Mr. T and I are obsessed with cooking shows. We watch A LOT of them. Our favorites tend to be Masterchef, Chopped, Top Chef, Beat Bobby Flay and The Kitchen…the list goes on. I have noticed an increasing trend on the various shows for meatloaf. It makes sense, as this comfort classic can be made a myriad of ways – and it’s so easy to change up the ingredients to take on a new twist. My version…Asian! Yep, you heard it…my mash-up take on meatloaf imbues the flavors of an Asian stir fry/potsticker. Keto and low in carbs of course! Continue reading Asian Stir-Fry Meatloaf
Keto/Low Carb King Ranch Casserole
Rarely would you go to a potluck or church social here in Texas and not have King Ranch Casserole. For it to be missing would be like a bride not showing up at her wedding – gasp! It is a layered dish of corn tortillas, chicken, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, two kinds of canned soups and tons of cheese! So we decided it was time to try our hand at making this comfort dish and low-carbing it without all the canned soups and tortillas…but how to get that starchy feel without tortillas? In rolls the spaghetti squash – the end result was fantastic! Continue reading Keto/Low Carb King Ranch Casserole
Andouille Sausage and Shrimp Riceless Jambalaya
Have you ever celebrated Mardi Gras? The Rex’s have been to the Mardi Gras celebrations in both New Orleans and Galveston, TX which do it up in style with a huge parade. Big brass bands, baubles, beads, and beer beyond belief! OK…I’ll quit with the excessive alliteration! It was Mardi Gras this past Tuesday (AKA: Fat Tuesday) and to celebrate we made a zero-rice jambalaya! Continue reading Andouille Sausage and Shrimp Riceless Jambalaya
Cocoa-Ancho Rubbed Steaks with Creamy Parmesan Greens
Ah, Valentine’s Day…that one day where there is such a big fuss to show you’re special person you love them. To go to the grocery store and see grown men aimlessly wandering the candy/flower isles (which is hilarious by the way). Making reservations a month in advance because you know every place will be booked and charging an extra expensive 3 course meal. Not for the Rex’s! Yes we celebrated, but we decided to make a special meal here at home so we can stick to our low carb plan, but feel like we’re doing something special as well.
This year we decided to do cocoa-ancho chili rubbed steaks and creamy Parmesan greens and we toasted our many Valentine’s Day’s together with a lovely glass of red wine. It was both romantic and stress free. Mr. T did surprise me with a beautiful orchid and bath bombs. Such a romantic!
I like to heat the grill up to get the sear marks on the steaks. You can let them sit for 10-15 seconds to sear the marks, then turn and rotate them to get the cross pattern before letting them sit for 4 minutes. Continue reading Cocoa-Ancho Rubbed Steaks with Creamy Parmesan Greens
Brunchin’ at El Chile
We had the most amazing weather this past weekend! Saturday we didn’t have anything going on so I made us tackle a long list of “Honey Do’s” (much to Mr. T’s chagrin) so he made me promise that on Sunday we would go have brunch on a patio somewhere. Our first choice was packed, so we ended up at El Chile off Manor Rd. We got there right as they opened at 11am and were the first one’s sat so we had prime patio seating. Continue reading Brunchin’ at El Chile
Los Cabos
Most people start the New Year off with eating healthy, working out more, quitting smoking…The Rex’s decided to take a vacation! We went to Cabo for 10 days this January. It was the first time for both of us and the decision for Cabo was really based on it recently being a milestone birthday for me and I had seen a beautiful ad for it in a travel magazine. Continue reading Los Cabos
Seafood Chowder
Weather in Texas is so strange…our Christmas this year was a high of 78° than a week later it was a high of 34°, a week after that – right back to swimsuit weather. Seriously I wear flip flops all year ‘round! Last week was a tough one, not only did we both have to go out of town for business, but it was drizzly and chilly out. The kind of weather and taxing week that when you come home you just want something comforting. When I asked Mr. T what he wanted he said seafood chowder. I was on a mission to make that happen – and low carb to boot! Continue reading Seafood Chowder
Sausage, Mushroom and Onion Quiche-Pizza (Quiche-za?)
Who doesn’t love pizza? I mean, really?! Ooey gooey cheese and sauce, loaded with toppings. Here is my version of that, but using a quiche as a crust so we can enjoy that thing we crave, but without the carby guilt. I’m not going to lie…you can’t pick this version up and eat it with your hands (or do the whole New York thing and fold it in half), but the flavors are there and the base is also jam-packed with cheese and Italian flavors. Continue reading Sausage, Mushroom and Onion Quiche-Pizza (Quiche-za?)
Trudy’s Tex-Mex Brunch
Before we actually moved to Austin, we came here to visit family and friends a lot. It was my favorite city to spend the weekends (thus making the decision to just pack up and move here). A lot of folks love coming here for the unique eats and typical staples: Kerby Lane, Magnolia Cafe, Guero’s, etc. For me, no trip was complete without having a meal at Trudy’s. Continue reading Trudy’s Tex-Mex Brunch
Steamed Snow Crab with Cilantro Lime Butter
Happy New Year to you and all your loved ones! I know there are many traditions and superstitions people support on New Year’s day to bring good fortune or luck in the new year: grapes, greens, black-eyed peas, to name a few. Here in the Rex household we made up our own tradition. We eat crab! I’m not quite sure why it started, probably that we were at the store and they were on sale and we thought ‘what the heck – lets do something fun and indulgent on NY day’. Then I went online to research various NY traditions I found out crab is not so lucky….sooo perhaps make this on a different day – our fate may already be sealed. 😐 Continue reading Steamed Snow Crab with Cilantro Lime Butter