California Chicken Caesar Salad

Avocado, tomato, and bacon give this classic Caesar Salad a California twist. It’s my new favorite for lunch!

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped Romain lettuce

• 1 ripe California avocado, cut into bite sized pieces

• 1 ripe tomato, cut into bite sized pieces

• 2 tablespoons very thinly sliced white onion (I use a mandoline slicer on the thinnest slice setting), coarsely chopped

• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

• 2 slices of crispy bacon, crumbled

• 1 grilled chicken breast, coated with olive oil, salt & pepper

• 1.5 tablespoon creamy Caesar salad dressing (I used Ken’s)

• 1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional, I prefer a fishier dressing, especially without anchovies)

• Ground pepper

How To Make It

1. Turn on grill. While the grill is heating rub chicken breast with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. When grill is ready, grill chicken breast for about 5 minutes on both sides.

2. Cook two strips of bacon to crispy (we prefer super cripsy)

3. Toss together Romain lettuce, pieces of avocado and tomato, and chopped onion.

4. Add 1 tablespoon of the grated cheese and crumbled bacon.

5. Whisk together the Caesar salad dressing and fish sauce. Add this to the salad and toss thoroughly.

6. Let the grilled chicken breast set for 5 minutes or so. Then thinly slice lengthwise.

7. Plate the salad mixture and add sliced grilled chicken over. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of grated cheese and grind pepper over.

8. ENJOY!

Roasted Pork Loin with Au Jus

This Pork Loin with Au Jus is a surprisingly easy recipe. Perfect for when you want to do something special on a weekday after a long workday. :)

Ingredients

• 3 lb. pork loin roast

• 2 tablespoons minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon fresh minced Italian parsley

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon each salt & pepper

• 1/2 cup stock (I used beef because that was all I had, but any stock will do)

• 1 tablespoon salted butter

• 1 tablespoon fresh minced Italian parsley

How to Make It

1. Be sure to take the roast out of the fridge and allow it to reach room temperature in order to ensure it cooks evenly.

2. Preheat oven to 375 F.

3. Mix together the minced garlic, 1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt & pepper.

4. Score the meat by cutting crosses in the top of the roast. Rub this over the roast and into the score slices. This can be done overnight or right out of the fridge as you’re waiting for it to come to room temperature. Of course, the longer is sits, the more flavor will seep into the meat.

5. Roast about 25 minutes per pound — meat’s internal temperature should read 150-160 degrees

6. Cover the roast with aluminum foil and make the Au Jus while it’s resting.

7. Set the lower part of the roasting pan over a burner at medium heat. Add the stock and de-glaze with the stock.

8. Constantly stirring, add the butter, fresh parsley, and salt & pepper to taste.

9. Allow the sauce to reduce a bit — around 10 minutes. Serve your Au Ju over the roast. Enjoy!

I’ve done other variations of this using pesto in place of the fresh parsley. It’s super yummy, too!

Low Carb Cheese Stuffed Meat Loaf

I’ve made various keto and low-carb meat loafs over the years. This recipe represents a combination of my favorite elements of the many recipes I’ve tried. Bacon topped? Fresh mozzarella stuffed? Yes and yes, please! Sauteed mushrooms and shallots help keep the loaf moist. Give it a try and let me know how you like it!

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 1 cup diced mushrooms (white or baby bella)

• 2 medium shallots, diced

• 1 tablespoon diced garlic

• 3/4 pound 85% lean ground beef

• 3/4 pound ground sausage (spicy, if you like!)

• 3/4 cup low-carb flour (I use: Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Flour)

• 1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning (or make your own mix with of some or all of the following: dried basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 2 eggs

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• 8 oz. package fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese (I use: BelGioioso Cheese Mozzarella Fresh Sliced)

• 12 oz. package center cut bacon

• Sugar Free Marinara Sauce

How to Make It

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 8x8 baking dish.

2. Saute mushrooms, shallots and garlic until soft (5-8 minutes).

3. Mix together the ground beef, pork, Parmesan cheese and dry ingredients. Use your hands — they really are the best tool for this step!

4. Mix in the eggs and Worcestershire sauce.

5. Layer as follows into a meatloaf pan or 9x9 baking dish: spread half the meat mixture in the pan, add a layer of sliced mozzarella, cover the cheese with remaining meat mixture, and top with a layer of sliced bacon.

6. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 70-80 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160 degrees.

7. Warm marinara sauce (microwave or stove top) while loaf cools for five minutes.

8. Cut the loaf into 6 or 9 servings, depending how hungry ya’ll are. And pour sauce over. Enjoy!