Monthly Archives: July 2018

Beef, Pork, Sandwiches

A Twist on the Corn Dog

Photo: Frankfurter in biscuit called a Frankenpot.

Ever have the urge for a corn dog? One of those batter-covered frankfurters on a stick dipped in mustard or mayo can be a wonderful taste of comfort food. Unfortunately, corn bread batter is one of those things that can really pack on the pounds.

My alternative to it is this tasty hot dog in a pot, a personal-sized batter-covered frank made with low carb flours and golden flax meal. While it doesn’t replicate the corn dog, it is similar and satisfies my cravings for this simple summer fair food. Give it a try.  With this flexible recipe and you can add several variations. I haven’t tried the sauerkraut option, but I don’t see any reason it won’t work.

Frankenpot in a one cup ramekin. Run a thin knife around the edge and flip upside down to remove to a plate.

Frankenpot

Recipe by Rene Averett

This is a simple, low carb version of a corn dog, except it doesn’t use cornmeal. Instead, I’ve substituted in golden flax meal. It has the texture and a bit of the taste of the corn dog although it is baked instead of fried, so it isn’t quite the same.

If you want to try to fry it, I suggest baking it part way, then dropping it in a fryer for a couple of minutes to brown the exterior. I’d also leave off the cheese topping until after it’s fried.

Per 1 person serving

1 Hot dog or frankfurter
1 Egg
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1 tablespoon ground Golden Flax Meal
2 tablespoons Low Carb Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
Pinch of Salt
1/2 teaspoon Sugar Substitute
Pinch of Black Pepper, if you wish
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder (optional)
Mayonnaise and/or Mustard for dipping

Additional add-ins you can try:
1 tablespoon Onions, chopped
1 tablespoon Green Chilies, chopped
2 tablespoons Chile Con Carne, no beans
1 tablespoon Sauerkraut, drained

Preheat the oven to 365 degrees (F). Spray a one-cup ramekin with baking spray. (You can also use an oval ramekin that fits the uncut frankfurter or any other shape you want.)

In a small bowl, add egg and oil and whisk until blended. Add sugar substitute, baking powder, salt, pepper, flour, and flax meal. Stir until completely blended and smooth. Put 1/2 of the batter in the bottom of the ramekin. Cut the hot dog into 1/2 inch rounds and layer them over the mixture.

At this point, add any of the additional add-ons you wish to include. Sprinkle 1/2 the shredded cheese over the top and spoon the remaining batter over the top, smoothing it out. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.

Let cool and eat with a dipping sauce of mayonnaise and mustard or use either alone. I love this with a mayonnaise and cranberry mustard sauce.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 538 Fat:46.9 g Net Carbs: 6.3 g Protein: 22.1 g

With onions, add 0.6 grams of carbs to the count.
With green chiles, add 0.5 grams
With chili con carne with beans, add 3.4 grams
With sauerkraut, the count is the same as with onion.

Loaded with onion, chiles, and chile con carne, the total net carbs are 10.9 g.

Hint: For a simple dipping sauce, I mix 1 tablespoon Mayonnaise and a teaspoon of Cranberry Mustard together. You can also use regular mustard. For a touch of sweetness, add a little sugar-free sweet pickle juice or a drop of liquid sweetener.

Looking for a more savory sauce? Use a couple of tablespoons of Ranch Dressing or a Sugar-Free Honey Mustard Dressing.

Give this a try and if you come up with some other good add-ins, let me know.

 

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads, Vegetarian

Yummy Bacon and Cauliflower Salad is Cool

Photo: Cauliflower salad

As I was getting ready for a 4th of July BBQ potluck, I found this recipe for a delicious-sounding potato salad with ranch dressing and bacon. Hard to go wrong with that, but of course, I had to substitute in a different vegetable. Not content to do one, I added another one as well. Actually, I had the asparagus in the ‘fridge, and I needed to use it before it turned.

The result is a wonderful summer salad that is reasonably low in carbs and big in flavor. I did find the original recipe a little bland, so I added  salt, garlic pepper and a touch of sweetness to it. I think I might add a little red pepper to add zing to it the next time I make it.

The full recipe makes about 12 servings, which is great for a potluck while the half size makes 6 servings.  The carb count is the same for both.

Bacon and Cauliflower Salad with Asparagus

 

Full-sized recipe makes 12 servings:
2 to 2-1/4 pounds Cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 (16 ounces) container sour cream
1 package ranch dressing mix
1¼ cups cooked bacon, crumbled
1½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese
10 green onions, thinly sliced
12 spears medium Asparagus, chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons Cream
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Ground Garlic Pepper
1 teaspoon Sugar Substitute (optional)

1/2-sized recipe makes 6 servings:
1 to 1-1/4 pounds Cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
8 ounces sour cream
1/2 package ranch dressing mix
3/4 cup cooked bacon, crumbled
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
5 green onions, thinly sliced
6 spears medium Asparagus, chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon Cream
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Ground Garlic Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Sugar Substitute (optional)

Trim the cauliflower of the leaves and the tougher part of the stem and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Slice green onions and trim and cut asparagus ahead of time. Cook the bacon. I used a block of bacon ends that are less expensive than sliced bacon. I cut off slices of the bacon ends which makes nice-sized bacon pieces. Cook in batches in the microwave until you have enough for the recipe. Or you can spread them out on a rack on a baking sheet and bake them about 15 minutes until crisp at 400 degrees (F.)

Put a large pot of water on, add a little salt, and bring to a boil. Add the cauliflower pieces and cook about 15 minutes until the pieces are fork tender. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking.

If you’re using asparagus, heat the water a second time to boiling, then add the asparagus pieces and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and cool the asparagus.

In a medium bowl, add the sour cream, cream, ranch dressing mix, salt, garlic pepper, and sugar substitute (if using) and mix together well.

In a large bowl, add the cauliflower, asparagus, onions, bacon, and cheddar cheese. Mix together with a large spoon or put on a food glove and use your hand. Add the dressing and mix it until all the salad is coated with the dressing.

Cover and chill for two to three hours before serving.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 250 Fat: 18.4 g Net Carbs: 7.3 g Protein: 12.8 g

Substitutions:
If you can’t eat dairy, omit the cheese, and use mayonnaise to mix the ranch dressing or substitute an alternate dressing such as a potato salad mayonnaise-type dressing.

If you are a vegetarian, omit the bacon pieces. You can add mushrooms for a little more protein in the mix.

Don’t like sour cream? Use plain yogurt (a little higher in carbs) or mayonnaise instead.

Will you try this recipe? Let me know how it turns out and if you like it.