Green Goodness

Puttering around the kitchen is one of my favorite ways to pass the morning during summer break. I enjoy sipping an iced coffee, browsing through cookbooks, checking out recipes on the Internet, and rummaging through the fridge to see what's available. Since bell peppers were on sale at the grocery this week, I knew stuffed peppers would be on the menu, but what kind of munchies could we have in addition to lunch? Chips and dips are my all-time favorite snack, so (in my estimation) they go with everything. Besides, we have to have something to munch while waiting for the peppers to cook!

However, ordinary was not what I wanted today. I hankered for something fresh and different - something green and summery: enter broccoli. Now, I know what you're thinking - Who makes a dip out of broccoli? But, I can tell you, this one passed the hungry teenager taste test, so it must be worthwhile. And if you like edamame in dips (which I do), you will appreciate this version, which has the texture of edamame hummus, and a bright, tangy, green flavor thanks to the addition of tomatillos and lime juice. My son snarfed about half the mixture with some tortilla chips, but I opted to add salty richness with cheese crisps, which turned out to be the perfect complement to this green goodness. Enjoy!

Sunshine Broccoli Dip

Ingredients

• 16 ounce bag of frozen chopped broccoli (10 net carbs)
• 1 cup diced tomatillo (5 net carbs)
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions (2.4 net carbs)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (0 carbs)
• 1/4 cup sour cream (2 net carbs)
• 1 teaspoon lime juice (.43 net carbs)
• Salt and pepper to taste (0 carbs)

Directions

• Cook the broccoli according to the package directions and allow it to cool. (If you use the microwave directions, just cut the time down a little so the broccoli isn't as hot.)
• Place the broccoli, tomatillo, and green onions in a food processor and whir until everything reaches a fine mince.
• Add the mayonnaise, sour cream and lime juice. Pulse to combine well.
• Add salt and pepper to taste. (Remember, though, if you are going to eat this with salty chips, you might want to go easy on the salt here.)
• Refrigerate for at least two hours. (This dip got better the longer it sat.)

Serve with low carb chips or cheese crisps. (Place about 1 tablespoon of grated hard cheese - like Parmesan - in a pile on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten the piles to make cracker size disks, and bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes until golden brown. Allow the cheese to cool on the pan for a couple of minutes, and then remove to a paper towel. These "crackers" get crispier as they cool.)
The entire batch makes 3 cups with a total of 19.83 net carbs. Each 1/4 cup serving is worth 1.65 carbs.

 

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 4 medium green bell peppers (14 net carbs)
• 24 ounces ground beef (0 net carbs)
• 1 large egg (0 net carbs)
• 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes (14 net carbs)
• 2 cups Italian blend shredded cheese (0 net carbs)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 net carbs)
• Italian seasoning (0 carbs)
• Salt and pepper (0 carbs)

Directions

• Cut the peppers in half length wise. Clean out the interior and remove the stem.
• Place the 8 pepper halves in a microwave safe dish.
• In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, egg, tomatoes, garlic, and Italian seasoning well. (I put in quite a bit of seasoning, but use the amount that seems right to you.)
• Divide the meat mixture evenly among the pepper halves.
• Salt and pepper each half. (I don't usually season these heavily, but I put salt and pepper on the table when serving.)
• Cover the dish and microwave on medium high 25 minutes.
• Add 1/4 cup of cheese to the top of each pepper, and return to microwave for a minute or two to melt the cheese.

Note: Treat the filling like mini meat loaves, and change the flavors. For a Tex-Mex spin, use chipotle sauce and Mexican blend cheese instead of the Italian stuff. If you like barbecue, mix in some low carb barbecue sauce. Teriyaki is good for an Asian flare, just check the label for carb counts.

The entire dish contains 30 net carbs, which comes to 3.75 grams for each half.