Category Archives: Breakfast & Brunch

Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Warming pumpkin pudding for breakfast

As the days begin to get shorter and turn chillier, I begin thinking about nice warming breakfast food, like oatmeal and cream of wheat. Sadly, those are both too high carb’d for me to enjoy, so I looked for around for other warming, cereal-like options that wouldn’t overload my carb count. This recipe is one I found on the internet and adjusted a little for my tastes. It is included as a bonus recipe in my LC15 Breakfast Choices booklet.

When I first read this recipe, I was a little skeptical. But I am willing to give most things a try, so I decided to mix it up. The recipe called for ricotta cheese, but I didn’t have any so I decided to try it with cream cheese. I also added a couple of ingredients to add more flavor and this turned into a delightful, creamy pudding-like breakfast cereal, similar to cream of wheat.

If you like pumpkin, this is a real treat. If you want, you can make it without the pumpkin and use other seasonings. You can also put a tablespoon of sugar-free jam of your choice in it. Apricot, peach, orange marmalade, and strawberry work well. Or you can stir in 1 or 2 tablespoons of sugar-free applesauce, peanut butter or almond butter in place of the pumpkin.

Hot Pumpkin Breakfast Pudding

1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese, Small Curd Cottage Cheese,  or Cream                     Cheese
1 Egg
3 tablespoons Pumpkin Puree’
1 to 2 tablespoons Sugar Substitute
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Ground Cloves
2 T Golden Flax Meal
1 tablespoon Butter
1/2 tablespoon Cream
1 pinch Salt
5 Pecan or Walnut halves, broken into pieces (optional)

If you’re using cream cheese, measure it into a microwave safe bowl and heat it for 15 seconds to soften. Add 2 tablespoons hot water and stir to mix the water into the cream cheese. It should be very liquid at this point. Add a little more water if needed. Stir in the egg, mixing very well so that the white is completely stirred into it.

Add pumpkin and seasonings at this point and stir them in.

In a non-stick skillet add 1/2 the butter and melt over medium heat. Spread the butter around the skillet, then add the egg & pumpkin mixture. Stir as it cooks so that it doesn’t form a pancake. Stir harder than you do for scrambled eggs.

As it begins to thicken, add the flax meal and nuts, if you are using them, and continue to stir until it is thick and looks done, about 30 to 40 seconds more.

Serve in a bowl with the rest of the butter and a little cream.

Makes one large serving. (While this is one serving, I find only half of it is enough to fill me.)

Nutrition Information:
Calories:358 Fat: 29.7 g Net Carbs: 4.5 g Protein: 14.3 g

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Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Apple Bread with Cinnamon

I’m continuing my celebration of the tastes of Fall with a real treat. Another staple of the fall season, although it is available year round these days, is the apple. If you’ve had an apple languishing in your kitchen for a while, it begins to get soft as it ripens and that’s the perfect time to make apple bread that tempts you with chunks of apple in the spiced dough.

You can make this with a combination of low carb flours, but don’t use all almond flour or all coconut flour as they tend to crumble. My recipe uses 1/4 coconut flour, which doubles in volume when it’s moistened,but use 1/2 cup with any other flour. I also used vanilla protein powder, which adds taste and texture, but you can substitute any other low carb flour for it.

1/2 cup Pecans or Walnuts, chopped (optional)
1 cup Apples, diced (about 1 medium)
3/4 cup Low Carb Flour
1/4 cup Coconut Flour
1/4 cup Vanilla Whey Protein Powder  (optional)
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 cup Coconut Oil
3 large Eggs
1 tablespoon Cinnamon, ground
1/2 tsp Clove, ground
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup Sugar Substitute

Core and chop the apple and it should yield about 1 cup. It’s not necessary to peel unless it has a tough skin. I used a Gala apple.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease or spray a small loaf pan with baking spray.

In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients – flours, protein powder, coconut flour, baking soda and baking powder. In a separate larger bowl, mix the liquid ingredients – eggs and coconut oil – with the white sugar substitutes and the vanilla. Mix in the flour. If the batter is too thick to stir easily, add enough water to stir the ingredients. Then stir in the apples and nuts. Spoon into the prepared bread pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, then test with a toothpick inserted in the middle. The toothpick should come out clean. If not, bake another 5 minutes and retest. You want it to be moist, but not undercooked. Let cool for about 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, then turn out onto a cooling rack or a plate.

Makes about 12 slices.

Nutrition Info per slice:
Calories: 188 Fat: 15.7 g Net Carbs: 3.8 g Protein: 6.1 g

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Pumpkin Muffin with a Twist

Pumpkin season is upon us, as if I actually wait for pumpkin season to enjoy one of my favorite flavors.  I usually buy extra canned pumpkin in the fall in case there’s a shortage by the beginning of summer.  Just recently, I read that the pumpkin in the can isn’t pumpkin, but a mixture of winter squashes.  That could be.  I do know that jack-o-lantern pumpkins aren’t like cooking pumpkins and there is a pie pumpkin that is a better flavor and texture for it.  But even if the pumpkin is really a mixture of various squashes, which could include pumpkin, the real flavor comes from the spice combination you add to it.  So butternut squash, acorn squash, kobacha, or pumpkin, you still get a delicious result.

I often miss the muffins that are big, moist, and loaded with carbohydrates. No matter how you cook it, the low carb muffin won’t be the same, but I have come up with a plan to make a big, tasty low carb muffin that is satisfying.  It uses a muffin-in-a-minute approach to get a big fluffy muffin, then you bake it for a short time to finish it off and it magically resembles a baked muffin in flavor and texture.  Try it and you might find it will become a favorite.

While I use a combination of flours to make my muffins, you can use all one type of low carb flour or baking mix.  I don’t recommend all coconut flour.

Pumpkin Pecan Magic Muffin

1 tablespoon Low Carb Flour
1 tablespoon Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
1 teaspoon Coconut Flour
1 Egg
2 tablespoon Pumpkin Puree
1 tablespoon Oil
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
2 tablespoons Sugar Substitute
Pinch salt
5 Pecan halves, broken into pieces (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.)

In a microwaveable bowl, break the egg and add the oil, then stir vigorously with a whisk or a thin spatula until the egg is well mixed. Add the seasonings, salt and sugar substitute and mix well. Then add the flours and stir in until completely mixed.

Microwave for one minute. Let cool and set a few minutes. Prepare a baking pan by spraying with cooking spray. Turn the partially cooled muffin onto the pan. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes until lightly browned.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar substitute or cinnamon and sugar substitute mix and serve warm or cooled.

Makes 1 muffin.

Nutrition information per muffin:
Calories: 346 Fat: 33 g Net Carbs: 4.2 g Protein: 17.6 g

If you give this a try, let me know how you like it.

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Jams

Magic Almond Flour Muffin and Apple Butter

One of the hardest things for a bread lover on a low carb lifestyle is to pass up the delicious artisan breads, the yummy muffins, and San Francisco sour dough.  All right, I make an exception for sour dough… and a few other too tempting breads, but you can’t do it often and it’s hard to limit your indulgence.

But you can whip up some delicious breads that are made with low carb flours and nut flours.  It just means stocking some of these flours in the house.  I especially like to make what I call “Magic Muffins” for breakfast.  They are a variation on the Atkins Muffin in a Minute in that I use low carb flours in them.  I also frequently use Vanilla Whey Protein Powder.  I use a brand that has less than one net carb in a tablespoon, so it’s easy to add without adding much to the carb count.

This recipe for a muffin made with almond flour and coconut flour is delicious and kind of resembles an English muffin.  The ingredients are mixed in a small bowl and cooked for one minute in the microwave, then I loosen it from the bowl, let it cool about 5 minutes and cut it across the middle to put in the toaster.  It’s sturdy enough to stand up to toasting and the flavor is really good.  Add some butter and jam or apple butter on top and it’s a real treat.  It’s also gluten-free.

Almond Flour Magic Muffin

2 tablespoons Almond Flour
1 teaspoon Coconut Flour
1 teaspoon Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (optional)
1 Egg
1 tablespoon Oil
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt
1 tablespoon Sugar Substitute

In a straight-sided microwavable bowl, stir the egg, oil, cinnamon and sugar substitute together until they are completely blended and no white strings of egg are visible. I use a rubber spatula with a small head for this. Stir in the almond and coconut flours and protein powder (if using) until they are thoroughly mixed in. Be sure to scrape the sides down.

Cook in the microwave for 1 minute. Take out, loosen the edges, and let cool for about 5 minutes to set up. Use a knife with a serrated edge to cut the muffin in half. Toast in a toaster or in the oven until browned to your liking. The longer you cook it, the crisper it gets.

Spread with butter and apple butter for a delicious breakfast or anytime treat.  Makes 1 muffin.

Nutrition Information (without protein powder)
Calories: 292 Fat: 26.2 g Net Carbs: 3.4 g Protein: 9.7 g

Nutrition Information (with protein powder)
Calories: 319.5 Fat: 26.2 g Net Carbs: 3.6 g Protein: 16 g

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

This is a recipe I found on at detoxinista’s web site for making no sugar added apple butter in a slow cooker. I followed her recipe almost exactly except I substituted in 1/4 cup diet cranberry juice for the water and I used Gala apples instead of Fuji, but the recipe works with almost any apple. It doesn’t use any additional sugar and the scent in the house is absolutely tantalizing while it cooks.

3 pounds Apples, cored and sliced or chopped
2 teaspoons ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
1/4 cup Oceanspray Diet Cranberry Juice

After you’ve cored and chopped the apples, put the in the slow cooker and add the seasonings and cranberry juice. You don’t need to peel the apples. The peels will cook down and blend in once they are pureed. Stir all the ingredients together, then turn the cooker on to low, cover and cook for five to six hours until the apples are falling apart soft. Use an immersion blender to puree the apples or put them into a food processor or blender to puree. I used a hand held drink blender and it worked beautifully.

Cover the pot loosely and cook another two to three hours until the mixture becomes a thick, spreadable butter. Turn off and let cool, then spoon into jars. I got 4 eight oz. jars from the 3 pounds, but you may get more or less, depending on how thick you want your butter.

Makes 3 to 4 cups of apple butter. A serving is 1 tablespoon

Nutrition Information per serving: (based on 48 servings)
Calories: 15.2 Fat: 0.1 g Net Carbs: 3.3 g Protein: 0.1 g

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

Delicious Chorizo Egg Muffins for Cinco de Mayo

Happy Cinco de Mayo! No better way to celebrate this festive holiday than with a spicy Mexican style dish and that’s just what this little egg muffin is.  It’s a little late for breakfast today, but the party goes on all week.  Heck, we went to the Star Trek Experience at the Grand Sierra Hotel last Sunday (fabulous, by the way) and the parking lot was packed with people going to the Cinco de Mayo street fair set up in the side parking lot.  No doubt in my mind that it’s running through this weekend.  Besides you don’t need a holiday to spice up your breakfast and these egg muffins make a great lunch also.

Chorizo Egg Muffins

Slightly spicy, with vegetables in it. The kohlrabi is like adding potatoes to the mix and spinach and onion add to the taste and nutrition. The golden flax meal brings a bit of a taste of cornmeal with no carbs and extra fiber for a great breakfast start.

6 Eggs
1/4 cup Kohlrabi, cubed
1/4 cup Spinach, fresh, chopped
2 medium Scallions, sliced
4 oz. Texas Chorizo or Mexican Chorizo
1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream
3 tablespoons Golden Flax Meal

Heat oven to 365 degrees (F.) Spray 6 to 8 muffin wells or individual muffin cups with baking spray.

Cook kohlrabi in the microwave for a minute or in boiling water for two to three minutes until tender. Cool. Slice the cubes into smaller pieces.

In a bowl, break the eggs and beat with a whisk, then add the ricotta cheese and cream and whisk until mixed in. Add vegetables, chorizo, flax meal and seasoning and mix well. You may have to separate the chorizo into small pieces before adding if it is the more solid variety. If you use the Mexican chorizo, it has a chili sauce mixed into it and the egg muffins will have a redder color from it.

Use a 1/4 or 1/3 cup measure to scoop and pour the egg mixture into the muffin cups. They should be almost full. Top with shredded cheese. Bake for 30 minutes until they are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out cleanly.

Let cool for a few minutes before serving. May be refrigerated or frozen.

Makes 7 or 8 egg muffins

Nutrition Info per muffin
Calories: 212.8 Fat: 16.6 Net Carbs: 1.4 g Protein: 13.2