Tag: vinegar

Sub Roll-Ups

sub-roll-ups

As I mentioned a few posts back, we are dieting once again at the Melton house. You have been with me throughout the years on the diet roller coaster that I seem to take on a lot. I am ready to make a change for life though. Something about being prescribed that first “old person” pill that kicks you into gear.

There are several health conditions in my family that you just don’t want. Heart problems seem to top the list. I can not deny that the mouthwatering recipes that I like are a contributing factor. I have dodged the bullet until recently. I had been kidding myself that maybe I would be the lucky one in the family but was recently prescribed a low dose cholesterol medication.

This week marks five weeks of better eating. Because I did not have the confidence in myself five weeks ago, I hesitated to mention it to you.  This time it is are actually going very well. I say that with some surprise because I always seem to fail at dieting. I am not sure if it is this particular way of eating that is working so well, or if the timing is right and my mind is finally made up, or maybe a combination of everything.

I hope that you will join me on this ride to better health. My number one goal has always been to lose weight when starting a new diet. This time my goals are so much more. I want to live better. I want to stick around to see grandchildren some day. I wish that someday Greg and me will enjoy retirement and travel. I want to enjoy life as long as I possibly can.

Some low-carb meals are no-brainers. However, there are many recipes that I’m trying now with coconut flour, almond flour, whey protein, and so much more that are very different. It’s like learning to cook again. For now, I am trying recipes from cookbooks that I have purchased and recipes I find online. I really hope to be experimenting with my own recipes very soon. I have already come up with a fat bomb recipe that we really like. Fat bombs are subject for another day though and something that I have had to learn to embrace.

When I say that we are on a low-carb diet, what we are trying to learn is the keto diet. When I first read about it, I did not precisely understand what it was all about, and I am still very limited in my knowledge about it. We started off low-carb and are transitioning to keto. We are learning as we go so, please do not judge me if I say or do something that is not entirely keto. I am not a nutritionist so take anything you read on this blog about the keto diet at face value. Most keto recipes should work well for those of you doing a low-carb diet and those of you that eat paleo.

These simple sub roll-ups were so easy to make and such a hit. I found this idea on ourpaleolife.com and took these to sandwich night at church last Wednesday. Some of the teenagers that I teach were telling me how much they loved them and that I should bring them every week, sandwich night or not! Change up the ingredients and use what you like. Served with the vinegar and oil dip, it’s just like eating your favorite sub sandwich without all the carbs!

italian-sub-roll-ups-njsd
Print Pin

Sub Roll-ups (Keto)

Your favorite sub sandwich without all of the carbs!
Course Keto, Main Course
Servings 4
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 4 thin slices deli ham
  • 4 thin slices deli pepperoni
  • 4 thin slices Genoa Salami
  • 4 thin slices provolone
  • shredded lettuce
  • sliced black olives
  • roasted red peppers sliced
  • pickled banana peppers drained
  • onion thinly sliced
  • mayonnaise
  • 1/4 to 1/2 c. Avocado Oil or Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/4 c. red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • Italian Seasoning to taste

Instructions

  • Place the meats and cheese on a cutting board or other flat surface, overlapping slightly, and layering from largest to smallest.  
  • Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the stack, leaving space at the top of the largest piece to keep if from squishing out when you roll them up.
  • Add a small amount of shredded lettuce to the end with the smallest pieces.  
  • Top with a small amount of desired toppings.
  • Starting at the small end (the end with the toppings), roll the stack, pushing in any fillings that find their way out.
  • Secure the roll with a toothpick.
  • To make dressing, mix the oil and vinegar together.  Sprinkle with some Italian seasoning.  Serve as a dipping sauce for the roll-ups.  

Notes

Total Carbs = 1 g
Net Carbs = 0 g
Fiber = 1 g
Total Fat = 10 g
Protein = 10 g
Calories = 143 
Glycemic Load = 0

 

Lighter Blue Cheese Dressing

Lighter Blue Cheese Dressing

Greg and I both love a simple wedge salad. The dressing is the star of the show on a wedge. If the dressing is not spectacular, then the salad isn’t worth eating, am I right? Who would have ever thought that an iceberg lettuce wedge topped with thick, chunky, blue cheese dressing, some crumbled bacon, and tomato could be such a delight!

In the past, I have given up flavor to go down a dress size. I like food though, and a healthy lifestyle just never lasts because I began to feel deprived. Greg and I both fall into the modern-day foodie category, and bland is not what we crave.

As I begin to discover new recipes I am also revamping some of my old favorites. One of my first recipe remakes was blue cheese dressing, and I am ecstatic with the results! It turns out that I do not have to give up my favorite dressing! Although it’s not quite as creamy as my full-fat version, the flavor is every bit as good and completely satisfying!

It thrills me to know I can have good food and try to be healthier too. Believe it or not, just by making a few changes the scales are already moving in the right direction!

 

Lighter Blue Cheese Dressing
 
Author:
Print
 
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp. white vinegar
  • 1 medium garlic clove
  • ½ tsp. sugar
  • pinch salt
  • pinch freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ c. Plain, low-fat Greek yogurt
  • ¼ c. light Olive Oil Mayonnaise
  • ¼ c. light sour cream
  • ½ cup blue cheese, crumbled
Instructions
  1. In the bowl of a food processor mix vinegar, garlic clove, sugar, salt, pepper, yogurt, mayonnaise, and sour cream until smooth. Add the blue cheese and pulse a few times to blend slightly while still leaving it somewhat chunky.
  2. Makes 6 - ¼ c. servings
  3. Each serving = 4 WW Freestyle Points

Twisted Slaw

twisted-slaw-1

 

The summer of 2016 has been one of the hottest and dryest that I can recall. Our grass is brown, we have trees dying, and our yard already resembles autumn with the yellow and falling leaves. We, most likely, have several more weeks of hot weather, but I am over summer already!

Labor Day is going to be the unofficial end of summer for me, and I’m going to send it off with a bang! I will be with family this year cooking up all of our favorite summertime foods. Hamburgers and hot dogs, brown sugar baked beans, potato salad, homemade ice cream and my cousins fabulous Twisted Slaw!

My cousin, Regina, has a delicious slaw recipe. It is similar to the slaw I have made for years. However, the addition of bell pepper, chives, and green onions definitely takes her slaw over the top with the fresh flavor. It’s delicious alone or on top of a burger or hot dog!

If you are looking for a short-cut, use the pre-shredded cabbage. Regina says that she does this often when feeding her big family. Prepare several hours before serving and store in the refrigerator. Oh, and don’t forget to have a few extra copies of this recipe handy at the cookout because it’s sure to be a hit!

 

Twisted Slaw
 
Author:
Print
 
Ingredients
  • 2 heads cabbage, chopped
  • 1 lg. carrot, chopped
  • ¼ c. chopped chives
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • ½ c. chopped bell pepper
  • ⅛ c. sugar
  • 1 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp. seasoning salt
  • 1 tbsp. white vinegar
  • 1½ c. mayonnaise
Instructions
  1. Mix the mayonnaise, vinegar, seasoning salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the bell pepper, green onions, chives, carrot, and cabbage and toss to coat the vegetables.
  2. Chill at least one hour before serving. Several hours makes it even better.
Notes
After mixing the slaw taste for sugar. It the slaw has a bitter taste add a bit more sugar.

 

Smoky Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

smoky-barbecue-chicken-sandwich-33

Like most southerners, we enjoy us some good barbecue around our house. Greg smokes a Boston butt that would win first place at barbecue cook-offs everywhere. Wes enjoys smoking ribs, and his method is flawless. Savannah and I have several homemade barbecue sauce recipes that we keep on hand too.

Barbecue chicken is not one of our specialties, though. That is, until recently when I tried a new barbecue sauce recipe. It’s a smoky sauce with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce that tastes amazing! It is the number one flavor that I am craving these days.

We have been eating this sauce on everything since I saw Valerie’s Home Cooking.  We have had it on Barbecue Nachos, barbecue burgers, barbecue shrimp, and on these delicious Barbecue Grilled Chicken Sandwiches.

Another important step, not to be skipped, in making these mouth-watering sandwiches is the brining of the chicken. In my opinion, there is no better Thanksgiving turkey than a brined turkey. I don’t fry chicken often but when I do you can bet I will brine it first.

The salt in a brine allows the chicken to retain moisture. A couple of things to remember when you brine chicken are first, try to use kosher salt or sea salt. Also, do not brine the chicken over two hours. It can get rubbery when overbrined.

 

Smoky Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches
 
Author:
Print
 
Ingredients
  • Brine:
  • ¼ c. coarse salt
  • ¼ c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 20 whole black peppercorns
  • 1 c. hot water plus 3 c. cold water
  • 1 lemon, thinlhy sliced
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed with the side of a cleaver
  • Smoky Barbecue Sauce:
  • 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • ½ small onion, chopped
  • 1 lg. or 2 small cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 c. ketchup
  • ½ c. molasses
  • ⅓ c. apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 chipotles in adobo sauce, seeded and roughly chopped
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Grilled Chicken:
  • 2 lg. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half vertically, then cut into thin cutlets, horizontally
  • 4 lg. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Buns
  • Lettuce leaves
  • Sliced tomatoes
  • Sliced red onion
  • Sliced Colby Jack cheese
  • Additional Barbecue sauce, if desired
Instructions
  1. To make the brine: Place the salt, brown sugar, and peppercorns in a large glass bowl and add hot water. Whisk until the salt and brown sugar are dissolved. Stir in the cold water and let cool to room temperature. Pour the brine over the chicken and stir in the lemon slices, onion, and garlic. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let stand in the refrigerator for 2 hours, turning the chicken once of twice.
  2. To make the barbecue sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook about 30 seconds. Add ½ c. water and the ketchup, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire, chipotles, a pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. Store the sauce in the refrigerator.
  3. To grill the chicken: Preheat the grill to high. When ready to cook, brush the grate with oil. Arrange the chicken on the hot grate and grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° F. During the last 2 minutes or so, start basting the chicken on both sides with barbecue sauce. Remove chicken from grill and assemble sandwiches right away.

 

 

Crispy Salt and Vinegar Smashed Potatoes

Crispy-Salt-and-Vinegar-Smashed-Potatoes
When I was a young cook, potatoes were a specialty of mine.  After all, I could prepare them various ways to end up with something different each time.  Times sure do change because I rarely cook potatoes these days.  Mostly, because Greg likes to eat a low-carb diet.  Sometimes I just get a craving that I can’t stop, though.  These potatoes were a result of one of those cravings.
The crispy smashed potatoes are delicious on their own, but when you add the salt and vinegar it takes these babies over the top!  They are perfect as a side with hamburgers and hot dogs or delicious with a meat and sides.
Watch the potatoes closely during the last 20 minutes of baking.  It may not take quite that long.  Also, if you have a few potatoes that are too big, it’s fine to cut the larger potatoes in half, or even quarter them.  I have had to do this before.  However, if you do this be sure to toss the boiled potatoes very gently with the butter, because they will fall apart easily.

 

Crispy Salt and Vinegar Smashed Potatoes
 
Author:
Print
 
Ingredients
  • 2 lb. baby potatoes (Red, White, or Yukon Gold)
  • 1 tbsp. kosher salt, plus additional for sprinkling
  • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. white vinegar
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
  2. Add potatoes and 1 tbsp. kosher salt to a medium saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
  3. Drain and return potatoes to saucepan. Add butter and gently toss to coat. Transfer potatoes to prepared baking sheet, spreading them out in a singer layer. Using a heavy mug or glad, gently press down on each potato until it pops and smash down to about ½-inch thickness.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove potatoes from oven and turn each with a spatula. Drizzle with olive oil and continue baking for 20 minutes more.
  5. Once baked, sprinkle with vinegar, salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve hot.