The cauliflower rice is flavored with a touch of saffron (optional), turmeric, mushroom powder, thyme, olive oil, salt, pepper. Additions are peas and tomatoes, which add more texture and color.

The one ingredient though that I think brings this home is the sliced toasted almonds. It brings a crunch and a flavor that makes each bite just right. I also think golden raisins would be a great addition, but I didn’t have them on hand.

First of all use frozen cauliflower rice. Costco sell a version with 4 individual bags, that you can either microwave or dry fry. I’ll explain what dry fry is because that’s how I made this recipe.

How to Cook Frozen Cauliflower

My favorite method is to plop the frozen cauliflower in hot cast iron frying pan with just a touch of fat (either oil or butter). This method gives you a chance to season the cauliflower, and make it less mushy. Any water due to the freezing evaporates, which results in a great texture.

Ingredients for Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice

• Frozen Cauliflower Rice
• Olive oil
• Tumeric
• Salt, Pepper
• Peas
• Tomatoes (fresh or sun-dried)
• Sliced toasted almonds

Variations

• Replace peas with golden raisins. You could even use both.
• Replace almonds with toasted pine nuts.
• Replace grape tomatoes with sun-dried tomatoes.
• Add a pinch, just a pinch, of saffron if you have it.

Mediterranean Rice Pairs with These Recipes

• Roast Chicken
• Za’atar Spiced Lamb Chops
• Grilled Lamb Loin Chops
• Lamb Meatballs
• Garlic Roasted Chicken Thighs

More Recipes with Cauliflower Rice

• Keto Shrimp Creole Cauliflower Rice
• Chicken with Cauliflower Rice
• Shrimp and Cheesy Cauliflower Grits
• Cauliflower Rice Risotto
• Keto Cajun Shrimp

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Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice

Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice with Shallots, Peas, Turmeric perfect for low carb dinners.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword cauliflower rice

Ingredients

• 16 ounces frozen rice
• 2 tablespoon olive oil more if needed
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 1 cup frozen peas see notes
• 1 cup grape tomatoes or 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme or fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper more if needed

Instructions

• Heat a large frying pan. Add frozen cauliflower directly to pan without any fat, at first. Heat the cauliflower through and stir frequently.
• Once the cauliflower is heated through, add the oil, stir through, add turmeric, salt, pepper.
• Slice grape tomatoes. If using sun-dried, add a little of the oil in the jar for more flavor and chop the sun-dried tomatoes into small pieces.
• Add frozen peas and continue cooking until peas are cooked through. You may add more olive oil.
• Toast almonds in toaster oven for one minute or toast in a frying pan. Keep in mind, almond slices burn easily. Add to rice.
• Add fresh herbs and more salt and pepper if needed.

Notes

Instead of peas, replace with golden raisins 

The post Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

The hard work of the farmer who brings his produce all year to the Nolensville Farmer’s Market enlightened me, as he brought bok choy all winter long. I try to buy something from him every week, as I know he doesn’t spray chemicals and he’s a hard working local farmer.

In all honesty, I never made anything with bok choy, but I like to buy local vegetables, and I knew I’d figure out something.

The first thing I made was grilled bok choy, but now I’m sold on bok choy salad, made simply with olive oil, ginger balsamic vinegar and a healthy sprinkle of salt.

It literally takes five minutes to make and goes well with fatty proteins like pork or brisket. Bok Choy Salad stays crunchy, even when made ahead and tastes so good.

Bok Choy is a winter green, often found in Asian stir fries. While you could use a dressing like I made here in my Asian slaw, my dinner wasn’t Asian, and I needed a very quick preparation. However, do feel free to make any version using ginger dressing, depending on what you’re serving.

How to Make a Five Minute Bok Choy Salad

Let’s make this super easy.

• Bok Choy
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar (the syrupy kind)
• Fresh Ginger
• Sliced Almonds
• Sesame Seeds
• Diced Apple (optional)

Why I Love this Bok Choy Salad Recipe

Firstly there’s the crunch! No other vegetable gives you the same sweet crunch that gives a surprising taste and texture. Secondly, the ease. Kale takes time to de-rib, chop and marinate. This bok choy salad (whatever you choose to call it) is made in mere minutes.

The second time I made it, I added in sliced almonds and it was so good, I almost ate the whole bowl myself. They add that savory crunch, while the chopped ribs add sweet, juicy crunch. Who knew anyone could get so excited over such a simply vegetable.

Let’s Talk Balsamic Vinegar

The type of vinegar that works so well with this recipe is the thick, syrupy kind. I use my blackberry ginger balsamic, but you could choose your own. This vinegar is a little pricey, but can be used over and over in summer salads. If you don’t want to use such a pricey vinegar, just use what you like but sparingly tasting along the way, and don’t forget the salt, which wakes it all up.

Serve this Salad with Fatty Meats

This goes amazingly with pork, brisket, chicken thighs and sausages. It’s also good for summer barbecues, picnics and potlucks since there’s no mayonnaise and it keeps well.

More Salads from Spinach Tiger

• Wedge Sald Board
• Raw Shaved Cauliflower Salad (most requested)
• Broccoli Bacon Salad
• Spinach Salad with Grilled Peaches
• Asian Slaw with Ginger Dressing

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Bok Choy Salad

Bok Choy Salad with Toasted Almonds, Ginger Balsamic

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword bok choy

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 2 bok choy
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds toasted
• dash sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar see notes
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger see notes
• salt, pepper to taste

Instructions

• Throughly rinse bok choy in cold water and cut stem off. Dry with paper towels.
• Finely chop stalks and leaves.
• Toss first with just enough olive oil to cover the greens, using hands.
• Add balsamic to taste. Add fresh ginger if you have it. You may use more or less than instructed. (This is a salad you make to taste. It's not totally necessary to have ginger on hand).
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Add in toasted almonds. Toss again.
• Garnish with sesame seeds if you have them.

Notes

I  used a blackberry ginger balsamic (the syrupy kind). If you don’t have that add some optional fresh ginger if you have it.

The post Bok Choy Salad Recipe Made in Five Minutes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Cucidate, little fig cookies, while appearing quite demure in appearance, hit the senses, as a true Christmas cookie,  first with an aroma of the dried fruits soaked in a liquor and then  ombined with nuts, cinnamon, and honey, wrapped in a delicate pastry.

Cucidate, the Italian Fig cookie from Sicily is a tribute to my grandfather.

Biaggio came to America twice before he actually decided to stay, and I can understand his trepidation to settle in the United States, after visiting his hometown some years ago.

As I walked around the village of Isnello outside of Palermo, I rested my eyes on one of the most beautiful mountain backdrops I’ve ever seen, while the ocean was only twenty minutes away.

Sicily is an earthy place of tradition, created by many visiting cultures over centuries of acquisition. 

The people are humble, and yet rich in a food culture that is probably the most flavorful and robust of Italian cuisine, much like their personalities. American television has done a great disservice to Sicilians, using hyperbole, stereotypes and the sensationalism of organized crime. Most Sicilians are victims of crime, are not murderers and are not one dimensional.

This is probably a little extra special for me, because my grandfather had a fig tree he treated like a bab. Right before he died, he kept talking about “her.” Yes, he had decided his fig tree was a she, and he was worried, that she needed to be covered up for the winter or in his words, “shessa gonna die.”

My grandfather was never part of any organized crime, so please scratch your ideas about the people of Sicily.  He was a kind soul who extended everyone who knocked on our door in for coffee. The family joke would be that we might find him serving coffee and cake to a burglar that tried to rob the house.

I found his warmth and patience compelling, especially contrasted with my grandmother who was an Italian diva, sometimes warm, and sometimes a little too sure of herself. They always seemed a mismatch, as she was born in America as a first generation Italian and exuded first class glamour. His kind would be referred to as “from the old country,” and that was considered a step down in status from first generation born.

She was divorced with a small child (my Aunt Rita of the stuffed shells legend) and yet could have had her pick of any man. How in the world my grandfather snatched her as a bride is quite stunning, and one of the good things that happened for me prior to my life.

They had a daughter, my mother (Retro Rose) who inherited more that Sicilian hospitality.   I can’t tell you how many times, I would visit her apartment and she was feeding the maintenance men. She’s making someone a pot of meatballs at least weekly. When I first gave her some of these cookies, her first words were “can you make these for one of the elders at church.” I emphatically said no, these are just for the family. This attitude needed to be adjusted. Her desire to give the elders these special cookies is what being Sicilian is all about.

Cucidate Make a Great Gift

I had to think about that because aren’t Christmas cookies something we make to give away, to show our love for others?  After researching  these cookies, I read many stories about how often these cucidate are given away as gifts, and it got me thinking that I should plan to make several batches.

These cucidate excude the heart of the Sicilian culture. The dough is sweet; the fig filling full of flavor and life, and they make the perfect Christmas cookie gift, because they hit the heart.

The Process for Cucidate, Italian Fig Cookies

• Soak the raisin in bourbon for at least an hour.
• Chop figs or use a fig jam.
• Bring figs, dates (or dried plums/prumes) together with marmalade, honey and walnuts and process.
• Allow this filling to be refrigerated overnight to meld the flavors.
• Make pastry same day you make the filling and refrigerate overnight.
• Take out one pastry roll at a time and roll out and cut in squares.
• Fill and bake.
• Top with glaze and Italian sprinkles.

There are many ways to roll and fold the cookies. I did some in triangle, some folded over evenly. Some will turn the seam on the bottom, so you can’t see it. You can choose your own way.

Orange Glaze for Cucidate

I made an orange glaze and poured this over the cookies when hot, then sprinkled with these Italian cookie sprinkles I found in an Italian grocery store.

So tell me do you have a traditional cookie you like to give away as a gift? Have you ever had cucidati, the ultimate Sicilian fig cookie?

More Italian Christmas Recipes

More Cookie Recipes

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Cucidate – Sicilian Fig Christmas Cookies

An Italian Christmas Cookie from Sicily made with figs, dried fruit, liquor, nuts.

Course Cookie

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 1 day day

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 day day 15 minutes minutes

Servings 36

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Fig Filling

• 2 cups dried figs or 2 cups fig jam
• 2 cups dried dates or dried plums
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup bourbon or Grand Marnier Cognac or Brandy
• 1 cup almonds or walnuts chopped
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup orange marmalade
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Pastry

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup sugar I always cut my sugar. I used 2/3 cup sugar
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
• 2 eggs
• 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Glaze

• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons orange juice) I used juice of one satsuma.
• small colored sprinkles

Instructions

Fig Filling

• Soak Raisins in bourbon for an hour up to overnight.
• Add to the rest of the ingredients.
• Grind all ingredients in food processor or Vitamix. The mixture should be ground enough to spread in the cookie. I substituted fig jam for dried figs and dried plums for dates.
• Refrigerate filling overnight.

Pastry

• Mix flour, baking powder, sugar together.
• Cut butter in. I used the Kitchen Aid Mixer. You could cut in with pastry blender or use a food processor also.
• Beat eggs and milk to together. Reserve 1 tablespoon milk. You may not need it.
• Add to flour mixture, and form a dough. Add the extra milk of it’s too dry.
• Separate dough in 4 sections. Wrap each in plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate for one hour or overnight.

Glaze

• Mix confectioner’s sugar with orange juice. Add water a little at a time, until you have a thin glaze.

Assembly

• Work with one section of pastry dough at a time.
• Roll each section into a tube. Divide into two sections to make it easier to work with.
• Flatten out each tube. Put mixture in center. Pull sides up to reach. Cut into 1 1/2 inch cookies.
• Bake at 375 Degrees F, 190 C. for 15 minutes.
• Spoon glaze over each cookie. Top with sprinkles.

The post Cucidati – Sicilian Fig Christmas Cookies appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Friends, I’m happy to be back partnering with Minerva Dairy Amish Butter and bringing you a most delicious golden cauliflower soup with butter fried almonds and pomegranate.

I got the idea from the golden latte I love at a favorite coffee shop. Turmeric drives that beautiful golden color and I’ve added curry for heat and coconut milk for a smoothy wonderfulness.

On the way to this soup, I’ve discovered a wonderful recipe roasting a whole cauliflower with lots and lots of butter.

I smeared the Minerva Dairy butter all over a whole cauliflower and sprinkled with turmeric. You could stop right here and or proceed with this exquisite, creamy, golden soup.

When it comes to vegetables, nothing enhances them more than good butter.  I love Minerva Dairy Amish Butter, which is 85% butterfat, churned for the past 125 years by over six generations of butter makers, using old fashioned butter churns. The butter is made from pasture-raised cow milk, ensuring the highest quality, and greatest taste.

Minerva Dairy Butter can be purchased unsalted, with sea salt or garlic herb. You can make this soup with any of these choices, but garlic herb is a great choice for added flavor.

I was not shy in smearing the butter over the cauliflower before roasting. Cauliflower has a reputation of being a boring or bland vegetable. The good news about that is how it lends itself to creativity and exciting flavor profiles, which transforms it into so many exciting recipes.

Roast at 400 degrees F. for about 40 minutes. You can check at 35 minutes by using a meat thermometer, as 165 degrees F. seemed to work well.

Why Roast Cauliflower Whole?

You might be asking if you shorten the time by cutting up the cauliflower first before roasting. Yes, you can do that, but you do risk having uneven roasting, some browning of different pieces. I wanted a very golden soup, and this method of roasting whole worked well and was less prep time.

I wouldn’t fret too much because it will all go into a super blender (such as a Vitamix) to puree.

 Garnish Golden Cauliflower Soup with Almonds, Pomegranate

Creamy soups need to be garnished. I saved some of the tidbits of cauliflower for topping and added in butter fried sliced almonds and cool crisp pomegranate arils. It’s a perfect medley of textures and the pomegranate helps to cool off the spice.

You can use a chicken broth or coconut milk when pureeing the soup. I like a combination of both. If you don’t use coconut milk, you can add in about 1/3 cup heavy cream.

You can make this golden cauliflower soup as mild or as spicy as you like. I added in a teaspoon of mild curry powder, which still has a kick to it and was enough spice for us, but feel free to make this to your own taste.

This is also great left over. I was eating this three days later and enjoyed every single spoonful!

Take a look at more Minerva Dairy Butter at their website, as they have a few different types of butter to try, including sea salt and garlic herb.

Some of the other Minerva Butter Recipes:

Italian Sausage Stuffed Biscuits (using Minerva Garlic Butter)

Blueberry Peach Slab Pie (Make this with apples for the holidays)

More Cauliflower Recipes You Will Love

Whole Roasted Cauliflower (the recipe related to this soup).

Shaved Cauliflower Salad

Popcorn Cauliflower, Flash Fried

Baked Cauliflower with Butter and Parmesan

Cauliflower Hash with Poached Eggs

Mashed Cauliflower

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Golden Cauliflower Soup

Golden Cauliflower Soup with Turmeric, Coconut Milk, butter fried almonds, Pomegranate seeds.

Course Soup

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower
• 2 shallots
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons turmeric spice divided
• 1 teaspoon mild curry spice
• 1 can coconut milk (13.5 ounce) can use 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups hot water or broth
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Trim off the stems of the cauliflower.
• Mix butter with 2 tablespoons turmeric. Rub butter all over cauliflower.
• Roast cauliflower and whole shallots together.
• Check at 20 minutes. Shallots may need to be removed.
• Continue roasting for another 20 minutes or until softened. I discovered an internal temperature of 165 Degrees F. is good.
• Once you take cauliflower out of the oven, cut into pieces that will fit in your blender. RESERVE a few end tidbits for garnish.
• Using a heavy-duty blender, put in coconut milk, 1 cup broth, cauliflower, shallots, curry spice, making sure to put liquid in first. Add turmeric a little at a time. You may not need it all.

  You can use boiled hot water in place of broth. Add more broth as needed. You want the soup texture to be creamy but thick enough to hold the toppings.
• Season with salt and pepper, and taste for spiciness. You may want to add in more turmeric and curry powder, a little at a time.

Make Almonds

• Melt 1 teaspoon butter in frying pan. Toast almonds for a minute or two until golden.

Garnish Soup

• Pour soup in bowls. Add cauliflower tidbits, chopped parsley, pomegranate arils, almonds.

The post Golden Cauliflower Soup with Toasted Almonds appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This low carb apple almond tart might be the best thing that happens to you this Fall. I’ve already made this twice this week and had to cut it up into pieces and freeze it, or I might eat all of it. I did discover from this that it comes out of the freezer and heats up beautifully.

You cannot believe how good this is. I would go so far as to say as soon as you make this caramelized apple almond tart you will  make it again, and it absolutely should go on your holiday table.

I took inspiration from the Chez Panisse Almond Tart I made here. I switched out the shortbread for a almond flour tart crust and the sugar with Swerve. The great news is that Swerve now makes a brown sugar that is amazing. I caramelized some apples with the almonds before adding it to the heavy cream and baking.

There are a lot of options when making this Grain Free Apple Almond Tart.

• You can switch out the apples for pears (or peaches in summer).
• You can leave out the fruit as the original version did.
• You can leave out fruit and add in unsweetened coconut. (I’m working on a version of that.)
• You can add in different flavors. I used maple extract, but other ideas include an almond extract and depending on fruit used, an orange extract.
• Use a rectangular bottomless tart pan (amazon) to cut into bars or make into a round tart or 6 mini tarts.

The Baking Process for Grain Free Apple Almond Tart

The first thing you need to do is par-bake the tart crust. Keep in mind that almond flour can burn easily so par-bake at 350 Degrees (180 C. ). I only bake for about six minutes before filling with apples, almonds and heavy cream. I make sure to put foil around the edges to avoid burning.

I like to use this rectangular tart pan because it’s easier to cut into squares. This tart is rich and small squares are all you need. I cut it into 16 squares.

Ingredients for Grain Free Apple Almond Tart

Almond flour is used for the crust. Make sure it is blanched super fine almond flour. I like this brand. You can make your own blanched almond flour here.

Swerve Brown Sugar: Before I add the almonds and apples to the tart, I caramelize them on top of the stove using Swerve’s brown sugar. (amazon) It’s a new product and works just like brown sugar.

If you can’t find Swerve brown sugar, you can use regular Swerve.

Heavy Whipping cream brings it together, and is first heated on top of the stove with granulated Swerve and maple extract.    

Low in Carbs

This apple almond tart is a great way to start the Fall season in a healthy, low carb way at 3 net carbs. 

You might also like these recipes

My other most popular keto bar recipe are these low carb grain free maple pecan cheesecake bars.

Grain Free Pumpkin Bars

Crustless Pumpkin Pie Cups, Pecan Streusel Topping

Low Carb Apple Upside Down Cake

More Grain Free Baking from Spinach Tiger

More Keto Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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Grain Caramelized Apple Almond Tart Bars (Low Carb)

A low carb apple almond tart made with swerve's brown sugar and an almond flour pie crust.

Course Low Carb Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword almonds, apple tart, keto tart

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 16 servings

Calories 228kcal

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon maple extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 5 tablespoons Swerve brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Swerve Granulated
• 1 1/2 cups apple sliced thinly
• 1 cup sliced almonds

Almond Flour Crust

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups almond flour blanched
• 1 egg yolk

Instructions

Almond Flour Crust

• Make Crust First, combining all ingredients. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Remove almond flour pie dough and roll between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Place in tart pan. You may need to press it in. There will be enough dough left over to make one small tester.
• Bake at 350 degrees F. for 6 minutes, just enough to set the dough.

Almond Tart Filling

• Peel and cut one to two apples to get about 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced.
• Place one tablespoon butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in small frying pan and sauté apples for a minute. Add almonds. Continue stirring frequently until almonds are golden brown.
• Heat the heavy cream with swerve and maple extract until it boils. Take off heat.
• Add apples and almonds to tart. Pour heavy cream into tart.
• Cover the Crust with foil as almond flour browns very easily.
• Place a sheet pan on the rack beneath the tart, covered in foil in case of run over.
• Turn oven up to 400 degrees and bake for 25 minutes.
• When you take the tart out of the oven, run a butter knife gently around the edges as the caramelization can cause sticking.
• Cool completely before removing.
• Cut into 16 squares.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 16 | Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Fat: 21g | Fiber: 4g

The post Grain Free Apple Almond Tart (Low Carb, Sugar Free) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This is the perfect salad to bring to a party or serve with a rich or fatty meat, and it can be made in advance.

To add a bit of heft, I added in some kale, which gives a beautiful darker green contrast.

To add a bit of sweet, I added in some gala apple. You can make this more tart by adding in a granny smith apple.

To add a change in texture, I added in some golden raisins. You can skip this or replace with cranberries or dried cherries. If you want to skip the sugar, you can skip the dried fruit.

To add more flavor and crunch, I added in some toasted almonds. You can change the nut to pistachios, hazelnuts, or even peanuts.

To make this exciting, I added in shaved pecorino romano, adding saltiness and tang.

The important part of this recipe is shaving the brussels or using a very sharp knife to slice the brussels quite thin. I use this inexpensive mandolin from OXO to do the job. Be careful though and use the holder.

The other important part is the acidic vinaigrette. This you need to keep.

The Pros of a Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad

• You can make it ahead and dress it ahead.
• You can take it to a party or potluck. It keeps its crunch.
• It brings a balance to fatty meats.
• It’s delicious.
• It’s a super food salad.

Play around with Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad

• You can leave dried fruit out for a keto/low-carb choice.
• Change the nuts to pistachio, walnut or peanuts.
• Add pomegranate for a holiday twist.
• Add goat cheese instead of pecorino.

More Salads with Brussel Sprouts

This is not the first time I put brussels sprouts into a salad with kale. This recipe makes the brussels sprouts the star, but here’s a winter kale salad with a smattering of brussels sprouts where kale is the star,  and walnut vinaigrette, which would also work well here.

Here’s an apple and brussels salad with pancetta and corn bread croutons.

One of the best salads I ever made that is slightly more complicated is this red beet pesto and brussel sprout salad.

More Brussels Sprouts Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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Brussels Sprout Salad

A salad of shredded brussels sprouts, apples, almonds, kale.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 pint brussels sprouts cleaned sliced thinly
• 1 apple sliced into apple sticks
• 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins
• 1 cup chopped kale
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt OR to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons shaved pecorino romano cheese

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar more as needed
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Wash and trim brussels sprouts.
• Cut thin strips cross wise.
• Cut apples into strips. Gala is a good choice, doesn't brown.
• Toss brussels sprouts and apples with vinaigrette.
• Take the thick rib out of the kale, if using Lacanato (my choice). Chop into bite sized pieces.
• Toast almonds in oven for four minutes.
• Mix shaved brussels sprouts, apples, raisins, kale, and almonds.
• Toss with just enough vinaigrette
• Add shaved Pecorino Romano Cheese
• Season with salt and pepper

The post Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Keto Shrimp Scampi with Pork Panko Breadcrumbs with lemony butter sauce is no compromise.

I avoided shrimp scampi for  years because I thought you could only enjoy it with a lot of crusty bread. While that’s one wonderful way to sop up the lemony butter sauce, eating scampi blanketed with crispy pork panko (a no-carb breadcrumb) is a culinary pleasure.

I’m Italian, but oddly enough never ate shrimp scampi. We were much more likely to see shrimp in a tomato sauce. Seafood was a big thing in the town I grew up in and there wasn’t a week that went by that we weren’t eating blue crab, shrimp or Dover sole.

My mom, Retro Rose, does not like garlic, which is funny because she is  a full fledged Italian, and half Sicilian, but the smell of garlic drives her far away.

Marcella Hazan talks a lot about the over-use of garlic in Italian food. She goes so far as to say if you walk into a restaurant and smell garlic, you should leave. Garlic is meant to be subtle for most Italian dishes and it should always be freshly peeled.

This Keto shrimp scampi might be the one dish where garlic is a very important component. Still there a few things you should know if you want this dish to have the right balance.

How do you peel garlic?

You want to use fresh garlic you peel yourself. I know that you can buy peeled garlic in jars, but that poses a risk of rancid or bitter garlic.  Pre-peeled garlic has a very short shelf life. My very first video on youtube was showing people how to peel garlic, easily. You have to watch it. It’s hilarious, but it will change your garlic life.

You simply take two stainless bowls, one on top of the other with garlic inside and shake for about twenty seconds. The friction causes the peels to fall off. It’s like magic.

How to Use Pork Panko

I’ve been talking about pork panko for several months now, because it’s the perfect keto friendly panko. I’m not sure how they do it, but it tastes exactly like panko breadcrumbs. I like to toast the pork panko in a little butter when I’m topping a dish like Keto Shrimp Scampi.

Shrimp Scampi with Pork Panko Toasted in Garlic Butter

My favorite way to use them is to toast them in garlic butter and that works smashingly in this recipe. Add in lemon zest and parsley and toss over shrimp. Amazing.

Unless you live in shrimp territory, use flash frozen shrimp for absolute freshness. Peel, and devein.

What do you serve with shrimp scampi?

Well if you’re eating a low carb diet, you could serve this over spaghetti squash, or you can serve it over zoodles

Shrimp with Olives over Zoodles

Shrimp over Spaghetti Squash

Find over 75 recipes at my post featuring 30 low carb vegetables here. 

More Shrimp Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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Keto Shrimp Scampi with Pork Panko, Lemon, Almonds

Shrimp Scampi with butter, garlic and pork panko. Can be used an appetizer or an entree over pasta or vegetables.

Course Seasfood

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 cup pork panko ORDER HERE
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds optional
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic grated or minced
• 4 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley divided
• 1/4 cup white wine optional.
• 1 raw pound shrimp peeled deveined
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• zest of lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Put 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in frying pan. Add 1 clove garlic minced for a minute.
• Add pork panko and toast until crunchy. Add zest of lemon.
• Add 2 tablespoons parsley to pork panko. Set aside.
• In a clean pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter.
• Add remaining minced garlic. Sautè for one minute or until golden.
• Add lemon juice, optional white wine, black pepper, crushed red pepper.
• Cook wine down for two minutes.
• Add shrimp. Do not overcook.
• Cook for two minutes. Turn over and turn off heat leaving shrimp in pan, remaining to be cooked.
• Remove shrimp to a dish.
• Top with pork panko, enough to cover all the shrimp.
• Sprinkle with another dash crushed red pepper.
• Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 3g | Fiber: 1g

The post Keto Shrimp Scampi with Pork Panko, Lemon, Almonds appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

It’s browned all over to a near crispy which helps it holds it salt and it tastes so delicious, so umami, because one bite and you just can’t stop eating.

It’s what I make when I feel hungry for french fries.

You may not realize that a lot of  finger licking good veggies served in a restaurant are often flash fried. This means lowered into the deep fryer. I have a more practical way of getting that flash fried taste without six cups of oil.

I’m a healthy fat proponent and I have no problem with flash frying if I can do it with the practicality a home cook needs versus a professional kitchen. I did it here with five minute flash fried brussels sprouts and they are so amazingly umami delicious.

To do my home version of flash fried cauliflower, I use about a cup of avocado oil in my enamel dutch oven and turn over after three to five minutes.  I also use this spatter cover. A deep fryer is quicker, but I’m giving you the more practical home recipe.

I salt the cauliflower while it’s cooking and add some very flavorful spices that lean toward Italian Mediterranean. The spices I use have fennel and citrus which are very aromatic.  If you want to take this up a notch, melt anchovies into the oil before you start.

Trust me, it’s another layer of umami but you never know it’s there. I like to add in some crushed red pepper and roasted, salted chopped pistachios. You can also use sliced almonds, or no nuts at all.

Flash fried cauliflower  is the quintessential big fat healthy side dish if you use healthy fats and are following a low-carb or keto diet. You can always go ahead and roast your cauliflower if you’re afraid of frying but even at a high heat, you won’t get this same texture.

A lot of restaurants serve a mayonnaise based sauce or aoili with a dish like this. Totally not necessary, but if you have a great one, go ahead. The only thing you absolutely must do is drain and eat immediately. It starts to lose its crunch rapidly.

We eat these with lettuce wrapped burgers. It’s a feast, but it’s grain free, gluten free, and keto friendly. It’s our preferred way to eat at home, and it works well for us.

Why I Post so many Keto Friendly Dishes

I know a lot of people roll their eyes at the keto or low-carb lifestyle, because it’s a very general word that can be healthy or unhealthy. A healthy take would be to make sure your diet still is high in fiber and vegetables. It’s not so good to just eat meat and fat. Some will argue that, but I just listened to neurosurgeon, Dr. Perlmutter, give a talk on the importance of eating enough vegetables on keto or low-carb diets. He’s an expert on the brain, wrote Grain Brain and he’s someone I’ve been following for years.

I want my readers to understand that it’s okay, more than okay to enjoy food in a big fat healthy way, but in today’s world, for most of us, there has to be a paradigm shift. Healthy is not bad word for food lovers. Fat is not a bad word for healthy food lovers. (healthy fat).

The shift we have to make is a good thing, though, not a suffering, white knuckling thing. It’s a daily habit of gravitating to whole food made with flavor and zest, and turning our back on the food from much of what happened in the last half of the last century.

We don’t need to or want to go back to the food of history. While it may have been more “organic, ” people didn’t have the choices, diversity or kitchen tools we have today.

We have improved and expanded our choices in such a wonderful and more creative way. We just skip need to skip that processed bad stuff and move right to wonderful, big fat healthy food. Are you with me on that?

It’s one of the reasons I give you so many cauliflower recipes that are like comfort food. This chicken and cauliflower rice or this cauliflower cheesesteak are two of our favorite big fat healthy meals.

Skillet Cheesesteak with Cauliflower (Recipe Here) 

Flash Fried Cauliflower loves Nuts

This home version of the flash fried cauliflower is so good that I made it four times this week. We’ve made it with pistachios and with almonds. I love both. I think peanuts could be fun too.

I like to add  my spices, parsley and crushed red pepper at the end and then top with the nuts. You will find your own way  to make this and I’d love to hear from you.

This is the dish most loved this week on instagram, and I would love to connect with you there.

More Spinach Tiger Cauliflower Recipes

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Popcorn Cauliflower, Flash Fried

Flash Fried Cauliflower with PIstachios, Red Pepper Flakes

Course Vegetable

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Total Time 13 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower cut into small pieces)
• 1 cup avocado oil you may not need all of it
• salt
• pepper
• 1/4 cup golden raisins unless you are strictly keto
• 1 teaspoon chile flakes
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup cup of chopped roasted pistachios or sliced almonds
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning see notes
• handfull parsley finely chopped

Instructions

• Heat oil in a dutch oven or frying pan. You will want to have a spatter lid. You'll know when it's hot enough if you a drop of water sizzles.
• You can use a deep fryer and a lot more oil to do a quicker flash fry, but I don't find that practical for a home cook, and this will get the same results.
• Add in cauliflower pieces. Oil should cover at least half of the cauliflower.
• Add salt. Don't add any other ingredients until you remove cauliflower.
• Turn over when golden browned.
• Drain on paper towel.
• Add to dish. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper (at your discretion for heat), spices of your choice, and top with chopped nuts, golden raisins and parsley.
• Top with parsley. Serve immediately.

Notes

I use a seasoning that has citrus and fennel in it. I like the aroma of the fennel seeds. You can use a seasoning of your choice or none at all.

Golden Raisins add a nice texture and sweetness to the dish, but are not keto friendly.

The post Popcorn Cauliflower, Flash Fried and Insanely Addicting appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Blanched almond flour is not to be confused with almond meal, which is much grainier and often what you see out in the market place. Good blanched almond flour is the almond flour you want to use for baking. It’s expensive, so I often make my own.

The two most popular recipes with almond include these grain free Southern Biscuits and this Maple Pecan Cheesecake bars.

I use this flour for macarons and I purchase the almonds in large bag at Costco. It’s much more cost effective, and I can make a little at a time.

How to Make Blanched Almond Flour in a Vitamix

Blanch the almonds in boiling water for one minute, no more than that. Rinse in cold water.

The peels will slip off, but this does take about five minutes to do. Be patient.

Dry them on a clean towel for a few hours.

Process in a few food processor, pulsing for about 3 seconds at a time, so as to not make almond butter.

OR

Process in a Vitamix, pulsing for about 5 seconds at a time on medium speed and then stopping for about 30 seconds. Move the almonds around, making sure to move the almonds from the bottom. This is how I do it; it’s less grainy than the food processor.

Keep blanched almond flour in a cool place or refrigerate.

If you are making macarons, you want your flour as fine as possible, as you will need to sift it. I will use a bit of confectioner’s sugar when I’m processing (a tablespoon).

Some of our favorite almond flour recipes

Torta Caprese, an Italian Almond Flour Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free, Keto)

Fluffy Keto Pancakes

Grain Free Southern Fluffy Biscuit

Grain Free Stuffing

Almond Flour Keto Tortillas 

All Almond Flour Recipes from Spinach Tiger

All Grain Free Baking from Spinach Tiger

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How to Make Blanched Almond Flour

How to Make fine, blanched Almond Flour to use in baked goods.

Course Flour

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 1 cup

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 cup Almonds makes 1 cup flour
• Food Processor or Vitamix type blender

Instructions

• Boil almonds for one minute until skins fall off.
• Rinse in cold water.
• Dry on a clean towel.
• If using a food processor, pulse 3 seconds at a time, so as to not make almond butter.
• Process in a Vitamix, pulsing for about 5 seconds at a time on medium speed and then stopping for about 30 seconds. Move the almonds around, making sure to move the almonds from the bottom. This is how I do it; it's less grainy than the food processor.
• If using in macarons, you will need the flour very fine and the flour should be sifted.

The post How to Make Blanched Almond Flour with Video appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

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This is the salad that got me hooked on kale.I have now posted so many recipes on kale but wanted to come back and share with you where it all started.

This little chopped kale salad changed my green life forever.

There was a time 30 recipes ago or so, that I did not eat or like kale. I tell you this because you might be uncomfortable with certain vegetables and think you are the only one. You might be under the false impression that  “those foodies eat everything, know how to cook everything, and are all encompassing rock stars in the kitchen.”

The truth is that even food bloggers have foods we are unfamiliar with, didn’t grow up, and maybe are even a tad bit afraid of.

But, with a name like Spinach Tiger, I need to conquer all things green.  After all green anything is so chic,  it’s the new little black dress of instagram.

Kale, as beautiful as it is, has always baffled me. I tried to make kale chips once,  which ended up in the trash followed by a nice big empty bag of kettle cooked potato chips. I couldn’t enjoy them the way I read I was supposed to in about in every cool, hip or not so hip food and life style blog. (That doesn’t mean I won’t try again some day in far distant future).

It makes no sense at all that my love for kale would start at a sports bar/restaurant that has five different kinds of french fries, but it’s true.

Someone very smart at the Tavern in Nashville put a chopped kale salad on the menu. I ate the whole bowl right along with my french fries. How’s that for split personalities?

I don’t remember the  fries.  I remember the tuscan chopped kale salad.

It was spiked (and I used the word spiked on purpose) with lemon, lots and lots of lemon and some parmigiano reggiano cheese. I was hooked, and the very next day, I went searching for the freshest kale I could find. If  you read my roasted okra post, I got lucky and and bought two beautiful bunches from a vegetable stand ready to close.

Chopped Kale Salad starts with Lacinato Kale

I remembered how the salad tasted and  I set to work chopping and chopping (using a mezzaluna) and spinning and spinning in the salad spinner, as kale seems to have a lot of water in it.

The dressing was easy. Extra virgin olive oil, lemon and more lemon, a splash of pear vinegar, and an ingredient I thought should be added, crushed red pepper.  And, of course, the toasted almonds. I decided to use pecorino romano cheese in slivers rather than grated parmigiano reggiano. You can decide which one, as you long as it’s freshly grated.

Chopped Kale Salad is a Perfect for a Potluck

In my experiences, everyone loves a salad at a party. The chopped kale salad is perfect because you can dress it at home. It lasts all day without wilting. Trust me. People will thank you.

Am I now a kale convert? All the way, yes. (Although still holding out on the kale chips thing).

Oh I don’t need to tell you how healthy kale is do I?  I hope that doesn’t ruin it for you. I know that I started to immediately feel better within the first two bites. And, it doesn’t hurt that I bought it from the hands that grew it.

The texture of kale is hearty and takes well to an olive oil dressing and even gets better if chilled a few hours. It’s not mushy or slimy and maintains a certain crunch, which is always satisfying. Add to that more crunch from the toasted almonds and the zing of the lemon and crushed red pepper and you have an exciting healthy dish.

That year the salad gave me a chance to use one of my birthday presents. I received three different vinegars from Sparrow Lane, and the one I decided on here was the D’anjou Pear.

Kale Chopped Salad Loves a very Acidic Zesty Vinaigrette

I have a thing for vinegars of all kinds and I have about 10 vinegars in my pantry, so stay tuned to hear about the other two, walnut champagne and  peach champagne vinegar.  All three are very different, very smartly balanced.  I chose the pear because it goes well with lemon and pecorino, but I also like their golden balsamic. I wouldn’t use regular balsamic because it won’t have enough punch. I used lots of lemon and you could stick with that, but the added hit of vinegar not only aids in breaking down the kale fibers, but gives the necessary zing that a kale salad needs.

Heidi Swanson of  101 cookbooks has a very similar recipe where instead of almonds she uses toasted breakcrumbs, another great way to get that added crunchy texture and a marked Italian profile.

Since my original first kale salad post, I have made many kale salads. One of the crowd favorites goes a different route with apple, sweet potatoes, cranberries, and maple pecans.

So tell me, is there a vegetable out there you have been afraid to try? If you say turnips, I can change your mind on that too.

More Kale Recipes from Spinach Tiger

More Salad Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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Chopped Kale Salad with Toasted Almonds

A raw kale salad with Tuscan flavors.

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• juice of one large lemon
• 1 teaspoon pear vinegar or use a white wine vinegar
• 1 small clove garlic crushed
• sea salt black pepper to taste
• 1 bunch of kale
• 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper or to taste
• Sea salt black pepper
• Small chunk of Pecorino Romano

Instructions

• Salad Dressing: Crush garlic clove, place in olive oil for 10 minutes. Remove.
• Squeeze lemon in small bowl, add vinegar, and slowly add in olive oil and salt and pepper.
• Rinse kale, roughly chop and dry with salad spinner or paper towels.
• Chop finely using a mezzaluna or chef's knife.
• Toss with salad dressing, cheese, toasted almonds and crushed red pepper.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Top with very thin slices of Pecorino Romano, using sharp knife or mandolin

The post Chopped Kale Salad with Toasted Almonds appeared first on Spinach Tiger.