THE PERFECT STEAK WITH FRIED LEEKS

You may like these fried leeks better than french fries. Pair them with a perfectly cooked, uniformly rare steak for a meal that rivals any at your favorite steak house! FRIED LEEKS Leeks naturally separate into thin layers that are uniform in thickness so they make fries that crisp up quickly without a coating of flour or batter. They have so much flavor you won’t need a dip or sauce. Fried leeks have been popular for a very long time; Martha Washington had a recipe…

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FRIED ARTICHOKE HEARTS

    The very best low-carb recipes are the very best recipes, period. This is one of those. Add a Garlic Aioli for dipping if you like, but even without a sauce they have a wonderfully spicy taste. By far the easiest way to make them is to start with prepared artichoke hearts from a jar. *See notes. DEEP FRIED ARTICHOKE HEARTSThese bloom out in the hot oil like a fan of crispy little chips. Serve them as a side dish in place of french fries…

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MAITAKE MUSHROOM FRIES

Maitake mushrooms (Grifola fondosa) are prized for their rich, woodsy flavor and meaty texture. They are also called Hen of the Woods because their feathery rosettes resemble the ruffled plumage on a speckled hen. They are popular as an ingredient in stir-fries, soups, and stews or they can be eaten raw as a snack or in salads. They are also used to make tonics, teas, and herbal extracts that are reputed to have powerful healing properties. Maitakes have been used by  practitioners of Asian medicine for…

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KABOCHA SQUASH FRIES

We are invited to my daughter’s house for a cookout. There will be hamburgers (D and I will have lettuce wraps) and french fries. I plan to take Faux Sweet Potato Fries made with kabocha squash as our potato alternative. I included recipes for fries and chips made from fresh pumpkin in Carb Wars, and posted some recipes on my blog  here and here, but I recently tried using kabocha squash instead of pumpkin. Kabocha (pronounced, kah-bow-cha) is a Japanese pumpkin that is available most of the year while fresh pumpkins are only available in the Fall. They have about the…

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AVOCADO FRIES

“Crisp” is not a word that leaps to mind when you think of avocados. I had to try this to believe it. It works, it’s easy, and they are delicious! Ingredients: 1 egg white 2 tablespoons heavy cream A dash of hot sauce, optional 1 avocado, ripe but not mushy or bruised Salt and freshly ground pepper 1/2 to 1 cup of crushed pork rinds or almond flour (some will be left over) 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Oil for frying, as needed Directions: Have ready…

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