*Lo Carb* XIII: Creamy Cauli, Beans & Water Chestnuts, Avocado Mousse, 3-Cheese Spinach, Mock Apple! 🌞

Stephanie Hill's
Creamy Cauliflower and Bacon Casserole

1 medium head cauliflower
12 ounces bacon, cut in 1" (2.5 cm) pieces
1j2 cup (80 g) diced onion
1 1j2 teaspoons minced garlic, optional
6 ounces (170 g) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons (20 g) grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons (30 ml) heavy cream, or as needed
Salt and pepper to taste
3 ounces (85 g) sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C). (If you're cooking something
else in the oven, this can probably cook alongside it with no
problems.) Spray a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking
spray and set aside.

Chop the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and cook until tender,
either by steam-ing or in salted, boiling water. Drain and set aside.

In a Dutch oven or large, heavy saucepan, saute the bacon pieces
over medium to medium-high heat until half done. (You can drain
off a portion of the bacon fat if desired.) Add the onion and cook
until the onion is soft. Then add the garlic and saute for a few
moments, but do not burn. Add the cream cheese and Parmesan
cheese, stirring until melted and creamy. Add the cream if
necessary.

Remove from heat and stir in the drained cauliflower and mix
thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour cauliflower mixture
into prepared casserole dish, and top with shredded cheddar. Bake
until cheddar is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Let casserole
sit for five minutes before serving.

Note: Once you add the onion, the bacon will not crisp. If you want
crispy bacon, cook it until crisp, remove to drain, and return it to the
pan.

Tester's note: Ray, our tester, calls this "an easy, nifty dish" but warns
that he lost a fair quantity of the chopped cauliflower through the
holes in his bamboo steam-er. If you have a steamer with fairly large
holes, consider steaming your cauliflower whole, then chopping it.
Ray also says he likes to add more shredded cheddar!

Dana's note: Me, I'd microwave that chopped cauliflower for about
7 minutes on high.

Yield: 6 servings

Per serving: 518 calories; 45 g fat; 24 g protein; 4 g carbohydrate;
1 g dietary fiber; 3 g usable carbs.


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Stir-Fried Green Beans and Water Chestnuts

2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil
2 cups (300 g) frozen green beans, thawed
1/2 cup (100 g) canned water chestnuts, sliced or diced, drained
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup (60 ml) chicken broth
1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
Guar or xanthan

Heat the oil in a skillet or wok, over high heat. Add the green
beans and water chestnuts, and stir-fry until the green beans
are tender-crisp. Stir in the garlic, chicken broth, and soy sauce,
and let simmer for a couple of minutes; thicken the pan juices
just a little with your guar or xanthan shaker, and serve.

Yield: 3 servings

Each with: 126 calories; 9 g fat; 2 g protein; 10 g carbohydrate;
3 g dietary fiber; 7 g usable carbs.


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Ruth Lambert's Avocado Mousse

I think this would be a great starter for any Mexican or Southwestern menu.

3 ripe avocados
6 ounces (170 g) light cream cheese (same carbs as full fat)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) half-and-half or cream
Garlic salt to taste
Medium salsa

Whip avocado pulp and cream cheese plus half-and-half with
garlic salt in blender for about 2 minutes until foamy and a
gorgeous light green. Serve in voluptuous scoops in little
ramekins, with a bed of salsa, for a truly stunning first course
that will have everyone raving.

Yield: Serves 6 generously

Each with: 280 calories; 26 g fat; 5 g protein; 11 g carbohydrate; 3 g dietary
fiber; 8 g usable carbs.



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Mary Lou Theisen's
Three Cheese Spinach Bake

Our tester, Julie, loved this recipe-and so did her seven-year-old
son and two-year-old daughter! She said it was easy and "tasted
like a million bucks."

2 10-ounce (280 g) packages frozen chopped spinach
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (150 g) unsalted butter, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
8 ounces (225 g) cream cheese
3/4 cup (120 g) fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup (60 g) thinly shredded Monterey Jack cheese
(you can also use mild cheddar cheese instead of Monterey Jack)

Defrost the spinach-Mary Lou does it in her microwave,
but you could be truly revolutionary and just leave it out on
the counter. Make sure to squeeze out all of the liquid from
the defrosted spinach.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium-sized pan. Saute
the onion in the butter until tender. Add the drained spinach
and minced garlic. Heat everything together for 5 to 10
minutes. Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish you've
sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350°F
(180°C) degrees.

In the same pan you used to saute the onion and spinach, heat
the heavy cream, cream cheese, and 1/2 cup (120 g) unsalted
butter until all the cream cheese has melted. Add the fresh grated
Parmesan cheese and stir until you have a wonderful sauce (if it
gets too thick, add a little more heavy cream). Pour the Parmesan
cheese mixture over the spinach; add salt and pepper to taste. Stir
until the spinach and Parmesan mixture have completely blended.
Sprinkle the shredded Monterey Jack cheese over the top and bake
in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the top
cheese layer is melted and bubbly. Pull out of oven and let sit for 5
minutes before serving. Delicious!

Tester's note: Julie says it's nice to sprinkle a little more grated
Parmesan on top of this, and add a sprinkle of paprika. Just for
presentation, don't you know?

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Each with: 413 calories; 40 g fat (84.7% calories from fat);
10 g protein; 6 g carbohydrate; 2 g dietary fiber; 4 g usable carbs.



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Susan Higgs's
Spicy Zucchini and Tomato Saute

2 or 3 zucchinis, julienne-cut
2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
2 tomatoes, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste ,
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, finely diced
1/3 cup (40 g) shredded cheese
(cheddar or Monterey Jack is great; Parmesan is pretty good, too)

Line colander with paper towels and let julienned zucchini sit for
20 to 30 minutes to drain. Squeeze zucchini dry. Melt butter in a
big darned skillet and saute zucchini until soft but not browned.
Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and jalapeno, sauteing until heated
through.

Remove from heat and add shredded cheese-scatter half over the
top, stir to mix, then scatter the other half over the top, and stir again.

Tester's note: Our tester, Ray, said this overwhelmed his skillet,
so consider halving this recipe unless you've got a family to feed.

Yield: Serves 4

Each with: 85 calories; 6 g fat; 2 g protein; 7 g carbohydrate;
3 g dietary fiber; 4 g usable carbs.


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Anne Logston's Mock Fried Apples

Here's a really unique side dish. I think this would be great
with pork chops or a pork roast! Our tester, Julie, said this
doesn't taste exactly like apples, but it's awfully good, and
her whole family liked it, so don't be nervous about that
unfamiliar chayote. (She also said she found chayote at the
first grocery store she tried!)

2 chayote fruits
1/3 cup (80 ml) apple cider vinegar
3-5 packets Splenda or 2-10 teaspoons granular Splenda, to taste
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick butter
Guar or xanthan (optional)

Wash chayote thoroughly. Quarter lengthwise, removing seeds.
Cut quarters crosswise into thin slices. Place slices in a bowl or
zipper-lock bag. Wash your hands!

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, Splenda, cinnamon, and salt.
Add to chayote slices and toss or shake to coat thoroughly. Let
marinate at least 1 hour.

Melt butter in a hot skillet. When butter is sizzling, add chayote
and any juice and cook until chayote is hot but still crunchy-cook
until more tender if desired. (Our tester liked this cooked about 8
minutes.) If desired, thicken pan juices with your guar or xanthan
shaker to create a thick, yummy glaze.


Note: When cutting up chayote, either wear plastic gloves or
wash your hands with hot soapy water immediately afterward.
The chayote juice contains a sort of starch that will form an
annoying tight film on your fingertips that lasts and lasts, and
once it dries it's horribly hard to scrub off.

Yield: 3 servings

Each with: 167 calories; 16 g fat; 1 g protein; 7 g carbohydrate;
3 g dietary fiber; 4 g usable carbs.

All the above from "500 More Low Carb Recipes"
https://goodreads.com/book/show/593287.500_More_Low_Carb_Recipes

Tasteee Veggies! Eat 'em up yum!!