LillyPad Low-carb Leek Quiche Frittata

This low-carb frittata or crustless quiche makes a delicious Phase 1 dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup leek, sliced thin
• 1 cup of spinach, stalks removed, coarsely chopped.
• 1/4 cup of fresh basil leaves, shredded
• 1 tsp basil
• 4 eggs
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp grape seed oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300C.
2. Heat the oil in a pan. Sauté the leek and spinach for 5 minutes until soft.
3. Whisk eggs in a bowl. Mix in seasoning, basil, leek and spinach. Pour into oven pan and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Serve immediately.

Garlic

Garlic has been used for thousands of years in both food and medicine. This vegetable is key in many cuisines around the world. It is easily found in grocery stores in varying sizes and varieties.

Garlic bulb and cloves

The cloves are the part used in cooking. The papery skin needs to be removed first and the root ends sliced off. If you are concerned about the pungent nature of garlic, cut the cloves in half, removing any green shoots from the middle and rinsing the garlic in water before preparing it for your dish.

Ways to use garlic:

• Use granulated or powdered garlic for a long lasted easy to use form of garlic. This works well in sauces, soups or in rubs and marinades.
• Add minced or pressed fresh garlic directly to cooking dishes. Great for stir fry, sauces, etc.
• Roast whole garlic.
• Some stores carry oils infused with garlic. Check the labels to make sure the oil is olive or grapeseed oil and no additional sugars or fats are added.

LillyPad's Phase 1 Friendly Onion Soup

This is a flavourful alternative to French onion soup, since cooked onions are not allowed on phase 1. This is also good as a broth with a roast‎ in crock pot.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp grapeseed oil
• 1 cup leeks 
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp sage 
• 1/4 tsp thyme 
• 1 bay leaf 
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder 
• 1/2 tsp onion powder 
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• ‎2 cups beef stock (no sugar, 0 carb)

• Add chives and green onion before serving
• Optional* add 1 cup of celery or mushroom for a fuller soup

Directions:

1. ‎In a small pot, sauté leeks in oil on medium-low for 5 minutes. 
2. Add broth, soy sauce and seasonings, cooking on low for another 10 minutes. 
3. Add fresh chives and thin slices of green onion when serving. 

Leeks

Leeks are a vegetable related to onion and garlic. They are used in many cuisines, having an mild onion like flavour that complements many others seasonings.

Leeks whole and sliced

Cleaning leeks can be tricky, because of the amount of soil that can collect between the layers. See this video How to Select and Clean Leeks to learn more.
We will feature a few leek recipes this month and you'll find leeks in our past recipes as well. They are an excellent substitute for onions when cooking, because they don't carmelize and are thus lower on the glycemic index.

Leeks can be sauteed, roasted or boiled like many other vegetables. They are frequently used in soups as well.

Sauteed
With olive oil and garlic, saute sliced leeks until softened but not browned on medium to low heat. Mushrooms saute well with leeks too.

Roasted
Brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper, leeks can be roasted at 400 for 35 to 45 minutes. You may want to drizzle some water on them from time to time to keep them moist.

Leek Latkes

Traditionally, Latkes are a kind of fried potato pancake. This delicious low-carb version features leeks, zucchini and the Ideal Protein Potato Puree.

Leek Latkes

Ingredients:

• ‎1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup leeks, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup zucchini, grated
• 1 tsp garlic‎ powder 
• 1  egg white
• 1 package Ideal Protein Potato Puree
• 1 tsp dill
• 1 tsp parsley
• ½ tsp salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Cut the white part of the leek lengthways, and cut thin slices of leek.
3. Heat grapeseed oil in pan. Add leek and grated zucchini to the pan, sautéing for 5 minutes.
4. In a bowl, beat the eggs and add the herbs and seasoning. Add the vegetables (make sure they have cooled slightly so they don’t cook the eggs) and mix. Add the potato puree mix together.
5. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking tray and spread the mixture on the paper evenly. Bake for 8 minutes.