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The Golden Sauce

Posted on July 7, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

There is a golden sauce so delicious, it is worth the price of gold!

It was just yesterday that I mentioned the amazingly delectable Hollandaise Sauce as a favorite of mine on poached eggs. The best part – it is easier than you can ever imagine!

One of the things we have to be mindful of while living in a state of nutritional ketosis is our intake of protein. We all know that carbs will take us down, but did you know that protein can as well?

When there is a significant intake of protein, the body converts the protein into sugars during a process called Gluconeogenesis. This is a metabolic process that makes glucose, a simple sugar, that provides the body with energy from non-carbohydrate sources when you are a carb burner.

This is why it is super important to make sure you are getting ample healthy fats when you are consuming meats and vegetables in order to stay a fat burning machine. We don’t want those proteins turning into carbs in our body so make sure you have the fat to counteract the carbs and proteins.

And…this is why I love Hollandaise! You can put it on your veggies, your meat, your eggs – pretty much anything your heart desires! My favorites are eggs, spinach and asparagus. It is wonderful tasting, and as long as you are using our favorite grass-fed butter, it is a great source of fat! You can also ask for it at many restaurants that will gladly bring you a side of this delicious sauce.

Blender Hollandaise

Place in your blender:

2 Egg Yolks

1 TBSP Lemon Juice

Salt and Cayenne to taste

Turn your blender on low for 5 seconds.

Melt 1/2 cup butter (Kerrygold) in a pyrex glass measuring dish.

In a very low stream on the lowest speed, gently pour your butter into your egg yolk mixture.

As soon as it is combined – you have hollandaise.

I have never had it curdle, but if it does, add two egg yolks on high speed with whipping cream one TBSP at a time.

Enjoy!

Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Holiday Dish, Main Course, recipe, Sauces and Dressing, Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetable tagged with asparagus, brunch, butter, dinner, eggs, Gluconeogenesis, Hollandaise, Poached Eggs, sauce, Spinach, Tip, vegetables

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

Dinner in a Snap!

Posted on June 2, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

It seems that everyone I run into lately is running around in a million different directions, and the last thing on their mind is dinner.

I get it! I’m a mom of three busy kids, and it’s the end of school! In fact, I am pretty sure that May and early June compete with December for the busiest months of the year.

A friend told me today that she just needed some simple dinner ideas to throw together before her son’s baseball games. My thought is, that many of you need some easy dinners to throw together this week, so here are a few I have pulled together in a snap on weeknights that I am just too busy to even think about dinner, but still want to feed my family something healthy!

1. Salmon and Veggies (Love broccoli with Salmon)

Make sure your Salmon is wild from a good clean source, and not farm raised. I like the Alaskan Salmon, but any reputable fresh fish retailer will be able to help you pick out a great fillet. I usually get the whole fillet and cut them into portions for my various ages of children and adults in the house. Sprinkle with butter and lemon pepper. Bake it at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes depending on the thickness and serve with a steamed vegetable topped with Kerrygold.

Then we like to top it with this sauce:

2. Beef Shish-kabobs with peppers and onions.

These are super easy to make ahead, but I bought these on a whim at Central Market when I knew I was in a pinch. They were marinated in a lime marinade and were melt-in-your-mouth tender and delicious. I served these with a side of asparagus that I roasted on 425 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes. Topped with Kerrygold, salt and pepper.

3. Many of us forget just how healthy eggs are for so many cells in our bodies. Eggs are the “perfect” food as we like to say! We always think of eggs for breakfast, but why not serve them for dinner. We do this often when the hubby is out of town because he doesn’t want eggs twice a day, but the kids love it. It is a great nutritious meal anytime of the day! Super simple and super healthy! We call it breakfast for dinner – creative-huh?

Hopefully these are just a few ideas to help you power through the week. Check out your grocerers meat display case. Central Market has great quality prepared meats (like the shish-kabobs) that you can throw on the grill Many other places do as well. Pick up some patties, some sausage or some steaks and serve with a side veggie roasted or steamed and topped with Kerrygold and seasonings. Super simple, super healthy, and super fast!

Hope everyone has a great first week of June!!!

Posted in Dinner, Groceries, Main Course, recipe, Side Dish, Uncategorized tagged with asparagus, Broccoli, dinner, eggs, salmon, shish-kabobs

A Meal to Make a Family Happy!

Posted on May 13, 2015 by thesweetlifesugarfree

So, I was ruled out on my dinner choice this evening! My husband wanted steak, and the kiddos wanted potatoes. “Hmmm,” I thought to myself. Let’s see if I can slide those cauli-mashers by them without notice.

Worked like a charm! My super picky four-year old said this was the “best dinner in the world!” She also told me that “these are the best potatoes ever!”

If you missed Erin’s post on Cauli-mashers, they are a breeze to make, even when you get outnumbered at the last minute in the kitchen.

I steamed one bag of Costco fresh Cauliflower florets until fairly soft. I don’t have the emersion mixer like Erin, so I just used my KitchenAid hand mixer, and beat them until they were the consistency of mashed potatoes. I added a half block of Kerrygold, a half block of cream cheese, and a handful of chopped parsley. I then added a generous amount of salt and pepper. Mixed it all together with the mixer, poured into an 8×8 pyrex, and topped with some Colby Jack cheese. I popped it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, and to the delight of everyone, it was devoured.

Served with grass-fed New York Strips topped with sautéed mushrooms (in Kerrygold no less), and a side of asparagus topped with Kerrygold!

Every plate was clean, and every face had a smile!

So my sweet 8 year boy (the middle child) wanted me to share his dessert with you tonight! He was very proud of his extra helping of steak and his two dark chocolate-coconut fat bombs (posted last week) that he used to make a smiley face! He said, “This will show your viewers how happy I am right now!” So, how could I refuse? Here is Colton’s sugar-free dessert!

I hope you all have a happy dinner tonight!

Posted in Dessert, Dinner, Kids, Main Course, recipe, Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetable tagged with asparagus, cauli-mashers, cauliflower, cheese, dessert, dinner, kerrygold, kid friendly, mushrooms, potatoes, steak