This creamed kale is low carb, gluten free, and very delicious. If you're not gluten free or worried about a keto diet restriction, you can shave calories here by making a roux with 1 tsp flour and 1 tsp butter, then using whole milk instead of the cream. 

If you don't have gruyere, you can use parmesan instead. 

I used bagged cleaned kale for ease, if you're buying kale by the bunch to chop by hand 2 pounds will be about a pound after stemming. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 TBSP butter or oil for the pan
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded gruyere
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 pound kale, cleaned stemmed and chopped into bite sized pieces
• salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan or gruyere for garnish

In a large heavy bottomed pot with a lid (dutch oven is great for this) heat the butter over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions and garlic have softened. 

Add in nutmeg and cream, and cook over medium heat until it bubbles gently. Start whisking in the cheese in small handfuls until it is all incorporated. Taste for salt and pepper. The mixture will seem a touch thin, it will thicken upon sitting. 

Add kale and stir to coat. You may need to stir in the kale in batches. Reduce heat to medium low and cover the pot to wilt kale. Once it is wilted, stir and taste for seasoning. Allow the sauce to bubble gently with the kale uncovered for about 10 minutes and stir on occasion to allow the water from the kale to evaporate. 

You can eat hot or allow to come to room temp for a thicker sauce. Garnish with parmesan or additional gruyere. 

This is my go to pizza sauce. It's great for dipping cheese sticks, too!

Makes about 2.5-3 cups of sauce. I use canned diced tomatoes because I can buy them in bulk for cheap and use the blender to smooth them out. If you're not interested in using a blender, use one 28 oz can crushed tomatoes. This recipe freezes very well. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 3 TBSP onion, rough chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano (or 1 tsp fresh)
• 1/2 tsp dried basil (or 1 tsp fresh)
• 1 TBSP dried parsley (or 2 TBSP fresh)
• crushed red pepper flakes to taste (I use 1/2 tsp)
• SNP to taste after reducing sauce

Blend ingredients together until sauce is smooth. Transfer to sauce pan and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer sauce until it is reduced to your desired thickness. 

If you're short on time, you can add 2 TBSP tomato paste to thicken the sauce more quickly, I usually simmer the sauce about 45 minutes to an hour. 

I loved the mini waffle maker I got two years ago so much that now I have three of them. Just cause we're on a diet doesn't mean I put them into long term storage, either. I use them to make chaffles instead! These can be the base for keto mini pizzas or as a bread substitute for sandwiches. 

These are very simple to make. You will need a blender (or immersion blender) and a mini waffle maker for this recipe. 

Makes 6 mini waffles

Ingredients: 

• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup cauliflower rice
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2c - 1 c shredded parmesan
• SNP to taste (start light)

Plug in waffle iron. 

Process eggs, cauliflower, mozz and spices in blender or with immersion blender. 

Spread 1 TBSP parmesan on bottom of waffle iron. Spread cauliflower mix evenly over bottom of waffle iron, about 1-2 TBSP. Sprinkle top of mixture with parmesan, close waffle iron. 

Cook 6-8 minutes until browned and crisp. For best results, cool on a metal cooling rack. If serving immediately then you can keep waffles warm at 250F in the oven while you're finishing the batch. These freeze well. 

To reheat: use toaster oven or regular oven set at 350 to crisp. 

Substitutions: You can use any cheese you want in the filling. This recipe works well for italian or greek dishes. If you're doing a ham sandwich, try cheddar and garlic and onion powder. You can go spicy with some ranch powder and fresh jalapeno with cheddar as well.