If you love eggs, and can handle an ice bath [Ed. note: Not literally], then there are a thousand different ways you can enjoy these beauties. They work on toast, on a salad, or on their own as a snack. You can also vary the marinade. One of my favorites is comprised of soy sauce, scallions, ginger, and chilies.

When I recently made this for the BF, he suggested adding some chicken to the dish, and then smartly decided against that. [Ed. note: There goes my quota.] I prepared the eggs on top of a bed of coconut rice, sprinkled with scallions, micro-cilantro and black sesame seeds. To quote the great Ina Garten, "How easy is that?"

Inspired by: Well Seasoned Studio and Momofuku

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced

For serving

• Rice (coconut rice was used here)
• Avocado, scallions, pickled ginger, seaweed, micro-cilantro, toasted sesame seeds, black sesame seeds

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and garlic.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a full boil. Set a timer for 7 minutes and immediately (with a large serving spoon, not your hands!) lower eggs into water.
3. Meanwhile, make an ice bath (cold water + lots of ice) in a large mixing bowl. When there’s 15 seconds left on the timer, begin transferring eggs to ice bath. Let cool for 10-15 minutes,
4. Gently crack egg on a hard surface loosening the shell on all sides. Peel egg (if you wish, you can peel the eggs in the water-this will help keep a perfect exterior).
5. Transfer peeled eggs to soy mixture. Cover and refrigerate 6 hours, turning once halfway through.
6. To serve, cut eggs in half or quarters. Serve over rice and any accompaniments you desire. 
7. NOTE: You can save the soy sauce mix for another round of eggs, if you wish. Refrigerated in a tightly sealed container, the eggs will keep for about 4-5 days.

PS: [Ed. Note: Hello it's the BF here, and okay so this is weird. A year ago we got super healthy with this Asian-style kale salad, and I sniffed, guffawed and gave thanks to a true kaleaholic, then-San-Francisco-Giants outfielder Hunter Pence, who was on his way to Arlington to play for the Texas Rangers. WELL, he had a great season with them and here we are a year later and HE'S BACK and I repeat for emphasis: Yes. Yes. Yes.] (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/asian-style-kale-salad)

Give me nothing but eggplants and tomatoes until summer ends! This meal embodies everything I love about summer produce. Minimal prep and cooking, with exploding flavors. The BF loved it with saffron rice as a complimentary side dish.

Today, we honor both our mom's birthdays (his was the 3rd, mine the 4th), and this weekend we celebrate Marlowe's recovery from cancer surgery. Life is good.

Adapted from: Feasting at Home
Number of Servings: 2-3
​
Ingredients
Gremolata (Zesty Italian Herb Sauce)

• 1 cup packed Italian Parsley (small stems are fine)
• 1–2 garlic cloves
• Zest of one small lemon, plus 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice (Meyer Lemon is good)
• ½ cup olive oil
• ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt and pepper, more to taste
• Pinch chile flakes (optional)

Eggplant

• 1 large or 2 medium/large eggplants, sliced into ½-¾ inch thick slices (see notes)
• Olive oil, salt and pepper for grilling
• 3–4 tablespoons Gremolata
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• Drizzle olive oil
• Crumbled goat or feta cheese (optional, but highly recommended)

Directions
Gremolata (Zesty Italian Herb Sauce)

1. Place parsley, garlic and zest in a food processor and pulse until chopped.
2. Add oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Pulse again, until uniformly combined but not too smooth.
3. Add chili flakes for a touch of heat, if you like.
4. Store in a jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.

​Eggplant

1. Preheat grill to medium-high (stovetop grill pan was used here. You can also roast them.
2. Slice eggplant into ½-inch thick slices. (If sensitive to bitterness, salt both sides and let sit for 15 minutes, then rinse with water and pat dry.)
3. Brush both sides with olive oil (and salt if not previously) and grill each side for 4 minutes, or until good grill marks appear. Stack in a baking dish or bowl and wrap up tightly in foil so they cook all the way through and become translucent.
4. Toss tomatoes with a pinch of salt, fresh herbs (if you like), and a little drizzle of olive oil.
5. Lay eggplant steaks down on a serving platter. Spoon a little gremolata over each one. Top with the tomatoes.
6. Add crumbled goat or feta, if desired. 

NOTES:

• Gremolata: If you don't have a food processor, you can chop everything very finely and place into a bowl.
• I usually serve ½ of one whole eggplant per person, 2-3 slices.
• Alternatively, you can roast the eggplant steaks, although grilling gives them lovely flavor. To roast, prepare the same way, brushed with oil and place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan, in a 425 °F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until tender and golden. 

She's back.

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know the BF lusts for all things lemon. [Ed. note: LEMONS] Turns out this is genetic, as his Mom was a huge fan of the sour cream lemon pie from Marie Callender's. [Ed. note: Can confirm.] And my Mom loved lemon meringue pie, dare I say almost to the point of being on equal footing with chocolate.

Well this pie isn't just lemony, tart and creamy, it's low carb, as well as sugar, gluten, nut and grain FREE. A perennial favorite, and #GuiltFree.

Broke this out for a client's Fourth-of-July BBQ, along with several other desserts like s'mores bars, ice cream sandwiches, blueberry hand pies, a flag cake and raspberry-nectarine plum cobbler. The pie was swiftly, voraciously decimated down to the last crumb, and most guests were unaware of the ingredients. Tasted like the real deal.

Try it out! Fool your friends! And hope you are all enjoying a wonderful summer.

NOTES: 

• Each serving has 3.92g NET CARBS. Including the pie crust.
• When made for just the BF and me, I cut the recipe in half and make a 6-inch pie with about 4-6 servings. Perfect.
• Please see alldayidreamaboutfood.com/ if you have questions on sugar substitutes and the hows and whys of using sugar substitutes in baking. Wonderful blog. The author is diabetic, with a sweet tooth. She knows her stuff!

In other news, a Marlowe update: our beautiful chocolate lab mix is recuperating from a recent surgery to remove a malignant mast cell tumor. So it's a bit like a slumber party in our living room, as we don't want her popping a stitch trying to hop on our rather tall bed. She's doing well and we're counting the days until those stitches are removed, then she can resume chasing squirrels, barking at the UPS guy, jumping on her favorite people, and going on her favorite long walks.

[Ed. note: We thank our family and friends for the kind words and well wishes. Please feel free to click an ad link so we can pay this vet bill!  ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ  ]

Adapted from: All Day I Dream About Food
Number of servings: 10

​Ingredients
Low Carb Almond Flour Crust

• 1 ½ cups almond flour (Bob's Red Mill SUPER-Fine Almond Flour was used here)
  
• ¼ cup Swerve Sweetener, either granular or powdered is fine
  
• ¼ tsp salt
  
• ¼​ cup butter, melted
  

Filling

• 1 cup heavy cream
  
• 4 large egg yolks
  
• ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
  
• ¼ cup butter chilled and cut into pieces
  
• 1 tsp lemon extract
  
• ¼ tsp xanthan gum (do not use more than this)
  
• ½ to ¾ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener (I like my lemon pie tart-used a little less than ½ cup)
  
• 1 cup full fat sour cream
  

Directions
Low Carb Almond Flour Crust

1. Preheat oven to 325 °F.
   
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, sweetener, and salt. Stir in melted butter until dough comes together and resembles coarse crumbs.
   
3. Turn out into a glass or ceramic pie plate. Press firmly with fingers into bottom and up sides. Use a flat-bottomed glass or measuring cup to even out the bottom. Prick all over with a fork before baking.
   
4. Bake until edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
   

Filling

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine cream, egg yolks, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
   
2. Cook, whisking frequently, until mixture thickens, about 5-8 minutes (watch carefully, you do not want it to curdle).
   
3. Remove from heat and add butter and lemon extract. Sprinkle with xanthan gum and whisk quickly to combine. Stir in sweetener to taste (I like mine rather tart).
   
4. Whisk in sour cream until no lumps remain. Pour into pie shell and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set (the longer, the better, so overnight is best if you can wait that long). It's also awesome if you pop it in the freezer for an hour after being refrigerated.
   
5. Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
   

Does Mom like spice? From time to time, we like things spicy in our house [Ed. note: HEY NOW], and this healthy, delicious dish is so easy to make it screams "weeknight dinner." The slightly spicy-tart sauce is a perfect foil to the sweet salmon.

And really, if you're concerned about the spice level, don't be. The original recipe below is sumptuous as is, but since the BF and I sometimes like a little more heat [Ed. note: WHAT KIND OF BLOG IS THIS THEY'RE GONNA ADD A DISCLAIMER], we'll add more Sriracha next time.

This is so easy, you could make this for a Mother's Day brunch for 20, which in fact I am doing.

Happy Mother's Day!

PS: A year ago we gave Mom lots of cavities with these offerings:

• www.moveablefeast.me/blog/caribbean-rum-bundt-cake
• www.moveablefeast.me/blog/lemon-creme-brulee-with-chambord-soaked-raspberries

Adapted from: SELF, April 2013 (Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Turshen); Epicurious (source containing original article)
Number of servings: 4

Ingredients

• Zest and juice of ½ lime
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 ½  teaspoons Sriracha (use full 2 teaspoons if you want more heat)
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 ¼ pound salmon fillet, skin removed
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
• Optional toppings: pickled ginger

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 °F.
2. In a bowl, whisk lime zest, juice, maple syrup, Sriracha and salt.
3. Place salmon in a baking dish lined with foil or parchment paper. Pour mixture over top.
4. Roast until cooked through and flaky, 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Sometimes the single picture is worth the thousand words. Just look at this reddish bronzed skin! The BF often tells me that he loves the simplest roasted chicken dishes, and this one couldn't be easier. Adapted from Samin Nosrat's Salt Fat Acid Heat, this recipe encompasses two whole ingredients. Three, if you count salt. Genius.

The buttermilk and salt work like a brine, tenderizing the meat to yield an unbelievably juicy chicken with crispy, gorgeously intense-colored skin. Be sure to leave 24 hours for marinating. I streamlined the recipe a bit, as well as decreased the amount of salt in the marinade.

One of the best things about roast chicken is that you can serve it with anything. Try it with these side dishes:

• www.moveablefeast.me/blog/roasted-tri-color-fingerlings-chimichurri-sauce
  
• www.moveablefeast.me/blog/spiced-roasted-carrots-with-avocado-yogurt
  
• www.moveablefeast.me/blog/asian-style-kale-salad
  

Adapted from Samin Nosrat's Salt Fat Acid Heat blog and Netflix special of same name.
Number of servings: 4

Ingredients

• 3 ½ to 4-pound whole chicken
  
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• About 2 cups buttermilk (full fat was used here)
  

Directions

1. The day prior to cooking, sprinkle the chicken inside and out with 1 tablespoon of salt. 
   
2. Stir 1 tablespoon of kosher salt into the buttermilk to dissolve. Place the chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and pour in buttermilk. 
   
3. Seal it, squish the buttermilk all around the chicken, place on a rimmed plate, and refrigerate for 24 hours. If so inclined, rotate the bag over the next 24 hours so every part of the chicken gets marinated.
   
4. Let chicken come to room temperature [Ed. note: ROOM TEMPERATURE should take about an hour, ackshually] before roasting. 
   
5. Preheat the oven to 425 °F, with a rack set one rung below center.
   
6. Remove chicken from the plastic bag and scrape off as much buttermilk as you can. Tightly tie together the legs of the chicken with a piece of butcher’s twine and tuck the wings under the bird. Place the chicken breast side UP in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
   
7. Slide chicken into the oven, legs toward the back. Roast for 50-60 minutes until brown all over and the legs don't resist when you jiggle them. Also, you can cut into the thigh, and if juices run clear, it's done.
   
8. If chicken gets too brown before it's done, tent a piece of foil over the top. 
   
9. When chicken is done, remove it to a platter and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.
   

Last October the BF and I were invited to dinner at the house of some dear friends. Husband, wife, and two adorable kids. The hubs is a grill-master, and the wife is a wonderful cook who treated us to Indian-spiced grilled chicken, roasted yams and a kale salad that was so good I asked if we could use it for a future blog, and she was kind enough to say yes. She does not know the specific origins of the recipe as it came to her from a friend. No matter. Our benefit, and yours.

Since that dinner the salad has accompanied many meals for the meat-loving BF, and was a highlight of our last Thanksgiving feast. It's almost too easy to assemble, and could not be ​healthier.

NOTE: Okay, maybe a little healthier. To make this vegetarian dish vegan, simply substitute the mayonnaise with Vegenaise eggless or other vegan substitute.

Adapted from: Our dear friends around the corner!
Number of servings: 2-4

Dressing
Ingredients

• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely grated
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• ¼ cup sesame oil
• ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (use less if you don't like too much heat)
• Dash of cumin

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Salad
Ingredients

• 1 bunch Lacinato kale (aka Tuscan kale or dinosaur kale, not the curly kind), rinsed and thoroughly dried
• ¼-½ cup cilantro, rinsed, dried and roughly chopped
• 1 large carrot, shredded 
• ¼ -½ cup sunflower seeds (salted was used here)
• Salt, to taste

Directions

1. Use a sharp knife to cut out the mid rib and stem of each kale leaf, and discard. Stack all the leaves on top of one another and slice crosswise into thin slices.
2. Throw all salad ingredients into a bowl.
3. Drizzle the dressing into the kale mix and toss. You might not need all the dressing.
4. Salt if needed.

[Ed. note: Quick addendum to give a heartfelt farewell to a man who REALLY loves his kale, former San Francisco Giant outfielder Hunter Pence. As a bay area kid who grew up experiencing a lot of awful Giants baseball (Boo LeMaster!), it was thrilling to watch you patrol AT&T Park's angular right field, preach the championship blood through two World Series victories (2012, 2014), and get that ridiculous three-stage hit that people here will forever be talking about. All love and best of luck to you as you play for your Arlington-hometown Texas Rangers. Yes. Yes. Yes.]

'Tis the season for good food and great company. My wonderful cousin and younger sister, traveling from Oregon, paid the BF and I a visit, and we showed them a few of our favorite local spots. Even though I had to work for clients while they were here, we managed to squeeze in much fun.

One day, we visited the Cantor Museum and Rodin Exhibit on the Stanford University campus. On another, we walked up and down Palo Alto's University Avenue and had dinner at a delicious Menlo Park Turkish restaurant.

The last day, we took our choco-lab Marlowe and walked around Bol Park, aka "Donkey Park" (Perry was the model for "Donkey," voiced by Eddie Murphy, in the film Shrek), and ate lunch at Thai Bistro on California Avenue. In the evening we made gingerbread cake topped with eggnog whipped cream along with spiralized celeriac latkes [Ed. note: I don't think we ate it in that order?], and watched a superb documentary called Shanghai Ghetto.

When they left, while cousin and sister went up the long escalator at a local Bart station, Marlowe let out the most woeful cries as they slowly disappeared from view. [Ed. note: We'll forward the therapy bills.]

My cousin is an expert beekeeper and gifted us with the most amazing raw honey, which we can't stop dipping into. She also gave us homemade lemongrass soap and lip balm, as well as some sinfully good Burnside Distillery small-batch bourbon, which kept everybody warm! [Ed. note: Can confirm.]

My sister is very knowledgeable and talented with rocks, stones and gems. She gave us beautiful hand-engraved stones that say "Shalom" and "DZ," which now rest proudly on the kitchen window sill that I work in front of every day. More significantly, she also gave me custody of our mom's engagement ring (we trade off every year), which was was so brilliantly polished and shiny it practically glittered. She is also adept in the landscaping arts, and got to work in the backyard well before unpacking. (She makes up for my black thumb.)

Marlowe is always a happier camper when she has a "pack," and as usual the did the nighttime "rounds," visiting the visitors as they slept.

Life is good when these girls are with us. ​

And it wouldn't be a family gathering without dessert, so for December: peppermint! It just says winter to me.​

This cheesecake is almost too easy. No baking, no sugar, low carb and comes together in about 15 minutes. With a crust that tastes like Oreo cookies, it was the most popular dessert of the visit, even though we had plenty of other desserts with real sugar. There's only a slight change to the original recipe (upped the whipping cream from 2 tablespoons to 4), as I like a fluffier mousse-like cheesecake. Also added a pinch of salt to the crust. Should also note that I used my favorite brand of sugar substitute called Swerve, but you can use whatever you like.

Adapted from: All Day I Dream About Food
Number of servings: 16

Ingredients
Crust

• 1 ¼ cups almond flour (Bob's Red Mill Super Fine was used here)
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• Sweetener equivalent to ¼ cup sugar (Swerve brand was used here)
• 4 ½ tablespoons butter, melted
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Peppermint Cheesecake

• Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• Sweetener equivalent to ¾  to 1 cup sugar (I used ¾ cup)
• ½  cup sour cream, room temperature
• 4 tablespoons whipping cream, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Red food coloring to taste (use natural food coloring if possible)

Topping

• 1 cup whipping cream
• Sweetener equivalent to 2 tablespoons sugar (powdered or liquid sweetener works best)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ounce dark chocolate, melted (optional)
• 4 sugar-free peppermints, crushed (optional)

Directions
Crust

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, sweetener, melted butter and salt until well combined. Press firmly into the bottom of a 9×9-(or 8×8)-inch square pan.

Peppermint Cheesecake

1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sweetener until smooth. Beat in sour cream, whipping cream, and extracts until combined.
2. Add red food coloring and beat until desired color is achieved.
3. Carefully spread filling over crust.

Topping

1. In a medium bowl, beat whipping cream with sweetener and vanilla until it holds stiff peaks. Spread over filling.
2. Chill cheesecake for at least 3 hours, until set.
3. Drizzle with melted chocolate and crushed candies, if desired.
4. Cut into 16 bars. Or cut into smaller bites for a holiday dessert tray.

NOTE: I found it worked best if you placed individual squares of cheesecake on plates and then drizzle with chocolate right before serving. This cheesecake keeps well for three days in the fridge.

The BF and I recently had a wonderful dinner at a neighbor's house. Husband and wife (turns out she and the BF went to the same university and graduated a year apart) and their two adorable children. The wife made a special request for something sugar-free and low carb, something I always try to pull out of the proverbial hat over the holidays.

So besides the normal sugar-full monstrosity that sent the kids (and BF) spinning [Ed. note: GERPH SNORG FLEEGLE NOP], I presented a version of this pumpkin cheesecake to the wife.

"Honey, you have to try this," she gasped at her husband. Soon, everybody was taking a small forkful.

The husband and my BF, bless them, went from sumptuous satisfied grins to quizzical bewilderment. The husband cocked his head, "This is...sugar...free?" No wonder, it really did taste like a decadent cheesecake.

The BF likes to say these are "weapons." [Ed. note: As in, people, including or especially kids, will not question whether or not the dish has a particular ingredient until you tell them.] When time allows, I experiment and make us sugar-free-grain-free-low-carb desserts (or similarly constructed main dishes) and the BF will say, "It's okay, but it tastes healthy." Kiss of death. So when something gets the "weapon" seal of approval, it must be shared. The pumpkin cheesecake will definitely make an appearance on this year's Thanksgiving dessert table.

Many have even asked me to post more sugar-free, low carb desserts, so rest assured, there will be more to come.

A big reason why this cheesecake and other such desserts can now be made: sugar substitutes have come a long way in the last 30 years. Had never found one that I liked for baking, until stumbling on a product called Swerve (swervesweet.com/products), which comes in granulated, powdered-confectioners, or brown form. This is not a sponsored post, simply have made countless desserts with it and the performance screams "real thing." Will bet you can't tell the difference.

You can purchase Swerve online, or I have been lucky enough to find in my local grocery store. Am sure you could try a different brand, but I highly recommend this one and can't vouch for other brands in the final outcome of this particular dessert.

The original recipe for this mini cheesecake says it serves two, but for the aforementioned dinner it was cut into four small pieces and was a perfect ending to the meal. Made a few tweaks to the original recipe from the blog All Day I Dream About Food: upped the cream cheese filling just a bit and doubled the whipped cream topping.

For people who count their Net Carbs, half of this cheesecake is only 3 Net Carbs.

Number of servings: 2 large or 4 small
Adapted from: All Day I Dream About Food for Swerve, The Ultimate Sugar Replacement
(swervesweet.com/products)

Ingredients
Crust

• 3 tablespoons almond flour (Bob's Red Mill super fine was used here)
• 1 tablespoon Swerve (granular)
• 2 pinches salt
• 2 teaspoons melted butter

Filling

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 ½ tablespoons Swerve (confectioners) 
• 2 ½ tablespoons pumpkin puree 
• 1 ½ tablespoons beaten egg (reserve remaining egg for another use, like an omelet!) 
• ½-¾ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

• 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 4 teaspoons Swerve (confectioners) 
• Dash vanilla extract

Directions
Crust

1. Preheat oven to 325 °F. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 4-inch springform pan. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the almond flour, Swerve, and salt. Add melted butter and stir until it begins to clump together. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake 8-10 minutes. Remove and let cool while preparing the filling.

Filling

1. Reduce oven temperature to 300 °F. 
2. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sweetener until well combined. Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg, pie spice, and vanilla extract until well combined. 
3. Spoon the batter over the crust and smooth the top. Bake 20-30 minutes, until edges are set and the center just jiggles slightly when shaken. Remove and let cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate at least one hour. Run a sharp knife around sides of the pan before releasing the spring.

Topping

1. Whip the cream with sweetener and vanilla until it holds stiff peaks. Spread over the chilled cheesecake.