With our BVI bareboat charter trip coming up, Scott and I have been trying to lose some weight. He recently watched a documentary about the infamous Keto Diet and decided we should try it. Since I love to cook, this would be an interesting change.
I don’t really miss the carbs, but it’s trying to find the replacement for them that can be difficult. We had decided a few weeks ago, to stay on the boat the first weekend of March because the weather looked great. Unfortunately, when the weekend arrived, the weather was CRAZY!
What do we prepare on a stormy night that is Keto friendly?
Normally I would bake some kind of pasta, but we needed something that was keto friendly. That’s when I decided to try and make zucchini lasagna. How hard can it be? Not hard at all.
How did it turn out? GREAT! The only issue is that zucchini is full water, so you really have to do your best to dry it out. Ours came out a bit watery, but it tasted amazing. Conclusion? Make it again, but let it sit for about 15 minutes to let it set up.
116 oz jarmarinara sauceWe use Mezzetta Homemade Italian Plum Tomato
Instructions
Using a sharp knife, slice the ends off of the zucchini. Holding the zucchini upright, slice thin pieces and lay on a paper towel. Lightly sprinkle salt on each piece.
While the zucchini is drying out, heat a skillet on medium high heat and add sausage, pork, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. After 5 minutes, add onion, garlic and mushrooms. Cook until browned. Remove from heat and drain any grease.
In a bowl, mix Parmesan, Mozzarella and Italian Seasoning. (in our video, I added them separately just to save a bowl)
Spray a 8" x 8" baking pan with cooking spray. Dab each zucchini slice with a paper towel to absorb any extra liquid. Begin layering the lasagna by placing zucchini slices on the bottom of the pan.
Add cooked meat, then sauce.
Layer with cheese.
Repeat layer. For the final top layer, arrange zucchini slices, top with sauce.
Top final layer with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Put a cookie under the pan, as it may over flow with liquid from the zucchini.
Let sit for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with a side salad.
If you love a BLT, then this is your dip! When Scott and I head up to my family’s place at Tyee Beach on Camano Island, I always make some kind of snack that everyone can enjoy during the day. Over the years I’ve made a 7-layer, Greek layer, Loaded Baked Potato and other fun hearty dips.
This summer, I wanted to make something a bit simple, yet filling enough for a crowd. Keep in mind, we don’t eat lunch, so this “snack” is the main meal between breakfast and dinner. That’s when I decided to make a BLT Dip! Who doesn’t love a BLT? Well, except for the fact that the bread rips the roof of your mouth up.
This BLT dip is the perfect solution! I fry my crostini (check out my recipe here). This makes the bread softer than if you just baked it in the oven.
Where did the dip go?
Normally when I make one of my hearty dips, they last for a few hours. This dip was gone in less than an hour! This dip with the crostini tastes exactly like a BLT. We had people from next door coming over to try it. So the next time you are looking for a crowd pleaser, this is a winner! Enjoy!
This dip can be made ahead time, about an hour (remember, it has lettuce and tomatoes and you don't want them to get soggy). I made a huge batch and it was gone in less than a hour - so Enjoy!
Tis the holiday season and this onion tartlet hors d’oeuvres recipe is classy & delicious. Our marina is having a holiday party and all of the boats will be dressed up. This is a great occasion to meet other boaters and enjoy tasty treats and cocktails. This recipe is one I can easily prepare and share at the holiday party. Recently, I served these onion tartlets along with baby potatoes with caviar and potato chips with smoked salmon as appetizers. They were a hit!
One of the challenges of serving appetizers is keeping them warm. Which is why I like to stick with those that can be enjoyed at room temperature. You can make the onion tartlets ahead of time and bring them up to room temperature when ready to serve. At home, we bake them in our oven. On a boat, you can easily use a toaster oven.
Toaster Ovens
Speaking of toaster ovens, we found this awesome one from Cuisinart and now it’s on our wish list! It has 7 cooking functions, including an AirFryer! This will definitely go on our live-aboard.
Heat oven to 350º. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium high and add onions. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring often. Make sure that the heat is not too high, as you don't want to scorch the onions. Add oregano, thyme crushed red pepper and brandy. Cook the onions until they are tender and caramel in color.
Remove from heat and add cream cheese, egg and parmesan cheese. Place fillo shells on a cookie sheet and fill each one with the onion mixture. Bake for about 10-15 minutes until cooked thoroughly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Keeping your dishes simple using pre-made sauces can make prepping dinner on your boat easy. This Pesto Pasta Salad is perfect for a hot summer day and can be used as a main dish simply by adding roasted chicken.
Mix all the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
We transferred the pasta salad to a ziplock bag for easy storage in our small fridge and it kept perfect for the next two days!
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