Category Archives: Recipes

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes, Soups and Stews

Southwestern Turkey Soup

With these chilly, wet winter nights, I just love a good warming bowl of soup. Doesn’t everybody?

If you’re like me, you probably still have leftover turkey from the holidays and you’ve probably frozen it for later use. Am I right?  Well, before you tossed the carcass, I hope you boiled the bird frame to make turkey broth because it will come in handy in this recipe.  But if you didn’t, you can use chicken broth, even the already prepared kind, to replace it.

I found this simple-to-make recipe on line and adapted it just a little to suit me. It calls for 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, but I also used a zesty chile spice BBQ rub powder in it to add a little more spice.  You could add finely chopped cauliflower (1 cup before chopping = 0.5 net carbs) to give a little more bulk to the soup without adding too many carbs.

Southwest Style Turkey Soup

1 1/2 cups shredded cooked Turkey or Chicken
4 cups Turkey or Chicken Broth
1 (28 ounce) can Whole Peeled Tomatoes
1 (7 ounce) can chopped Green Chile Peppers
12 oz. Pico de Gallo
1 tablespoon Lime Juice
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground Cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Avocado – peeled, pitted and diced
1/4 cup chopped Green Onions
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese

In a large pot, add the turkey or chicken, broth, canned tomatoes, green chiles, Pico de Gallo, lime juice, cayenne pepper, cumin, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil,then lower the heat to simmer and cook for about 30 to 40 minutes until it thickens. Stir often and use the stirring spoon to break down the whole tomatoes into smaller bits.

Peel and chop the avocado into pieces.

Use a measuring cup to scoop 1 cup into bowls, then add a tablespoon of avocado, 1 tablespoon green onions, and 1/3 cup cheese to garnish. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 219.6 Fat: 11.1 g Net Carbs: 7.2 g Protein: 20.3 g

If you like, you could also garnish with a tablespoon of Sour Cream.

Desserts, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Recipes

Light and easy, Mexican-style flan dessert

Happy 2017, everyone!

I hope everyone had a great holiday and we’re all ready to settle back into a low carb routine. I know I need to do it.  Too many holiday goodies in this girl’s life and I definitely must drop some pounds.  How about you?

I tapered off on posts a little towards the end of the year in 2016, but I’m aiming to get back on a weekly schedule this year. If you have any particular food dish that you’d like to see if I can adapt to an under 10 carb meal, please drop me a line or post a comment. I’m always looking for new recipes.

On New Year’s Eve, I went with my Mexican food tradition and put together turkey enchiladas for dinner. For dessert, I wanted something light that would compliment the main course and not be too heavy. What better than a Mexican flan?

Flan is very much like a panna cotta and is very easy to make.  This one has a light orange flavor from adding grated orange rind, but I took it a step further and put slices of orange dipped in sugar substitute on the top. Give it a try and you might count it among your favorite desserts.  I do.

The only drawback is that this makes a very small serving, but it’s rich enough to satisfy. If you have the carbs to spare, you can make it into two servings instead of four.

Orange Mexican-Style Flan

1 tablespoons Brown Sugar Splenda
1 tablespoon Sugar Substitute
1 tablespoon Butter

2 Eggs
3/4 cup Cream
1/4 cup Water
2 1/2 tablespoons Sugar Substitute
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon Orange Zest

8 segments Orange for garnish (optional)
1 tablespoon Almond slivers (optional)

Heat oven to 325 degrees (F.) Butter four 1/2 cup custard dishes or four cupcake molds. Heat water to boiling in a pot.

In a microwavable bowl, put the brown sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon butter, and cook for 20 seconds. It probably won’t melt much. Add 1/2 teaspoon of hot water and stir. Spoon into the bottom of the custard dishes. You could also use a caramel-flavored sugar-free syrup instead of the brown sugar Splenda.

In a blender, add the eggs, cream, water, sugar substitute, vanilla, cinnamon, and orange zest and blend until smooth. Pour equal amounts of the mixture into each custard dish.

Put the custard dishes In a roasting pan or other large pan and place in the middle of the oven, then pour hot water into the roasting pan to about 1 inch up the sides of the custard dishes. Be careful to not get water in the custard dishes.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack. Spray cooking spray on plastic wrap and   sprayed side down, cover each of the dishes, then chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Garnish with slices of oranges dipped in sugar substitute and/or toasted almonds before serving,

Makes four servings.

Nutrition Information per serving: (No topping)
Calories: 188.5 Fat: 17.2 g Net Carbs:4.5 g Protein: 4.0 g

With orange slices:
Calories: 222 Fat: 20.1 g Net Carbs: 6.1 g Protein: 4.0 g

 

Desserts, Recipes

A Special Treat of Black Forest Flavors

Aside

Recently, my roommate canned a couple of dozen jars of sugar-free cherries and we opened one to see how they tasted before giving them to anyone. She also did a cherry jam that was delicious and also sugar-free. We tried that on low carb ice cream with chocolate. It tasted great, but it got me thinking about a Black Forest chocolate cake.

So, I decided to use my flaugnarde recipe as a base and turn it into a Black Forest tart with a kind of pudding filling. The result was really tasty and I think you might enjoy trying it. Because it used cherries, it’s not the lowest carb dish you could make and it would probably work equally as well with raspberries, but then it wouldn’t be Black Forest, would it?

This could make a simple, but delicious special dessert during the holidays.  And check out some of the other holiday dessert recipes I’ve listed below.  Happy Holidays to all!

Black Forest Flaugnarde

This is a variation on the traditional flaugnarde recipe that uses chocolate, cream, and eggs in it to produce a pudding-like center in the dish. I make it in individual soufflé cups for easy serving. The recipe is simple and almost fool proof.

1 Egg
3 tablespoons Heavy Cream plus 2 tablespoons Water
OR 5 tablespoons Unsweetened Almond or Coconut Milk
2 tablespoons Sugar Substitute
1 tablespoon Butter, softened or Baking Spray
1 tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Pinch of Salt
2 tablespoons Low Carb Flour (baking mix or almond flour)
6 whole cherries, cut in half or Sugar-Free Cherry Jam*
2 tablespoon Sugar-free Chocolate Chips or 1 serving of sugar free chocolate candy broken into pieces and divided.

*If you’re using cherry jam, use only 1 tablespoon Sugar Substitute.

Preheat oven to 385 degrees (F.) Butter or spray two 1/2 cup soufflé cups from bottom to top. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the eggs, cream and water or milk, and sugar substitute using a small spatula. Add the cocoa powder and flour and mix together.

In the bottom of the souffle cups, put 1/2 the cherries and 1/2 the chocolate chips in each. Spoon 1/2 the egg and flour mixture into each cup. They will be almost full, but leave a little room at the top. They will rise in the oven and if there is too much, they will overflow.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the top looks dry and looks done. With chocolate, it can be hard to tell but it will not look glossy. Remove from the oven and let cool about 10 minutes, then serve with a dollop or whipped cream or whipped topping.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 294 Fat: 25.1 g Net Carbs: 6.8 g Protein: 6.4 g

Try these delicious and low carb recipes to sweeten up your holidays. (Click on image to go to recipe page.)  Many more are on these pages. Check out the cookies!

Cranberry Coffeecake
Cranberry Almond Coffeecake
Pistachio Cheesecake
Maple Pecan Pumpkin PIe
Beef, Pork, Poultry, Recipes

Cheesesteak Casserole Variant

I am all about making food that tastes good and satisfies the palate and is pretty easy to make while still staying in the low carb zone. I have a recipe for stuffed bell pepper Philly Cheesesteak made with purchased roast beef.  Easy to make, but I thought it could be simplified even more and be easier to eat . So I came up with this casserole version that is absolutely delicious. I could eat this once a week and be happy.   This is prepared in a skillet and if you have a cast iron or other oven-ready skillet, then it can go from the stovetop to the oven.  Otherwise, you can put it in a deep dish pie pan or a casserole dish.

All the flavors of the cheesesteak are in this dish, except the bread. You could make a low carb pie crust if you wish and that would add about 2 net carbs to the total count. You can also vary this by using ham or chicken in place of the roast beef and it will still be awesome. I used smoky sharp cheddar slices on top and mozzarella in the mix, but you can use whatever cheese you prefer. You can also use thinly sliced steak for an different flavor.

Cheesesteak Style Casserole

8 oz. Thinly Sliced Roast Beef, ham, or chicken
6 Slices Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 cup Cheddar or Mozzarella Cheese, grated
2 Large Bell Peppers
1 Medium Sweet Onion – Sliced
6 oz. Mushrooms – Sliced
2 Tbs. Butter
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 Tbs. Garlic – Minced
Salt and Pepper – to taste

Preheat oven to 385 degrees (F.) Spray a pie pan or casserole dish with cooking spray or use a stove-to-oven skillet.

Cut bell peppers into strips or pieces. Slice onions. Cut roast beef, ham, or turkey into strips.

Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat. Add onions, peppers, and garlic. Sauté until peppers are softened. Add mushrooms and stir in then cook a few more minutes. Add salt and pepper, then add meat strips. Stir together and continue to cook another five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheese.

Pour the meat mixture into the casserole pan if you’re using one.  Smooth with a large spoon to evenly distribute the mixture. Top with the sharp cheddar cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 355 Fat: 26.7 g Net Carbs: 8.5 g Protein: 20.7 g

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Easy Pumpkin French Toast

You don’t have to go to a fancy pancake house to drool over pumpkin pancakes or French toast that’s out of your carb range.  You can make this delicious treat easily at home.  And it is so satisfying to know you can eat it and not feel guilty.

French toast variation and you will love it if you’re craving pumpkin. If you’re one of those that doesn’t care for pumpkin, you can make this without the pumpkin and have really great French Toast.

Pumpkin French Toast

1 Egg
1 tablespoon Coconut Oil or Vegetable Oil
2 tablespoons Pumpkin Puree
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract.
1 tablespoon Sugar Substitute
Pinch of Salt
1 1/2 tablespoon Low Carb Flour  (Baking Mix or Almond Flour)
1 teaspoon Coconut Flour
1 tablespoon Vanilla Whey Protein Powder

For egg dip:
1 egg
1 tablespoon Cream
1 teaspoon Sugar Substitute
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves

1 tablespoon Butter
1 teaspoon Sugar-free Confectioner’s Sugar (optional)

In a microwaveable small bowl, prepare a magic muffin pumpkin muffin by mixing the egg and coconut oil together well until there are no white strings. Stir in the pumpkin, salt, sugar substitute, vanilla, cinnamon and cloves and mix well. Add the flours and vanilla whey powder and stir until mixed in well. Tap the bottom of the bowl to settle the mixture and release any air bubbles.

Microwave for one minute and let cool for about five minutes.

While the bread is cooling, mix one egg, cream, sugar substitute, cinnamon, and cloves in a bowl or shallow pan to make the dipping batter. Cut the muffin across the middle to make two evenly sized rounds. Put the bread in the pan and let it sit a couple of minutes to soak up the batter. Repeat on the other side.

Heat a non-stick skillet to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter. Spread it around the pan as it melts. When the butter is slightly bubbly, put the soaked bread rounds into the pan and cook until they are browned on one side, about four to five minutes, then flip to cook the other side until browned. The cooking time varies with the temperature of the skillet, so watch them closely. If they are getting browned too quickly, lower the heat. You want the egg batter to cook all the way through.

Remove cooked rounds to your serving plate and sprinkle with sugar-free Confectioner’s Sugar. Serve with sugar-free maple syrup.

Makes one serving.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 533.4 Fat: 43 g Net Carbs: 7.8 g Protein: 23.1 g