Try this for your next fancy spring dinner, or maybe even part of your Easter holiday.

Grilled lollipop lamb chops using the reverse sear method opened up a whole new way for me to approach meat. It was spectacular.

What is a lollipop lamb chop?

There are three types of  lamb chops. The lollipop chop cut off of what we know as the rack of lamb has the long thin bone, is the most tender, and most expensive chop. You want to cook this right! You can find an affordable rack of lamb at Costco.

The average price is around $18 and will feed two or make four lollipop lamb chops with double bones. I know that’s expensive, but this same dish out in a restaurant will cost an average of $30 per person, and I promise you, if you follow this recipe, it will rival any fine dining.

What is a reverse sear?

A reverse sear means you cook the meat first up to a certain internal temperature low and slow or on indirect heat, and sear the outside on high heat at the end. I had no idea it would make such a difference, but it does. The chops were tender and juicy, and perfectly seared. I’ll never go back to my old way of doing things.

How do you prepare the lollipop lamb chops for the grill?

The first thing you need to do before you cut the chops on the rack is trim all the fat and remove the silver skin, that very thin transparent sheath. Then salt the lamb and if you choose, marinate. 

Should I marinate my lollipop lamb chops?

• If you have the time to marinate, use some chopped garlic and olive oil, perhaps some herbs like rosemary and thyme.
• Salt your chops first to increase their flavor.
• Marinate up to three hours. I’ve made successful chops marinating for only twenty minutes using this method.
• Cook to medium rare to medium. Anything past medium and the lamb tastes gamey.

What is mint pistou?

Mint pistou is made with only garlic, mint, parsley,  and olive oil. Pistou is different from pesto which contains nuts, as I did here with a pistachio mint pesto. Either of these would be great with this lollipop lamb chops but I prefer the pistou for simplicity.

Recipe for Mint Pistachio Pesto here. Notice the nuts. Leave those out and you have pistou. 

How do you reverse sear grilled lollypop lamb chops?

• Once you are ready to grill, heat only one half of the side of the grill.
• You will be placing your chops on medium indirect heat, the side with no fire. Leave your lamb chops there until the internal temperature reaches 115 Degrees F.
• Turn that other side of the grill up to high and move the chops over to the direct heat.
• Grill about one minute per side.

What temperature should we eat lamb at?

We want a pink inside with a well done, seared outside, either medium rare or medium.  

• Lamb is done medium rare when the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees F. and is my preference.
• Lamb is medium when the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. 

Allow to rest for ten minutes. Top with Mint pistou. 

This is a delicious, easy recipe, one I know you will make over and over, once you get the love for the reverse sear as I have. 

You may also love this post: Seven Scrumptious Lamb Recipes You Need to Make Now

What sides go well with lamb chops?

• Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Cider Vinaigrette
• Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette  
• Lemon Dijon Roasted Potatoes
• Dijon Garlic Roasted Potatoes
• Smashed Buttery Fingerling  Potatoes

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Grilled Lollipop Recipes, Reverse Sear, Mint Pistou

How to do a reverse sear for a medium rare grilled lollipop lamb chops.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Keyword lamb, lamb chops, lollipop lamb chops, mint, pistou

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Marinating Time 1 hour hour

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

Lollipop Lamb Chops

• 1 rack of lamb about 8 bones
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Marinade (optional)

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons rosemary chopped
• 2 cloves garlic chopped

Mint Pistou

• handful fresh mint
• handful fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 lemon juice and zest
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Prepare Lamb Chops

• Trim the fat off of the lamb. Lamb rack is covered in thick fat and silver skin. It will take about 15 minutes to carefully trim. I leave the meat around the bones on.
• Cut rack into 4 lollypop chops (two bones each).
• If you decide to marinate, mix marinade ingredients together and set lamb in dish with marinade. I only marinated for twenty minutes and chops were very tender. Marinate up to three hours.

Reverse Sear Grill Lamb Chops

• Take lamb chops out of refrigerator 30 minutes in advance to take the chill off of them.
• Light one half of gas grill on medium heat. Place lamb on indirect heat until the internal temperature is 115 F. degrees.
• Turn the other side of grill up to high. It's time to sear. Place chops on the hot side of grill for one to two minutes per side until the internal temperature is at 135 degrees for Medium Rare. Or if you prefer, 145 degrees for medium.
• Allow to rest for at least five minutes before eating.

Mint Pistou

• Mix all ingredients except salt and pepper in blender.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lamb.

The post Grilled Lollipop Lamb Chops, Reverse Sear, Mint Pistou appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Our table had been host to ground beef stuffed bell peppers three times that summer, and there was a fourth time as we picked some peppers from our garden.

I made a fresh tomato sauce from garden tomatoes for this dish, but you can use canned tomatoes to make this homemade tomato sauce.

I have never been a green bell pepper fan, always choosing the red or yellow peppers, but when baked slowly in tomato, and filled with a meat filling, they are a summer food with winter comfort. Ground beef stuffed bell peppers take a little more prep than many of my dishes, because I take the time to blanch the peppers.  I use a dutch oven with the lid to bake them for about an hour, and then I take the lid off to brown them a little bit.

The Meat Recipe is Similar to Italian Meatballs

I season the meat the same way I make meatballs, using bread, Italian cheese, fresh parsley and basil. I do make a paleo option for myself, skipping the bread. The peppers continue to cook in the tomato sauce and the beef takes on the flavor of both. This is so good that even people I know who don’t like bell pepper (me included) love this dish.

This is a basic stuffed peppers recipe that offers you many options using one technique.

There are Several Options for Stuffed Peppers

Choose your grain or no grain.  While many stuffed peppers recipes add rice to the beef, I have never like that combination, as I don’t like rice with tomato sauce. You can replace the bread with rice, but I find the bread gives a much more satisfying texture. You can use bread crumbs instead of bread pieces if that’s what you have.

Paleo Option: I made some of the peppers (for me) with a paleo option, just skipping the bread and cheese altogether. Add in extra olive oil to the meat for moisture.

Sausage or Ground Pork Option: On of the three times I added in some ground sausage to the ground beef for extra flavor, or you could add in ground pork. The ratio is up to you. I recommend 1/4 pound sausage to 3/4 pound beef.

Ground Turkey Option: You can substitute ground turkey for the beef. In that case, add in some olive oil, as ground turkey does not have the flavor of ground beef or the fat. You can pump up the flavor by doubling the cheese, and adding in more aromatic herbs such as sage and rosemary.

Ground Beef option: You might be wondering what kind of ground beef to use for the ground beef stuffed bell peppers. I used grass fed beef, which is on the lean side, but your favorite ground beef will be fine.

More Ground Beef Recipes

• Ground Beef with Peas (most popular post)
• Ground Beef with Cabbage Stir Fry
• Easy Hamburger Steak Recipe
• Cuban Picadillo

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Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef, Tomato Sauce

An Italian version of Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers with Paleo Option.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 6 large Bell Peppers
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 eggs
• 4 slices bread torn or 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs(optional)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 onion diced, sauteed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• generous helping black pepper
• 4 to 6 cups tomato sauce recipe using canned tomatoes here or fresh tomatoes here

Instructions

• Cut tops off bell pepper. Save to use later if you want to, cut out seeds.
• Blanch peppers in boiling water for five minutes to soften.
• Remove, put in ice bath, cool.
• Mix ground beef with eggs, bread or breadcrumbs, parsley, cheese, salt and pepper.
• Stuff peppers.
• Put tomato sauce into baking dish. I used a dutch oven. You can use either a baking dish or dutch oven. The sauce should come about half way up the peppers.
• Put in oven at 400 degrees uncovered for twenty minutes. Reduce heat to 325. Cover and bake for at least one more hour, or until peppers are softened.

The post Ground Beef Stuffed Bell Peppers appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

The Entrecotê must be good, because there is always a line, and the sauce is a secret. So secret, in fact, that many chefs on line have tried to figure it out and come up with their own versions. It seems that no matter what recipe they use, they all love their version.

I tried a version and thought it was so good, I wanted to share it with you.

Stephane of the French Cooking Academy has an “almost” recipe he got from a Paris cookbook, which is delicious. By the way follow his youtube channel if you want to learn how to cook French food without intimidation. I’ve made a few of the dishes and will probably make many more.

Maybe when I get back to Paris, I’ll try the real thing and let you know. In the meantime, while it’s not the exact steak sauce, it’s delicious and worthy.

After making this green entrecotê steak sauce three times, I put my own spin on it, adding in a lot more parsley, which is what makes the sauce more green and I think more appetizing. Some other chefs have made the sauce adding in walnuts and a few other things like capers. I may try a version with walnuts in the future.

Don’t limit this entrecotê green sauce to steak. I noticed during a dinner everyone was also putting the sauce on these crispy smashed potatoes. Now that’s a match.

Ingredients for Entrecote

• 1 cup chopped parsley (measured after chop)
• 2 stems thyme
• 2 stems rosemary (or tarragon)
• 1/2 cup salted butter (use good butter)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 large shallots
• black pepper
• umami seasoning (option, but great addition) This one is from Trader Joe’s

The process is very easy. Just make sure to get all of your ingredients together, chopped, measured and ready before you cook your steak. While your steak is cooking, especially if you do reverse sear, you can make the sauce. If prepped, it will take you less than ten minutes.

However, you can make this ahead of time and gently reheat.

Freeze

I tested this out and you can freeze this sauce and gently reheat. You may need to add a tablespoon of cream.

Great Steak Recipes from Spinch Tiger

• The Perfect New York Strip Steak Recipe, Pan-Fried, Oven-Roasted (Sear and Roast Method).
• Perfect Ribeye Steak (pan fried, roasted)
• Reverse Sear Tomahawk Steak
• Teres Major (a more affordable cut of meat that mocks filet)
• Tenderloin Tails

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Entrecote Sauce

Course Sauce

Cuisine French

Keyword entrecote sauce, french sauce

Ingredients

• 2 handfulls parsley 1 cup, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 large shallots
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 sprigs rosemary finely chopped
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon umami powder
• salt, pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

• Put butter, shallots, herbs umami powder, dash salt, into a sauce pan. Heat on very low for five minutes.
• Allow to sit off stove for five minutes. Add heavy cream. Add lemon juice.
• Blend in a blender until smooth.
• Season with salt, pepper to taste.
• Serve immediately. If you can't keep it warm or gently reheat when your food is ready.

The post Entrecotê Steak Sauce (my version) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I think I might be a little blessed because while the Spinach Tiger loves steak, I have a crush on ground beef and never seem to run out of ground beef ideas. If you have some great ideas, leave them in the comments.

Good ground beef has fat and flavor which is quite satisfying, and as long as I can get my hands on grass fed, high quality ground beef without sticker shock,  I’d rather eat ground beef than just about anything.

My crush has led to many ground beef ideas over the years, from fast and easy to slow and fussy and even recipes for a party. You could use ground turkey in these recipes, keeping in mind, you will need to add in more flavor, more fat (olive oil), and you could substitute ground lamb. Play around and always be sure to tell me if you have a great ground beef recipe.

The Fast and Easy Ground Beef Ideas

Personal Favorite

Our all time favorite dish is Ground Beef with Peas and Sauteed Onion. You can choose to add in a starch such as rice, potatoes or pasta, but we like it just like this.

Eventually, I jumped off into other ground beef stir fries, using kale or spinach and even adding in pancetta in this Italian Stir Fry

Ground Beef in Soup/Chili

• Italian Meatball Wedding Soup
• Italian Meatball Soup in Tomato Broth
• Ground Beef Five Bean Chili
• No Bean Chili

Ground Beef Ideas for Dinner

• Ground Beef Stroganoff
• Spaghetti Squash with Bolognese
• Picadillo
• Ground Beef Taco Meat
• Easy Shepherd’s Pie
• Crack Slaw with Comeback Sauce
• Easy Hamburger Steaks
• Hamburger Steaks with Wine Mushroom Sauce

Italian Dinners with Ground Beef

• Three Cheese Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with Meatballs and Sausage
• Bolognese Sauce (Five Different Recipes)

Ground Beef Ideas for Your Next Party

Meatballs with Blueberry Pear Compote a recipe from La Cucina Italia, an Italian Magazine and it’s so delicious and a great demonstration that meatballs can travel down many roads in Italy.

Stuff it Ground Beef Ideas

Stuffed Peppers, one of the dishes we make a lot!

Feta Stuffed Lamb Meatballs with Pistachio Pesto

These are just some of my ground beef recipes. I make meatloaf, burgers, stuffed cabbage, lettuce wraps  and other  ground beef dishes, but for some reason I’ve never posted their recipes. Once I do, I’ll add them in. If you have a good ground beef link (not a tater tot type recipe), leave it in the comments.

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Ricotta Stuffed Meatballs

Ricotto stuffed meatballs, great for an entree or party dish.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 tablespoons parsley chopped finely
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese or pecorino romano
• 1 egg
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt or more
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Mix beef with 1 tablespoons parsley, 2 tablespoons cheese, and egg.
• Mix Ricotta cheese with remaining parsley, cheese
• Season both meat mixture and cheese mixture with salt and pepper.
• Use about a tablespoon of meat mixture, Flatten and place ricotta cheese in middle. Form into meatball.
• Continue making small meatballs.
• Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

The post Ground Beef Ideas for Easy Family Dinners appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

You may be asking the same thing I was asking when you saw this recipe for grilled lamb loin chops with mint chimichurri. Allow me to answer a few general questions you might have.

Lamb Loves Mint

I love that my deck is full of fresh herbs, and I always have one pot devoted to mint. It’s great for drinks, lemon water, pesto, pistou, garnish and more.

What are Lamb Loin Chops?

These chops come from the loin, which is located between the ribs and the leg of the lamb. They are thicker than rib chops and have more meat.

Kitchen Items in this Recipe

• Herb Chopper
• Tongs for Grilling
• Pan for Grilling Vegetables (game changer for grilling asparagus)

What is difference between Lamb Chops and Lamb Loin Chops?

• Lamb Loin Chops are thicker and more meaty.
• Lamb Loin Chops are a more affordable cut.
• Lamb Chops cut from the rack of lamb are more tender, a little more flavorful, but do come with a hefty price.

First of all, just looking, you can see the difference. The lamb chops you are probably most familiar with come from the rack of lamb, and the chops are recognizable by a long thin rib bone. They are considered more flavorful, more tender, and while true, this should not rule out the lamb loin chop (similar to the T-bone steak), which is more meaty and equally delicious.

More Recipes You Might Like

• Lollipop Lamb Chops
• Greek Feta Lamb Meatballs with Mint Pesto
• Skirt Steak with Chimichurri
• Za’atar Rack of Lamb
• Mint Pistachio Pesto
• Blackberry Mint Julep
• Hunger Games Lamb Stew
• Lamb Party Bites

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Grilled Lamb Loin Chops with Mint Chimichurri

Grilled Lamb Loin Chops Reverse Sear, delicious South American Condiment, Mint Chimichurri

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Keyword chimichurri, lamb, lamb loin chops

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Marinate Time 2 hours hours

Servings 4

Ingredients

Skirt Steak

• 6 lamb loin chops
• 1/4 cup chimichurri for marinade

Chimichurri

• 1 cup fresh Italian parsley finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh mint
• 1 lemon zested and juiced
• 1/4 orange zested and juiced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 3/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pinch red chile flakes
• sea salt
• black pepper

Instructions

Chimichurri

• Finely chop parsley, mint and garlic.
• Zest lemon and orange onto the herbs.
• Juice lemon and orange.
• Add all ingredients to olive oil.
• Season with salt and pepper
• Make chimichurri advance to use some of it for marinade.. Use a few tablespoons of this to marinate the skirt steak.

Grill Lamb Loin Chops

• Take 1/4 of the chimichurri and marainate lamb loin chops for 2 hours up to overnight.
• Take lamb chops out of refrigerator 30 minutes in advance to take the chill off of them.
• Light one half of gas grill on medium heat. Place lamb on indirect heat until the internal temperature is 115 F. degrees.
• Turn the other side of grill up to high. It's time to sear. Place chops on the hot side of grill for one to two minutes per side until the internal temperature is at 135 degrees for Medium Rare. Or if you prefer, 145 degrees for medium.
• Top with chimichurri.
• Allow to rest for at least five minutes before eating.
• Season again with salt and pepper as needed.

The post Grilled Lamb Loin Chops with Mint Chimichurri appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

What is Braciole?

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to Pound Steak for Braciole

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

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

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

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

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

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More Italian Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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

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Authentic Braciole (Stuffed Rolled Steak)

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

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Keyword braciola, braciole, flank steak, round steak

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

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

Tomato Sauce

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

Instructions

Steak

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

Tomato Sauce

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

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

What is Compound Butter?

Compound butter is butter mixed with ingredients to add flavor. Examples would be herbs, perfect for proteins or vegetables, or made sweet with ingredients such as honey, maple syrup, and fruit, perfect for breakfast and bread items.

How Do You Make Compound Butter?

• Make sure your butter is soft. I prefer unsalted.
• Chop fresh herbs very finely and mix in a little at a time to get the amount you like. A tablespoon of chopped herbs for 1/4 cup butter is a good ratio, but you might prefer more or less, depending on what the herb is.

How to Roll Compound Butter

Shape your butter into a roll on plastic wrap. Twist the ends, and freeze. Freezing makes it easier then to cut into pats of butter to use with your favorite foods.

What is the Best Compound Butter for Steak?

My favorite compound butter for steak is compound butter made with thyme. Thyme is my all around favorite herb. If you could only have one herb, thyme is the most versatile.

Thyme Compound Butter

Making Thyme Butter – Make sure you take the little green leaves off of the woody stem first.

Another good compound butter for steak is garlic or garlic parsley compound butter.

Garlic Compound Butter

Mince your garlic very fine before adding to butter.

• Garlic Compound Butter – One garlic clove per 1/2 cup butter is a good measurement, but more if you really want more. Add herbs such as parsley or thyme.

Recipes that Benefit from Compound Butter

• New York Strip Steak
• Roast Chicken (I just recently put a pat of herbed butter on a roast chicken during last ten minutes, and it was amazing)
• Whipped Cauliflower Mash
• Our Best Steak Recipes

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Compound Butter

Compound Butter with various herbs, perfect for steaks, veggies, etc.

Course condiment

Cuisine American

Keyword compound butter, herb butter

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup grass fed butter divided
• 8 tablespoons various chopped herbs parsley, rosemary, thyme, etc.
• 2 garlic cloves, minced optional

Instructions

• Chop herbs finely. Keep separate, so you can have parsley butter, rosemary butter, etc. You can also add in some minced garlic if desired or just make garlic butter.
• Make sure butter is soft enough to stir herbs into. Use 2 tablespoons per 1/2 cup butter (1 stick).
• Once herbs are incorporated, roll into a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Make a roll shape and place in freezer to keep for up to three months.
• Use frozen, and slice as needed. Keep frozen.

Garlic Butter

• Use 1 clove garlic per 1/2 cup butter.

The post Make Compound Butter for Steak, Chicken, Fish appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

While I have a good low-carb, traditional sausage ball recipe here, made with breakfast sausage and cheddar, this stands out above the norm. When a reader recently commented how these sausage balls turned out, I thought I’d try a different take and make these Italian style.

I had to add pepperoni for zing and of course use Italian sausage and mozzarella.

Italian Sausage Balls Ingredients

• Loose Italian sausage
• pepperoni
• almond flour
• egg
• mozzarella cheese

I actually made two different kinds to see which I would like better. One batch was made with cream cheese, and one batch with eggs.

Egg Free Option

The recipe with eggs was more tender, easier to make and all around better. However, you wanted an egg free sausage ball, mix in 4 tablespoons cream cheese in place of the eggs.

Macros

You should be able to get about 24 to 26 sausage balls at 1 carb each, making this the perfect low-carb appetizer, but delicious enough for anyone and great for folks needing a gluten free option.

Italian Sausage Balls Cooking Process

• Bring all ingredients together, but try not compact the sausage, which can make the balls tough.
• Roll into balls
• Bake at 350 degrees F, 180 C. for about 15 minutes.
• Cool on paper towels.

The best thing about these is that you can freeze these uncooked ahead and always have an appetizer ready to go in 15 minutes.

Freezing Process

• Roll out onto a tray. Freeze UNCOOKED.
• Once frozen, place in plastic freezer bag.
• Bake frozen 15-20 minutes.

You may or may not want to serve with pizza sauce. We like them just by themselves, but a dipping tomato sauce could be good too.

Optional Pizza Sauce

You can serve these with my pizza sauce if desired.

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Italian Sausage Balls Appetizer

Delicious appetizer or brunch item, keto friendly, gluten free, grain free, Italian sausage with mozzarella, almond flour, pepperoni.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Italian sausage, sausage balls

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 24 sausage balls

Calories 72kcal

Ingredients

• 1 pound Mild Italian Sausage
• 1 cup almond flour or 1 1/3 cups regular flour
• 2 small eggs beaten
• 2 cups whole milk mozzarella cheese shredded
• 10 pieces pepperoni, chopped (about 1/2 cup loosely packed)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, 180 C
• Mix by hand all Ingredients.
• Using small sized scoop, roll out 24-26 sausage balls.
• Place on baking sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes.

To Freeze

• Arrange UNCOOKED on tray and freeze. Once frozen, place In freezer ziplock bag.
• When ready to bake, bake frozen, 15 to 20 minutes. Check at 15.

Nutrition

Calories: 72kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 6g | Fat: -16g

The post Italian Sausage Balls Appetizer Made with Almond Flour appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Green Goddess originated in San Francisco with Chef Philip Roemer of the Palace Hotel  to honor an actor who was starring in a play called “The Green Goddess.” Many recipes originate in San Francisco and that’s no surprise, as its still my favorite food town.

Recipes for Green Goddess dressing vary, but the original was mayonnaise and sour cream based chives, parsley, anchovies and vinegar. Some have since added avocado, Worcestershire, and some have replaced anchovies with capers. I highly recommend the original mayo/sour cream version with anchovies and adding in tarragon.

Tarragon has a licorice flavor, only fresher and while a little goes a long way, it adds that extra layer of flavor.

Green Goddess does not have to be limited to salad. It’s great for a crudité plate or fried seafood. Back in the day they poured it over canned artichokes, which was considered a luxury at the time. I can see the dressing with fresh artichokes. I might want to mix it with the yolks for a tangy deviled egg.

Ingredients for Green Goddess Dressing

• Mayonnaise
• Sour Cream
• Lemon Juice
• Anchovies or Capers
• Parsley
• Chives
• Tarragon
• Salt, Pepper

I hope you make this dressing, as it’s not only beautiful, it’s a layer of flavors that are tangy, herbacious, and will add excitement to your lettuce or veggies.

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Green Goddess Dressing

Homemade Green Goddess with Fresh Herbs for Salads and Crudite

Course Salad Dressing

Cuisine American

Keyword Green Goddess Dressing, Salad Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons tarragon chopped
• 3 anchovies chopped
• 1 cup parsley chopped
• 2 tablespoons chives finely chopped
• sea salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients together.
• Refrigerate for a few hours prior to serving, if possible.

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Thomas Keller is one of the best chefs in America and is famous for his very high end restaurant in Napa, the French Laundry. 

 You might remember that the French Laundry was recently made a bit famous by the California governor, which is too bad, as it was already famous but for all the right reasons. For regular folks like us 

Ad Hoc is a the scaled down eatery for regular people and also located in Napa Valley.  We ate there a few years ago, munching on fried chicken, this asparagus with gremolata,  potatoes and more.

Although it’s not the French Laundry, you still need to make your reservations well in advance and give a deposit. They serve one meal per seating and you don’t get to choose, so just go prepared to enjoy some heightened comfort food in an approachable setting. 

I  love the recipes in the Ad Hoc Cookbook, featuring Iconic American dishes,  because you and I  can actually make them and we probably have most of the ingredients in our pantry.

Crab Cakes Gluten Free/ Keto Option

I’ve made these crab cakes several times but this time. I substituted the panko bread crumbs with pork panko. To my wonderful surprise, it worked. I only used the pork panko to bread the crab cakes, not for the mix itself. 

What is Pork Panko?

Did you know that even if you’re on the keto diet, the gluten free diet or the grain free diet, you can still have amazing crunchy breaded crab cakes?

The breading is not bread at all, but Pork Panko, crushed pork skins. You can make your own breading or buy Pork Panko already made into keto look-alike bread crumbs. Costco sells them now for a very good price.

There is a trick to frying with pork panko, and it took me a while to discover this trick. Once I  did, I  was able to get the crispy crunch I  was looking for.

How to fry Keto Crab Cakes with Pork Panko?

The secret is not to use any oil. I  only used a small amount of baking spray and no oil. Pork panko is already fat. It’s pork skins and can get soggy with added oil. I  actually accidentally discovered this as I  was going to bake my crab cakes and just start them on top of the stove. When I  turned the crab cakes over, I  discovered an amazing crunch. Once my crab cakes were done on the other side, that side also had crunch and the crunch stayed. This is a dream discovery. You can use as much or as little pork panko you desire. 

What Crab to Use for Grain Free Crab Cakes

Thomas Keller doesn’t use blue crab, because it is is not indigenous to Northern California. However, I  think a good crab cake has to be made with jumbo blue crab to be an authentic Maryland style crab cake, because that’s how I  grew up and there is no real substitute. Although expensive, a can will make six filling crab cakes. I  grew up on blue crab because it was easily accessible coming from Baltimore, 90 minutes away. I  had no idea it was such a delicacy and that all of America was not enjoying blue crab. If you’ve never had blue crab, you can buy it at Costco for about $25, but that’s the price of one or two crab cakes  in a restaurant (if they use blue crab). 

How to Mix and Make Authentic Keto Crab Cakes

I’ve taken some liberties with adapting the original recipe. I  added lemon but eliminated butter, onion, garlic and peppers. This recipe is closer to the crab cakes I  grew up on.

Read my article here that breaks down the differences and similarities between these diets. Did you know that most keto friendly food is gluten free, but much gluten free baking is not keto friendly. Find out how to sort these differences.

Cajun Remoulade is Perfect for Crab Cakes

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• Parmesan Cheese Fried Eggplant Bruschetta (no breadcrumbs)

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Keto Maryland Crab Cakes

Inspired by Thomas Keller, modified for grain free or keto diet

Course Seasfood

Cuisine American

Keyword crab cakes, keto bars

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 minute minute

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

• 16 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise can use more if needed
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon flat Italian parsley
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon pimento chopped
• 1 egg beaten
• 2 1/2 cups Pork Panko or panko of your choice (see notes)
• 1 cup Remoulade

Instructions

• Drain crab meat well, but do your best to leave it in lump form.
• In large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients except pork panko.
• Add crab meat to mixture.
• Form into six crab cakes.
• Gently roll into pork panko.
• Heat non stick pan to medium low Fry crab cakes using no oil if using pork panko. Turn once the side is very crispy about five minutes per side.
• Serve with lemon wedges, tartar sauce or your favorite mayonnaise. I use an avocado oil based mayonnaise.
• Remoulade recipe here

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