Recipe: Spring Egg Scramble with Leafy Greens

Spring is a great time to start eating healthy (if you haven't already) - with most of us longing for lighter fare after the heavy comfort foods of fall and winter - and fresh salad vegetables just starting to come on.

This tasty recipe uses fresh eggs and fresh spring greens for a quick, simple, and healthy breakfast or brunch.

Spring Egg Scramble with Leafy Greens
(Serves 2.)

Ingredients:

3 whole large eggs - preferably from pasture-raised chickens
1 Tbsp whole milk
1 cup finely chopped kale (or spinach, chard, or other green leafy vegetable)
1 tsp real butter
pinch red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Whisk eggs and milk in a bowl; set aside.
• Put a skillet over medium heat with the greens and butter and cook just until greens soften, about 5 minutes (2 if using spinach), stirring frequently.
• Pour the eggs into the skillet, sprinkle with red pepper flakes and salt and pepper, stir and turn heat down to medium-low.
• Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, carefully pick up the egg mixture as it cooks and turn it over gently, continuing to cook until egg is set. Do not stir too much or turn heat up too high.
• When egg is set, transfer to plates and serve hot.

Low-Carb Favorites In the Crockpot

After being on a low carb diet for a while, we learn how to create tasty meals using ingredients that replace those bad carbs. The surprising thing is, we end up liking some of those good carbs even better!

Once we find ingredients that work well, why not look for ways to cook them easier? Enter the crockpot.

Just because you're on a low carb diet doesn't mean you have to give up this wonderful kitchen appliance.
Let's take a look at some of our favorite low carb foods combined with our favorite cooking tool - the crockpot.

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash cooked (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For those low carb dieters who crave their pasta, this tricky little vegetable has got you covered. After cooking a spaghetti squash, you are treated to a faux noodle much like spaghetti noodles that can be served on a plate with sauce just like any other pasta.

You can create a meat sauce in the crockpot, cut a spaghetti squash in half, and stick it into the sauce to cook. After the sauce is ready, just remove the spaghetti squash, shred the inside of the squash with a couple forks to produce the 'noodles,' and serve your saucy spaghetti meal.

Almond Meal and Almond Flour

Every low carb dieter needs to keep this ingredient in their pantry. Almond meal can be used any time you need to replace a filler in recipes. For instance, one of our favorite recipes is stuffed peppers. Replace the rice in the stuffing with coarse ground almond meal and you will get a delicious taste that holds together just like rice or breading.

Here's another substitute that really shines using almond flour. For any old crockpot recipe that calls for a can of cream of anything soup, create a substitute using almond flour, butter or oil, and some milk or broth, cooked together until thick and creamy. Any time you have to produce a roux, white sauce, or creamy soup, just replace the words 'flour' with 'almond flour' and you've got yourself a low carb sauce.

Kale

When we start a low carb diet, one of the foods we see right up there at the top of the 'good carb' list is greens, often referred to as "dark leafy greens." For some, the first green that comes to mind is spinach. It's readily available in all seasons in all regions. It's a prolific crop.

Now, fresh spinach is just fine as far as nutrition and fiber goes. But, if you have ever thrown a handful of spinach into a hot skillet, you know how fast it wilts and disappears. You can just imagine what happens to spinach in a crockpot, over low heat, for hours. This is where kale comes in. This green is not only packed with nutrients, but it is also crockpot friendly. Kale is sturdy, giving it the ability to cook a long time and maintain its texture. Kale is not wimpy when it comes to flavor, either.

Chowder. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Seafood

The crockpot may not be your first thought when it comes to cooking seafood. We know we don't want to cook seafood too long, so why would we even think to put it in the crockpot for hours on end? The reason is simple: the crockpot cooks food at a steadily regulated low temperature, perfect for seafood.

When planning a seafood chowder, for instance, consider putting all the ingredients, except the seafood, in the crockpot so flavors can blend nicely. Then, fifteen to twenty minutes or so before serving, add the seafood, stir, and let the crockpot gently finish cooking.

After the seafood is cooked through, you can turn off the heat, stir in your milk or cream for your chowder, and enjoy. The low and slow method of crockpot cooking is actually perfect for seafood. No more accidental boiling, which we've all done trying to watch a pot on the stove top. And we know what boiling does to seafood! This just may be the answer to fool-proof seafood dinners.

We know when we start a low carb diet, we have to forget about those old crockpot recipes that are heavy on the potatoes, rice, noodles, and canned soups. But, we love our crockpot! Thankfully, there are plenty of options for using ingredients on your approved low carb list in new, healthier and delicious ways... right in your crockpot!

Be sure to check back later this week for some tasty low-carb crockpot recipes....

Recipe: Tangy Garlic Kale And Onion Skillet

This versatile recipe is chock full of healthy green vegetables and is a great way to prepare some of those loads of fresh fall greens you can grab this time of year at the farmers market. It makes a great side dish with grilled, roasted, or barbecued meat, poultry, or fish, or you can also add potatoes and other veggies such as zucchini or peppers and turn it into a breakfast hash. Serve with a couple of fresh eggs over easy or scrambled, and you've got a full nutritious breakfast with all the important food groups to start off your day!

Tangy Garlic Kale And Onion Skillet(Serves 4.)

Ingredients:

5 Tbsp olive oil, or 4 Tbsp organic butter, divided
2 medium red onions, sliced in circles, then in half
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 to 4 lbs fresh kale, stems removed, cut in strips, washed and dried well
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 to 4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil or butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion (and diced or sliced potatoes, if using) and cook until soft and just beginning to brown a little; remove from skillet and set aside.
3. Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-low, add the garlic, cooking just until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes; remove from skillet and save with onion.
4. Add the remaining oil or butter and turn the heat back up to medium-high, then add the kale and cook, stirring frequently, until the kale just wilts.
5. Add back in the skillet the cooked onion (and optional potatoes or other veggies) and garlic, then the salt and pepper.
6. Reduce the heat again to medium-low and continue cooking, tossing the mixture occasionally, until the kale is tender, about 5 minutes.
7. Sprinkle the balsamic vinegar (if using) into the mixture just before serving, toss and serve hot.