Keto Pound Cake

• 2 1/2 cups almond flour
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups erythritol
• 8 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
• ½ tsp. salt
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

• ¼ cup powdered erythritol
• 3 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract

The Execution

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, toss in room temperature butter, softened cream cheese and erythritol.
2. Cream together the butter and erythritol and until smooth. Then, add in softened chunks of cream cheese and blend together until smooth.
3. Add in the eggs, lemon extract, and vanilla extract in with the blended ingredients. Blend with a hand mixer until smooth.
4. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the almond flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Slowly add in the ingredients from the medium sized bowl into the batter. Use a hand blender to blend the clumps until very smooth.
6. Pour batter into a loaf pan. Bake for 60 – 120 minutes at 350F or until smooth in the middle with a toothpick.
7. If creating a glaze, blend together the powdered erythritol, vanilla extract and heavy whipping cream until smooth. Wait until the pound cake is fully cooled from the oven before spreading the glaze on top.

Keto Instant Pot Cheesecake

Directions

To make the crust:

Step 1

Line a 7-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Grease parchment paper with butter, ghee, or your favorite cooking spray.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, sweetener, and salt. Add melted butter and stir well to combine.

Step 3

Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Use a flat bottomed glass to even it out, then set pan aside.

To make the filling:

Step 1

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth, then beat in sweetener, lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon extract. Scrape down sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure you get all the lumps.

Step 2

Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down bowl and beaters after each addition. Beat in heavy whipping cream until well combined. Pour mixture over the crust and spread to the edges of the pan.

Step 3

Wrap the bottom of the springform pan tightly in a large piece of foil. Place a paper towel over the top of the springform pan (not touching the cheesecake), then wrap foil around the top as well. Your whole pan should be mostly covered in foil to keep out excess moisture.

Step 4

Place the rack that came with your Instant Pot or pressure cooker into the bottom of the pot. Pour a cup of water into the bottom. Carefully lower wrapped cheesecake pan onto rack.

Step 5

Close the lid and set Instant Pot to manual mode for 35 minutes on high. Once cooking time is complete, let the pressure to release naturally (do not vent it).

Step 6

Lift out cheesecake and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 3 or 4 hours or overnight. Garnish with lightly sweetened whipped cream and lemon slices if desired.

German Pancake – preferred

Ingredients

• 6 – 12 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place rack on the lowest shelf as the pancake will rise quite a bit. Whisk together eggs, milk, flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Place butter in a 10-12 inch cast iron skillet, and place pan in the oven to melt the butter. Once butter is melted, remove the pan from the oven, and place whisked egg mixture in the hot skillet
3. Carefully transfer the hot skillet back to the 400°F oven, and bake for 20 minutes or until pancake is golden and puffed.
4. Sift powered sugar over the top of the pancake and serve immediately. Don’t worry as it deflates – it’s supposed to do that. Pancake is also good at room temperature.

Could use a larger skillet, turns out a bit thick.

Chicken Fajitas

 Marinate chicken: Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a glass or plastic container. Add the chicken, mix well, cover and let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours in the fridge.

Marinade

• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Sear chicken on high heat: Heat a large cast iron frying pan on high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan. Sear chicken on both sides, about 3 minutes, then wrap in foil and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

Homemade Country Breakfast Sausage

Ingredients:

2 tsp kosher salt

1 ½ tsp ground black pepper

2 tsp each finely chopped sage and thyme

1/2 tsp finely chopped rosemary

1 tbls light brown sugar

½ tsp each red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg

2 lbs ground meat

Mix, wrap in butcher paper and place in meat drawer for 1 hour up to one week, or freeze

To use, make into patties. Place patties in a cold skillet. Cook over MEDIUM heat for 14-16 minutes, turning sausage frequently for even browning, or until center of sausage patty reaches 160°F and is no longer pink.

Nonna’s Biscotti

Yield:  Makes about 42 cookies

Active Time:  20 min

Total Time:  2 1/2 hr (includes cooling)

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons brandy
• 2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole almonds with skin, lightly toasted , cooled, and coarsely chopped
• 3 large eggs
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Stir together sugar, butter, brandy, and extracts in a large bowl, then stir in almonds and eggs. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined.

Chill dough, covered, 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Using moistened hands, halve dough and form 2 (16-by 2-inch) loaves on an ungreased large baking sheet.

Bake until pale golden, about 30 minutes. Carefully transfer loaves to a rack and cool 15 minutes.

Cut loaves into 3/4-inch slices with a serrated knife.

Arrange biscotti, with a cut side down, on a clean baking sheet and bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely.

Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
1. Combine ground beef, onion, garlic, and green pepper in a large saucepan. Cook and stir until meat is brown and vegetables are tender. Drain grease.
2. Stir diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste into the pan. Season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer spaghetti sauce for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Flour Tortillas

These taste best when they’re fresh, however they freeze well for up to three months (only half as long as the corn tortillas).

http://www.janebutelcooking.blogspot.com/

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Chicken soup

Basic chicken soup:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-3 large carrots, diced
• 2-3 stalks celery
• chicken stock (appx 3 quarts)
• chicken pieces (whatever you have)
• 1 T. poultry seasoning  – or –  2 tsp. ground sage, 1 tsp thyme
• 1 T. parsley flakes (optional)
• 1 tsp Rosemary (crushed)
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Saute onion, celery & carrot until soft, onions translucent.  Add the stock & chicken, then seasonings.  Simmer for at least 30 minutes to integrate the flavors. Taste and evaluate need for more salt.

Variations:

1)  Chicken &  Dumpling Soup – see dumpling recipe….Dumplings are added AFTER the soup is otherwise done.  Continue to simmer until dumplings are done.

2) Chicken Vegetable Soup – add cubed vegetables until soup is the consistency you enjoy. Simmer until vegetables are fully cooked.

3) Chicken & Barley  or Chicken Rice – usually 1 to 1 & 1/2 cups depending on how much other stuff is in there and how thick you want it.  I have used wild rice blend or brown rice.  Simmer until fully cooked.  Another option is making it a “cream of” chicken barley or rice soup… Once its pretty much done, the rice is fully cooked and has added all the thickness its gonna, either just add cream, or if need additional thickening, make a Roux with melted butter and flour (start with about a tablespoon of each) in a separate pan, cook for a minute or two then add milk or cream to that, mix together to form a pudding or thick gravy consistency, then add to the simmering soup, stir in well and simmer another 5 minutes.

Bagette

This recipe has appeared on the back of the King Arthur Flour bag — so if you cut it out and then lost it, this is the one you’re looking for.

Ingredients

Starter

113g cool water
120g King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/8 teaspoon instant yeast

Dough

All of the starter
418g King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
227g lukewarm water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

Directions

1) Mix the starter ingredients till smooth, cover, and let rest at room temperature overnight.

2) Next day, mix the starter with the remaining ingredients, kneading until the dough is nice and springy, but not totally smooth. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 3 hours, gently deflating it and turning it over after 1 hour, and again after 2 hours.

3) Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a rough oval. Wait 15 minutes, then fold each oval lengthwise, sealing the edge, and use cupped fingers to gently roll each piece into a long (about 17″) log. Place the loaves onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined pan, cover, and let them rise* till they’re puffy but not doubled, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F. VERY gently, use a sharp knife or razor blade to make three diagonal 1/3″-deep slashes in each loaf. Mist the loaves heavily with warm water. Bake the baguettes for 22 to 28 minutes, till they’re golden brown. Take the baguettes off the pan and place them right on the oven rack. Turn off the oven, crack the door open about 2″, and let the baguettes cool completely in the oven.

*For extra-crisp baguettes, cover the shaped loaves, let them rise for 30 minutes, then refrigerate overnight. Next day, take them out of the refrigerator and let them rest at room temperature, covered, for about 3 hours, or until they’re nice and puffy. Then bake as directed above.