal) Add in some Burrata for fat to slow down the sugar.

Potato Pesto Salad with Green Beans (cheat meal, but incorporates resistant starch)

Proteins

Roast Leg of  Lamb with Pistachio Mint Pesto

Reverse Sear Lamb Chops, Mint Pistou

Rack of Lamb

Perfect New York Strip Steaks

Baked Italian Chicken with Rosemary

Veal Meatballs 

Greek Feta Lamb Meatballs

Keto Brunch/Breads/Biscuits  

Brussels Sprouts with Purple Potatoes Sprouts Frittata

Spinach Frittata

Broccoli Basil Frittata

Asparagus Ricotta Frittata

Keto Cheddar Biscuits

Keto Dinner Rolls

Keto Sweet Potato Biscuits

Keto Desserts (all gluten free)

Keto Peanut Butter Cups

Triple Coconut Cake

Naked Carrot Cake

Cheesecake

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Naked Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Lemon Caprese Cake

Orange Bundt Cake

German Chocolate Cake

Strawberry Cake

Ding Dong Cake

Lemon Butter Bundt Cake

Chocolate Chip Cookie

One More Thing about the Holiday Cheat Meal

There are ways to enjoy some carbs that you normally avoid by eating foods with resistant starch. If you geek out on science, this article on resistant starch and its benefits is a must read. 

Enjoy Carbs with Resistant Starch

If you want to eat potatoes, increase their resistant starch. Refrigerate them  after cooking to increase resistant starch and enjoy the benefits..  This process is called starch retrogradation, and if you reheat the potatoes, they will still have an increased amount of resistant starch and less of spike in blood sugar. Be sure Add healthy fats like olive oil pesto. 

Go here for 50 plus keto desserts.

The post Keto Easter Dinner and the Keto Holiday Cheat Meal appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

The key is to mix it up with lots of crunch and color from various cabbages, greens, colored bell peppers, snow peas and top it off with a very bright citrus ginger dressing. You can add peanuts or sliced almonds for added flavor.

When I first made this asian slaw, I took the time to shred Napa cabbage, but then realized a bag of angel hair slaw would save a lot of time and provide the same result. I also used a bag of broccoli slaw which has added carrots (more color). The only time consuming part of Asian Slaw will be doing thin slices of colored peppers and making a homemade dressing.

I highly recommend you make your own dressing, as it’s easy, fresh and won’t contain harmful seed oils like canola oil.

My Sesame Ginger Salad Dressing is full of flavor and jumps with brightness. I brought this salad to an Asian night potluck and it was a big hit. I kept hearing words like refreshing, flavorful, delicious.

The main components of the ingredients for Asian slaw are listed below. You can skip the nuts altogether or replace broccoli slaw with more napa cabbage or angel hair slaw. You can add in slivered carrots or finely chopped celery. I’ll leave that to you.

Main Components of Asian Slaw

• Large Napa Cabbage or Bag Angel Hair Slaw
• Broccoli Slaw (bag)
• Red and Yellow Bell Peppers
• Snow Peas or Snap Peas (optional)
• Scallions
• Peanuts or Sliced Almonds
• Sesame Seeds
• Cilantro or Thai Basil

Sesame Ginger Dressing Ingredients

• Fresh Knob of Ginger
• Shallots
• Tamari Sauce (or soy sauce)
• Garlic cloves
• Orange juice from fresh orange
• Lime Juice from fresh lime
• Rice Vinegar
• Sesame Oil
• Avocado Oil

How to Make this Slaw Turn into a Full Dinner

This slaw can be the base for grilled for the following poached shrimp, salmon, fish tacos, salmon tacos.

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Asian Slaw with Ginger Dressing

Asian Slaw with Ginger Dressing for a side or serve with a Protein

Course Salad and Salad Dressing

Cuisine Asian

Keyword Asian Slaw, Ginger Dressing

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 1 Napa Cabbage Or Bag Angel Hair Slaw
• 1 bag Broccoli Slaw
• 6 Scallions
• 1 cup snow peas or edamame optional
• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper
• 1/3 cup Peanuts or Sliced Almonds
• 1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds optional

Ginger Dressing

• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons Freshly Grated Ginger (1 large knob)
• 1/2 orange
• 1 lime
• 4 tablespoons Rice Vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Tamari or Soy Sauce
• 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
• 10 tablespoons Avocado Oil
• 1 large shallot
• 1 tablespoon fresh herb cilantro

Instructions

• Slice Bell Peppers into very thin slices. Slice scallions.
• Cook Snow Peas or Snap Peas and put on Ice to maintain color. You can serve them raw in the salad.
• If you are using Napa Cabbage, clean, rinse, dry and slice thinly.
• Put all cabbage and broccoli slaw in bowl. Add vegetables.
• Toss with dressing. You may not use all of the dressing or you may need more. For best flavor dress a few hours ahead and refrigerate.
• Add Peanuts and a sprinkling of cilantro right before serving.

Ginger Dressing

• Grate a large knob of ginger.
• Mince garlic.
• Finely chop shallot.
• Put vinegar, Tamari sauce (or soy sauce) and honey Into a jar Add garlic, ginger and shallots.
• Add juice from orange and lime.
• Add avocado oil and sesame oil and give a good shake.
• You may choose to add more of any Ingredient according to your taste.

The post Asian Slaw Recipe, Ginger Dressing appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I mainly develop grain free, keto friendly, gluten free recipes here, although you may see other recipes as well. 

It’s easy to confuse gluten free, paleo and keto as one and the same. Sometimes a product can be all three, but they are not interchangeable. I will also discuss briefly the carnivore diet and the new ketovore diet at the end of this article. 

• Gluten free foods are usually grain free, but not starch or sugar free. Most keto friendly foods are gluten free, but gluten free products are not necessarily keto friendly and are often high in carbs.
• Grain free foods are usually gluten free, but not necessarily sugar free. Grain free foods are sometimes keto friendly but not always and can be high in carbs. 
• Paleo foods are grain free, are usually gluten free, sometimes keto friendly, but not always. 
• Products labeled grain free, wheat free, gluten free or keto friendly are not usually low calorie products. 
• Carnivore may or may not be a keto diet, but a keto diet is not a carnivore diet. Stay tuned for the new ketovore diet.

Confused yet? Let me help you navigate these food trends. 

What Does Gluten Free Mean?

It means just that, no gluten whatsoever. Gluten is most commonly found in breads or anything made with wheat, but can be found in other products like soy sauce. This tart crust is gluten free, made with rice flour, but it is not grain free or keto.

Avoiding Gluten

Gluten is found in many grains, including wheat, rye, spelt, and barley. Wheat is the most common, making most bread products and baked goods off limits, unless they are made with alternative flours. The two main proteins in gluten are glutenin and gliadin.

Other foods that contain gluten include soy sauce, beer, ale and stout.

Gluten and Health Issues

It seems that eating gluten free is trendy, however, gluten can have serious health implications for certain people, especially those with autoimmune diseases.

People with celiac disease (an auto immune disorder) cannot eat any gluten whatsoever. Gluten will damage the lining of the small intestine and prevent the absorption of nutrients.

People with gluten sensitivity may not be diagnosed as having celiac, but may experience adverse affects from consuming gluten. Two of the most common adverse effects people report are joint pain, rash, brain fog and gastrointestinal issues.

People with hashimotos, like myself, cannot eat gluten, as studies have shown gluten may cause an inflammatory response that attacks the thyroid. 

I can no longer eat gluten without suffering gastrointestinal issues or joint pain. When I gave up gluten, my chronic hip pain completely disappeared.

The most popular post in my gluten free recipes is the gluten free biscuit recipe. It’s not grain free, not keto, but has no gluten, made with rice flours.

Gluten Free Products: Are They Good for You?

If you have to eat gluten free for your health (celiac, gluten sensitivity, thyroid issues), you need to know which products actually contain gluten.

Read labels and moderate your intake of processed gluten free products. Many of the rice flour/tapioca flour laden products spike blood sugar and are not diabetic friendly, keto friendly, or paleo friendly. They can also make you fat if you consume too much of them. This doesn’t mean they don’t have value and aren’t the answer to prayer for those who must avoid gluten for health reasons.

In the last ten years, gluten free products hit the processed food market attracting millions of consumers wanting to improve their health. Products can claim they are gluten free as long as they don’t have the grains mentioned below. The grains and starches typically used in gluten free products are rice flour and tapioca starch. 

These types of breads, cookies, cakes are not diet products, and are often mistaken as healthier. They can be considered healthier if you suffer from Celiac disease, but they are high in starch, often high in sugar and can spike blood sugar. These types of products are NOT keto friendly or low carb, but can certainly be enjoyed periodically.

Foods that Contain Gluten

• Wheat (found in breads, cakes, cookies, pasta, gravy, sauces)
• Barley
• Spelt
• Einkorn
• Kamut
• Durum
• Oats (unless specified processed in gluten free environment)
• Soy Sauce
• Some condiments (read labels)

Grains Considered Gluten Free

• Corn
• Rice
• Oats
• Amaranth
• Buckwheat
• Tapioca
• Teff
• Millet
• Quinoa
• Gluten Free Flours (usually contain rice, potato starch, tapioca starch). 

If you are gluten sensitive, these are the better choice, but they still need to consumed in a balanced fashion. Much of the processed gluten free cookies and cakes found in the grocery store are full of sugar and should be eaten in moderation.

My favorite gluten free flour is from Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour. 

Quinoa is a seed that acts as a grain and is gluten free. I love this red quinoa breakfast.

What Does Grain Free Baking Mean?

Grain free is often, but not always, gluten free, so read labels. Products labeled grain free are usually, but not always, keto friendly. 

This doesn’t mean these types of products should be completely avoided. It means that if you are diabetic, counting carbs, or trying to lose weight, you need to read labels and be aware of the ingredients and macros.

Grain free baking usually means replacing wheat flour with almond flour and/or coconut flour. Nut flours are lower in carbs, are grain free and what I  use in my bakery. Almond and coconut flours have a texture very similar to wheat flours. You can even make grain free tortillas with these flours. They fit a gluten free, paleo and keto diet plan.

The Paleo Diet

Grain Free Products and the Paleo Diet

The diet most associated with eating grain free is the Paleo diet and in some cases, the Keto diet.

The Paleo diet suggests a complete avoidance of all grains, which include rice, wheat, barley, spelt, rye, corn, based on the assumption that ancient man did not eat these. The paleo diet also avoids all refined sugars, but allows for maple syrup and honey. The Paleo diet avoids dairy, legumes and peas, allows for nuts and proposes only grass fed meat. White potatoes are not considered paleo, but you can eat sweet potatoes, all fruits and other vegetables. 

The Paleo diet, if done in the most purist of terms, is expensive, strict and dairy free. A paleo diet is a dietary plan based on foods similar to what might have been eaten during the Paleolithic era, which dates from approximately 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. However, in reality, no one does the Paleo diet in this true historic fashion. It’s used more as a model.

We cannot get the carrots of yesteryear. Carrots thousands of years ago didn’t have the sugar content or color they do today, so there is no real way to eat a true paleolithic diet.

Ancient people didn’t have the year round access to the foods we have today.

For example, honey is allowable, but keep in mind that not all ancient people had access to honey and when they did, it was limited. No one was eating honey and maple syrup every day, nor making paleo brownies.

However a diet of meats, seafood, vegetables and fruits that replaces the grocery store processed foods is a very sound diet and not un-similar to the healthy Mediterranean diet.

What Not to Eat on Paleo Diet

• No sugar (honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar)
• No dairy (some do dairy and this is called  Paleo/Primal
• No grains (recipes often substituted with baked goods made from almond and coconut flour)
• No corn (some say no white potatoes)
• No legumes

What to Eat on the Paleo Diet

• Wild seafood
• Grass fed beef
• Grass fed butter
• Olive oil
• Avocado oil
• Coconut oil
• Paleo mayonnaise (made with avocado oil)
• Fruits/vegetables (no corn)
• Sweet potatoes
• Seeds, nut

Is the Paleo Diet Healthy

Healthy is a subjective word. It can be extremely healthy if you don’t overdo on the sugary fruit, nuts, nut products and the sweeteners. 

If you have existed on processed foods most of your life, and you are making a switch, the paleo diet can be a game changer and bring abut positive health changes.

However, if you overdo the honey and maple syrup, you are still over-doing carbs and sugar. This can take your diet in an unhealthy direction. 

Strictly speaking, the Paleo diet is gluten free, but is not necessarily keto friendly because high sugar content in most fruits, maple syrup, honey and higher carb vegetables are part of the Paleo lifestyle. However, you could follow a keto/paleo type plan by avoiding those foods, but adhering to grass fed, beef and keeping your net carbs to around 20.  

Paleo Recipes Here

My favorite Paleo meatballs are here. 

The Keto Diet

This is the biggest food trend right now, mainly for weight loss, but also because it’s diabetic friendly. A general keto friendly diet eliminates the foods that spike blood sugar. You can read about it here. 

Most keto experts will tell you that you still have to count calories, although it’s not really the calorie deficit that makes this diet work so well. There are many keto calculators that help you figure this out. 

If you are on the keto diet and you are losing weight or inches, you know you’re on the right track.

In basic terms the keto diet is one that puts the body in ketosis, using fat to burn fat. It’s the lowest of the low carb diet plans, usually 20 net carbs or 50-60 carbs per day.

What is a Net Carb?

A net carb is a carb count minus a fiber count. For example, a cup of broccoli has 6 carbs, 2.4 grams of fiber. The net carbs would be 3.6. 

Do Calories Matter on a Keto Diet?

We haven’t talked calories yet, and I am a firm believer that calories count no matter what. You can be on zero carbs and consume thousands of calories beyond what is good for you. You will probably not lose weight or your weight loss will stall if you are eating excessive calories.

I have many keto friendly recipes here at Spinach Tiger.

Is the Keto Diet Gluten Free?

Grain free or keto breads may not mean gluten free. You do have to read labels if you’re avoiding gluten.  

Usually the answer is yes, but you have to read labels. Typically the keto diet is gluten free as there are supposedly no grains allowed. Don’t make this blanket assumption.

Buyer Beware: THERE ARE KETO PROCESSED FOODS THAT CONTAIN WHEAT PROTEIN

Buyer Beware: There are Keto Processed Foods that Contain Wheat Protein.

There are processed keto products being sold right now on line and in stores that qualify as keto friendly because of their low carb count, but they still contain wheat and or gluten. I have seen a low-carb bread at Aldi’s that contains wheat protein. I ordered keto cookies on-line that also contain a wheat protein. Soy sauce contains gluten, but tamari and coconut aminos do not.  You must read labels if you are striving for keto products that are  gluten free.

Misconceptions about Keto Foods

The misconception about the keto diet is that no dish can ever contain any grains or starch whatsoever. However, if those ingredients are very minute and the overall carb count is still low, doesn’t spike the blood sugar, or kick one out of ketosis, it’s okay.

This flexibility is not true for a gluten free diet. Even a very small amount of gluten contaminates a dish and is not acceptable for those who are on a gluten free diet.

What this means is that on a keto diet, it’s not the specific food. If that food kicks one out of ketosis, it’s not keto friendly. A bite of wheat bread or a carrot may not kick a person out of ketosis. You can use a blood monitor like this to test your ketones. Keep in mind ketones vary throughout the day, so testing at different times may result in a different number. 

The most critical point is to understand the differences between gluten free, grain free, keto and paleo and not to interchange them. It’s also important to not assume a keto processed product is gluten free if that is also important to you, as it is to me.

Low Carb Vs. Keto Diet

The old Atkins diet, a low-carb diet, was a bit more carnivore than keto. It was mainly meat, fish, eggs, cheese, oil, butter. Now you can find shakes, and bars under the Dr. Atkins name. The problem with this diet is that it gets boring fast. I once lost 20 pounds in one month doing this diet, but it was hard to keep it off.

I had to extend the diet well beyond that month to keep that weight off. Often what happens is that people go back to their old ways and gain all the weight back and more.  

The Carnivore diet is a hot trend right now, often for reasons other than losing weight. Many have had health changes eliminating vegetables they might be sensitive to. It’s basically meat and or any food that strictly comes from an animal. 

• Meat (red meat only is for the strictest carnivore)
• Fish/Seafood
• Poultry
• Cheese (if dairy doesn’t give issues and not the strictest carnivore)
• Eggs
• Grassfed Butter / Ghee
• Bone Broth

This article gives a little more information on carnivore diet. 

I’m not an expert on this diet, but I  will say that when I  just eat meat (especially beef only) for a few days, I feel really good. Often vegetables or salads can cause bloating.

The carnivore diet is not the same as the Atkins diet, the low carb diet or the keto diet and that discussion requires its own article.

Best Steak Recipe Here 

Gluten free, keto, paleo, sugar free, grain free are not interchangeable terms.

Gluten Free, Keto, Paleo, Sugar Free, Grain Free are not Interchangeable Terms.

When I write a recipe that is keto friendly here at Spinach Tiger, it’s always grain free and gluten free. I will also specify that to clear up any confusion. I replace soy sauce with tamari.

If, however, I write a recipe that says only gluten free, it is not usually keto friendly. You may find such recipes here before I started doing strictly grain free dishes.

Best Grain Free Biscuit

How I Run My Grain Free, Sugar Free Bakery

I do not use any grains or sugar whatsoever. However, I cannot call my bakery gluten free, because there could be cross contamination.  

There are times my kitchen cooks pasta or bread products that are not gluten free. These are not done at the same time and my flours are kept in separate places.

I still can say that my baked goods are wheat free, grain free and sugar free. Since I don’t have a 100 percent gluten free dedicated kitchen, nor do some of the products I add, I cannot officially label my products gluten free. Some products may say on their label “made in an environment that is not officially gluten free.” 

You will notice that many restaurants now choose to say “wheat free” instead of gluten free on their menus, because they cannot guarantee that there is no cross contamination.

The Spinach Tiger Bakery is based in Franklin, TN and delivers to Nashville on Saturdays.

Vegetables on Paleo and Keto

Let me add some more confusion.

Vegetables are encouraged on the Paleo diet, but not so much on the Keto diet. While a person eating “paleo” may stuff themselves with carrots and beets, the person on the keto diet will choose vegetables low in carbs and eat them more sparingly.

This does not mean a person on a keto diet can’t eat a carrot, but at six carbs, they will probably opt for something else.

I have listed all the vegetables that are keto friendly in this post with 75 accompanying recipes.

My Favorite Low Carb Dinners

What is the Carnivore Diet?

This is the strictest, most limiting of all diets. It’s mainly meat, poultry, fish eggs, bone broth and sometimes cheese, dairy. Salt is allowed, but black pepper is not. The idea is eliminating foods that may trigger reactions.  This blog post with video will explain more from a blogger who has done the carnivore diet for the last four years.

The carnivore diet is trending and has many fans who have tried everything to feel good or lose weight and have had positive results from the carnivore diet. It’s obviously the most limiting of all these types of diets. If you’re reading this in October of 22, I am currently doing the carnivore diet for some specific reasons. Eventually, I will transition to the ketovore diet.

What is the Ketovore Diet?

You may actually come across this new term, which is a combination of keto and carnivore. Does it ever end? Probably not, so let’s discuss this. 

The ketovore diet is the latest trend and suggests eating carnivore for 3 to 4 days a week and keto (mainly meat with small amount of vegetables) the remaining days. This means you do not eat any vegetables/lettuces on carnivore days. This is the diet I think will probably work the best for me, and when I do this for an extended time, I’ll come back and report on it. 

How to Navigate the Food Trends

I hope that I have helped you see how these popular diet plans are different and yet in some ways over-lap. I’ve tried to clear up the gluten free confusion. You can never go wrong for your health eliminating processed foods for whole foods. 

If you want to lose weight, you have to decide what is best for you. Not everyone can do the keto diet and not everyone can do a very low calorie diet. The most important thing is knowing that you need a life style change, as everyone knows how to lose weight, but not everyone knows how to live a life where the scale rarely moves. 

Let me know in the comments what’s worked for you or any questions you might have.

PIN THIS

Best Keto Desserts (All Gluten Free and Paleo Friendly)

Spinach Tiger also runs a home keto bakery. New Keto Baking Classes are now being formed. 

The post What is the Difference between Keto, Paleo, Gluten Free appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

These cheap hearty soups that are complete meals have come to the rescue. Some of these are new. Some of these have been on the blog for over ten years, but good soup recipes never go out of date.

Stretching food to feed the whole family is how many soups got their start. A mother had to fill bellies with a few ingredients and boiling water became her friend. Many great recipes have come from wise kitchen management, but especially soups.

Pantry staples that help make these soups.

My Costco Pantry

• Organic Boxed Broth
• Whole Pecorino Romano (grate it for freshness)
• Canned Beans
• Bacon
• Organic Frozen Broccoli
• Organic Cauliflower Rice
• Boxed Frozen French Bread
• Tomatoes
• Cento San Marzano Tomatoes

Trader Joe’s

• Argentinian Red Shrimp
• Bomba Sauce (adds a spicy lift to any recipe)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Pasta
• Cento San Marzano Tomatoes

Don’t Forget to pin this for the future.

I hope you love these soups. Let me know in the comments if you have a favorite complete meal soup or how you save money making soups.

The post Cheap Hearty Soups that are Complete Meals appeared first on Spinach Tiger.