Category Archives: Product Review

Product Review

Product Review: Natural Heaven Hearts of Palm Spaghetti

For people on a low-carb diet, pasta is often a banned or use-very-seldom food. Over the years, low carb and Keto practitioners have found several substitutes for the popular starch. What is Italian food without it? Asian food also uses a starch noodle, frequently made from rice, but also flour, in many of their dishes.

So, we’ve turned to cauliflower to substitute for macaroni, rice, and potatoes in our meals. It does an admirable job most of the time. Likewise, spaghetti squash, zucchini, and butternut squash have helped fill the void when you don’t eat pasta. Some companies are even developing low carb pasta from carb-reduced flour. More on those another time.

When I first saw an ad for Natural Heaven’s Hearts of Palm pasta, I did a double-take. But I ordered three varieties to try. The hearts of palm spaghetti comes in a sealed package, ready-to-use. Each package provides two-and-a-half servings. I always wonder about that odd packaging, but I’m guessing the producers look more at weight than servings when they package. For the record, this is 9 oz. of pasta. Each serving is 1/2 cup. The key nutrition values per serving are: calories=25, sodium=19mg, carbohydrates=4g, dietary fiber=2g, and protein=1g. The net carbs per serving=2g. That’s a great number!

Palm core or heart.
Photo By mhoenig – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29408125

These palms are harvested and prepared in Ecuador in a sustainable manner. They insure three stems grow replacing each one cut. The core of the palm stem is the heart, which can be cut, cooked, and eaten.

Hearts of Palm Spaghetti with Meatballs

Now to the taste test. I made a quick throw-together spaghetti using 1/2 cup of premade pasta sauce and premade mozzarella-sausage meatballs from the grocery. I pan cooked and slightly over-browned the meatballs, then broke them into smaller pieces. I added the pasta sauce and a little water and cooked the meatballs for about five minutes in the sauce.

Then I opened the pasta and slid it into the pan, carefully separating the strands with a spoon, so I didn’t break too many. The pasta is moist but doesn’t need to be drained before using.

Following the directions on the container, I turned my stove’s heat to medium and let it cook another four minutes, often stirring, to heat the pasta. Following my tradition, I sampled one noodle. It tasted similar to a regular strand, and the texture is like al dente pasta.

Once I served the dish, I added Parmesan cheese on top and a side salad and had a very tasty meal served on my fancy paper plates. It is very much like regular spaghetti with the sauce and cheese since most of the flavor comes from the sauce ingredients.

Bottom line, it’s a very good substitute for spaghetti in texture, color, and taste. Be adventurous and try it with your favorite spaghetti ingredients.

Cost-wise, at $4.99 a package through Netrition.com, it’s not too expensive. But given that it’s only 2-1/2 servings, it’s certainly higher than a spaghetti squash or a couple of zucchinis. Still, when you want a more authentic looking and tasting pasta, it’s worth it.

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

 

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

Breakfast & Brunch, Product Review, Recipes

Use Prepared Mix to Make a Fiesta Scramble Breakfast Bowl

Mann's Nourish Bowl

I noticed this newish product in my grocery store among the prepared salad ingredients and bowls of cut fruit. I’d seen Mann’s Nourish Bowls on their web site when I was checking on what other prepared fresh vegetables they had. The Nourish Bowls are a complete meal for one that you may have to add an ingredient or two to complete. In this case, this was the Breakfast Fiesta Scramble bowl.

According to the instructions on the package, you just add two beaten eggs, pour in the included packet of sauce with chicken chorizo, and put it in your microwave for two or three minutes to cook. Add the small package of grated cheese on top and viola! You have breakfast. Well, I couldn’t let it sit at that since I prefer cooking my eggs in a skillet — not that I haven’t used the microwave. But in this case, I think all the fresh ingredients gained from cooking on the stove top. I did add a little extra cheese as the package has maybe a quarter of a cup. I also added two more eggs to make a total of four to serve two people. Honestly, they’ve packed enough veggies into this bowl to easily feed two and possibly three people unless you’re super hungry.

What kind of veggies, you may be asking? Good, low-carb ones. It includes cauliflower, kohlrabi, butternut squash, and kale. The packet also includes the sauce with chicken chorizo, (trust me, not a lot of it. In fact, I couldn’t really distinguish it in the sauce) and the packet of cheddar-jack cheese. You could make your own mix by chopping up equal parts of the same vegetables, but this is really convenient.

So, below are the directions to make the basic Fiesta Scramble Bowl using four eggs to serve two people. Below that are two possible variations to add more meat and flavor to the basic bowl. To be frank, I think there’s enough for two servings easily, and it wouldn’t be hard to eke out a third serving, which in turn keeps the carbs lower.

After this recipe, I’ve added two possible variations on the basic recipe that will bring more and different flavors to the bowls.

Image: Fiesta Breakfast Scramble

Fiesta Scramble Bowl

1 package Mann’s Nourish Bowls Breakfast Fiesta Scramble
4 Eggs
1 tablespoon Butter

Add butter to a large skillet and melt. Stir in the vegetables from the Fiesta Scramble package and stir fry for about 5 minutes to soften the veggies. Check to make sure that the butternut cubes are almost tender. If not, stir fry a little longer.

In the meantime, break four eggs and add pepper then whisk in preparation.

When the veggies are softened, add the packet of sauce with the chorizo chicken in it. Stir it in well and rinse the package in about two tablespoons of water, then add it to the skillet. Stir until the sauce is mixed evenly.

Add the whisked eggs and stir to scramble them into the veggies. Cook and stir until the eggs are firm. Remove from heat and sprinkle cheese on top.

Makes two servings.

Image: Nutrition Info - Basic Bowl

Variation #1 – Mexican Fiesta Bowl

1 package Mann’s Nourish Bowls Breakfast Fiesta Scramble
4 Eggs
1 tablespoon Butter
1 Chorizo sausage
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/4 cup Onions, chopped
1/4 cup Cheddar Jack Cheese

In a large skillet, add the ground chorizo sausage or cut the sausage into thin slices and put in the pan. Cook and stir for a few minutes to get the chorizo done. Remove to a plate while you add the chopped onions and saute them for a couple of minutes, then add the vegetables from the Nourish Bowl packet. Cook and stir for about 5 to 8 minutes to mostly cook the veggies.

Add the chorizo back to the pan, then add the sauce from the kit. Stir to combine with the vegetables. rinse the package in about two tablespoons of water, then add it to the skillet. Stir until the sauce is mixed evenly.

Add the whisked eggs and stir to scramble them into the veggies. Cook and stir until the eggs are firm. Remove from heat and sprinkle cheese on top.

Makes two to three servings.

Image: Nutrition Info Mexican Bowl

Variation #2 – Italian Breakfast Bowl

1 package Mann’s Nourish Bowls Breakfast Fiesta Scramble
4 Eggs
1 tablespoon Butter
1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 cup Tomatoes, diced
3 slices Bacon, cooked & broken into pieces
1/3 cup Mozzarella Cheese

Don’t use the cheese included in the kit.

Cook the bacon and break it into pieces. Cut up the tomato into small cubes.

Add butter to a large skillet and melt. Stir in the vegetables from the Fiesta Scramble package and stir fry for about 5 to 8 minutes to soften the veggies. Check to make sure that the butternut cubes are almost tender. If not, stir fry a little longer.

In the meantime, break four eggs and add pepper then whisk in preparation to cook.

When the veggies are softened, add the packet of sauce with the chorizo chicken in it, the bacon, and the tomatoes. Stir it in well and rinse the package in about two tablespoons of water, then add it to the skillet. Stir until the sauce is mixed evenly.

Add the whisked eggs and stir to scramble them into the veggies. Cook and stir until the eggs are firm. Remove from heat and sprinkle cheese on top.

Makes two to three servings.

Image: Nutrition Info: Italian Style Bowl

Desserts, Product Review, Recipes

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Done 2 Ways, and a Product Review

 

A 48 ounce tub of Breyers CarbSmart Vanilla front of packLast week, I wrote about my quest to find some low carb ice creams other than CarbSmart, which our local grocery stores carry only in vanilla, even through three other flavors are available (chocolate, peanut butter, and smooth mint). When I asked one of our local stores to please carry other flavors, not just of CarbSmart but of other brands, I was told I could order a case, but they don’t have room on their shelves for many choices.

But I digress. I found other lower carb options at three of our local stores and sampled a couple of more.

Halo Top frozen dessert is probably the lowest carb ice cream ProductImage_WEB-MintChip-190620asubstitute on the market with most of their flavors coming in around 1 net carb. I tried their mint chocolate chip, which was very good although being sugar-free means it is harder than ice cream and needs to thaw for about 5 to 10 minutes before you can scoop it out. I’ve opened two of their cartons and both had a frozen lump of the product with lots of space around it within the container. They are supposed to hold two cups but I don’t think they do. Two of my ice cream scoops equal 1/2 cup and the mint had three servings in it. Halo Top comes in 26 different flavors sold in pint cartons. Of course, my  trio of grocery stores had about six different flavors between them. I would give this a rating of 4 stars. It tastes good, no after taste, but it isn’t as creamy as CarbSmart, and it seems a little shy on the stated quantity.

The other one I tried is Enlightened Frozen Desserts. This is a really good diary-free ice cream substitute, but it also contains more sugar than the others, so it comes in around 8 to 10 net carbs per serving. If you have enough carbs to spare, then this is a terrific option. I tried their Salted Caramel bars and their Chocolate Mint Swirl bars, and they are delicious. You don’t miss the cream in these at all, and there is no aftertaste. They make an amazing 32 different flavors and are available at a reasonable price in pint cartoons. Again, our local stores stock a few of their flavors. I give this one a 5-star rating, right up there with CarbSmart, except for the higher carb count.

So, if you are on a quest for ice cream substitutes, you might try one of these options. If you can get CarbSmart, it is made with cream, and delicious with only 4 net carbs per half cup.

How About a Recipe?

Now, since I haven’t posted a recipe in the past two weeks, here’s one that comes from a keto site for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fat Bombs. This is an almond flour dough that is eaten uncooked, so it is like eating cookie dough, sort of. The almond flour leaves it a little grainy, and it doesn’t taste totally like cookie dough to me. On the plus side, the flavor is pretty good, and one fat bomb makes a satisfying quick treat that boosts your carb burner with the fat content.

 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fat Bombs

Photo: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fat Bombs

The recipe is simple and is pretty much exactly as it is on the keto site I borrowed it from, except I rephrased it a bit. For one thing, the ingredients don’t have to be termed keto-friendly. Most of the sugar-free are. I used Hershey’s Sugar Free Chocolate Chips. I also used Splenda granulated which is almost fine enough to be confectioner’s sugar, but if you want to take it to a powder, you can do it in your blender.

1 stick Butter, softened
1/3 cup Confectioners Sugar Substitute
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Salt
2 cups Almond Flour
2/3 cup Sugar-Free Chocolate chips

In a large bowl, add softened butter and beat until it is light and fluffy. Add in the sugar, salt, and vanilla and beat until mixed into the butter.

Add the almond flour, a little at a time, and mix until it is completely moistened. You may have to finish it off by hand. My mixer balked before the flour was completely mixed in. Stir in the chocolate chips. Place plastic wrap over the bowl and refrigerate for about twenty minutes.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper or waxed paper. Use a 1/2 tablespoon measure or a cookie scoop to form the dough into half-balls, flat on the bottom, and place on the paper. Put them in the refrigerator for another twenty minutes to firm the balls up, then put in a plastic bag and store in the ‘fridge until you are ready to snack on one. They will keep for about a week or you can freeze them for up to a month.

Makes about 36 balls.

Nutrition Info: ChocChip Fat Bombs

Make Those Bombs Cookies

Image: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Now, as I mentioned, I wasn’t too enthused with these as a raw dough ball, so I decided to turn them into cookies. It’s an easy change, and I even added the egg after the rest was mixed. Ideally, if you’ve decided to make cookies, you’ll mix the egg in with the sugar and vanilla. These cookies are about the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve made. They are firm, yet soft in the middle and have a wonderful flavor. I had expected them to spread on the pan, so I only patted them down a little, but they held up through the cooking. If you want yours a little flatter, then press them down to the size you want.

1 stick Butter, softened
1/3 cup Confectioners sugar substitute
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Egg
Pinch of Salt
2 cup Almond Flour
2/3 cup Sugar-Free Chocolate chips
1/4 cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts (optional)

Prepare two baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, add softened butter and beat until it is light and fluffy. Add in the sugar, salt, egg, and vanilla and beat until mixed into the butter.

Add the almond flour, a little at a time, and mix until it is completely moistened.  Stir in the chocolate chips. Place plastic wrap over the bowl and refrigerate for about twenty minutes.

Use a one-tablespoon measure or cookie scoop to form the dough into half-balls, flatten on the bottom, and place on the paper, allowing 2 inches between cookies. Press down slightly to spread the dough. Place in the refrigerator for another twenty minutes to firm up.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.) Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned on top. Remove and let cool for 15 minutes or more. Almond flour is delicate and will break if you try to move the cookies while they are still hot.

Once they cool, enjoy or you can store in a plastic bag for a few days. Makes 18 delectable cookies.

Nutrition Info: ChocChip Cookies

If you try these products or these recipes, please leave me a message. I’d like to know how you like them or if you disagree with my opinion. Everybody’s taste buds are different.