Its a noodle, its a pancake, its a tortilla

Egg White Crepe

OMG this was so easy I don’t know why I didn’t try it sooner. A week ago I noticed that Mark Sisson’s The Primal Blueprint Cookbook had a recipe for Enchilada’s using egg white tortillas. I thought, “That looks good but a little labor intensive.” Then I was watching Psych and a short order cook was making egg white omelets on a huge flat cooktop, then I made creme brulee and had a bunch of egg whites sitting in the fridge, then Divine Health posted a link to a recipe for egg white pancakes. So I thought, “Okay universe, I’ll just do it already.”

Your initial thought might be that a substitute is not as good as the real thing. And you might be correct if you don’t normally eat this way. But I’ve had bread and pasta eliminated from my diet for awhile now. Honestly I don’t really even like the taste of it anymore. I can handle a bun on a really greasy cheeseburger though I pick most of it off. I’ve tried pasta and its really the creamy sauce, meat and veggies that I crave. I’ve tried a soft shell taco and I felt like I was eating wadded paper coated with glue. I do not at all miss wheat products-though I might try a sugar cookie if one crosses my path. It is so true that it becomes an addiction and doesn’t really appeal to actual hunger or cravings for a certain flavor.

I’ve made French Toastless and it satisfies  that sweet breakfast tooth. But the idea of being able to wrap some berries or jam with something actually nutritious appealed to my affinity for food presentation. I also thought it might provide the texture you just can’t get with scrambled eggs or coconut flour baked goods. And these egg white pancakes certainly fit the bill.

And its so much easier then I thought it would be.

THE RECIPE

8 egg whites-it turned out to be about 5 large pancakes

a dash of cream-though this can be eliminated

butter or coconut oil for frying

I whisked the ingredients together in my mixer til the eggs were frothy

Heat the skillet and the butter-I used non-stick because I haven’t completely gotten used to frying in cast iron and my other pans were dirty. I do like how easy non-stick is but I worry about the toxins that can be released-you make your own personal decision on the matter.

I scooped up the mixed egg white in a 1/3 cup (though I didn’t fill it full) and poured it in my skillet. The whites ran and made an uneven circular shape-our house isn’t very square-lol. I took my spatula and kind nudged the edge the sides toward the middle. It only took about 30 seconds for the egg whites to harden enough to flip them and even less for the the other side to harden.

I did re-butter the pan every time I made a new one.

There you  have your egg white whatever.

Egg White Tortilla Roll

Now you can use your Egg White Pancake for whatever you can think up. The Primal Blueprint Cookbook has a recipe for enchiladas. My husband suggested cutting them into strips and adding them to warmed chicken soup. This morning I added a little syrup and cut it into small bits for one tot and rolled it around a little raspberry jam and topped it with a little syrup and cinnamon for myself and the other tot. You could also add a little whipped cream cheese in the middle for a really rich crepe.  I used to make flour crepes all the time as a kid and I can honestly say this is so much tastier and filling. The texture is perfect and the taste is not funky at all.

What have/would you use your egg white whatever for?

 

2011
02/04
CATEGORY
Chicken
Egg
Fruit
Soup
Treat
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Fieste Chili (without the bad stuff)

I like chili but most recipes are full of  things we probably shouldn’t be putting in our bodies. Even commercial broth, used to make some chili, is void of anything nutritious and adds loads of chemicals and preservatives. After several tries I’ve concocted a tasty nutritious bowl of belly filling goodness . Its good on cold dreary days. Its tasty smothered on homemade fries, chips, or baked taters if you are allowing the carbs. I like mine with cheese because I’m a cheese lover. I’ve finally found a raw cheese that I LOVE: Organic Valley Raw MILD chedder.  There are definite health benefits to Raw Cheese. And of course I use organic when I can and the animal products are grass fed and finished when possible. I try to make this  every other week-its one of the ways I make sure I’m consuming healthy broth.

The Recipe:

In a large pot, brown two pounds of ground cow or buffalo

Once the meat is mostly browned (do not drain the grease-thats loads of healthy fat)

add:

2 cups of broth –I used to make it in the slow cooker but now my own personal caveman does all the work in his pressure cooker

1 tablespoon diced garlic

1/2 to 1 chopped onion

28oz can of  tomatoes (I use bionaturae Organic which uses less sodium then most)

2 or 3 bell peppers diced-I like to use orange and yellow and red which puts the Fieste into my Chili

If I remember I also add diced green chili’s or a jalapeno for kick

1-3 Tablespoons of chili powder-start with one and taste-it’ll get spicier with age so think of leftovers too

2 Tablespoon of Molasses

2 Tablespoons of coco powder.

and sometimes a couple Tablespoons of brown sugar

Optional, add some chopped up liverwurst or braunschweiger to the chili.  This is an easy way to start incorporating organ meats into your diet. You can’t even tell its in there.

Bring to a boil, then turn the burner to low and let simmer. It’ll be ready and all the flavors incorporated after about an hour.

 

2011
01/19
CATEGORY
Bison
Cow
Veggie
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Curry Soup

Its easy. Its spicy. Its yellow.

Its also adjustable to your taste buds. And of course being the kind of dump-and-pour, eyeball-it, and sniff-it cook I am, I don’t use exact measurement or make it the same way every time.

The basic ingredients:

1 quart of homemade chicken broth

1 can of coconut milk—or make it yourself here

Curry powder–I used about 2 Tbs I think. You can buy it premade or a search online will bring up lots of options to make your own. I haven’t tried it yet but I do add more cinnamon to the blend I buy.

Chopped veggies – for the one pictured I used 2 sweet potatoes, 2 thick carrots, and three celery stalks. Use what you have and  like. You could even add lentils, beans, rice, or white potatoes if your tummy and waistline can handle those.

Chopped cooked meat– for the one pictured I used leftover chicken but you can use roasts from just about any animal or even shrimp.

The Secret Ingredient: about 3 Tbs. of cashew butter- I love the added complexity it adds.

Dump the broth, coconut milk, and curry powder in a pot. Chop up veggies and put them in the pot. I chop them all pretty small. Partly so they cook faster and partly because it means less cutting up for the toddlers to eat it after its cooked. Bring to a boil then simmer.

After the veggies are almost tender I throw the meat in to warm up.

I added the cashew butter last. There was no reason for it other then it was an afterthought. You could probably add it at the beginning.

Thankfully Curry is something everyone in this house actually enjoys-in fact after I made it I hardly had time to eat some myself because I was busy filling and re-filling my kids’ bowls and then cleaning them up. At least it gave my soup time to cool. 🙂

 

2011
01/11
CATEGORY
Chicken
Veggie
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Pumpkin Creme Brulee

pumpkin creme brulee

This is so easy peasy to make but such an elegant and delectable dessert that it’ll even impress your mother-in-law.

You’ll need 12 small glass or ceramic dishes/ramekins. I use a variety and fit six each into two 9 x 13 glass casserole dishes. Even if you have a small dinner party you’ll want to make it all so you can enjoy the  leftovers.

INGREDIENTS

16 egg  yolks

4 cups whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg)

15 oz. can of pumpkin

sprinklings of brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 325F.

Pour the cream, vanilla, and maple syrup into a pot. Stir often over medium heat until it almost comes to a simmer.

This is when I take the time to separate my egg yolks and white. You can keep the egg whites for other baking or mix into your scrambled eggs at breakfast.

Take the cream off the heat and let it cool a little while you whisk the yolks and honey til frothy. I mix it in an 8 cup glass measuring bowl with a spout so I can pour it into my ramekins when ready.

Make sure the cream is cool to the touch. Pour just a little of the cream mixture into the egg yolks and whisk, then slowly pour in the rest-you don’t want to add it too fast without whisking or when its too hot or you could scramble your egg yolks. YUK.

Then add the pumpkin and spice.

Some recipes tell you to pour through a mesh wire but I find that the pumpkin clogs it. So after I’m done mixing everything I skim the top with a spoon if there are any floaties.

Put your ramekins into the casserole dishes. Pour the mixture into ramekins about 3/4 full. I usually have some left over so if I have more small glass ramekins clean I fill them or I use a bigger glass bowl and pour it into that-it can be popped in the oven at the same time and on the second rack but takes longer to cook.

Using a teapot or something with a spout fill the casserole dishes with water til it comes about half way up on the ramekins. Then carefully put them in the oven.

I bake mine for about an hour until the middles are just set-only slightly wiggly. Be super careful taking them out the oven because of the hot water. Then remove ramekins from the casserole dishes. I usually use a canning jar lifter or a hard spatula.

Let them cool and then place them in the fridge for a couple hours or overnight.

Before serving sprinkle the tops with brown sugar and use a kitchen blow torch to melt the sugar. If you don’t have a blow torch use your broiler but watch closely so it doesn’t burn.

Enjoy.

2010
12/05
CATEGORY
Dairy
Treat
TAGS





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fried cheese and chicken

fried cheese with poultry and veg

The perfect lunch to use up leftovers-especially those Thanksgiving leftovers.

Slice cheese, chunk up chicken or turkey, and portion out a few leftover cooked veggies.

Heat up skillet on medium.

Lay in the slices of cheese and pile on the meat and veggies. Let it sit til the cheese is melted. Once its melted, I turn up the heat to medium-high for about a minute because I like crisp cheese.

Flip it onto a plate and enjoy.

2010
11/28
CATEGORY
Chicken
Dairy
Veggie
TAGS



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bacon wrapped asparagus

bacon wrapped asparagus

 

This is one of my favorite food blogs and one of my favorite recipes from it:

Preheat oven to 400

Snap off bottoms of fresh asparagus–Hold each end and bend. It will break where its no longer fresh

Starting at tip wrap bacon around asparagus-you may have to trim off some of the bacon-if the asparagus isn’t very fresh or if it’s out of season they’ll break into rather small pieces so I’ll cut the bacon in half before wrapping

Place on rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan-they can be fairly close together but not layered.

Pop it in the oven for 20-30 minutes depending on how crisp you like your bacon

I plan to make these in bulk every week because they are a great quick snack to grab out of the fridge. They are tasty cold or warmed for a few seconds in the microwave.

2010
11/28
CATEGORY
Pig
Veggie
TAGS


1 comment

French Toastless

Who needs bread to enjoy this sweet breakfast treat! The batter actually makes up the meal.

Whip up:

eggs (as many as you like-i use about 6 and share with my daughter)

a splash of milk

dashes of cinnamon and nutmeg

a splash of vanilla

Cook it:

in melted real butter (preferably from pastured cows-sweeter and healthier) til egg mixture is almost set

then add:

bits of cream cheese and berries till all melty and warm

For a little sweetness add:

about a teaspoon or less of pure maple syrup-the expensive but worth it stuff, not the shelf stable maple syrup where the first ingredient is corn syrup. Because the butter and berries add sweetness you won’t need much syrup.

2010
06/30
CATEGORY
Uncategorized
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Creamy Chicken or Turkey Pot Pie Soup

Turkey Pot Pie Soup with peas, roasted sweets and carrots with thyme

 

Its the filling without the crust. Sometimes I like to add cheese you can also do a diary free version and omit the cream and cheese for Not-so-plain Chicken Soup.

Take that delicious chicken broth you made a few days ago and put it in  a pot. If my broth turns out gelatinous then I add water to the soup. Then chop up some veggies.

Throw in the ones that take longer to cook like:

sweet potatoes (I’ve been using Japanese yams because my local health food store had them)

carrots

turnips

parsnips

celery

mushrooms

Boil til soft and add the slower cook veggies like:

peas

green onion

Throw in some leftover chicken and bring it back to a boil.

Add some cream (or not) and any other seasonings you like-I like thyme. I add a little salt and a lot of pepper since I don’t use much when I make the broth. Cook til warm but not boiling.

I then ladle mine over a bowl of cheese and spinach (or other greens like kale and chard). Let it sit a few minutes to cool down and enjoy. I actually enjoy this just as much using only two of the veggies-whatever is in the house.

Sometimes I just use leftover veggies and throw them in after I’ve brought the broth to a boil.

2010
05/23
CATEGORY
Chicken
Dairy
Veggie
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Sausage with Sage Butter

I like pork. It can be hard to find a good supplier of humanely raised pigs (Niman Ranch) and unless its local it can be majorly expensive when you do so I try to limit sausage products to once every couple weeks. Eventually I want to raise my own. For now I admit I’ve had to buy conventionally (meaning inhumanely raised) pig products-baby steps.

This meal is good on its own or with veggies added.

You’ll Need:

Lots of butter-about 1/2 cup

several sage leaves -or frozen whole leaf, I harvest mine at the end of fall, lay the leaves flat on a cookie sheet (see you don’t have to get rid of all your carb baking tools) and freeze it. Once its frozen I dump it in a freezer bag a put it back in the freezer.

Sausage-whatever kind you like

Parmesan-shredded

How-to:

cook the sausage then put it in a bowl.

in the same pan, melt the butter then saute the sage in butter til crispy-the butter will brown.

Add the sausage back into the pan-turn off heat and add the parmesan.

2010
05/10
CATEGORY
Dairy
Pig
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Cream of Mushroom Soup

I never knew there was such a thing as  cream of mushroom soup that didn’t come from a can or that you could eat it by itself. I’ll never use canned again. I’ve used this in recipes that call for the canned variety and omitted most the other liquid ingredients. I don’t use flour but the cream thickens enough for me. To make it even thicker puree the mushroom stalks with half the broth then add it to the soup with the rest of the liquid ingredients.

Saute in a large saucepan:

1/4 cup butter

sliced mushrooms-use a variety for a more complex flavor

a couple Tbs garlic -or to taste

1/2 small onion or green onion or shallots-chopped

a few sprigs fresh chopped thyme (optional)

a few splashes of tamari

after softened add:

2 cups chicken broth (homemade of course)

bring to a boil then whisk in:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

salt and pepper to taste

stir til warm and enjoy

Variations:

-after mushrooms are soft puree about half with the broth before adding back into soup

-add chopped bacon and cook along with mushrooms

-add sliced asparagus with shrooms

2010
05/10
CATEGORY
Uncategorized
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