If you’re a fan of Indian cuisine, then you’re familiar with naan bread, that lovely flat bread that is served with sauce dishes. While it can be made with yeast so it rises more, I was delighted to find this simple recipe, which is made without yeast. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to find I could make a low carb version using low carb flour in it and still get a very tasty bread to sop up my curry sauce.
I added the garlic and herb seasoning — I used Mrs. Dash, but any brand will work– and curry powder. Not everyone is as thrilled with curry as I am, so feel free to omit it. This recipe is flexible, so if you want to add onion powder or even chopped green onions to it, you can. Look for the lowest carb plain yogurt you can find. These vary quite a bit in the carb count, so try to get one around 7.5 g or less per serving.
In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder and sugar substitute together. Add olive oil, yogurt, garlic and her seasoning, and curry powder, if using. Mix together until the dough pulls together and is elastic.
Separate the dough into 4 balls. Lightly powder a bread board with a little low carb flour, then pat one of the balls into an oval shape. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out in an oblong shape until it is about 1/4″ thick.
Heat a heavy skillet, such as a cast iron or copper skillet, over medium high heat. Spray the pan with baking spray (like PAM), then cook the flatbread for about 2 minutes or until the bottom begins to show a mottled brown pattern. Turn and cook the other side for another 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and spread melted butter over the cooked bread.
Repeat with the other three balls. Makes 4 servings.
As bread for sandwiches or a snack, these easy-to-make cheese rounds are sturdy enough and quick to make. The recipe came from DCC Carb Counters using their Bakesquick for the small amount of flour they use. Although I haven’t tried any other flour options, I believe any low carb baking mix, or almond or coconut flour will also work. If you use coconut flour, use half the amount and add another egg white.
You can add any number of spices or seeds to the recipe to vary the flavor. Use hard cheeses, such as cheddar or Swiss for at least one of the options.
I used two of these rounds to make a chicken salad sandwich, and they worked beautifully. They cool to a sturdy, but still soft cheese bread round that holds up to the meat, mayo, lettuce, and tomato. I don’t know if it will work with a hamburger, but it might.
Two cheese bread rounds hold a chicken salad sandwich together.
Cheese Bread Rounds
1/3 cup Carb Counters™ Bakesquick™
1/4 cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan or your favorite blend of shredded cheeses
2 Large or Extra Large Egg Whites or 6 tablespoons Liquid Egg Whites
1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb Seasoning *
Preheat Oven to 350°. Spread a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet or pizza pan (or coat the surface with non-stick cooking spray.)
In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and stir until they are blended together. Separate into 6 tablespoon-sized pieces and roll into balls. Place each on your cookie sheet, allowing 4″ between balls.
Use a piece of plastic wrap to press balls down to 4″ wide rounds. A plastic baggie works well to put your fingers in to do this. Bake for 12-15 minutes until they are a light golden brown. Cool on a rack.
Makes 6 flat bun-size rounds.
* You can use any add-ins to enhance the flavor that you like. Suggested seasonings are Italian, dried chives, dried onions, dried dill, and Mexican blend herbs for a spicy flavor. You can also add in sesame seeds or poppy seeds.
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 Foodsadded 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.
Anyone who knows me can tell you I love bread. It’s probably the biggest challenge to my low carb lifestyle. Nothing beats the taste of homemade bread just out of the oven and smothered in butter. So, I am always on the hunt for good-tasting bread recipes made with low carb ingredients. I’ve used Carbquik and Bakesquick for quite a few years now. Both are good low carb flour, but I usually favor Bakesquik or its parent Dixie Carb Counter All Purpose Low Carb Flour for making cakes and anything that uses a fine flour. The texture is better than Bakesquik. When it comes to biscuits both deliver, but with subtle differences. I’ve used both to make sandwich rolls with mixed results.
Recently, I ran across Tova Foods recipefor sandwich rolls from their resident chef, Gregory Pryor. This one calls for yeast in it, which is a big plus. I made a few little changes to it to give it a bit more flavor and texture. I baked them in my muffin top pan, which makes regular hamburger-sized buns and they came out perfect. They slice easily and are neither too skinny or too thick for a sandwich. I may adjust this a little more over time. Still, it is a great-tasting bread that can be adapted to more personalized flavors, such as adding onion flakes, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or herbs. Add more sugar substitute if you want a sweeter roll. Add in shredded cheddar cheese for a cheese roll.
Sandwich Rolls
1/2 cup warm Water
1 tablespoon Sugar Substitute or sugar-free Honey
2-1/2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
1/3 cup heavy cream with Warm water added to make 3/4 cup
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 tablespoon Water
2 cups CarbQuick or other low carb Flour
1/4 cup Wheat Gluten Flour
1/4 cup Flax Meal, ground
2 teaspoons Sesame Seeds, optional
If you’re using a muffin top pan, prepare each well with a parchment paper base and spray with cooking spray. If you don’t have a muffin top pan, you can use 4-3/4 to 5-inch rings, oven-proof bowls, or pot pie foil tins. Spray those with cooking spray also and dust with low carb flour.
In a large bowl, add warm water, sugar or honey, and yeast. Stir and let sit until it is bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix salt, flour, gluten flour, and flax meal together. Add 1 cup of the flour mixture and baking soda to the yeast mixture and use a mixer with a dough hook to make a smooth batter. Add the rest of the flour mixture and mix on low until a sticky dough forms. If you’re adding herbs or cheese to the mix, do it in this step. You may need to scrape down the sides and pause to get the dough off the hook a few times while mixing. Once the dough is smooth, divide it into 6 equal pieces.
Shape each piece into a ball and place in each bowl or well in the pan. Press down on the top to flatten it a little. If you are adding sesame seeds or poppy seeds, do it now, pressing them into the top of the dough. Spray plastic wrap with cooking spray and place over the rolls. Place in a warm spot and let rise until the dough has doubled or rises over the bowl’s rim. Remove the plastic wrap and throw away.
Bake on the center rack for about 20 minutes or until the buns are golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack. Slice horizontally when you’re ready to use. They toast well or can be warmed up in the oven for a few minutes or in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
Makes 6 delicious, nicely textured, and sturdy sandwich buns.
Happy 2020. The start of a new year and a new decade. We’ve had better starts throughout the years, but let’s make this one the best we can. Right?
I launched my new year with determination to conquer the crepe, so I bought a crepe maker. Not the dip and cook model I’d seen on Facebook that looks so simple, but the flat cooker that will make bigger crepes, not as big as the ones at the Las Vegas Paris Hotel’s buffet though. Those babies are huge! This one might go to a 10-inch crepe, but initially, I made the smaller and easier to flip 7 to 8 inch ones. My first crepe on it was a mess, stuck, wasn’t completely cooked, and practically shredded when I tried to flip it. After that, I sprayed it with cooking spray, made sure it was up to high heat, and tried again with much better success.
New flash! It’s going to be a while before I’m an expert with crepe-making, but even with the odd-shaped pancakes, they do work and taste quite good.
So, I made a simply delicious broccoli-and-cauliflower-filled crepe with ricotta and spinach and an amazing cream sauce on the top. Pop in the oven to just lightly toast the sauce and warm the whole dish up and you have a great meal for a meatless Monday or a delightful side dish with any meat or seafood entree.
While I haven’t tried it yet, I believe you can make crepes with coconut flour and unsweetened coconut milk, which makes it easier to find the flour ingredients. I’ve posted the carb count and the recipe for coconut flour crepes in case you want to experiment. When I make a batch, I’ll update this to let you know how well it works.
So, without further ado, here’s the recipe for these heavenly crepes.
Broccoli and Cauliflower Crepes with Cream Sauce
1-1/2 cups of Cauliflower, chopped
1-1/2 cups of Broccoli crown and stems, chopped
3/4 cups Mushrooms, sliced
1 cup Baby Spinach
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
8 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
Cream Sauce
1 tablespoon Butter
1 tablespoon Low Carb Flour
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Water or Vegetable Broth
1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning
1/3 cup Parmesan Reggiano Cheese, grated
Crepe Recipe:
3/4 cup Low carb Flour
3/4 cup Cream
1/4 cup Water
2 Eggs
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
Basil or Oregano if desired
Make the crepes batter. In a blender, add all the crepe ingredients and pulse until the ingredients are mixed together, then blend a little longer to make sure the flour is completely mixed in. Put in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
While the crepe batter is chilling, prepare the filling:
In a skillet, heat a tablespoon olive oil. Add cauliflower and broccoli and sauté until lightly browned. Add 1/4 cup of water plus Garlic and herb seasoning and stir. Cook a few minutes more until the vegetables are almost tender. Add sliced mushrooms and cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
Add about a teaspoon of olive oil to the pan and heat it a minute. Add spinach and sauté until it is limp. In a small bowl, place ricotta cheese and stir to loosen and smooth,, then stir in spinach. Add a little basil or Italian seasoning and mix. Set aside.
Cook the crepes: Heat an 8 inch skillet or crepe pan until a drop of water skittles across the surface. Spray the surface with cooking sprray for each crepe. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan, lift pan from the heat, and gently roll until the batter coats most of the pan. If you have a crepe pan, spread the batter with the back of a spoon or a spreader, keeping the rounded or oval shape. Cook until the crepe looks dry on the top then carefully slide a wooden or silicone spatula under the crepe and flip it to cook the back side.
Cook for about a minute, then put on a plastic, parchment, or foil sheet on a plate. Put another sheet on top, then make the next crepe. The recipe will make 8 crepes. You will only need four for this recipe, so save the others for another meal. You can fill with eggs and cheese for breakfast.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Assemble the crepes. Put the crepe in a baking pan, spread 1/4 of the ricotta mixture down the middle. Spoon in 2 to 3 tablespoons of the vegetables, then top with two cherry tomatoes cut in half. Roll or fold the crepe over the vegetables. (Mine looked more like tacos.) Slide the crepe to the end of the baking dish and repeat to make four crepes.
A few of my tomatoes escaped during the plating, but they still tasted yummy. You can see these weren’t the neatest crepe yet they tasted wonderful. Cooking doesn’t have to be perfect.
Make the sauce. In a skillet or pan, melt the butter. Lower the heat to medium. Stir in flour and cook until it begins to form a paste. Add cream and water along with seasoning and stir until the liquid sauce begins to thicken. Add grated cheese and stir until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Spoon 1/4 of the sauce over each crepe. Bake for 15 minutes or until the sauce looks slightly browned.
Serve with a salad or riced cauliflower.
Makes 4 crepes. A pair of crepes make a substantial dinner serving, or you can use just one as a side dish.
Coconut Flour Crepe Recipe
5 tablespoons Coconut Flour
1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk
2 Eggs
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
Basil or Oregano if desired
In a blender, add all the crepe ingredients and pulse until the ingredients are mixed together, then blend a little longer to make sure the flour is completely mixed in. Put in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. Pulse a couple of times before using.
Cook as directed above. Take extra care in turning the crepes as they will be delicate.
Nutrition information for the filling and sauce only.
