Category Archives: Breakfast & Brunch

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Main Dish, Pork, Recipes, Vegetarian

A Delicious & Trendy Breakfast

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Guacamole Toast

My gosh, May slipped right past without a post, although I got the Cinco de Mayo one up before the end of April! My life has been super busy, but I want to publish at least one new recipe this month. This one is simple but big on flavor and in demand right now.

Avocado toast is one of those quick breakfast items that people are finding popular in the past couple of years. You can even order it at IHOP and other restaurants. It’s simple to make at home, where you can use low carb bread and other ingredients to create a filling breakfast treat.

I use premade guacamole on my toast to add extra spice, but you can start with avocado slices. Avocados turn brown quickly once they’re cut open or the guac container is unsealed. A little lemon juice and plastic wrap can slow the process in any unused avocado.

Guacamole and cream cheese toast.

Guacamole Breakfast (or Snack) Toast

Ingredients:
1 slice Keto Wheat Bread (or Keto bread of choice)
2 tablespoons Philadelphia Jalapeno Cream Cheese Spread
2 tablespoons Guacamole or Mashed Avocado
1 or 2 slices of cooked Bacon, broken into 2 pieces

Instructions:
Toast the Keto bread. Spread the cream cheese over the top and smooth. Spread the mashed avocado for the next layer and top with the cooked bacon.

Makes one serving.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:
Calories 199 , Total Fat 15 g , Cholesterol 30 mg, Sodium 332 mg, Potassium 210 mg, Carbohydrates 16 g, Fiber 12 g, Sugars 2 g, Protein 10 g, Net Carbs 4 g

Add-ins: You can easily add an egg to your toast and it won’t add another carbohydrate to it, but it will raise the calories to 342. You can also add a little cheese, either white cheddar or mozzarella and it won’t add carbs, but it will increase the calories. For a variation, replace the bacon with thin sliced ham. If you don’t want to put cream cheese on your toast, feel free to substitute mayonnaise. If you don’t like Jalapeno cream cheese, use plain cream cheese.

About Bread: Many tasty Keto breads are now available in your local markets. They are not created equal. Inked Timberwolf Keto bread is 1 net carb per slice, Hero bread is 0 net carbs, Sola bread is 1 net carb, Franz and Oro Wheat are 2 nc, Carbonaut is 2 net carbs, and Alvarado St. Wheat Sourdough is 4 nc, I will be doing a post soon comparing some of the low carb breads I’ve tried. I used Timberwolf for this recipe and also tried the sourdough with it. Both are very good.

If you try this recipe and/or come up with a different variation, please comment on it and tell me what you added or changed.

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.

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. 

Breakfast & Brunch, Pork, Recipes

Breakfast or Brunch Strata

 I love stratas. I made my first one when I was a teenager and still living in El Paso, Texas. They’re a delightful combination of bread, eggs, meat, veggies, and spices that are baked to make a casserole. They’re not just for breakfast. They can make a hearty dinner as well. Of course, the problem with a low carb or Keto lifestyle is the bread. But it’s not an issue anymore. Several companies are now making Keto bread. In Reno, I can buy Orowheat Keto and Sola Bread at my local Wal-Mart store. Recently, Safeway resumed selling Inked Timber Wolf and Winter White bread, so I am a happy camper.

Not all Keto breads are created equal. Timber Wolf and Winter White are the lowest carbs I’ve found that actually taste like full-flour bread. And they are 1 net carb a slice.  Naturally, I used this bread for my strata and it came out excellently. If you can’t find them locally, you can order online, but beware the expensive charges on Amazon. Go to the company’s website to see if you can order direct. Still not as low priced as buying them from the market, but much lower than the prices on Amazon and Wal-Mart pages.

Ham and Broccoli Strata

1/2 cup Broccoli florets, broken into small pieces
3 slices Keto bread (1 net carb per slice)
1 cup Pico de Gallo *
1/4 teaspoon Garlic, minced
8 slices deli Honey Ham, shredded or diced ham
1/4 cup Bacon pieces
1/2 cup shredded Pepperjack Cheese or your favorite cheese
4 Eggs
¼ cup heavy Whipping Cream
Salt and ground Black Pepper to taste

Alternative to Pico,  make your own: Put 1 medium tomato diced, 1/4 cup onion, diced, and 1 small green pepper (Jalapeno optional), cut into small pieces. Add 1/4 teaspoon dried Basil, 1/4 teaspoon Garlic, minced, and 1/4 teaspoon Oregano. Stir together and let sit for about 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch square casserole dish.

Steam the broccoli over hot water or for about 1 minute in the microwave.

In a large bowl, add steamed broccoli, bread cubes, tomato or Pico, ham, and pepper jack cheese together and mix together.

Use a separate bowl to beat eggs, cream, salt, and pepper together. Pour the egg mixture into the broccoli mixture and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the casserole dish and spread the filling evenly.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes until the eggs are set in the middle. Let rest about 5 minutes before cutting.

Makes 6 servings.

Note: If you don’t have a bread with 1 net carb per slice, add 0.5 carbs to each serving for each additional carb in the slice of bread. I used Inked Timber Wolfe bread, which is 1 net carb per slice. Other low carb or Keto breads may be 2 or even 3 carbs per slice, so adjust accordingly.

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

Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Recipes

Oh, Wow! Is this an apple fritter?

Photo: Apple Fritter Pancakes

If you love apple fritters, you’re gonna love these pancakes. I found this recipe at AllRecipes.com and it’s one from Chef John. I always find his recipes to be the bomb and this one is soooo good.

The only changes I made to it were to make it low carb, so you can enjoy without feeling guilty. I admit, I might have overcooked the one pancake a little bit, but it took a bit to get the stove to the right cooking level. It needs to cook at medium high so it gets done without getting too brown. My old gas stove is a little tricky, but once I locked in the right heat, they worked beautifully. I used a Fuji apple, but any firm apple will work.

Recipe by Chef John

Adapted to Low Carb by me

Apple Fritter Pancakes

1 large egg
1 tablespoon granulated Sugar Substitute
⅛ teaspoon ground Cinnamon, or to taste
1 pinch ground Ginger
1 pinch ground Nutmeg
¼ teaspoon Salt
⅛ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Apple , medium
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
½ cup low carb All-Purpose Flour*
¼ teaspoon Baking Powder
⅛ teaspoon Baking Soda
2 tablespoons melted Butter

* I used Carb Counters All Purpose Flour but DCC Baking Mix, Carbquick, Almond Flour and Coconut Flour will also work. If using the latter two, mix with one of the other flour options for a sturdier pancake.

Peel, core, and grate the apple and set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, add egg, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, kosher salt, and vanilla extract and whisk together until lightly foamy. Add the shredded apple and lemon juice and use a spatula to fold it into the sugar mixture until evenly combined.

In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and baking soda to combine. Add flour to the egg mixture and stir until the flour is incorporated. The batter will be thick but can be spooned easily.

Heat the skillet over medium heat, then add the butter and let it melt. Use a tablespoon to pour the apple batter in the melted butter and let cook about 3 minutes. Check the bottom to see if it is browned. If so, use a spatula to flip the pancakes. Cook about another 3 minutes and press the top of the pancake. If it springs back, it is done. Check that it is browned on the bottom side. Cook a little longer if it is still pale.

Serve. You can sprinkle a little sugar-free confectioner’s sugar over the top or use a sugar-free syrup with them if you wish. Makes about 6 3-inch pancakes.

Nutrition Information

Note: Nutrition information is based on the ingredients I used in this recipe and my measurements. They are a close calculation and may be slightly higher or lower. Ingredient substitutions may affect the carb count. Different brands of flour have different carb counts.

Hope you’ll try this recipe. Let me know what you think.

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Fall into Applesauce Scones

Applesauce Scones with craisings

Happy September, y’all.  (That’s my Texas roots showing.) We’re entering the last third of the year. Can you believe it? It seems like the time flew by although the summer heat in the northern hemisphere was something I’d rather avoid. But cooler temps are coming in over the next few days and it’s time to think about fall flavors.

I ran across this quick and easy scone recipe on AllRecipes.com and decided to adjust it to a low carb version. With the change in flour and other adjustments, it doesn’t resemble the base recipe much. One big change was using pecan flour in it.

I bought a bag of Fisher Nuts product and was delighted to see it is a zero-carb flour. Now, it isn’t great for everything you want to bake and it does have a nut grittiness to it. But for scones and some bread, it is a nice addition to the recipe. In this recipe, I used it for the larger flour amount and used almond flour for the rest.

The recipe has a variation on it using NuTrail Keto Granola in Cinnamon Pecan. More about that after the recipe. Also, both the craisins and pecans in this scone are optional. If you want to lower the net carb count, leave out the craisins or both. The pecans add very little to the count, but if you don’t like them, leave them out. If you can’t eat nuts, this recipe can be made with any low carb flour, such as Carbquik or DCC All Purpose Flour, that is not nut based.

Applesauce Scones with Pecans and Craisins

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Carbquik or other low carb baking mix
1/2 cup Almond Flour
2/3 cup Pecan Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 tablespoon Butter
1/4 cup Sugar Substitute
1 3.5-ounce container Unsweetened Applesauce
1 Egg, beaten
1 tablespoon Heavy Cream
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/3 cup Pecans, broken into pieces
1/3 cup Sugar-reduced Craisins

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (F.) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix the almond flour, pecan flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Slice butter into pieces and cut it into the dry ingredients until you have a crumbly mixture. Add the sugar substitute, applesauce, egg, cinnamon, and cream. Stir to mix the ingredients until all are incorporated. Do not over mix. Fold in craisins and pecans.

Scoop dough into 8 balls, place on prepared baking sheet, and press down gently. Pat the outer edges smooth. If desired, brush tops with additional heavy cream and sprinkle granulated sugar substitute over the top. Let sit on the counter for 30 minutes before baking.

Bake on the middle rack for 12-15 minutes. Serve warm with butter or clotted cream.

Makes 8 scones.

Note: Substituting pumpkin puree is 6.4 net carbs versus 6.6 net carbs for the applesauce.

The variation is almost the same. But in place of pecans, you use 1/4 cup of the Keto Granola Mix. (I purchased this at Sam’s Club. It also makes a very nice cereal for breakfast.) I used fewer craisins in this version, reducing the carbs a little. The Keto mix includes sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut chips, almonds, pecans, butter, cinnamon, and is sweetened with a monk fruit and erythritol blend, so I didn’t add any pecans. Again, you can eliminate the craisins and go with the granola.

The other variation is I used less of the pecan flour and used a low carb baking mix for the bulk of the flour.

Image: Applesauce scones with Keto Granola

Keto Granola Scones with Applesauce & Craisins

1 cup Carbquik or other low carb baking mix
1/2 cup Almond Flour
1/2 cup Pecan Flour
1/4 Keto Granola Mix (Sam’s Club)
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 tablespoon Butter
1/4 cup Sugar Substitute
1 3.5-ounce container Unsweetened Applesauce
1 Egg, beaten
1 tablespoon Unsweetened Coconut Milk
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 cup Sugar-reduced Craisins

Heat oven to 425 degrees (F.)  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix the low carb flour, almond flour, pecan flour, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl and add butter, broken into pieces. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until you have a crumbly mixture. Add the sugar substitute, applesauce, egg, cinnamon, and cream. Stir to mix the ingredients until all are incorporated. Do not over mix. Fold in craisins and granola.

Inside view of sconeScoop dough into 8 balls, place on prepared baking sheet, and press down gently. Smooth the outer edges with wet fingers. If desired, brush tops with additional heavy cream and sprinkle granulated sugar substitute over the top. Let rest on the counter for 30 minutes to allow the baking soda to work and the dough to relax.

Bake on the middle rack for 12-15 minutes. Serve warm with butter or clotted cream.

Makes 8 scones.