KALYN’S SAVORY ZUCCHINI MUFFINS

Posted in Breakfast & Brunch, Pizzas & Small Dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

I’ve been following food bloggers for a very long time. Many stopped blogging, but a few of my favorites still hang on over many years. Kalyn is one blogger who passed the 15-year mark (a milestone I am going to hit in a few weeks…). For the most part she focuses on low-carb recipes and everything I cooked from her blog has been delicious. No lack of flavor, no odd textures. Back in 2022 she shared a recipe for zucchini muffins and I finally made them. They delivered all that she promised. No matter your take on amount of carbs, these are great. The almond flour makes them moist and quite tender. I made a few minor changes from her published version.

FLOURLESS SAVORY ZUCCHINI MUFFINS
(from Kalyn’s Kitchen)

1 small zucchini
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp Herbes de Provence
salt and black pepper to taste
3/4 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
8 eggs, well beaten
2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
2 T baking powder

Heat oven to 375F.

Cut stem and blossom end off zucchini, then cut in fourths lengthwise. Then on each piece, trim off and discard part of the white center part of zucchini, so you have zucchini strips with skin and about 1/4 inch of white. Cut those pieces into thinner strips, then dice to make small cubes around 1/4 inch square. You will have about 1 + 1/2 cups diced zucchini. Heat olive oil in non-stick frying pan and cook zucchini seasoned with the Herbes de Provence, salt and pepper until it’s softening and just starting to brown, about 3 minutes.

Put cottage cheese in a fine strainer placed in the sink and rinse with cold water, then let it drain well.
Beat the eggs until yolks and whites are well-combined.

In a bowl combine the cooked zucchini, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese and beaten eggs.
In a smaller bowl mix almond flour, flax seed meal and baking powder.

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, adding only part at a time and stirring each time until the mixture is combined. Fill muffin cups, dividing the mixture evenly among 9 muffins cups. Bake about 27 minutes, or until muffins are firm and slightly browned.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I omitted feta cheese because I did not have any. I made bigger muffins and instead of twelve I ended up with nine. These jumbo silicone liners are absolutely great! If you don’t have a jumbo muffin pan, they will still stand upright on a regular baking sheet. You can find a link to get them in Kalyn’s blog, I’ve had mine for a while. Love the colors also, as you might imagine…

They would be pretty nice with chunks of feta in the crumb, so consider adding that. The crumb is very delicate and they are perfect for a light lunch. The muffins freeze well, you can microwave them for 1 minute, and enjoy good as fresh.

Kalyn, thank you for yet another great low-carb recipe!

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25Mar2023

ALMOND FLOUR SOURDOUGH

Posted in Breads by sallybr

No, this is not a gluten-free bread, it is a regular sourdough with a small amount of almond flour (natural kind, with skin on during processing). You won’t be able to tell exactly what is in it, but the almond gives it a nice flavor component.

ALMOND FLOUR SOURDOUGH
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

470g bread flour
30g almond flour
20g spelt flour
10g salt
365g water
80g sourdough starter at 100% hydration
tapioca flour for dusting dough

Make the levain mixture about 6 hours before you plan to mix the dough. It should be very bubbly and active.

When you are ready to make the final dough, place the water in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer and dissolve the starter in it, mixing with a spatula briefly, then add the three types of flour, and the salt. Turn the mixer on with the hook attachment and knead the dough for 4 minutes at low-speed all the time. If the dough is too sticky, add 1/4 cup bread flour, you want the dough to start clearing the sides of the bowl, but still be sticky at the bottom.

Remove from the machine, and transfer to a container lightly coated with oil, cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow it to ferment for 4 hours, folding every 45 minutes or so. After four hours bulk fermentation, shape the dough as a ball, and place, seam side up, in a lightly floured banetton. Leave at room temperature one hour, and then place in the fridge overnight, from 8 to 12 hours.

Next morning, heat the oven to 450F. Invert the dough over parchment paper, dust with tapioca flour and slash with a new razor blade, in any pattern you like.

Bake at 450F for 45 minutes, preferably covered for the first 30 minutes to retain steam. Cool completely over a rack before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I went a little blade-crazy with the scoring, using my new blade, this beauty with the logo of my dear friend Elaine, Foodbod Sourdough. Click here to get yours. The square cuts I made with small scissors, the same I use for cutting piping tips, very small blade.

A delicious bread, with a slightly softer crumb, as the almond flour contributes some fat and helps retain moisture.

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9Mar2014

RICOTTA MEATBALLS

Posted in Beef by sallybr

Vegetarians will have to forgive me, but I firmly believe a person cannot have too many meatball recipes. They cook quickly, can be served with many different types of sauces, and leftovers taste as good or better as the first time around. This version was originally published in The Meatball Shop Cookbook, but it is also available online. I added my own twist to it, using almond flour instead of bread crumbs. I don’t have gluten allergies, just happen to love playing new twists on a classic.

CLASSIC RICOTTA MEATBALLS
(adapted from this version)

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds 80% lean ground beef
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
about 2 cups simple tomato sauce (store-bought or home-made)

Heat the oven to 425°F.

Combine by gently beating together the ricotta, eggs, almond flour, parsley, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes, and fennel in a large mixing bowl. When the mixture seems homogeneous, add the ground beef and mix by hand until incorporated.

Roll the mixture into round, golf ball-size meatballs and place on a rack over a baking dish, allowing some space in between them. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through.

While the meatballs are roasting, heat the tomato sauce in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often. Add the meatballs to the saucepan, and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click

Comments: I do not remember the last time I fried a meatball. Baking works so much better! I am not even talking about excess fat consumption, but the whole preparation is much more user-friendly. Recently I found this cute baking dish with an insert that is perfect for cooking meatballs, as they sit elevated and the hot air circulates all around them. No need to mess with them once you start baking. After they are brown and almost cooked through, I add them to my sauce of choice, simmering them gently until serving time.

The almond flour and the ricotta gave these meatballs a wonderful texture, creamy but not at all heavy. You can make them smaller if you prefer, but I like them to be more substantial. The tomato sauce I used was very simply prepared: a can of tomatoes simmered with sautéed shallots, celery, and carrots. Salt and pepper. A touch of orange zest at the end.

Almond flour is not cheap, but where we live for some odd reason every once in a while it goes on sale. When that happens, I grab a couple of bags and stick them in the freezer. It is a wonderful ingredient for both sweet and savory dishes. One of my favorite cakes ever is this one, in which the almond flour shines in all its nutty glory. 😉

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