Category Archives: Breads

Breads, Desserts, Recipes

Apple Fritter Bites

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apple-head-dolls
Apple head dolls from Google images.

Another of my challenges while using up fruits and vegetables left behind by my friends is doing something with the apples that are gradually wrinkling other than cutting them into faces and letting them wither into little old apple heads.  Did you ever make those when you were a kid?

Well, I had something a little more tasty in mind although strictly speaking, apples aren’t on the Atkins plan for phase I or phase II, but I believe they are ok for phase III and phase IV.  For me, with my very low carb burner, they are an “eat sparingly” item and I do love apples.   So I decided to peel these and chop them up with the thought of making apple compote in mind.  Mid-way through, I started thinking about apple fritters.  So, an apple fitter recipe came into being.  This isn’t your standard recipe because using low carb flours can be tricky.  In order to get something that would hold together while I was frying it and not absorb too much of the oil, I decided to partially bake the dough first, then cut it into squares and turn them into apple fritter bites that are then fried in a little oil.

These have all the flavors of apples and cinnamon without a doughy taste, but it does take a bit of will power to limit your serving to only two or three of the bites.

Apple Fritter Bites

A delicious treat with all the flavor of an apple fritter and very few of the carbs.

2″ Oil in a small pan
1 cup low carb flour (CarbQuick, LC Foods,  or Bob’s Red Mill) *
3 tablespoon Sugar Substitute
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Clove
1/4 cup unsweetened Almond Milk
1 Egg, beaten
1/2 tablespoon Oil
1 1/2 cups Apples or Peaches or Pears – peeled, cored and chopped
1/4 cup Cinnamon Sugar – 1/4 cup sugar substitute with 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

*  I haven’t tried Almond Flour in this, but it is more delicate and more likely to crumble.  I would mix it with 1/2 cup almond flour and 1/4 cup coconut flour and add another egg to get it to hold together better.  

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees (F).  Spray small baking pan (about an 8×12) with baking spray.

Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix the egg, almond milk, oil, vanilla and seasonings together in a smaller bowl. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour the wet ingredients into it. Mix until the liquid is all mixed in, then add the apples and stir to distribute them through the batter.

Spread the batter onto the baking pan and distribute it evenly. Bake for about 20 minutes until the dough is mostly dried, but it isn’t browned. Remove from the oven and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.  Should you decide not to fry these, then bake them a little longer until they are lightly browned.

Cut the baked future fritters  into 24 pieces – 6 cuts across long side and 4  from the short side down, which are easier to cut if you don’t try to go the entire length with one cut.   Carefully remove each bite-sized piece with a narrow spatula, trying not to break them.

Heat the oil in a small pan or skillet until it is hot enough to cause a small piece of dough to sizzle. Turn the oil down to medium heat. Fry the bites about 3 or 4 at a time until they are golden brown. Use a spoon to pour the hot oil over the top or roll the bite over to brown the top. If it browns too quickly, turn the heat down. If it takes more than a couple of minutes, turn the heat up a little. Remove the cooked bites with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain. Cook the next batch and repeat until they are all done.

Sprinkle the tops of the bites with the cinnamon sugar while they are still warm.

Makes 12 servings (2 bites per serving)
Calories: 39.9 g Fat: 2.2 g Net Carbs: 2.4 g Protein: 2.1 g

 

Breads, Italian Inspired Recipes, Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Easy Ways to Warm the Heart

From me to you with love, here’s a few recipes to warm your heart or that of your special someone. I’m going to start with a delicious and quick to fix dinner of Parmesan Chicken. This is so good that it should really make a hit with your honey bun or the whole family. Pair it up with the wonderful taste of roasted celery root or kohlrabi.

This is based on a recipe from a mayonnaise company and it takes only a little adjustment or two to make it low carb. One of those adjustments is to make your bread crumbs from a low carb bread. If you don’t have a bread made up, a quick way to do it is to make a cracker bread. You only need a little, so here’s how you can do it.


Quick Almond Flax Cracker Crumbs

2 tablespoons Almond Meal
1 tablespoon ground Flax Meal
pinch Salt
1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 tablespoon Olive Oil or Coconut Oil
1 tablespoon Water

Mix together almond flour and flax meal. Add salt, oil and water. Mix well. You want a spreadable paste. Spray a pie tin or cookie sheet with baking spray. Spread the dough over the pan to about 1/4 inch thickness and about 3″ x 3″ square. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes until lightly browned. Let it cool. Crumble the crackers to make crumbs. Makes about 1/4 cup of crumbs.

Batter is shaped into a square, then baked until brown around the edges.

 

Nutrition Info for whole recipe

Calories: 216.8 Fat: 21.6 g Net Carbs: 1.5 g Protein: 3.8 g

One tablespoon is about 0.4 g

 

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, fresh
4 boneless, skinless Chicken Breast halves or 4 large Chicken Thighs*
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Salt
4 teaspoons seasoned Low Carb Bread or Cracker Crumbs

Preheat oven to 425° (F)

Combine mayonnaise with cheese in a small bowl. Wash off chicken and dry with paper towels. Place in a baking pan and sprinkle with Italian seasonings and salt. Spread the mayonnaise mixture evenly over each piece of chicken, then sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Bake until chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 20 minutes to 25 minutes. The thighs may take a little longer to cook. Check at 20 minutes and cover the pan with foil if the tops are getting too brown and the chicken isn’t quite done.

Remove from oven and let the chicken rest a few minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 195 Fat: 14.2 Net Carbs: 0.7 g Protein: 15.7 g

* If you can’t find large thighs, plan for two thighs per serving.

Quick Roasted Celery Root

Honestly, I love the taste and texture of celery root, also called celeriac. It’s a strange-looking root, but the flavor is wonderful. With just a hint of celery flavor, it’s like adding celery salt to your vegetable. While it isn’t exactly a potato flavor, it comes closer to both the taste and texture of potato than anything else I’ve found, which makes it really satisfying with this type of meal.

1/2 Celery Root, cleaned, peeled and cut into large cubes
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend

Preheat oven to 425 degrees(F).

Bring a medium-sized pot half-filled with water to a boil. Put the cleaned and cut up celery root in the boiling water and boil for about 10 minutes. Check that the pieces are fork tender. Drain and dry the cubes.

In a tin pan or cake pan, put the olive oil and seasonings and mix together with a spoon. Add the celery root cubes and make sure they are coated with oil and seasonings. You could also put the oil and seasonings in a plastic baggie, then add the celery root to the baggies and roll them around with your fingers to coat. Then pour the vegetable and oil into the pan and spread around.

Put in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn each piece over and cook for another 10 minutes. Pieces should be lightly browned on each side.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 93.3 Fat: 7.3 g Net Carbs: 6 g Protein: 1.2 g

Coming Soon…

Look for some fast and yummy chocolate candy recipes tomorrow. I have three of them lined up that are taste-tested in my house.

Posted on 2/11/2014

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Mah-velous LC Pumpkin Pancakes

When the cool of fall hits the air, it’s time for pumpkin pancakes at IHOP.  Sometimes I really miss those!  So I decided to do something about that desire for the wonderful taste of pumpkin, cinnamon, butter and maple syrup.  This recipe hits all the right buttons for me and I hope you find it as delicious as I do.  There are a few brands of sugar free pancake syrup available at various grocery stores and Wal-Mart, so look for one that is 0 carbs and 0 calories, like Mrs. Butterworth’s, Log Cabin and Smith’s brand.

Still can’t find one?  Use maple extract and mix about 1 teaspoon with 1/2 cup sugar substitute dissolved in 1/2 cup water and heated until just boiling.  Melt a tablespoon of butter into it and you have a wonderful quick maple syrup.

2/3 cup Carbquick
1/3 cup Almond flour
2 tablespoons Buttermilk
1 large Egg
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar Substitute
1 tablespoon Whey Protein Powder (optional)
1/2 stick Butter, melted
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/3 cup Pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground Clove
1/4 cup Water

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, then add the wet ingredients and hand mix until just combined. Don’t over-mix the ingredients. Add just enough water to make an easily spoon-able batter. Spray a large skillet or griddle with baking spray and heat to medium hot. A little water should skittle across the top when it is hot enough. Spoon about a 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter for each pancake and smooth it out. If using a skillet, cover it with a lid and cook it for about 2 minutes. Turn the pancakes and cook another two minutes until done.

Spread with butter and serve with sugar free, low carb syrup.

Makes 8 pancakes. Each pancake is 114 calories, 2.1 g net carbs, and 3.6 g protein. Two pancakes make a normal serving.

Original POST BY RENE AVERETT AT 9/28/2012 11:13 PM

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Recipes

An Easy Breakfast for Easter or Cinco de Mayo

Yum! Cornmeal pancake with egg, pico de gallo and sour cream! This breakfast is so tasty I wanted to get it out in time for Easter although its Mexican flavors certainly fit with the Cinco de Mayo theme. The initial recipe came from my local grocery store, Raleys, but I adjusted it to low carb and made a couple of tweaks in it. Add a little ground beef flavored with taco seasonings and you have a great brunch meal.

To get a little of the cornmeal taste into the corn cake, I used one tablespoon of corn flour instead of two and used one tablespoon of golden flax meal that has a similar texture and compliments the taste. I hope you’ll give these a try because they are really good.

I do have to add that with the cornmeal in them, they are not technically legal on Phase 2 and 3 Atkins, but the carb count is low and it should be a fairly safe “cheat”. I am on maintenance and still stay within my body’s carb limit, which is low, so I want my food to be as low carb’d as possible. If you prefer to make it without the cornmeal and use two tablespoons of golden flax instead, it will save you a little in the carbs, but you will lose the cornmeal flavor.

Fiesta Cornmeal Pancakes & Eggs

 

For the pancakes:
1/4 cup Carbquick or New Hope Mills Pancake Mix*
2 tablespoons heavy cream plus 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 tablespoon golden flaxmeal
2 tablespoons shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon Mexican Blend Seasoning
1 tablespoon beaten egg
1 teaspoon olive oil
butter for skillet

For the toppings:
2 fried eggs
2 tablespoons Fresh Pico de Gallo
2 tsp. sour cream

* You can make your own pancake mix using 4 tablespoons almond flour or 2 tablespoon coconut flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (with the almond flour) or 1 extra egg white (with the coconut flour).

In a small bowl, mix together the pancake ingredients, except cheese, until well mixed. Add the cheddar cheese last. If batter is too thick, add a little water until it is easy to spoon out.

Heat an omelette pan or small griddle on the burner until it is hot enough that water sizzles when dropped on the pan. Lower the heat a little to a medium high. Melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter in the pan and pour half the batter onto the griddle and spread to make a 4 inch pancake. Put a lid over the skillet or tent aluminum foil over the pan to hold the heat and begin cooking the top. This will help to cook the pancake through without burning it. After 2 or 3 minutes, remove the lid and turn the pancake. Cook about 4 minutes on the back side until golden brown. Remove to a warm plate and place in an oven or cover with foil to hold the heat. Repeat with the second pancake.

Corn cake off the griddle.

Melt the rest of the butter in an egg pan and when it bubbles, carefully break an egg into the pan. Use the spatula to keep the egg white around the egg. To cook a sunny side up egg, cover the pan with a lid for about 3 minutes, then check the egg white to see if it is solid. If so, remove the egg, place on top of the corn cake and top with a tablespoon of pico de gallo and a teaspoon of sour cream. Repeat with second egg. You can cook the eggs any way you prefer. The one at the top of the page is over easy, but you can also scramble them if you wish.

Serve hot.

Makes 2 servings

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 301 Fat: 24.4 Net Carbs: 5.4 g Protein: 13.4 g

Fiesta Taco and Egg Corn Cake

Same ingredients plus:
1/4 lb ground beef
1/4 teaspoon taco seasoning

Cook the ground beef in a small skillet until lightly browned. Add taco seasoning and 1 tablespoon of water or beef broth. Stir the seasonings into the meat. Drain and set aside.

Follow the instructions above, but add pre-cooked ground beef to the toppers and about 2 tablespoons cheddar jack cheese per serving.

I also added a tablespoon of guacamole to my brunch taco corn cake, so that’s an option also.

Nutrition Info: (without the guacamole)
Calories: 481  Fat: 39.1  Net Carbs: 5.9 g  Protein: 23.2 g

Originally Published 04/18/2014 on my previous blog.

Breads, Recipes

Easy Flourless Muffins

How about a little muffin magic? These delicious muffins are sweet, flourless and low carb.

This may have been tried by someone else, but to my knowledge, this is my recipe. At least, I haven’t seen it anywhere else. It takes the Atkins roll another step further to make a sweet muffin that has the texture of a sponge cake. Although the basic recipe is vanilla, it can easily be an almond, strawberry or chocolate muffin, or any other flavor you’d like to try. You could also add a teaspoon of cinnamon powder to add a bit of spice.

Although the recipe says flourless, it actually uses coconut flour in place of wheat flour. This still makes it low carb and gluten free. Win-win!

Flourless Sweet Muffins

2 tablespoons Coconut Flour
2 oz. Cream Cheese
2 Eggs, separated
1 tablespoon Butter
1/4 cup Sugar Substitute
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tarter
2 tablespoon Water

Preheat oven to 315 degrees (F). Prepare a muffin tin by spraying with cooking spray or use 5 individual silicone muffin molds and spray them with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, add the egg whites and cream of tarter. Beat with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In a smaller bowl, add cream cheese, butter and sugar and cream together. Add egg yolks, vanilla, water and coconut flour. Mix together until completely combined. Fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites as carefully as possible so that it doesn’t break down the whites. Continue to lift and fold the mixture until the egg yolk mixture is blended into the whites.

Spoon 2 tablespoons batter into each muffin mold. It will make 5 muffins. Bake for 18 minutes until just lightly browned. Remove and cool.

Nutrition Info: Per muffin
Calories: 116   Fat: 4.1 g   Net Carbs: 2.0 g   Protein: 3.4 g

Originally POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 4/12/2014 7:20 PM