I recently posted an attempt to make an ice cream suitable for a diabetic. Here is another popular flavor, strawberry.

There were some pitfalls in the last batch, namely the graininess after the ice cream was spun. There were a few great comments to how to avoid that scenario, and it got me to thinking.

What if I used a natural thickener to set my ice cream? One could use stabilizers, algae, or gelatin to set up the ice cream. The idea is to replace the structure of the sugar in the ice cream so it does not freeze into a solid block.

Today I thought I would try my hand at using yogurt. The milk is naturally thickened by the bacteria in the yogurt, and it would also have a creamier profile.

I make yogurt regularly, and I have a great post on how to do that. There is a little fore planning for this recipe, unless you replace it with commercially prepared yogurt. Be careful to use a Balkan style though, as you don’t want a yogurt that is thickened with gums and gelatin. Look for something around 6 to 10% milk fat.

The other key to this recipe is using local fruit. If you just buy those disgusting huge strawberries that are pure white when you cut into the center, you need to add more sugar to coax the flavor out of them. I prefer to eat my sugar naturally, thank you.

I am lucky enough to live in Quebec, and I have a bit of strawberries growing in my back yard. I supplemented the amount by going to the local market. This year is a bit expensive for strawberries, as it has rained like crazy. In the end though, I ended up paying less than half than for the fake strawberries you see at the grocery store.

Blend strawberries, eggs, cream, yogurt, and Sugar Twin together with a hand-blender

Since I was going to use a hand blender today, I made this into a 1 bowl affair. It worked out pretty good, and my other half was not as vexed with the amount of dishes.

No graininess, and a couple of spoonfulls missing.

The mixture spun up really good, and there was no sign of the graininess like before. My son could not wait, so I had to give him a few spoonfuls to tide him over. That was a good sign.

Here's a trick: cover the top of your ice cream to prevent a skin from forming.

The ice cream held its own, and was a sucess. I was not so sure of the Sugar Twin, but in the end it turned out great. If you knew it was in there, you could tell. My wife and son ate it without complaint, so speaks volumes.

Wow, good enough for a Diabetic!

The next ice cream I am going to try out will have Stevia leaves for sweetening. For that, I will be making the most popular flavor of all, Vanilla!

Quebec Strawberry Ice Cream

Inspired by Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book pg 54

Serves: 8

Calories per serving: (4 ounces): 123.99

Carbohydrates: 7.26 grams

Ingredients:

• 1 pint fresh Quebec strawberries, hulled, chopped (you can use your own local strawberries, just please… local only!)
• 1 cup Sugar Twin
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 cup yogurt (preferably homemade or at least 6% milkfat)
• 2 free-range organic eggs

Method:

1. Combine strawberries, Sugar Twin, and lemon juice together in a large bowl. Toss together, and place into the fridge to macerate for at least an hour, (or overnight.)
2. Take out the bowl, add the cream, yogurt, and eggs. Grab your hand blender and blend the works until it is smooth. Some people prefer to have chunks in their ice cream. If that is you, go ahead and take out half first the strawberries at first, then add them back  in the next step.
3. Add your ice cream to your maker according to the manufacturer;s instructions. When the ice cream is ready, taste a few spoonfulls, then place it into a container, covering the top with plastic wrap before putting on the lid.

Why can’t a Diabetic enjoy ice cream?

Something that bothered me about my Diabetes diagnosis was the things I had to give up. Ice cream is one of those things. Nothing says summer like a nice bowl of ice cream. Today’s post will attempt to bring back what Diabetics are forbidden to have: Ice Cream!

I recently had the displeasure of eating what passed as “ice cream” for diabetics at an ice cream stand. Trouble was, it tasted like plastic. The experience wasn’t all that great, but it got me to thinking:

What is ice cream?

Basically: air, cream (or milk for those misguided fat-free crowd), sweetener, and eggs.

Of course, it goes without saying that sugar as a sweetener is what gives us Diabetics the most trouble.

What if we used another sweetening agent instead? There are so many different products to sweeten with that I decided to make a Facebook Page just for Diabetic Ice Cream experiments.

What follows is today’s experiment, using an awesome ice cream machine, the Cuisinart ICE 50-BC (link goes to my Amazon store page). Of course, you don’t need a fancy machine to make this ice cream, but it sure helps.

Here is the experiment:

Today I will experiment with Splenda. The results will be at the end, with the recipe.

Start with 2 free range eggs

Here you see an action shot! Whisk those eggs until they are frothy!

Wait! You mean you are not going to cook them? Before you balk at not cooking the eggs, remember that if your eggs are fresh, it’s okay to eat them raw. For example, you would eat raw eggs when you eat mayonnaise.

Why not cook them like all those other recipes say? The reason is the mixture would thicken like a custard, and have a cooked flavor. There is enough fat in this mixture that we can enjoy the fresh taste of the cream and milk. Besides, I don’t like to heat Splenda from the packets. In coffee it is fine, but I have never had success with other heating applications with the packets. Perhaps the bulk Splenda is different.

In another bowl, 1 Cup of half-and-half

Some recipes will call for milk. I replaced it with half-and-half to up the fat content. Understand this people – the fat in ice cream is not what makes you gain the weight. It’s the sugar!

Add 2 cups heavy cream to the half-and-half in the bowl.

A quick aside here… I love Martha Stewart! Seriously, I love her magazines. I recently took a quiz on her site to see if I was a “master chef or a novice cook?” I got 9 out of 10! One of the questions was on how you measure liquids. You can see I did not really measure this at eye level. I will tell you a secret though – we don’t use liquid measurements in a professional kitchen. We use a scale. But I digress… back to the ice cream at hand!

Add 2 tablespoons of Premium freeze-dried coffee to the cream mixtures. Yes, that is bacon in the background! I was eating my breakfast while preparing for this post!

Yes, it’s a shortcut. Thing is, I could probably make some double strength espresso, incorporate it into the mix. Truth though, this way isn’t so bad. Sometimes you can make a compromise and not affect the flavor. In this case, the flavor is superior to the espresso.

Add in 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the bowl.

My favorite cacao powder is Barry Extra Brut. You can get it by clicking on that link that goes to my Amazon store. I like to put it into a plastic container so it will keep almost indefinitely.

Add in 18 packets of Splenda to the bowl.

Wow! You’re asking yourself, “Why doesn’t he just add in the baking Splenda?” Good question. I didn’t feel like buying a whole box of the stuff, and I had some leftover for my morning coffee before I discovered Stevia, so why not use them up? Find out how that turned out later…

Whisk everything together to blend ... sort of.

Don’t get too carried away about blending the mixture. The eggs are coming next, you’ll get another chance. The main problem is incorporating the cacao powder with the liquids…

Pour and whisk the eggs into to the chocolate mixture.

Pour the eggs into the chocolate mixture. Why use another bowl to whip the eggs WDC?

I think it is only to annoy my wife. See, she hates it when I have so many different dishes for one recipe. I really can’t think of another reason.

Whisk for all your might!

Here’s your second chance to mix the works up. Once the mixture is homogenized, you can stop. (I just had to slip that big word in there!)

This is why I am fat - I can't resist the tasting of food!

Taste the mixture. Keep in mind that it might be a little sweeter than you are used to cold. The sweet sensation will dissipate with the cold, so keep that in mind. You may have to adjust the sweetness with another packet or two of Splenda. Of course, I always use that as an excuse to “test” things out. See if it works for you!

The Monster Ice Cream Machine!

Worth every penny folks! This machine will pay for itself in, uhh, 2 or so years. The best part? You don’t have to freeze the bowl to make ice cream. It has it’s own refrigeration unit inside. The downside? It weighs a tonne, and can’t exactly go on your counter.

Another bad point is your significant other might curse it when they trip over it in the kitchen floor. But… back to this post!

Turn the motor on, then add the ice cream mixture in a thread through the hole.

The machine is loud, but if your significant other just turns up the T.V., all will be well in the household. Alternately, you could put the machine in the bathroom with the door closed. Excessive, but if it avoids an argument? Why not!

Spin the ice cream mixture for 30 to 60 minutes.

The number 1 ingredient in ice cream is air. The reason it tastes so light and fluffy is because of the air that is worked into it. If you don’t have a machine, the ice cream won’t be as nice because the ice cream mixture will freeze into crystals. The paddles on the machine break the crystals as they freeze, and incorporate more air into the mixture as they swoop through the mix.

The amount of air added into the ice cream is called “overrun”, and is the main reason you see gums and thickening agents added to commercial ice creams. Enough theory!

Of course, if you don't have that huge monster machine, you could just put it into a bowl for the freezer

If you don’t have a fancy machine, you can opt for the freezer method. Put the bowl into the freezer, and set a timer for every 5 minutes. When it goes off, pull out your bowl and whisk the ingredients together. Repeat those steps until the mixture resembles a slightly melted ice cream. It will not be as nice, and it will be a major pain in the ass. (Especially if your significant other is trying to catch up on their PVR shows and the alarm goes off every 5 minutes!)

Put the ice cream into a container with a piece of plastic touching the ice cream's top. Then place a lid over it.

No, your ice cream is not ready yet! It will need some curing time in the freezer first. If you must, you could give out a few tablespoons here and there as a taste, but avoid eating too much. It will be too soft!

After a couple of hours, your ice cream will be hard enough to scoop, and you will have this deliciousness to eat!

The results:

The ice cream turned out a little bit grainy. I think it was due to the Splenda. The cream base just did not lend well to the smoothness that I usually like with ice cream. It could be that I left the mixture too long in the bowl as well. Overall, the ice cream was not bad, certainly better than plastic! I think I will try with some Sweet n’ Low next time and see what happens.

The recipe:

Diabetic Mocha Ice Cream

Inspired by Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book pg 72

Serves: 8

Calories per serving (4 oz): 275

Carbohydrates per serving: 6.37 grams

Ingredients:

• 2 free-range chicken eggs
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons Barry Extra-Brut cacao powder
• 4 tablespoons freeze dried coffee
• 18 packages Splenda

Method:

1. Whisk eggs together until frothy. In a separate bowl, combine half-and-half cream, whipping cream, cacao powder, instant coffee and Splenda together. Whisk the mixture until incorporated, then add in whisked eggs. Whip the mixture together until the mixture is homogeneous.
2. Set up ice cream maker according to instructions; add the ice cream mixture to the bowl while it is spinning. Process according to your ice cream makers instructions. (It should take almost 30 minutes to an hour.)
3. Alternately, if you do not have an ice cream maker, you can put the bowl into the freezer with a whisk inside. Set a timer for 5 minutes, whisk the mixture, and replace it into the freezer, resetting the timer for 5 minutes. Repeat as necessary until the ice cream mixture is soft.
4. Remove the ice cream from the maker, and place it into a container with a tight-fitting lid. Make sure to put a layer of plastic on top of the surface of the ice cream to avoid ice crystals from forming. Freeze for a couple of hours to let the ice cream set.

A while back, I gave you a recipe for chicken spice rub. It is time to update the recipe for two reasons: make it into a ratio, and suitable for a diabetic.

You can make this mixture from the spices I told you should be in your cupboard, with a few extras. They are definitely worth the extra expense; this will be your go-to chicken rub.

The recipe starts with an idea from a fantastic post I saw a week back on roasted lemon zest. I was so impressed with it, I decided to add it to the spice. (It is totally optional, the recipe will work without it.)

Since it takes the longest to complete, we will start off with those steps.

Here is what you do:

Peel off the skin of the lemon, taking care to leave the white pith.

Remove the skins of the lemon with your vegetable peeler, taking care to leave the white pith behind. This is important, because the pith tastes bitter. Trust me, it is like accidentally eating a thyroid pill. Disgusting!

You will want to roast them in a moderately hot oven. The original instructions say to place them in an oven that is pre-heating. I found that a 250°F oven is the best way to go. You will want to take them out about half way to give them a little stir for even roasting.

Give the zest a little stir for even roasting.

The entire process will take about 30 minutes. Don’t let them get too dark, or the flavor will be bitter.

There, they are nice and roasted now. The smell intoxicates - a citrusy aroma with some darker undertones

Let the peels cool for a bit.

Look at the nice clean grinder!

Grind the cooled zest with a clean spice grinder.

Next up, dry-toast your cumin seeds. You do this by setting your pan over a medium flame, add your seeds, and shake the pan until you can smell the earthy scents from the cumin.

The shot is a bit blurry, because this is an action shot!

I always set the cumin seeds into another cold pan to arrest the cooking. Otherwise, the seeds will continue to cook and become bitter. If I do that at home, my wife gets upset (about using too many dishes,) but losing your cumin from overcooking is never good.

Once the cumin seeds are cooled, add them to your spice grinder with the celery seeds. Grind them until they are a powder.

Sometimes you gotta McGyver something to make it work.

A quick aside: you may have heard about System D. This is a great example of that term. Equipment has a short life in professional kitchens, especially spice grinders that are not meant for commercial use. This one is missing its button. No matter – nothing a bamboo skewer can’t solve. Dangerous? Sure. Necessary? Absolutely!

All the spices are here, except for one I forgot to lay out. Doh!

Here you can see all the spices I have in this mix. I forgot to put one in there in my haste to take this picture. Can you guess which one is missing?

Mix the spices together, get ready to test!

Shake  the spices together. It is not really necessary to lay out all the spices like I did in the last picture, unless you are taking an explanatory photograph. (Unless you are anal of course… but that is a topic for another day!)

The most important part of the post comes with the test. How does our spice hold up?

Place about a tablespoon of olive oil on the chicken

I had some chicken tenders left over, and it was getting close to lunchtime. What better way to test the new spice mix than over a salad?

Rub some olive oil on the chicken, then sprinkle the spice rub generously over the chicken:

Massage the spice throughout the chicken

Roast (or grill) in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes. It should look like so:

Let the chicken rest, or they will be chunks of leather!

After a short rest, the chicken went on usual lunch salad I made.

After tasting, I discovered that the mix was a bit too spicy. I reviewed my steps, and found that I did not put the regular paprika in. I fixed it, tested again, and the spiciness was just right. That is why it is so important to taste while you go.

Putting it all together:

This recipe below is a ratio by volume, so you can substitute a part for a cup, or a half cup, or an ounce if you like. Just replace the word “part” with your base volume measurement (cup, tablespoon, or something like it.) I won’t give the recipe for the chicken today, as it really was just for a test.

WDC’s BBQ Chicken Spice

Ingredients:

• 2 parts smoked paprika
• 1 part paprika
• 1 part Splenda or stevia powder
• 1/2 part black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 part cumin seeds, dry toasted
• 1/2 part celery seeds
• 1/2 part kosher salt
• 1/2 part garlic powder
• 1/16 part chili powder
• optional: 1/2 part roasted lemon peel, ground

Method:

1. Peel lemon zest strips with a peeler, taking care to remove only the yellow, not the pith.
2. Roast strips in a 250°F oven for 10 minutes; stir the zest to promote even roasting.
3. Replace and roast strips for another 20 minutes; remove and cool strips.
4. Grind in a clean spice grinder until finely ground.
5. Toast cumin seeds over medium flame until you can smell the earthy tones. Remove from heat, cool, and grind in a coffee grinder with the celery seeds until coarsely ground.
6. Combine smoked paprika, paprika, Splenda, black pepper, garlic powder, chili powder and lemon peel. Stir in ground cumin and celery seeds.
7. Place into tight fitting bottles and use within 3 months.
8. To use, rub your chicken with a bit of olive oil, then sprinkle this mixture on the chicken liberally. Massage the spices into every nook and cranny of the chicken, then grill or roast it to your heart’s desire.

Last week I posted a menu that reflects the new health-conscious lifestyle that I have adopted. Today I am going to show you a refreshing, healthy tea that will certainly quench your thirst, and be a definite conversation piece.

Rumor has it that it was discovered as an alternative to black tea and the high taxation the British imposed on them. (A great way to thumb your nose at the aristocracy.)

The health effects of this tea are what have me. It is traditionally used in India to lower blood sugar in diabetics, and it is rumored to reduce hypertension. (That is, if the gods of Wiki can be trusted.) It is popular in a lot of cultures: Jamaican, Asian, Latin-American and African.

Here is my version of the tea, without sugar that would counteract the benefit for a diabetic.

Don't be scared of the price, this will make enough for an entire BBQ party!

Hibiscus will be a little more difficult to find than your regular sachets of dust in the supermarket. You will need to visit one of those weird little herb/spice shops, or perhaps your nearby health food store. In a last-ditch effort, you might even be able to ask a florist where to find the dried flowers.

Don’t be put off by the first step. Sometimes you just need to work a little extra for that payoff, and it will be huge, I promise!

The next spices are the secret ingredients. You do not need these spices to continue, but they will add a special touch to the tea. Peppercorns for a bit of spiciness, cinnamon for a little earthiness, cloves for a back of the mouth feel, and Jamaican allspice and star anise for their high accent notes.

This is what adds that special touch to the tea

Add it all together in a large pot, throw in your spices whole. (Don’t worry, we will be straining the whole mixture later.)

Look at all that goodness in there!

Fill the pot to almost full with water. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

You really don’t want a roiling boil here. The idea is to extract as much out of the flowers and spices as possible. Once 15 minutes has passed, turn off the heat and let the mixture rest for 10 more minutes. This is to allow the maximum extraction of all that is good from the ingredients.

Strain the mixture through a fine strainer

If you don’t have a fine chinois, you could use a clean T-Shirt to strain the mixture. The idea is to get all of the flowers and spices out of the tea so it will be more enjoyable to drink.

Let the mixture drain naturally

Patience is key here. You might be tempted to mash the mixture through the strainer. Don’t. If you do that, you will force the particles through the mesh, and you will have sediment in your tea.

Some people like their tea sweet. If that is the case, mix in enough sugar to lightly sweeten the mixture. If you are diabetic like me, you can enjoy it without sweetening it, or you can add some stevia leaves (or powder) to the mixture while it is still hot.

To serve, pour over ice cubes. You could even take it to go in a container like this one:

Take it to go! Just remember to pour it over ice.

There you have it, a refreshing tea for the BBQ that people will love!

Refreshing Hibiscus Tea

Serves: 15

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces dried hibiscus tea leaves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon Jamaican allspice
• 4 pods star anise
• 1 tablespoon cloves
• 1 gallon cold water
• optional: 2 cups sugar or 3 stevia leaves or 10 packets stevia powder

Method:

1. Place hibiscus leaves, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and star anise in large pot; fill with cold water.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to barely a simmer. It is important that you do not let the mixture roil and boil, as this will make for a cloudy and bitter mixture.
3. Simmer for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the mixture steep for an additional 10 minutes. (If you are adding the stevia leaves for sweetening, add them now.)
4. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer or an old clean T-Shirt. Avoid the temptation to press the mixture through the strainer. You will need to be patient, or you will have to contend with small particles catching in your teeth while drinking. (Not a fun experience!)
5. If you are sweetening with sugar, add it at this point, stir the sugar through.
6. Allow the mixture to cool.
7. Serve the mixture over ice, adding a twist of lemon or lime if you choose. Mint also works very well for another added touch.
8. You can keep this tea in the refrigerator for up to a week. Take it to go from time to time!

Last week I posted a menu that reflects the new health-conscious lifestyle that I have adopted. Today I am going to show you a cool big-ass salad with a grilled chicken breast.

I originally got the idea from a wonderful site called Marks Daily Apple. I saw a video a while back where he described how he eats a “big-assed salad” for lunch. The idea was so awesome, that I adopted it for my daily lunch every day.

What really sells this salad is the freshness of the vegetables and fruit that go into it. Is it weird to add blueberries to a salad like this? I counter with – why not? They add a new note to the chord that makes this salad awesome.

You will go away from the table sated with this salad, and the carbohydrates are minimal.

Salad of Mixed Greens with Seasonal Vegetables, Blueberries, and Grilled Chicken

Serves: 1

Net Carbohydrates: 16.10 grams

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

• 1 chicken breast, 6 ounces (skinless and boneless if you like)
• 1 tablespoon WDC Montreal Steak spice (shameless self-promotion, I know. You could whatever spice you like to use the best)

For the salad:

• 2 cups mixed baby salad greens
• 1/4 cucumber, sliced thinly on diagonal
• 1/4 red pepper, seeded, sliced into strips
• 3 asparagus spears, trimmed to 4 inches
• 10 snow peas, ends and ribs trimmed
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 2 ounces extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 ounce balsamic vinegar

Method:

For the chicken:

1. Rub the steak spice into the chicken breast, and grill over a medium flame.
2. Turn the chicken to mark attractively with hatch marks. You will want to cook it until it is completely done. (There will be no pink inside the meat.) (If you like, you could just cook the chicken in the oven, just pan sear it first with a touch of oil. Both will work!)
3. Allow your chicken to rest for a minute once it comes off the grill. The juices will re-distribute and the meat will relax. Your chicken will be moist and tender this way. If you cut it right away, all of your juices will run out of the breast, and you will be left with a dry husk. Not very fun to eat!
4. Slice the chicken into strips easily eaten with a fork. Keep the breast together so you can present it nicely on the plate.

Assemble the salad:

1. Place the salad greens into the center of your bowl. It is okay to have a slight mound. The key here is presentation, and you will need something to rest your chicken on.
2. Arrange the cucumber slices in one “corner” of your bowl. Fan them out attractively before placing them. You want to create some interest in this salad with your skills.
3. Continue placing the peppers, snow peas, and asparagus at the “corners”, opposing each other.
4. Sprinkle the blueberries in the middle. (Get over the blueberries in the salad. Trust me, it will be delicious!)
5. Gently place your chicken breast on top of the salad. I like to fan it out so you can place it around your dressing ramekin for presentation sakes.
6. Fill the ramekin with the olive oil, then add the balsamic vinegar.
7. Eat the salad. Bonne Appetit!

You can substitute whatever vegetables you have on hand for this salad. I sometimes I like to add cherry tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, radishes or whatever berries that I have on hand. If I am in the mood for salty, I may add olives instead.

Your imagination is the limit. Play around with your food and combinations, and throw away all those unnecessary (bread) carbohydrates you eat. Whole other possibilities await for you if you are willing to experiment.

What would you like to throw into this salad?

Yesterday I posted a menu that reflects the new health conscious lifestyle that I have adopted. This dish is a vibrant play on the old Benedict classic. Today I will show you how to execute this dish.

The key to this dish is technique. There are 3 different techniques involved in creating this dish.

First, you need to know how to oven roast Roma tomatoes. You can find out how from a guest post I did a while back for Tom Naughton’s Fat Head website.

Put a large pot of water on to boil, and place a good glop (that is a technical term BTW) of white vinegar in the water. Turn the water down to a simmer, and stir the vinegar throughout the pot. (This prevents the eggs from separating while you poach them.)

Second, you need to roast asparagus spears.

Keep it simple, olive oil, sea salt, and cracked black pepper

Toss in a little olive oil, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Roast them under the broiler or a hot oven until they are tender-crisp. (About 3 to 4 minutes.)

Third, you will need to know how to poach eggs. Crack your eggs into the simmering water. (Simmering means that you can see small bubbles floating to the surface, not a roiling boil!)

Simmering water = little bubbles floating to the surface. This is extremely important.

Cook your eggs to the doneness that you like, and remove them with a slotted spoon. Place them on a towel to drain the liquid.

Nothing is worse than a watery egg, so make sure it is well drained.

Plate your tomatoes on the plate:

Plate your tomatoes like so

Set up your plate with the avocado slices, your asparagus spears:

Right there that looks like a great dish!

Then place your eggs on top. Allow room for the Roma tomatoes, avocado and asparagus to show. There is no sense covering up your handiwork!

A healthy start to your day. Delicious too.

Serve immediately, otherwise the eggs will overcook.

Poached Eggs on Oven Roasted Tomatoes, Sliced Avocado and Roasted Asparagus Spears

Servings: 1

Net carbohydrates: 15.48g

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon water, simmering
• 1 tablespoon white winegar
• 2 free-range organic eggs
• 6 asparagus spears, trimmed to 3 inch lengths
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• pinch sea salt
• a turn of freshly cracked black peppercorns
• 2 Roma tomatoes, oven roasted
• 1/4 avocado, peeled, sliced thinly

Method:

1. Ensure your water is simmering, place the vinegar and stir the water through.
2. Toss asparagus in oil, salt and pepper; roast until tender-crisp. (About 3 to 4 minutes)
3. Place eggs carefully in simmer water; poach eggs until desired doneness. It really is up to you how much, just make sure you take them out of the water before you think they are done to your liking. They continue to cook when they are out of the water.
4. Remove eggs from water with a slotted spoon, placing them over a towel to drain the water. Be very gently, as the eggs will break if you handle them like a lumberjack. These are not fried eggs people!
5. Place the roasted Roma tomatoes on the plate, arrange the avocado around them. Finally, place the asparagus spears point up, (presentation people!)
6. Gently slide the eggs onto the plate, allowing room for the Roma tomatoes, avocado and asparagus to show. There is no sense covering up your handiwork!

What do you think of this sante item?

You do not have to go very far to get all the best ingredients you need to eat the primal way. In fact, that is for the best – Grok and family sure never could pull up to the supermarket to get ingredients that his counterparts across the globe eat.

Farm fresh eggs, salmon caught off the Atlantic ocean, a cheese produced a short hour hike from me, and strawberries another hour from there. Put together, these items make a great start to the day.

I was at the grocery store this morning, and I almost did a double-take when I saw the price of organic free range eggs. I thought about it for a second though. It is truly funny that we would balk at the price of something so healthy for us in lieu of the junk put out there by factory raised eggs. I would not spend my money on a crappy piece of beef even if it was 1/2 the price of a great cut. What makes eggs different?

We have been conditioned into this line of thought. We don’t have the money to buy that good product, so we buy the tasteless, abused product.

They cost twice as much, for twice the benefit.

Straight out, the recipe for the omelette is not hard. If you followed the post I did a while back on omelette making, you will have no problem with it.

Fry the salmon in a pat of butter, season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

I have no qualms about using butter. I had a comment last week about “using so much saturated fat.” Guess what? We have been doing it for thousands of years, and I am not about to change that. We are looking for flavor, not worrying about so-called “studies” where they compare lists of people who had heart attacks to what they ate. I paid attention in science class, and I know that is flawed. Anyway, I guess I will stick to what I know though, and continue in this lesson.

Add your eggs and agititate the bottom to cook your eggs evenly

Your beat your eggs, (with a bit of water if you like them fluffy,) and add them to the pan. Make sure that you are cooking over a high heat. Your eggs should sizzle as soon as they hit the pan. You want to slip the spatula underneath your eggs, raising the corners so the liquid can get underneath. This will protect the poor eggs under the heat, and make your eggs cook that much faster. If you smell that tell-tale smell of burnt eggs, you are not moving the corners fast enough. Your goal is to cook the eggs quickly, so tilt your pan if necessary. This whole step should be about 30 to 40 seconds tops.

Add your own locally made cheese, and fold it over

Your eggs are almost set up at this point. Add your cheese and lift the edge to fold the omelette over into a half crescent. Turn the stove off, and let the omelette rest. The idea is to let the eggs set up, and have the cheese go all molten on you.

Some of you might balk at having your omelette a but runny. I ask you this: would you have your over-easy eggs hard? Most often the answer is no. (Some may like that, good on you!) An omelette is no different. You can have a bit of juiciness, and you will not be harmed. You will find the eggs are more silky-tender this way.

Also, don’t feel you need to get Oka cheese. Go to the market around you and use some local cheese. You might have to spend 5 to 6 dollars on it, but a little bit goes a long way. Experiment! Support those local cheese people!

Flip the omelette over to complete the cooking

Before you serve the omelette, give it a flip in the pan to fully set the other side. A perfect omelette has next to no color. I have a bit here, because I was fiddling with the camera to take the picture. Don’t worry, the flavor did not suffer!

Here is the final dish. Grok would be happy to eat this in the morning. I attached a couple of strawberries grown at a farm 10 minutes from my front door. Ah, strawberry season has begun again!

Add a bit of salsa, and a few strawberries, and you are good to go!

Finally, I added a 1/4 cup of salsa, in lieu of ketchup. I love the spicy flavor it adds to the dish. Beats ketchup any day of the week.

Here it is, the recipe:

Omelette of Atlantic Salmon, Oka Cheese, Salsa with Local Strawberries

Serves:1

Net Carbohydrates: 13.27g

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter, without salt
• 1 ounce Atlantic salmon, filetted and coarsly chopped
• 2 large organic free-range eggs, slightly beaten
• To taste kosher salt
• To taste freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 ounce Oka cheese (or a local cheese)
• 1/4 cup mild salsa
• 3 large strawberries, locally grown

Method:

1. Heat butter in an omelette pan over high heat until just sizzling.
2. Add salmon; sear quickly until you can smell the scents of the fresh fish.
3. Season the mixture with a pinch of kosher salt, and a few turns of freshly cracked black pepper.
4. Add beaten eggs, they should sizzle and jump when they hit the pan.
5. Lift the corners of the eggs with the spatula to allow the liquid to run underneath. If you smell burning eggs, you are not allowing the liquid eggs to run underneath fast enough. (Flip the omelette to avoid burning your eggs further!)
6. Once the eggs are almost totally set, you may see a bit of liquid in the center of the omelette. DON’T PANIC! Turn off the stove.
7. Add cheese to one half of the omelette. You can grate it or leave it as a whole slice. Make sure it is thin enough to melt though.
8. Fold the omelette over the cheese and place the pan over the dwindling heat to allow the residual heat to melt the cheese inside.
9. After a minute or two, flip the omelette over and wait a minute or two.
10. Serve up on a plate, spooning the salsa over top of the omelette. If there is a bit of liquid, again, DON’T PANIC. It’s alright.
11. Serve up with the strawberries, and enjoy your primal breakfast, the Grok way!

I hoped you enjoyed this breakfast, I know I did!

Everyone seems to be afraid these days. Everything seems to cause cancer, obesity, disease. We have been told time and time again to avoid this, that, and eat nothing really except for items on an agenda that has been pushed by special interest groups.

I am of course talking about the recommendation to eat a whole grains cereal for breakfast.

I am not a doctor. I am a diabetic. Here is my take:

The idea is that the slow release of the carbohydrate will not produce an insulin spike in a normal person, because the carbohydrate is converted at a later time. For instance, oatmeal will carry a glyceamic load of 87/100. Yes, the grains are slower releasing, but that does nothing to stop them from converting in the first place.

The spike in glucose that comes after this “healthy” meal is more than some can take. It used to be that you would go work hard on the fields, working off that glucose spike by making your muscles more sensitive to insulin. These days, the hardest thing most of us do is fight through traffic. Mentally challenging, but not so much for the glucose.

Today’s omelette brings us back to the basics. Some would argue that your arteries would clog just by looking at it. I beg to differ. In fact, if what they say is true, I should have died a long time ago. My health issues came from eating the “recommended” diet of North America. Grains. In abundance.

If you would like to read more information about this, check out the awesome books, Good Calories Bad Calories by Gary Taubes, and Protien Power by Dr. Michael R Eades and Dr. Mary Dan Eades. (Both links take you to my Amazon store.)

Pork Sausage Omelette with Grilled Mushrooms, Aged White Cheddar and Mild Salsa

Start your day off right, sated, with organic eggs. Your body will love the difference!

Serves: 1

Net Carbohydrates: 16.88 grams

Ingredients:

• 3 free-range organic eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon butter, without salt
• 2 links pork breakfast sausage, casings removed, coarsely chopped
• 1 shiitake mushroom, stem removed, sliced thinly
• 2 button mushrooms, sliced thinly
• ¼ oyster mushroom, (roughly tear it with your fingers)
• To taste kosher salt
• To taste freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 ounce aged local white cheddar, shredded
• ¼ cup mild salsa
• 3 heirloom cherry tomatoes
• 3 strawberries, preferably local

Method:

1. Heat butter in an omelette pan over high heat until just sizzling.
2. Add pork sausage; sear quickly until you see the meat browning and you can smell the mouth-watering scent of porky goodness.
3. Add the mushrooms to the mix, toss lightly. The mushrooms will release some liquid, and the rendered fat in the pan will sizzle. Now is a great time to test a little mushroom, and adjust the level of salt and pepper to your liking.
4. Season the mixture with a pinch of kosher salt, and a few turns of freshly cracked black pepper.
5. Add beaten eggs, they should sizzle and jump when they hit the pan. If they do not, well, don’t lose your head over it. Simply wait a few seconds and the eggs will begin to jump.
6. Lift the corners of the eggs with the spatula to allow the liquid to run underneath. If you smell burning eggs, you are not allowing the liquid eggs to run underneath fast enough. (Flip the omelette to avoid burning your eggs further!)
7. Once the eggs are almost totally set, you may see a bit of liquid in the center of the omelette. DON’T PANIC! Turn off the stove.
8. Add the salsa to the center of the omelette, spreading it with a spoon. You are making art here, so go to town!
9. Sprinkle the aged cheddar cheese over the salsa. At this point, if you are not drooling, something is definitely wrong with you. What more do you want? I mean – porky goodness, fresh mushrooms, salsa and aged white cheddar.
10. Turn off the burner, cover the pan with a lid, and let the omelette rest for a few seconds over the residual heat. This will allow the grated cheese to melt into gooey goodness.
11. Serve up on a plate, (If there is a bit of liquid, again, DON’T PANIC. It’s alright.)
12. Serve up with the strawberries and cherry tomatoes, and enjoy your primal breakfast, the Grok way!

Imagine you have something like this on your plate:

This IS a heart attack on a plate, just not for the reason you think it is...

I absolutely love how that burger is almost too big to even stuff into your mouth. Indeed, it is a heart attack on a plate, but I suggest it is not for the reasons you think. Here me out here.

Most people attack the saturated fat in the burger, calling it the culprit. There is so much fat in that burger, that if you were to eat it, your arteries would creak as they slowly closed in.

Why is it that people never look at the less obvious spot? In the picture above, there is a bun that has 38 grams of carbohydrates. Add ketchup to the picture, and you are looking at another 4 grams per tablespoon. Add in the cheese, and you are looking at another 2 grams of carbohydrates from sugar. The tomato slices are another .8 grams. All told, you are looking at almost 43 grams of carbohydrates.

Add fries to that mix, and you are looking at a disaster. (Assume 100 grams of fries, and you add 24 grams for a total of 67 grams!)

How do we fix it then? Throw away the bun, fries, and the ketchup to start.

Now, it is time for deconstruction.

Add your spice to the burger, then sear it over high heat. Notice the dimple that keeps the burger from bulging up like a hockey puck.

We will use my version of Montreal Steak Spice to sear the meat. Start it off with a glug (that’s a technical term by the way!) of olive oil.

Instead of putting them in the bun, make a side salad out of them.

Next we build the burger garnishes into an impromptu salad. Just for kicks, let’s add half of an avocado. Just because I want to.

Use a local cheese, put that other crap down!

We are really going to go all out here. We have saved money on the buns and ketchup, so we can splurge on a nice cheese. This one is a nice local one that I forgot the name of. Perhaps it is called “Bon Goût Dans Guelle?”

Let the cheese melt to a molten gooey goodness.

Once we flip the burger, notice that there is brown gold on the surface of the burger. The smell should almost knock you back a few feet. A bit of pungency mixed with the tang of salt will greet your nostrils and the sizzle of the rendered golden liquid should give you hunger pangs. Wait though, we need to put the final touch on our masterpiece.

Let us lay the cheese in the center of the burger, cover the pan, and let the natural juices steam and melt the cheese. Aha! Do you hear the knock at the door? That is your neighbor to see what you have cooking. This burger is that powerful.

Okay, I thought blue cheese dressing would be cool too, so sue me!

Now we are at the final stretch. Plate it up, and try and keep it in your hands as your family, neighbors and family pets try and get at it. I imagine that Grok and crew would have a hard time fighting over any leftovers. There would be none.

Now, the recipe:

Deconstructed Primal Burger Plate

Serves: 2

Net Carbohydrates: 19.07 grams

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces freshly ground grass fed beef (I find chuck is the best for this)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• to taste Well Done Chef’s Montreal Steak Seasoning
• 2 x 1 ounce slices of nice cheese, local preferred
• 8 leaves iceberg lettuce
• 1/2 tomato, sliced in half, then sliced in 1/4 inch slices
• 1 avocado, peeled and sliced in 1/4 inch slices
• 2 kosher dill pickles, sliced
• 4 tablespoons blue cheese dressing
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard

Method:

1. Form the patties, make a dimple in the middle of each so they will not bulge up while cooking.
2. Heat a heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat.
3. Pour a glug of olive oil into the pan, heat until shimmering.
4. Season the burgers on both sides with Well Done Chef’s Montreal Steak Seasoning, place into the pan. You should hear the hiss of the meat as it starts to cook. If you do not hear that noise, remove the burger and wait until the oil is hot enough. (Nothing is worse than an insipid burger with no sear crust.)
5. Once you have a nice crust, (about 2 minutes or so – you can check by lifting the burger with a spatula and checking the bottom. You are looking for a nice brown crustiness that will smell amazing,) flip the burger over.
6. Place your cheese over the burger, turn the heat down to medium, and cover the pan. This will allow the natural juices in the pan to steam the cheese, making it molten. A bonus, it will hide the cooking smells a bit, giving you ample time to make off with your dinner before a nosy neighbor comes by to see “what’s cooking?” This will take about 2 minutes to complete.
7. Meanwhile, set up your salad with what you would normally put on the burger bun; place the lettuce, pickle, tomato, avocado together on the plate, and dress it with the blue cheese dressing.
8. Add a dollop of yellow mustard for dipping.
9. Serve immediately, and eat all you can. There will be no seconds, I can guarantee that.

Spring is almost here. Farmer’s markets are teaming with produce that is like a middle step-child.

“Notice me! Please!”

There are heirloom cherry tomatoes. Some canary-yellow, coffee-brown, or burgundy, with their Hunchback of Notre Dame shapes that deserve every bit of attention they cry for. When you pop one into your mouth and taste the silky vine still on it, you should cry that they are ignored.

Perhaps you know of the Kalamata olive’s cousin, the Sicilian olive? They are packed in jars in the beginning of December, before they are fully ripe. They are set to soak and hibernate for the winter. They are not the same old drab purple or black that you are used to. You can even see some reddish spots dispersed through the olive green, and they punch your mouth with their salinity and tartness that add a new dimension to a boring old spring salad.

Yes, the arrival of fresh produce demands that you leave the clunky salad dressings like a wallflower at a high school dance. The king and queen of this prom are the heady, fruity extra-virgin olive oil, (only the best kind,) and the voluptuous white wine vinegar. Put anything else on this salad, and you might as well choke her with the prom dress.

Who said you have to eat a lot of carbohydrates to eat Italian? Use the great produce that we have available for us at this time of year. Don’t skimp on the tomatoes or the olives. They are what make this dish extra special.

Baby Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken, Sicilian Olives, Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, and Bocconcini

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

• 40 grams baby spinach
• 10 Sicilian olives
• 3 Heirloom cherry tomatoes, split into half
• 1 ball Bocconcini cheese, torn
• 100 grams chicken breast, grilled
• 50 grams cucumber, julienned
• To taste kosher salt
• To taste 5 pepper blend, freshly ground
• 30 mL good extra-virgin olive oil
• 15 mL good white wine vinegar

Method:

1. Arrange baby spinach, olives, heirloom cherry tomatoes, Bocconcini, chicken breast, and cucumber in an attractive fashion in a large salad bowl.
2. Season the salad with the salt and the pepper.
3. Dress with the olive oil and white wine vinegar.

Net Carbs: 9.42 grams

1. Toss and serve/eat immediately.