Tasty , Crispy, Low Carb French Fries! Plus a delicious Fry-Sauce recipe

Seriously Yummy Rutabaga French Fries - 

As good as regular potato Fries,

plus a Fry-Sauce to boot!

Low-Carb Deliciousness - That's what these are!

When you eat these fine, crispy morsels, you will feel like doin' the 'Rutabaga Boogie' - But you won't have to - Because, as I said, they are low-carb. Party!

Rutabagas are high in fiber and have about a 4th of the carbs that potatoes do.

We like to partially cook these ahead of time, so that when the craving hits, they are quick to make - and quick to satisfy.

Restaurants use a similar method. Commercial fries are already mostly cooked and then stored in the freezer. Then the restaurant just quickly fries them up in a vat of hot oil to finish them off for you.

Well, now you get to chose a healthy oil to make your own fries with, coconut oil. We prefer deodorized 76 degree coconut oil for this, as it does not interfere with the french fry taste. Coconut oil also can take the heat very well, so you also avoid those bad-for-you trans-fatty acids. By the way, these fries are REALLY GOOD as a side, along with the Angus Beef Stick Meat recipe I recently posted. Out of the goodness of our hearts, we are also sharing a delicious, easy Fry-Sauce recipe to go along with the fries. Happy day.

The secret we share with you here is to first parboil the rutabaga fries with a little Italian seasoning, then cool or chill them until needed. When the craving hits, bake & broil them, or pan-fry to finish them, until the fries are browned, beautifully blistered and flaky. If you don't parboil them first, you will be baking them over 90 minutes in a 400 degree oven -that takes too long!



Easy Reduced-Fat Fry Sauce Recipe:

1 c. Follow Your Heart Reduced Fat Mayonnaise
Seasoned Salt, to taste (recipe on our blog)
Ground White pepper, to taste, for more kick (or Cayenne Pepper, or Hot Mustard)
1/3 c. Jalapeno sour cream, optional (sour cream with chopped roasted jalapeno added)


Method:

Place mayo in a small serving bowl
Season generously to taste with seasoned salt.
Spice it up to taste with white pepper or mustard powder




Best Rutabaga Fries recipe:

2 Large Rutabagas (makes a lot!)
1 T. Onion Salt 
1 T. Italian Herb Seasoning Blend
Season-All Seasoned Salt
Fine Onion Powder
Coconut Oil


Method (a 2-stage process):


Stage 1 (parboiling):

Scrub the rutabagas clean. Cut off the tough ends. Then cut off the thick collar of skin that surrounds the stalks. Scrape off any rootlet hairs with a paring knife to make smooth.

No need to peel the rutabagas, the fries are better with the peel left on. the roasted skins have a great flavor and texture and are very similar to potato skins!

Cut as evenly as possible into french fry shapes (Long +1/4 to 3/8-inch thick is best).
CAUTION: Large rutabagas are very hard. Use caution and use a heavy knife. Cut in half - lengthwise (for longer fries) to create a stable base. Then cut the halved root into 1/4th-inch slices (lengthwise again). Stack the slices and then carefully cut into 1/4 inch french fries.

Soak the cut up rutabagas in very hot water while you are bringing a large pot of water to a rapid boil on the stove. You want to cook them in plenty of water.

Carefully add the drained rutabaga fries to the rapidly boiling water. Add 1 T. onion salt and 1 T. Italian herb seasoning blend to the pot (this really tames the strong cabbage smell).

Start timing when boiling begins in earnest, and boil about 15 (?) minutes, depending on the width of the thickest fries.

Parboil until fork tender (tooth tender), and is no longer crunchy. They will become closer to the texture of boiled red potatoes. Don't cook until mushy or the fries will break up.

Note: If you do over cook the rutabagas, no worries, just proceed with the recipe and make into hash browns.

Drain parboiled fries in a wide colander, so that you can sprinkle and toss them with Season-all seasoned salt mixed with fine onion powder, both of which aid browning.

Gently toss fries about every 5 to 10 minutes until cool. It is important to allow as much steam as possible to escape. Let completely cool.

At this point, you may immediately cook up a batch of cooled fries, or, layer into a storage container and keep ready to "fry" in the fridge up to 3 days. It is best to refrigerate overnight, but not necessary, it just breaks up the work.

It's good to keep a bag of parboiled and seasoned fries in the fridge for a "Fast-Fry-Fix".


Stage 2 (crisping):

There are 2 ways to finish off the fries:

1. Bake and then broil in the oven to finish (our favorite method).

2. Pan-fry in a heavy frying pan on the stove.


Bake & Broil Method:

Sprinkle the chilled rutabaga fries with seasoned salt to taste.

Toss the chilled rutabaga fries with melted coconut oil. The coconut oil will turn white when it hits the cold rutabaga. Spread the fries out onto a (dark heavy) pizza pan.

Bake the fries in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, then broil on high on the top rack of the oven to blister. Watch closely...Don't wander off and burn your fries!

The fries will be covered with flaky blisters, the texture we are after.


Pan-Fried Method:

The Pan-Fried Method takes only about 10 minutes from fridge to table.

Sprinkle cold rutabaga fries with Seasoned Salt to taste.

Toss fries with warmed coconut oil, inside a dark heavy skillet (cast iron is awesome for browning).

Fry on the stove top until blistered and browned with a little coconut oil, in the dark heavy skillet.

This method results in slightly less flaky and crispy fries, but they are still very good.


To Serve: Leave the finished fries in the hot pan to keep the fries hot longer.


Note: Rutabagas absorb very little oil and are much lower in starch than potatoes or yams, so they will not have the crunch of regular french fries (except the thinnest cuts) but will be yummy and more-ish dipped in this special tangy sauce! Broiling them gives the crunchiest effect, however.


P.S. Don't cut your hand off.

See the photos of the process:

Mom's Recipe Card

Cut off the tough ends of 2 large rutabagas

Cut in half - lengthwise

Stack the slices and then carefully cut into 1/4 inch french fries

Soak raw fries in very hot water while waiting for the pot of water to boil

Parboil rutabagas until fork tender

Drain parboiled fries in a colander, sprinkle and toss with seasoning

Cooled and seasoned parboiled rutabaga fries - At this point they can be stored in the fridge

Chilled coconut oil-coated fries - ready to be cooked






THE BROILER METHOD - OUR FAVORITE COOKING METHOD

Results in a crispy, blistered fry

Baked rutabaga fries - This is how they look before the 2nd browning

Close up of the blistered, flaky texture of the finished hot broiled fries in a dark, heavy pizza pan

Here they are - Hot from the broiler - ENJOY!





VARIATION: RESULTS OF THE QUICK STOVE-TOP METHOD

Still delicious but not as crispy and blistered

Pan-fried rutabaga fries

The 2nd browning: After pan-blistering in coconut oil - use a heavy dark pan for the best crust

Mom's Fry Sauce Recipe

This rich Fry Sauce makes up for the leanness of the veggie fries

YUM


Quote from MOM, "Yum O!!! I ate a giant rutabaga this way. Man O man, it was delicious beyond all reason."

Enough said.

Leila

A Favorite Slimming & Detoxifying Green Drink (A Concentrate)

My Family's Favorite Green Drink

A Green Drink Concentrate

This drink is so fresh, green, and clean. You know you are doing good for your body when you drink this!

This has been a basic in our homes for decades. It is an instant pick-me-up. My daughter regularly makes this green drink for herself, how cool is that? She loves it for the energy it gives her and she also loves how it clears her skin. We never get sick of it, in fact our bodies crave it.

The green drink formula provided below, makes a green drink concentrate. It takes up less space in the refrigerator that way. This is very easy to make. The Vitamin C is added to preserve freshness and extend the shelf life. It is meant to be diluted with water before drinking.

Parsley really tastes good in this drink and it is an amazing blood purifier, plus it freshens your breath and whole digestive system. The chlorophyll all the greens contain is very healing and purifying to the body. The slimming fiber being included in this green drink help you feel full longer and benefit your digestive processes as well. Then there are all the bio-available living vitamins and minerals...

This is the fastest way to down a large salad that I know of! Plus it's sugar and fat free.

Drinking this green drink on a regular basis (the more often the better) was a big factor in my losing 20 pounds with ease. It is convenient to have in your refrigerator, ready when you are. I pour some in a protein drink shaker jar, dilute with water to taste, and go. I like to trade off between this green drink and a protein drink a couple times a day. I will also snack on healthy foods if  I get hungry during the day. I then eat dinner with the family. I will go into more detail about my slimming protocol later...

If you are new to green drinks, or you usually drink fruit smoothies or fruit juices with, say, 5 spinach leaves added - start more slowly to give your taste buds and body time to get used to it. I suggest taking an 8-ounce glass and filling it up 1/4th of the way full with green drink. Then top off with cold purified water. You can dilute it even more if you want to. You will find that as time passes, your body will crave it more and more, and you will need to dilute it less and less.



BASIC GREEN DRINK Formula:

1 Large bunch organic parsley
8 Stalks organic celery (with tops)
1/2 Pound organic baby spinach leaves
1/4 t. Ascorbic acid powder (Vitamin C powder)
Purified water to make a total of 1 gallon


Equipment:

High powered blender (Vitamix or BlendTec)
1-gallon juice storage container with an air-tight lid


Method:

Wash the organic produce and drain.
Rough chop the parsley and celery.
Pour about 2 to 3 cups purified water in your large blender container.
Place the parsley, celery, and some of the spinach in the blender with the water.
Secure lid tightly and puree on high until completely liquefied.
Pour into your 1-gallon container.
Pour in 2 to 3 cups more water into your blender container.
Add the rest of the spinach and completely liquefy.
Pour into the 1-gallon container.
Add a little more purified water to the blender, secure lid and turn on high speed to rinse.
Pour the rinse water into the 1-gallon container.
Add the vitamin C powder.
Top off the 1-gallon container with water, secure lid and shake to blend. Store in the refrigerator.
This will last a few days in the refrigerator, but do drink up quickly for freshness.


To drink: Shake before use. Dilute this with additional purified water to taste before consuming.


Note: You can use 1/4th kale and 3/4th spinach if you choose to. Too much kale has a strong taste, so don't over do the kale. You can always add more parley if you happen to add too much kale.


See pictures of the green drink making process below:

Preparing the greens

Rough chop the greens

Process the first batch of greens with purified water

Completely liquefy the greens

Pour the first batch into a gallon container

Starting the second batch of greens with more purified water - puree well

The second batch of greens is finished

Pour into the gallon container

Add purified water to the blender and turn on high or pulse, to rinse the container

Pour the resulting rinse water into the gallon container

Adding the Vitamin C powder

Topping off with more purified water

Shake and it's ready to drink.

Here's to your health!

Enjoy, Leila

Microwave Gingerbread Mug Cake - Healthy, Gluten-Free & Delicious!

Amazing Mini Gingerbread Speedy Cake


This is a gluten-free cake unlike any other gluten-free cake recipe out there.

2-Minute Gingerbread.

This gingerbread is light and fluffy. It tastes terrific, plus it is packed with lots of nutritious ingredients, instead of using a high amounts of starch like the typical gluten-free baked goods. This unique Gingerbread Mini Cake fills you up and keeps you feeling satisfied for a long time, taking care of your cravings for sugary sweets. It's perfect paired with a cold glass of organic whole milk or almond milk.

We LOVE this recipe!

This is a recipe created in the Kitchen Cheetahs Test Kitchens in the fall of 2014. This delicious microwave mini cake cooks in only 2 minutes. It's nice to make just a little cake and not have a bunch of leftover cake you don't know what to do with.

We like to prepare several of these single-serving cake mixes and package them up into mini zip-lock bags. The ingredient list is more complex, but it is totally worth getting out all of these ingredients to make these cake mixes. Then they are ready for a quick dessert, breakfast, or snack. Often 2 of us will share 1 of these scrumptious cakes. They are very filling and enjoyable to eat. These quick mini cakes are great for people who don't want to be deprived on their low-carb or gluten-free diets, and still want to lose weight.

These are truly a guilt-free treat. I feel completely comfortable having my family eat these for breakfast. They are sugar-free (except for the small amount of molasses), gluten-free, chemical-free, and dairy-free. They have a nice protein content and are loaded with healthy fiber. The coconut oil is good for you too.

Stay tuned, more delicious speedy mini-cake recipes will be posted on this blog!



MINI GINGERBREAD SPEEDY CAKE Recipe:

Dry Cake Mix Ingredients:

3 T. finely ground white almond meal
1 T. plus 1 t. coconut flour
1 T. finely ground golden flax meal
2 t. finely ground rice bran or oat bran
1 T. xylitol
1 T. IMO powder
1 T. Lakanto brand White Zero-Calorie Natural Sweetener (sugar substitute)
1/16 t. (heaping) lecithin powder

3/4 to 1 t. ground ginger (make sure your ginger powder is fresh)
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. ground allspice
1/8 t. ground cinnamon
1/8 t. powdered intense natural sweetener, of choice (we will post a formula for soon!)
1/16 t. (heaping) sea salt or Biosalt (recipe on this blog)


Wet Ingredients:

1 large egg, at room temperature
1 t. vegetable glycerine
2 T. warmed coconut oil
2 T. warm water
1 t. dark molasses


Method:

To Make The Dry Cake Mix:

Place the first 8 ingredients in a Krups seed mill and finely grind together. The finer this is ground, the nicer the cake will turn out.

Pour out the fine powder mix into a small zip-lock bag.

Add the rest of the dry ingredients into the zip-lock bag.

Seal the bag and shake together well to blend.

Repeat this process for however many cake mixes you choose to make.

Label and store the bags of cake mix in your refrigerator, or in your freezer for longer term storage.


To make 1 mini-Cake:

Oil a 2-cup sized Pyrex baking cup (we like to use deodorized 76 degree coconut oil).

Crack the egg into the 2-cup Pyrex baking cup and whisk to blend without incorporating air.

Add the vegetable glycerine and molasses and whisk together.

Add the warmed coconut oil along with the warm water, whisk together well to blend.

Pour in a single serving of prepared dry Mini-Cake Mix. Stir together until smooth.

Place the Pyrex baking cup off-center in your carousel microwave for even cooking.

Cook on high for 2 minutes in the microwave. The center of the cake should just spring back when touched.

Let cake cool in the microwave 3 minutes.

Remove from microwave and eat once it has cooled down enough, or cover with a lid to keep moist and eat it later.


Variation: To Make a mini-cake that you can turn out of the baking cup:

Cut out a piece of parchment paper that fits neatly into the bottom of your Pyrex baking cup.

Oil the bottom and partway up the sides of the Pyrex baking cup. Place the parchment paper disk in the bottom of the baking cup and press to attach.

Oil the top of the parchment paper in the baking cup.

Mix up your cake mix in a separate small bowl and scrape it out into your oiled and papered Pyrex baking cup.

Microwave 2 minutes, as directed above. Cool 3 minutes in the microwave.

Remove from microwave and then invert cake onto an oiled serving plate. Peel off parchment paper.

Let the cake cool an additional 3 minutes before eating, or cover for later.

Source: 

VitaFiber IMO (Isomalto-oligosaccharide) fiber powder http://www.bioneutra.ca/product_vitafiber.htm



Photos of the process:

We keep deodorized coconut oil in a jar for quick but gentle melting in the microwave.

Look at that nice light and moist texture...

2-Minute Gingerbread Jiffy Cake.

Enjoy!

Leila & Nancy

The Kitchen Cheetahs!

Copy-Cat Costco Rotisserie Chicken Salad Recipe - Delicious!

Rotisserie Chicken Salad (A Copy-Cat version of Costco's Rotisserie Chicken Salad)

The Best Rotisserie Chicken Salad

This Chicken Salad is superior to the rest, in my humble opinion. It is seasoned perfectly. It's not dry and bland, and it isn't overloaded with mayonnaise either. There is the perfect amount of finely diced celery and onion. The meat stays fresh tasting and the salad stores well.

We like shopping at Costco. My husband and I joke about our regular "Costco Dates". One day, Costco sampled their rotisserie chicken salad and of course we bought some. Our family pretty much inhaled it. Today I went back to Costco for more and they were sold out. However, they did have their 42-ounce packages of their cooked rotisserie white chicken meat for sale. We have tried that before and have really liked it because it does not taste oxidized, like left-over chicken usually does. Ugh - I hate the taste of oxidized meat, and I seem to be one of the very few people who seem to notice it.

I had the idea earlier to duplicate Costco's chicken salad, so now that they were sold out, I decided today was the day. I was really pleased with how my version turned out. We enjoyed the chicken salad on romaine lettuce leaves, topped with avocado and a sprinkling of smoked paprika and fresh ground pepper. On the side was a fresh fruit salad of pineapple, mandarin oranges, sliced bananas, drizzled with raw honey and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

For an even better fruit salad see this kitchen Cheetah recipe for "Easy Decadent Fruit Salad", our families favorite!

This made a tasty and fast meal and I have lots of chicken salad left over for quick meals later.

I like how this chicken salad is low-carb. Since you control the choice of seasoning, it's easy to make gluten-free too. By the way, Costco's rotisserie chicken is gluten-free and free of MSG.


Tip: Try using our Easy Juicy Roast Chicken Recipe (better than Costco's Rotisserie Chicken) instead of Costco's packaged chicken. It tastes even better and it's less expensive too!


Rotisserie Chicken Salad Recipe:

42 ounces (2 lb 10 oz package) Costco's rotisserie-cooked white chicken meat
2 c. finely diced celery (about 8 to 10 celery ribs)
3/4 c. finely minced sweet onion
1 c. Best Foods mayonnaise
1 t. freshly ground pepper (50 grinds)
1 t. McCormick Season All OR Kitchen Cheetahs Seasoned Salt, to taste


Method:

Hand shred the cooked white chicken meat and put in a medium sized mixing bowl.

Add the celery. onion, mayonnaise, and pepper, and a scant 1 t. seasoned salt.

Mix together well. Taste for seasoned salt, and add the rest of the seasoned salt called for, if desired.

Chill or serve immediately.

Use as a filling for lettuce wraps, celery sticks, pitas, or sandwiches. Also great as a side or on top of your favorite green salad.



Tip: You can substitute Costco's rotisserie chicken meat for the "EASY ROAST CHICKEN" recipe on this blog. It just takes more time and planning to make it from scratch.

Tip: To save a ton of time, place the chicken (in 3 separate batches) in a food processor and pulse to shred. Do not over blend or you will end up with a Pâté (oops). I do prefer the texture of the hand shredded chicken over the food processor shredded chicken. It's for you to decide...


Here are photos of the salad making process:

Costco's packaged rotisserie chicken meat

You may shred the cooked chicken in a food processor to save time.

Pulse the chicken to "shred".

Chicken "shredded" in a food processor.

The Rotisserie Chicken Salad with hand shredded chicken - before mixing together

Freshly mixed hand shredded chicken salad - looks good!

Chicken Salad lettuce wraps - topped with avocado and smoked paprika

Enjoy!

Leila

Addictive Cream Cheese & Walnut Stuffed Dried Plums (Gluten-Free Confection)

Exotic Sweet Cream Cheese & Walnut Stuffed Turkestan Prunes

Turkestan Stuffed Prunes

There is something so Arabian Nights about these exotic confections...

I have absolutely loved these since I was a little girl. I still love them. These are a wonderful sweet treat. They are really unique with their sweet, fluffy, anise flavored cream cheese centers, paired with the crunchy walnuts - which perfectly compliment the sweet, soft dried plums. You really must try them.

I remember asking my mom to make these often, and I always wanted more anise extract added.

We did not have candy, soda, and chips in our home when I was growing up. My mom did sometimes make honey taffy with me - and occasionally we would get some carob or chocolate covered raisins, or halva, real maple candy or sesame seed candy from the health food store.

Life was good. My mom has always been a great cook, so I certainly didn't suffer from missing out on junk food! She did me a big favor. Thanks mom!

It is true that the foods we ate as a young child become our comfort foods as an adult. It makes you think twice about what you feed your young children, doesn't it?



Turkestan Prunes Recipe:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese, softened
1 T. raw honey (or vegetable glycerine, or agave syrup)
1 t. anise extract (or a very few drops anise essential oil, to taste)
A few drops stevia glycerite to taste (recipe on this blog)
1/4 c. chopped "Crispy Walnuts" (recipe on this blog listed as crispy almonds)
1 t. "Frosting Thickener" (recipe below), optional
Softened pitted prunes

Method:

Place the softened cream cheese in a medium sized mixing bowl.
Pour in your sweetener of choice and mix together with a hand mixer until creamy.
Add the anise extract, to taste, mixing in very well.
Taste and adjust sweetening to taste with the stevia glycerite (add just a few drops at a time).
Beat in the Frosting Thickener, if using.
Stir in the Crispy walnuts by hand.
With your fingers open the softened prunes (dried plums) and form into boat shapes.
Fill the formed softened prunes with the cream cheese-nut mixture.
Chill in an air-tight container.


FROSTING THICKENER Recipe:

Measure the ingredients by weight

75% Arrowroot starch or tapioca starch
25% Coconut flour


Method:

Mix the starch and coconut flour together.
Grind together as finely as possible in a Krups seed mill (or as long as you have the patience for).
Store in an air-tight container in your pantry.


Note: I like to use 4 drops essential oil of star anise and no more than 1/8 t. stevia glycerite. Start with less stevia and see if it is sweet enough before adding more. At times I also double the crispy walnuts.

Mom's Recipe card

Crispy Walnuts

A unique treat that is quick and easy to make.

Make little cups out of the soft dried plums.

"Come to mamma"

Enjoy!

Leila & Nancy

The Kitchen Cheetahs