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The Easiest Way to Cook an Egg!

Posted on July 6, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

So many of us that follow the Ketogenic Lifestyle often eat eggs for breakfast. It is easy to quickly become tired of plain old scrambled eggs. We can mix them with chorizo, serve them with bacon or cheese, but underneath, they are still the same old scrambled eggs. Anytime you eat the same thing over and over again, it becomes tiresome. So what to do?

Mix it up with different cooking methods. This one is especially easy and fast with little mess, so it is a staple on busy weekday mornings. You can also gourmetify it with a little extra effort on the weekend.

Today, I am going to show a family favorite, and it only takes 7 minutes from start to finish with one dirty pan. By the way, the pan is extremely important unless you are only cooking for one, in which case, you can just use boiling water.

How to cook a poached egg:

Start with an egg poaching pan and great eggs from pasture raised and fed hens. I have two pans, one with 4 inserts and another with 6, just depending on how many want one or two eggs. You can buy the larger 6 egg poacher here where I purchased mine.

Today I used the four egg poacher. I purchased this one years ago from Williams Sonoma. Lift one cup out and pour about a 1/4 inch layer of water to cover the bottom of the pan to create the steam.

Spray each cup with coconut oil spray.

Place the lid on the pan, and turn your heat to high. It should start steaming with boiling water in no more than two minutes.

Once it is boiling, turn your heat down to Medium, and crack eggs one at a time, placing them in a cup insert.

Place your lid on, and set your timer for 4 1/2 to 5 minutes. Depending on how you like your yolk, you may need to adjust your time. This time gives us a nice somewhat runny center but firm white.

Once the eggs are set, and don’t jiggle if you nudge the pan a little from side to side, remove from heat and empty each egg onto your plates. Be sure to use a hot pad to protect your finger tips. I usually run a knife along the outside edge of the insert, but it is not always needed.

My husband likes his plain with salt, pepper and sometimes a little homemade salsa.

I love mine with a little hollandaise. Stay tuned this week for this awesome recipe!

Poached eggs are so versatile. Here are a few other ideas that I love to try when we have a bit more time:

Place in an avocado with or without bacon:

Get your greens too by serving over spinach or asparagus:

You can even eat them over a salad!

Enjoy your wonderful healthy eggs!

Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Kids, Lunch, Main Course, recipe, Salad, Sauces and Dressing, Side Dish, tips, Uncategorized, Vegetable tagged with asparagus, avocado, bacon, breakfast, brunch, eggs, Hollandaise, Poached, Salad, Spinach

Happy Fourth of July!

Posted on July 4, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

Happy Fourth of July!!! Wave that Red, White, and Blue! Show off your stars and stripes! Enjoy your day, and celebrate with friends and family! We love our Independence Day in the Lutz and Stavros households!

We have been over several recipe ideas to keep your day healthy and low carb! Here are a few ideas from the past and the ones we have posted the last few weeks to help you compile your menu into one concise spot…right here! All of these recipes can be found on this webpage on our blog:

Main Courses:

Brisket (You can even pick up or buy a precooked one to bake to make it easy!)

Ribs – Yum!!!

With our sugar-free sauce…

Bunless Burgers (We love our ABC burger – Avocado, Bacon, and Cheddar)

Bunless Hot Dogs or Sausage Links

Egg Salad

Sides:

Refreshing Cukes

“Potato” Salad”

Cheesy Tater Tots

Broccoli Slaw

Broccoli Salad

Appetizers and Snack Ideas:

Stuffed Mushrooms

Cheese Crisps

Zucchini Chips

Guacamole

Deviled Eggs:

Dessert:

Stars and Stripes Cheesecake with Berries:

Or, if you are a chocolate person, our chocolate pudding.

Drinks:

Refreshing Low-Carb Margarita on the Rocks

Enjoy a wonderful celebratory day filled with healthy food, healthy sun, friends and family.

God Bless America!

Posted in Appetizer, articles, Beverage, Dessert, Dinner, Holiday Dish, Lunch, Main Course, recipe, Salad, Sauces and Dressing, Side Dish, Snacks, tips, Uncategorized, Vegetable tagged with appetizer, Bunless, burger, Celebration, dessert, dinner, Fourth of July, Ideas, July Fourth, lunch, Main Course, Menu, party, Salads, Sides

When Life Tosses you Eggs….

Posted on July 2, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

Well…this was not my intended post for today, but it worked out well!

We have all heard the term, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!”

My theme for today, is “When your eggs won’t peel, make egg salad!”

The intention of the post for today was yummy deviled eggs to finish off the menu for Independence Day! However, I did not plan well enough ahead!

This was a good lesson! Anytime you want pretty peeled eggs, plan ahead! I did not know we were so low on eggs (because I always have several dozen.) When you do boiled eggs, they are much easier to peel when they are not fresh. You want to buy them 5 to 7 days ahead of when you need them. I bought mine yesterday, boiled them, and tried to peel them. This is what happened:

Not so pretty! So…we had a very fast change of plans. Since we have dinner pretty much planned with Bar-B-Que (with sauce), “Potato” Salad, and Refreshing Cukes, I thought why not make egg salad for a Keto lunch! It was simple, and we still got to use those delicious and nutritious eggs.

I did get a few of the eggs to turn out, so I will share how to do both just in case you plan ahead better than I, or if you have some eggs stored in your fridge that you want to use.

First, start by boiling your eggs. I have a gas stove, and have had great success by placing my eggs in a large pot, covering with cold water with a tsp of salt, and bringing it to a rumbling boil. Once it is at a full boil, turn your heat down to a simmer for 1 minute, cover, and turn the heat off completely for 10 to 12 minutes. As soon as the timer goes off, dunk them in a cold water bath. Let them cool, and then place in the refrigerator until you need them.

You can peel your eggs now or later. For deviled eggs you will want to slice your pretty eggs lengthwise, hull out the yolk and place on a flat surface.

I put the yolks in a bowl, and mash with mayo, dijon mustard, a little lemon juice, salt, pepper, and if you have them, some chopped Refreshing Cukes. You can also add some fresh dill or dill pickle if you like savory. If you like sweet, you can add a teeny tiny pinch of Stevia. Mash it all together and stuff your eggs. Refrigerate immediately.

If you get a bunch of eggs that look like they were in a massacre like mine did, just chop them up and no one will be the wiser.

Add to a bowl with:

Egg Salad

12 eggs – boiled, peeled and chopped

1/2 lemon – squeezed

1/2 cup petite diced celery

3/4 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp dijon mustard

1/2 cup diced “Refreshing Cukes”

2 tsp juice from above

Salt and pepper to taste

Stir everything together until combined and either put in the fridge for later or serve over lettuce. It was quite a delicious mistake!

We hope that everyone has a safe and delicious Fourth of July!

Remember those that sacrificed for the freedoms that we hold so precious today. We are so fortunate to live in a place that allows us to speak and write what we believe and hold true to our hearts, even if not everyone agrees.

Remember on your holiday to plan ahead, drink plenty of water, take your supplements, and stay healthy! Holidays and parties can be difficult, but with planning you can be strong and live Keto! We know you can!

Have a wonderful long weekend, and enjoy those fireworks!!!

Posted in Appetizer, Brunch, Dinner, Holiday Dish, Kids, Lunch, recipe, Salad, Side Dish, tips, Uncategorized tagged with appetizer, brunch, Deviled Eggs, Egg Salad, eggs, Fourth of July, Holiday Dish, July Fourth, lunch, snack

Fire Cracker Potato Salad

Posted on July 1, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

It’s real, and it’s Keto! How can you have a July Fourth celebration without potato salad? We have found a way, and it involves one of our favorite Keto veggies.

Have you guessed already? It’s the one that makes rice, mashers, tater tots, and pizza crust. The incredible, invincible, and transformative cauliflower! The chameleon of all veggies! I always have a head of cauliflower in the fridge because it can do just about anything for a meal! I was wondering if I could slide this past my crew, and it worked like a charm. You can pretty much use your favorite potato salad recipe by substituting cauliflower for your potatoes. We prefer a creamy mustard type dressing with a little sweetness. I know some like mayo only, and others like a tart mustard, so take it where you like it. So many options!

I still had a few of the refreshing cukes in the fridge, so I thought I would give them a try for the touch of sweet. Worked like a charm. So if you are planning on making the cucumbers for your July Fourth celebration, save a few extra to throw into your “potatoes”.

So here is the recipe along with a few variations for your upcoming weekend:

Keto Potato Salad

1 medium to large head of cauliflower

1 cup of diced celery

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/3 cup diced Refreshing Cukes + 5 Tbsp of the “Pickle Juice”

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup dijon mustard

1 tsp Himalayan salt

1 tsp black pepper

Dash of paprika

Other Options:

Vinegar for tartness

Boiled Egg (2-3)

Black Olives

Dill Pickles with pickle juice if you don’t have the Cukes, but like the pickle idea.

Lemon juice

Chives

Directions:

Chop your cauliflower into bite size pieces like you would eat your potatoes.

Boil a large pot of water. Once it comes to a rolling boil, lower the heat to medium and simmer your cauliflower for about 5 to 6 minutes. Carefully pierce with a fork to check for tenderness. This is the hardest part…you want it soft enough to mimic the potatoes, but you don’t want it to get mushy once you start mixing your ingredients together. Once you have it to the correct tenderness, strain in a large colander. Let it drain and then return to the pot. If you are worried about the tenderness, (the texture is super important for this recipe) boil them until they are perfect and then immediately submerge in an ice cold water bath to stop the cooking. Then strain in the colander.

Add your chopped celery, onion, and cucumber or pickles (along with any other solids you choose to add.) Toss to combine.

Now add your mayonnaise, mustard and spices, except for the paprika.

Mix everything together. You can taste at this point to see if it needs anything, but remember, the flavors will meld in the refrigerator a little more.

Refrigerate for a few hours. When you place it in a serving bowl, sprinkle with a little paprika for color and enjoy with your firecrackers!

Posted in Dinner, Holiday Dish, Kids, Lunch, recipe, Salad, Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetable tagged with cauliflower, Celebration, Cucumbers, dinner, Fourth of July, Holiday Dish, July 4th, Potato Salad, Salad, side dish

Dress It Up!

Posted on June 26, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

We are thinking ahead to fireworks and celebration! It is hard to believe that July 4th is right around the corner. The other day I posted the “Refreshing Cukes” recipe which would be a great side dish for any Fourth of July celebration. By the way, they just got better in the fridge for a few days! The cucumbers were definitely a hit in our house!

Today, I have another side that is easy because all you need to do is prepare the dressing ahead, pour it in a mason jar, throw it in the ice chest, and you have a great nutritious side wherever your travels may take you! Even better, you can use this tangy dressing as a dip or on any salad with what you have left over.

Keto Broccoli Slaw Recipe

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Cup Mayonnaise (I used Hellman’s, but homemade is better)

3 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Heaping Tbsp Dijon Mustarrd

1/8 tsp Trader Joe’s Pure Stevia

1 1/2 tsp Celery Seeds

1 tsp Himalayan Salt

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

2 Bags of Trader Joe’s Organic Broccoli Slaw (I just use one at a time.)

Directions:

Start by combining your Olive Oil and Mayonnaise. Then add your Apple Cider Vinegar and Mustard.

Stir well.

Add your Stevia: This is the best one I’ve found so far:

Then add the rest of your ingredients except for the slaw.

Whisk well, and pour into a mason jar once it is completely combined.

Now it is ready for packing or serving. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use. Also, shake well before each use to distribute the celery seeds.

When you are ready, empty the packet of broccoli slaw into a large bowl. It will make more than you think, so pick a large enough bowl. Pour about a half cup of dressing over your slaw and mix well. You can always add more if you like.

This is excellent served with Bar-B-Que, or served on its own. Enjoy!

Posted in Dinner, Groceries, Holiday Dish, recipe, Salad, Side Dish, Snacks, Sugar Substitute, Uncategorized, Vegetable tagged with bar-b-que, Broccoli, Dip, Dressing, Holiday, July 4th, Salad, side dish, Slaw, Stevia, vegetable