All posts by Rene Averett

Product Review

Product Review: Win-Co Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Photo: Pizza slices
Sausage and pepperoni pizza built on Win-Co Foods cauliflower pizza crust. Excuse the paper plate. Dinner was casual, after all.

Since I’ve been on a pizza kick lately, I decided to try Win-Co Foods brand for Cauliflower Pizza Crust with pre-done toppings from my favorite pizza place. The price for the crust is very reasonable, under $4.00, and it’s about 9-inches in diameter. The recommended servings per pizza are 6. I quartered it, then sliced each quarter into two pieces, so the net carb per serving of 2 slices is about 2.25 g.

Simply load the pizza with your toppings, then pop it in the oven on a tray. I usually cover my baking pan with foil and use that. I would not recommend putting this directly on the oven racks. When the mozzarella holding the pizza crust together heats up, it goes limp, so the pizza would sag through the racks. If you have a pizza pan with a screen, it would be okay on that. The crust bakes to a beautiful brown color, but it is not exactly crisp. It doesn’t hold up to being picked up and eaten until it cools down quite a bit and the cheese firms up enough to hold the shape. Although the crust seems thick and sturdy before it’s baked, it is actually quite thin once it cooks.

Photo: pizza slice side view
Side view of the pizza slice show how thin the crust is.

The biggest issue I have with this crust is that it lacks flavor. Both cauliflower and mozzarella have mild flavors, so the crust is more like a cracker without any seasoning. If you want to try it, I would suggest adding seasonings on top of the crust before you add the pizza sauce, but I’m not sure that would be enough. When I’ve made cauliflower crusts from scratch, I’ve added garlic, salt, pepper, a bit of flaked red pepper, and a little Italian seasoning into the mix when the crust is formed.

I would rate this about 3 spoons out of 5. Not the best I’ve eaten but serviceable.

I have not been paid or rewarded to review this product. I am sharing my personal opinion of it. I am generally a fan of Win-Co Brands products, but this one isn’t on my favorites list.

Nutrition Information isn’t printed on the package, but I found it on the internet:

Image: Nutrition Info

 

Main Dish, Seafood

Quick to Fix Garlic Cajun-Style Cod

Photo: Garlic Cajun Cod Fish

As I move through the heat of August, I am looking for less cooking in the kitchen and more salads. But an easy and quick cook meal I made recently was this spicy and delicious dish of one of the few kinds of fish I enjoy eating.

Cod is a sturdy white fish and takes well to this spicy seasoning. Use any Cajun blend seasoning to rub into the fish before you cook it in a skillet. The Cajun Holy Trinity of cooking includes bell pepper, onion, and celery. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any celery in the house, but feel free to add it to the dish.

Garlic Cajun-Style Cod Fish

2 fillets Cod Fish (about 4 oz. each)
1/2 Bell Pepper, sliced
1/2 Red Onion, sliced
1/4 cup Celery, sliced
4 tablespoons Butter, melted
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 clove Garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Cajun Spice mix

In a skillet, add oil and heat. Add onions, and garlic, and sauté for about 2 minutes, then add bell pepper and celery. Stir fry for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are just tender. Remove to a bowl or a plate.

Season cod with Cajun spices. Reduce heat under the skillet to a medium high, then add the cod. Cook about 4 to 5 minutes on each side until the cod is white all the way through. Add vegetables and stir together for about two minutes to warm them up.

Serves 2.

Nutrition Info

Breads, Poultry, Product Review

Easy Low Carb Pizza with No Fuss

Image: Low Carb Thai Chicken Pizza

Just about everybody gets a craving for pizza, some of us more than others. Most of the time, I make my own low carb pizza crust using this recipe.

But recently, LC Foods added a personal-pan-sized crust to its product list. With three 6-inch pre-made and partially cooked crusts for only $7.95 plus shipping, this sounded like a pretty good deal. I ordered two packages of them plus 2 of their pizza and bagel flour mix to make your own. If you order enough from LC Foods, you can get free shipping. As it was, the shipping was $8.95 for priority mail, and the package arrived in Reno, Nevada, three days after it was shipped from North Carolina. That’s pretty good time!

Now, to speed up the pizza-making process, I discovered that Papa Murphy’s pizza is selling their pizza ingredients in a package for Keto eaters. So you have about a 12-ounce, 7×9-inch tray of pre-cut vegetables and pre-cooked meat ready to put on top of your pizza crust. In fact, you can customize your pizza ingredients from their website. I bought a custom variation of their Thai Chicken Pizza with all the same ingredients. When I cooked our first pizzas with it, I used half of the package to make two personal-sized pizzas. The taste was really good, but I didn’t think it had enough chicken in it, and it needed a bit of kick with a base sauce. When I made the next two pizzas, I added more cooked and sliced chicken, plus I spread a layer of Asian Chili Sauce on the bottom before adding the ingredients. This worked much better, yielding delicious results.

If you have a pizza place that will sell you the ingredients without the crust, this is a real time saver in getting your low carb pizza fix. If you don’t, then the ingredient list is below to build your own. If you don’t want to order pre-made crusts, you can make your own or use a cauliflower crust that many stores now sell or create your own from this recipe.

Thai Chicken Pizza

1 to 1 1/2 cups of Chicken Breast, cooked and sliced or chopped
1/4 cup Green Onions or chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped Tomatoes or Sun-Dried Tomatoes
1 cup of Zucchini, sliced
1 teaspoon Dried Red Chiles, crushed
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F.)

Place pizza crusts on a foil-covered pan or raised rack.

Mix all the ingredients, except the chile sauce together. Spread 2 tablespoons of chile sauce on each 6-inch pizza crust. Spoon 1/4 of the ingredients on top of the pizza and sprinkle with a little extra mozzarella if you like.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the crust is browned. Makes four 6-inch pizzas.

Nutrition Info for Thai Chicken Pizza

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Cool Down with Cucumber

Photo: Thai Cucumber Salad

Summer has arrived with hot days and somewhat cooler nights. But with daylight lasting until almost 9 pm, I am not too keen on cooking right now.

Seeking a cool side dish, I pulled up this recipe for a cucumber salad. It has just a bit of kick from the peppers in it. It originally called for jalapeno pepper, but I had an Anaheim in my ‘fridge so I switched it. Takes away the hot bite for a milder one. It also used cilantro, which I didn’t have on hand, so I used fresh mint from the garden. Changes the flavor profile a bit, but it’s very tasty.

The onions are also my addition. I love the cucumber and onion combination. But if you don’t like onion, leave it out. The peanuts are part of the original recipe, but I forgot to add them when I served. We didn’t miss them at all, so up to you to add or not.

Thai Cucumber Salad

1 large Cucumber, peeled
1 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Sugar Substitute
3 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
1/2 medium Onion, sliced and cut into pieces (optional)
1/4 Anaheim pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon Spear Mint, chopped or cut into pieces
2 tablespoon Peanuts, chopped (optional)
4 leaves of Romaine lettuce, rinsed and dried

Peel a large cucumber and cut it down the middle lengthwise. Slice into 1/4-inch half-rounds. Put slices in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Turn the mixture with a spoon or your clean hands to spread the salt around. Let sit over the sink for 20 minutes. Wash off in cool water.

In a medium bowl, add the sugar substitute and the rice wine vinegar. Mix together until the sugar is dissolved. Add the sliced onion and chopped pepper. Mix in the cucumber slices and toss the salad to coat everything in the sugar-vinegar dressing. Sprinkle chopped mint leaves over the top. Chill in the refrigerator for about an hour before serving.

Serve on a Romaine lettuce leaf or shredded lettuce. Top with chopped peanuts if you desire.

Serves 4 side salads or 2 large ones.

Nutrition Image for Thai Cucumber Salad

 

Breakfast & Brunch, Main Dish, Recipes, Vegetarian

Easy Cheese Pie makes great snacks!

 

Photo: Cheese Pie sticks

Whether you want a side dish,  the main course, or snacks, this cheese pie is a quick and versatile option. I adapted this from a recipe at 12 Tomatoes to a low carb version, which is only a couple of changes. You can use any cheese you like, although mozzarella holds it together well. You can also add your favorite seasoning or mix it up. Use a Mexican cheese mix with taco seasoning and add in chopped green onions for variety. Mix in broccoli and garlic herb seasoning with mozzarella and Reggiano. The possibilities abound.

My flour choice was Bakesquick from Dixie Diner, but you can also use any other low carb flour, including almond flour. If you use coconut flour, use 1/3 cup and add an extra egg. You can use 1 full cup of milk instead of the heavy cream and almond milk, or use the heavy cream and add water to make 1 cup.

Photo: Cheese Pie

Cheese Pie

2 Eggs
1/3 cup Heavy Cream
2/3 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
1 cup Low Carb Flour
3/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
3/4 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Ground Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Use cooking spray or butter to grease a 9-inch pie plate or a baking dish.

Add the eggs to a medium bowl and whisk until they are mixed together. Add cream, almond milk, and flour, and seasonings and whisk until they are fully incorporated. You can use a blender to combine these. Stir in both cheeses and any other additions. Make sure they are mixed in well. Pour cheese mixture into the greased baking dish and use a spoon or spatula to smooth the top.

Bake between 25 and 30 minutes until top turns golden brown. When a knife blade inserted in the middle comes out clean, it is done. Remove to a counter or a trivet and let cool for 5 minutes.

This makes six servings for a luncheon or dinner. Or cut into snack pieces, by cutting into slices about 3 inches long and 1-1/2 inches wide. Makes about 12 slices.

Keeps well in the refrigerator for several days if it lasts that long. You can warm them for about 10 seconds in the microwave if you wish.

Image: Cheese Pie Nutrition