Monthly Archives: August 2017

Book News, Book Nook, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Cookbook Update and a Quick Recipe

August has been a busy month with lots going on in my life, but I did get the new cookbook out and I just released, a few days ago, the compilation e-book with all three of the LC15 cookbooks in one edition. I had planned to sell it for a little less than it actually ended up at $1.99, which is 1/3 off the price of buying the three books. Amazon sets a minimum price based on the data size and the photos increased the size. I compressed it as much as I could.  The 3-in-one is only available at Amazon right now, but I will be getting it uploaded to other formats soon.

I am also working on a print release of the 3-in-one book that should be ready to release in about two weeks. It will include all the recipes in all three books plus a few extra notes. I’ll announce when it is released.

The Magic Muffins books is available at all these links:/
Book Launch page: 
Kindle USA: 
Amazon UK: 
Amazon Germany:
iBooks: 
Scribd:
Kobo: 
NOOK: 
Playster: 
24 Symbols:

Mashed Cauliflower Pancakes

To end August,  here’s a quick recipe.   If you like potato pancakes, you might love this dish. You can start with leftover mashed cauliflower or use a frozen mashed cauliflower. Be sure you cook and cool the frozen cauliflower. The rest is easy to put together and pan fry.

1-1/2 cups leftover Mashed Cauliflower
1/4 cup Low Carb Flour
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Salt, if you wish more
1 Egg
1/4 cup finely shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 tablespoon Minced Onions (optional)

If the cauliflower isn’t thick like normal mashed potatoes, drain the excess water by putting in a paper-towel-lined colander and press with the back of a wooden spoon. You want them as dry as possible.

In a bowl, combined the ingredients and mix well.

Put enough oil in a small skillet to bring to about 1/4 inch and heat until about 350 degrees (F.) Pour 1/4 cup of the batter into the oil and spread into about a 1/4 inch thick pancake with a wooden spoon or spatula. Repeat if there is room for more patties. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Place on paper towels to drain. Serve hot. Makes 6 pancakes.

Nutrition Information per pancake with onions:
Calories: 80 Fat: 5.4 g Net Carbs: 3.3 g Protein: 4.1 g

Nutrition Information per pancake without onions:
Calories: 78.7 Fat: 5.4 g Net Carbs: 3.0 g Protein: 4.1 g

You can add in bacon bits if you like. Or add in 1/2 cup cooked shredded cabbage for an Irish touch.

Tip: If you don’t want the fats in the oil, you can also put these on a baking sheet, spread into circles and bake in a 365 degree oven until they are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Extras heat up easily in the microwave or you can put them in a skillet with a little butter for a couple of minutes on each side. Put two together and make a sandwich with ham, turkey, chicken or beef and mayonnaise, more cheese, and other add-ins of your choice.

Book Nook

New Cookbook out today!

I am so excited that I just launched my new mini-cookbook, Magic Muffins for a Low Carb Lifestyle. This little booklet is packed with twenty recipes to make all kinds of quick muffins in the microwave, oven, or toaster oven. I have created and tried every single recipe – some more than others – and I will say they are all delicious.

The recipes include breakfast muffins, savory bread to go with dinner, and sweet cake muffins that are amazing desserts. These breads are sturdy enough to hold up to grilled cheese, hamburgers, and personal pizzas. And they are so easy to make. The best part is they are all low carb, most coming in around 2 to 4 net carbs. A couple are a little higher, but still under 6 net carbs per muffin.

So check out my launch page and ready more details, then scurry on over to Amazon to purchase your own copy. I will be putting it out on other book sellers in the next couple of days, so if you have an aversion to Amazon, check back at my launch page around Wednesday for more places to purchase.

Launch Page: https://booklaunch.io/pynhavyn/magicmuffins

Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Poultry

A Twist on the Taco

I made tacos a few days ago and had quite a bit of leftover meat since I had planned to do tacos a second time. Instead, I decided to do something similar that I called a Taco Lasagna.  Easy to make and it tastes delicious. If you have leftover taco meat, it’s a great way to use it. If you want, you could add in a layer of red beans or pinto beans, but that adds a few more carbs to the count.

Taco Lasagna

6 oz. Salsa Taquera
3 Whole Wheat Low Carb Tortillas
10 oz. Ground beef, lean
6 oz Chorizo
1 tablespoon Taco Seasoning
1 cup Mexican Style Cheddar Jack, shredded
1 cup shredded Iceberg Lettuce
1 medium Red Ripe Tomato, chopped
1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F.).

In a skillet, cook the ground beef and chorizo until lightly browned. Drain off an excess oil, then add 1/4 cup water and the taco seasoning. Stir together and cook until the meat is almost done. Remove from heat.

In a pie pan or a cake pan, put two tablespoons of salsa on the bottom. Warm the tortillas, one at a time, over the stove in a pan with a little oil. Place one tortilla on top of the salsa, then spread two tablespoons of the ricotta cheese over the top. Spread 1/2 of the meat over the top of the ricotta, add two more tablespoon of salsa over the top and sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese on top. Place the next tortilla on top and repeat with the ricotta, meat, salsa and cheese. Place the last tortilla on top and pour the rest of the salsa over it and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.

Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes until the cheese is melted and getting browned. Remove and let cool for about 10 minutes while you get the lettuce out and chop the tomatoes. Cut into quarters and serve one quarter with lettuce and tomatoes. Add optional sour cream and avocado if you wish.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 568.2 Fat: 43.5 g Net Carbs: 7.8 g Protein: 34.7 g

Desserts, Recipes

Pena Colada Frozen Pops

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As we move into Hot August Nights in Reno, it’s definitely time for a cool down treat, so I’m continuing to make simple, delicious, and low carb frozen treats for a nice afternoon refresher. I love pineapple, but it isn’t remotely low carb. Still, if you don’t over-do it, you can enjoy this delicious fruit along with another one that also is a bit too sweet. I combined the flavors of a Pena Colada, without the rum, into a tasty ice.

2 cups fresh Pineapple
6 fresh Bing Cherries
1 container Vanilla Carbmasters Yogurt or other low carb yogurt
2 tablespoons Sugar Substitute
1/2 teaspoon Rum Extract (optional)

Set up molds to hold the frozen pops on a tray that will fit in the freezer. Around my house,that can be a challenge and I’ve used various dishes for a tray. I also use silicone cupcake molds for my frozen treats. They are easy to unmold and since I have many individual ones,it’s easy to vary the shapes and number of them I need. But you can also use pop molds or a regular cupcake pan.

In the blender, mix all the ingredients except the cherries, pulsing until they are completely pureed. Add the cherries and pulse a few more times to have small pieces in the mix.

Pour or spoon into the molds, filling them about 1/4 inch from the top. Carefully move the filled molds to the freezer. After an hour and half, add popsicle sticks if you wish. I make them without most of the time. Let them freeze another four hours, then unmold. A little warm water in the bottom of the pan will help if they don’t pop right out. Wrap in plastic wrap and put in a plastic bag to put back in the freezer. Be sure to keep one out to eat right away.

Makes about 6 to 8 frozen pops.

Nutrition Information per pop:
Calories: 15.4 Fat: 0.4 g, Net Carbs: 2.6 g Protein: 0.2 g

Note: This same recipe works well with strawberries, raspberries, and other frozen fruit. Simply replace the pineapple and cherries with your choice. Omit the rum flavoring and put in a 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice, if you wish.