Simple Low Carb Cream Sauce For Meat or Vegetables

I invented this yesterday as a spur-of-the-moment problem solver. I had some leftover roast beef that I feared would dry out upon reheating. I used what I had on hand to make this sauce as a "food lube." It turned out to be quite good. I'm recording it here so I don't forget it! This is roughly what I did. Of course, I didn't measure. I wish I had.

2T. butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 pint heavy cream
2 t. beef base (my guess)
Paula Deen's House Seasoning to taste
About 1/2 t. low carb thickener powder

Melt the butter in a small saucepan on medium-high heat. Add the onion and reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir for a few minutes. Add the cream and the beef base. Bring to a boil and simmer a while to reduce a bit. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add low carb thickener powder and stir to remove any lumps that might form. Heat a few more minutes until it thickens, and serve. It didn't get very thick, but it was thick enough to do the job and taste divine.

Note: This is a basic recipe you could ada[t in many ways. Add herbs. Use chicken or another base. Add minced garlic, or sliced mushrooms.

I tried this also on my steamed green beans, and it was a nice combination. It's also a pleasant way to increase your fat intake for the day, if you think you need to.

QED* Low Carb Zucchini Side Dish

* QED = Quick, Easy, Delicious

I was buying a package of zucchinis at Aldi today, and met an old woman who was doing the same. She mentioned she was buying them for her husband, who was ill, and that one of these small-to-medium zucchinis was a serving for him. On the spur of the moment, I asked her how she cooked them. She told me she grated them and cooked them for about five minutes, then sprinkled them with Parmesan cheese. I told her I was going to try that tonight, and I did. Wow! My husband and I loved it. So here, before I forget, I share this discovery with you. This is what I did:

2 small to medium zucchinis, shredded coarsely
2 T. Butter
Paula Deen's House Seasoning to taste
Parmesan cheese, about 1 T.

We grated the zucchini quickly with our Salad Shooter. **
Heat the butter in a skillet on medium-high. Add the shredded zucchini and stir as it cooks. Season with Paula. Some liquid accumulated in the skillet, so I waited until it evaporated before calling it done. Sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese, stir and serve.

I wish I had gotten that nice lady's name.

**Regarding the Salad Shooter: Grating cheeses and other things was slow and sometimes arduous. I finally found the answer, and it was the Salad Shooter I saw on TV years ago and ignored. It's made my cooking life so much pleasanter. I wish I bought one years ago. The model below is the one I have. My only objection is that it is a bit on the noisy side, so don't hold it next to your ears! It makes short work of whatever needs to be sliced or grated, and is easier to clean, generally, than the food processor would be.

Low Carb Pork Chops with Creamy Vegetable Sauce

I recently invented this, and we loved it.  This is how I made it.

Ingredients

4 pork chops
Paula Deen's House Seasoning, or your favorite seasoned salt to taste
4 T. butter

I medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 cup red radishes, diced
about 6 baby carrots, sliced thin (adds a little color)
1.5 cups celery, sliced thin (include the leaves if you have some, for extra flavor)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced (adjust to your taste, more or less)

1/2-1 cup half & half or cream (I had some half & half to use up)
3/4- 1 t. chicken base
1 pinch savory
1 pinch thyme
salt and pepper or seasoned salt if needed, to taste

Season chops and cook in butter in a large skillet that will hold the vegetables in the next step.
Remove when nearly done, set aside.

On medium-high heat, add onion, sliced vegetables and garlic to butter in pan. Stir often, and scrape the brown goodness off of the bottom of the pan when and as you can. Add half & half or cream and chicken base. Stir to dissolve the base and add the savory and thyme. Add pork chops if they need more time, and let it cook down, stirring, until a little sauce remains and has thickened a bit. No other thickener is needed. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. If you didn't add the chops earlier, add them now and allow them to reheat before serving.

Note: You want the radish cubes to be thoroughly cooked so they lose their radish "bite." When they do, they make a pretty passable substitute for little red potatoes.