Low Carb French Dressing

Makes 16 ounces

3/4 cups olive oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

3/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/3 teaspoon stevia

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper

1 cups low sodium ketchup

cayenne — to taste

Blend all ingredients in the blender

Bacon Smashed Potatoes

4 Servings

1 1/2  pounds red skinned potatoes, whole.  Buy them all close to the same size, not real small.

1/2 pound bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 to 3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1)   Steam potatoes in a large steamer rack set over boiling water, covered, until very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

2)   Meanwhile, cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, reserving fat in skillet. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar, sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to hot bacon fat, scraping up brown bits.

3)   Transfer potatoes to a baking sheet pan. Using a potato masher (not a ricer, us the old fashioned kind that has the loops .

Add vinegar mixture to potatoes and smash with a potato masher to desired texture,  Season with dill, crispy bacon, and vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste.

My Favorite Tahini Dressing

I don’t think it is healthy to eat any vegetable oils, even olive oil, on a regular basis. BUT, salads are SO HEALTHY and necessary  to eat daily…Here is my favorite and only dressing that has very little olive oil.  AND tahini, sesame seed butter, as an awesome source of calcium!

Tahini Dressing

Serves: 10 – 12

1/2 cup orange or lemon juice juice
1 teaspoon garlic
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup raw tahini
1 Tablespoon honey
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup Coconut Amino Acids (soy free soy sauce substitute) *
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1. Combine lemon juice, garlic and water into a blender and puree for 15 – 30 seconds

2. Add all remaining ingredients and puree again until smooth.

Coconut aminos are very pricey- best price is at Thrive Market

Crispy Vidalia Rings

Serves 8

4 large Vidalia (or Spanish) onions, peeled

4 1/4 cups rice flour

3 Tablespoon gluten-free corn meal

1 cup arrowroot

1/3 cup baking powder

2 Tablespoon dried parsley

2 Tablespoons garlic granules

Beef Fat for frying

1 cup coconut milk

1. Cut onions crosswise into 1”- thick slices and separate into rings. Place rings in a large bowl of cold water and soak for at least 30 minutes to remove any bitterness.

2. To make dry batter, mix together 2 1/4 cups flour, cornmeal, arrowroot, baking powder, parsley, and garlic granules in a large bowl, then cover and set aside.

3. Pour enough oil into a cast-iron pot to come to a depth of 3”. Heat over medium-high heat to 325°–350°. Put remaining 2 cups flour in a bowl. In another bowl, add milk

4. Drain onions. Working in batches, about 3–5 rings at a time, dredge onions in flour, then dip in milk, then dredge in dry batter. Immediately fry onions in hot oil until crisp and golden, about 2 minutes. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove onion rings from oil; drain well on paper towels before serving.

OR bake at 425 until golden brown

Bacon-Wrapped Salmon

From –     PaleoLeap

Serving Size : 4

4 wild salmon fillets
2 sprigs tarragon — cut in half;
Zest of 1 lemon
8 slices bacon
2 tbsp. maple syrup or raw honey — (optional)
Butter
Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper

1) Preheat oven to 375 F.

2) Season the salmon to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

3) Top each fillet with a sprig of tarragon and some lemon zest.

4) Wrap each fillet with 2 slices of bacon.

5) Heat butter in a large ovenproof skillet over a medium-high heat.

6) Fry the salmon on each side until golden brown (about 2 minutes per side).

7) Brush each fillet with the maple syrup or honey, if using, and transfer to the oven.

8) Place the salmon in the oven until cooked through (about 8 to 10 minutes).

Vietnamese Sweet and Sour Soup with Pineapple Soup

Vietnamese Sweet and Sour Soup with Pineapple Soup

Serving Size  : 4    

1/4       cup  olive oil
1           Tablespoon  toasted sesame oil
5           cloves  garlic — finely chopped
             Soup
6           Tablespoons  seedless tamarind pulp
4           cups  water
1/4       cup  dark brown sugar
1/3       cup  fish sauce
5           cloves  garlic — finely sliced
5           stems lemongrass — crushed
1           cup  okra — cut into thirds on the diagonal
1           cup  pineapple chunks
4           Roma tomatoes — cut into sixths lengthwise
1           teaspoon  chili
             Fresh lime juice to taste
             Vietnamese mint leaves — finely shredded
1        Handful  bean sprouts
4        spring onions — cut thinly on the diagonal
          Mint leaves

Combine the oils and garlic in a small saucepan over a low heat. Cook until half the garlic just begins to turn golden (about 3 minutes) and then remove from the heat. The garlic will continue to cook and be just the right colour and texture. Set aside.

Combine the tamarind paste with 1/3 cup of hot water in a small bowl and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Work the paste well with your fingers and strain through a sieve into a large soup pot, discarding the solids.

Add 4 cups water to the tamarind water in the soup pot. Add the sliced garlic, lemongrass stalks, palm sugar and fish sauce.

Simmer the stock over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes.

Add the okra and half the chilli and simmer for 1-2 minutes, then add the pineapple and simmer for another minute. Add the fish and cook for a further minute, followed by the tomato. Cook for 1 more minute or until the fish is just cooked through. Add the rest of the chilli and lime juice to taste. Check the stock to see if it needs more chilli, fish sauce or palm sugar to balance the hot, salty and sweet flavours. Stir through the shredded Vietnamese mint.

Ladle the soup into large serving bowls. Drizzle each serve with the reserved garlic oil and scatter with a few bean sprouts, spring onions and herbs.

Pile the extra herbs, spring onions, bean sprouts, chilli and lime cheeks onto a central serving platter for people to help themselves.

Chocolate-Pistachio Sablés- Gluten Free!

Serving Size  : 30   

1            cups  sweet rice flour
1/4        cup  tapioca flour
1 1/2    tablespoons  potato starch
1/4        cup  unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3       teaspoon  kosher salt
0.1       teaspoon  baking soda
1 1/4   sticks  unsalted butter — (2 1/2 sticks) room temperature
0.6       cup  light brown sugar — (lightly packed)
1/2      teaspoon  vanilla extract
2          large  egg white
2 1/2  ounces  bittersweet or semisweet chocolate — chopped
1/2     cup  unsalted — shelled raw pistachios, coarsely chopped
            Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)

1)  Whisk flour, cocoa powder, kosher salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low and gradually add dry ingredients; mix just to combine, then mix in egg white. Fold in chocolate and pistachios.

2)  Divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into an 8″-long log about 1 1/2″ in diameter, pushing dough together if it feels crumbly. Wrap tightly in parchment paper and chill until firm, at least 4 hours. (The colder your dough, the easier it will be to slice.)

3)  Place racks in lower and upper thirds of oven; preheat to 350°. Working with 1 log of dough at a time and using a serrated knife, cut logs into 1/4″-thick rounds and transfer to 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1/2″ apart.

4)  Sprinkle cookies with sea salt and bake, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until set around edges and centers look dry, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool.

DO AHEAD: Cookie dough can be made 1 month ahead; freeze instead of chilling. Slice frozen logs into rounds just before baking.