Monthly Archives: April 2020

Desserts, Recipes

Depression Cake made low carb…

Depression Cake, also called Crazy Cake or Three Hole Cake

Yesterday, I saw a recipe for a Depression Cake on Facebook. Since it is a egg free cake that is easy to make, I thought I’d give it a whirl with some low carb substitutions. Heaven knows, chocolate cake is an automatic anti-depressant, isn’t it? Anyone, I swapped out one cup of flour for Bakesquick from DCC  and the other 1/4 cup for almond flour. You can probably substitute in other low carb flours for either of these.

The 35-minute cook time is a little too long for either the flour or the cast iron skillet I used as it got a little over-done. So, I adjusted the recipe to 25 to 30 minutes, check to make sure it is springy and don’t over cook. My cake is a tad bit dry, but I think that will solve the problem.  The cake has a really good flavor with a bit of tang to it that probably comes from the apple cider vinegar I used.

You can dress it up however you like. I just sprinkled sugar-free powdered sugar over the top and served it with whipped cream. You can make an icing for it if you wish.

Depression Cake

Low Carb Adjusted by Rene Averett

1 cups Low Carb Flour
1/2 cup Almond Flour
1 cup Sugar Substitute
1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon White or Apple Cider Vinegar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
6 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 cup Coffee, cooled (or water)

Make the cup of coffee and let it cool.

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Grease an 8-inch round or square pan or cut parchment paper for the bottom and spray with cooking spray. I used an 8″ cast ion skillet with parchment on the bottom.

In a mixing bowl, add the flour, almond flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar. Poke three holes into the mix. Pour the vanilla, vinegar, and oil into each hole.

Add the coffee and stir the ingredients until well blended. Be sure to get the bottom flour mixed into the liquid. Spoon into the baking pan or skillet and smooth.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is set but springy. Allow the cake to cool in the pan. Use a knife to loosen the edges and transfer to a plate by placing the plate over the top and flipping the pan. If you’ve used parchment, the cake should flip out easily, then remove the paper.

Ice with a sugar-free powdered sugar drizzle or sprinkle sugar-free powered sugar over the top, or just serve with whipped cream topping. Low carb ice cream is also yummy with it.

Makes 8 servings.

Recipe Note: The recipe says “Poke three holes into the mix. ” I have no idea why this is important, and it wasn’t clear if you should mix the three liquid ingredients together and divide it into each hole. I put vanilla in one, apple cider vinegar in one, and vegetable oil in the third, which overflowed and went into the other holes anyway. Then you add the coffee and mix it all together, so I don’t quite see the purpose in this division.  

Nutrition Information: Depression Cake

Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Recipes

Delightful Apple Cranberry Skillet Cake

Photo: Slice of apple cranberry skillet cake.

One of the really lovely things about the last five decades or so has been the availability almost year-round of most fruits and vegetables. If we don’t have them fresh, we might be able to get them frozen. As we move through the next few months, it will be interesting… and possibly a little alarming… to see if that ready access continues while we are still fighting COVID-19.

Apples have been readily available at the market, so I’ve been making a few apple recipes. I’m sharing one I made recently that is similar to the Cranberry Skillet Cake I made a few weeks ago. This one adds in Swerve Brown Sugar to add a nice caramel flavor to the it. So easy to put together, the cake is moist, loaded with flavor, and can be either a dessert or a nice breakfast treat.

I used DCC’s All Purpose Flour and Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour in my recipe. But you can substitute other flour, such as soy , hazelnut , or coconut in for the all purpose flour. If you use coconut , I’ve duplicated the recipe and made the adjustments for the coconut flour. As I’ve mentioned before, it absorbs a lot of moisture and expands a lot so it isn’t a “substitute the flour for the same amount of coconut flour” item. You use at least 50% less coconut flour plus additional egg and possibly water.

I also baked this in an 8″ cast iron skillet, which is perfect for this type of cake. If you don’t have one, use an 8″ round deep-sided cake pan. The nutrition information for both recipes is at the bottom of the page.

Enjoy the recipe, eat well, and stay in, stay healthy.

Apple Cranberry Skillet Cake

1 large Apple, cored and chopped
1/8 cup Craisins or 1/4 cup Cranberries
3 tablespoons Swerve Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1/4 cup granulated Sugar Substitute
1/3 cup Butter, melted
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
1 tbsp Brandy or Irish Whiskey
2/3 cup Low Carb Flour
1/3 cup Almond Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/3 cup Pecan or Walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.) Cut parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 8″ cast iron skillet or an 8″ cake pan. Spray the paper and the sides with cooking spray.

Combine the eggs and sugar substitute in a bowl and whisk together until creamy. Add in the brown sugar, vanilla, brandy (or whiskey), and cinnamon and whisk to combine.

In a medium bowl, add the flour, almond flour, and baking powder. Whisk or mix with a spoon to combine. Add the egg mixture and stir it together to mix all the flour in. Add the butter, apples, and nuts and stir until they are mixed in.

Spoon the batter into the cast iron skillet (or cake pan) and smooth the top.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the cake is done. Insert a toothpick and if it is clean when removed, the cake is done. Set aside to cool.

Serve with whipped topping or low carb ice cream for dessert. Or spread butter over the top and sprinkle with a little sugar Substitute for a breakfast cake.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Photo: Apple cranberry skillet cake

Almond and Coconut Flour Version

1 large Apple, cored and chopped
1/8 cup Craisins or 1/4 cup Cranberries
3 tablespoons Swerve Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Egg White
1/4 cup granulated Sugar Substitute
1/3 cup Butter, melted
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 tablespoon ground Cinnamon
1 tbsp Brandy or Irish Whiskey
3 tablespoons Coconut Flour
1/3 cup Almond Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/3 cup Pecans or Walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.) Cut parchment paper to fit the bottom of an 8″ cast iron skillet or an 8″ cake pan. Spray the paper and the sides with cooking spray.

Combine the eggs, egg white, and sugar substitute in a bowl and whisk together until creamy. Add in the brown sugar, vanilla, brandy (or whiskey), and cinnamon and whisk to combine.

In a medium bowl, add the coconut flour, almond flour, and baking powder. Whisk or mix with a spoon to combine. Add the egg mixture and stir it together to mix all the flour in. If the batter is too dry, add a little water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Add the butter, apples, and nuts and stir until they are mixed in.

Spoon the batter into the cast iron skillet (or cake pan) and smooth the top.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the cake is done. Insert a toothpick and if it is clean when removed, the cake is done. Set aside to cool.

Serve with whipped topping or low carb ice cream for dessert. Or spread butter over the top and sprinkle with a little sugar substitute for a breakfast cake.

Nutrition Info for Apple Cranberry Skillet Cakes

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Light and Delicious Chicken and Broccoli Skillet Fry

Photo Chicken with Broccoli

So, meals these days are pretty much dictated by whatever ingredients you happen to have in the house. Lucky for me, I had scored a large package of chicken breasts in March (actually, the roomie did the scoring), and I have several packets frozen. I also had a pretty good run on vegetables from a market order last week. So this recipe jumped out at me, but I made a couple of small adjustments to what I had, and you can do that also.

If you don’t have fresh broccoli, use frozen. Or you can substitute in Brussels sprouts. I had celery on hand, but it is optional. If you don’t have fresh or frozen chicken but have a couple of cans of it, you can use that also. Just skip the cooking the chicken and go right to heating it up with the broccoli.

This is truly a delicious and simple meal to make. So I think you’re going to love it. Add your favorite rice substitute or zoodles, toss a salad, and you have a great dinner. As a side note, I served mine with riced parsnips, which have a bit of a peppery bite to them, but actually worked well.

clos up: Chicken with broccoli

Chicken Broccoli Skillet Fry

2 1/2 tablespoons Oil
1 cup Broccoli, chopped
Salt and ground Black Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning
2 large chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 medium stalks Celery, cleaned and sliced 1/4″ thick
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1/2 medium Onion, diced
1/2 Lemon, zested and juiced

Cook the broccoli in the microwave for about 3 minutes to partially cook it. Or put it in boiling water for three minutes. This will reduce the cooking time when it is added to the skillet. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the oil and add the garlic, celery, and onions. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, stirring periodically, until the chicken is mostly cooked. Add the broccoli and stir in. Add the seasonings except for the lemon. Cook until the chicken is done, and the broccoli is tender (or to your preference.) Add the lemon zest and juice and stir it in.

Serve with riced cauliflower, or riced turnips, or with zoodles (zucchini noodles).

Makes 2 to 4 servings depending on your hunger and if you’re having a salad along with it.

Nutrition Informaiton

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Chicken Casserole with Biscuits #2

Very similar to chicken pot pie, but easy to put together for dinner. This recipe makes 4 to 6 servings, depending on whether you serve it with a salad or other side dish or not. I used the leftovers from my roast chicken, but you can pre-cook about 2 large chicken breasts or get pre-cooked chicken from the grocery. I substituted potatoes, peas, and carrots for low carb vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and kohlrabi. Celery is an optional ingredient. If I’d had some in the house, I would have used it. So it’s up to the cook.

I tried the biscuits included with the recipe, which are basic Bisquick biscuits with seasoning, but it either didn’t adapt well to Bakesquick or something was missing from the recipe. My gut feel was that the mix needed butter or shortening in it as my biscuits came out a tough. So, I am including  my tried-and-true low carb biscuits. If you have enough free carbs, you can use a can of biscuits instead (26 grams of carbs in one biscuit!).

Chicken Casserole with Biscuits

3 tablespoons Butter
1-1/2 teaspoons Garlic
1/3 cup Onions, chopped
1/3 cup Low Carb Flour or Thick It Up™
1-1/4 teaspoon Mrs. Dash™ Italian Seasoning Blend
2 cups Chicken Broth
3 cups Chicken, cooked light meat, chopped
1 cup Kohlrabi, cubed
1 cup Broccoli & Cauliflower Blend
1/2 cup Green Beans, cut into pieces
1/2 cup Celery, cleaned and diced
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper

For Low Carb Biscuits
1-1/2 cups low carb Baking Mix or other Flour
3 tablespoons Butter or Shortening
1 tablespoon Cold Water + extra if needed
1 teaspoon Garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Use a deep-sided skillet that can go into the oven, such as a copper or cast iron skillet, to save having to transfer the casserole to a baking dish. Otherwise, spray a 6×8-inch (medium) deep-dish casserole with cooking spray.

Melt the butter over medium-high heat in the pan. Add the garlic, celery, and onions and cook for about 2 minutes. Mix in the flour, salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Stir the flour in well, then add the broth, stir, and bring to a boil. Continue to stir for 1 minute, then reduce heat. Stir in broccoli and cauliflower blend, kohlrabi, and green beans. Simmer 5 minutes, then add the chicken and mix well.

Prepare the biscuits. In a bowl, mix the baking mix or low carb flour, a little salt, and garlic powder together. If your using a flour, add in 1/2 teaspoon baking powder.

Cut in the butter or shortening or mix it in with your clean hand. Add the water, 1/2 at a time and mix it into the dough until you have a dough that pulls together into a ball easily, but isn’t too sticky. If it needs more water, add a little at a time. Add in seasoning or 1/2 cup shredded cheese if you wish. Separate the dough into six pieces and shape into balls, then press flat to a biscuit size.

If you’re using an oven-worthy skillet, place the biscuits on top in about the center of each serving. If you’re using a casserole dish, transfer the skillet mixture to the baking dish and put the biscuits on top.

Bake for 30 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 10 more minutes or until the biscuits are browned. Spoon chicken mixture over the biscuits to serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Image: Nutrition Information Chicken Casserole with Biscuits

 

Note: To see my original variation on this recipe, click here.  

You might also like my Chicken and Leek Pot Pie.