Spinach, Kalamata~Spanish Olive & Red Bell Pepper Dip

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Yuuuuum

I modified a recipe I found online for this one. The original recipe can be found here. I did not have any artichokes, so I replaced them with seedless kalamata olives, and pimento stuffed green olives, and I must say, it turned out amazing.

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh baby spinach ~ substitute with frozen if you'd like
10 small pimento stuffed green olives (Spanish olives), diced
6 kalamata olives, seedless, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, grated

1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano (parmesan)
1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic

I prefer to use fresh spinach, and usually if a recipe calls for spinach, I throw the fresh spinach into a pan with two tablespoons of olive oil and a tablespoon of garlic, lightly salt it, and saute it. Then I chop it to medium or fine, depending on the recipe.

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350.
2. While oven is heating, saute spinach, garlic, and olive oil.
3. Dice olives (kalamata and green), and red pepper.
4. Shred mozzarella.
5. Mix all ingredients together in mixing bowl.
6. Transfer to a baking dish.
7. Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes.  Longer if you want a dark topping.

I serve this with flax seed crackers, and it is amazing!  

I also managed to use the left overs in a fried tomato brunch sandwich recipe I will post soon.  They melt in your mouth...literally.

saute spinach

ingredients

combined

Enjoy!

Shrimp Vermicelli

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Shrimp Vermicelli ~ pictured version is with fried shrimp
this recipe is for saute shrimp.  I vary the recipe often and
took this picture when I happened to be using a fried shrimp
version

I love Vietnamese food, especially this dish from a restaurant that is now closed. The only way to enjoy this awesomeness is to make it at home. The ingredients are all fresh except for the rice noodles.  A mandolin comes in handy for this recipe.  If you do not already own one, I recommend buying one!

This is for serving one. Adjust accordingly to serve more.

Ingredients:

6 jumbo tiger shrimp
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic
1 tablespoon grill mates barbecue seasoning
1 bunch thin Vietnamese vermicelli noodles
1/4 cup matchstick carrots or julienne style
1/4 cup bean sprouts
2 tablespoons chopped peanuts
1 table spoon fresh chopped mint leaves, thin slices or diced.
1/8 cup julienne style cucumber
Fish sauce mixed with spring roll sauce (1 part fish sauce, 2 parts spring roll sauce)

Directions:

1. Boil water in a sauce pan for vermicelli noodles.  Add noodles and cook for 3 minutes, strain and rinse with cold water.  Fill sauce pan with cold water and noodles and set aside (this is so the noodles do not stick together until ready to serve.
2. Chop and prepare cucumber, peanuts, and mint.
3. Shrimp ~ I tend to modify this often.  Using raw tiger shrimp, peel, and remove veins.  Saute on a low heat with garlic, olive oil, and grill mate seasoning.  Approximately 3-5 minutes.
4. Mix the dressing, fish sauce and spring roll sauce (sweet chili sauce).
5. Drain noodles and add to bowl, top with all the ingredients.   

I usually pour the sauce over the entire bowl, but for serving, it may be wise to serve it on the side because it tends to be on the spicy side.

You're done!

Here are visuals for the fish sauce and vermicelli noodles:

Rice Vermicelli Noodles

Fish Sauce

Spinach, Bacon, Tomato Breakfast Casserole

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This is low carb, but a little high in fat. I try to keep eggs and bacon to a minimum on the low carb living diet, but sometimes, I break my own rules!

Ingredients:

8 eggs
1/4 cup milk ~substitutions: soy milk, almond milk, half and half
2 tablespoons bacon bits
1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
2 slices american cheese ~substitutions: shredded parmesan, sliced munster, colby jack, or monterey jack
4 slices cooked bacon
6 cherry tomatoes
Olive oil cooking spray
Season to taste

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375.
2. In a bowl, mix eggs and milk with a whisk.
3. Spray dish with a thin coat of cooking spray.
4. Add 1/2 the eggs.
5. Cover with the cooked bacon.
6. Add the remainder of the egg over the bacon.
7. Top with fresh spinach, bacon bits, cheese, then cherry tomatoes.

Bake for approximately 25-35 minutes (test eggs by spring back method).  Cheese will be brown, but if you would like a crispier top, turn on the broiler and broil for about 30 seconds to a minute.

Enjoy!

Caribbean Jerk Boneless Pork Chops

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Low carb delight

This sounds fattening right?  Not if you buy lean boneless thin sliced pork chops and trim the fat.  This is an extremely easy recipe, low in carbs.

Ingredients:

6 thin sliced boneless pork chops
1 package Williams Spicy Wings Caribbean Jerk seasoning (the total package has 6 carbs, 25 calories)
1 cup cauliflower rice
1/2 cup mixed greens (iceberg, salad greens)
2 cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons grilled bell pepper sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette

Directions:

1. Prepare cauliflower rice according to recipe
2. Rinse and coat pork chops in Caribbean jerk seasoning.
3. Use a non-stick griddle (I used the Cuisinart Gridller open faced @ 350 degrees)
4. Cook until internal temp reaches about 160 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Place chops on top of cauliflower rice, add salad, and pepper sauce and you are done.

Prep time is about 10-15 minutes, but drops to about 8 minutes if you already have chopped lettuce and cauliflower rice prepared.


This is a twenty to thirty minute meal!  Low in carbs.

Grilled Bell Pepper Sauce

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This is a sauce I created to coincide with the low-carb tortilla pizzas I love to make.  I will add pictures soon, but because I used this another recipe, I am going to post the basics.
Ingredients:

Core peppers, slice lengthwise, and remove white portions. I saved and dried the seeds in ziploc bags to plant in my garden this spring.

1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup olive oil

Seasoning: I usually season to taste depending on my mood.  For this batch I added salt, pepper, sugar substitute, paprika (lots), chili powder, garlic powder, garlic salt, and a little bit of mayo.

Directions:

1. Use a stove top grill, the grill outside, or what I used is the Cuisinart Griddler, which I highly recommend.  It is easier than a George Forman grill, and you can basically cook anything on it.  Easy to clean.
2. Toss peppers in olive oil and seasoning.  Place on grill.
3. Grill until dark marks are present and fully cooked (about 6-8 minutes).
4. Add peppers to food processor.
5. Add remaining ingredients.
6. Pulse, puree.
7. Taste test, and add seasoning to taste.
8. Refrigerate for one hour.

That's it!  It is delicious, and can be used in the low carb tortilla pizzas, as a sauce for fish, chicken, seafood, or pork.  The bell peppers have a natural sweetness which really adds great flavor to any meal.

Cauliflower Rice ~ Low Carb alternative to white rice

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This is an amazing alternative to rice.  My mother and aunt showed me this recipe.  I really love something "extra" on the plate to go with stir fry, or salmon, or even to top it with shrimp and broccoli Alfredo!  It is easy, and no carb.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of cauliflower

Directions:

1. Rinse.
2. Cut off stems, and let dry.
3. Use your food processor or cheese grater, medium to fine shreds.
4. Shred cauliflower and add to a microwave safe dish.
5. Microwave covered on high for five minutes.

You are done!

Add to meals as side dish, and I find it especially delicious with a low carb sauce added.

You can add salt or butter to taste, but it is good all by itself too.

Low Carb Tortilla Chips & Homemade Salsa

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Low Carb Chips and Salsa

For those who love chips and salsa, but do not want the calories, or the carbs, this may be right up your alley!  I love to cook, and I love Tumaro's Gourmet Low Carb Tortillas.  They are great in so many ways.  Low in fat, low in calories, high in protein and fiber, and low in sodium (nutrition information below).  They are also Kosher, and organic!  What is not to love?

This recipe calls for deep frying the tortillas, so that will increase the fat a bit.  I also add a little salt at the end, which increases the sodium levels, but this is where you can get creative and bake the chips or use a sodium free salt substitute.


I use Concord Foods seasoning mixes because they are easy, inexpensive, and available at our local Kroger and Easy Way stores.  Nutrition information for both items are at the end of this post.

Tumaro's Low Carb Multi-Grain Tortillas

Ingredients:

Chips

5 Tumaro's Mutli-Grain Low Carb Tortillas

2 1/2 cups canola oil

Salt or salt substitute

Directions:

1. Heat the oil to about 375 degrees (using a liquid food thermometer), or timing it, on a medium heat it takes about five minutes for the oil to reach a good temp.
2. While oil is heating, perforate the chips with a fork.
3. Add chip slices to oil, when the edges turn light to medium brown, flip them with tongs.
4. When they reach a medium to dark brown remove them and place them on paper towels.
5. While they are still hot, lightly salt and season to your liking.

Slice into 8 pieces

Perforate

Fry, tongs and ladle strainer are helpful tools for this

Salsa

5-6 medium roma tomatoes

1/4 cup diced red onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic ~ fresh or jarred

1 package of mild salsa seasoning

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

for this recipe, in addition to the fresh ingredients, we added a can of Dole's basil oregano diced tomatoes to even out the intensity of the spice seasoning package.  Depending on your taste, the mild seasoning is actually kind of spicy!

Directions:

1. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a non stick sauté pan, heat pan on medium to high heat.
2. Add red onion and garlic, sauté until transparent, and garlic is browned to crisp.
3. Add all ingredients to your food processor or blender and pulse to desired consistency.

If you prefer to substitute the pre-packaged salsa seasoning for fresh ingredients:

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (preservative)

2 teaspoon of brown sugar or sugar substitute

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh jalapeño  pepper  ~ season to taste

Directions for fresh ingredients:

• Sauté red onion, jalapeño, and garlic.
• Add all ingredients to food processor and pulse to desired consistency.
• Chill for 30 minutes.

Nutrition information:

The amount per serving of carbs, calories, and fat are very low.  Even though the chips are deep fried, it is doubtful after draining and patting dry one can squeeze out a teaspoon of oil from each chip.  This nutrition information is for your reference only, depending on how you prepare or add more ingredients, of course these will change.

Net Carbs = 4 carbs per tortilla

Oil

Welcome to Cafe Patryn!

I started this blog as a family recipe cook book for my daughter Terra. Technology is awesome. My mother gave me her recipes on index cards, I am giving my daughter my recipes on a blog :).

This blog is a compilation of recipes from me, our family, kitchen tips, recipes that coincide with low-carb diets, and kitchen gadgets that make life easier. Thank you for visiting! Please feel free to comment if you have any questions, we will try to answer them within twenty four hours.

I just started, so be patient and many more great recipes to come! Many of these recipes I took photos of before I had a good camera. I will work on using clearer photos, some are taken with my Hipstamatic app, and some my iPhone. Quality will improve over time :).

~Cafe Patryn ~ Happy Eating

Cucumber Mint Vinaigrette

Organic Garden Cucumbers ~ 2011

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This is a delicious recipe with many variations.  In the summer of 2011, I grew my own cucumbers, and mint, it was delightful to use them in this recipe.  I often double it, and use my food saver vacuum sealer to save it for later.  It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about a week.

~ uses:  salad dressing, marinade for fish (tilapia, scallops), low-carb tortilla pizza sauce.


Ingredients:  

1  large cucumber ~ peeled, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar    ~ substitutions: rice wine, balsamic, or white vinegar

2  tablespoons  country herbs herbs (parsley, mint, oregano)    ~ substitutions: herbs your choice

2  tablespoons  mayonnaise    ~ substitutions: olive oil Kraft mayo

1  teaspoons Dijon mustard

1  teaspoons  Asian sweet chili sauce    ~ substitutions: omitting is okay

1  teaspoons  sugar    ~ substitutions: honey, sugar substitute (splenda or truvia), or brown sugar 

1/2  teaspoons sea salt

2  tablespoons sweet basil    ~ fresh or dried

1  teaspoons minced garlic    ~ fresh or jar minced

1 tsp horseradish mustard     ~ substitutions: spicy brown mustard

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger    ~ substitutions: or powered ginger

1/2 teaspoon fresh mint leaves    ~ substitutions: mint extract

1 tablespoons fresh parsley ~ substitutions: dried parsley

1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum ~ substitutions: thickener of your choice


Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.
2. Then mix at a medium speed for about 15-20 seconds.
3. The taste and thickness will increase after chilling in the refridgerator for 30 minutes, however, modify to taste prior to removing from food processor.

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Sweet Chili Sauce

photo courtesy of  Closet Cooking, check out his blog
for another interesting variation of this recipe and
other wonderful eats.

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This is a traditional Asian sauce great for dipping homemade egg rolls, spring rolls, and adds savory flavors to the background of sauces and dressings.  Sweet Asian chili sauce can be purchased in the Asian section of your local grocery stores (there are several brands), or at your local Asian market.  I prefer to make sauces from scratch and found this recipe to share here with variations I feel omit potentially unhealthy ingredients with healthier versions.


Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons brown sugar    ~ substitutions: splenda or truvia

1/4 cup water

3 tablespoons fish sauce

2  tablespoons sherry    ~ substitutions: cooking sherry

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 to 1 tablespoons dried crushed chili    ~ substitutions:  1/2 tablespoon, mild - 1 tablespoon hot

1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 3-4 tablespoons cool water    ~ substitutions: xanthan gum

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients - except the cornstarch-water mixture - in a sauce pan or pot. Bring to a rolling boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium and let boil for 10 minutes, or until reduced by half. (Note that the vinegar will be quite pungent as it burns off. Generally, I find rice vinegar less strong than regular white vinegar).
3. Reduce heat to low and add the cornstarch-water mixture. Stir to incorporate and continue stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens (about 2 minutes).
4. Remove from heat and taste-test. You should taste "sweet" first, followed by sour, then spicy and salty notes. If the sauce isn't sweet enough, add a little more sugar. If not spicy enough, add more chili.
5. Pour sauce into bowl, or jar, and chill, or serve hot.