We tested out almost all my soups for the perfect second course of Christmas dinner (all soup recipes here). They were delicious – but I wanted something new. We always use clean, never “previously frozen” and wild caught seafood preferring to purchase from Vital Choice or Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon and Seafood companies. Alternatively, we…
Category: Keto
gluten free, sugar free chocolate cake with a blueberry tinted, coconut white chocolate frosting
I have said it before and I will say it again: I am no baker. I am a burner. But for some reason I can make a mean cake. As innocent and understated as this soft lavender colored dessert appears, it is as dense and chocolatey as one could wish for. From its pure chocolate…
stuffed turkey loaf with egg and an avocado pistachio pesto
When the weather breaks and the smell of fallen leaves and chimneys set ablaze travel the air into your living room with windows finally thrown open to welcome it all, you crave things warm and savory. At least I do. And if I could have breakfast at every meal I would!! These were easy to…
gluten free, sugar free vanilla & lemon white chocolate cake
(Cake is topped with Fresh Figs, Raspberries and Mint) Autumn is my absolute FAVORITE season of all, and this cake with champagne (tea or coffee) really helped put me in a Fall state of mind. You Will Need: 2 1/2 Cups of Almond Flour1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda2/3 Cup of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk3 Tablespoons…
stuffed radicchio with a sunflower seed pesto
After my gallbladder was removed I agonized over what foods I could eat. For a self-professed foodie this was worst-case-scenerio type stuff… Being afraid of food. I quickly learned this was a typical response of the 750,000 plus people in America alone (per year) who have had this surgery. I can go further into why…
no bake cake with fruit puree, cashews and a nut butter pistachio crust
I am going to keep this one short and *sweet* – because really, that’s what this dessert was: a sweet, quick, satisfying accompaniment to our coffee – though it would have been equally as good with tea or champagne. You Will Need: * Lightly Salted Pistachios * Monkfruit Sweetener (optional and not recommended unless you…
quick easy sushi: my take on the california roll with baked salmon and a coconut amino sauce
We went to one of our favorite restaurants with family who were here visiting and we fell in love with one of their sushi options. I am not someone who eats sushi with fish… I can’t stomach the idea of uncooked fish. At all. But this sushi had baked salmon on the top of a…
dairy free roasted red pepper & tomato soup with wild rice & parsley
I think by now, if you follow this account, you know how I feel about soups. I have a whole menu drop-down dedicated to soups. And it makes it all the easier when using this soup machine (and I have purchased almost a dozen in total). One of my all time favorite soups is a…
stuffed toads in the hole with smoked salmon, goat cheese, spinach, bacon and a truffle mayo
New Years this year, had a more poignant meaning to me. I’ve had some health struggles that stemmed from a simple (or rather, common) gallbladder removal surgery that had me in and out of the hospital spanning four months. To say I was thankful to turn the page into the new year was an understatement….
lemon poppyseed, sugar free cake with a peanut butter chocolate frosting
My husband is the true sweets lover – I’m more of a carbs and salt person. That being said, there are times when a slice of cake is just perfect… Especially last week when we scored on some sugar-free chocolate chips and hazelnut flour. Just a small 8” and 6” round, two tiered cake for…
wild sockeye salmon lettuce tacos with guacamole, grilled eggplant and peaches
We typically get our salmon from only one place: Vital Choice because we trust their quality; they do not break the cold chain and therefore the product arrives as fresh as if you were there on the day it was caught. That being said, it’s not always convenient to wait (though as short a wait…
carrot, coconut and ginger soup
I made dinner this past weekend which had carrots as a side dish, and they were the best carrots I had ever had. That’s a huge statement since… It’s just a carrot; nothing to get too excited about. I steamed them first and then sautéed them in dried herbs till they softened and got all…
twice baked sweet potato with veggies and a macadamia nut pesto
This is another low histamine dish that you can cook with very little effort and makes you feel really full and happy. That’s the great thing about comfort food – or just potatoes in general, right? They make you feel full and that makes you feel happy. Or at least it does me. While waiting…
sweet potato and kale soup
We’re hanging onto colder weather here in Franklin for as long as we can… We had snow, then it was 70 degrees and then it dropped back down to the 40’s and I’d be happy if it just stayed put for a while. I’m not done making soups and snuggling up under blankets! This soup…
(best damn) turkey meatballs with fennel and cream cheese
I’m never giving up Italian food. Ever. Ever. Not sure if that’s why I married an Italian, seeing as I’m the one doing all the cooking (insert an off in the distance gaze – pondering life choices <here>) but, he does find his way into the kitchen whenever an Italian dish is being made. Just…
decadent vanilla cream and wild blueberry martinis
Most people when starting a health journey are told to stay away from alcohol. I don’t subscribe to that rule but, I DO think when we DO have alcohol we can make smarter decisions… I don’t understand total avoidance – it just makes me want something more! In this case, I was craving something sweet…
stuffed roasted butternut squash with a pistachio pesto
I love butternut squash everything. Now that we’re more “North” than my husband and I have been in a while, we see it on more menus than when we lived in Florida, especially during this past winter. I always get so much inspiration from the weather and this meal feels like a holiday. It feels…
roasted butternut squash soup with cashews and ground sage
Soup again? Yes. Never gets old in my opinion, especially during this weather. I was told Franklin, TN hadn’t had a snow “storm” in over five years. Now today, stores, local offices… all closed for the second day in a row due to what’s happening outside. We’re expecting more snow tonight through tomorrow… What is…
spinach and fresh mozzarella stuffed chicken over a cheese-free walnut pesto
Not a massive stuffed chicken fan only because I can’t find that many alternations which are easy to do on a weeknight with things you may already have around the house. People like to get fancy… I’m sometimes a purist and just go with the classics: things stuffed with cheese. The chicken came out very…
shrimp bisque with mushrooms, cashews and low carb dunking chips
Shrimp bisque was something I was dreaming about for days… Thinking this was because I was about to have it at some obscure new restaurant I had yet to discover (we only just moved here) or that I would manifest it into existence by just obsessing about it. I realized instead… In the end, what…
stuffed bell peppers with ground turkey, spinach and liviva “rice” over cauliflower “mashed potatoes” with dill
I love stuffed peppers… I love how versatile they are but, usually they include a carb I’m trying to avoid: rice. Liviva Foods has an excellent substitute for rice (among some other things) that worked perfectly here. You Will Need: * Bell Pepper * Rice (or substitute) * Spinach * Parmesan (or cheese of choice)…
wild caught salmon en papillote with turkey bacon, air-fried sprouts and dill
Salmon is still such a treat for us – no matter how many times we have it – so I try to create something new whenever I can. I love baking our salmon in parchment “pockets” covered in some sort of moisture-sealing topping and a seasoning. The salmon comes out perfectly moist and flaky and…
sugar free sunflower butter and chocolate loaves of ooey-gooey gorgeous
I’m not a “baker” – I’m a “burner”… I can’t bake anything if it’s a dessert or something that needs exact precise measurements. I can follow directions; I just can’t not burn anything. Which is why these are perfect – they never burn. The ingredients keep them moist. They’re keto. And they’re easy. PLS SEE…
christmas table-setting and dinner, our still-unpacking-style
This was my first Christmas with my husband in our new town of Franklin, and we were only a month into living here. Boxes everywhere… I did the best I could using what we found. I’ll outline the menu and then just show photos, as well as where I got some of the things you’ll…
grilled figs with turkey bacon, ricotta and a blueberry reduction dressing
I use this dressing with almost everything; chicken, fish, pancakes and obviously salads. This is especially good with a shrimp and polenta salad… You Will Need: Blueberries A Small Pot A Small Potato Masher or Wooden Spoon Figs Turkey Bacon Ricotta Lettuce (we used baby lettuce) A Grill Olive Oil Cut your figs on down…
amaretto sours with homemade sugar-free sour mix, orange and pomegranate seeds
My husband and I wanted to create a Christmas drink that we’d have every year which we could make a tradition. After having spent the majority of quarantine watching all our carbs and sugar intake, we realized there wasn’t much that was festive and still relatively “healthy”. Then I took out my sour glasses from…
cream of zucchini soup with onion and cilantro
For anyone who wants a clean creamy soup which is also a detoxifying powerhouse with the addition of cilantro, or just wants a keto-soup that leaves you feeling full for hours, this one is a sure thing. Adding the cilantro is a tasty benefit as it removes heavy metals and inflammation from your body. The…
kielbasa salad with sprout “petals” and a wild blueberry dressing
I never met a kielbasa I didn’t like – until I saw all the sugar involved… I searched our local grocery store for kielbasa without sugar to no avail. I literally gave up, resigned to the fact I would never again enjoy kielbasa warmed on the stove with a mustard dipping sauce. That was a…
sweet italian sausage over a parmesan puree of roasted cauliflower and onion in a brown butter sauce (includes a salmon variation)
I just finished watching the PBS documentary about The Little Inn at Washington (for the sixth time – and you’ll find it now on Amazon Prime if looking for it before PBS releases it again this coming August). I remembered when I went there, I don’t remember everything I ate but I do remember the…
no sugar or carbs, guilt free guilty pleasure
I’m a self-professed wine girl. I love white, red, blush, the glasses, a vineyard, etc… I have every different Riedel glass for every different varietal. I have the Swan Riedel decanter (though we don’t dare use it!), an incalculable amount of wine drinking gadgets and aerators and so on and so forth and I love…
cream of mushroom soup with thyme and parmesan
I love cream of anything. And as we continue to be brave and creative with our culinary exploits, I want to make sure I publish recipes that feel decadent but not be considered real cheating. Soups are a great way to accomplish this. You will want to play around with the amount of each seasoning…
chilean sea bass in a brown butter garlic lemon sauce with seasoned brussel sprouts
The first time I had Chilean Sea Bass was in a small restaurant, Red Fox Tavern in Middleburg, VA. This restaurant / Inn resides off a main street two street lights long. It is an “old money” town where people love their horses as much as their children, there are big homes, a tiny post…
sous vide pork tenderloin with vegetables
A pork tenderloin is one of the easiest things in the world, and cooking sous vide is like cooking with a crock pot on steroids. This came out juicy and the seasoning stayed with the meat. If you can find miniature pork loins I highly recommend them… You Will Need: A Sous Vide (my sous…
bacon and dill deviled eggs
I remember my first deviled eggs experience. I don’t know why, except that it was like someone was introducing me to eggs and mayonnaise – for the first time. Which makes no sense since mayo is literally made of eggs, but in my mind these were two completely unrelated items, coming together. And I had…
steamed artichokes with a basil butter dipping sauce
As you can see with my website icon, I love artichokes. I love the ease of cooking, the health benefits, the way they taste and, of course, ripping through them to get to their heart. So good (more on that in the menu under Bio). You Will Need: Artichokes Kitchen Shears A Knife Butter Olive…
baked spinach and grass fed beef in cheese rolls
I had never tried these cheese rolls before. Though I knew they were inexpensive and versatile, they sat in my fridge for quite some time. I’m embarrassed to write that now, considering all the meals where we could have enjoyed them. Nevertheless, here’s a quick idea for anyone who has been eying these at the…
asparagus and sage soup
Making a lot of soup lately… It calms me drinking soup during this quarantine. I can feel the bone broth nutrients hitting my system and I’m immediately calmed knowing that I’m putting ingredients in my body that are good for me. Good for my gut, for my mind and took no time at all to…
chicken and roasted broccoli soup with toasted sesame oil
I had wanted to find a way to use up what we had at the time in our home: a half empty box of broth and some broccoli. Of course that would be fine but, my husband would have said he was still hungry and hour later. And then into the keto snacks he’d go……
bacon and cheddar sous vide egg bites
I watched a youtube video of a chef who was going to different well known locations and trying some of their more popular foods on the menu. During one video, he and his cousin went to Starbucks and ordered one of each of their Sous Vide Egg Cups. Almost 40 dollars later (for three cups),…
cream of broccoli soup
Whenever you read “cream of” anything, you don’t think *healthy*. But this soup is very low in calories and carbs, while filled with nutritious ingredients in a filling warm concoction. I had missed soups… I used to make them creamy with potatoes or cashews. Then we started Keto and I would dress up our favorite…
roasted herbs de provence shrimp in a lemon, garlic butter sauce
In this unprecedented time of fear and uncertainty, I have not only slowed down on cooking, I have decided to not even use my bone china. I have used (with my husband’s curious enthusiasm) paper plates and napkins. Well, that’s not entirely true; I still use cloth napkins… I just can’t find the energy and…
mini stuffed rosemary meatballs with toasted sesame seed oil and creamy cheesy cauliflower
Eating “Keto” has been so much easier than I expected. I don’t miss bread, I don’t miss pasta, I don’t miss rice or chips… I get to eat meat, seafood, desserts, CHEESE. Last night I made a Cheez-It snack that tasted just like the real thing… (see instagram post) and it satisfied my need for…
garlic basil pork loin with pureed vegetables
Pork loin is one of the most versatile proteins I can think of. And much like the cornish hen recipe preceding it, this recipe is just as fool-proof. There’s no great story to accompany this post; it’s about as straight-forward as it gets for an easy Sunday night dinner. You Will Need: * Pork Loin…
rosemary and lemon cornish hens with roasted broccoli and cheddar cauliflower “mashed potatoes”
I like a thing that’s a miniature version of the original thing: * Puppies* Personal Shakers for a Cocktail* The Mini Cooper ……. * Puppies So when I started to cook these cornish hens instead of roasted chicken, I realized what little work I really needed to do in comparison. Choose veggies as a side…
cheese tacos with chicken, salsa, avocado and sour cream
I am a massive cheese fan. I am also aware there is a heightened spotlight placed on dairy farms recently however, I admit I still love my cheese… Perhaps in the future when I have received the complete benefits of this low carb lifestyle, I will let go of dairy but, for right now, I…
high falutin’ egg cups with a turmeric mayo and champagne
I love brunch. I love everything about it. I love the laziness, the decadence and (yes, I’ve said this before) unapologetic day-drinking. I especially love when I can have it at home, in our big king bed with my most favorite purchase of last year: The Scully & Scully Breakfast Bed Tray It shouldn’t have…
mini eggplant pizzas
So it’s Tuesday and there’s nothing really notable about this day. Sure, it signifies the end of Monday but, there’s not even a cute Tuesday wine reference like Thirsty Thursday or Wine Wednesday, or a memory hashtag like #TBT or #WBW. Tuesdays are the new Wednesday of the week: a forgotten hangnail of a day…
citrus and rosemary cornish hens with creamy corn soup and pistachio snow peas
When I first told Joe that I was going to be making us Cornish hens, he literally laughed. I absolutely took it personally until I found out his family would have these baby hens every Christmas, and he was wondering what took me so long to make them. In truth, it took my making my…
pretty in pink, shrimp charcuterie tray
Cheese. Enough said. For the most part, I’m a massive fan. You put cheese and creamy marinated artichoke hearts on a shiny silver tray with other goodies and a gorgeous full bodied wine, and I’m not going anywhere. Let’s be honest, if you’re avoiding this heat, use a charcuterie tray like this What a gift…
toasted coconut mahi mahi with a lime avocado mousse
I don’t usually follow fads. When the new “coconut oil everything” trend started I ran in the opposite direction; I wanted nothing to do with it. I like the taste of coconut but usually, when these things happen, it’s a saturation of epic proportions which for me, is a complete turn-off. Same with pumpkin spice…
smoked gouda cauliflower “mashed potatoes”
I love mashed potatoes. I love any potato. When I first started using cauliflower to curb my cravings, is when everyone else did. I think most of us ran to cauliflower to cure all our carb problems. I’m not sure who first saw the potential of the cauliflower but until then, I wasn’t making much…
steak cooked in a brown butter sauce, basil sautéed snow peas and garlic, rosemary, sour cream mashed potatoes
I used to stay completely away from red meat. Not just because I was convinced it was bad for me, but also because I never really knew what to do with it. Save the usual ground beef, steaks were a mystery to me. I then learned (and quite quickly), how truly archaic a man’s appetite…
sweet onion split pea soup with basil, parmesan panko fried flounder and a mustard lemon vinaigrette (variation)
I am getting a bit of cabin fever. I have never really had it before and prided myself in not being someone who goes stir-crazy in one place for an extended period of time. That being said, I’m going a little mad stuck in my condo day after day, night after night because of these…
smoked salmon avocado toast with coddled eggs and champagne
I feel as though the construction work on our building will never end. Ever. Granted, it’s not just our building; it’s the entire community “compound” but, the new roof shingles have taken well over a year to replace. It has been an ongoing noise onslaught which has driven me to drink. This includes during today’s…
chicken cordon bleu, brussel sprouts and walnuts with a lemon dijonnaise
Chicken has been something of a crapshoot lately. I never know what is safe to eat anymore. What are we really eating… Is “organic” really organic? You can drive yourself crazy overthinking every company. Once you’re sure you’ve found a good one, there’s a recall. In the end, you just do the best you can….
parmesan, dill tuiles with garlic shrimp and fresh basil
Another week has passed and we’re already headed towards mid-July. The days are hotter and oppressive. These are the months when I wonder why I live in Florida. The relentless sun drags on and on, until it’s well into the tomb of the evening and you’ve dug into your couch so long it no longer…
citrus rosemary spatchcocked roast chicken, artichoke avocado salad with a homemade berry dressing
So I will admit something… I had never attempted a roast chicken until Prince Harry got engaged. To be honest, I was intimidated. The size of it, the inside being in a bag (or not), would it fit in my Mini Smart Oven… (we use our standard oven for storage). When I saw the Meghan…
no pasta lasagna
It’s pouring here in Florida, as it does now most days. The storms are heavy and arrogant. They command all of your attention with either the massive claps of thunder, the unrelenting rain or the sky firing up suddenly with rapid bolts of lightening surly to hit somewhere near you. Some days, the electricity goes…
smoked salmon, cheese and cucumber, yellow potatoes with soft scrambled eggs
When I think of the weekend, I think of two things: Friday night and Sunday morning. It’s almost as if Saturday gets lost in the shuffle. I would feel bad about it if it weren’t for the fact that Sunday has such a bad rep and needs a champion in its corner! Here’s where brunch…
garlic and tarragon shrimp over homemade cheese-free pesto
Sundays nights in Florida aren’t typically nights you can enjoy long walks holding hands with your partner, thinking about the week to come… It’s hot, it’s humid, it’s a problem. Sometimes though, we get a break from all that and even better still, it lasts for weeks. Just long enough to forget about running away…
thanksgiving spoons
Holidays are stressful for anyone. Even, I imagine, Ina Garten, Martha Stewart and Nigella Lawson. I relish in the chaos, however. The music, the smell of all the food cooking, my husband running in and out of our kitchen sneaking tastes of everything… It’s beautiful even at that stage. When I think of Thanksgiving specifically,…
live a curated life 