All posts by Rene Averett

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.

Desserts

Frozen Cranberry Cream is cooling

Let’s end the hot days of July and move into the even hotter days of August with a refreshingly cool frozen dessert that is easy to make. I happen to be one of those people who has cranberries in my freezer, but this recipe can use any berry in it. In fact, most berries don’t require the first step, which is making the cranberries into a jam. It’s not hard and it’s worth it if you like the taste of this seasonal berry.

A key ingredient in this is yogurt or a yogurt substitute. Most vanilla yogurts are not very low carb, so look for the Greek yogurt with the lowest carb count you can find (the carbs minus the fiber and any sugar substitutes in it).  Or you can use a low carb yogurt-like substitute, such as CarbMasters Dairy Blend.

Frozen Cranberry Cream

To make the Cranberry Sauce:
1/2 cup Fresh Cranberries
2 tablespoons Sugar Substitute
1/4 cup water

Put the water in a small saucepan and add the sugar. Heat over medium high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. When the water comes to a near boil, add the cranberries. Cook, stirring frequently until the cranberries pop and the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and let them cool for about 10 minutes. They should continue to thicken. Save about two tablespoons of the mix back and use the rest for the cream.

1/3 cup Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce
6 oz. Greek Vanilla Yogurt or CarbMasters Vanilla Yogurt
1 tablespoon Sugar Free Honey or Sugar Substitute
2 tablespoons slivered or shaved almonds, chopped
2 tablespoons Cool Whip or other topping

In a 2 cup bowl, mix yogurt, cranberry sauce, and honey together until well blended. Add the cool whip and almonds, and stir until mixed in.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the freezer for at least two hours. Remove about 30 minutes before you want to serve to let it soften.

Use a spoon to scoop the desert out and put it in serving cups or glasses. Garnish with a teaspoon of cranberry sauce and a sprig of spearmint.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition Information with Greek Yogurt per serving:
Calories:71 Fat: 2.1 g Net Carbs: 7.9 g Protein: 4.4 g

Nutrition Information with CarbMasters per serving:
Calories:32 Fat: 2.1 g Net Carbs: 1.9 g Protein: 0.8 g

Note: Raspberries and Strawberries will come in around the same carb count, but the blueberries will be just a little higher.

Desserts, Recipes, Tips

Chocolate Peanut Butter Candies are OK!

First batch of candies. You can easily see where the butter pooled on the bottom. My second try didn’t have that issue.

This recipe comes from Atkins and it is pretty much as they printed it with a few changes from me. They call it a “fat bomb” but it is a little lower in fat per serving than many of the other fat bombs. This type of snack is intended to give you a quick burst of energy without adding much to your daily carbs. The body will burn the fat for energy, leaving little to go to becoming excess weight.

They are very tasty and a great quick treat when you need a pick-me-up in the middle of the afternoon. The only problem I have with it is that the unsweetened coconut flakes don’t get crispy the way regular ones do when they are toasted and they are very chewy. They also don’t bring a lot of coconut flavor. I plan to try it again with shredded unsweetened coconut to see if that works better. I’ll add a note later about that result. I also cut the butter from 2 tablespoons, whcih left a puddle of butter at the bottom when the candies set up, to 1 tablespoon. I added 1/2 tablespoon of Coconut Oil. The oil sets up quickly, so it doesn’t leave a puddle.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Haystacks

1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1 tablespoon Butter
1/2 tablespoon Coconut Oil
3 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
4 tablespoons Xylitol or other granulated sugar substitute
1/4 cup Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (check carbs for lowest)
2 cups Unsweetened Flaked Coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F.) and place coconut flakes on a baking tin. Toast for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

Prepare a cookie sheet with a sheet of waxed paper or place a silicon mat on it.

In a medium-sized, heavy saucepan, combine the cream, butter, coconut oil, sugar substitute, and cocoa. Cook over medium high heat stirring often. When it comes to a boil, remove from the heat.

Add in the peanut butter and stir until it is mixed into the chocolate well. Fold in the coconut flakes until they are completely coated.

Drop tablespoons of the mixture onto the wax paper to form mounds. The recipe should make about 18 mounds. Place into the refrigerator to harden to a candy consistency. Once they are firm, you can store them in an airtight container for up to two weeks, if they last that long. They may also be frozen.

Makes 18 haystacks.

Nutrition information per haystack:
Calories: 110.6 Fat: 10.5 g Net Carbs: 1.8 g Protein: 1.7 g

This recipe is good for all phases of Atkins and other low carb diets except for the first two of Induction when nuts are not allowed.

Notes: When using other sugar substitutes, use the granulated versions and keep in mind that they do have a small amount of carbs per teaspoon due to the medium for storing the sweetener.

If you don’t like coconut, you can omit it and make a peanut butter chocolate candy that is also delicious.

Got any questions or comments? Please send them.

Desserts

Best-Ever Brownies

Not just low carb, but overall, this is one of the best, if not the best, brownie I’ve had. It’s not as chewy as some, but the flavor is wonderful. The base recipe is from Chef Gregory Pryor at Tova Foods, the folks who make CarbQuick. I made few little modifications to it ’cause that’s just how I am. The result is great! And it’s hard to believe that it is only 2.2 grams of net carbs per piece. It’s rich enough that one piece is plenty for one sitting. Don’t just take my word for it, try it yourself.

Rich Chocolate Iced Brownies

6 tablespoons butter
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
1 cups Sugar Substitute
1 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon Mayonnaise
4 tablespoons CarbQuik
2 tablespoons Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
6 tablespoons Pecans or Walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F.). Use a 6×6″ deep-sided cake pan and cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom. This will make it easier to get the brownies out. Spray the bottom and the sides with a baking spray.

In a one quart pan over medium low heat, melt the butter and chocolate, stirring constantly until it is completely melted. Cool slightly and add the sugar substitute and stir until blended well. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat vanilla, mayonnaise, and eggs together using an electric mixer on high speed. Beat for five minutes. This will make a creamy mixture. Turn to low speed and add the chocolate mixture, beating until mixed in. Then add the CarbQuick or other low carb flour. (If you use a different low carb flour, add in 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder. This is included in the CarbQuick baking mix.) Mix until the flour is blended. Stir in nuts by hand. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the brownies spring back in the middle when you lightly press on them. The brownie should begin to pull away from the side of the pan at this point. Do not overcook.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Once the brownies are completely cool, spread the chocolate frosting over the top and cut into 3 x 3 squares. Top each square with a nut half.

Chocolate Icing

1 tablespoons butter
1 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, cut into pieces
1 cup powdered sugar substitute
2 tablespoons hot water

Put the butter and the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments until they are melted. Stir to mix them together, then add the powdered sugar and mix it in. Add enough hot water to make it easy to spread.

Ice your cooled brownies.

Note: To make powdered sugar substitute add the granulated sugar substitute of choice to a food processor and pulse until it powders. You can also buy powdered sugar substitute from a couple of different manufacturers. Swerve makes both granulated and powdered sugar as does LC Foods. I haven’t found any available at supermarkets, but they are available online. Swerve is sold through Amazon. Swerve is made with xylitol, a 0 calorie 0 carbohydrate sugar alcohol. (Not really an alcohol, but the result of refining sugar to produce the 0,0 product.)

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Delightful Summer Vegetable Salad

Summertime is a great time for all kinds of salads. Looking for a substitute for potato salad to take on a picnic? This one might do the trick.It’s light, low caloried, and low carb’d, and it tastes wonderful. Like most seasoned items, it tastes better the longer it sits in the ‘fridge to allow the flavors to really come through, so allow several hours to chill if you can.

Originally, I spotted this recipe on Foxes Love Lemons website and I thought it looked delicious, so I wanted to adapt it for low carb. It was a pepe pasta recipe and the pasta is too high in carbs, so I pulled out the versatile cauliflower to stand in for it. After tasting it, I added in sliced radishes to give it a little more crunch and flavor and I also added in a little cayenne pepper. You can add sweet peppers for more flavor and color burst. If you prefer your salad dressing a little on the sweet side, add a teaspoon or two of sugar substitute when you mix the dill dressing.

By the way, the dill dressing is lovely for dipping vegetables in for a party. I cut back the amount of buttermilk for this as it made quite a lot, so unless you like your salad completely doused with dressing, the amount below should be enough.

This dish is good for all phases of Atkins except for Induction.  For induction, you can substitute the buttermilk with heavy cream and add more seasonings or make a straight mayonnaise dressing.

Vegetable Summer Salad

2 cups riced Cauliflower
2 tablespoons unsalted Butter
1 Leek (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 bunch Asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 cup Baby Corn, chopped
1 cup Grape Tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup Radishes, sliced
1/4 cup Sweet Peppers, chopped (optional)

Dill Dressing

1/2 cup Buttermilk
1 teaspoon Sugar Substitute (optional)
2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dried fill or 1 tablespoon fresh Dill
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper

If using purchased pre-riced cauliflower, cook according to directions on the package. Many of these are in steam bags that can be microwaved or cooked in a pot.

If ricing fresh cauliflower, put in a food processor and pulse until you have rice-sized pearls. Put in a microwave safe bowl, add a tablespoon of water, and cover. Microwave for about 2 minutes to cook the cauliflower. Set aside.

Cut all the vegetables up before starting so they are ready to go.

In a large pot or deep skillet, melt the butter, then add the leeks and sauté until they are softened, then add the cut asparagus spears. Continue to sauté over medium heat until the asparagus are just slightly tender. If using red peppers, add them when you add the asparagus.

Stir in the baby corn pieces and cauliflower and mix it well. Remove from the heat. Add radishes and grape tomatoes.

Mix the dressing by combining all ingredients in a small bowl and whisking until they are well blended. Taste for seasonings. If you want any of the flavors stronger, add a little more.

Put the vegetable mixture in a large salad bowl and pour the dressing over it. Toss to mix the dressing into the salad. Chill in refrigerator for at least two hours. Can be prepared up to two days in advance of serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings, 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup.

Nutrition Information per serving (6 servings):
Calories: 114 Fat: 7.5 g Net Carbs: 6.9 g Protein: 2.1 g

Nutrition Information per serving (8 servings):
Calories: 85.5 Fat: 5.6 g Net Carbs: 5.2 g Protein: 2.1 g

Nutrition Information per serving with sweet peppers (8 servings):
Calories: 86.7 Fat: 5.6 g Net Carbs: 5.5 g Protein: 2.1 g