BREAD MACHINE BREAD

 

Using a simple bread machine set on 2# loaf and "light" finish, for mine that's the #1 menu choice:

Be very precise in your measurements, this is key.

*To your bread machine bucket add :

1.5 cups warm water

2 tablespoons of olive oil

*seal the liquid by covering with:

4 cups of all purpose flour

1.5 teaspoons of salt

2.5 tablespoons of sugar

*make a little indention in the top of the flour mix now and add the dry yeast to the indention:

1.5 teaspoons of active dry yeast

After about 10 minutes when it finishes it's first kneading, check it to see if it needs another teaspoon of water or flour.  (If it's gooey, add a teaspoon or two of flour, if it's crumbly dry, add a teaspoon or two of water...however if you've measured accurately, no adjustment should be needed).  The ideal is a slightly wet clay like feel. 


Remove from bucket as soon as it's done and let it cool on a rack.  Bread can be cut once cooled.  

BUTTER BOBS FRIED CHICKEN

  

About a cup or so of lard heated to 350 in a skillet with lid, lay chicken in skin down for 7 min with lid on, (thighs and drumsticks work great), then remove the lid and continue for 7 minutes with lid off. 

Round Two:
Turn the pieces of chicken over and cook for 7 minutes lid on, then 7 minutes lid off.

Final browning & temp raising if needed: 

 If needed, flip the chicken pieces  a final time for a minute or two of browning (lid mostly on) until meat temp is 160, remove the chicken.

Have some melted butter with a teaspoon or so of garlic salt (or garlic powder plus some sea salt) brush this liberally onto both sides of each piece.  Delicious chicken is ready to serve.  

(The source of this is entirely credited to Bob Briggs and is currently, at the time of this posting, available on youtube at https://youtu.be/xyUV9Q33l04 )  It is written out here for quick simplicity and to be here in the event the powers that be remove the youtube posting.  Absolutely delicious fried chicken without the insulin spikes of breading or the artery clog of vegetable oil.  Enjoy.  

CHAFFLE LOW CARB SAUSAGE AND EGG BREAKFAST

 

A mini, a small "Dash" brand chaffle maker

In a bowl mix/blend one egg and a handful ( or 3/4 cup) of shredded cheese (any kind but blended like "fiesta blend" etc works great)  shake on some salt and pepper like you would for an egg.

Add a tab of ready to melt butter and a big spoon of water
blend thoroughly

Put a pinch or spoon full of shredded cheese onto the hot griddle to help add crispness

Now dump half the egg mix onto the griddle and close the lid

Set timer for 5 minutes...but if you don't care for timers, wait till the steam stops

remove done one to a cooling rack or a paper towel and prop up one side on a plate or something so it's not laying flat   

cook the other one.

Now...once done, smear one side with mayo (the cheese/chaffle can be a bit drying on the tongue) , cover with a cooked sausage pattie and slices of a fresh tomato, then cover with a fried egg, put the top chaffle on and you've done it...a delicious low carb sausage and egg chaffle.  This pic is waiting it's egg...

BACON & TOMATO CHAFFLE

 

About 4 grams of carbohydrate. No wheat.
Uses a "Dash" small waffle maker about 4" diameter

RECIPE:

1. Gather the ingredients (3 slices fried bacon, 1 slice tomato, 1 raw egg, a spoon of water, a few pinches of shredded cheese, duke mayonnaise, yellow mustard)
2. Heat the dash
3. Soften a couple tablespoons of cream cheese and stir/blend well with one raw egg and a spoon of water.
   
4.  Add a couple pinches of shredded cheese to the bottom of the waffle maker to add crispness.  This is optional.
5. Pour in half the mix 
6. Set timer for 5 or longer if there is still steam visible
7. Cool the first while second chaffle is cooking (repeat 4,5,6)
   
8. Add mustard and mayo to the completed chaffles and bacon pieces and slice of tomato
9. Take picture for your social media of course. 

TERRAPINS

 

My dad made these on occasion while we were kids.  They got their name because of the different patterns on them and shape and size were similar to some turtles.  

This may be the easiest recipe posted, because it only has 2 ingredients.  A can of cheap biscuits :  

And a bit of butter or bacon grease for the skillet.  Set the temp on low to medium, melt the butter or bacon grease in the skillet then when it's warmed up good, toss in the biscuits.  (Yes these are the same biscuits the instructions say to bake in a pan, but we're doing this instead)

Turn fairly frequently so one side doesn't get too brown before the center can cook to desired doneness.  

Jelly/preserves/honey etc go great with these but they are just fine without the sweets and make an ideal addition to a plate of bacon and eggs.  

QUICK KIELBASA BREAKFAST

Need something different for breakfast?  throw a bit of bacon grease or butter in a pan, slice up a stick of smoked kielbasa, add some frozen "stir fry vegetables"  and stir/warm/fry for a good 10 minutes or so.  Add soy sauce and if desired, rice.  

Personally I liked putting the kielbasa slices in first so they kind of got "fried" on both sides before adding the veggies for warming

 

GER'S MEXICAN CASSEROLE (from my mothers recipes)

Bowl Mix 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, 1 can of cream of chicken soup, 1 cup of milk, 10 oz. can of enchilada sauce (green or red is fine) and an *optional drained 4oz can of fire roasted diced green chili.  Mix all together.

Brown 1 pound hamburger meat and a cup and a half of diced onion. then drain off the greasy water and then stir into the skillet of browning hamburger meat the bowl mix.

Simmer 15-20 minutes , (covered is best but that's optional) stir scraping the bottom occasionally to avoid it sticking. 

8x13 casserole pan sprayed well with olive oil spray , Scoop out about half the meat mix into the casserole pan (aluminum pan is fine especially if you're going to freeze it) and cover it with a layer of chips, Tostitos or Doritos, (approx 10-11 oz. bag is enough to cover both layers.  Most people seem to prefer the Nacho Doritos)  

Cheese Add a  layer of a good shredded cheese mix (i.e.. fiesta blend) (or mix cheddar and mozzarella if that's all you've got)

Add the other half the meat mix sauce, and then cover that with another layer of chips but hold off on topping that with cheese just yet. 

(*Option if this is for a week or two from now, let this cool completely, cover snugly with foil and freeze it as is, join in again on the next instruction marked "Bake" after you've thawed it out.  If you choose this it works out wonderfully, just let it thaw before baking.)

Bake in oven for 30 min. at 325. (the last 5-7 minutes add a final layer of blended shredded cheese, and completely optional, if you like them...add some sliced black olive.  Return it to oven for the final 7 minutes.

Let it set up /cool a bit before eating.  

THE PERFECT STEAK

 

Reverse Sear.  Works for thick steaks (even up to  1.5" thick) Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Rub ground Himalayan salt and black pepper into both sides of the steak. Baked it on the rack in the preheated toaster oven at 250 degrees for 20-22 minutes for medium rare.  (turn it over half way through) it will drip so have foil below it.  If tempted to leave longer, remember they won't be at "done" temperature here, that is reached during the searing time. 

Remove from oven and let it "rest" 5 or 10 minutes while heating up a skillet (cast iron is a great option) to very hot...400-500 degrees.  Then tossed the steak onto the hot skillet  for a few minutes on each side and then hold the edges to the heat for a quick one minute sear. Medium rare is an internal temperature about 140.   Remove from skillet and optionally spread a tab of butter on one side.  Ideally you should have a slightly charred outer layer, but medium rare moist and delicious inside. 

THE PERFECT PINTO BEANS

---by Ger 

Pour a pound of fresh (well within date) dry pinto beans into a colander, and set the colander in a bowl to rinse the beans and soak them in.

One day later, pull the colander and changeout the water, continue soaking.

After a total of about 36-48 hours...they are ready, skim off any gaseous foam, lift out the beans from their soaking water

Preparing the brine pot for the beans:

Cut 5 slices of thick cut bacon into shorter lengths (thirds or fourths), lay in the bottom of the bean pot or "brine pot".


Turn the heat on to medium. Add 1 tablespoon of Garlic Powder (Not "Garlic Salt") spread over the bacon, add 1 tablespoon or a little less of ground sea salt, add 1/2 tsp of black pepper, add a diced third to half an onion, add the beans and level them out, add about half a gallon of water to a level no more than 1/2"  above the beans.  Add a third of a stick or half a stick of butter. close the lid.

Should be boiling pretty actively in about 20 min. or so...when it does, "scrape the bottom" style stirring just a bit then drop the burner to a low simmer and replace the lid...check and stir occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom and it's not trying to boil.

Ready to eat even within about a 90 min. to 2 hours.

Serve and then Turn burner off.

After while or tomorrow when it is time to eat again, set the burner to that low simmer mark , leave the lid on …the rewarmed beans will be even tastier..

Now these are good beans, but if you want master quality beans, once it cools set your entire bean pot in the refrigerator, and put back on the stove on low tomorrow, for hours... if you'll allow me to make up a word..."deliciouser"