Sunday, October 21, 2018

Mexican Street Corn Casserole and Gorgonzola Butter for Steaks


Today was probably my last chance to grill for the season, and boy did I grill. Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola butter, Mexican Street Corn, along with sauteed mushrooms & onions. Definitely not keto. Such a yummy cheat meal! And hey, I'm on vacation. Vacation calories don't count ;)

Mexican Street Corn Casserole

Skill Level: Easy

Ingredients:
32 ounces frozen corn kernels or 7 ears corn
¼ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions:
If using ears of corn, cut the corn off the cob. Spread corn on a baking sheet. Broil for 5 to 10 minutes, turning the baking sheet every few minutes, to get a light char on the corn.
Remove from oven and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, cheeses and egg, stir until well mixed. Add the corn and stir to combine.
Grease a casserole dish with butter. Pour in the corn mixture and bake for 30 minutes.
Before serving, sprinkle Cotija cheese, cilantro and chili powder over casserole.
Serve with a wedge of lime.

Gorgonzola Butter for Steaks

*Shhh, I borrowed this picture from the internet*

Skill Level: Super Easy


Ingredients:
½ cup butter, softened
2 ounces gorgonzola cheese
¼ cup parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed

Directions:
Using food processor or with a stick blender mix all ingredients together until well combined.
Chill.

The meal paired with with some sauteed mushrooms and onions, and a DuClaw Sweet Baby Jesus! Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter. :D

Going into a carb coma in 3...
2...
1.

Saturday, October 20, 2018

Nicole's Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

Since last Spring I have been living the ketogenic lifestyle, which has had a major impact on my cooking. As a result, I've adapted many of my classic recipes to fit my new way of life. My loaded cauliflower casserole is an adaptation of my favorite comfort food, Mac & Cheese. At only 4.2 net carbs and packed with protein it's the perfect keto indulgence.

Nicole's Loaded Cauliflower Casserole


Skill Level: Easy

Servings: 8

Ingredients:
24 ounces cauliflower florets
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 ounces sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup green onions
8 thick slices of bacon, crumbled, divided
2 ounces Pork rinds, crumbled
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an casserole dish with non-stick spray. Set aside.
In a large microwave safe bowl, add cauliflower (broken into bite size pieces) and 2 tablespoons of water, cover and microwave for 3 minutes.
In a large bowl, stir together half of the cheddar, cream cheese, sour cream, butter and green onions until well combined.
Add the cauliflower and half of the bacon. Stir to coat.
Pour mixture into prepared backing dish and sprinkle with remaining cheddar, bacon and crumbled pork rinds.
Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the cauliflower reaches desired softness.
Enjoy!

Author's Note: I make a cup of espresso and brush some over the bacon, add a bit of fresh ground pepper, then bake it at 400 degrees until crisp. Yes, it sounds weird but tastes amazing if you like coffee. Because, come on, coffee and bacon, what's not to like.

Nutrition Information
*Note: I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared below should only be used as a general guideline.

Nicole's Loaded Cauliflower Casserole
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories411
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 32g41%
Saturated Fat 17.2g86%
Cholesterol 94mg31%
Sodium 1013mg44%
Total Carbohydrate 6.4g2%
Dietary Fiber 2.2g8%
Total Sugars 2.3g
Protein 25.5g
Vitamin D 5mcg27%
Calcium 372mg29%
Iron 1mg6%
Potassium 439mg9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet.2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Monday, October 8, 2018

What if the weather….



With earthquakes, tsunamis, twisters, and more happening lately, one day I thought to myself, “What if?”.

The politics, economics, and meteorological aspects of the climate change debate don’t really interest me. It’s not as if my adding my two cents into the discussion will change anyone’s mind. But I am interested in how such things affect people. As a writer I find how people think, act, and react endlessly fascinating.

I started thinking about people driving smaller, more fuel efficient cars. The advantages and disadvantages. I thought about paperless offices. Again, advantages and disadvantages. As an author who is published digitally, in print, and in audio, I see a lot of advantages to digital books. No shipping costs. No remainders being pulped. No dead trees, no fuel used in transportation. All of these are good and mean prices remain more affordable. But for someone working in a paperless office, maybe there would be some disadvantages.

Then I thought about recycling. I’m a big fan of the “reduce, reuse, recycle” movement. And I thought of a particularly naughty twist to that system.
Phoebe works for a company that’s determined to keep its carbon footprint as small as possible. Mostly she thinks that’s very good. Then there was the day she got caught in a flash flood. And rescued by a couple of extremely sexy pirates…

“Flash Flood” blurb
Phoebe is on her way to a business meeting when a landslide causes a tsunami of water to flood the road, sweeping her car into a river. She is pulled from the river by Connor and Patrick. A night of extremely satisfying “thank God I’m alive” sex seems a fitting end to the day.

Phoebe has a week off work to recover, and the two men invite her to accompany them on a business-and-pleasure trip. They have a great time, the sex is awesome, but Fi is unsettled by undercurrents and things she cannot quite grasp. She finds herself humming “For I am a pirate king”, possibly because of their tendency to tell pirate jokes. Or maybe not.

Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Flash-Flood-Siren-Publishing-Menage-ebook/dp/B00S5ER0V0/

Berengaria Brown
Blog: http://berengariasblog.blogspot.com/
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