Category Archives: Recipes

Appetizers, Recipes

Tastes of the Season: Holiday Cheeseball

If you’re like me, you can be sorely tempted at a holiday party this time of year.  When you have several to attend and you can bring a side dish or appetizer, you can at least make sure something you bring is low in carbohydrates. This past weekend, I had two parties to contribute a dish and I made two easy to make options that didn’t stress my low carb allotment, although a couple of the other goodies at them did make it tough. I’m posting the recipe for one of them today and I’ll put the other one up later in the week.

This one is based on a recipe from All Recipes with a couple of changes to suit my tastes, such as adding taco seasoning to give it a bit of spice.  It looks really cute on the table and is as delicious as it is attractive.

Seasoned Yule Tree Cheeseball

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon dehydrated minced onion or 3 tablespoons fresh minced onion
2 tablespoons Taco Seasoning
1 teaspoon Garlic Pepper, freshly ground

1/2 red bell pepper
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons Sliced Almonds (optional)

If using dehydrated onions, add the minced onion to about 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl and let sit until most of the water is absorbed. If you use three tablespoons of fresh minced onion, omit this step.

In a large bowl, add cream cheese and use a mixer to whip until creamy. Add cheese, minced onions, taco seasoning and garlic pepper and mix until completely combined. Use a wooden spoon or paddle to pull the cream cheese together into a ball.

Cover a plate with plastic wrap, then form the ball into a cone-shaped tree. Put in the refridgerator to chill until firm, about 1 to 2 hours.

When ready to decorate, cut the bell pepper into short strips and cut out a top decoration, such as a star or a circle, or whatever you would like. Chop the parsley sprigs or pull them off for longer greenery.

Press the parsley into the cheeseball tree to give it a lush green tree look. Add pieces of the bell pepper to form decorations or garlands on the tree. Top with the your topper choice. Add a few sliced almonds to make additional decorations.

Chill until ready to serve, then carefully use a wide spatula to slide under the cheeseball and move to a serving platter. Serve with low carb crackers or vegetables to keep the treat low carb.

Makes about 20 servings.

Nutrition Information per 1 serving:
Calories:106.2 Fat: 10.0 g Net Carbs: 1.7 g Protein: 3.1 g

Tip: If you’re having a small party or a family dinner, this recipe can be halved easily to serve 8 to 10 people.  Or make a full recipe, split it in half and make two trees for different parties. 

Other appetizer recipes for the holidays – click on the images:

Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Tomato Spinach Cheese Puffs

 

Tamale Pie ‘Shrooms

 

 

 

Desserts, Recipes

Tastes of the Season: Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Think cookies are not in your holiday celebrations? Well, you can have your cookies without worrying about over-doing your carb in-take if you make your own. They can be surprisingly low carb, like this little cookie. The trick is to not eat too many of them at one time.

Based on a chocolate crinkle cookie recipe I ran across, this low carb version replaces the flour with low carb flour and sugar substitutes. I used Bakesquick and a little coconut flour when I made them and they worked fine. I believe almond flour will work, but might benefit from a little coconut or soy flour with it. These do not create the distinct crinkles you get with regular flour and the powdered sugar substitute melts into the chocolate while cooking where the regular stuff won’t do that, apparently, but the taste is excellent. Just sprinkle a little more powdered sugar substitute on each cookie after they cool a little. Best of all, each cookie is about 1/2 net carb each! How can you beat that?

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

3/4 cup LC all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Sugar Substitute
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon Peppermint Extract or Syrup (adjust to taste)
2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
1 egg
2 tablespoons Egg Whites
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
powdered sugar substitute, as needed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.) Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a small microwavable bowl, place broken pieces of bakers chocolate and microwave in 20 second intervals until the chocolate can be stirred with a spoon. Takes about one minute, depending on the microwave. Or you can put the chocolate in a double-boiler of simmering hot water until it melts.Let cool a little.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil and melted chocolate. Beat in egg, then egg white, and add peppermint extract. Mix until well blended.

In another bowl, mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into the batter bowl in 3 to 4 batches, mixing each batch in before adding the next one.

Set the dough aside to rest 15 minutes. In a small bowl or cup, add about 1/2 cup powdered sugar substitute.

Use a spoon to scoop about 3/4 tablespoons of dough and form into a ball, then roll in powdered sugar to coat. Set on the parchment papered cookie sheet and repeat until you’ve used all the dough.

Place cookie sheet in oven and bake for 10-11 minutes. Cookies should be just set in the center. Remove and let cool a few minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to continue cooling.Sprinkle a little more powdered sugar over the top.

Delicious served at room temperature or slightly warmed, but also good cold.

Makes 18 to 20 cookies

Nutrition Information per cookie:
Calories: 53.6 Fat: 4.8 g Net Carbs: 0.5 g Protein: 1.8 g

Breakfast & Brunch

Tastes of the Season: Orange Cranberry Pancakes

Cranberry Orange Pancakes

I love this time of year when Fall gives way to Winter and the holidays roll around. It’s a good time to reflect on everything that’s happened in the past year and beginning planning for the next year. So, I want to celebrate this month with Tastes of the Season recipes; those wonderful dishes with flavors that remind us of the joy of the holidays.

Orange is a flavor that is oddly associated with Christmas for me. I think it must be because we always had apples and oranges in our Christmas stockings, thanks to places like Florida and California who produce them in the winter. Now we can also get them from Mexico. Cranberry is another seasonal favorite, although I enjoy them year round. These two flavors were made for each other. They go well in cakes, cookies, bread, jam, and pancakes!

I found an orange pancake recipe that made me chuckle. It called for 1 teaspoon of orange zest. That was it for the orange. Like it’s going to give much flavor? Actually, I don’t think orange zest brings a lot to the party, and it can be bitter. Not to mention, you now have a naked orange that will shrivel in a short time if you don’t use it.

Wanting to stay low carb, I decided to try to make my own version of Denny’s Cranberry Pancakes with Orange Sauce by taking it a step further and making  Cranberry Orange Pancakes. The sauce is similar to the chain’s, but not as sweet.  I, personally, think they’re better.

Cranberry Orange Pancakes with Orange Cream Sauce

Recipe by Rene Averett

2 tablespoons Ricotta Cheese, whole milk
1 tablespoon Heavy Whipping Cream
2 tablespoons Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (optional)
2 tablespoons Canola Oil
2 Eggs fresh
1/4 cup Low Carb Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Sugar Free Orange Drink Mix
1 tablespoon Sugar substitute
1/4 cup fresh Cranberries, chopped or cut into small pieces

For Topping
1 ounce Cream Cheese, softened
2 tablespoons Butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon Sugar Free Orange Drink
1 tablespoon Heavy Cream
2 to 3 tablespoons Powdered Sugar Substitute

If you don’t use the protein powder, increase the low carb flour by 2 tablespoons. You may use a mix of low carb flours, such as Bakesquick, Carbquick, LC Foods Flour, Almond Flour, or Soy Flour.

Make the topping first. Use a mixer or small food processor to cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add the cream, orange drink, and sugar and mix together completely. Add a drop of yellow and a drop of red food coloring if you want an orange color. Your drink mix might be enough to turn it a light orange. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, add the eggs, ricotta cheese, drink mix, cream, and oil. Stir until well mixed. Add low carb flour, Protein powder (if using) and baking powder. Mix together until the batter is blended and completely moist. If it is too thick, add a little water to thin. You want a pretty thick batter, but it should be spreadable. Stir in the chopped cranberries.

Heat a non-stick pan or griddle until a drop of water sizzles on it, then spray with cooking spray and add the batter for one or two pancakes, about three tablespoons of batter per pancake, depending on how large your skillet is. Lower the heat to a medium high heat, cover with a lid and cook until the top is only slightly moist, then turn with a spatula. Cook the bottom another couple of minutes.

Butter the pancakes, if you wish, then spoon or spread the topping over them and serve.

Makes 2 servings of 2 pancakes each.

Nutrition Information per serving pancakes only:
Calories: 275 Fat: 23.7 g Net Carbs: 3.8 g Protein: 10.9 g

Nutrition Information per serving orange topping only:
Calories: 159 Fat: 17.3 g Net Carbs: 0.7 g Protein: 1.2 g

Desserts, Recipes

Happy Thanksgiving and a Dessert Recipe

As those of us in the U.S. sit down on Thursday to give thanks for the blessings of the past year, we expect to enjoy a wonderful feast with family and friends. Sadly, there are many people who won’t be in the same position. With the disasters, fighting, and other acts of violence around the world, some people are not so fortunate as others. Please remember them in your prayers and thoughts this holiday.

From a low carb stand point, you can have a lovely holiday dinner without exceeding your carb max too much. This blog has many suggestions for side dishes, main course, soups, and, of course dessert.

For starters, try these dessert options:

Traditional Pumpkin PIe

 

 

  Traditional Pumpkin Pie

 

 

Pumpkin and Cranberry Nut Muffins

 

Pumpkin and Cranberry Muffins

 

 

Pumpkin Cheesecake – makes about 12 servings.

 

Pumpkin Cheesecake

 

 

 

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

 

 Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

 

 

 

And here’s one I just whipped together yesterday that is light, delicious, and just hits the spot after a heavy meal. You can make the crumble with almond flour or with the even lower carb’d mix from LC Foods for their Granola & Cookie Bites. Either way, it’s a winner!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Parfait

Pumpkin Cheesecake Parfait

1/4 cup Almond Flour or 1/4 cup LC Foods Granola & Cookie Mix
2 tablespoons Butter, melted
1 tablespoon Sugar Substitute *
4 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup Pumpkin Puree
1/ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
1 teaspoon Crystallized Ginger, chopped or sliced into small pieces (optional)
1/2 cup Heavy Cream, whipped
1/4 cup Powdered Sugar Substitute

• If using Granola mix, this isn’t needed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.)

In a small bowl, mix the almond flour or granola mix with butter. If you’re using almond flour, add 1 tablespoon sugar substitute. Mix together well and press out onto a pie tin or other small baking sheet. It should be about 3/8ths inch thick. Bake for about 10 minutes, check at 7 minutes, until lightly toasted. Let cool and break apart with a wooden spoon or spatula into small crumbs. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, add the heavy cream and beat with electric mixer until it thickens. Add 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract and 1/4 cup powdered sugar substitute, then continue mixing until stiff peaks form. Cover and refrigerate.

In a larger bowl, add the cream cheese and beat until smooth. Add the pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup powdered sugar substitute, vanilla, and spices. Beat until completely mixed together, then mix in three-fourths of the whipped cream. Put the rest back in the refrigerator for the topping.

Cover the bowl of pumpkin cream mixture and refrigerate at least two hours.

To serve, put about 1-1/2 tablespoons in the bottom of four to six small serving glasses or juice glasses. Press the almond or granola crumbs into the bottom to form a shallow crust. Spoon in the pumpkin mixture, about 4 tablespoons in each glass, until it is almost full. Top with a sprinkling of the crumb mix, a dollop of whipped cream then a few more sprinkles of the crumbs and a little chopped ginger.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Made with LC-Granola & Cookie Mix
Nutrition Information per serving (4 servings):
Calories: 311.5 Fat: 28.3g Net Carbs: 5.7 g Protein: 4.4 g

Nutrition Information per serving (6 servings):
Calories: 207.7 Fat: 18.9 g Net Carbs: 3.9 g Protein: 0.9 g

Made with Almond Flour
Nutrition Information per serving (4 servings):
Calories: 317 Fat: 30.3 g Net Carbs: 6.3 g Protein: 5.1 g

Nutrition Information per serving (6 servings):
Calories: 211.3 Fat: 20.2 g Net Carbs: 4.2 g Protein: 3.4 g

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Desserts, Recipes

Quick Apple Pie Dessert for One

Over half-way through November and I haven’t posted anything this month! I’m in the midst of NaNoWriMo, which is National Novel Writing Month in which writers spend as much time as possible working to write novel in November. Pick a busy time of year and put this huge challenge into it! The goal is 50,000 words, but the novel is actually longer than that, but I have reached the target and the novel is over three-quarters done at 75,000 words. So that’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it.

The down side of NaNo is that I don’t do much cooking during the month so new recipes aren’t emerging and eating out is adding more weight to my body. It’s  constant tug, isn’t it? But I did make this snappy little dessert a couple of nights ago and I think you might enjoy it.

Apple Pie Compote with Cranberry

With all the flavors of a rich apple pie, this little quick-to-make compote is a warm taste of Fall in a dessert bowl. Made in the microwave, it comes together quickly and makes one delicious serving. For more servings, simply double the recipe for 2 or triple it for 3. I used reduced sugar Craisins to add a bit of color and tartness to it. Check the carb count on these or use chopped cranberries to reduce the carbs a little.

This is higher net card than I usually make, so if you’re aiming for a low total for the day, make this on a day when you’re overall meals are coming in really low. It is an indulgence. If you’re one of the lucky ones who has a higher metabolism and can eat 3o to 40 net carbs a day, this should work in fine.

Recipe by Rene Averett

1/2 small Apple, sliced
1 tablespoon Butter
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
1 tablespoon Sugar Substitute
1 tablespoon Reduced Sugar Craisins
1 tablespoon Golden Flax Meal
1 tablespoon Chopped Pecans
1 tablespoon Sweet Red Wine or Sugar Free Cranberry Juice
1 tablespoon Whipped Topping or Cream

Slice or chop the apple evenly. Put in a microwavable bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the whipped topping. Stir well, then microwave for 1 minute. Stir it up and microwave another 30 seconds.

Let cool about 5 minutes, then put into serving dish (if you wish or eat it out of the bowl you cooked it in) and top with whipped topping.

Makes 1 apple-pie-yummy serving.

Nutrition Information:
Calories: 252 Fat: 20.3 g Net Carbs: 11.3 g Protein: 2.6 g

Note: You could substitute in Almond Flour for the Flax Meal, but it will increase the net carbs by 1 nc.

Any of these Low Carb Cookbooks would make a great gift for a friend this holiday season. Other formats for the first two coming soon.

Paperback on Amazon

Kindle  

 

 

 Paperback on Amazon

Kindle 

 

 

Paperback on Amazon

Kindle * Kobo * Nook *  iBook

Other formats at Books2Read