Broiled Lemon Butter Salmon (sugar free • gluten free • low carb • gaps)

Wild Salmon is so good for you!  I try to incorporate it into our meals atleast once every other week, although I could totally eat it more often.  My favorite is grilled with a teriyaki glaze.  Yum!  The following recipe is actually one of the easiest ones and always turns out delicious.

Unless me and the munchkin are on our own for dinner, I have to be very careful how I make the salmon, or Joe won't eat it.  He's not salmon's biggest fan, but I have found if I use LOTS and LOTS of butter, and garlic and brown the edges, he'll eat it without complaining too much.  Here's one of those recipes.

First, I melt about a 1/4 C of butter.

Then I take a few garlic cloves and chop them up real small.

 Chop up some fresh parsley.

Toss it all in with the butter, along with some lemon juice, dried rosemary, salt and pepper.

Set the oven to broil on high. Brush a broiling pan with some butter, then line with your salmon. Generously brush the butter mixture all over the salmon.

Place in oven a few inches from the top.  This is the highest level in my oven.

Let cook for about 4 minutes.  

Remove and generously coat the salmon again with the butter mixture.

Cook for another 4 minutes, remove and reapply butter mixture again.

Move the oven shelf down one level, and return salmon.  Finish Cooking.

These look pretty good to me!

For a quick side, I threw a head of broccoli in the steamer, when it's finished I pour melted butter

 all over it and salt it generously with some unrefined sea salt.

Broiled Lemon Butter Salmon

(sugar free • gluten free • low carb • gaps)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs (4-5) Salmon Filets
• 1/4 C Butter, Melted (plus extra for greasing pan)
• 2 Tb Fresh Lemon Juice
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• 1 tsp Fresh Parsley
• 1/2 tsp Dried Rosemary (I didn't have any fresh)
• Unrefined Sea Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Melt butter on stove top.
2. Add Lemon juice, garlic, parsley, rosemary, salt and pepper to melted butter.
3. Grease Broiling Pan.
4. Place oven shelf on highest setting or about 4 inches from the top.
5. Set oven to Broil on High.
6. Line up Salmon on pan and brush liberally with about 1/3 of butter mixture.
7. Place Salmon in the oven and cook for 4 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and generously brush with more of the butter mixture.
9. Return to oven for another 4 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and reapply the rest of the butter mixture.
11. Move oven shelf down one level and return Salmon to the oven.
12. Cook for another couple of minutes or until salmon is nice and brown and a little crispy without turning black.
13. Remove from oven, Serve and Enjoy!

This post is part of Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday.

Chicken Parmesan (sugar free • gluten free • low carb • gaps)

I love a good chicken parmesan.  I haven't had any since I drastically started limiting my grains.  So, I decided to try it out using grated parmesan cheese instead of the bread crumbs.  It was delicious!!  I am not going to give measurements here, because I haven't a clue how much I use of everything and honestly, it doesn't matter.  Just throw it all together to your liking.  It's hard to screw it up!

First mix up some grated good quality parmesan cheese with some salt, pepper and herbs (I usually use a mix of oregano, parsley, rosemary, basil, sage, garlic powder and onion powder).  Mix up enough to coat your chicken and some extra to use as a topping before putting it in the oven.

Pound out your chicken breasts.  I like to place plastic wrap over them to keep the yucky splatter to a minimum.

Melt some REAL butter in a hot pan. You could also use coconut oil, like I do in my healthy fried chicken recipe, but I really wanted to stick to a parmesan chicken flavor without the slight hint of the coconut.  Dredge the chicken in the egg mixture, then the parmesan mixture and fry in the butter until browned on each side.

I originally fried the chicken in olive oil, but I think it tastes better fried in butter (and it's healthier, as a good quality butter has a higher smoke point then olive oil... coconut oil's is even higher). 

Mix together some tomato sauce with some salt, pepper and herbs (Again, I used oregano, parsley, rosemary, basil, sage, garlic powder and onion powder).  I love using the Eden's Organic Crushed Tomatoes.

Use butter (or coconut oil) to grease a glass baking dish.  Line up your chicken breasts.

Top with the tomato sauce mixture.

Then top with the leftover parmesan cheese mixture.

Bake in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes.

Serve with some steamed and buttered broccoli... Yum!!

Chicken Fried (Mock) Rice (sugar free • gluten free • low carb • dairy free)

This is a fairly easy recipe and although it isn't exactly like the stuff you have delivered to your your house from your local "chinese" joint, its reminiscent and pretty darn good.

You can use a food processor to do all your prep. I used my Ninja to do all my dirty work. Chop up some carrots...


Then some onion...


Pulse in the processor your head of cauliflower until it looks somewhat similar to rice. I actually chopped it up a little too small I think.


Steam some broccoli and chop that up too. I definitely chopped mine up too small. It breaks down even more while cooking.


Mince up 3-4 cloves of garlic...


Use pre-cooked chicken. I used some left over from a chicken I had boiled for some stock.


First throw a few Tbs of butter into a big pan and cook your onions, carrots and broccoli...


Then throw in your chicken and cook it until its hot...


Then add your cauliflower rice cook for about 10 minutes, then throw in some soy sauce, garlic, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper and sea salt.

(I do avoid soy in my diet, but fermented soy, as in soy sauce, miso soup and tempeh are okay on occasion. Organic Soy Sauce insures there are no GMO's, as 90% of all Soy is genetically modified)


Throw in some scrambled eggs. I just mixed it right in, but next I will make a hole in the middle, and scramble up the eggs separately, then mix them in.


Here's the final product.


I was pretty happy with the flavor and thought it was really good. I would have liked it to have been more of the consistency of actual chicken fried rice though. Next time I won't chop up the vegetables near as small and I'll cook the eggs more before I mix them in. Otherwise its a winner!

The munchkin loved it, but this was definitely a very messy meal!

Chicken Fried (Mock) Rice

Ingredients

• 1 lb Pre-cooked Chicken, torn into small pieces
• 1 Head of Cauliflower
  
• 1 C White Onion
• 1 C Carrots
• 1 C Broccoli
• 4 Tb Butter (or coconut oil for dairy free option)
  
• 3-4 Cloves Garlic
• 1/4 C Organic Soy Sauce
• 1 Tb Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 3 Eggs

Directions:

1. Steam Broccoli for 10 minutes.
2. Chop up onion, carrots and cooked broccoli. Don't chop them up too small!
3. Break up and clean cauliflower. Pulse in Food Processor until it looks similar to rice.
4. Mince Garlic.
5. Heat large frying pan on stove and melt butter or coconut oil.
   
6. Saute the onions, carrots and broccoli in butter or oil for about 10 minutes.
7. Add cold, cooked chicken and continue stirring until chicken is hot.
8. Add Cauliflower and cook for about 5 minutes
9. Add Soy Sauce, Garlic, Garlic Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Black Pepper and Sea salt and continue to cook until the cauliflower is tender.
10. Push everything to the sides around the pan, leaving an empty space in the muddle. Pour scrambled eggs into the center and cook most of the way, leaving them a little wet, then mix in with the rest of the ingredients.
11. Serve and Enjoy!
    

Cheesy Meat Roll Up, a.k.a. Meatloaf (sugar free • gluten free • low carb)

My husband loves himself some meatloaf. I have tried out several different ways to make it without the use of bread crumbs and they usually turn out okay. This recipe on the other hand, took things to a whole new level, and will for now on, be my go-to recipe when anyone mentions they have a hankering for some meatloaf. This thing is packed with flavor.

I am not sure anymore where the original recipe came from that gave me the idea for this. I had copied the text and pasted it into an email and sent it to myself a while back and just got around to playing with it. I had to change up quite a few things to add some flavor and suit it more towards our tastes and preferences. I am really happy with how it turned out.

It had the hubby's approval, the munchkin gobbled it down, and even our niece (6 weeks younger then the munchkin) had two helpings.

First mix up your tomato topping, consisting of tomato paste, stevia powder extract (or your sweetener of choice), and a little water. Then set aside.

In a big bowl, mix together the beef, tomato paste, eggs, Parmesan, red peppers, red onions and seasonings. On a piece of wax paper, shape the meat into a rectangle shape, roughly about 8x10 inches.


Place a layer of prosciutto across the top of the meat mixture.

Honestly, the prosciutto is a really yummy addition, but this recipe is still be delicious without it. Prosciutto isn't cheap, and I leave it out most of the time. Other thinly sliced meats would work well too, but I do love prosciutto.


Layer some provolone cheese across the top next.


Starting with the shorter edge, fold inward and roll up the meat and cheese like a giant roll-up.


Now that is a meaty roll-up!


Pinch together all of the open edges, concealing the prosciutto and provolone. It's like a meat submarine!


Place it all in a 5" x "9 loaf pan.


Spread tomato topping over the top in a really thick layer. Place it in the oven and bake.


Drain out the extra liquid and let it rest for about 10 minutes.


Slice it up and enjoy! I served it with some sweet potatoes, all buttered up. It is also excellent with some colorful roasted veggies.


It makes a swirly cheesy yummy presentation.


Really you could try out all different kinds of ingredients in this. Different types of cheeses or thinly sliced meats in the middle. I also think bacon would be good rolled up inside. I hope you'll try it out, it definitely makes a delicious meal and some great leftovers.

Cheesy Meat Roll-up

Topping:

• 1 (7 oz) jar tomato paste
• 1/8 tsp pure white stevia extract powder
  
• 2 tsp water

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground beef (I used an 85/15)
  
• 1 (7 oz) jar tomato paste
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 C red bell peppers
• 1/4 C red onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 Tb chopped parsley
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp onion powder
  
• 1 tsp sea salt
  
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 lb prosciutto
• 1/4 lb provolone cheese slices

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a small bowl, mix tomato paste, stevia powder, and water. Set aside for topping.
3. Place red pepper in food processor (I used my ninja) and pulse until diced small. Repeat with red onion.
4. Place garlic cloves in food processor and mince.
   
5. In a large bowl, mix beef, tomato paste, eggs, Parmesan cheese, red peppers, red onion and seasonings. Work it thoroughly by hand to get everything mixed up really well.
6. Lay out a piece of wax paper to work on. Spread out the meat mixture on the wax paper roughly to about 8" x 10" rectangle.
7. Lay down a layer of prosciutto on top.
8. Lay down another layer of provolone cheese.
9. Starting with the 8" side, roll it towards the center and keep going until its all rolled up.
10. Pinch and seal up all of the edges so that all of the cheese and prosciutto is completely sealed in.
11. Place the roll, with the seam side on the bottom into a 5" x 9" loaf pan. No need to grease the pan.
12. Top the loaf with the tomato mixture, slathering it on extra thick. (There was a little bit of mixture left over that I didn't use)
13. Bake in the oven at 350 F for about an hour and 15 minutes. You can use a thermometer to test doneness at around 165 degrees in the center.
14. Drain excess liquids and let rest for about 10 minutes.
15. Slice, serve and enjoy!

This is part of Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop! and the Nourishing Gourmet's Pennywise Platter and Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday.

Easy Cheesy Chicken Bake (sugar free • gluten free • low carb • gaps)

This recipe comes out moist and flavorful every time. The coconut flour used to bread the chicken adds a great flavor and doesn't dry things out.

First I mix together my coconut flour, freshly grated colby cheese, freshly grated parmesan cheese, garlic powder and onion powder.


In another bowl I melt butter and add in garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper. I pound out my chicken breasts, salt and pepper them, dip them in the butter, and then into my coconut flour mixture. I line them up in a glass baking dish.


I bake them in the oven for 35 minutes.


I top each one with more freshly grated colby cheese and then place back in the oven for another 10 minutes.


They finish up looking toasty around the edges with the cheese all melty and gooey. Lots of things are better with melty gooey cheese on top. Atleast in my opinion.

Easy Cheesy Chicken Bake

Ingredients:

• 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
  
• 3/4 C Coconut Flour
• 1/2 C freshly grated Colby cheese, plus extra for topping at the end (or whatever cheese you want to use really)
  
• 1/4 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tb Garlic Powder, divided
• 1/2 Tb Onion Powder
  
• Black Pepper, to taste
• Sea Salt, to taste
• 1/4 C Butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Butter up a 9x13 glass baking dish.
3. Mix together, the coconut flour, colby cheese, parmesan cheese, 1/2 Tb of garlic powder and the onion powder in a bowl.
4. In another bowl, combine the melted butter, 1/2 Tb garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper.
5. Trim, rinse, pound out, then salt and pepper chicken breasts.
6. Dip the chicken breasts into the butter mixture and then coat with coconut flour mixture.
7. Place in buttered baking dish and bake uncovered for 35 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and top with grated colby cheese, then return to oven for another 10 minutes.
9. Enjoy!
   

In the pictures, I only made three pieces of chicken, but my recipe amounts are for four.

This is part of Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday and Monday Mania Carnival.