Category Archives: Breads

Breads, Italian Inspired Recipes, Pork, Sandwiches

Calzone-Style Sandwiches are Delish!

Calzone Pizza photo

In my mind, and in the ones bought locally, the calzone has always been like a pizza sandwich. Mind you, I’ve since heard that real calzone has ricotta and other cheeses in it and no sauce or gravy, as they say back east. Nonetheless,  I love the dough, which is like pizza dough, and the convenience of a pocket sandwich.

I’ve tried several low carb flour brands to create a passable pizza crust and the best one I’ve tried is from LC Foods, their Pizza, Calzone, and Bagel flour mix. I’ve also tried Dixie Carb Counters All Purpose Flour and it works, but the dough is sweeter than I like. Other flours may work, but nut flours don’t give as good a result. For one thing, the yeast doesn’t seem to work well on them.

Ready for the oven, calzone made with DCC All Purpose Flour.

Basic Calzone Recipe

Based on the LC Foods Recipe for pizza crust.

3/4 cup LC Pizza Flour
3/4 tsp Sugar Substitute
1/8 teaspoon Salt
3/4 teaspoon Rapid Rise Yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons Olive Oil
1/4 cup Water, warm

Mix sweetener, salt, and yeast into flour. Add water and oil and knead dough by hand until a gluten film forms and the dough doesn’t break. You can use a bread hook or a bread mixer if you wish, but it is just as easy to do it by hand.

Pull the dough together in a  ball, then place in an oiled bowl or on a bread board and cover then place in a warm place for the dough  to double in size, around 30 to 40 minutes.

Calzone dough flat
Dough rolled into a 5 to 6 inch circle.
BBQ Pork filling.
Calzone with pork filling ready to fold.

 

 

 

 

For  calzone, divide the dough in half, then roll or stretch each out on a lightly floured, using low carb flour, bread board into 5 to 6 inch thin rounds.  Place on baking screen or stone and fill one half with desired filling. Fold it over to make a half circle and pinch the edges closed. Small gaps for air vents are okay.

Bake at 415 degrees for 9 to 12 minutes until browned or crisped to desired level.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 147 Fat: 3 g Net Carbs: 3 g Protein: 16.5 g

BBQ Pork Calzone.

BBQ Pork Calzone-Style Sandwich

This is more a BBQ Pork sandwich in a calzone pocket than an actual calzone. It is delicious though and not too difficult to make. Works great with left over pork ribs.

1 Pizza Dough recipe made up and split into two balls
2 cooked boneless Pork Ribs (about 3 oz.), chopped or shredded
1/4 cup Sugar-free BBQ Sauce (I used Walden Farms, 0 calorie & 0 carbs)
1/4 cup Bell Pepper, chopped
1/4 cup Onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1/4 cup Cheddar Jack Cheese, shredded
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 415 degrees (F.).

In a small skillet, heat the Olive Oil, then add the onion, peppers, and garlic and cook until almost tender. Add the pork and the BBQ sauce, stir together, and cook a couple of minutes.

Roll out one ball of dough to make a 5 to 6 inch circle. It will be very thin so try not to break through the dough. Place the dough on top of a pizza screen or on a pizza stone. If you have to use a baking sheet, line it with parchment paper.

Put one half of the toppings on one side of the dough leaving a slight edge clear. Fold the dough over the filling and press the edges together to seal it into half-round pocket. Brush a little melted butter over the top. Make the other calzone in the same way.

Bake in the oven about 15 minutes until the calzone is golden brown. Let cool a couple of minutes then serve. You can add an additional small dish of BBQ Sauce for dipping if you wish.

Nutrition Information for filling only:
Calories:180.1 Fat: 12.0 Net Carbs: 2.9 g Protein: 14.5 g

Nutrition Information with calzone dough:
Calories: 327 Fat: 15 g Net Carbs: 5.9 g Protein: 31 g

Pizza calzone
Pizza-Style Calzone made with LC Foods Pizza, Calzone and Bagel flour.

Pizza Style Calzone Sandwich

This is a simple variation of the same recipe only using typical pizza ingredients for the filling. You can add in pepperoni or ground beef or any other meat of your choice without altering the carb count too much unless the meat has a lot of carbohydrates in it.  For reference, I used Bertolli Vodka Pasta Sauce for this recipe. A couple of other pasta sauces are lower in carbs.

1 Pizza Dough made up and split into two balls
3 oz. Italian Sausage
1/4 cup Pasta Sauce of Choice (Look for lowest carb)
1/4 cup Bell Pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped or slice Olives
2 tablespoon Mushroom slices, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1/4 cup Mozzarella or other white cheese, shredded
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 cup Greens of choice (optional)
1 teaspoon Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 415 degrees (F.)

In a small skillet, add cook the Italian sausage until lightly browned, remove and set aside. Add garlic and bell peppers to the pan and saute. When bells are getting soft, add the mushrooms and cook for about 30 seconds more. If you are using the green, stir them into the pan and cook until they start to wilt. Remove from heat. Add the sausage back to the pan and stir in the olives. Mix in the pasta sauce.

Roll the dough out for the calzones and place on pizza screen or on pizza pan. Spoon filling over one half of the calzone dough, sprinkle on cheese, and fold it over. Seal the edges, leaving a couple of open spots for venting. Sprinkle a little cheese over the top if you wish.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition Information for filling only:
Calories: 188.4 Fat: 14.9 g Net Carbs: 3.0 g Protein: 10.9 g

Nutrition Information with calzone dough:
Calories: 368.5 Fat: 17.9 Net Carbs: 5.9 g Protein: 25.4 g

Tip: To get a golden brown and shiny bread, you can brush with  olive oil or spray with an olive oil or butter baking spray before  baking.

Atkins Diet Tips, Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Healthy Life, Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Induction Eating Plan Day 13

Almost to the end of this crazy plan to record the two week induction menus and recipes. The plan is going great and I think I am losing weight. I haven’t weighed but my pants are fitting looser and I am feeling pretty good. So without further comment, let’s get to the menu plan for Day 13.

Food NC
breakfast Bacon Omelet with zucchini 2.9
3 Mini donuts 4.5
Tea 0
Lunch Sausage Chicken Pizza 2.9
snack 5 slices salami 1
Baby Bell cheese 0
dinner chicken cauli-mac 7.5
18.8

 

Breakfast is a yummy egg omelet. I feel sorry for anyone who doesn’t like eggs because they are a mainstay on a low carb diet. Luckily, there are many ways to prepare them. You can make an endless variety of omelets. This one is very good and easy to make.

Bacon Omelet with Zucchini

2 large Eggs
1 slice thick cut Bacon
1 Green Onion, chopped
1/4 cup of Zucchini, chopped
1/3 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/2 tablespoon Butter

Cook the bacon either in a pan or by my preferred method which is on a paper towel on a bacon pan in the microwave. Get the bacon crisp but not overdone. Let it cool, then break it into pieces.

In a small bowl, break the two eggs and beat them with a teaspoon of water until they are mixed well.

In an omelet pan over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the onion and zucchini to cook for two or three minutes until they are just softened. Remove from the skillet. Add the eggs and stir them around the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula, then let them set. As they cook around the edges, lift the edge up so that more of the liquid can run under the omelet to cook. Repeat this several time so it builds the omelet in layers. When the middle is almost done, spread the bacon and vegetables down the middle then add the cheese, reserving a little for the top. Fold the omelet over the filling, sprinkle the reserved cheese on top, then cover with a lid for about one minute to melt the cheese.

Serve. Makes one serving.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 366.6 Fat: 28.9g Net Carbs: 2.9 g Protein: 23.3 g

Next up, I had a late morning snack of three mini-donuts. I got one of those mini-donut makers and just had to try it out. While I can’t say for certain that this is on induction, I can say the ingredients are low carb. Atkins doesn’t endorse specific brands and CarbQuick falls into an actual flour substitute item, so it might be pushing it to eat this on induction. But after you’re past the two weeks, feel free to try them.

Pumpkin Mini-Donuts

Based on and adapted from Baby Cakes mini doughnut recipe by me.

2 tablespoons Butter
1 tablespoon Splenda Brown Sugar Blend or other brown sugar substitute
1/4 cup Sugar Substitute (Erythiol or other sugar alcohol)
1 tablespoon Sugar-free Maple Syrup
1 Egg, large
1/2 cup Pumpkin puree
3/4 cup CarbQuick
1/4 cup Protein Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie spice
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Plug in the mini donut maker and let it warm while you mix. If you’re using a mini-donut pan, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F.)

In a medium bowl, beat butter, brown sugar sub, and sugar substitute together. Beat in egg, pumpkin, vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice. Hand beat or use a mixer to get it smooth. In another bowl, mix the flour, protein powder, baking powder, and baking soda together. Stir into the butter and egg mixture and blend well.

Use about 1 tablespoon per donut well and drop the dough into the well. Bake about 3 minutes until the steam no longer is visible from the donut maker. Use a toothpick to check; if the toothpick comes out clean, the donut is done. Lift the doughnut with a toothpick and slide onto the handle of a wooden spoon or dowel for transport to a wire rack.

Place donuts on the rack to cool and make the next batch. When cool, dip in the Maple Glaze icing.

Maple Glaze

1/2 cup Powdered sugar substitute (like Swerve)
1/2 tablespoon Heavy Whipping Cream
1 tablespoon Sugar-free Maple Syrup

To make Icing:
Put powdered sugar in a small bowl, add sugar-free maple syrup, and cream. Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix well. If it is too thick, add a little more water until it is the consistency of a thick syrup. Dip the cooled donuts into the glaze, then put them back on the rack to dry.

Makes 24 donuts.

Nutrition information per donut:
Calories: 38.7 Fat: 2.5 g Net Carbs: 1.5 g Protein: 2.5 g

Then we come to dinner and the highlight of the day. I love macaroni and cheese, but it is difficult to find a low carb macaroni and certainly not one that will work on induction. This recipe uses cauliflower as a stand in for the macaroni. It works and it’s delicious unless you hate cauliflower. Give it a try for a great one dish meal.

Chicken, Cauli-mac and Cheese

1 clove Garlic, minced
12 oz Cauliflower
1/3 cup Heavy Cream
1 oz Cream Cheese
1/2 tsp Dry Mustard
1/2 cup Classic Cheddar Jack Cheese
1/8 tsp Original Pepper Sauce
1/4 cup Sweet Peppers, chopped

12 oz raw Chicken Breast
2 Scallions
1 slice bacon, crumbled
1 tsp Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 375º F.  Spray a 1 quart baking dish with non-stick spray.

In a shallow pan, precook the chicken breast for about 40 minutes until it is done and any juices from them run clear. Let cool, then slice into bite-sized pieces. Cook the bacon until it is crispy, let cool, then break into pieces.

Bring a large sauce pot with 4 cups of water and ½ teaspoon salt to a boil. Meanwhile, cut the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Add to the boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes then drain in a colander. Spread on paper towels to dry. Alternately, you can place the cauliflower in a microwavable bowl and cook for three minutes until the cauliflower is crisp tender. Then pour off an water from the pot and spread the cauliflower on paper towels. You want it as dry as possible.

Put a medium-sized sauce pan over medium-high heat and pour in the whipping cream.When the cream is almost to a boil, add the cream cheese and powdered mustard and whisk it into the cream until smooth. Add half of the shredded Cheddar cheese, garlic, half of the salt and pepper, and the Tabasco sauce. Whisk for about two minutes until he cheese melts and is blended.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cauliflower. Then stir in the chicken, bacon pieces, and vegetables. Pour into the baking dish and top with the remaining cheddar cheese.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until browned and bubbly.

Makes 2 servings

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories; 564.4 Fat: 36.1g Net Carbs: 7.5g Protein: 50.2g

One more day to go. See you with another recipe then.

 

 

 

Atkins Diet Tips, Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Healthy Life, Main Dish, Pork, Recipes, Sandwiches, Vegetables & Salads

Induction Eating Plan – Day 4

Back again, with more options for staying on a low carb diet during Induction or Phase 1. This is the toughest part of doing the diet because your body is adjusting to the additional fat and the sudden reduction in starches. Since I was never totally off the eating plan, just over-extended my carbs some, I haven’t experienced what is often called Atkins flu, which is the dizziness and general malaise that comes with it.

So for Day 4, here’s the meal plan:

Breakfast:

Food NC
Cloud Muffin 1.9
Cinnamon 0.2
Butter 0
Tea 0
B12 Gummie 1

 

Cloud Muffin

This is a newer recipe from Atkins that I hadn’t seen before. It’s very simple to make and tastes pretty good. It’s got cream cheese in it, so it’s hard to go wrong.

1 oz Cream Cheese
1 large Egg
2 tablespoons Vanilla Whey Protein
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder

I omitted the baking powder as I don’t see what good it actually does. It doesn’t have anything to act on in the ingredients.

Put the cream cheese into a microwavabe bowl or mug. Heat for about 10 seonds to warm the cream cheese, but not melt it. Add the egg and whisk it until it is blended with the cream cheese. Add the whey protein powder and baking powder, then whisk to mix into the cream cheese until it is smooth.

You can make this either sweet or savory by mixing in whatever you’d like with it. I add 1 tablespoon sugar substitute for a sweet muffin and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.

Cook in the microwave for 1 minute. Remove and let it sit for a couple of minutes, then remove from the bowl or mug. If it doesn’t release easily, run a knife around the edges to push it loose.

Cut in half and butter or you can pop it into the toaster and get it more crispy.

Makes 1 muffin.

Nutrition information:
Calories:225 Fat:14.6 g Net Carbs:2.4 g Protein:20.9 g

Atkins advises you use a Vanilla Whey Powder that is 1 net carb or less per scoop. I have one that comes in at 1 net carb, but there aren’t many that low.

Lunch:

Food NC
BTLA 1.1
Tea 0
Bread 2.4

 

Bacon, Tomato, Lettuce and Avocado Sandwich

Or BLTA, if you prefer. A great stand-by sandwich. I used the same muffin bread I made my mozzarella cheese sandwich with, so refer to yesterday’s post for that recipe.

Filling only:
2 slices thick bacon, cooked
2 pieces of Lettuce Leaves
1 tomato slice, about 1/4 inch thick
1/4 Avocado
1 tablespoon Mayonnaise

Scoop the avocado out of the skin and mash with a fork. Cut the bread in half across the middle and toast it. Spread mayonnaise on the inside of the bun. Spread the avocado on the bottom piece, then put a piece of lettuce on top. Next add the tomato slice, then the bacon on top of that. Put another piece of lettuce on top before capping it with the top piece of bread. Simple.

Put on whatever low carb bread you prefer.

Nutrition Information:
Calories: 238 Fat: 22.7 g Net Carbs: 1.6 g Protein: 4.3 g

Be sure to add the carb count for the bread. Here’s a tip, you could put it on the Cloud Bread recipe above by making it a savory bread. Add a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of Parmesan Cheese and any savory seasoning you prefer.

Dinner:

Food NC
Sausage with Turnips,Peppers & Onions 5.9
Salad with Pico de Gallo 1.2
Chipotle Ranch Dressing 0

Sausage with Turnips, Peppers, & Onions

1 medium Turnip, diced
4 mini Sweet Peppers, sliced
1 small Onion, diced
20 Lil’ Smokies Sausages, cut into thirds
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Butter
1/2 teaspoon Spicy Seasoning
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese (optional)

Put the diced turnips in a small pot of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a high simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the turnips are fork tender. Drain water and let dry a little.

In a non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium high heat, then add onions, garlic, and peppers. Cook until the onion is just tender. Add the turnips and seasoning. Cook until the turnips are slightly browning, then add the sausages and stir in. Cook another five or ten minutes until the sausages are heated well. Add cheddar cheese, if you are using it, and stir until it is melted.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving (with cheese):
Calories: 244.5 Fat: 20.8 g Net Carbs: 5.9 g Protein: 6.9 g

Note: I used Lil’Smokies because I had some in the freezer. You can use any sausage you want in this. Just check the carb count. 20 smokies equal 4 servings at 2 net carbs a serving, so that is your target carb count for the sausage. You can probably go lower.

That’s it for the day. Be back tomorrow with Day 5 of the plan. Hope this is giving you some ideas of how versatile the low carb plan can be. Let me know if you have any specific questions or want to know if you can eat a certain food on induction.

Breads, Product Review

Product Review: Dixie Carb Counters Buns

Take a good look at that sandwich bun. It’s lovely, it’s fresh, and it’s easy to make as well as low carb!  What more do you need?!

To be specific, this is the Dixie Carb Counters ™ Multigrain Sandwich Bun Mix that I’m talking about. DCC makes excellent bread mixes. So far, when it comes to their breads, I haven’t found one that I didn’t like. The flavor is very good and they are sturdy breads. The same is true of the sandwich buns. Excellent taste and they hold up to a juicy hamburger just fine.

I made a few of these this weekend and tested one out with a hamburger at a friend’s BBQ and was pleased that it didn’t crumble at all under the big burger and the go-withs piled on it. Last night, I made a BLT sandwich with added guacamole and mayonnaise on it and the bun was sturdy enough to last through the sandwich. The best part is the bun is only 3 net carbs.

The mix is under $10 and it makes a dozen buns. The instructions include proportions for making 4 buns at a time or 1 bun, which I really appreciate. There are times you don’t want too many buns in the oven or the freezer although you can certainly make a batch and freeze them if you’d like. They are quick to make, mix together in about 5 minutes and cook about 12 minutes, then cut and use. The only ingredients you need to add to the mix are 1/3 egg whites for four buns, 2 teaspoons oil, and 1/3 cup warm water. They even provide four little aluminum pans in the package to bake the buns. What could be easier?

While I haven’t tried it yet, I’m pretty sure you could add some re-hydrated onion flakes to the mix to make an onion bun. Or you could add about 1/4 cup finely shredded cheese for a cheese bun or sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds if you are so inclined.

Nutrition information for one prepared bun, made following the instructions without any add-ins:
Calories: 126 Fat: 2 g Net Carbs: 3 g Protein: 14 g

On a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the top of the flavor profile, I would give this a 5 when prepared as stated on the package.

You can purchase this product from Dixie Diners website or through Netrition.com or any other stores that carry their products.

Disclaimer: I have not received any promotional items to review and no one from any of the companies whose products I review have asked me to do so. I have purchased the product and am giving my honest opinion about it. Should any company send me a product to try, I will state it up front and will still give my honest opinion.

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Drinks, Recipes

A Darling Teacake for St. Patrick’s or Anytime

March 17 is just around the corner and the arrival of Spring is not far behind.

Why not celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or a belated St. David’s Day – a Welsh tradition celebrated on March 1 – with a tea? Nothing beats an afternoon pause in the day to have a cup of perfectly steeped Irish tea with a tasty cake or scone. It does wonders for your outlook.

In Irish, the tea is called cupan tae or cuppa tay.  How often have you heard let’s have a cuppa? Traditionally, teatime is around 11 a.m. for morning tea or between 3 and 5 p.m. for afternoon tea.  But there’s no need to stand on ceremony.  Anytime is a good time for tea. In Ireland, it’s common to have your tea with cream, but there’s a little trick to it. The custom began when folks put milk or cream into their fine china cups to prevent cracking when the hot tea was added.  Tea experts maintain that the milk needs to be added before the tea is poured as adding it afterward alters the taste of the tea.

To make a perfect cup of tea,  begin by filling a kettle with cool water and put it on to boil.  Next, add one teaspoon of fresh loose leaf Irish tea per person plus one for the pot. Add boiling water to the pot and allow it to steep for 5 minutes. While you wait, fill 1/3 of the teacup with milk or cream and pour the strong, hot Irish tea into each cup and stir.

Now for the tea cake to go with it…

As I was browsing through a booklet of Welsh teatime recipes, I ran across this lovely little cinnamon cake, called a Teisen Sinamon in Welsh. I thought it was a little unusual since it called for a meringue topping, which I haven’t seen often on cakes. I made a few adjustments to make a low carb version and converted the ingredient measurements. This is a coarse-textured cake rather than a dessert cake, but it has excellent flavor and pairs well with either tea or coffee.

My version is also adjusted to a half-sized recipe to avoid too many leftovers. It’s best served right after the meringue is cooked.

Ingredient notes: I used vanilla whey protein powder as part of my flour mix since it brings additional flavor and texture to the cake. You can substitute any low carb flour you like into it. If you use any coconut flour, use 1/2 the called for amount it is replacing and add an extra egg. The net carb count will be higher with other flour choices. My baking mix is 3 net carbs per 1/4 cup and the whey powder is 1 net carb for 1/4 cup.

The recipe calls for 1 egg plus 1/4 cup liquid egg whites. You need to separate the egg and put the egg white from the egg aside to make the meringue.  Liquid egg whites won’t beat stiff enough to make a good meringue.

Cinnamon Cake baked in the pan. You can remove it and have a nice display cake or leave it in the pan and cut slices from it.

Welsh Cinnamon Cake

3/4 cup Low Carb Flour
1/4 cup Vanilla Whey Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 cup Sugar Substitute
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 Eggs, separated, plus 1/4 cup Liquid Egg Whites
Pinch of Salt
1/4 cup Butter
2 – 3 tablespoons Almond Milk or Cream
1/2 tablespoon Granulated Sugar Substitute
4 tablespoons Sugar-free Raspberry or Strawberry Jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.) Grease, or spray with baking spray, a 6-inch cake pan or square pan.

Mix the flour, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl, then rub in the butter. Separate the egg, set the white aside, add the liquid white and beat together. Add the sugar and yolk mixture to the flour and mix well. Add enough milk to make a thick, moist dough. Pour or press the mixture into the cake pan and bake for 20  minutes until a toothpick tests cleanly.

Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Reduce temperature to 325 degrees (F.) Whip the egg whites until stiff, then fold in the sugar substitute. Put the cake on a paper-lined baking sheet and spread jam over the top of the cake, then pile on the meringue mixture. Put back in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes until the meringue is set and a pale brown.

Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Information per slice:
Calories: 148 Fat: 11.7 g Net Carbs: 4.6 g Protein: 7.4 g

Enjoy your tea break and let me know how you liked the tea cake!