BRAISED FENNEL

Fennel, (c) 2012, Judy Barnes Baker Fennel is to vegetables what bacon is to meat. This mild cousin of anise can be used raw in salads or cooked in stews and soups, but it only reaches sweet, glorious perfection when braised, sauteed, or fried. If you have never tried it, you are in for a treat! BRAISED FENNEL Ingredients: 2 fennel bulbs (about 1 pound, trimmed) 1/3 cup olive oil 1/2 cup water Salt Black pepper Grated Parmesan cheese Directions: Cut off the stalks close to the bulb, reserving some of the feathery…

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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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RED KURI

I’ve been looking forward to the fall season after reading about Red Kuri Squash. It didn’t disappoint. Red Kuri may also be called Japanese Squash, Hokkaido Squash, or Uchiki Kuri Squash. It is Potimarron in France, and Onion Squash in the UK. In the US, it shows up around Halloween and disappears again after November. This tear-drop shaped, red-orange winter squash has the same high-fiber and low-carbohydrate count as pumpkin (4 net grams of carbs per 1/2 cup serving), and it can be used in the same recipes, but it has a firmer texture and the…

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SLOPPY JOE STUFFED PEPPERS

SLOPPY JOE STUFFED PEPPERS Trade those soggy buns for tender-crisp, baked red peppers! 1 pound ground beef ¼ cup chopped onion, about 1 ounce 1 stalk celery, chopped 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in garlic oil, snipped or diced* ¾ cup tomato sauce Sugar substitute equal to 1 teaspoon sugar 1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce ½ teaspoon dry mustard ½ teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 3 red bell…

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HOMINY SALAD

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Here’s a potato-less side dish, just in time for your Fourth of July cookout. The recipe is adapted from one by Martha Hall Foose; hers is made with regular hominy and has 20 net grams of carbohydrate per cup; mine has 6.l grams. Have a great day!  Hominy Salad Ingredients: 1 can (29-ounces) Juanita’s or Teasdale’s Mexican-style hominy 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ¼ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup Greek-style, full-fat yogurt ½ cup chopped red bell pepper 4 green onions, chopped…

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“Risotto”

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Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to splurge on duck breasts—you only need two servings. I haven’t decided if I will use the Duck Breasts with Raspberry Glaze recipe that I created for the new book or the Pan-seared Duck Breasts with one of the sweet chutneys from Carb Wars. Either way, I will be making my faux Risotto as the side dish. It is super easy, it tastes as good as the labor-intensive ones served in fancy restaurants, and we can enjoy it guilt-free,…

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TOO DELICIOUS FOR WORDS: BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE CUSTARD

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The word “custard” doesn’t prepare you for the beautiful, brown, cheesy crust. I could have called this Macaroni and Cheese Soufflé (it tastes like one, but that makes it sound much harder to make than it is), or Crustless Macaroni and Cheese Quiche (no improvement over the first title), or Cheese Puff (sounds too much like Cheetos®). Whatever you call it, I know you are going to love this versatile macaroni and cheese dish: it can be served for breakfast; as the main course for…

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Lotus Root

Raw Lotus Root © 2008, Judy Barnes Baker Lotus Root Chips © 2008, Judy Barnes Baker When I first started low-carb cooking, my son-in-law gave me a challenge. He said if I could find a good substitute for french fries, he would consider trying my diet. (He eventually did anyway.) I fried all sorts of things, animal and vegetable, with varying degrees of success. Several of the recipes in my first book, Carb Wars; Sugar is the New Fat, came from these experiments. One of the things I…

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