Pan grilled bratwurst and steamed cabbage

I covered the bratwurst with water and simmered for 10 minutes. Then I drained the water and added a little olive oil, and sautéed the sausages until they were brown but not bursting. I poured the fat into a disposable hot drinks cup.

Sliced up the cabbage, and poured a little of the sausage fat into it, dusted with salt and pepper and a few tablespoons of water, covered with Saran wrap and microwaved for four minutes. Dinner!

Menu for this week

 

Typically, I make  3-4 different meats and 2-3 vegetables on Saturday, and that, combined with a couple of meals out feeds us well all week. This weekend, we were out of town and I was tired when we got back late Sunday afternoon. So I’m in what I call “bachelor cooking” mode, which involves some pre-made spice mixes and sauces. Still starting with fresh vegetables and meat, so all is not lost, but the meals are easier to fix. So here’s what we are having this week, and I’ll update the names below with recipe links as I post the recipes.

 

1. Quick Sausage and Kale

2. Tandoori Chicken

3. Bacon-wrapped chicken

4. Crockpot Beef & Broccoli

5. Split pea soup with extra ham

6. Roasted asparagus

7. Ready mixed Kale salad

Quick meal idea: Low carb pressure cooker sausage and kale

Got home after a lovely weekend with my son. So happy, but also very tired and I didn’t want to make anything elaborate. This is a quick standby at our house. I always have some chicken sausage in the freezer. We typically get Aidell’s sausage in different flavors from Costco.

My two favorites are either sausage with Kale, or sausage with green beans. You put the veggies in the bottom of your pressure cooker, top with the sausage. Seal and cook under high pressure for 6 minutes.

Dinner is served. Yup, it’s just that simple.

Korean lunch Galbi with loads of banchan

I nom’ed a lot of this but the meat was enough to share with the whole family. Wonderful to be able to go out and have meat and veggies done a bit differently.

Omg too much delicious food!

We are visiting my son in Austin and his Sichuanese friend recommended a restaurant. She came with us and here’s the resulting deliciousness.

Spicy cold chicken with noodles, twice cooked pork, lamb with cumin, ma po tofu, fried green beans, and whole fried, sweet and sour fish.

Omg. All meat and fish and low carb if you stay away from the noodles and rice. So. Much. Flavor.

Drunken noodles with tofu

Went out with my husband tonight. I haven’t ordered noodles since the surgery but thought I’d risk it today since I was low on carbs all day. Absolutely delicious dish, but I ate my tofu first. After that I was able to eat maybe 4-5 little noddles before topping out. I’ve brought more than two-thirds of this home to enjoy tomorrow.

How wonderful to be able to enjoy a little food without too many carbs, and guilt afterwards? I know people who say they miss eating. I have to say, I love not having to eat and I love eating guilt-free.

Normal life, normal eating, weighing less. What’s not to love, right?

Meal Ideas: 2 ingredients Pressure Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

So here’s another simple meal idea that requires virtually no prep. If you don’t have a pressure cooker you can do this in a crockpot. If you’re considering a pressure cooker, I can highly recommend looking for a small multi-pot instead. I have three in different sizes that pressure cook, serve as crockpots, and rice cookers. One appliance that does all that sure saves some space on the counter.

Ingredients (which are so simple I’m embarrassed to list them)

• 2 lb package of corned beef from the grocery store. I bought a small 2 lb flat cut brisket of uncooked corned beef
• 1/2 head of cabbage

Method

For the electric pressure cooker

1. Place corned beef in pressure cooker fat side up so you still have some fat left on your meat. Meat fat = good thing.
2. Your corned beef will have come with a spice packet. Open and empty spice packet into the pot. Add enough water to come up a little less than half way to covering the meat.
3. Cook on high for 1 hour and reduce pressure when done. Carefully take out the corned beef and place on a cutting board.
4. Meanwhile cut the cabbage into large chunks and place into the water left from cooking the corned beef. Cook on high pressure for 2 minutes. When done, release the pressure so it doesn’t overcook.
5. Slice the corned beef against the grain and serve.

For the Crockpot

1. Place corned beef in crockpot fat side up so you still have some fat left on your meat. Meat fat = good thing.
2. Your corned beef will have come with a spice packet. Open and empty spice packet into the pot. Add enough water to come up a little less than half way to covering the meat.
3. Cook on high 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours. when you have about an hour left, put in the chopped cabbage and let it all cook together again.
4. Carefully take out the corned beef and place on a cutting board. Slice the corned beef against the grain and serve.