Category Archives: Breakfast & Brunch

Breakfast & Brunch, Main Dish, Pork, Recipes

A Touch of Cajun in this spicy frittata

Photo: Cajun Frittata with salad

Eggs baked into a quiche or a frittata is one of my favorite ways to prepare them. In many ways, a frittata is like a quiche without the crust, but I think it is much more flexible than the classic dish. It’s the more rustic cousin. The possibilities for fillings are numerous, so you can prepare it often and have a different recipe each time.

I bought some Cajun sausages made almost locally in Carson City, Nevada at our grocery store. They are spicy and delectable, so I decided to try them in a frittata. They brought just enough pepper to the dish to satisfy my desire for spicy food.

Sometimes a frittata has potatoes or zucchini in it, but for this one, I went with the low carb choice of a turnip chopped up. When fresh, they have a delightful taste. A bit of sugar substitute while cooking adds a touch of sweetness to them. If you don’t like turnips, then chop up zucchini instead.

Photo: Cajun Sausage Frittata in Skillet

Cajun Sausage Frittata

4 slices Bacon, cut into pieces and cooked
1/2 cup Onions, chopped
1/2 cup Sweet Mini Peppers or Bell Peppers, chopped
1/4 up Mushrooms, sliced or chopped
4 large Eggs
3 tablespoons Whipping Cream
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 or 2 Cajun Style Andouille Smoked Pork Sausage
1 cup Cheddar Cheese,shredded
1 cup Turnips, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Put the cubed turnips into a bowl, add 1 teaspoon water, a pinch of sugar substitute, and microwave for 2 minutes. Turnips should be fork tender, but not falling apart. Drain and set aside.

Slice the sausage into 1/4-inch pieces.

In a bowl, mix the eggs, whipping cream, salt, and pepper together. Add any additional spice you might like, such as a little red pepper or Italian seasoning.

Cook the bacon pieces in an oven safe 8-inch skillet, such as cast iron or copper. Cook the chopped onions, mushrooms, and sweet peppers in the same skillet until just tender. Add the turnips and mix the vegetables together well.

Stir the egg mixture and add in 1/2 cup of the cheese, then pour over the vegetables in the skillet. Lift the pan to distribute the egg mixture over all the vegetables, then let the eggs cook for about three to five minutes until they are beginning to set.

Bake in the oven for about 8 minutes until the eggs are almost done. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and bake another 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

For a crisp topping, you can put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes.

Makes 4 to 6 servings, depending on appetite or if you’re serving it with a salad or fruit.

Nutrition Information per serving for 4 servings:
Calories: 375 Fat: 26.6 g Net Carbs:6.3 g Protein:25.1 g

Nutrition Information per serving for 6 servings:
Calories: 250 Fat:17.8 g Net Carbs: 4.1 g Protein:16.7 g

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

Celebrate with a Chorizo Frittata

Photo of Chorizo Frittata by Rene Averett

With Cinco de Mayo–a really good day to celebrate all things Mexican–just around the corner, so to speak, I thought it would be a good time to try a couple of new Mexican food recipes. Although I’m not sure this frittata would be classified as Mexican, it does have all the flavors of the culture. In Spain or Portugal, this would be called a Chorizo Tortilla, but not so much in Mexico where the tortilla is a thin flatbread versus an egg frittata.

The base recipe for this came from Atkins, but I changed quite a bit about it and I think it’s safe to say it’s my adaptation. I added turnips into it although you can also use potatoes. To keep the carbs low, stick with turnips. If you have lots of carbs to play with, then go with potatoes. You could also substitute in thinly sliced zucchini, Mexican variety of course. (They’re a little more rounded than the normal type.)

Photo of frittata in pan.
Chorizo Frittata in cast iron pan before serving.

Chorizo and Chiles Frittata

1/2 lb. Chorizo sausage, Basque-style
1 medium Turnip, sliced thinly
4 large Eggs
1/4 medium Onion, chopped
4 oz. can Green Chiles, chopped
1 tablespoon Jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 small Tomato, diced or chopped
1/2 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 cup Cheddar Jack Cheese or Mexican Cheese Combo mix
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon Butter

Peel and slice the turnip or potato into thin slices. Bring a pan of water to a boil and cook for about three to five minutes until the slices are fork tender. This may vary depending on how thick the slices are. OR put the slices into a bowl, cover with a plate and put in the microwave for 2 minutes. Drain off any water and set aside.

Break the eggs into a bowl, whisk until mixed and slightly frothy, add the seasonings, chiles, and tomatoes. Add 1/2 cup of cheese. Set aside.

In a medium-sized cast iron or other oven-safe, deep skillet, add a little oil and sauté the onions until they are just slightly cooked. Remove to a plate. Lower the heat to medium-high.

Add the chorizo broken into small pieces or thin slices and cook until all pieces are seared. Remove the chorizo from the pan. Add butter and let it melt, then add layer the turnip slices over the bottom of the pan and cook for a couple of minutes until they begin to brown, then turn them over. Cook another minute or so, then add the chorizo on top of the turnips.

Stir the egg mixture and pour over the top of the chorizo and turnips. Let cook for about four to six minutes, lifting the sides of the bottom with a spatula occasionally.

Turn on the broiler. Be sure to use a potholder when picking up the skillet. Place the skillet under the broiler and cook for three minutes. Pull the pan out carefully and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Return to the broiler for another two minutes to melt the cheese.

Remove to a heat safe surface and let the frittata set for about five minutes before cutting. Serve with sour cream and/or guacamole if desired.

Makes four servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 485.3 Fat: 39.6 g Net Carbs: 4.2 g Protein: 26.5 g

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches

Low Carb Pancake Chicken Sandwich

I recently saw a post that featured pancakes used in various ways, including the “dutch baby” pancake, which is like a giant popover. For some reason, it hadn’t occurred to me to use a pancake to make a sandwich. By making the batter savory, you can easily cook a pair of sandwich-bun-sized cakes and make a delicious and satisfying sandwich. I made two–a chicken sandwich and a ham sandwich to test out the recipe. Wonderful and easy to do!

So, if you’re looking for an easy bread substitute, you might want to try this one. I used DCC Baking Mix, Carbquick, and flax meal in mine, but you can also use almond flour, coconut flour, soy flour or any other low carb flour to make them. I suggest at least two varieties of flour to give them more strength. Coconut flour breaks easily, almond flour a little less, so combining them makes it sturdier. You also need to let them cool before using them to make your sandwich as that allows them to set up better.

Pancake Chicken Sandwich

A twist on the chicken sandwich adds a savory pancake in place of the bread.

For pancakes:
1 Egg
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Low Carb Flour
1 tablespoon Golden Flax Meal
1 tablespoon Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/8 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/8 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/8 teaspoon Onion Powder
Pinch Red Pepper
Pinch Salt
1 Tablespoon Heavy Cream or 2 tablespoons Almond Milk
1 tablespoon Water (don’t add if using Almond Milk)
1/4 teaspoon Sugar Substitute
1 tablespoon Butter

For the sandwich:
2 slices Bacon, cooked until crisp
Sliced Chicken (however much you prefer)
Piece of Lettuce
1 slice Cheese of choice (optional)
2 slices Tomato (optional)
Mayonnaise or Mustard to preference.

In a small bowl, add egg, olive oil, and sugar substitute and mix well with a whisk or a spatula. Add the cream and water (or almond milk) and stir or whisk. Add the flour and flax meal along with the Parmesan cheese and seasonings. Mix together.

Put a skillet over medium heat burner and heat until a drop of water skitters across it. Add butter and melt it, then put three tablespoons of batter in the pan. If there is room for two, do the second one, otherwise, cook them one at a time. The batter should spread out to form about a 4″ thin circle. It will be thicker than a crepe, but not as thick as a regular pancake. Let cook until the top looks dry around the edges and little bubbles break through. Turn and cook another couple of minutes until lightly browned.

Put on a plate, then do the rest of the pancakes. This recipe makes about three, but you only use two for the sandwich. Put the other one away to use with your morning eggs.

Assemble your sandwich. Put mayonnaise or mustard on both pancakes, then put lettuce on one, topped by the cheese and the chicken. Put the bacon on top of the chicken, then the other pancake on top. It will hold together pretty well while you’re eating it. I had uneven slices of chicken that tried to escape, so this would work better with even slices. You can also make a ham sandwich with it.

Makes one sandwich.

Nutrition information per sandwich;
Calories: 526 Fat: 31.6 g Net Carbs: 4.7 g Protein: 19.2 g

Per Pancake only:
Calories: 139.4 Fat: 13.3 g Net Carbs: 0.8 g Protein: 4.1 g

Ham and cheese sandwich. This could probably be popped into the microwave for about 20 seconds to melt the cheese.

The only thing that changes for the ham sandwich is a slice or two of ham, depending on the thickness, instead of the chicken and no bacon.

Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Recipes

Spring Delightful Strawberry Tea Cake

Photo: Spring Strawberry Cake

Here’s a simple and simply delicious cake that is perfect for a tea or brunch or with coffee in the morning. It’s also great as dessert. It only uses five ingredients and to be honest, when I first saw it I kept wondering where the butter or oil was in it, but it works just fine without it. The original four-ingredient recipe is at Leylita.com.

I adapted it to low carb flours so it isn’t carb-laden. I used a combination of DCC’s Bakesquick, Carbquick, and almond flour. You can use whichever flours you choose. Although the textures may vary, the cake should work with any of them. If you use coconut flour, use 1/2 the amount called for and add an extra egg to get the rise and possibly additional water as the coconut flour gobbles up liquid. Whether you are using all nut flours or soy flour, it’s better to use a combination for both flavor and texture.

Strawberry Tea Cake

Photo: Close up of slice

Easy to make. Try it with fresh cut up peaches also.

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Sugar Substitute
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons Low Carb Flour
2 Eggs
1-1/2 cup Fresh Strawberries, quartered
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a 6×6-inch baking pan by greasing and flouring with low carb flour. I put a piece of parchment paper on the bottom, which makes it much easier to remove.

In a medium bowl, add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla and whisk or beat with mixer with blended and creamy-looking. Add the flour two or three tablespoons at a time and stir in gently until all is mixed in. The batter will be thick, but if it is too hard to stir, add about a tablespoon of water.

Save a few berries back for the topping and stir the rest into the batter. Top with saved berries. Pour into the prepared baking pan.

Bake 5 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 30 minutes until lightly browned. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean if it is done.

Cool about 10 minutes, then flip it onto a serving plate. You should be able to turn it over or flip it onto a different plate if it seems like it will break if you try to turn it.

Makes six servings.

Nutrition Information per servings:
Calories: 97 Fat: 6.3 g Net Carbs: 4.2 g Protein: 5.7 g

Will you give this recipe a try? You won’t regret it. Post your comments below if you make it.

Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Light and Delicious Ricotta Pancakes

A light and delicious breakfast treat, these little pancakes are satisfying in the way toast and jam is. I used homemade sugar-free cranberry sauce as a filling, but you can also use strawberries or blueberries in them. The carbs come out about the same.

1 tablespoon Butter, melted
1 Egg
3 tablespoons Ricotta Cheese, whole milk
1 tablespoon Sugar Substitute
1 tablespoon Cream
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 tablespoons Low Carb Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 cup chopped Nuts (Pecans, Walnuts, Almond)

In a medium-sized bowl, add the melted butter, egg, ricotta cheese, cream, vanilla extract and sugar and whisk together well. Mix baking powder and flour together and gently stir into the egg mixture. Add chopped nuts and stir them through the batter. Add a tablespoon of water if the batter is too thick.

Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over medium high heat until a drop of water sizzles on it. Reduce the heat a little. Put two tablespoons of batter on the griddle for each pancake. They should be about 3 inches across. Unless you have a large griddle, you can cook two at a time easily. Cook for about 2 to 2-1/2 minutes until bubbles break through the pancake and the batter appears to be set. Turn to cook the other side for 1 to 2 minutes until it is lightly browned.

Remove to a warm plate to keep warm. Prepare the remaining batter into two more pancakes. Butter and serve with syrup or jam.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 246 Fat: 21.9 g Net Carbs: 3.4 g Protein: 8.9 g

With Cranberries/no nuts
Calories:252.6 Fat: 22.0 g Net Carbs: 4.4 g Protein: 9.0 g