Category Archives: Desserts

Desserts

Best-Ever Brownies

Not just low carb, but overall, this is one of the best, if not the best, brownie I’ve had. It’s not as chewy as some, but the flavor is wonderful. The base recipe is from Chef Gregory Pryor at Tova Foods, the folks who make CarbQuick. I made few little modifications to it ’cause that’s just how I am. The result is great! And it’s hard to believe that it is only 2.2 grams of net carbs per piece. It’s rich enough that one piece is plenty for one sitting. Don’t just take my word for it, try it yourself.

Rich Chocolate Iced Brownies

6 tablespoons butter
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
1 cups Sugar Substitute
1 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon Mayonnaise
4 tablespoons CarbQuik
2 tablespoons Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
6 tablespoons Pecans or Walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F.). Use a 6×6″ deep-sided cake pan and cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom. This will make it easier to get the brownies out. Spray the bottom and the sides with a baking spray.

In a one quart pan over medium low heat, melt the butter and chocolate, stirring constantly until it is completely melted. Cool slightly and add the sugar substitute and stir until blended well. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat vanilla, mayonnaise, and eggs together using an electric mixer on high speed. Beat for five minutes. This will make a creamy mixture. Turn to low speed and add the chocolate mixture, beating until mixed in. Then add the CarbQuick or other low carb flour. (If you use a different low carb flour, add in 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder. This is included in the CarbQuick baking mix.) Mix until the flour is blended. Stir in nuts by hand. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the brownies spring back in the middle when you lightly press on them. The brownie should begin to pull away from the side of the pan at this point. Do not overcook.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Once the brownies are completely cool, spread the chocolate frosting over the top and cut into 3 x 3 squares. Top each square with a nut half.

Chocolate Icing

1 tablespoons butter
1 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, cut into pieces
1 cup powdered sugar substitute
2 tablespoons hot water

Put the butter and the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments until they are melted. Stir to mix them together, then add the powdered sugar and mix it in. Add enough hot water to make it easy to spread.

Ice your cooled brownies.

Note: To make powdered sugar substitute add the granulated sugar substitute of choice to a food processor and pulse until it powders. You can also buy powdered sugar substitute from a couple of different manufacturers. Swerve makes both granulated and powdered sugar as does LC Foods. I haven’t found any available at supermarkets, but they are available online. Swerve is sold through Amazon. Swerve is made with xylitol, a 0 calorie 0 carbohydrate sugar alcohol. (Not really an alcohol, but the result of refining sugar to produce the 0,0 product.)

Beef, Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Healthy Life, Main Dish, Vegetables & Salads

Induction Eating Plan Day 9

Today was a slow start day, so I took a short cut or two.  First, I skipped breakfast and just opted for an Atkins Lemon Bar. It’s 3 nc and I think it is safe for Induction. I couldn’t find any information on the box saying differently.  Then lunch was a leftover from earlier in the week as I finished off my fajita salad. It was less than what I had eaten at the restaurant, so I reduced the carbs accordingly, Therefore, the only new entrees were in the dinner and dessert.

Here’s the menu for the day:

Food NC
breakfast Atkins Lemon Bar 3
Coffee 1/2 tsp creamer 0.5
B12 Gummie 1
Lunch Fajita Salad leftover 6
Tea 0
dinner Steak 0
1.3 cup GG mashed cauli/bacon 3
sauteed zucchini 2.6
mini-cheesecake 1.6
Raspberry sauce 0.5
18.2

 

For an alternate breakfast option, try these Egg Puffs, little cupcake sized baked eggs. For induction, omit the tortilla pieces in it. They make great snacks as well.

 

A nice brunch alternative is this tasty Skillet Italian Frittata that has more sticking powder to it. It uses either turnips or kohlrabi or Daikon radish as a substitute for potatoes.

 

Now for the dinner options.  The main course is really simple as I used a bacon wrapped filet for the meat. You can purchase these ready to go at the grocery. Season with a 0 carb rubbing mix and toss them on the grill to cook or put them under the broiler. The problem I often have with bacon-wrapped items is getting the bacon done without over-cooking the meat. This is a particular problem when someone likes very rare meat. I cooked this on my broiled at 485 degrees (F) to try to slow the cooking a little and give the bacon a chance to crisp.

I paired this with Green Giant Mashed Cauliflower with bacon and cheese. This is a fairly new product from the Jolly GG and it is very good. The package contains about 4 servings, but I usually get 6 out of it by serving 1/3 cup of the potato substitute instead of 1/2 cup. The flavor and texture of the cauliflower mash is excellent.

The other side dish is a quick and easy saute of zucchini and tomatoes.

Zucchini with Tomatoes

1/2 cup Zucchini, sliced
6 Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoons Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet and add the garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds, then add the sliced zucchini and stir fry it until it is lightly browned on both sides. Add the tomatoes and cook for another minute.

Serves 2

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 58 Fat: 4.6 g Net Carbs: 2.6 g Protein: 0.8 g

Finally, for dessert, I went back to one of my favorites, cheesecake! Unlike the one I made earlier in this induction experiment, this cheesecake is baked so it is rich and creamy. I made it into 6 cupcakes for small, easy servings. At only 1.6 net carbs per cake, have two if you have the available carbs for the day.

Mini Creamy Cheesecakes

6 oz. Cream Cheese
1 large Egg
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 tablespoons Sour Cream
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Xylitol or liquid sucralose

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F.)

Place softened cream cheese and egg in a medium bowl and beat with a mixer until they are blended and creamy. Add 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla and beat until blended and smooth.

Put cupcake papers in a 6-well cupcake pan and spray with baking spray. Put two tablespoons of batter into each well, then distribute the remainder evenly over the wells.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the cakes are fully set.

While they are baking, prepare the topping. Put three tablespoons of sour cream in a bowl, add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 tablespoons sugar substitute. Mix well. When the cupcakes are set, spoon onto the top of each cake, then bake for another 10 minutes to cook the topping.

Chill for at least two hours in the refrigerator before serving. Serve as is or top with a teaspoon of sugar-free jam or jelly and/or a teaspoon of Cool Whip.

Makes 6 mini-cheesecakes.

Nutrition information without jam or whip cream per serving:
Calories: 124 Fat: 11.9 g Net Carbs: 1.6 g Protein: 3.3 g

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

Induction Eating Plan – Day 7

Here I am at the end of the first week of the two week period. So far, so good. And this week ended with something a little special, a delightful whipped cream cheese, pumpkin, and cream dessert.  For the most part, there were a couple of repeats in the plan. If I make enough for two and I’m the only one eating, the food comes back into the menu pretty quickly.

You’ll notice I seldom have snacks in my eating. When I do, they tend to be carb free and things like a cup of bullion, a stick of 0 carb cheese, a piece of chicken or maybe a low carb serving of pork rinds. The joy of a this life style is that there a lots of things you can eat if you’re hungry that don’t cost you any carbohydrates,

So here’s what I have for the day:

6/11/2017 Food NC
breakfast Flax Waffle 0.6
1 slice Bacon 0
Butter 0
Syrup 0
Coffee 1
B12 Gummie 1
lunch Mozzarella Grilled Cheese 2
Flaxmeal muffin 0.6
Sugar free pickle 1
Mayonnaise 0
dinner Grilled Chicken Kabab 4
Asparagus 1.9
Salad with pico 1.2
Pumpkin Mousse 3.1
Cool Whip 0.5
16.9

 

Breakfast was a repeat of the previous day with the Flax Waffle with bacon. I love this waffle, so it will be a staple in the future, although I have several other tasty waffle options.

For those who would like to try something else, how about a Scot’s Egg? These can be made the night before and either warmed up or eaten at room temperature, which makes them a great choice to take to work or school or wherever.

Scottish Eggs

Or possibly Scot’s Eggs, but not Scotch Eggs since there isn’t a trace of alcohol in them.  This is a low carb adaptation of the famous Scottish recipe for these delightfully tasty sausage and eggs that can be breakfast, lunch or dinner.  We used to take them to SCA weekends and they were wonderful when cold or just warmed by the sun as a snack or quick lunch.

4 medium-sized eggs, hard boiled
1 large egg, beaten (see Note)
1/2 lb ground sausage meat
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 teaspoon dried parsley. Crushed
1 tablespoon dried celeriac (optional)
1 tablespoon low carb flour or coconut flour
1/4 cup almond flour

Bring four eggs to room temperature, then place them in a pan of cold tap water. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat. Remove from the heat and let the eggs continue to cook in the water for another 9 or 10 minutes. Run cold water over the eggs or plunge them into a bowl of ice water. This helps separation from the shell. I’ve had best results when cooking them the day before (or hours before) and putting them in the refrigerator. When the eggs are cooled, peel them carefully.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Mix the sausage meat and seasonings together. Split meat into four equal balls, then flatten a ball of meat.

On a saucer, spread the coconut flour around. Beat the uncooked egg in a small bowl and use another shallow bowl to put the almond flour. Mix 1/2 teaspoon of dried sage and a pinch or two of salt and pepper into the almond flour.

Take one hard boiled egg, roll it in the coconut flour, then wrap the sausage around it, completely enclosing it. Seal the meat by pressing it with your fingers.

(See note) Dip the wrapped egg in the beaten egg, then roll in the almond flour. Place on the baking sheet, then repeat this with the other three eggs.

Bake for about 35 minutes. The sausage should be cooked completely through with no pink showing. If there is pink, then cook it a little longer.

Cut the eggs in half, if you wish, and serve with any sauce or dressing you would like or just eat as they are. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Info: per egg (with breading)
Calories: 328 Fat: 25.5 g Net Carbs: 2.5 g Protein: 19.2 g

Note: For induction, omit the flour coating, egg wash, and almond flour coating. It will reduce you net carbs by at least 1 carb.

My lunch was also a duplicate from earlier in the week, the flax meal muffin with mozzarella cheese, only I added two thin slices of ham in the middle. Delicious. Again, a filling and delightful lunch.

Dinner was Chicken Kabob. You can either prepare this on a grill or in the broiler. I went the broiler route.

Chicken Kabob

2 plump half-breasts of Chicken
1/2 Bell Pepper, red, green, or yellow
1/4 medium Red Onion
1 teaspoon BBQ Seasoning or other condiments of choice

You will need two large skewers

Cut the chicken into large cubes. Cut the bell peppers into quarters, then again across the middle to make 8 square or rectangular pieces. Cut the onion across the middle and separate the layers.

Thread the chicken, peppers, and onion onto the skewer in alternating pieces. Sprinkle seasonings on all sides.

Heat the broiler to 485 degrees (F.) or bring the grill to ready to cook temperature. If you’re using briquettes, this will take from 10 to 30 minutes depending on the type used.

In the broiler, cook the skewers about 5 minutes on each side, then check the temperature. They should be 165 degrees F. in the middle. If not quite there, cook another 5 minutes.

The grill will take about 35 minutes to cook. Turn over to cook each side.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories:163 Fat:3.2 g Net Carbs:4.0 g Protein: 27.4 g

Asparagus with Mayonnaise

This is a recipe I’ve had for ages and love. Very simple and so good!

10 plump Asparagus spear, trimmed
1 tablespoon Butter
2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Grated Parmesan Cheese

Melt the butter in a skillet and saute the asparagus until just tender, about 5 minutes.

In the hot broiler, put the spears side by side into two groups on a piece of aluminum foil, then spoon 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise on each bunch and spread around the middle. Sprinke 1/2 of the cheese on each bunch. Broil until the mayonnaise is lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Watch closely.

Use a pancake turner (spatula) to pick up the bunch and put on the serving plate.

Makes two servings.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories:17 Fat: 3.7 g Net Carbs: 2.0 g  Protein:3.0 g

And for dessert:

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Mousse

This is so easy you’ll want to make it often. And it’s completely legal on Induction. Use a mixer or blender to get this as smooth and creamy as possible. Don’t over-whip though.

4 oz. Cream Cheese
4 oz. Pumpkin Puree
4 oz. Heavy Whipping Cream
Pinch Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
Dash ground clove (optional)
2 tablespoons Sugar Substitute
1/3 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Blend cream cheese and pumpkin until they are smooth. Add rest of the ingredients and beat until whipped and fluffy.

Spoon into serving glasses and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Makes four 1/2 cup servings

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 212 Fat: 21 g Net Carbs: 3.1 g Protein: 3.2 g

That’s it for this day. Second week starts tomorrow.

Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Recipes

Yummy Crunchy Peanut Butter Bars

Unless you can’t eat peanuts, who doesn’t love peanut butter bars?  They are so tasty and satisfying.  And they can be low carb as well.  Incidentally, if you happen to be one who can’t eat peanuts, but you can eat almonds, you can make this with almond butter also.

I’ve seen several recipes for these bars, but this one is based on the one from Dixie Diner(tm). Of course, they would like you to use their sugar substitute and flour in it, but it works with any of the options available. I used CarbQuick and  Ideal Sugar in mine. If you aren’t concerned about the quantity of carbs in your food, lucky you, then go ahead and make these with regular flour and sugar.

Crunchy Peanut Butter Bars

1 cup Skippy Peanut Butter or other 4 nc per 2 tablespoons
1/4 cup Peanuts, chopped
1/4 cup Low Carb Flour
1/4 cup Sugar Free Chocolate Chips (optional)
1/4 cup Sugar Substitute
2 Egg Whites (boxed will work)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.) Prepare an 8×8 inch pan by spraying with baking spray or putting parchment paper on the bottom and spraying the sides with baking spray.

In a bowl, mix the peanut butter, egg whites, flour, and sugar substitute together until you have a nice, thick dough. Stir in the sugar-free chocolate chips if you are using them.

Spoon the dough into the baking pan and smooth with the back of a spoon. I used a 6×6 inch pan to get thicker bars, but it does make only eight bars, so higher carb’d ones.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the bars are golden brown. Let cool so they set up before cutting them into bars. To cut into twelve, cut across the middle of one side, then cut each section into three equal cuts. Then turn the pan and cut through the middle of the uncut side and you’ll have six long bars on each side of the middle cut.

If you chill them in the refrigerator, they will come out of the pan easier. You can also melt the sugar free chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons butter and use it as an icing on the top, if you wish.

Makes 12 bars.

Nutrition Information per bar:
Calories: 161.3 Fat: 13.3 g Net Carbs: 3.5 g Protein: 6.6 g

If you add in the chocolate chips, it adds about .2 grams of carbs to each bar.

Note: I specified Skippy Peanut Butter because I know that the carb count is 4 net carbs per 2 tablespoons and others are not. Some of the store brands (such as Wal-Mart, Raleys) are the same count. So check the net carbs to see that they are as low.

Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Product Review

Product Review: DCC Carrot Snacking Cake

 

Dixie Carb Counters puts out a big assortment of low carb mixes and meals. Previously, I’ve tried and really like several of their breads. So, I picked up a package of their Carrot Snacking Cake and one of their Cinnamon Swirl Snacking Cake. Last week, I made the carrot one, but instead of making it a cake, I made cupcakes – mainly because I didn’t have the correct size cake pan. It calls for a 9×9 inch pan.

The cake goes together quickly and easily. You need to add water, eggs, melted butter, and oil. Once mixed, pour it into the cake pan and bake. Add their topping flavorings to the cream cheese and once the cake is cooled, spread the icing over it. Simple and it makes nine servings, each about 2 net carbs each. The instructions say that you can add nuts and/or crushed pineapple, water-packed with the liquid drained off, if you wish and it will add about one net carb to the count.

As I mentioned, I made cupcakes and got a dozen normal-sized cupcakes from the mix. Nice surprise for me. They looked great and so delicious. Then PK and I tasted them. They are not sweet, came out somewhat dry, and there is an aftertaste. I went back to look at the instructions thinking that I should have added sugar substitute to them, but it didn’t call for it. The added spices for the cream cheese also didn’t have much sweetener in it, so that didn’t help either. If you don’t like your carrot cake sweet, then you might enjoy this, but to be honest, the dried carrots in it didn’t seem to have much flavor and it didn’t have the moist rich texture that carrot cake usually has.

I took the last six of the cupcakes, broke them into bits and added more sugar substitute, eggs, cream, vanilla, and a little whiskey and made bread pudding out of them. I got six individual cups of bread pudding. It tastes much better, but the after taste still lingers. This uses soy flour, which I don’t care for, but I think the low glycemic mono-sacharide is the culprit producing the after taste and I suspect it is saccharine, from which I’ve always detected a bitter aftertaste.

I think if I was to try these again, I would add more oil, at least 1/2 cup sugar substitute, and pineapple to help increase the moisture. I would also add about 1/2 cup powdered sugar substitute to the cream cheese. Incidentally, I had at least half of the cream cheese left over, so it could be made with 4 ounces of cream cheese instead of the whole 8 ounce block.

On a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the top of the flavor profile, I would give this a 2 when prepared as stated on the package.

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.