Lovin' Low Carb: Recipes & More

Low Carb Blondies

2011-04-23T13:37:00.002-07:00

Yummy, gooey-goodness! I am in love with these, and am thinking I need to put them under lock and key.

I found this recipe on one of the low carb forums, and tweaked it just a bit, but it's my first recipe to make using the Poly-D. I have to say, I think I am going to like using it for cookies at least! :)

Low Carb Blondies
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups Carbquik
1 cup polydextrose
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granular Splenda or equivalent liquid
1 1/2 teaspoons blackstrap molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
2 ounces pecans, chopped, 1/2 cup

1/2 cup sugar-free chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, blend the Carbquik and polydextrose; set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat the butter, sweetener, molasses and vanilla until creamy. Add the eggs and beat well.
Add the dry ingredients and blend on low speed just until blended. Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips.
Spread in a greased 9x13" pan and bake at 350 degrees F. for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown all over, checking after the minimum time. (mine took closer to 30 minutes)
Cool in the pan on a rack at least 30 minutes before cutting. (Really, be patient and wait, they are too soft to get of the pan in one piece otherwise... trust me!)

Makes 18 servings
Can be frozen

Products used in this recipe:
(use the netrition.com search box of the left to search for these products and purchase them!)

Nevada Manna Sugar Free Chocolate Chips

Polydextrose

Splenda, grandular

Carbquik

Linking up here:

Pork Chops Alfredo

2011-04-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

Tried this recipe last night, and we really, really enjoyed it!

Pork Chops Alfredo

Ingredients:
2 pork chops
1 tablespoon butter
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper
1 16-oz jar Parmesan alfredo sauce
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Sprinkle the chops on both sides with salt and pepper and garlic powder.
Melt butter and brown chops on both sides. Arrange chops in a baking dish.
Pour the alfredo sauce into the skillet and stir around to loosen any browned bits. Add parmesan cheese to sauce. Pour half sauce over chops.
Cover and bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with low carb pasta, use the left over Alfredo sauce over the pasta.

We really enjoyed this recipe, sorry, no pictures!

Chicken Enchilada Sauce for Pasta

2011-03-29T22:07:00.007-07:00

Enchilada Sauce and Pasta in the same meal?? What? No way! I was sitting here trying to plan dinner, but craving enchiladas, which is not the easiest meal to make low carb...and then it dawned on me... I have enchilada sauce, and I have low carb pasta! I bet I can make something out of that! Then I did a few searches online for enchilada pasta dishes, saw that I am not the only one out there with "interesting" tastes!

So, with ingredients I had on hand, here's what I came up with....

Chicken Enchilada Sauce (for Pasta)

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Shallot (Onion would work, I only had shallots on hand)
1 tsp minced Garlic
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp Garli Garni
1 19 ounce can of Enchilada Sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp Splenda (our sauce needed it, because the enchilada sauce was soooo bitter)
2 lbs of Shredded cooked chicken (I used Pollo Asado from Costco)
1 Cup Shredded Cheese

Directions:

Dice the shallot (onion).
Heat the oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add onions and garlic- cook until the shallots are translucent and the garlic is very fragrant. Mix in the oregano, cumin, and garli garni.
Add enchilada sauce, heavy cream, lemon juice, and splenda (if you need it), stir to mix.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
Add chicken, and bring back to a boil, and then simmer for another 6-8 minutes.
Add shredded cheese, be sure not to boil it after you add the cheese.
Serve over pasta with lettuce, tomato and avocado.

By my calculations this will serve 5-6 people. It has 54 net carbs total, that makes about 9-10 carbs per serving.

Not as yummy looking as it tasted, trust me.... :)

Products for this meal:
Dreamfields Healthy Low Carb Angel Hair Pasta 13.25 oz. box
Las Palmas Enchilada Sauce, Medium, 19-Ounce Cans (Pack of 6)
Garlic Festival Garli Garni - All Purpose Garlic Seasoning 2.8 Ounce

Linked up at these great parties:

Italian Pork Tenderloin

2011-03-20T18:37:00.009-07:00

I bought one of these double packs of pork tenderloins, you know the ones that you get at Sams Club and then think-- how will we ever eat it all?! But the freezer is my friend, and today I used up the rest of the pork tenderloin in a yummy "Italian" dish that all began when I read this recipe. But, since I didn't have some of the ingredients and wanted to add others-- this is what I came up with:

It's hard to photograph food... but trust me, it tasted great!

Italian Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

2 Tbs Olive Oil
1/4 Cup chopped Bacon, pre-cooked
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried Sage
2 tsp dried Italian seasoning (herbs)
1 Tbs Sun Dried tomato paste
1 Roma tomato, diced
2 Tbs. Shallots, chopped
1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloins, cut into 1/2" strips
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 C. heavy cream
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions:

Heat the oil over medium-high heat, saute bacon, sage, herbs, tomatoes, tomato paste and shallots, until the shallots are tender.
Mix the pork strips into the skillet, and brown about 10 minutes, turning once.
Remove the pork strips from the skillet.
Stir the broth, wine, and heavy cream into the skillet, and season with salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil and reduce by about 1/3.
Add the pork back to the sauce.
Reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pork reaches a minimum temperature of 160 degrees F and sauce is thickened.

I served this with a green salad and over low carb linguine, it was very good!

nutrition for the recipe alone:

Calories 473.3 Total Fat 25.6 g Saturated Fat 10.6 g Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5 g Monounsaturated Fat 7.5 g Cholesterol 175.8 mg Sodium 300.0 mg Potassium 840.4 mg Total Carbohydrate 3.7 g Dietary Fiber 4.5 g Sugars 0.8 g Protein 51.4

Linked up at these parties:
While He Was Napping Recipe Exchange

Ricotta, Mozzarella and Asparagus Stuffed Chicken

2011-03-15T20:03:00.001-07:00

Dinner tonight was an interesting experiment in using ingredients that were readily available in my refrigerator, pantry and freezer. I got my idea for this recipe here.

Ricotta, Mozzarella and Asparagus Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup ricotta cheese, divided
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
2-4 Tbs Garli Garni (use garlic powder, Italian herbs, and pinch of red pepper flakes if you don't have it) we like our food fairly spicy, so you have to add this to taste
8 spears of Asparagus, washed, trimmed
1/2 C. Red Wine
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Flatten the chicken breasts to about 1/4" thick
Rub chicken with garli garni (spices), and salt and pepper
Place half of the ricotta and mozzarella cheese on each breast (keep it in the middle)
Place 4 Asparagus spears on each breast
Fold the chicken breast over the filling, secure with toothpick(s).
Place chicken in baking pan, seam side down.
Pour the red wine over the chicken
Bake for about 25- 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (juices run clear, or instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees F).

Served with a big salad. Yum.

Total Carbohydrate 5.2 g Dietary Fiber 1.3 g = 3.9 g net carbs

Calories: 191.8 Total Fat 7.7 g Saturated Fat 4.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4 g Monounsaturated Fat 2.1 g Cholesterol 47.3 mg Sodium 140.9 mg Potassium 374.3 mg

Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer Pie

2011-03-15T06:45:00.002-07:00

Is there a more perfect way to celebrate Pi day (3.14) then to eat pie? :) I think not!! But doing so and remaining true to the low carb way of eating can be challenging. I had some definite ups and downs working through this recipe. But I think I got it... :) I may have to do some more tweaking, and if I do-- I will come back and make some updates. I found the ideas for this pie here and here.

I am not a cake decorator... so don't judge! lol :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer pie

Ingredients:
-For Crust:

1 1/4 Cup of Almond Flour/Meal
1/4 Cup of Coconut Oil
1/4 tsp. salt
5 Tbs of Icy Water

For Chocolate Layer:

2 Tbs Butter
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 Tbs. Cream
1/2 Cup of Splenda

For Peanut Butter Layer:

4 Tbs Cream Cheese, softened- room temperature
5 Tbs Peanut Butter (I used creamy All Natural Skippy)
1/3 C Splenda

Topping:

1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Tbs Splenda
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. unflavored gelatin

Directions:

1. Crust: Mix Almond flour, salt and coconut oil by cutting in the oil, then add 1 Tbs at a time of icey water, mixing as you go. It will be crumbly but will have the ability to hold together. Next, press the dough into a greased pie plate, spread over the bottom well, and then bake at 450 degrees F for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Before I added the water

while the crust cooled... I will explain below why the edges were so dark...

Allow pie crust to cool and then put it in the freezer, and allow to freeze before you make your next layer.(I only waited about 15 minutes)

2. Chocolate layer: Melt butter and chocolate in microwave approx. 2 minutes (stop about every 30 seconds to stir). Mix in cream and vanilla. Stir well. Mix in splenda. Pour over frozen pie crust and put back in freezer.

With the the chocolate layer spread on the crust... just barely enough!

3. Peanut Butter layer: Mix peanut butter, cream cheese and splenda with hand mixer. Spread over frozen pie. Put back into the freezer.

With the peanut butter layer spread on top...

4. Whip cream with vanilla, gelatin and splenda until stiff peaks will form. Spread over pie and refrigerate.

There are about 53 net carbs in this pie, that makes 6.625 per slice (assuming 8 servings)

A "profile" picture... look at the yummy layers! (my crust was about 2x's too thick (explained below)...

So, this pie was a lot of work, but it was worth it! Even my carb-loving friends gave it their stamp of approval! :)

Things I learned along the way:

- if it doesn't work the first time, try, try again (see pics below)

- unflavored gelatin can be mixed into your whipped cream (no noticeable taste that I could tell), and it will prevent the whipped cream from "deflating" or "weeping". I actually used about another 1/2 tsp in the little bit of topping I saved to pipe the words with.... and it held up very nicely!

- you could definitely make the crust using butter
- ALWAYS read the reviews/comments before you try a new recipe!!!! :) (as evidenced by by experience noted below!)

My trials with making this crust:
The original recipe called for 1 1/4 cup of almond meal/flour and 2/3 cups coconut oil. I thought... hmmm, that seems like a lot, but I went for it. And it looked fine, I even patted it up the sides of the pie pan to make a "true" pie crust. Then about 5 minutes into the baking I took the following picture, and realized there might just be a problem:

See the problem? Startin' to "melt"

Apparently the amount of oil was too high, but I gave it another 5 minutes (just in case) and here was the result:

Kind of bubbly and soupy looking... :(

Check out this perspective... it was nearly bubblin' over...

So, I mixed in more almond flour (about a cups worth) and was happier with the drier consistanacy and put it back in for another 15 minutes (thus the super dark edges-- but not burned, I do not burn things - I BROWN them!! LOL). Next time I am definitely going to cut back the oil to 1/4 cup (thinking that's about right since my crust was still a bit "soft" once it had come back to room temperature).

Linked up at the following parties:

Between 3 Sisters Mid-Month Motivation

Products in this post:
Bob's Red Mill Almond Meal/Flour, 16-Ounce Packages (Pack of 4)
100% Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil 16 fl.oz
Skippy Peanut Butter, Natural Creamy, 15-Ounce Jars (Pack of 6)
Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated, 1.2-Pound Bag
Unflavored Gelatin - 1 lb

Rutabaga Fries

2011-03-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

Rutabaga, a root that I had never tried before.... and I have to say they are ok, as long as it's a fairly thin sliced and it has been fried, and dipped in ketchup or ranch dressing. I can't say that I will keep rutabagas on hand at all times, but for days when I really want "fries" with my burgers - they will be a good substitute.

Ok, so I read that if you soak them in milk or cream for 1/2 hour before cooking them it helps remove the "bite" or the bitterness. Not sure if it did or not, but I did soak it after I had sliced it up.

Rutabaga Fries

Ingredients:

1 Rutabaga, peeled, sliced (the thinner the better)
Onion salt (to taste)
Garli Garni (or garlic powder) to taste
Coconut oil/Olive Oil/ (any other frying oil)

Directions:

1. Wash, peel with pairing knife, and slice (fairly thinly) the rutabaga.

2. Submerge the sliced rutabaga in cream/water mix for about 30 minutes

3. After 30 minutes, rinse the rutabaga of the cream mixture.

4. Heat up the oil to 325 degrees F.

5. While oil is heating up, coat "fries" in spices.

6. Fry the "fries" until golden brown and done through (I didn't get them all cooked through, and we didn't care as much for the flavor of the "raw"ish ones).

7. Serve with ranch dressing, sugar free ketchup, or whatever you enjoy with your fries.

Products used:

Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 15-Ounce Tubs (Pack of 2)

Garlic Festival Garli Garni - All Purpose Garlic Seasoning 2.8 Ounce

Cheesy Egg Custard

2011-03-10T18:54:00.000-07:00

My friends served this at a get together at their home, and I had to have the recipe, and attempt to make it! :) Since I was wide awake this morning hours earlier then necessary, I figured I could try it out!

Cheesy Egg Custard
Ingredients:

1 cup coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (Swiss is a good substitute)

1/4 cup chopped chives (I used dried)

5 large eggs

3/4 cup whole milk ( I used about half heavy cream and half water)

2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 tsp. onion salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish (2 inches deep).
Sprinkle Gruyère and chives evenly in dish.
Blend eggs, milk, and cream cheese in a blender with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt until smooth. (I used a hand blender)
Pour egg mixture over Gruyère and chives in dish and bake until puffed, set, and golden, 35 to 45 minutes. (It took about 50 minutes for mine to cook completely.)Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4. 303.5 calories, protein 17g, Carbs 1.4g , fiber .2 = 1.2 net carbs

We enjoyed it, but I baked it in a Pyrex bowl, and next time I will bake it in something more shallow because it took longer to cook this way (I think). Anyhow, it tasted great and was a nice variation of "eggs" for breakfast! :)

Products mentioned in this recipe:

Chives, Freeze-Dried, Chopped - 0.13 oz,(Spicer Hunter)

Baked Meatballs

2011-03-09T21:05:00.001-07:00

I have seen various versions of this recipe. The original came from the Atkins website, but I have tweaked it to make it "mine", and I have to say that they turned out mighty tasty! I had made the recipe to the "letter" from Atkins a long time ago, and remember that they weren't very flavorful, but with my "tweaks" they surely aren't short on flavor!

BAKED MEATBALLS
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound ground pork
1 Tbs. dried chopped onion
2 Tbs. Garli Garni
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, (I used the kind in a can)
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon onion salt (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon pepper (to taste, I probably used more)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. (and I lined my baking sheet with foil)

2. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl using your fingers. Mix until the meat no long feels slimy from the eggs.

3. Shape in golf ball size meatballs and place on a large baking sheet with sides. Bake at 375� for 15-20 minutes until the meatballs are done all the way through. (and I turned on the broiler once they were cooked and broiled them until they browned up a bit-- about 5 minutes).

Ready to bake

Makes about 20-30 meatballs (I got 24)
Can be frozen

Ok, so I have to warn you that mine flattened out on the bottom-- didn't bother us any, and sure didn't impact the flavor.... here's a pic, I am sorry-- I know it's not the best.

Bake meatballs, the cheese sort of leaks out of them... oh well, if you really care you could remove it, we didn't!

I served these with a Trader Joe's spaghetti sauce (4 net carbs), shirataki noodles (1 net carb) and a salad. Very Yummy! Look for my post on shirataki noodles for more details.

Per meatball: 92 Calories; 7g Fat; 6g Protein; trace Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; .5g Net Carbs

Products mentioned in the post:
Shirataki Noodles (Pack of 5)
Garlic Festival Garli Garni - All Purpose Garlic Seasoning 2.8 Ounce

Kraft Grated Parmesan, Reduced Fat, 8-Ounce Canister (Pack of 3)

Cheesy Mashed Turnips

2011-03-04T21:37:00.001-07:00

I had never cooked turnips before, and now I think I am in love! They have been a great substitute in my recipes for potatoes. I used them first in clam chowder, and they were great.... so, being encouraged with my success, I decided to buy more and try this recipe. I have read various recipes for this, one in Dana Carpender's book: 500 Low Carb Recipes, and various ones online. This is what I ultimately came up with:

Cheesy Mashed Turnips
Ingredients:
- 1 lbs of Turnips, peeled and chopped
- 2 Tbs. Butter
- 2-3 Tbs. Garli Garni
- 1 tbs Onion salt (to taste)
- 1 Tbs. Chives (fresh or dried, I used dried)
- 1/3 C. shredded cheese (I used a shredded "Mexican blend" cheese)

Directions:

Wash, peel, and cube turnips.
Place in a sauce pan, and just cover with water.
Bring to a boil
Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until very tender.
Remove from heat and drain.
Mash; add butter, onion salt, garli garni, pepper. Stir until well mixed.
Mix in cheese until melted.

These turned out great, a little watery, and I am not sure why. But it was still really yummy, this makes four 1/2 cup servings with about 5 net carbs per serving.

Note: I have seen other recipes that incorporate heavy cream, or cream cheese, or even sour cream.... and I will have to experiment with those in the future.

Products recommended:

500 Low-Carb Recipes: 500 Recipes from Snacks to Dessert, That the Whole Family Will Love

Garlic Festival Garli Garni - All Purpose Garlic Seasoning 2.8 Ounce

Low Carb Fried Chicken!! {Yummy}

2011-03-03T21:24:00.002-07:00

Ok, I know... Fried Chicken and low carb in the same sentence? No way, but it's true!! Thanks to the product, Carbquick! I toyed with the idea of using almond flour, hazelnut flour.... and finally settled on using the Carbquick.

My husband loved this dinner, served up with some Cheesy mashed turnips.... (recipe here), and a big salad!

Low Carb Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, cut into smaller about 3 or 4 pieces per breast

1 egg

Heavy Cream

Frying Oil (I used a mix of olive oil and coconut oil)

Garli Garni

1 Cup Carbquik

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons onion salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
1. Rub garli garni on chicken breast pieces.
2. Beat egg and a splash of heavy cream in a shallow bowl or dish, set aside
3. In a medium bowl mix 1 cup of carbquik with all of the spices.
4. Heat the oil on medium heat.
5. As the oil heats up, coat the chicken with the egg mixture, and then dredge chicken in the Carbquik mixture
6. Put chicken pieces in the hot oil, cook until golden brown and chicken is cooked through. (about 15 minutes)
7. Drain on paper towels.
8. Put the cooked chicken in a warm oven until it's all cooked, and then serve!

Couple of tips:
- I used 1 cup of carbquik, but it did not all get used-- so if you want, you could reduce it by about 1/4 a cup.
- Also, I used a bit extra on spices in our mix. We like spicy food, so I usually add more.

Net carbs: for approximately 2 net carbs for 1 chicken breast (3-4 pieces)

Products used:
Carbquik Baking Mix
Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 15-Ounce Tubs (Pack of 2)

Dreamfields Pasta

2011-03-01T21:49:00.001-07:00

Maybe you have see it in the grocery store and wondered.... is it really low carb? Well, according to the website, Dreamfield Foods-- it has only 5 digestible carbs per serving, and it tastes wonderful! We love this pasta. Granted, we don't eat it on a daily basis, maybe once a week. But it is by far the best tasting low carb pasta we have found and it hasn't slowed our weight loss progress. I like to find it on sale in a local grocery store and stock up. Although, lasagna and angel hair are not as common in the stores these days. So, I usually order them online.

Dreamfields Healthy Low Carb Angel Hair Pasta 13.25 oz. box
Dreamfields Lasagna

Fiesta Ground Turkey Skillet

2011-03-01T21:01:00.002-07:00

Dinner tonight was ultimately very good. All I had planned was a salad and a chub of uncooked ground turkey! So, I had to make a plan. I found a recipe on Allrecipes.com and modified it to make it low carb. The original recipe was Fiesta Fry Pan Dinner Recipe, and by all means sounds yummy. BUT it was definitely too high in carbs. To be honest, I didn't actually measure all of the spices. We love our meals a bit spicy, and so I probably used more spices then I listed here. But the point of the recipe is to make it to your taste, and use this as a "suggestion" of ingredients...

Fiesta Ground Turkey Skillet

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1/4 C. Chopped Onion
1 Tbs. Garli Garni (you can use garlic powder, or any form of garlic to taste)
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. dried cilantro leaves
1 tsp. red Chile pepper (optional)
1/2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 can fire roasted tomatoes (ok, any tomatoes will work)
1 c. cooked Dreamfields Linguine

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in medium skillet. Cook the pasta in a separate pan according to directions if you don't have nay on hand that's already cooked.
2. Sautee the onions until they have turned transparent, add turkey and cook until no longer pink.
3. Add all the spices, tomato paste, and tomatoes, simmer for about 8-10 minutes.
4. Add the cooked Linguine, and mix in well, and make sure the pasta is heated through.

Serves 4
There's approximately 9 carbs per serving

We liked this one!

Products in the recipe:
Dreamfields - Low Carb Pasta - Linguine
Garlic Festival Garli Garni - All Purpose Garlic Seasoning 2.8 Ounce

Pepperoni Chips

2011-03-01T19:49:00.001-07:00

Well, I don't know about you, but we like pepperoni around here. We like it on our pizza, and my husband likes to just eat it as a snack. Here's a way to enjoy your pepperoni crispy-like... yum! I saw these on a few websites-- and there's a similar recipe on Food Network. This is another one that travels well to the movie theater.

Pepperoni Chips

Ingredients

Pepperoni

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Lay the pepperoni on a baking sheet.
3. Bake the pepperoni for 8 - 10 minutes. The pepperoni will crisp up, and shrink quite a bit.
4. Once you take it out of the oven, soak up all the extra oil with paper towels.
5. Allow to cool, keep in an air tight container.

We enjoy these hot out of the oven (not too hot though). I have also tried this with some salami that we had, but it didn't turn out so well. It crisped up only on the edges and stayed soggy in the middle. But the pepperoni works great every time. Oh, and I usually take them out of the oven about the time the "oil" starts to smoke.

Mock "Goldfish" Crackers

2011-03-01T17:30:00.002-07:00

Looking for a good crunchy snack? The Food Network's George Stella had posted this recipe, and I took it and made it more my style. I plan to take these to the movie theater next time I go, so that I won't be tempted to buy popcorn!

Mock "Goldfish" Crackers

Ingredients

· 2 slices American cheese, Gouda, Colby-Jack or any other cheese you happen to enjoy

· 1/2 teaspoon onion salt

· 1/8 teaspoon chili powder

· 1/8 teaspoon Garli Garni

· Low-carb salsa, as needed

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Stack the slices of cheese and cut it into 16 small squares. Separate the pieces, and transfer them to a zip lock. Reserve some cheese. Add the onion salt, chili powder, and garli garni toss to combine. Arrange the 32 cheese pieces in 4 rows of 8, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving as much space in between each as possible. (I often do not use any parchment paper, and just put the cheese on an un-greased pan, and they turn out just fine.)

Also put out the reserved spice-less cheese onto parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake both until well-browned and crispy, about 7 and 7 1/2 minutes. If they are soggy, put them back in the oven for a few minutes. (I find that my oven needs more like 10 minutes)

Cool the crisps and crackers completely before serving—as they cool, they'll crisp up. Store on the counter in an airtight container.

Products used:

Garlic Festival Garli Garni 25 Oz. All Purpose Shake

Almond Thins

2011-03-01T16:20:00.001-07:00

I was browsing the Low Carb Friends message boards looking for recipes and came across this one. This is one that I had to make because it sounded good... and besides I had just about 1 cup of almond flour left that needed to be used up! :)

Almond Thins

1 cup almond flour
1 packet of Splenda
1 egg white
pinch of salt, garlic powder, & onion powder

Preheat oven 325. Mix ingredients well. Place mixture onto a well greased piece of tin foil. Spray a piece of wax paper with cooking spray and lay over top of mixture. Use a rolling pin to roll out to a cracker thickness. Gently remove wax paper. Sprinkle more salt on top if desired and press lightly into dough. Score with knife or pizza cutter into squares. ( I cut 8 strips by 6 strips) Lay tin foil on rack in oven. Bake until golden brown about 10 minutes. Makes around 50 crackers.

There are about 10 net carbs for the whole batch. You can also vary the flavor-use ranch powder, ground bacon bits, season salt...

Overall, I liked them, but I think I need to add a bit more salt then I did. I put around 1/4 tsp... needs more then that.

Products used:
Bob's Red Mill Almond Meal/Flour, 16-Ounce Packages (Pack of 4)
Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated, 1.2-Pound Bag

Pork Capri

2011-03-01T16:03:00.003-07:00

What to do with Ricotta Cheese when you don't want to make lasagna? This is the question that I pondered as I searched the web. I finally stumbled upon a recipe for Chicken Capri from Fatsecret.com. I thought, hmmmm.... sounds good. But, you know me-- time to tweak it to fit my ingredients at hand. Armed with ricotta cheese, and pork chops I created my own version of this recipe:

Pork Capri

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 cup ricotta, whole milk
1/2 tsp Garli garni (could use garlic powder)
1/2 tsp ground oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp onion salt
2 tbsps virgin olive oil
4 pork chops (bone removed would be easiest.... but I was lazy)
1 cup fire roasted tomatoes, canned
Directions

In a blender or food processor, combine the ricotta with the oregano, onion salt, and pepper. Process to blend.
Rub the pork with the Garli Garni . Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook for 1-2 minutes per side.
Place the pork chops, side by side, in a large baking dish and allow to cool. (I didn't really let them cool too long... we were hungry)
Preheat the oven to 350° F .
Spoon 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture and 1/4 cup tomatoes onto each pork chop. Top each pork chop with 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of a pork chop registers 160 °F° F (75° C) and the juices run clear.

This recipe serves 4, and has about 6 net carbs.

This recipe is Induction friendly!

We loved this recipe and will definitely make it again.

Products used:

Garlic Festival Garli Garni - All Purpose Garlic Seasoning 2.8 Ounce

Cannoli Cream with Blueberries

2011-03-01T07:21:00.001-07:00

I have had some Ricotta Cheese sitting in my refrigerator for about 2 weeks... I know, I know... but I couldn't come up with anything to make with it. At first I planned to make those "pancakes" that I see the recipe for everywhere. But just never came up with the desire to make them. So after searching a bit online I found this recipe for Low Carb Cannoli Parfaits by George Stella from the Food Network's "Low Carb and Lovin' It" series (which is sadly off the air). But being me-- I had to tweak it... cause number one-- I didn't want the chocolate chips... and number 2: I had some blueberries to use up. Although, I imagine one day I will try it the way that George Stella suggested!

Cannoli Cream with blueberries:

1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar substitute (recommended: Splenda)
1/4 teaspoon real almond extract
1 teaspoon no sugar added vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 cup blueberries, fresh

Directions

1. With an electric mixer on high, whip heavy cream just until frothy, and then add sugar substitute and almond and vanilla extracts. Continue to whip on high until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-whip, or cream will break.

2. Gently fold in the ricotta cheese and almost all of the blueberries, saving a few for garnish. Spoon cannoli cream into parfait glasses, top with remaining blueberries, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Serves 4.
8.9 net carbs/serving

Pizza Pita Pockets

2011-03-01T06:54:00.001-07:00

So, I blame this recipe on too many pizza commercials on TV! :) But, every now and then I get a craving for pizza, and my husband would eat it nearly every day if I let him! Last night was one of those nights, besides I had just received our order from netrition.com with Joseph's Middle East Bakery Low Carb Pita Pockets.... and so I went online to find a recipe. I found one from Cooks.com (here), and tweaked it to make it more "our style".

Pizza Pita Pockets

1 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil

2-3 Tbs. Garli Garni
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 c. commercially prepared pizza sauce (lowest carb you can find, ours had 3 net carbs)
1/2-1 tsp. Italian seasoning (dried herbs)

1 Tbs. dried onions
1/2 tsp. + 1/8 tsp. salt (I used onion salt)
1/8 tsp. pepper

2 mushrooms, sliced

1/3 c. diced Mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 (7") pita bread (Joseph's Middle East Bakery Low Carb Pita Pockets)

In a skillet heat oil over moderate heat. Add meat, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Spoon off and discard any fat. Add pizza sauce, garli garni, onions, italian seasoning, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Simmer 3 minutes. Stir in cheeses; cook a few seconds, stirring constantly, until Mozzarella begins to melt; remove from heat. Cut about a 1" slice off one edge of each bread, and open the pockets. Spoon meat mixture into pita breads. Heat a nonstick skillet over moderate high heat. When hot, add stuffed pitas. Cover and heat 30 seconds longer. Serve hot. Makes 2 servings.

Served with a salad, it was a great dinner! :) I will definitely make this again!

Joseph's Middle East Bakery Low Carb Pita Bread

2011-03-01T06:32:00.001-07:00

Had these for dinner last night! (Made Pizza pockets out of them -- see recipes). They were excellent! We bought them at Netrition.com (http://www6.netriti on.com/josephs_bakery_pita_bread.html). They have 4 net carbs per pita bread. Loved it!

Carbquick and Carbalose Flour

2011-03-01T06:22:00.002-07:00

We recently discovered Carbquick, which we purchased at CarbSmart.com. So far, I have made pancakes and cheese biscuits, but both were great (as far as low carb pancakes and biscuits are concerned)! I have high hopes in terms of making other meals with this product. I will let you know how it goes.

In learning about Carbquick, I discovered that Carbalose flour is the main ingredient and that it could be purchased online.So, I ordered some. I just got my order yesterday from netrition.com. I can't wait to try it out. It is supposed to be used like flour, but you have to possibly double the yeast in yeast breads and tweak the amount of water/liquids used in the recipe. This may take more getting used to, but I have found a good forum where people have described how they have been able to use it. I plan to use that as my reference. I will update the blog as I go along and experiment with these 2 products.

Home Made Yogurt

2011-02-28T21:44:00.002-07:00

I found a homemade yogurt recipe here, and made a few changes. In Dana Carpenter's cookbook she says that homemade yogurt is 4 net carbs per 1 cup. (Due to the fact that the bacteria breaks down and uses the lactose and changes it into lactic acid). And to have control over what goes into my yogurt is priceless!

Crock Pot Yogurt.

Turn your crock pot to low and pour in 1 half gallon of milk. (can use half and half too, it comes out REALLY creamy)
Heat on low for 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Once 2 hours and 45 minutes have elapsed turn your crock pot off and unplug it. Let the half and half cool in the crock with the lid on for 3 hours. ( I have found that after 3 hours my milk is too cool, so I have decided to cut back to 2 1/2 or so... I will keep you posted)
After 3 hours remove 1-2 cups of the warmed milk and place in a bowl. To that add 1/2 cup of yogurt with live active cultures and mix very well. (I used Dannon Greek Yogurt- Plain, and in a pinch I used a carb controlled one from Dannon (Strawberry) and it worked just fine)
Pour the yogurt-half and half mixture back into the milk and whisk thoroughly.
Place the cover back on the crock and wrap the entire crock pot in a thick bath towel or two.
Let it culture overnight, 8-12 hours.
In the morning stir yogurt (if desired) and store in glass quart jars or a container of your choice.
For optimum texture, refrigerate for at least 8 hours before using.

Add-ins:

2 tablespoons splenda + 1 tsp vanilla extract (or any kind of extract, lemon is yummy)
2 tablespoons splenda + fresh berries of choice
probably you could use stevia too, but I am not a huge fan of the taste
I tried xylitol, but it did not dissolve well enough

Other ideas:

If it's too runny, use a coffee filter in a colander and strain it for a bit. Then put it in the blender if it's too thick, and presto-- it's creamy!
If you strain it, it can be thick enough to use in the place of sour cream
I really like it with the half and half, it's closer to be the thickness that I am used to eating.... but even if you use milk it too is good, if a bit runny (but the runny-ness can be fixed by straining it).