Slow Cooker Recipe for Mediterranean Beef Stew with Rosemary and Balsamic Vinegar

A tummy-warming beef stew for the adults to eat while kids are eating candy!

(Updated with better photos and instructions, October 2012.)  On Halloween night you know the kids aren't going to want to eat anything but candy, so why not make this slow cooker beef stew with lots of adult flavors to keep the grown-ups happy?  You can start this mid morning and by dinner time it will be ready to go.  If you'll be gone all day, just do the advance prep the night before, refrigerate the ingredients in a plastic container, and put the cold ingredients in the slow cooker and let it cook all day while you're out.  I'd love this with a dollop of sour cream on top, but no matter how you eat it, this stew is loaded with flavor.  (There are also stove-top instructions if you don't have a slow cooker.)

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Cannellini Bean and Kale Soup Recipe with Shaved Parmesan

A Meatless Monday Slow Cooker Soup with Cannellini Beans, Kale, and slivers of freshly-grated Parmesan!

As much as I whine about the cold weather, when you look at the Soup, Stew, and Chili section of my recipe archives you can tell I love cold-weather dishes, especially soup.  Some of my favorite soups are the ones where I start with an idea and add things until it tastes good, but even when I have a recipe to start with like I did this time, I tend to improvise with most of the soups I make.  This slow cooker soup that can cook all day while you're at work was adapted from one I saw in The Italian Slow Cooker, a book that's loaded with good ideas.  I increased the amount of stock (and might use even more next time), added some dried Italian herbs, and served the soup with shaved Parmesan Cheese instead of croutons, for a Phase One soup that was warm and filling, and loaded with flavor.

Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes with Sriracha-Ranch Dipping Sauce (Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Phase One)

Baked green tomatoes, coated with seasoned almond flour and served with a spicy Sriracha-Ranch sauce!

I wasn't sure if it was too late in the year to post a recipe using green tomatoes, but when I did a little internet research, lots of people told me they still had green tomatoes.  And if you still have green tomatoes, do I dare to say that you *must* make these Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes with Sriracha-Ranch dipping sauce.  Seriously, they were so good that I wondered why it has taken me so long to try a healthier riff on fried green tomatoes, and I'm sure I'll make them every year now when I have green tomatoes.

Recipe for Spicy Asian Stir-Fried Swiss Chard

This tasty stir-fried swiss chard has just enough heat to get your attention!

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this Spicy Asian Stir-Fried Swiss Chard is a perfect side dish to serve with tofu or great by itself for a meatless meal!)

I started growing swiss chard in my garden about five years ago when my good friend Pat told me how you could cut the chard leaves and the plant would produce new ones over and over.  That sounded good to me, and for several years now I've made tasty dishes using these easy-to-grow greens.  This year I've neglected the swiss chard recipes, but I think I'm making up for it with this Spicy Asian Stir-Fried Swiss Chard.  This could easily become my favorite way to cook swiss chard, it was that good. 

Recipe for Chicken Soup with Farro, Kale, and Turmeric

This tummy-warming chicken soup has farro, kale, and turmeric to brighten the flavors.

I love chicken soup, but without enough spices to bring out flavor it can sometimes be a bit ho-hum, which is why I used generous amounts of dried thyme, dried sage, and ground turmeric in this Chicken Soup with Farro, Kale, and Turmeric.  If you're not familiar with turmeric, it's the spice that gives curry powder the bright yellow color and it goes well with many savory flavors.  Farro is an ingredient I fell in love with a few years ago, but you could substitute barley, or even brown rice for a gluten-free version.  This is a relatively quick soup that would be easy to make when you get home from work, especially if you have some leftover cooked chicken, and if you're lucky you'll have enough to take for your lunch the next day!

Recipe for Spicy Vegan Peanut Butter Tofu with Sriracha

Strips of firm tofu are browned and served with a peanut-butter Sriracha sauce!

I've been on a tofu kick lately, but this Spicy Vegan Peanut Butter Tofu with Sriracha might be my favorite tofu recipe yet.  Jake and I made this a few times to get the flavors just right, and the recipe we ended up with features browned strips of firm tofu finished off with a sauce made of soy sauce, rice vinegar, smooth peanut butter, raw agave nectar, Sriracha, and a little vegetable stock or water.  One secret to success with this recipe is to barely simmer the sauce before you plate the tofu pieces, which makes it a super-fast recipe for Meatless Monday.

The 2012 Garden is Winding Down (Final Garden Update for 2012)

When the garden is winding down each fall, I freeze fresh herbs to use all through the winter.  In this photo sage leaves, rosemary, and thyme are ready to go into the freezer.

It's been a while since I've posted a garden update, but this year's garden has been one of my most productive ever.  Now fall is here and the garden is definitely winding down.  I'm always sad to see the garden produce come to an end, so this time of year I'm busy freezing things from the garden. (See  My Favorite Tips for Freezing Garden Tomatoes, Fresh Herbs, and Vegetables if you have garden stuff you're trying to preserve.)  I've started freezing herbs for winter, made tomato sauce, and frozen pesto.  I've pulled out the green beans, peppers, and eggplant, but my garden still has plenty of greens flourishing, so I'm trying to think of new recipe ideas for using them. 

Recipe for Broccoli, Mushrooms, Ham, and Cheddar Baked with Eggs

This breakfast dish has broccoli, mushrooms, ham, and cheddar baked with just enough eggs to hold it together, and it's low-carb, gluten-free, and Phase One.

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and I love this breakfast casserole with lots of broccoli, mushrooms, ham, and cheese, and just enough eggs to keep it together.)

Recently on Twitter a blogging friend called me "the queen of the breakfast casserole."  It made me smile, because I've posted a lot of breakfast casseroles through the years, and they're something I still enjoy having in the fridge for breakfasts throughout the week.  Recently though, I've been making a version that's slightly different from my basic breakfast casserole recipe.  These new baked egg dishes (like Sausage, Mushrooms, and Feta Baked with Eggs) have a lot of veggies, meat, or cheese with just enough egg to hold it together, so on the archives page for breakfast recipes I've decided I'm going to call them "Egg Bakes" so people realize they're just a little different from my other breakfast casseroles.  In the version I'm posting here I used a lot of ingredients I had in the fridge to create a flavor combination that really worked.

How to Make Minced Garlic for the Freezer and Stop Paying High Prices for Minced Garlic in a Jar

Make your own minced garlic and freeze, then thaw in the fridge when you need minced garlic.

I know some of you are total garlic purists who'd never use anything but freshly peeled and minced garlic, and those people won't need this tip.  I do use fresh garlic for any dish where I want that sharp garlic flavor, and love my little garlic chopper when I need to chop a lot quickly.  But for lots of recipes, especially when the garlic is going to be simmered in a sauce, soup, or stew, I like the convenience of pre-peeled garlic cloves, or (gasp) even minced garlic in a jar.  What I don't like is paying too much money for little jars of minced garlic that only last a week or two, so I started making my own pre-minced garlic for the freezer.  Here's how I do it.

Recipe for Macaroni with Greens, Lemon, and Parmesan

I could make a meal out of this Macaroni with Greens, Lemon, and Parmesan!

(First posted in 2006; updated with better photos and instructions in October 2012.)  Through the years I've tried quite a few recipes that featured some combination of pasta and greens, and I don't think it's any secret that kale has become the variety of greens I'm most fond of.  So while I was a little ambivalent about the mustard greens I used when I first created this recipe, this time I absolutely swooned over the dish with Ready-to-use Organic Mixed Baby Kale. This recipe is a different take on the usual pasta/greens combo, in particular because of the way the generous amount of lemon zest accents the flavor of the kale.  If you're not a fan of kale, collard greens or swiss chard would also taste good in this dish.

Layered Mexican Casserole Recipe with Chicken, Green Chiles, Pinto Beans, and Cheese

This Layered Mexican Casserole is Phase One and Gluten-Free!

I grew up eating casseroles, which in those days usually had white rice, noodles, pastry, tortillas, or potatoes, and some kind of canned cream soup.   Then I changed my eating habits and didn't want to use those ingredients any more, but I still craved the comfort-food appeal of a casserole, as well as the way they make such great leftovers.  To fill that casserole craving I've been experimenting for several years with updated casserole combinations, using low-glycemic ingredients for a healthier result.  I've come up with quite a few Casserole Recipes that have been winners, but I think this Layered Mexican Casserole with Chicken, Green Chiles, Pinto Beans, and Cheese might be one of my best creations so far! 

Double Mushroom Soup Recipe (Inspired by Anthony Bourdain's Mushroom Soup)

This delicious mushroom soup has two kinds of mushrooms and extra flavor from balsamic vinegar.

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this Double Mushroom Soup from 2009 is one of the best mushroom soups I've ever tasted!)

Not only is this the best-tasting dish I've ever made out of old mushrooms in the fridge that were close to past-their-prime status, but it's also the best mushroom soup I've ever made, and it's a phase one soup for the South Beach Diet! This is also the soup that will make you remember how much you love your immersion blender, if you have one. If not, you can puree the soup in a food processor or regular blender; it's just a bit easier with the immersion blender.

Turkey Meatballs with Romano Cheese and Herbs (Phase One, Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

These low-carb and gluten-free turkey meatballs are flavorful and have added nutrition from hemp hearts.

(Updated October 2012, with better photos, better instructions, and the addition of Hemp Hearts for added nutrition.)  When I first tried these meatballs back in 2009, ground turkey was something I'd been working hard to gain an appreciation for, since it's low in saturated fat (therefore South Beach Diet friendly.)  Now I've been using ground turkey in meatballs and meatloaf for quite a few years, and these meatballs with lots of ground herbs and Romano cheese are still one of my favorites.  In this updated version I added a small amount of hemp hearts to the recipe to bump up the nutrition, but that's completely optional.  The meatballs are a little soft to work with, and you do have to watch them so the cheese doesn't burn when you're frying them, but if you want a flavorful meatball that's Phase One, low-carb, and gluten-free, I think this recipe is a keeper!

Recipe for Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Peppers, Cilantro, and Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette

The only regret about this Black-Eyed Pea Salad was that we didn't double the recipe!

There are a lot of salad recipes on the blog, and only a few of them become my personal favorites that get repeated over and over for parties and other get-togethers, but this Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Peppers, Cilantro, and Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette went right to the top of that list!  When I made this with Jake, the only thing we would have changed was to double the recipe so we had more leftovers.  We used more red pepper than green, but even if you're not that much of a green pepper fan, this is one recipe where I thought using both kinds of peppers really gave it great flavor, and the Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette finished this off perfectly.

Flourless Egg and Cottage Cheese Savory Breakfast Muffin Recipe (Nutrient-dense, Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

These kicked-up flourless breakfast muffins will start your day off right.

My recipe for simple Egg "Muffins" has been one of the most popular recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen for quite a while, and it's something I still enjoy for a quick grab-and-go breakfast.  But even the best breakfast idea can get boring when you've made it for years, so about a month ago I set my mind to creating a different type of savory breakfast muffin.  I wanted a muffin that had eggs, but with a more texture and more nutritionally dense than the original Egg "Muffins." It took me five tries to come up with a combination I thought was just right, but I've made these muffins several times since I finalized the recipe, and I hope some of you will love these new muffins as much as I do.

Pressure Cooker Recipe for Pinto Bean and Ground Beef Stew with Cumin and Cilantro

I made this delicious stew in a few minutes in my pressure cooker, but you can make it in a regular pan.

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites.  I first made this delicious pressure cooker stew back in 2009, and my friend Barbara's fantastic new pressure cooker blog is inspiring me to get going on some new recipes for the pressure cooker!)

This delightful stew with pinto beans, ground beef, and cilantro is something I had for lunch three days in a row, and I completely enjoyed it each time. If you're not a pressure cooker convert, read after the recipe to see how the stew can be made in a regular pot on the stove, but obviously it's much quicker in the pressure cooker. By the way, if anyone looked at that photo and thought about chili, there's no chili powder in this, so it's definitely not chili! Actually cilantro is the predominant flavor here, so if you're one of those poor cilantro-impaired folks, maybe you'll want to search for a different stew recipe!

Kalyn's Kitchen Picks: Garofalo Whole Wheat Fusilli

If you haven't been happy with other whole wheat pasta, I'm betting you will love this brand!

It's been a while since I've recommended a new product as one of my Kalyn's Kitchen Picks, but lately I've been loving this Garofalo Whole Wheat Fusilli so much, I decided it really deserves to be honored.  I first discovered this brand when my Costco started carrying Garofalo Organic Whole Wheat Italian Spaghetti, something I featured as a pick back in 2008.  Then I had a reader tell me that they could buy the Garofalo Whole Wheat Fusilli at Costco as well.  I watched and watched, but it didn't ever appear at my Costco, so I decided to buy Garofalo Whole Wheat Fusilli from Amazon.com!  Since I have Amazon Prime and didn't have to pay shipping, it was completely worth it to me for a pasta product I've enjoyed so much.  I am still loyal to my beloved Dreamfields Low-Carb Pasta but this Fusilli and the Garofalo Whole Wheat Spaghetti now have a permanent spot next to the Dreamfields on my pantry shelf.

South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes Round-Up for September 2012

These Slow Cooker Spicy Shredded Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos were my Phase One pick for September!

I normally publish my monthly round-up of Phase One recipes on the first day of each month.  But since yesterday was World Vegetarian Day as well as being Meatless Monday, it didn't seem like a good week to skip the Meatless Monday post!  But even if it's a day late, this round-up is filled with tasty-sounding Phase One ideas, just in case anyone is doing Phase One for a little pre-holiday tune-up.  And even if you're not the tiniest bit interested in Phase One, I bet you still might like some of the lovely dishes I found.

Recipe for Sriracha-Spiced Stir-Fried Tofu with Eggplant, Red Bell Pepper, and Thai Basil

Ultra flavorful Sriracha-Spiced Stir-Fried Tofu with Eggplant, Red Bell Pepper, and Thai Basil

Since today is World Vegetarian Day as well as being Meatless Monday, it does seem fitting that I'm sharing a recipe that has tofu, don't you think?  I know this Sriracha-Spiced Stir-Fried Tofu with Eggplant, Red Bell Pepper, and Thai Basil has two strikes against it for some of you with tofu and eggplant on the ingredients list, but trust me when I say it was so delicious that it tasted like it came from a restaurant.  I'm not a vegetarian and probably never will be, but I do love all types of vegetables, and I really enjoy tofu when it's firm and cooked well-done so it's slightly chewy.  Jake and I made this several times to get the sauce ingredients and the timing just right, and if you're never cooked tofu (or eggplant) I bet you'll love this if you give it a try.