Orange-Cardamom Tea Cakes

While looking for keto friendly tea service food recipes I stumbled upon this one and thought the flavor combination sounded good so I decided to try it.

Notes:

• I used butter to grease the muffin tin instead of spray oil because I didn't have spray, and it worked pretty well. Some of them had some trouble releasing from the tin but none got significantly ruined. You can run a plastic knife around the edge as they're cooling to help them come out more easily. I would not use paper liners because I think they'd just stick to the paper.
• I ended up with 11 cakes using a muffin tin. The recipe does not give a yield; it only said she used a mini bundt pan with space for 12 cakes, and I think with holes in the middle like a mini bundt cake you probably would get 12 cakes.
• I was a bit worried at the small amounts of fat and moisture in the recipe and the batter was indeed pretty thick, but it still resembled thicker muffin batter and they turned out fine.
• I used Truvia erythritol/stevia granules and it turned out well. Not too sweet tasting, and no excessive browning.
• I used unsweetened, unflavored almond milk. 
• My cakes took exactly 20 minutes to bake.
• I made a glaze out of a small amount of powdered sugar substitute, fresh squeezed orange juice, and a sprinkle of cardamom but I don't think I'd do it again as it was too sweet. I think a cream cheese based one would be really nice, or the coconut cream based one they suggest.

Verdict: Overall they turned out better than expected, and I would make them again. I might add some more cardamom in a future batch or consider grinding it fresh for a more intense flavor. I also think a lemon-poppyseed variation would be really good. My partner tried them and liked them, and  thinks other people would not know it's gluten free/keto unless you were to tell them.

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RECIPE: Low-Carb Orange Cardmom Tea Cakes (Annissa Slusher, Simply So Healthy)

Weight equivalents:

• 2 cups almond flour = 200 g
• 1/2 cup sweetener = 105 g
• 2 tbsp coconut oil = 28 g 

Skillet Cheese Bread

I saw this mentioned in an article about comfort foods to eat when you're sick but on a keto diet, and sick or no, cheese bread sounded absolutely lovely so I gave it a shot. 

Notes:

• I baked mine in a 9-inch round pan but I would probably bake it in a bigger pan next time to ensure it gets fully cooked in the middle.
• Definitely bake it for longer than it says to. Even with extra time mine did not get fully cooked in the middle and it started growing mold after a couple of days at room temperature.

Verdict: I liked it before it started rotting. I also think I messed it up by unintentionally underbaking it. If I try it again I will definitely bake it for longer, and maybe bake it in a pan that allows it to be thinner (again, so it bakes better/more thoroughly).

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RECIPE:

Skillet Cheese Bread 

1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup flax seed meal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
3/4 cup almond milk, unsweetened 

Preheat oven to 425 F. Grease pan with 1 tbsp butter, or if using a metal or glass pan or skillet, set the butter in the pan and place inside the oven to melt. Mix almond flour, flax seed meal, baking powder, salt, and 1 cup of the shredded cheese in a large bowl until combined. Add eggs, butter, and almond milk. Mix until thoroughly combined. If you used the oven to heat your pan, remove pan from oven and swirl it to coat the inside surface with the butter. Pour batter into pan and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese evenly over the top. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until browned around the edges and set through the center. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

Keto Vanilla Cupcakes

I tried these along with the frosting recipe because I missed cake.

Verdict: I was not really impressed. They were edible but not really what I was hoping for. If I make them again I will add the eggs gradually rather than all at once so they blend in better (a commenter mentioned they did this with decent results).

The frosting was an abject failure texture wise though the flavor was good. I think it was because my sweetener was not just sweetener; it had tapioca starch in it, and between that and the almond milk it got grainy and too heavy. Next time I will probably use allulose. I ended up mixing cream cheese into it and it tasted a lot better. I ended up eating it like dip with pecans rather than putting it on the cupcakes.

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RECIPE: Keto Cupcakes (Arman Liew, The Big Man's World)

RECIPE: Keto Frosting (Arman Liew, The Big Man's World)

Napa Cabbage Stir Fry

I had a bunch of napa cabbage languishing in my fridge and was looking for something that would use a lot of it in one go, and this sounded good to me.

Notes:

• I used dried rehydrated shiitake mushrooms because I did not have fresh.

Verdict: I liked it and would consider making it again, especially if I found myself with all the ingredients.

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RECIPE: Napa Cabbage Stir Fry (Namiko Chen, Just One Cookbook)

No-Bean Beef Chili

Another try borne from a desire to eat foods I loved before keto.

Notes:

• The second time I made this I used canned tomatoes and it tasted fine, though I will admit I liked the taste of the fresh (frozen) tomatoes better.

Verdict: I loved it! I wasn't sure I would like chili without beans but apparently that is how traditional Texas style chili is made. My partner who is anti-bean loved it. I brought it to a party with non keto friends and they loved it too. Definitely keeping this one for future use.

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RECIPE: Keto Chili (Arman Liew, The Big Man's World)

Korean Style Ground Beef Stir Fry

I wanted to have more Asian style meals that I could eat with my current dietary restrictions and I had all the ingredients so I gave it a try.

Notes:

• If you're not following a ketogenic diet you can use regular brown sugar and serve it with regular rice of your choice.
• I love serving this with some kimchi on top, and if I'm feeling especially hungry and fancy, a (crispy) fried egg.
• I have also made this with ground pork and it was good, but I think I prefer the beef version.

Verdict: I love this and have made it several times since the initial try. Great mix of sweet, salty umami. A go-to meal if I have ground beef.

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RECIPE:

Korean Beef
from Ioana Borcea (Low Carb Spark)
serves 3-4

1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup brown sugar replacement
3 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or more to taste
1/4 tsp ground ginger
To garnish: sliced green onions and sesame seeds

Place a large skillet over medium heat and cook the ground beef until no longer pink. Add minced garlic and continue cooking for one more minute. Combine brown sugar substitute, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Pour the soy sauce mixture over the ground beef and cook until browned for about 5 minutes. Stir constantly. Serve over cauliflower rice, top with green onions and sesame seeds.

Korean Beef Bowl

Looking for a new dinner idea and had ground beef and a container of kimchi on hand, so I decided to make this.

Notes:

• I served it with kimchi on the side.

Verdict: It was quick and tasty! Partner loved it too. I would definitely have it again.

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RECIPE: Korean Beef Bowl (Chungah Rhee, Damn Delicious)

Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

This is the easiest way I've found so far to make this dish and had to note it here. The Chinese name for it is 蚝蠔芥蘭.

Notes:

• I had less vegetable to start with so I scaled down the recipe to fit what I had.

Verdict: This was really tasty! I knew before making it that I like this dish, and thought this version was really nice and easy to make. I would definitely make it again and this particular person really makes me want to learn more about Chinese cooking techniques. His father apparently worked in the restaurant business for most of his life as a cook/chef, and a big part of this person's reason for making a blog and videos is to document and share his father's extensive knowledge.

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RECIPE: Perfect Chinese Broccoli w/Oyster Sauce (Made with Lau)

(Video version)

Unstuffed Mushroom Casserole

I saw this pop up in the Smitten Kitchen newsletter and it sounded good and nice for cooler fall weather.

Verdict: Partner loved it. I thought it was good even though I am not a mushroom lover. If someone I know loved mushrooms and asked me to make them something I would definitely make it again.

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RECIPE: Unstuffed Mushroom Casserole (Smitten Kitchen)

Roasted Potatoes with Dill

I went looking for a recipe for dill potatoes and tried this one because it sounded good, and because we had fresh homegrown garlic to put with them.

Notes:

• There's a lot of butter mixture to cover the potatoes and I used even more potatoes than the recipe called for. The extra just sat in a puddle in the middle of the pan so you could likely use up to 3 lb potatoes if you wanted.
  
• I used regular butter rather than vegan butter because it's what I had on hand.
  
• I did not cook the dill with the potatoes because in my experience fresh herbs taste better and more noticeable on roasted veggies when they're not cooked with the vegetables, and despite the instructions, the author's recipe photos clearly show uncooked dill on the potatoes. I instead sprinkled it over them while they were done cooking but still hot.

Verdict: Pretty good! I liked the addition of lemon juice (I don't normally put it on my roasted veggies because I thought it might taste weird but I liked it here). The garlic got very dark brown and I liked the flavor that added. If I had all the ingredients on hand I'd make it again.

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RECIPE: Roasted Dill Potatoes (Holly Gray, This Wife Cooks)

Bean Sprout Stir Fry

I tried this because I had part of a bag of bean sprouts left from making laksa, and I didn't know that they'd be good to eat fresh anymore so I wanted to try cooking them.

Verdict: I liked it quite a bit and my partner REALLY loved it (he is a bean sprout fiend). It was easy and tasty and healthy. I would gladly make it again.

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RECIPE: Bean Sprout Stir Fry (Maggie Zhu, Omnivore's Cookbook)

Chicken Paprikash, easier

I tried this different recipe for chicken paprikash and it turned out to be a lot easier/quicker than the first one on this diary and still tastes pretty good, so we're likely going to use this one from now on.

Notes:

• I feel like the entire 1/2 cup of flour mixture is a lot and I didn't want the sauce to be too gloopy so I left out a couple tablespoons of the mixture and didn't miss it.
• I used a mix of dried sweet paprika (a lower quality kind, mostly for color), fresh jarred paprika (about a tablespoon each of Edes Anna and Eros Pista for some but not a ton of spicy heat), and very generous sprinkles of some nicer dry smoked paprika because I like the taste.
• I used boneless skinless chicken breast, and only simmered the dish for about 20 minutes because I knew the chicken wouldn't need 45 minutes to cook.
  
• I mixed in the sour cream off the heat so that the sauce wouldn't break.
  
• We didn't have egg noodles but I cooked some gemelli pasta and we ate it with that and liked it.
  

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RECIPE: Chicken Paprikash (Chisel and Fork)

Cucumber Salad with Red Wine Vinegar

I wanted to make a cucumber salad that didn't involve having to salt and wait and squeeze out the water from the cucumbers, and decided to give this one a try.

Notes:

• I didn't read the directions and just mixed everything together right away and it tasted fine.
• Served with Stuck Pot Rice and Lentils, Spiced Beef Meatballs, and garlic-lemon yogurt and it was fantastic.
  

Verdict: Simple and clean flavors, and I think it would go well with lots of things. Definitely keeping it around for another time.

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RECIPE: Cucumber Salad (Marcia Kiesel/Food & Wine Magazine)

Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter

Recording this so that I remember that I tried it.

I had been wanting to try this recipe for a very long time, and finally got around to it. I was really underwhelmed though, and not just because I'd been waiting forever to try it. Maybe with premium ingredients it would have been better since it's so simple, but I'm not sure I'll go to the trouble again. Even Smitten Kitchen has a few duds I guess.

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RECIPE: Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter (Smitten Kitchen)

Chicken Andouille Sausage and Rice Skillet

I bought andouille chicken sausage and then remembered I didn't actually know what it tastes like, so I went looking for a recipe that sounded good and landed on this.

Notes/changes:

• Used fresh chopped tomato instead of bell peppers and basmati rice instead of regular long grain white rice.
• I didn't have tomato paste so I used tomato salsa (weird I know, but it was the closest thing I had with similar flavors to the final thing)
  
• Added 1 tsp more cajun seasoning (Penzeys makes a nice blend), and 1 extra cup of broth because it did not seem like enough liquid to cook the rice. (The ratio was 1 rice:1 liquid in this recipe and the overwhelming majority of rice recipes use 1:1.5 or 1:2).
  
• The rice was not cooked after 4-5 minutes (more cooked than I expected it to be, but definitely not done). I ended up cooking it for a total of 13-15 minutes.

Verdict: It was decent (I really liked the flavors) but I kind of want to try it again with tomato paste to see if that intensifies the flavor a little bit.

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RECIPE: One Pot Andouille Sausage & Rice Skillet (Gilbert's Craft Sausages)

Chana Masala (Indian Chickpea Curry)

After a failed attempt a long time ago I have been hesitant to try making chana masala from scratch again, but this recipe seemed a lot more approachable and I was determined to make something healthy to eat today, so I steeled my courage to try again.

Notes:

• I did not have green chili pepper. I used red pepper flakes instead.
• I served it with steamed basmati rice.
  

Verdict: Both my partner and I really liked it, and I liked how easy it was to make. I would make it again.

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RECIPE: Authentic Chana Masala (Tea for Turmeric)

Red Wine Vinaigrette

Looking for a good basic red wine vinaigrette for vegetable salads. I made it exactly as written, scaled down to half.

Verdict: This one is just what I was looking for.

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RECIPE: Red Wine Vinaigrette (Culinary Hill)

Pasta with Ricotta and Vegetables

What do you do with a large surplus of ricotta? Make this! It's a super quick pasta dish and really versatile. 

Notes:

• Spinach is one of my favorite vegetables to put in this instead of snap peas. Even better with some cherry tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes in there too if you have them.
  
• I've used other pasta shapes with success (penne, campanelle, fusilli).
  

Verdict: I think I made this 3 or 4 times within 2 weeks. It is a good, quick, reasonably healthy meal to keep in the regular rotation.

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RECIPE: Bowties with Sugar Snaps, Lemon, and Ricotta (Smitten Kitchen)

Oatmeal Pancakes

Once I was finished with college in the late 2000s and finally had a significant amount of time to pursue my hobbies, I got heavily into cooking. I don't remember how I got there but I found the blog Orangette, Molly Wizenberg, and her book A Homemade Life. It introduced me to several staple recipes, including this one for oatmeal pancakes. I liked it so much I made them for my parents once, and it has now become a favorite among my whole family. I liked pancakes as a kid (especially chocolate chip pancakes!) but didn't really make them once I got out on my own because I didn't think they were very healthy. The oatmeal in these satisfies my need for pancakes to be more healthy and it honestly makes them taste way better too. Paired with real maple syrup and some fruit on the side (and maybe some bacon or a sausage link or two), they're one of my favorite breakfasts.

Notes:

• I usually make it with half the butter it calls for, and my mom has left it out entirely before with no ill effects cooking-wise, though it might taste a little different.
• I usually have milk but not buttermilk on hand, and it's easy to make a substitute (1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar + enough milk to make 1 cup, mix and let stand for 10 min to thicken slightly). I have also thinned out Greek yogurt with water in a pinch. My mom has made it with buttermilk powder + water.

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RECIPE: Oatmeal Pancakes (Orangette)

Baked Feta with Tomatoes and Chickpeas

This looked really comforting and delicious when it scrolled by recently, so I gave it a try.

Notes:

• I used Korean red pepper flakes instead of a fresh chili pepper because it's what I had on hand.
  

Verdict: We really liked it! (My partner actually asked to have the leftovers -- that's how you know he *really* likes something.) We have made it again since this first time and had it with pasta instead of chickpeas, which was also good. I will be keeping this recipe around for a good, quick vegetarian meal.

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RECIPE: Baked Feta with Tomatoes and Chickpeas (Smitten Kitchen)