All posts by RAverett

Breakfast & Brunch, Product Review, Recipes

Spring into Easter with Waffles!

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Happy Spring, Everyone…

Well, it’s spring in the morning and winter in the afternoon several days a week now. But at least we’re getting hints!

I haven’t posted a recipe this month even though I had wanted to do a St. Patrick’s Day one and totally missed. This is my birthday month and, to be honest, I haven’t cooked much at home. Birthday celebrations in this house run the whole month and I have lots of favorite restaurants. Not really beneficial to my weight stabilization, but oh, so delicious! I’m ready to hunker down and get the excess weight I put on this month off again. So this is a special waffle recipe for your Easter morning brunch. It’s so good and checks in at about 5 net carbs.

I’m also going to review and recommend King Arthur flour company’s Keto Wheat Pancake Mix. I used it to make pancakes and to make waffles. Wonderful flavor, and they rise better than any combination I have made with the various low carb flour products in my house. I like it so much, I’ve subscribed to it on Amazon so I have a regular delivery. I love it when new products make being on a low carb diet easier.

I also used my DASH griddle for the pancakes and the waffle maker for the waffles. Since these produce larger pancakes than the 3″ ones suggested on the King Arthur instructions, I only got 4 pancakes from 1 cup of flour instead of 6, so keep that in mind.

So, here’s my recipe for your Easter Sunday (or any day you chose) brunch Pecan Waffle.

Look at the rise on this waffle! It’s almost an inch thick and so delicious!

Keto Pecan Waffle

Ingredients:

1 cup King Arthur Keto Wheat Pancake Mix
1/4 cup Almond Flour
1/4 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
1 Egg
1 teaspoon Sugar-free Sweetener
2 tablespoon Oil (Canola, Coconut, etc.)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 tablespoons Pecans, chopped
4 slices of bacon, broken into pieces
Cooking Oil Spray

Instructions:

Begin heating your waffle iron.

In a medium bowl, add pancake mix, almond flour, sweetener, almond milk, vanilla, and egg and stir well until the wet ingredients are fully incorporated. You may need to add water to get the mix to where it is thick, but loose enough to spread over your waffle iron easily when you spoon it in. It’s thicker than cake batter, but thinner than bread dough.
If you like a thinner waffle, you can thin it more with water.

Stir in the pecans until they are distributed through the batter.

Lightly spray the preheated waffle iron with cooking spray. If you’re using a small waffle maker like the DASH one, you’ll need to spray before making each waffle. For a standard one that makes four sections, this recipe should make one large waffle. But if you have extra batter, spray whatever section you will be using to cook the rest.

Close the lid and cook as per the waffle maker’s instructions. For a DASH one, it is about two minutes. If you watch, you’ll see the steam coming out of the baker. When it quits steaming, it is about done. If the lid is reluctant to lift, give it a minute or so more. When the waffle is done, the lid will lift easily.

Put the waffle on your serving plate, then top with crumbled bacon and sugar-free Maple Syrup. Several are available in the grocery store. I used Mrs. Butterworth’s but other brands are equally as good.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:
Calories 297, Total Fat 24 g , Cholesterol 103 mg, Sodium 213 mg, Potassium 215 mg, Carbohydrates 11 g, Fiber 5.4 g, Sugars 1.8 g, Protein 13 g, Net Carbs 5.6 g

Note: Nutrition information is based on the ingredients I used in this recipe and my measurements. Although they are a close calculation, your results may be slightly higher or lower. Ingredient substitutions may affect the carb count. Different brands may have other carb counts.

All opinions I make on products are my own evaluations and I am not given a free product or paid by the company in any way. 

Desserts, Recipes

Sweeten Up Your Valentine!

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Here’s an easy to make dessert for your Valentine’s Day or any other time you want to give your sweetie a heart. While it is simple, you need to allow time for the baked cookies to cool down before cutting, then allow them to chill before you top it off to serve. This works best when you assemble just before serving.

Initially, I made these by cutting the valentine shape from the raw dough, but I think you’ll have fewer breaks if you cut them after the dough is cooked and is still cooling. Use a valentine-shaped cookie cutter or cut out a pattern, place it on the dough, and cut around with a knife. Then let the cookies cool until firm before putting the valentine ones in the ‘fridge to get completely cold.

These look pretty and taste fantastic!

Valentine Cookie With Cocoa Swirl and Strawberries

Sugar Cookie Base
1/2 cup Low Carb All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Almond Flour
1 teaspoon Almond Extract
1/2 cup Butter, softened
1/2 cup Sugar Substitute
Pinch Salt

In a medium bowl, beat the Butter and the sugar substitute with a mixer until creamy. Add the almond extract and beat to incorporate. Add the flour 1/4 cup at a time until it is all combined. It may look like lumps, but use your clean hands to pull it together into a ball.

Heat oven to 350 degrees (F.)

Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Cover a bread board or pastry board with parchment paper. Put the dough on the board and press it into a circle. Place another piece of parchment over the top and roll it into a circle about 1/4-inch thick.

Remove the top paper and place the dough and the bottom parchment paper onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. The cookie dough should be lightly browned. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then take a 2-1/2 to 3 inch valentine cookie cutter and cut out four cookies. If you don’t have a cutter, then cut a valentine pattern and use a sharp knife to cut around the pattern placed on the dough.

Allow the cookies to cool complete, then remove the excess dough from cut cookies and place the valentines in the refrigerator to cool while another 30 minutes. This allows the butter to set again and makes it easy to handle the cookies.

Eat the pieces you removed from around the cookies or save for topping ice cream.

Next, make the filling.

Cocoa Cream Cheese Fluff
4 oz Cream Cheese
1/2 cup Heavy cream
2 to 3 tablespoons of Hershey’s sugar free Chocolate Syrup
Or 1/4 cup Unsweetened Powdered Cocoa
1/4 cup Powdered Sugar-free Sweetener

In a small bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Spoon 4 tablespoons into a cup.

In another bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and sweetener until light and fluffy.

Add half of the whipped cream and mix well.
Use a silicone spatula to fold in the rest of the whipped cream, excluding the 4 tablespoons you set aside.

Topping
20 Strawberries, sliced in half and sprinkled with sugar substitute
Whipped cream, save from the earlier step.

Assembly to be done before serving:
Take one of the valentine cookies and place on your serving plate. Spread a thick layer of cocoa fluff over the top and smooth it out.

Place 1/2 strawberry in each top curve of the cookie, two more on the sides, and a 1/2 strawberry inverted in the point at the bottom.

Use a small spoon to spread whipped cream between the strawberries.

Drizzle some chocolate syrup over the top and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:
Calories 494 , Total Fat 45 g , Cholesterol 119 mg, Sodium 281 mg, Potassium 349 mg, Carbohydrates 17 g, Fiber 8.9 g, Sugars 4.5 g, Protein 11 g, Net Carbs 8.1 g

Note: Nutrition information is based on the ingredients I used in this recipe and my measurements. Although they are a close calculation, your results may be slightly higher or lower. Ingredient substitutions may affect the carb count. Different brands may have other carb counts.

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Something Wonderfully Delicious for Valentine’s Day!

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Want a really tasty dish for your Valentine’s dinner?

This one is easy to make and tastes so delicious you won’t believe it’s low carb. Serve with a side dish of cauliflower in a butter sauce or broccoli with cheese sauce. I opted for getting a frozen cauliflower in cream sauce dish that worked perfectly. The biscuit is made from Carbquik with cheddar cheese in it.

Chicken and Leeks with Cream Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:

2 large Chicken Breasts Or 1 lb. Chicken Thighs
8 oz. Cream Cheese
1 large Leek, cleaned and sliced
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1/4 cup Chicken Broth or Better Than Bullion
1 tablespoon Herb Seasoning
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated or shredded
1 teaspoon Rosemary, semi-fresh
1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Instructions:

Cut the chicken into several smaller pieces so they will cook faster. You can use all white meat or all dark or a combination depending on your preference.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. If you use one that can in the oven, you’ll save dirtying up a casserole dish. Cook the chicken pieces until they are partially done.

Add the garlic and leeks and cook for about four minutes. Add the chicken broth, rosemary, and herb seasoning. Stir well, then add the cream cheese. Cook for about eight minutes until the cream cheese is melted. Stir it several times while cooking. Add 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan Cheese and stir into the dish.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees (F.)

If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, transfer the contents of the skillet to a casserole dish.

Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese and put it in the oven. Cook for ten minutes to melt the cheese.

Serve hot with a side dish or salad.

Makes 4 servings.

This turnip side dish can also be made with cauliflower and would be wonderful with this chicken and leeks dish.

Turnips with Cream Sauce

Check back tomorrow for a fun dessert twist for your valentine.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:
Calories 399 , Total Fat 13 g , Cholesterol 144 mg, Sodium 394 mg, Potassium 506 mg, Carbohydrates 7 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Sugars 3.1 g, Protein 31 g, Net Carbs 6.5 g

Note: Nutrition information is based on the ingredients I used in this recipe and my measurements. Although they are a close calculation, your results may be slightly higher or lower. Ingredient substitutions may affect the carb count. Different brands may have other carb counts.

Main Dish, Pork, Recipes

Ham it up!

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Ham, leeks, and spinach skillet with hearts of palm riced

Here we are in 2024 and it feels a lot like 2023, but maybe it will get better!  I haven’t done a lot of cooking for the past few weeks, but I did work this great recipe you can use with leftover ham.

 ***Pat and I often go to a local casino restaurant that serves a ham steak breakfast. The ham is the size of a platter, no joking. We usually eat a third of it and bring the rest home to get at least two more meals out of it. As a bonus, each steak had one of the round ham bones in it, so Ruadhan (for those who don’t know Irish, it’s pronounced Rowan), the toy poodle, gets that and she loves it.

***
Looking for a new recipe to try with the ham, I found one and immediately revised it. The simple changes were to switch from pasta to Hearts of Palm rice, since it’s considerably lower in carbs than fettuccini; reduce the number of leeks to one instead of three; and add garlic herb and basil seasonings.
***
While this recipe is a little higher in carbs (between 10 and 11), it is delicious so plan for it. A green salad provides a complimentary side. I also made a low-carb biscuit to enjoy with it.
Skillet dish plated with a biscuit.

Ham, Leek, and Spinach with Riced Palm

Ingredients:
1 9 oz. package Hearts of Palm Rice
2 tablespoons Butter
1 cup chopped Ham Steak (6 to 8 ounces)
1-1/3 cup Leeks, thinly sliced – about one large one
1 cup Heavy Cream
Black pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Herb Seasoning
1/2 tablespoon Garlic Paste or Minced Garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried Basil or slightly more fresh
1 10-ounce package Baby Spinach
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
Preparation: 
  • Cube the ham steak into about 1/2-inch cubes to get one cup or a little more.
  • Clean the leek, stripping off any tough or dirty leaves. Trim the end and slice into about 1/4-inch thick slices. Work your way up into the green, rinsing off any dirt as you go. You should get a little over one cup when sliced.
In a deep skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the ham and stir-cook it for two minutes to get it lightly browned. Add the leeks and cook until they are tender, around six minutes.
* * *
Reduce the heat to low and add heavy cream. Add the seasonings and stir. Cook for a few minutes, then stir in the Parmesan Cheese. Add the spinach in two batches, stirring until wilted before adding the second one.
Add the pre-cooked palm rice (I use Natural Heaven Hearts of Palm that only needs to be heated.) You can also use cauliflower rice, but cook it before adding to the skillet. Mix together and cook for about four minutes to heat the rice. Top with sprinkles of Parmesan cheese.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition Information Per Serving: 
Calories 336, Total Fat 25 g , Cholesterol 120 mg, Sodium 1190 mg, Potassium 582 mg, Carbohydrates 13 g, Fiber 3.3 g, Sugars 2.9 g, Protein 18 g, Net Carbs 11.2 g

Note: Nutrition information is based on the ingredients I used in this recipe and my measurements. Although they are a close calculation, your results may be slightly higher or lower. Ingredient substitutions may affect the carb count. Different brands may have other carb counts.

Desserts, Recipes

A New Year is Knocking

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Who’s ready for the new year? I really hope 2024 turns out well and we somehow stumble into peace.

As promised, here’s my recipe for the apple cranberry crumble that I made for Christmas. It’s a really simple recipe. If you have leftovers, wrap the dish in plastic wrap and put in refrigerator.

You can use any apples, but remember if you use tart ones, add more sugar substitute to offset the tartness of both the apples and cranberries.  It will keep a few days.

Apple Cranberry Crumble

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped peeled and cored Gala Apples (about 4 small)
2/3 cup Cranberries
2/3 cup Sugar Substitute
1 tablespoons Whiskey (optional)
2 tablespoons old-fashioned or quick-cooking Oats
2 tablespoons Swerve Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 cup Low Carb All-purpose Flour
3 tablespoons Butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

Instructions:
In a buttered 8-in. square baking dish, combine apples and cranberries; stir in whiskey if using, and sprinkle with sugar. In another bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour and butter; sprinkle over apple and cranberry mixture. Top with pecans if desired.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 55 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.

Makes 6 servings

Nutrition Information Per Serving:
Calories 127 , Total Fat 6.6g , Cholesterol 16 mg, Sodium 46 mg, Potassium 74 mg, Carbohydrates 13 g, Fiber 4.1 g, Sugars 4.7 g, Protein 5.4 g, Net Carbs 9.2 g

Note: Nutrition information is based on the ingredients I used in this recipe and my measurements. Although they are a close calculation, your results may be slightly higher or lower. Ingredient substitutions may affect the carb count. Different brands may have other carb counts.