Tex-Mex Cauliflower

Still trying to get rid of the giant jar of salsa verde...

Puree together:

2lbs chopped cooked cauliflower
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1 Tbsp bacon fat
1 tsp  chopped chipotles in adobo sauce (canned)
3 minced garlic cloves

1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Stir in:
1/4 cup salsa verde

1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup chopped raw tomatoes

Bake for 40 minutes.

This tastes like it would be a layer in Mexican layer dip with a consistency similar to mashed potatoes. I'll probably put green onions and black olives on top when I eat this. I might even add then to the ingredients I  stir in next time. 

Enchilada Meatballs

We still have salsa verde so it's Enchilada meatballs for this week.

1 egg
1/2 cup almond flour
salt and black pepper
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp ground coriander
5 minced garlic cloves
3oz crumbled feta

1/4 cup salsa verde
2 lb. ground turkey

Mix everything together then stir in the meat. Roll into balls (I got 16) and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

I tossed these in the oven then totally forgot about them until I went to put the cauliflower in the oven 40 minutes later. I also didn't add the green onions from the original recipe purely because I forgot. 100% absentmindedness. They're really really good. The recipe could also head in an Indian direction with some tomato paste and curry powder added to them. Maybe next time.

Super delicious. Definitely make these.

Salsa Cheese Soup

Jalapeno popper soup seemed like it'd be right up Paul's alley. It's mostly cheese so I made a quadruple batch.

1 Tbs bacon fat
4 cloves minced garlic
16oz cream cheese
1 cup heavy cream
8 cups broth
1/2 cup salsa verde
1lb shredded pepper jack cheese
1lb shreddded cheddar
1/4 cup chopped roasted serano chilies

Sautee the garlic in the fat. Simmer the broth, cream, and cream cheese until the soup is smooth. Stir in the salsa, jack, cheddar, and chiles. Once the cheese melts, it's done. Enjoy!

Cheese soups are not really my thing. I much prefer potato but this one's good if you are on low carb.

Update: This soup is really good the next day. I was on the fence about it until I had it 3 days later. It's great. It also works as a dip with a thickener added to it. I use psyllium husk since it's low carb but cornstarch would work just fine.

Ham Mushroom Frittata

Our frittata for this week features ham and mushrooms. I love mushrooms. I'm always glad to have an excuse to buy them. Saute them in garlic and butter then eat on everything. Mmmmm. I used turkey ham in this recipe since I had to know what turkey ham tasted like but regular ham works just as well.

2 Tbs butter

2 cups chopped mushrooms

8oz turkey ham

24 eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

4oz shredded cheddar

handful chopped parsley

salt and pepper

Saute the mushrooms and ham in the butter. Mix the eggs with the cream, cheese, parsley, and seasonings. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

I lined the sides with squash slices - a cheap veggie - in attempt to alleviate the cleaning nightmare the last frittata left. This one turned out amazingly delicious. I think it would be better with Swiss or goat cheese instead of the cheddar. I had upped the mushrooms but the original author was on track with the mushroom content. Dial back the mushrooms to 1 cup.

Italian Meatballs

Our new batch of meatballs this week are Italian style meatballs.

2.5lbs ground beef
1 egg
3/4 cup water
Palmful of chopped parsley
Palmful of chopped oregano
4 cloves minced garlic
1 cup grated parmesan
3/4 cup almond flour
1.5 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Mix all the ingredients together. Roll them into meatballs. We got 19 meatballs from this batch. Bake them 350 for 20 minutes.

These are good if you're looking for a generic meatball recipe. They taste good but there's nothing special here. Your sauce is going to have to bring all the show.