Rich tasting, topped with a crunchy pecan topping Holiday Sweet Potatoes are a great side dish for those special dinners. No one will know they are a low carb option! Sweet potatoes are one of the oldest known foods, cultivated by Native Americans for centuries. They were a major source of nutrition for early colonists – so very appropriate for Thanksgiving! -- and later soldiers during the Revolutionary War. Often called yams from a similar African tuber, sweet potatoes are much more nutritious. They are an excellent source of calcium, vitamins A and C, potassium and manganese among other nutrients. They are low on the glycemic scale and are often recommended to diabetics for blood sugar control. There is an enzyme in sweet potatoes that converts the starches of the young ... [Read More]
side dish
Chicken Pasta Salad with poppyseed dressing
Chicken Pasta Salad -- Someone brought this flavorful and addicting pasta salad to a potluck and everyone raved over it. I was lucky enough to get the recipe – and then promptly tweaked it. They used dried cranberries which I switched out for fresh fruit to reduce the carb count somewhat. Halved grapes, sliced strawberries and mandarin oranges work nicely. This was the first time I used blueberries and we liked those as well. I prefer Brianna’s poppyseed dressing and look for it when I start yearning for this dish. You can poach the chicken by bringing water to boil in a shallow pan and slipping in a couple of thawed chicken breasts and cooking until done. Better is the flavor from a deli roasted chicken, perfect for using leftovers. Or use the tabletop grill. I laid thawed ... [Read More]
Mock N Cheese aka Cauliflower Gratin
Cauliflower au Gratin -- cheesy goodness as a main dish or a side dish. Cauliflower, Mark Twain once sniffed, was nothing but cabbage with a college education. Boiled and buttered, the way grandma used to do it, cauliflower was nothing to write home about. Now it is everywhere. Cauliflower first appeared on vegetable trays, in snack packs and anywhere a crunch was needed. Then low carb dining became important. Cauliflower is only 5 carbs per serving and it's somewhat bland flavor and good texture makes it an acceptable substitute for potatoes, pasta and rice. This classic au gratin recipe makes a substitute for Mac n Cheese. Mock N Cheese! My sister, Vee, told me it was not a good name if I had to explain it. First she hinted ever so diplomatically with a laugh and a hmmmm -- or ... [Read More]
Pork roast, sweet potatoes and fried apples
Pork loin roast, fried apples and sweet potatoes – a classic dinner. It is very simple, calling for only basic cooking skills, but looks fantastic and like you spent hours in the kitchen. My kind of cooking! Start with a crockpot that has been sprayed well with cooking oil or lined with a cooking bag. I put about a half cup of hot water from the superhot tap into the bottom to provide moistness and help heat the crockpot quickly. You can brown the pork loin in a skillet to deepen the flavor, but I often do not take the time. There may be a bit of fat on the loin. Pork has a tendency to be dry so don’t give in to the temptation to trim it because it will add moistness to the meat. Mix together the brown sugar, salt, pepper, mustard with enough orange juice to make a thick paste. ... [Read More]
