Chicken Breast

Chicken Breast

CHICKEN BREAST · BUTTER · STOCK (OR WATER) · LEMON · HERBS

Braise — medium — IT 165°F

“Tastes like chicken” is not usually a compliment. But this dish tastes like chicken should—moist, buttery, and rich—and still cooks with all the convenience you expect from boneless breasts. The secret? Pan-fry them with plenty of butter. After browning both sides, add a cup of stock or water and simmer this goodness, uncovered, until most of the liquid evaporates and your instant-read thermometer says >165°F. Put the chix on a plate, add a little more butter to the pan—maybe a squeeze of lemon—and stir it up for a rich pan sauce ready for drizzling over the chicken. Forget chicken. This tastes like heaven. 

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

Asparagus Stalks

Asparagus Stalks

ASPARAGUS · OLIVE OIL · HOLLANDAISE

sauté—medium-high

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Asparagus. One of the few cooked veggies you’re allowed to eat with your fingers. (Also corn on the cob and bacon. Bacon is a veggie, right?) Prep is simple—rinse and snap off the woody part of each stem. Sauté in olive oil or butter over medium-high heat. (Or roast with a coating of olive oil if your oven is already fired up.) Now all you need is salt and pepper. But if you dress it up with some hollandaise sauce or a squeeze of lemon in melted butter, you might want a fork. 

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

~2g net carbs per cup of raw asparagus.

Spinach Salad

Spinach Salad

SPINACH · BACON VINAIGRETTE · BACON · WALNUTS

Cold Prep (Wilt greens with warm dressing)

Seriously. Give yourself a break and start with prewashed baby spinach. Dump it in a bowl with some toasted walnuts and a few strips of bacon that you diced up and fried until crisp. Vintage cooking means you don’t throw out the bacon fat. Instead, make our yummy bacon vinaigrette. Toss the salad with the warm dressing to gently wilt the spinach. Then serve it up to your adoring fans.

(When in doubt, add salt and/or pepper.)

~0g net carbs per cup of raw spinach

Grilled Steak

Grilled Steak

STEAK · BUTTER · HERBS

grill — medium — IT 145°F

Where’s the beef? It’s on your plate, and it’s simple and delicious. Season a room-temperature steak and grill to about 5°F below the “doneness” you’re going for. It will continue to cook a little after you take it off the grill. Use your instant-read thermometer to save yourself the agony of turning an expensive cut of meat into shoe leather. For extra flavor, top with butter: herbed butter, beer butter, chipotle butter, plain butter. On steak, any butter is good butter.

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

Iceberg Wedges

Iceberg Wedges

ICEBERG LETTUCE · CREAMY DRESSING · BLUE CHEESE · BACON · CHIVES

Cold Prep

A steakhouse favorite, right at your house. Cut a head of iceberg in half, top to bottom, and cut each half into wedges. Remove the stem part from each wedge, rinse, and drain well (so you don’t end up with watery dressing on your plate). Plate the wedges and douse each one with your favorite dressing. Top with crumbled blue cheese (or feta), crispy bacon, and chopped chives, restaurant style. No reservations needed. 

(When in doubt, add salt and/or pepper.)

~ 1g net carbs per cup raw iceberg

Sautéed Mushrooms

Sautéed Mushrooms

MUSHROOMS · BUTTER · HERBS

Sauté — medium-high

An embarrassingly easy dish, especially if you buy your mushrooms pre-sliced—which you should. Fry the ‘shrooms over medium-high heat in plenty of butter for at least 10 minutes. They can soak up a lot, so don’t be afraid to add more. Delicious as is, or mix it up with hot sauce or soy sauce or whatever your sauce is. (P.S. Wine is “sauce.”) Add salt and pepper. File this one under, “Keep it simple [and scrumptious], stupid.” 

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

~2g net carbs per cup raw mushrooms

Chicken Thighs

Chicken Thighs

CHICKEN THIGHS · BUTTER · LIME · SOUR CREAM

pan fry — medium — IT 165°F

Next time you want to punch someone, take your aggressions out on dinner. Pummel boneless chicken thighs between parchment paper, until they’re about 1⁄2” thick­—the thinner they are, the better you’ll feel and the faster they’ll cook. Pan-fry in plenty of melted butter over medium heat, about 5 minutes per side, but double check to see that they are done; look for165°F on your instant-read thermometer. Add some flavor with a couple drops of  lime juice, fresh herbs of any sort, or a dollop of sour cream, mayo, salad dressing, salsa, or chutney. Serve with a wicked grin.   

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

Broccoli Florets

Broccoli Florets

BROCCOLI · OLIVE OIL · SESAME SEEDS

Roast — 400°F

Silence the haters. Roasted broccoli proves deliciousness and healthy can co-exist. Cut broccoli into medium-sized florets (or buy them pre-prepped). Toss with a generous amount of olive oil—right in the baking dish is fine. Pop into a hot oven and roast for about 20 minutes, or until fork tender. You can sprinkle on sesame seeds you dry roasted in a non-stick skillet, or top with grated cheese, crumbled bacon, or a big pat of butter.  It’s all good (for you).

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

~ 4g net carbs per cup raw broccoli

Naked Burger

Naked Burger

GROUND BEEF · MAYO · LETTUCE · PICKLES · TOMATO · ONION

Grill — Medium — IT 160°F

Burgers in their birthday suits? Skip the buns and accessorize with actual food instead. Pat your ground beef into 5-6oz burgers, about 1” thick. Season on the outside; no need to mix it in. Grill ‘em up or pan-fry in a little butter over medium heat. Some like burgers rare, but the USDA suggests you play it safe and go for 160°F on your instant-read thermometer. Dress your patties in cheese, pickles, avocado, tomatoes, and bacon. Try a fried egg if you’re feeling frisky. Getting naked never tasted so good.

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

Field Greens

Field Greens

FIELD GREENS · VINAIGRETTE · FETA cheese · TOMATOES · PUMPKIN SEEDS

COLD PREP

Back in the day, you got your field greens from a field. Now you can skip the bugs and dirt, and open up a bag of prewashed baby greens, ready to dump in your salad bowl. Add some fixings. We like cubed feta, halved cherry tomatoes, and pumpkin seeds; you go with your own real-food favorites. Toss with vinaigrette and you’re done. Another night, another salad.

(When in doubt, add salt and/or pepper.)

~ 1g net carbs per cup of field greens

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Flank Steak

Flank Steak

FLANK STEAK · OLIVE OIL · MARINADE · CHIMICHURRI

Grill — Medium — IT 145°F

Flank steak. Skirt steak. Hanger steak. Big on flavor, small on price, these cuts need a little extra love to keep things from getting chewy. Start with an hour or so in our marinade. You’ll likely grill these for 5-10 minutes per side, but your instant-read thermometer knows best. We can say this much: Take them off the heat about 5°F before you think you should. Take another 5 minutes and let the beef rest before slicing at an angle, across the grain. Top with our chimichurri, open a jar of roasted tomatillo salsa, or drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil. Love meat tender. 

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

Baby Kale

Baby Kale

BABY KALE · VINAIGRETTE · MACADAMIA NUTS

Dry Saute — medium-high

The heat is on. Dry sautéed baby kale delivers a mellow, nutty take on “eat your greens.” Using a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and working in batches, stir a thin layer of kale leaves around until they start to brown, about two minutes. When you finish the whole bunch, turn down the heat, add some butter to the pan, and brown some chopped macadamia (or other) nuts. Toss the nuts with the warm kale and plenty of vinaigrette. What could be cooler?

(When in doubt, add salt and/or pepper.)

~ 1g net carbs per cup of raw baby kale

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Pork Tenderloin

Pork Tenderloin

PORK TENDERLOIN · MARINADE · GRAVY

Roast — 375°F — IT 145°F

Pork’s reputation as “the other (dry, tasteless) white meat” is banished forever, the vintage way. Marinate a pork tenderloin overnight, or for 20 minutes on the counter—go bold with the flavors of your choice. Pour off the marinade, coat with olive oil, and roast at 375°F until your instant-read thermometer says 145°F (higher if you like your pork well done). While the tenderloin rests (about 10 minutes), whip up our easy gravy from the pan juices. Any way you slice it, it’s delicious. 

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

Cabbage Wedges

Cabbage Wedges

CABBAGE · OLIVE OIL · HERBS

Roast — 400°F

Face it. Purple cabbage is prettier than the green kind. But either will do in this too-easy dish. Cut cabbage stem-to-stern into wedges, removing the tough part of the stem. Place wedges on a roasting pan with a cut-side down, and douse with olive oil. Roast in a hot oven, flipping wedges after about 15 minutes. Brown, crispy edges mean they're ready. Season with salt & pepper, more olive oil, maybe a squeeze of lime, and you’ve got a dish that tastes as good as it looks. 

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

~ 3g net carbs per cup of raw cabbage

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Roast Turkey

Roast Turkey

TURKEY · BUTTER · GRAVY

Roast — 300°F — IT 165°F

Turkey doesn’t have to go into hiding after major holidays. It’s a great way to feed a crowd. Or buy just the breast and feed a smaller crowd. Start by pressing some butter under the skin and seasoning the bird. There are soooo many ways to roast/smoke/grill. Either use your tried-and-true, favorite method, or try something new you find online. Just don’t forget to make a lot of gravy. You won’t be sorry. You can put it on your veggies, too. Just saying.

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

Green Beans

Green Beans

GREEN BEANS · OLIVE OIL · ALMONDS

Sauté — Medium-high

Decisions, decisions. Green beans are so easy and basic, you’ll have to figure out how you like them best. If you don’t get the pre-trimmed kind, snip off stem ends. Or not. Now all you need is a hot skillet and some fat. Olive oil. Butter. Ghee. Bacon fat. Pick one. Sauté until beans are just soft and brown. Or cook them less, for more crunch. Top with slivered almonds toasted in butter, or just butter. Not as French; just as delicious. 

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

~ 4g net carbs per cup of raw green beans

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Roast Beef

Roast Beef

ROAST BEEF · OLIVE OIL · HORSERADISH SAUCE · HERBS

Roast — 375°F — IT 145°F

Old school satisfaction without much work. Prep is easy. Coat with olive oil, slap on some seasoning, and shove it in the oven. Roast for about 20 minutes per (boneless) pound. Use your instant-read thermometer, and pull it out about 5°F before it reaches the temperature you seek. (See chart on page 17. We like it medium-rare, and shoot for 125°F.) The tricky part? Rest. You need it. So does a roast. The roast sits on the counter for about 20 minutes. You might prefer a couch. Whip up a creamy horseradish sauce before putting your feet up to enjoy the smells, knowing you and the roast are still cooking.

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

Rainbow Swiss Chard

Rainbow Swiss Chard

SWISS CHARD · OLIVE OIL · SHAVED PARMESAN

Sauté — medium-high

Stand up and take chard! Yes, you can make this rainbow of a veggie the focal point of your plate. Pull off the leaves and chop up the stems. Sauté the stems for a couple of minutes in olive oil. When the stems are lightly browned, tear up the leaves and throw them in too. Stir for a minute—maybe two. Top with shaved parmesan and a drizzle of oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

~ 1g net carbs per cup of raw swiss chard

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Cauliflower Mash

Cauliflower Mash

CAULIFLOWER · BUTTER · SOUR CREAM

BOIL

Legit creamy satisfaction. Cut up a head of cauli into uniform chunks, cover with water, and boil until fork tender. Drain well. (Or, you could just roast it.) While it’s still warm, mash, mix, or blend to your preferred level of creaminess with plenty of butter and sour cream. Don’t skimp. We’re talkin' ~ 1⁄4 cup butter and 1⁄2 cup sour cream per head. Add in roasted garlic for fancy or Parmesan for cheesy—or both.  

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

~3g net carbs per cup of raw cauliflower

Chicken Bites

Chicken Bites

CHICKEN · PEANUT OIL · SOY SAUCE · SESAME SEEDS · RED PEPPER FLAKES

Sauté — medium — IT 165°F

Ancient kitchen wisdom: small pieces = cooks quickly. Cut up—or snip up with kitchen scissors­—raw chicken (breasts or thighs) into bite-sized chunks.  Sauté in peanut oil over medium heat, using a spatula to flip the pieces every couple of minutes. They’ll be ready before you know it, 10 minutes max, but check the biggest chunks with your instant-read thermometer. 165°F is the magic number. Once you get there, stop cooking and start sprinkling:  sesame oil, a little soy sauce, toasted sesame seeds, red pepper flakes for Asian flavors. Garlic, herbs, cayenne, and salt for something else just as tasty. 

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)