Tag: zucchini

Arugula, Goat Cheese, and Couscous Salad

Arugula, Goat Cheese, and Couscous Salad

Last weekend we had a long-awaited visit from our daughter, Savannah. Savannah is a CPA in Atlanta. Too far away for this mama, but as long as she’s happy. We have not been able to see her very much this year. With Covid and this year’s busy season, our visits have been limited. We were thrilled to have her home, but the visit was way too short!  

Savannah may get her smarts from her dad, but she gets her love of cooking from me. She whipped up one of her favorite salads for dinner one night. Don’t you just love for someone to treat you like royalty and cook for you? She made us a delicious Arugula, Goat Cheese, and Couscous Salad.  

This recipe is from Jessie James Decker’s cookbook, Just Feed Me. I will definitely be making it again! The peppery arugula paired with the creamy goat cheese with couscous and veggies was absolutely terrific! Our dinner consisted of the salad only, but baked or grilled chicken, or fish, would be great served over the top. 

Arugula, Goat Cheese, and Couscous Salad
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Arugula, Goat Cheese, and Couscous Salad

Course Salad
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pearl couscous
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small red onion cut into thin rings
  • 1 medium zucchini sliced into 1/2-inch rounds or half-moons
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 cup baby arugula
  • 8 ounces goat cheese chilled and crumbled

Instructions

  • Cook the pearl couscous according to the package directions. Set aside in a large bowl.
  • In a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over low heat. Add the onion and cook until caramelized, about 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.
  • On a sheet pan, toss the zucchini with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Slide under the broiler and broil until cooked through and charred slightly, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the zucchini and onion to the cooked couscous. Add the lemon juice, parsley, vinegar, arugula, goat cheese, and some salt and pepper and toss to fully combine before serving.

Summer Vegetable Turkey Chili

My friends, Sandra and Alan, recently shared their abundant harvest of squash and zucchini with me. We have grilled it, fried it, and baked it. Most recently, I decided to make a summer vegetable chili. I know chili is something we usually all make in the colder months, but it was terrific!

I started with ground turkey for a lighter chili. I removed the seeds from both the zucchini and yellow squash, and I cooked it just long enough for the squash to be tender-crisp.

Made with tomatoes, peppers, onions, and the fresh squash, I will most definitely keep this recipe around! Not only was it delicious, but it was also low in carbs. I served the chili with shredded cheese and sour cream.

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Summer Vegetable Turkey Chili

Course Main Course, Soup
Servings 8
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 (14.5-oz.) can petite diced tomatoes undrained
  • 1 (15-oz.) can black soy beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 (4-oz.) can green chiles
  • 1/2 cup chopped poblano pepper (approximately 1 pepper)
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 8 ounces water
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons chicken boullion powder
  • 1 cup chopped yellow squash
  • 1 cup chopped zucchini

Instructions

  • Cook turkey in a Dutch oven until no longer pink.
  • Add tomatoes, soy beans, chiles, pepper, onion, water, chili powder, paprika, cumin and chicken bouillion powder. Cook on medium-low for 30 minutes.
  • In the meantime, cut squash and zucchini lengthwise. Discard the seeds buy using a small spoon to scoop out. Chop and set aside.
  • Add the squash and zucchini to the Dutch oven. Cook until the squash is tender-crisp.
  • Serve with desired toppings.

Notes

Nutrition:  Net Carbs = 5 g.; Fat = 11 g.; Protein:  15 g.; Calories = 196

 

Italian Sausage and Cheese Tortellini Soup

Italian Sausage and Cheese Tortellini Soup

What a year 2019 has been! I know that you thought I had disappeared! I’m still here! I have wanted to post, but quite honestly, life is for living, and I have lived it this year. As I have mentioned in previous posts, our son married his soulmate, Ashley, in June, in our yard. We spend the first five months of the year working in the yard! Also, our daughter, Savannah, graduated college and moved to Atlanta to start her career. In fact, we moved Savannah and had a wedding all within two weeks.

Everything has worked out well, and I am one proud mother! However, I suppose being an empty nester is an adjustment.

I feel like I am finally settling into this new season in my life. Have you ever had one of those moments where you just sit back, take a deep breath, and know everything is okay? That is how I’m feeling right about now.

With that being said, I am going to start reposting some of my old recipes I removed from the blog back when I had decided to shut the blog down. I have had so many people contact me trying to find some of the favorites. I hope you enjoy seeing some of your old favorites again!

Thanks for sticking with me through life!

Amye

My longtime friend, Loretta, shared this fantastic Italian Sausage and Cheese Tortellini Soup with me several years ago. It’s not one of those show simmering soups for the crockpot, but it is still incredibly simple to make without spending hours in the kitchen. Serve with toasty garlic bread and a salad for a delicious meal!

Italian Sausage and Cheese Tortellini Soup
 
Author:
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Ingredients
  • 1 lb. Italian sausage
  • 1 c. chopped onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 5 c. beef broth
  • ½ c. water
  • ½ c. red wine
  • 2 (14½-oz.) cans Italian diced tomatoes
  • 1 c. thinly diced carrots
  • ½ tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
  • 1½ c. diced zucchini
  • 3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
  • 8 to 9-oz. fresh cheese tortellini pasta
  • fresh basil
  • grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Remove casing from sausage and brown sausage. Drain and set aside.
  2. In the meantime, cut zucchini in half and scrap out seeds. Discard seeds and dice zucchini, set aside.
  3. Saute onions and garlic in same pan.
  4. Stir in beef broth, water, red wine, diced tomatoes, carrots, oregano, and tomato sauce.
  5. Add cooked sausage. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
  6. Skim any fat from top. Stir in zucchini and parsley and simmer 30 minutes.
  7. Add tortellini during the last 10 minutes.
  8. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese to serve.

 

Keto Vegetable Beef Soup

keto-vegetable-beef-soup

Before I started keto, it was nothing to bake a cake with 2 cups of butter and a pile of sugar and wheat flour. Or to load a baked sweet potato with butter and sugar. Many people think of keto as a bad thing. I guess they think you are sitting around eating sticks of butter, and bacon and sausage.

I read a lot of material before starting this diet. At first I did not think I could do it. When you hear that it is high fat and low carb and you were raised during the time that low fat was always preached you have to retrain your way to thinking entirely. It wasn’t until I had kept up with my macros for weeks that I figured out that I wasn’t adding a bunch of fat to my diet. What I was doing was controlling the carbs and protein in my diet. Pre-keto I did not keep up with the nutritional counts of my daily intake. I can honestly say that my days consisted of a pile of carbs, many calories and tons of fat though. After you have been eating very low sugar and carbs for months, it does not take a journal to figure out that a muffin, bowl or cereal, or toast with jelly for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and a taco salad for dinner is off the charts, even with no snacks. Throw in a sweet tea here or there, and you are on a carb and sugar overload!

Today I have a fabulous Vegetable Beef Soup for you. This soup is amazingly good, and it all started when I was cleaning out the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator. I used turnip roots in place of the potatoes in most vegetable soups and zucchini instead of beans or peas. The bacon, which I almost did not add, was the key ingredient. The smoky taste that it added was a hit with my family!

 

keto-vegetable-beef-soup
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Course Soup
Keyword ground beef, beef broth, bacon, carrots, zucchini, turnip roots
Servings 12
Calories 282kcal
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bacon chopped and browned
  • 1/4 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1/4 cup diced carrots
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 29 ounces Green Pepper and Onion Diced Tomatoes
  • 2 medium zucchini seeds removed and diced
  • 1/2 cup diced turnip root
  • 32 ounces Beef Bone Broth
  • 2 tablespoons double concentrated tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon Knorr Homestyle Chicken Stock concentrate

Instructions

  • Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp.  Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate with a slotted spoon.
  • Add onion and carrot to the bacon grease and cook until the vegetables start to soften,  
  • Add the ground beef to the skillet with the vegetables and cook until the beef is no longer pink.  
  • Pour the beef mixture from the skillet into a slow-cooker.  
  • Add the diced tomatoes, zucchini, turnip root, beef broth, tomato paste and chicken stock concentrate and stir to combine. 
  • Cover the slow-cooker and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 4 to 6 hours.  

Notes

12 Servings: 6 g. Net Carbs; 17 g. Fat; 25 g. Protein; 282 Calories

Beef and Veggie No Nachos PLUS Keto Taco Seasoning Mix

 

beef and veggie no nachos

Mexican night is something I can always throw together. I keep all of the ingredients on hand and when I fail to plan dinner I can still have something on the table in very little time.

Sugar has thrown a wrench in many of my old recipes though.  Mexican night being one of them.  I always kept the little packets of taco seasoning in the cabinet as a standby. That is completely out now. It has sugar, and although it is a small amount, it is out!

I have made a homemade taco seasoning mix that is better than anything bought! I have added it to beef and chicken with great results.  I plan on using it in all of my recipes that have taco seasoning added, starting with a Mexican Chicken Soup tonight,

I recently made these tasty nachos using my new taco seasoning and they were delicious and filling. The nutrition content does not take into account for your toppings. Please add your shredded cheese, sour cream, and healthy avocado when figuring your macros.

keto taco seasoning mix
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Keto Taco Seasoning

A wonderful homemade sugar free taco seasoning!
Cuisine Mexican
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1/4 c. chipotle chili powder or regular chili powder
  • 1/4 c. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 Tbsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 Tbsp. Swerve granulated
  • 2 tsp. Dutch cocoa powder

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl and whisk to combine.  Store in an airtight container.  

Notes

1 serving = 1 tablespoon
Use 1 tablespoon per pound of meat.
Net Carbs = 1 g.
Fat = 1 g.
Protein = 1 g.
Calories = 13

 

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Beef and Veggie No Nachos

Course Keto, Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword ground beef, zucchini, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, mushrooms
Servings 4
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 tbsp. taco seasoning
  • 1/4 c. water
  • 2 c. diced zucchini
  • 1 c. whole mushrooms
  • 1 c. diced green bell pepper
  • 1 c. diced red bell pepper
  • 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425℉.
  • Brown meat.  Add taco seasoning and water and stir to combine.  Boil for a few minutes, remove from heat and set aside.
  • Place diced vegetables on a large baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss to coat.
  • Place in preheated oven and roast, flipping the vegetables occasionally, until tender/crisp or desired doneness. 
  • Remove from oven.
  • To assemble:  Place 1/4 of the vegetables on a plate.  Top with 1/4 of the meat mixture.  Top with cheese, sour cream, and avocado.  
  • Serve.

Notes

Net Carbs = 6
Fat = 17
Protein = 34
Calories = 317