Grain Free Pigs in the Blanket or Biscuit Dogs

I don’t eat many hot dogs, but when I want one, I want one. If I were Retro Rose, I’d head to Costco for the best $1.50 hot dog you can buy.

However, for now, Doug and I are following the keto diet and that means no bun, not even a gluten free bun. This also means I get very creative in the kitchen. Sometimes I wrap a dog in my grain free tortillas.

Sometimes I made cheesy grain-free pigs in the blanket using the batter from these grain free biscuits or as I like to call them, biscuit dogs.

My go products are almond flour and coconut flour. (amazon).

Why We Eat Grain Free (most of the time)

I am not an evangelist for keto, and more of a proponent of eating as grain free as possible 80% of the time. I also know all bodies are different.

My body gets fat on carbs. My husband gets brain fog on carbs, but doesn’t gain the weight I do. You must find what works for you, but if you’re avoiding grains, carbs or foods that spike in blood sugar, I’m happy to offer some creative alternatives.

This is Not a Keto or Gluten Free Blog – It’s a Big Fat Healthy Food Blog

This doesn’t mean we will never eat carbs again. We will. But we are mindful, and will not make it a three times a day habit. I have gotten some rude emails from people upset because I use Swerve or upset because I post non-keto recipes. To this I say go somewhere that makes you happy. This is NOT a keto blog. This is not a gluten free blog. This is not a grain free blog. This is a big fat healthy blog that presents options.

Like it or leave it, but don’t write me demanding I cook for you as if I’m your personal chef. Don’t screen shot my posts and send me a lecture in all caps. Move along into your kitchen or move along to another blog.

STOP THE FOOD SHAMING! The climate is rough out there and hate mail is the new Valentine. I got a doozy from a 73 year old woman, so we cannot blame this on millenials.

Why I am Making a Lot of Keto Recipes Lately

We have seen this diet change a few lives, and it’s not just about weight loss.

Doug’s colleague was and still is having serious neurological issues including a swollen brain stem.  Most doctors had not been able to figure it out or offer much relief. One doctor recommended the keto diet  and so far, it’s been the only that thing that has given him decent improvement. The keto diet originally was prescribed for people with seizures.

I’m not a doctor and I don’t know why this works, but I do know many people have been helped in various ways from following this diet, and it’s not always about losing weight. It’s about healing.

Update to our Keto Life

We are now in year three and so much has happened. I’m still at a seven pound weight loss, but what you don’t know is that I lost my weight as a teenager and more as young adult. Almost 50 pounds. I’ve been able to maintain that eating a low-carb life style. Last summer I opened a home keto bakery and now teach keto baking classes.

Try this recipe with my new dinner roll dough

The new dinner rolls have blown the students away and they work very well in this recipe. You might want to use this dinner rolls dough instead of the biscuit dough. It’s just as easy to make and actually maybe easier to execute. I hope to bring you pictures soon, but it’s been tested.

Keto is the first eating plan for weight loss and health improvement that we found works easier as a lifestyle without the diet/binge fallback. We have not approached this as a quick weight loss boom. It’s more of a way to enjoy food without weight gain and aiding our health in the meantime. Doug’s 12lbs weight loss happened over a period of two months, not one week!

Biscuit Wrapped Grain Free Pigs in a Blanket

Eating grain free and low-carb has caused me to get very creative in the kitchen and push a few envelopes to see what happens.

During this year’s super bowl party, I decided to test out the idea of wrapping all beef hot dogs in my grain free biscuit recipe a grain free pigs in a blanket recipe. I like Trader Joe’s Grass fed hot dogs and Boar’s Head hot dogs.

Putting the biscuit batter around the dogs is a litle tricky, but with a little patience, it works well, especially with a sprinkle of poppy seeds. During the last few minutes of baking, I  sprinkle with cheddar cheese and put back in the oven until melted.

If you’re not eating grain free you can use my other biscuit recipes. This will work with my southern fluffy biscuit and my gluten free biscuit. All three biscuit recipes have videos.

Cheesy Grain Free Pigs in a Blanket Can be Made Ahead, Frozen and Reheated

This is the best news. I made the whole package and froze what we didn’t eat. The next day, I reheated two in the oven at 400 degrees F. and they were delicious. I made some of them into mini grain free pigs in a blanket, which is great for quick snacking. All you need is mustard. Enjoy!

More Keto Party Food Here

Air Fryer (or oven) Bacon Wrapped Veggie Bites

Keto Texas Sheet Cake

Loaded Deviled Eggs

Wings with Aromatic Spice Rub

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Grain Free Pigs in the Blanket

A Grain Free Paleo, Keto Biscuit Wrapped Pigs in the Blanket.

Course Sandwich

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 8 all beef hot dogs see notes

Dinner Roll Dough is another option. See notes

Biscuit Dough

• 5 egg whites
• dash cream of tartar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cold, cut into cubes
• 3/4 cups almond flour
• 3 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds won't use all
• 1 cup cheddar cheese

Optional Dinner Roll Dough Recipe Here

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degress F.
• Mix almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, salt, pepper.
• Mix with cold butter.
• Whip Egg whites until stiff. Add a dash of cream of tartar.
• Mix dry ingredients with egg whites. Doug will be very wet.
• Using your hands, wrap biscuit dough around each hot dog.
• Spray your baking pan.
• Place on pan. Sprinkle each with a little bit of poppy seeds
• Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Check to see if the bottoms are golden brown. Turn over for a two minutes.
• Turn back over, cover with cheese, bake until cheese melts.

Notes

You can make these full sized or cut each hot dog into 3 pieces to make bite sized. That will give you 24 appetizer sizes.

If you are using the dinner roll dough, follow same instructions wrapping biscuits, baking for approximately 10 minutes, at 350 degrees. F.

 

 

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The post Cheesy Grain Free Pigs in a Blanket appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This morning I had three red beets and I had to do something.

I had already done two beet recipes in recent months. I made a wonderful carpaccio with golden beets back in the fall, and a jewel toned crostini with beets, honey and goat cheese for New Year’s.

Not to be beat by a beat challenge, I wanted to stretch my own abilities and do something new.  I substituted 1/2 cup of beet puree for an egg in my pasta recipe and that worked well. I used purple sweet potatoes for the gnocchi and the combination of flavors seems perfectly balanced. Both beets and sweet potatoes are sweet but in different ways, and I liked how they complimented each other.

I wanted to use toasted poppy seeds and that is what led to a cream cheese sauce. I thought about my favorite bagel and didn’t want to rush in too many flavors so the beets could be tasted.

This dish was a bit rushed, and with more time I may have added in chives or some shallots or sauteed purple onion. But the poppy seeds, when toasted, deliver a great flavor and I’m happy with how this turned out.

Flour, Eggs, Beet Puree for Beet Pasta

Pasta Dough

Once rolled out (or taken through a pasta machine) the pasta sits for 20 minutes covered. Then it is rolled up and cut into pasta noodles.

Pasta is dry enough to be placed into nests until cooking.

Beet and Purple Sweet Potato Gnocchi

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Roasted Beet Pasta with Beet Gnocchi, Cream Cheese, Poppy Seeds

A unique combination of homemade beet pasta and beet gnocchi made with purple sweet potatoes, with cream cheese sauce.

Servings 4

Ingredients

• Beet Pasta
• 1 medium size beet
• 2 cups flour
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons cream or whole milk
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds toasted

Instructions

• Wrap unpeeled beet in foil. Bake for one hour at 300 degrees.
• Cool and rub off skin. It should peel easily.
• Puree beet in food processor.
• Put one cup of flour onto mat. Break in egg. Mix together with a fork. Add in puree, and knead several times to get the beat fully incorporated. Add second cup of flour in, a few tablespoons at a time. You may not need it all. Pasta dough should not be sticky.
• Wrap in plastic and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes. This makes a tender dough.
• Take through pasta roller or roll into sheets
• Place on cloth that has been floured. Allow to dry for 10-15 minutes or until the pasta can be rolled and cut without sticking together.
• To cook pasta, place in salted boiling water and cook for 3-6 minutes until done.
• In separate frying pan, place in cream cheese with milk and cook over low heat until cream cheese is melted. Toss pasta into pan. Plate and add toasted poppy seeds.

Notes

I added in gnocchi on top of the dish and that recipe will be posted separately

The post Roasted Beet Pasta with Beet Gnocchi, Cream Cheese, Poppy Seeds appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Meatballs with savory blueberry compote, also known in Italy as polpette con milistri, is quite a surprise of tastes and textures. Perfectly tender meatballs spiked with proscuitto, cooked in a brown wine sauce, tucked inside a crown of puff pastry or tart shell, topped with a savory blueberry pear and shallot compote, are the perfect appetizer or main course.  You can use a store bought puff pastry or make a pie crust and adorn it with poppy seeds. I have also made this atop a homemade poppy seed fettuccini.

I first found this recipe in La Cucina Italiana and I was immediately swept into a foodie fantasy, as I am with so many of their enticing modern, yet authentic Italian selections. I could eat their kind of food every night of the week. If I could only subscribe to one magazine, I would never give La Cucina Italiana up. It’s world class in style, yet approachable, non-intimidating, and the pictures alone are worth the price. It’s a style I lean towards. Simple. Clean. Appetizing. They can make a simple dish of pasta look like the last meal for the queen.

Homemade meatballs cooked in a wine sauce and tucked into a pastry shell with a little fresh fruit compote is not deep fried lasagna. It’s still good food, and if eaten in moderation, great food. But, alas, it’s not part of his plan and I looked at Mr. ST and said, “do you want to start the 24 day challenge tomorrow? I’ve made this amazing and unique meat ball dish and you have to try this.”

He didn’t mind one bit. I’ll give a little warning though. This is so good that you probably do want to make this for company so that there are no left overs. You could be easily tempted to eat it all. It’s the kind of good that makes you want to eat it again for breakfast.

Never would I have thought to pair meatballs with blueberries. It works and has opened up a possibility for all kinds of new dishes. The original recipe calls for a combination of veal and pork. I used lean grass fed ground beef and they ended up very tender and quite tasty. Impossible to sample just one.

As far as how to present them, you might experiment. I used a small tart pan to cut out circles and placed them in muffin tins. I baked them frozen and at the last five minutes stuffed them with meatballs. You could make smaller circles and use one meatball and serve as an “amuse bouche.” You could make larger tarts and fill each with six meatballs and serve as an entree with a fresh green salad. You can use a store bought puff pastry or make your favorite pie crust. I used my standard pie crust recipe and deleted the sugar. After rolling, I sprinkled with poppy seeds. I could have made them look a little better, but next time.

The blueberry pear compote is savory, made with a good amount of shallots, and the fruity notes play well off of the proscuitto in the meatballs.

This is a great party dish that can be made ahead of time. The meatballs can mixed and frozen raw or fry them and freeze them cooked (heating up in oven to cook). The compote can be made a day or two ahead and can be frozen.The tart shells can also be made in advance. Freeze prior to baking.

One way we’ve enjoyed this meatball dish in the past is over a homemade poppy seed fettucini.

Tell me, do you love meatballs, and what is your favorite way to eat them?

Pastry Dough recipe can be found  here. Omit sugar.

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Meatballs with Blueberry Compote

Known in Italy as polpette con composta di mirtilli, a lovely meatball dish, served in a poppy seed tart shell, with a blueberry compote. Adapted from La Cucina Italiana Magazine.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• MEATBALL INSTRUCTIONS
• 1 slice white sandwich bread torn into large pieces
• 1/2 cup low fat milk
• 1/4 pound ground pork
• 3/4 pound grass fed ground beef
• 1 large egg
• 3 1/2 slices proscuitto finely chopped
• 2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil for frying
• 1/3 cup white wine
• pastry dough see below for recipe Can substitute with store bought puff pastry
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds optional
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 
  COMPOTE INGREDIENTS
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium pear peeled, cored, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 3 tablespoons dry vermouth can use white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Make pie dough according to directions found below, or use store bought puff pastry.
• MEATBALL INSTRUCTIONS
• Combine pork, ground beef and one egg.
• Add bread, prosciutto, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Combine with hands gently. Do not overwork.
• Form into 3/4 tablespoon portions and form meatballs. Fry in olive oil for 3 minutes.
• Add 1/3 cup wine. Reduce heat to low, continue to cook 12 more minutes until wine is reduced. Add 2 tablespoons of butter a little at a time until butter is melted.
• PASTRY INSTRUCTIONS
• Roll out pastry dough. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Cut circles with a biscuit cutter and put into small tart pans.
• Bake covered with parchment paper and pie weights at 375 for 10 minutes. Remove foil and pie weights. Bake until golden another 10-12 minutes.

COMPOTE INSTRUCTION

• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in medium pan. Add shallots, pear and blueberries until cooked through about one minute.
• Add dry vermouth, sugar, cinnamon, dash salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, continue to cook for about 6-8 minutes, and mash to make a compote consistency.
• Arrange each tart shell with meatballs. Pour in wine sauce.
• Top with compote.
• Serve in larger tart shell as an entree. Serve in smaller tart shells as appetizers

Notes

This recipes can be made into entree using a small 4 inch tart shells or smaller appetizers using, cutting into 4 inch rounds and pressing into muffin pans. The original recipe uses 50/50 ratio of veal and ground pork. I used grassfed ground beef and ground pork in 3-1 ratio.

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