Bringing home the bacon...and eggs

I love turkey.  In fact, I would prefer to eat turkey to chicken any day.  The only issue with turkey is that it dries out easily, especially when reheated.  Thus far, I have only found one turkey preparation that ensures moisture in the bird both during cooking and reheating: Good Eats Roast Turkey. I made some slight modifications to this recipe, due to my own tastes and the size of the turkey I was using.

The Brine:

1 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 gallon vegetable stock

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries

1 1/2 gallon heavily iced water

In a large pot, combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, black peppercorns, and allspice berries and cook on medium heat until the salt and sugar dissolve.  Once the solids dissolve, bring the mixture to a boil and then remove from heat.  Allow the stock to cool and place in the refrigerator.  

12-hours before you want to cook the turkey, add the iced water to the vegetable stock mixture.  Place the thawed bird, with the neck and innards removed, breast side down in the pot.  Ensure that the turkey is immersed in the brine, cover the pot, and place the pot in the refrigerator.  My turkey was 12 lbs., so I allowed it to brine for 12 hours.  Since my end result was so tasty, I would recommend allowing the turkey to brine 1 hour for every pound of turkey.  Make sure to turn the turkey half-way through the brining process.

**The recipe calls for the use of candied ginger.  I personally am not fond of ginger, so I removed it from the recipe.  If you like ginger, use it in the brine."***

After the 12-hour brine, be sure to thoroughly wash the inside and outside of the turkey.  If you do not carefully wash the turkey, your bird will taste extra salty--it is not recommended!

Cooking the Turkey:

1 red apple, sliced in half

1/2 onion, sliced

1 cinnamon stick

1 cup water

4 sprigs rosemary

6 leaves sage

Canola oil

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Place the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and water in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 5 minutes.  Add these aromatics to the cavity of the bird in addition to the rosemary and sage.  Coat the outside of the turkey with canola oil. Roast the turkey for 30 minutes at 500 degrees F.  Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to cook for another 2-2 and 1/2 hours, until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 161 degrees.  Allow the turkey to rest for 15 minutes, prior to carving.  This rest will prevent the loss of moisture from the bird.

The turkey is unbelievably juicy and flavorful.  When the sliced turkey is reheated, the moisture of the bird is retained.  This brine could also be used for chicken (whole or just the chicken breasts).

Unfortunately, I will be working all day on Thanksgiving, so I've decided to celebrate Thanksgiving a day prior to the actual holiday.  Below is a sneak peak of my menu.  I will not be including recipes, because I'm still in the process of altering them to produce a more Atkins-friendly meal.  Stayed tuned around Thanksgiving, as I will post my recipes and pictures!  My mouth is already watering...

Thanksgiving Menu

-Soup: Creamy Portobello Mushroom

-Roasted 12lb. Turkey

-Red Wine Gravy

Although a low carb diet tends to focus on protein and fats, not all fats are created equal.  One in particular that I enjoy on a daily basis is coconut oil. A common problem among novice low carbers is constipation.  While perusing a low carb forum, I found that many low carbers add coconut oil into their diets to ameliorate the blockage.  Additionally, many studies show other benefits to coconut oil, which includes increasing metabolism, promoting healthier hair, and fighting off viral infections (Please read the research section: http://coconutoil.com/). 

Uses for coconut oil are similar to the more commonly used oils, such as extra virgin olive and canola oils.  The major difference between these oils is the appearance of the coconut oil.  In less humid, cooler climates, coconut oil appears as a congealed white mass.  When you add a tablespoon to a hot pan, the coconut oil will melt, and be usable to bake, saute, fry, or sear. 

I have been incorporating coconut oil into my daily menu.  Specifically, I use Spectrum's Organic Coconut Oil.  Generally, I add it to my morning coffee:

8 oz cup coffee (any brand will do)

1 tsp Spectrum's Coconut Oil

1 tsp Torani Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup

1 packet of Splenda

Well, after an excellent vacation in Wildwood, NJ with the family, I am back.  Even on my worst days, this song makes me happy!  Enjoy!!

Summer Olympics are by far my favorite, and I definitely spent an inordinate amount of time today watching everything from soccer and volleyball to swimming and gymnastics.  I think I'm a junkie... To be honest, soccer and gymnastics are my favorite sports to watch, but it seems I just cannot get enough Olympics.  Oh well, it's only a few weeks long...I'd better live it up while I can. Let's go team USA!!

Back to low-carbing...I generally rotate the protein component of each dinner throughout the week, to prevent boredom.  My proteins are usually pork, chicken, ground beef, or some type of fish.  Tonight's dinner featured ground beef, which I used to make stuffed peppers.  This is probably one of my favorite dishes to make, because it's easy, delicious, and you don't even realize you're eating low carb.

Ground Stuffed Peppers (4-8 servings, depending on hunger)

1/2 lb Ground Beef (I use 85/15, the added fat will add moisture to the mixture)

4 green bell peppers

1 cup sliced mushrooms, cut into 4 pieces

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1 palm-ful of chopped cilantro

4 tbsp chipotle dip (Chipotle Dip Recipe)

8 oz cheddar cheese (pre-shredded cheese contains flour and doesn't melt as well, so I suggest shredding it yourself)

Add the black pepper and onion powder to the ground beef and brown on medium heat.  When the meat is thoroughly browned, add the minced garlic and mushrooms.  Continue cooking until the mushrooms are tender.  Turn the heat down and add the cilantro and mix for 1 min.  Then add the chipotle dip to the meat mixture and remove the pan from the heat.  Wash and slice the green peppers in half and remove seeds.  Add 1/8 of the meat mixture to each half of pepper.  Place the cheddar cheese on top. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.  To serve, add a small dollop of chipotle dip and a few pieces of cilantro for garnish.

Changing your eating habits is only half the battle.  Exercise should also be included in a weekly routine.  If you're fortunate, like me, your place of employment has a gym.  I know I try to go a few times a week, while on lunch, but some days it just does not/cannot happen.  So, I like to have exercises I can complete while at work or at home on days when I just do not have the time. This link should give you some ideas of exercises you can complete during the day, without the huge time commitment. 

I had a hankering for pasta today, and seeing as I follow a low carb diet I wanted to find an alternative.  I remembered a few years ago when I tried Shirataki noodles made with tofu.  Well, I washed and then boiled them, as directed, and added it to a tomato-based sauce I made.  I was thoroughly disgusted (which surprised me because I enjoy tofu)!  They had a fishy taste and rubbery texture, which is not appetizing (ever) let alone when you're expecting to eat something pasta-like.  So, I decided to do a little research, because, surely, someone has found a way around these issues in the past few years...and I was right.  I came across a post from finallychelle on myfitnesspal.  She is a Shirataki noodle enthusiast, "[having] eaten well over 300 pounds of shirataki noodles since [she]  started [her] diet, 290 days ago."  (Check out her post -Let's talk about shirataki noodles)

Finallychelle suggests dry frying the noodles prior to adding them to the sauce of your choosing.  Considering the noodles only cost $1.79 per package, I figured it was worth the financial gamble (I mean, she was pretty convincing).  So, I went to Sprouts and purchased House Foods Traditional Shirataki Noodles made with white yam (no tofu).

 When I returned from shopping I gave the noodles a thorough wash in hot water and strained the liquid.  Taking Finallychelle's advice to heart, I dry fried the noodles in a pan on medium to low heat for about 5 minutes (you should notice a slight color change).  I strained the noodles one more time, because the dry frying was causing moisture from the noodles to be released and water was accumulating.  I then placed them on a paper towel to absorb any remaining moisture while I finished off my (creamy peppercorn and mushroom) sauce.  I then added the noodles into the sauce and let it cook for another few minutes.  The result was incredible!  The noodles took on the flavor of the sauce and their texture was similar to pasta that was slightly al dente.  With only 5 carbs for the entire package, I will definitely find more ways to incorporate these noodles into my menus.  If you have never tried Shirataki noodles or have only had the noodles made with tofu, I highly recommend giving white yam only noodles in conjunction with the dry frying technique a try.  It's a great way to spice up your weekly meals!

So, I stopped by my neighborhood Tom Thumb yesterday, and while perusing the meat section I came across these lamb shoulder chops.  Since I have not eaten lamb in several years, I thought this would be a treat!  I was right.  The meat was tender and not very gamey, while the sauce added a pleasant richness and that hint of mint I often associate with lamb.  I will definitely make this again!

Lamb Chop Preparation:

1 bone-in lamb chop

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Black pepper

Paprika

Cumin

Season both sides of the lamb chop with the black pepper, paprika, and cumin.  Cook the lamb chop in a skillet with the oil for 5 (medium-rare) to 8 (medium) minutes.  Remove from heat and allow the chop to rest.

Roast asparagus drizzled with extra virgin olive in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Rosemary, Garlic, and Mint Cream Sauce

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tbsp sour cream

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp rosemary (dried)

1 tsp mint (dried)

1 tsp black pepper

1 pinch of salt