I am super excited about this recipe for uncomplicated beef bourguignon.

Almost giddy. I’ve been wanting to make beef bourguignon for ever. The ingredients didn’t intimidate me, but the instructions sure did. There were too many pans and too many unnecessary steps, which is so very much like the French.  Beef Bourguignon started out as peasant fare originating in the Burgundy region using Charolais bulls.

It was elevated by Escoffier to haute cuisine as he used a whole piece of beef. It was Julia Child who chose to used beef cubes.  This reminds me of this Italian Beef in Red Wine I made some years back using the whole piece of meat.  Both recipes are amazing.

After Italian food, french food is my favorite and there are so overlaps in the cuisine. Italians seems to know how to cook with less ingredients and the recipes are usually more approachable.

Sometimes the French don’t know how to streamline and I’m thinking maybe all these steps were ways for the chef to boss his crew around or simply elevate peasant food as mentioned above.

Since I am Italian, I’m not about to compromise on taste or quality so even though this recipe saves many steps (and I won’t even go into them here), the result of this wine braised beef is amazing and should be your very next dish for company.

You Can Do the Prep in Advance

So much of the prep can be done in advance and honestly there’s about 30 minutes  of active cook time. The dutch oven does all the work, as well as a fine bottle of wine that takes plain old beef cubes to the next level and above.

I took some license with the flour that typically goes into a stew and used tapioca starch, also known as tapioca flour to keep this grain free, gluten free.

Let me take you through the ingredients and I ask you not to scrimp or make substitutions. If you do I cannot guarantee your beef bourguignon will be exquisite.

The French spelling is bœuf à la Bourguignonne. We can say Beef Burgundy in English. It’s basically beef stew braised in red wine and we refer always to Julia Child who made this dish famous. In fact all the recipes on line are versions of her dish.

This recipe has the same ingredients, while using some shortcuts that we believe make no difference to the gist and flavor of the dish.

What are the Ingredients for Beef Bourguignon?

• Beef Cubes
• Red Wine
• Bacon
• Tomato Paste
• Mushrooms
• Pearl Onions
• Carrots
• Garlic Cloves
• Beef Broth
• Flour or Tapioca Flour

Crock Pot or Dutch Oven

You can begin this recipe in a large pot and then transfer to a slow cooker. I prefer to make this in a dutch oven and put it into the oven on low for about 3 hours. Either way, it will be delicious.

My Favorites

• Slow Cooker
• Dutch Oven (This is the one I use every day. It’s Le Creuset and yes it’s worth the price).

Pin This

What is Beef Bourguignon?

Print

Beef Bourguignon

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bacon cut into lardons 1 inch cubes
• 3 pounds Stew Meat 2 inch pieces
• salt
• pepper
• 1 large white onion small diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced or thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons flour I used tapioca flour
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 bottle dry red wine like a pinot noir
• 2 cups beef stock see notes
• 1 carrot cut into 2 inch pieces added in beginning
• 2 carrots cut into discs added later towards end
• 1 package pearl onions frozen
• Herbs parsley, thyme, 2 bayleaf which are removed later
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 package white or brown mushrooms quartered (more if you love mushrooms)

Instructions

• Brown bacon to crisp. Remove from pan, drain on paper towels.
• Dry meat with paper towels
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Flour the meat and brown in the bacon grease. Remove to a bowl.
• Using same pan or dutch oven, soften onion and add carrots.
• Add garlic and sauté briefly.
• Put beef cubes and bacon back into a dutch oven or crock pot.
• Add wine and tomato paste, pearl onions.
• Add enough beef stock to cover the meat.
• Cook in dutch oven for three hours.
• You can do this on top of stove, but I prefer to place dutch oven in a 325 degree oven.
• OR, you can put in a crock pot on high for 3 to 4 hours.
• One hour before serving, add the carrot discs. (remove the carrot that is in there).
• Remove the carrots pieces in the stew along with the bay leaf and other herbs.
• Thirty minutes before serving sauté mushrooms in olive oil.
• You can cook the carrots separately and add at the end if you desire.
• Add in cooked mushrooms.
• Cook until carrots are done.
• Top with fresh chopped parsley.
• Serve over mashed potatoes or creamy polenta.

Notes

I replace wheat flour with tapioca flour to make this recipe gluten free, paleo and lower carb. There is no taste difference.

The post Uncomplicated Beef Bourguignon, Paleo, Keto Friendly appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I made this dish on a Wednesday of last week, and then made it all over again. The honest part is that I was never the biggest fan of spaghetti squash. I’ve made recipes with it before, but this one busted to the top of my all time favorite Fall dishes.

Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions, sage, thyme, pecorino Romano and a splash of heavy cream come together to bring one of the best Italian comfort dishes of the season and it’s still low-carb!

I talk to you all the time about my favorite Pecorino Romano cheese and why I love it so much. It’s a sheep’s milk cheese that has a salty tang, and can be used interchangeably with Parmesan Cheese.

Spaghetti squash tastes best when it is properly softened. This squash is twice baked and tender.

Each bite delivers a moment of comfort with the flavors of the sausage with the grated cheese, the earthiness of mushrooms and slight sweetness of the squash, all pulled together by heavy cream.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole Roasted and Rebaked

The spaghetti squash is roasted and then rebaked in a casserole. This also happens to be a very pretty dish that makes a beautiful presentation if you decide to put it back into the shell of the squash.

Spaghetti Squash is Easy to Make

I have a whole post here on how to cook spaghetti squash a few different ways.

Spaghetti Squash is only 31 calories per cup and about 5.5 net carbs.

More Spaghetti Squash Recipes

• Three Cheese Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
• Spaghetti Squash Carbonara
• Spaghetti Squash Three Cheese Lasagna
• Spaghetti Squash Hash Browns
• Italian Shrimp with Spaghetti Squash
• Spaghetti Squash Bolognese Ricotta

Print

Spaghetti Squash Casserole Recipe with Italian Sausage

Italian Sausage and Mushrooms come together with Spaghetti Squash and Heavy Cream for delicious Winter Comfort Food.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Roast Spaghetti Squash

• 1 large Spaghetti Squash
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
• salt and pepper

Squash Filling

• 2 pieces bacon
• 1/2 onion finely diced
• 2 cups mushrooms sliced
• 1 pound Italian Sausage removed from casing
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan or pecorino Romano Cheese.
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

Roast Spaghetti Squash Instruction

• Microwave spaghetti squash for 3 to 5 minutes, to make it soft enough to cut it.
• Carefully cut in half lengthwise using a towel to hold the squash.
• Scoop out seeds. It’s important to do that now, as they are harder to separate out once baked.
• Brush olive oil or butter over spaghetti squash.
• Put into baking dish open squash side down.
• Roast for 30 minutes at 400 degrees F. or until it’s easy to shred squash into tendrils with a fork.

Squash Filling

• While squash is roasting, slice bacon across into small lardons.
• Fry bacon until you have crispy pieces. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
• Keep just enough of the bacon grease to sauté the onions and mushrooms for about 5 minutes until soft. Once cooked add to dish with the bacon.
• Wipe out grease from pan and cook sausage, removing it from casing.
• Drain sausage on paper towels.
• Remove spaghetti squash and allow to cool.
• Use the fork to shred the squash.
• Mix together sausage, bacon mushroom mixture, squash.
• Add half cheese and heavy cream.

Assemble

• Put into a baking dish or back in reserved squash shells.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle remaining grated cheese and bake for twenty minutes at 400 degrees.

The post Creamy Spaghetti Squash Casserole Recipe with Italian Sausage appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

First let me tell you a funny, which has a sad moment to it, but in the end, I think you’ll smile.

My mother passed away October 30, 2019. . My friend, Rhonda called sobbing, as she loved my mom who we call Retro Rose. Every year, Rhonda and Retro Rose would team up at my Galentine’s party, eat fried eggplant and laugh a lot. We had a celebration of life for Retro Rose and Rhonda didn’t show up, something quite surprising. But wait.

She showed up the next day, the wrong day. She wondered why I was in workout clothes; I wondered why she was at the door. Long story short, we showed her the video, she cried again, and then proclaimed, “I’m hungry.” Well just by luck, or Retro Rose magic, I had just completed making this mixed seafood recipe  for the blog and it was only 4:00.

She’s on the keto diet and I said “believe it or not I have food and a keto dessert.”

This mixed seafood recipe is easy for a French dish.

I’ve been to France twice and I absolutely love French food, especially the dishes cooked with wine and butter. I’m about to go to Paris is May and am excited to be taking a bread baking class, which I’ll report on later this summer.

It’s a little fussier than most of my recipes, because it’s adapted from the cookbook, Le Cordon Bleu at Home. When I first started blogging almost eleven years ago, I cooked out of this book for a year with a group of bloggers wanting to take on the French recipes.

I learned a few things about French cooking that year. You use a lot of pots and pans. Often the recipes seem a bit over-complicated. The end result is always delicious, even surprisingly so. I thought this dish was going to be boring, but I was so wrong.

Scallops are delicate, decadent and expensive. The good news here is you only need a half pound, and you can replace with small bay scallops, which are sometimes more affordable.

Best Way to Prep Scallops

• You must clean the sand off the scallops by quickly rinsing in cold water.
• Remove the side muscle. It pulls off easily. Otherwise, you’ll get a bad, fibrous bite you do not want.
• Dry well with a clean towel or paper towel.

Mixed Seafood Recipe with Butter and Wine is Naturally Lower in Carbs

This recipe is naturally lower carbs because it’s protein and fat. If you don’t care about that, serve this with rice, or crusty bread. It’s a great dish to put together for a dinner party or over the holidays when you’re ready to run from turkey and beef. For a very fancy dinner, serve over store bought puff pastry.

Mushrooms and Mixed Seafood

Let’s talk about mushrooms. There was a time I wouldn’t dream about mushrooms and seafood, but this works. If you hate it, skip them and add in more seafood. I’ve been to two fine dining restaurants this year, where mushrooms was paired with seafood and it was brilliant.

Wine Butter Sauce

Classic and delicious, wine butter sauce can turn almost any plain dish into something special.

More Scallops Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• Seared Scallops with Pasta
• Seared Scallops with Fennel
• Anchovy Basil Pesto with Seared Scallops 
• Seared Scallop with Edamame Pasta (low carb)

Print

Shrimp and Scallops in Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 pound shrimp
• 1/2 pound scallops sliced across
• 1 shallot finely diced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups mushrooms sliced
• 2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Peel and devein shrimp.
• Remove the side muscle of the scallops. Slice across.
• Heat butter in pan. Cook scallops until just done about 2 minute per side. Remove to dish. Set aside.
• Add shallot just until soft, then add wine and parsley and simmer until alcohol is cooked off.
• Slice mushrooms and sautè quickly in large sautè pan in 1 tablespoon butter. Season with salt and pepper. Add scallops, and uncooked shrimp. Shrimp will only take a few minutes to cook.
• Add in heavy cream and continue to cook. Add parsley.

The post Mixed Seafood in Wine Butter Sauce appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I don’t generally make boneless breast of chicken recipes, as I find them a little on the dry and on the boring side. Sometimes, though a recipe like chicken marsala calls for it, and this is anything but humdrum.

I wanted a go to recipe that was easy, approachable and still big, fat, healthy food that could bring a little excitement to the middle of the week.

The best recipes I saw on the internet were from Serious Eats and Tyler Florence. I liked both of them, and took pointers from each, while keeping this on the low-carb side.

Easy and Fast Chicken Marsala

Between prep and cooking you are investing about ten minutes of time.

The prep only involves pounding the chicken and slicing the mushrooms and can be done ahead of time.  If that’s ready to go, this dish will be finished by the time it takes to make the spaghetti.

Gluten Free Approach to Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms Recipe

Most recipes have you dredge the chicken cutlets in flour. I did not do that. It’s not necessary and the flour takes away from the nuanced flavors of the Marsala wine and butter.

I used a gluten free pasta, but this would be great with mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower for a full low-carb dinner.

The sauce can be thin (no flour, no starchy thickener) or the sauce can be thicker from those ingredients. There are other options.

Serious Eats suggests gelatin be added to any store bought chicken broth/stock. Gelatin is flavorless and a trick of many chefs. That’s how he makes his chicken marsala.

This makes sense, as ideally, the stock should be full of it’s own gelatin which would give body to the sauce. The best store bought sauce will not have the same viscosity (body) that a restaurant chicken marsala has.

I often keep chicken bone broth like this me in the freezer in small amounts. When I don’t, I use xanthan gum gel.

How to Save Money buying Premium Quality Chicken for Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms Recipe

I can’t stress enough that the quality of your chicken is important. I wait for organic chicken or Greenwise chicken to go on sale (whole chicken) and buy several packages. I also LOVE Belle Evans brand.

Save money by cutting chicken breasts off the bone. It’s really easy to do. I have a pair of poultry sheers and cut the chicken up the back and cut out thigh/leg combinations and breast. The breasts from a whole chicken can feed yield 2-4 servings, and works perfectly for this recipe.

Slice through each breast piece horizontally, resulting in four substantial pieces. You can freeze the leg/thighs for a different day, and separately freeze the back for broth

I used cremini mushrooms, sliced and added Irish butter to the pan to cook them. Make sure they have released their water and are golden brown before adding marsala to pan.

Prosciutto bring flavor to Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms  

Tyler Florence has an easy recipe for chicken marsala and he includes prosciutto. If you don’t have prosciutto, you could use bacon.

If you don’t eat pork or don’t want to use prosciutto, add in some shallots.

How to Pound Out Chicken Cutlets

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. I only use my wooden cutting boards for fruits, vegetables, cheese and have devoted mats for meat and fish.

The safest thing to do is to put the chicken in plastic bag and pound it flat, so chicken pieces aren’t flying around, contaminating the kitchen.

The one thing both recipes emphasized was frying the cutlets golden brown. You can still do that without flour, keeping the cutlets at a medium low heat. If the cutlets are cold right from the refrigerator, the low heat is especially important, so that they cook through.

Marsala Wine

Marsala wine is an inexpensive, fortified wine from Sicily. Once open, keep it refrigerated. I’ve seen recipes using it with steak and with veal, so it’s not limited to a chicken marsala with mushrooms recipe.

Never buy cooking wine. Period. It’s full of sodium and tastes terrible.

Use fresh Italian parsley at the end of the dish, and if you like a squeeze of lemon to add brightness.

Serve chicken marsala with mushrooms recipe solo, with pasta, with mashed cauliflower or mashed potatoes.

Make this dish keto friendly with these sides

Make this Keto Friendly. Serve with Mashed Cauliflower Rice, cauliflower rice risotto, or Spaghetti Squash.

More Chicken Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• Low Carb Keto Chicken Picatta
• Greek Chicken Kabobs
• Chicken Francaise
• Chicken Stuffed with Ricotta
• Mayonnaise Parmesan Chicken Bake
• Chicken Breasts with Mustard Cream Sauce

Print

Chicken Marsala

Easy chicken marsala, twenty minutes start to finish, with gluten free pasta.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 large chicken breasts
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons unsaltedbutter
• 4-6 slices prosciutto thinly sliced
• 2 cups cremini mushrooms about 8 ounces
• 1/2 cup marsala wine
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 package unflavored gelatin
• chopped parsley for garnish
• lemon wedge optional

Instructions

• Slice chicken breasts horizontally.
• Put chicken breasts in ziplock bag, pound about 1/4 inch thick.
• Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
• Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in frying pan on medium heat.
• Brown chicken a few minutes on each side, until golden.
• Remove chicken to a warming plate.
• Add prosciutto to pan, lower heat, cook for a minute, stirring.
• Add sliced mushrooms, saute until golden, about 5 minutes.
• Add Chicken back in, add marsala wine, cook down for a few minutes.
• Sprinkle gelatin onto broth. Stir in.
• Add broth and remaining butter into pan. Sauce should thicken rapidly.
• Add parsley.
• Squeeze a little lemon for brightness (optional)
• Serve immediately.

The post Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms and Prosciutto appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

In the pictures, you can see the soup is a little more brothy than creamy. Today I changed that up a little and added in heavy cream and pureed about 1/3 of the soup in a blender. Wow. It’s just so good.

This soup can be made in about 30 minutes and is a great lunch idea or a late Sunday night supper. We tend to eat heavier at lunch on Sunday and lighter in the evening. This might be one of my go-to light Sunday night suppers.

What Mushrooms to Use for Creamy Mushroom Soup

I personally like the baby bella mushrooms also known as cremini mushrooms. They are meatier, firmer and tastier than white button mushrooms. I also like to add mushroom powder that I purchase at the farmer’s market. It’s a mix of several mushrooms and adds flavor and color.

Ingredients for Mushroom Soup

• m1 1/2 pounds baby bella Mushrooms (or your choice)
• shallots
• chicken broth
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup dry sherry, red or white wine (optional, but desireable)
• 1 tablespoon mushroom powder (or half ounce dried porcini mushrooms)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Worcestershire Sauce
• herbs
• salt, pepper

More Creamy Soups You Might Like

• Tomato Bisque
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Broccoli Basil Soup
• Golden Cauliflower Soup
• Spinach Soup
• Roasted Red Pepper Soup
• Italian Eggplant Soup
• Healthy Asparagus Soup

Pin This

Print

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Creamy Mushroom soup (No Flour, Low Carb)

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword low carb soup, Mushroom soup

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons shallots diced
• 1.5 pounds Cremini (Bella) Mushrooms sliced, see notes
• 1/3 cup sherry or white wine
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons mushroom powder or 1/2 ounce dried mushrooms Mushroom Powder
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce optional or in place of wine
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Heat a dutch oven and then add the butter
• Saute shallots until softened.
• Scrub mushrooms with a mushroom brush or paper towel. Trim stems and slice.
• Add sliced mushrooms. Saute mushrooms until golden brown.
• Add in wine or sherry and cook on low uncovered for five minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce if you need more flavor or in place of wine or sherry. I like to add both.
• Add in 3 cups of broth. (reserve remaining broth if you need it.)
• Add mushroom powder, or dried mushrooms to pot once broth is hot.
• Reduce heat to low. Add in heavy cream. Stir frequently. Don't let boil.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove 1/3 to the blender to puree and pour back in. You can puree more of the soup if you want, depending on how creamy you desire. You can even puree all of it.
• Garnish with herbs sage for fall, dill for spring, or use thyme.

Notes

You CAN chop your mushrooms much smaller if you prefer.

The post Creamy Mushroom Soup Recipe (Flour Free) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Spaghetti Squash can be the start of so many healthy, grain free recipes. I encourage you to master the art of making spaghetti squash. Actually, I’m teasing you. It’s super easy to make. You can make it stove top like I did in this recipe or roast in the oven. 

What are the health benefits of spaghetti squash?

Spaghetti Squash is anti-inflammatory, increases your intake of essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. It’s a filling fiber, low in calories, 42 per cup, low in carbs (8 net carbs per cup) and can take the place of wheat and gluten in a wonderful way.

You can find out how to cook the spaghetti squash here.

Is Spaghetti Squash Keto?

Yes, if you count the carbs. 8 net carbs per cup. 

What kind of Italian sausage do you use?

I am a member and affiliate for ButcherBox.  It’s the best Italian sausage we’ve ever had. We make this casserole and this sausage crusted pizza a few times a month. ButcherBox is a subscription service that delivers vacuum sealed, high quality sourced, meat chicken and seafood to your door at an affordable price. While they offer various curated boxes, I customize ours every month making sure Italian sausage is part of my box. 

What greens work best in this Sweet Italian Sausage Casserole?

I think kale is probably best but spinach works well also. Any green you want to add for color and interest is fine too. I hope you know you can freeze kale and spinach, and always have greens available for these kind of recipes.

Secret Ingredient also my favorite spice 

I love piment d’ espelette and is a go to for spicing up everything from vegetable dishes to seafood. 

What is piment d’espelette? 

Piment d’ espelette,  made from the Espelette pepper, also known as Piment d’Espelette, is a chili pepper cultivated in the French commune of Espelette, Pyrénées-Atlantiques. It is mildly hot, measuring up to 4,000 Scoville Heat Units. It’s sweet, spicy and smoky without overpowering a dish.  I like the way it gives heat to a dish, more nuanced than red chili flakes (which you could also use). 

You could cover this with pecorino cheese as I did or even use mozzarella. You could even dollop ricotta cheese in this casserole. 

I love my Le Creuset Braiser, because it goes from stove top to oven. A cast iron pan would do the same thing.

This is a flexible recipe. You could use turkey sausage if you choose. You could also choose a different meat, even leftover roast chicken, leftover carnitas. 

How to Sauté Mushrooms

I use either white button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms. I like to slice my own, saute in butter or oil, keeping them separate so they brown a little, instead of steam. That brings out a true mushroom flavor. Mushrooms are a great partner for sausage and for spinach and are a great addition to this recipe. If you hate mushrooms, skip them. It’s that simple. You might choose to add in some chopped sun-dried tomatoes instead. 

This is a an easy dish, very forgiving. Make sure you use enough salt and pepper and a little heat to bring it together. Don’t plan on leftovers. You probably won’t have any. 

More Recipes Using Italian Sausage from Spinach Tiger

Italian Sausage Meals Your Family Will Love

Italian Sausage Frittata with Ricotta

Baked Italian Sausage with Broccoli Rabe

Italian Sausage Crusted Pizza with Peppers

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Print

Low Carb Sweet Italian Sausage with Spaghetti Squash, Spinach, Mushrooms

Italian Sausage, Spaghetti Squash, Mushrooms, Spinach and Pecorino baked in Casserole for a low carb, keto friendly dinner.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Roast Spaghetti Squash

• 1 Cooked Spaghetti Squash Recipe Here
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups mushrooms sliced
• 1 pound Italian Sausage removed from casing
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan or pecorino Romano Cheese.
• 2 cups spinach leaves or chopped kale
• 1 teaspoon piment d'esplette or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

• In a frying pan that will also go into oven, break up sausage and cook over medium heat. Drain sausage on paper towels.
• Remove spaghetti squash and allow to cool.
• Use the fork to shred the squash.
• Add more oil to pan if necessary and sauté mushrooms in same pan.
• Add sausage back into pan.
• Mix together sausage, mushroom mixture.
• Shred spaghetti squash and mix with sausage and mushrooms in frying pan you will use for oven.
• Add spinach and mix. No need to cook. It will soften in oven.
• Season with salt, pepper and piment d'esplette.
• Sprinkle with parmesan or pecorino cheese and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. until melted. You could also add mozzarella if desired.

Assemble

Notes

Feel free to use turkey sausage. 

Play around by adding dollops of ricotta cheese and topping with mozzarella before baking. 




The post Low Carb Italian Sausage Recipe with Spaghetti Squash appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Yes we can.

Every year I envision remaking the American classic, and this year I think I’ve done it. Fresh green beans, fresh brussels, mushrooms, bacon, and parmesan cheese bring what transform a comforting but perhaps bland dish into something a little more umami.

The original green bean casserole was created by Dorcas Reilly who led the Campbell’s Soup team on a project to make an easy side dish with mushroom soup and green beans. Who could have ever guessed it would have such lasting power and take so many twists and turns with hundreds of revisions.

My version is fresher and keto friendly. I replaced frozen green beans with fresh, mushroom soup with cream cheese, and Pork Panko and shallots for the crispy onion topping. We also added fresh mushrooms and brussels sprouts.

Fresh green beans taste so much better than frozen, but require a little snipping, easily done with scissors. Unlike many vegetables, green beans taste better when cooked through, not grassy, but not to the point of mush. I taste my beans along the way.   

I used baby bella mushrooms, but you can use whatever you like.

Adding bacon, while not necessary, is a great addition.

Process for Healthy Low Carb Green Beans Casserole

I started with a full stalk of brussels, which are so easy to make. Simply snap off the brussels, wash, trim and cut in half. I microwaved for a mere three minutes to soften them up. On the the other hand, I boiled the green beans and sauteéd the mushrooms.

I wanted creaminess, but not as much as a can of soup, and added in cream cheese, with a little cream. It doesn’t  overwhelm the dish, but pulls it together.

Pork Panko is a product I recently started using, naturally grain and gluten free and it works.

Green Beans Almondine

Green Beans Mushroom Onion Tart

 More Thanksgiving Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Print

Green Bean Brussels Sprouts Casserole Keto Friendly

Reinvented Green Bean Casserole adding brussels sprouts, bacon, parmesan cheese and a surprise with pork panko (pork skins)

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• This recipe contains Amazon affiliate links which earn a small commission but do not affect price.
• 2 pounds green beans
• 2 pounds brussels sprouts
• 3 pints mushrooms
• 1/2 pound cooked bacon crumbled
• 4 tablespoons cream cheese softened to room temperature.
• 1/4 cup heavy cream.
• 4 shallots
• 1 cup pork panko pork rinds breadcrumbs ORDER HERE
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Rinse brussels sprouts, trim ends, cut into quarters.
• Place brussels sprouts in microwaveable dish, with just enough water to cover bottom. Microwave for 3 minutes. Drain. Set aside.
• Trim green beans and cut into bite sized pieces. Boil until cooked (you can microwave).
• Drain. Set aside.
• Trim mushrooms, slice. Saute in butter.
• Add in green beans and brussels sprouts.
• Mix cream cheese with heavy cream.
• Add in cream cheese mixture. Stir until incorporated.
• Add bacon and half of the parmesan cheese.

Make Shallot Panko Topping

• Slice shallots thinly on medium low heat and soften in butter.
• Add 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs onto the sliced shallots until the panko is golden.
• Top casserole with shallots mixture, remaining panko, remaining parmesan cheese .
• Bake for15 minutes or until Pork Panko is golden brown.
• Serve immediately.

This site contains Amazon affiliate links which earn a small commission but do not affect price.

The post Low Carb Green Beans Casserole with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

By now, most of us are cooking at home and looking for new ways to perk up steak and ground beef.

This steak mushroom sauce made with red wine, and bacon is so delicious, it just might be the thing that brings a little new excitement.

You can even add this it roast beef, or use it for a meat pie or steak pie.

It can turn any cut of steak into something really special, even burger steaks.

I love a good steak like this New York Strip Steak, (my number one post).  But let’s face it we don’t always have the budget for that. On the days you make teres major (a much less expensive cut from the shoulder) or ground beef steak burgers, this sauce will turn ordinary into extraordinary.

Sauté Mushrooms Just right

I have a love hate relationship with mushrooms. They have to be cooked just right. When sautéed in bacon grease long enough to caramelize a little, they are full of flavor and the texture is right. You can use any kind of mushroom to make mushroom sauce. I like the cremini mushrooms, but plain white mushrooms will be just fine as I used below when that was all I could find.

By the way, sautéeing mushrooms with bacon and shallots might be all you need to perk up a burger, or it can be start of a steak mushroom sauce.

Can Steak Mushroom Sauce be Make Low Carb?

Yes, instead of using flour to thicken the sauce, I added a teaspoon of xanthan gum. If you don’t want to use xanthan gum, you can use a tablespoon or two of tapioca flour mixed with cold water to thicken. You could also use corn starch.

Process for the Bacon Wine Steak Mushroom Sauce

• Start with bacon,  but you can skip that if you want, or use pancetta or proscuitto.
• Use shallots over onion, but onions work fine too.
• Add about 1/4 cup red wine. You can add more or less and even skip it.
• I used a pinot noir one night and a cab another night. I prefer the cab, but both are fine. You can even use a white wine.
• If you have a nice balsamic vinegar (the syrupy kind) you could sub the wine with a few tablespoons.
• I use 1/4 teaspoon or so of xanthan gum mixed with water to act as a thickener. (low carb)
• You can use a tablespoon of flour, tapioca flour or corn starch mixed with cold water in a jar.
• Instead of a thickener, you could also add in about 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon butter.
• Or you could use sour cream with mushrooms like I did here. 

Add Bacon, Pancetta or Prosciutto to Steak Mushroom Sauce

Any of these meats, cut finely add a little bit extra. Prociutto is what I use is my Chicken Marsala and I love it, but make sure you crisp it up.

It’s important to cut bacon into small lardons and cook off any of the fat on the bacon. Add shallots and soften for a few minutes, and add mushrooms. Once the mushrooms are sauteéd to a golden color, add in broth, until it’s heated.  Add wine and cook down for about ten minutes.

How to Thicken Mushroom Sauce

Xanthan gum , can be a little pricey, but it’s also great for grain free baked goods.

Xanthan gum will give body to the sauce. I shake it up with a little water, before adding in. It turns into a gel, and doesn’t completely mix, but it will, when you add it to the mushroom mixture.  The result was creamy, mushroom wine sauce.

My Most Popular Post is How to Make a New York Strip Steak

Here are some more easy dinner ideas from Spinach Tiger

Ground Beef Stroganoff

Ground Beef Ideas for Easy Dinner

Teres Major, the Faux Filet

Cauliflower Mash

Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Print

Steak Mushroom Sauce

Perfect for making a less expensive cut of steak more delicious.

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Bacon Mushroom Wine Sauce

• 4 slices bacon
• 2 shallots diced
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups chicken broth or beef broth
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum see notes in blog post on alternatives

Instructions

• Cut bacon into small lardons. Fry in pan that will be used for the mushroom sauce.
• Add diced shallots until softened. Cook about a minute.
• Add sliced mushrooms. Sauté until Golden.
• Add broth and wine.
• Mix xanthan gum with a little water. Shake until incorporated and add in a little at a time to thicken sauce.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve Immediately.

Notes

Read all the notes under Process in the blog post for substitutions. 

You can use 1/4 cup  heavy cream  or sour cream for an alternative keto recipe. 

You can use tablespoon flour/cold water shaken in jar to thicken.

You can use tapioca starch or corn starch.

 

The post Steak Mushroom Sauce with Wine and Bacon appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Swiss Steak with Brown Gravy is reborn in this easy, paleo friendly recipe, flavor boosted with mushrooms, onions and beef broth, and tenderized by swissing the meat.

It has nothing to do with Switzerland, but about technique in meat preparation. Swissing the meat means tenderizing the meat, either rolled, pounded or  taken through a tenderizer.

In this case, my butcher cut a tough rump roast into slices and took them through the tenderizer. They come out looking like cube steaks (which are “swissed” steaks).

You can purchase already cubed steaks or have your butcher do it for you. Ask for a bottom round or rump roast and they can do the rest.

Swiss Steak is a Retro Dish (circa 1915)

A printed recipe for swiss steak dates back to 1915, and was clearly an economical dish, using cheaper cuts of meat (rump roast, bottom round).

I am a fan of the retro redo, because we know more today than back in 1970 about food preparation and how to make a dish better for us. This is a paleo and gluten free version.

Instead of dredging in wheat flour (which you could still do), I used tapioca flour, which turns the beef broth into it’s own delicious brown gravy. The prep for the swiss steak with brown gravy takes about 10 to 15 minutes and the slow cooker  will do the rest. You can cook this in a dutch oven for a few hours if you’re going to be around to watch it.

I let the mushrooms and onions get a slight browning or caramelization with olive oil to boost more flavor and used plenty of fresh thyme. I added about a half of an orange bell pepper that I happened to have. Next time I might add a whole pepper, because I like how it flavors the meat, although you could leave the pepper out.

The tapioca flour on the meat served to also thicken the broth and there was no need to actually make a gravy.

A Word About Brown Gravy

I didn’t have to make gravy. The meat was dredged with tapioca flour and browned. The broth got nice and thick and gravy like. If you like a super thick gravy, take some flour (you can use tapioca flour) and shake with cold water in a jar and slowly add to the broth at the end. I don’t see the need to do this and I didn’t want to water down the amazing flavor I had.

We loved this dish, and I did my best to make it attractive with lots of sprinkled parsley.

A Word About Tapioca Flour

Tapioca flour is not a grain; it comes from Cassava plant and is often used in gluten free flour mixes like this one here.   If you want to further thicken the gravy, mix one tablespoon tapioca flour and one tablespoon cold water together to form a paste and add to the sauce.

What to Serve with Swiss Steak and Brown Gravy

There’s really only one answer here. No Lump Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Cauliflower. It sops up the gravy mixture and should accompany every bite of the meat.

When the twins came over after school, they wanted to know what was in the slow cooker. Long story short, they each ate two pieces, which was somewhat celebratory because they don’t venture out as much as they could.

If you like this dish, you will probably also like this burger steak recipes with sour cream mushroom sauce

More Easy Dinners from Spinach Tiger

More Beef Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Print

Swiss Steak with Brown Gravy and the Process of Swissing (Paleo)

Swiss Steak with brown gravy, an easy, economical, flavorful meal, best served with mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 pounds rump roast cubed (see notes)
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• salt pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil for frying used as needed
• 4 cups baby bella mushrooms sliced
• 2 onions sliced
• 1/2 to 1 bell pepper sliced (optional)
• 4 cups beef broth
• 4 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce or Tamari Sauce if need gluten free
• handful fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried
• Parsley and thyme for garnish
• Kitchen Tools
• Large Frying Pan
• Slow Cooker or Dutch Oven

Instructions

• You can get your butcher to slice and tenderize a rump roast or bottom round. Tell him you want "swissed" steaks or cubed steaks, or you may find cubed steaks packaged in store.
• Season steaks with salt and pepper.
• Heat enough oil in pan to fry steaks, to medium high.
• Dredge meat in tapioca flour.
• Brown meat on both sides. You may need to do this batches.
• Remove meat to dish.
• In same pan, add more oil and saute mushrooms and onions. Onions should have a little bit of golden color.
• Transfer meat and vegetables to slow cooker.
• Add pepper, broth and Worcerstershire or Tamari sauce.
• Taste and season as needed.

Notes

You can have this ready in two hours if doing in a dutch oven.
You can do it on low in crock pot all day or choose four hours at high.
You may need to add in a little more water (or broth if it's reducing too much.

The post Swiss Steak with Brown Gravy, Mushrooms and the Process of Swissing (Paleo) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I know there is a lot of fuss for one dish meals, which I love too, and slow cooker comfort food, but the easy twenty minute meal still rules for us.

This burger steak recipe is the perfect easy dinner when you want the comfort of slow cooking, but you need it fast. The sour cream will add that luscious layer of creaminess while not taking away from the mushrooms or the meat.

This Burger Steak Recipe is Oven Baked for an Easy Dinner

These burger steaks are made the same way I made hamburger steaks with onions, completely oven baked. While the burger steaks are in the oven, you can sauté the mushrooms. Wait just until you’re ready to serve to add in the sour cream. Once you make the sauce complete, you need to serve immediately.

A good side would be mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower (for low-carb), but I’m always sure to add in a green, like this melted kale.

Pin This ↓

I used cremini mushrooms, sliced medium thin, and sauteéd first in butter. When they were cooked through and golden but not browned, I added in the sour cream and a little more Worcestershire sauce. (You can use wine in the mushrooms as an option). I added herbs de provence.

When dishes are simple like a burger steak recipe, use quality ingredients.

I used a high quality grass fed ground beef with some added olive oil, as sometimes grass-fed beef can be dry. If you are not using grass fed meat, you can skip the olive oil. I used organic sour cream which is so much better than regular sour cream.

Pin This ↓

More Ground Beef Recipes from Spinach Tiger

More Keto Recipes

Print

Burger Steak Recipe with Sour Cream Mushroom Sauce

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup grass fed ground beef
• 1 tablespoon olive oil see notes
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Sour Cream Mushroom Sauce
• 4 cups mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup full fat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
• black pepper

Instructions

• Mix mix gently with olive oil, Worcestershire Sauce, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper.
• Form into hamburger steaks. I like an oval shape for this recipe, but you can make rounds
• Bake in oven at 350 degrees F. for about twenty minutes or until your meat reaches the temperature you want.
• Make Sour Cream Mushroom Sauce
• Scrub, pat dry mushrooms. I use a mushroom brush. Slice thinly.
• Add butter to frying pan and cook mushroom on medium low heat until softened.
• Add in a tablespoon of white wine and cook down until wine has evaporated. If you don't want to use wine, use more Worcestershire sauce. If mushrooms are done before meat, turn heat off.
• When ready to serve, heat up mushrooms, add in sour cream and toss until you have a sauce the consistency you want.
• Serve immediately.

The post Burger Steak Recipe with Sour Cream Mushroom Sauce (Low Carb) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.