Utica Greens

Ingredients:

• 2 heads of escarole
• Olive oil
• 3 slices prosciutto
• 5 slices pancetta – prob about ¼ cup chopped pancetta
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, chopped
• Pickled hot peppers, chopped – prob about ¼ cup
• Red pepper flakes
• granulated garlic
• ½ cup chicken stock
• Salt and pepper
• Parm and/or romano – shredded and grated, probably about ½ cup
• ½ cup pulverized pork rinds with minced parsley
• More cheese for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
3. Mix together the shredded and grated cheeses and the pork rind mixture and set aside in a bowl.
4. While the water is coming to a boil, chop the rough end off the heads of the escarole and let them soak in a large bowl of cold water to get rid of any dirt or grit. Take them out, squeeze out the water and roughly chop the two heads into strips.
5. Once the water has come to a boil, drop the chopped escarole into the water. Let cook for 7 minutes, then drain and shock the greens into an ice water bath. Once cool, squeeze out as much excess water as you can. Set aside.
6. In a large skillet, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Brown the meats, starting with the pancetta. Once it is starting to brown up, add the chopped prosciutto. When they start to crisp up, add the chopped onion.
7. When the onion is translucent and soft, add the chopped hot peppers, let cook for a few minutes, then add the garlic, red pepper flakes and granulated garlic.
8. Once the vegetables are cooked through, add the chopped escarole, breaking up any clumps. Stir and cook until the greens are heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken stock and cook for 5 minutes.
9. Spread the greens into an 8 in x 8 in baking dish and top with the bread crumb and cheese mixture, Bake for 15 minutes or until the topping is nicely browned.

Notes:

• The heads of escarole I had were on the small side, probably equivalent to one very large head.
• Next time, I’ll be using a lot more chopped hot peppers. The balance between the peppadews and my friend’s homemade pickled Italian hots was nice when I tasted it, but I just needed more of both.

Keto Zucchini Lasagna

Layers of cheese, sauce, vegetables, meat, and noodles ad infinitum, topped with more cheese and baked ’til melty, browned and bubbling, what’s not to love about lasagna?

Well, the obvious answer is probably the carb count, if you’re watching your carbs. I’ll make a keto version replacing the lasagna noodles with long slices of roasted eggplant, or thick strips of zucchini. Add an insane mixture of 6 cheeses (ricotta, parmesan, romano, mozzarella, asiago and provolone), and you’ve got a low-carb meal that’ll satisfy the lasagna craving.

Lasagna with Zucchini Noodles, Sausage and Roasted Bell Pepper

Ingredients:

• 2 zucchini
• ½ Vidalia onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• ½ lb. sweet Italian sausage
• 3 – 4 cups marinara sauce
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup ricotta
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
• 3 tablespoons shredded provolone
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated parm
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated romano
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated asiago
• 2 basil leaves, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 egg, beaten
• Olive oil
• shredded mozzarella
• basil leaves for garnish
• more shredded parm or romano for garnish

Directions:

1. Carefully slice the zucchini lengthwise into thin slices with a mandoline. Lay out on a rack or kitchen towels. Sprinkle with salt and let drain 20 minutes, then flip over, sprinkle a little salt on the other side and let sit at least an hour to draw out excess moisture.
2. Saute the onion in olive oil over medium-high heat, add chopped roasted bell pepper cook for 3 minutes or so, until nicely softened. Then add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the sausage and break into small pieces with the blade of the spatula. Brown. Add roasted cherry tomatoes, and cook 2 minutes. Pour in 1 cup of the marinara sauce and beef both as needed to thin. Cover let simmer 10 minutes.
4. Mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, romano, asiago, garlic and minced basil in a bowl. Add the beaten egg and and mix well.
5. Take the zucchini slices and lightly squeegee the excess moisture and salt off the slices. Lay them in between paper towels to dry out further.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 F Spray a small baking dish (4.5 x 6.5 inch) with cooking spray.
7. To assemble the lasagna: Put 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce into the bottom of the dish. Begin layering by covering the sauce with a layer of the zucchini slices. Then cover the zucchini with a few tablespoons of the sauce, followed by one half of the cheese mixture. Spoon in one half of the sausage and vegetable mixture, top with more sauce and another layer of the zucchini noodles and repeat. Cover the top layer of zucchini noodles with enough sauce to moisten.
8. Top with some shredded mozzarella, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and let bake for another 10 – 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and browned.
9. Let sit for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper & Tomato Sauce with Sausage

 

Ingredients:

• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 head of garlic
• olive oil
• 8 0z bulk Italian sausage
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 smaller can, 15 oz, diced tomatoes
• dried oregano
• dried basil

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F.
2. First, prep the red bell peppers and garlic for roasting:
   • Slice across the top of the garlic, cutting off a flat spot on the top to expose the cloves. Place in a ramekin and drizzle with olive oil.
   • Place the red bell peppers in a baking dish and drizzle a little olive oil over then. Turn a few times to coat. Place the garlic and bell peppers in the oven to roast. Turn the bell peppers every 20 minutes, removing them when all 4 sides are evenly charred. The garlic comes out when the top is browned, about 40 minutes.
   • Place the bell peppers in a brown paper bag, tightly fold down the top, and place the in a bowl to let them steam. one cooled, the skins should peel off easily. Scrape away the seeds and discard them, then chop the flesh of the peppers. Set aside.
   • When the garlic is cool enough to handle, separate the cloves and squeeze the roasted garlic into a bowl, and set aside.
3. Brown the bulk sausage in olive oil, chopping well with the blade of the spatula.
4. Once nicely browned, add the chopped onion and cook until the onion is soft and translucent. add the garlic and saute another 5 minutes.
5. Dissolve the tomato paste in the red wine, then pour the mixture in the skillet. Stir well.
6. Add the crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally to ensure that it doesn’t bur on the bottom.
7. Add the chopped roasted bell pepper and garlic, stir through, cover and let simmer another 2 hours.
8. Add some salt, dried oregano, dried basil, taste to adjust seasoning. If the sauce seems too thick, you can add a little water if needed. Cover and let simmer for another hour.
9. Taste once again and make the final adjustment for seasoning, and you’re ready to serve with pasta, on zucchini noodles, shiratake noodles, or even by itself.

And now for some pictures!

Beautiful, charred, roasted red bell peppers:

A head of roasted garlic, fresh out of the oven:

Bonus Recipe: Pepperoni Pizza Cups

Using large sandwich pepperoni, press the slices into a muffin pan, one slice per well. Put a dollop of sauce in the pepperoni cup, top with shredded cheese – I like a mix of mozzarella, provolone and parm – cover with another piece of pepperoni, pressing down to close it, top with a smidge more cheese and bake in pre-heated, 400-degree oven for 15 minutes.

Presto, an awesome keto snack!

That sauce is perfect over zoodles, or in noodle-less zucchini lasagna, or in a bowl by itself. It also makes a fantastic filling for keto stuffed peppers. With all that meat and cheese, who really needs rice as a filler?

zoodles-n-sauce

Stuffed Bell Pepper

Ingredients:

• 2 bell peppers – I used red for roasting
• ¼ cup cherry tomatoes
• 3 basil leaves, torn
• ½ Vidalia onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• ½ lb. sweet Italian sausage
• 2 cups Roasted Bell Pepper & Tomato Sauce with Sausage

For the assembly:

• ¼ cup Farmer’s cheese
• 3 tablespoons shredded mozzarella
• 3 tablespoons shredded provolone
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated parm
• 2 basil leaves, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Olive oil

Directions:

1. Roast 1 bell pepper and the cherry tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Drizzle olive oil on the bottom of a roasting pan and roll the whole bell pepper in the oil to coat. Salt liberally.
2. Toss in the cherry tomatoes and roll them around in the oil too. Roast for 20 minutes, then take out and flip the pepper over and stir the tomatoes. Add some torn basil leaves to the cherry tomatoes and put back in the oven, flipping the bell pepper every 10- 15 minutes from then on.
3. Remove the tomatoes after another 10 minutes have passed, leaving the bell pepper to roast another 10 minutes or so. I like to do the bell pepper a good 45 minutes or so until the skin is dark and blistered.
4. Put the bell pepper in a paper bag, fold the top securely and let steam for 20 minutes. Remove, peel, and chop, removing the seeds. Set aside.
5. Saute the onion in olive oil over medium-high heat, add chopped roasted bell pepper cook for 3 minutes or so, until nicely softened. Then add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add the sausage and break into small pieces with the blade of the spatula. Brown. Add roasted cherry tomatoes, and cook 2 minutes. Pour in the marinara sauce and beef both as needed to thin. Cover let simmer 10 minutes.
7. Mash together the farmer’s cheese with the mozz, parm and provolone. Add the minced garlic and fresh basil.
8. Cut the bell pepper in half, hollow it out and spoon the sausage and sauce mixture in the bell pepper halves, top with cheese. Place in baking dish with hot water partway up the peppers. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove the foil, and cook another 10 minutes or so until the cheese is browned and bubbly.

Notes:

• This recipe makes enough sausage and sauce mixture for two more bell pepper halves, though the extra (about a cup) is perfect for spaghetti squash.
• You can use ricotta in place of the farmer’s cheese, but I’d drain it in cheesecloth or a coffee filter.

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*coming soon* favorite keto recipes