Category Archives: Recipes

Breads, Italian Inspired Recipes, Main Dish, Recipes, Vegetarian

Creating a pizza like take and bake

All during the Olympics, I kept seeing an advertisement for a take and bake pizza with chicken, bacon, and artichoke hearts.  Man, did my taste buds scream for a piece of that.  Instead of giving in to the urge to buy a high carb pizza, I made a low carb one instead.  In fact, I made it two ways that are very similar, but both are filled with more meat and vegetables than the take and bake version.  Here’s how I made mine.

For the crust, I used LC Foods low carb pizza crust that you can purchase pre-made or buy the pizza flour mix and make your own.  You can also use a cauliflower pizza crust, a chicken pizza crust, or this flax meal flat bread crust.  I wouldn’t recommend the chicken crust since you’re putting chicken on top, but it would still work.

Pre-cook the crust as described in the previous links so it is partially cooked.

Made with zucchini and asparagus added.

Chicken, Bacon, Artichoke, Zucchini and Asparagus Pizza

For the toppings:
1 cup cooked Chicken Breast or Thighs, chopped or shredded
1/2 cup Artichoke Hearts, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 slices of thick-sliced Bacon, cooked and broken into pieces
1/2 cup Alfredo Sauce, such as Barilla (look for lowest carb one)
1 Zucchini, thinkly sliced
4 spears Aspargus, medium spears, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Crushed Red Chile Peppers, dried (optional)
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees (F.)

Put pizza crust on a pizza stone or pan, then spread with the Alfredo sauce, taking it as close to the edge as possible. Put the zucchini slices on top of the sauce, placing them evenly around the pizza. Distribute the chicken next, then the artichoke hearts, followed by the asparagus pieces. Sprinkle the crushed red peppers on, if you wish, then cover the top with mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle on a little Parmesan cheese now or add it after the pizza comes out of the oven.

Bake for about 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. I kind of like my cheese a little more crusty, so I cook it a little longer. Let cool for 5 minutes for the cheese to firm up, then cut and serve.

Makes eight slices or four servings.

Nutrition Information per serving (without crust):
Calories: 230 Fat: 15.2 g Net Carbs:4.2 g Protein: 16.5 g

Made with spinach added.

Chicken, Bacon, Artichoke and Spinach Pizza

Variation on the basic pizza:

1 cup cooked Chicken Breast or Thighs, chopped or shredded
1/2 cup Artichoke Hearts, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 slices of thick-sliced Bacon, cooked and broken into pieces
1/2 cup Alfredo Sauce, such as Barilla (look for lowest carb one)
1 cup Baby Spinach
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese to taste

Make the same way as above, but replace the zucchini layer with spinach leaves.

Makes eight slices or four servings.

Nutrition Information per serving(without crust):
Calories:222 Fat:5.2 Net Carbs: 2.7 g Protein: 16.1

Depending on the type of crust you use, the carb count will vary from about 1 net carb to 3 net carbs additional. The LC Foods pizza crust is 3 net carbs.

Want to go vegetarian? Leave off the bacon and the chicken and add more zucchini and asparagus or spinach to the pizza, along with a cup of the artichoke hearts.

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Southern Treat of Oven-fried Green Tomatoes

My first post for August and I’m sorry about that.  It’s been a busy couple of weeks with my mini-cookbook, Breakfast Choices for a Low Carb Lifestyle coming out at the end of July followed by an unexpected medical issue last week that left me with a bandaged face and poor vision.  Doing better now, so I want to get a recipe up that I hope you will enjoy.

If you’re from the southern United States, you’ve probably counted Fried Green Tomatoes as one of the best things about tomatoes in the spring and summer. They are picked before they begin changing colors and the larger, the better. Slice them about 1/4 inch thick and dip them in seasoned flour to create a special treat made the low carb way. I did try to fry these, but the flour and egg mixture didn’t want to stay on the tomato. It’s a problem I’ve encountered before with using low carb flours. But if you bake them in a hot oven, they get crispy and delicious.

Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes

1 Green Tomato, medium to large
1/4 cup Coconut Flour or other Low Carb Flour
1/3 cup Flax Meal
1 large Egg
2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese, grated
Pinch Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Spicy Red Chili seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F.) Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

Slice the tomato into four to six slices, about 1/3 inch thick.
Put the almond flour into a saucer. Break the egg into a bowl and beat with a little water. In another saucer, put the flax meal, Parmesan cheese and seasonings.

Dip each slice in the flour, then in the egg and then the flax mixture, pressing the flax into the tomato until it sticks.

Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with each slice. If you don’t have enough flax mixture, add a little more plus more seasoning. This can vary with the size of the tomato slices.

Bake in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes until the slices are sizzling and golden brown.

Serve with a mayonnaise-based dressing or a low carb Ranch Dressing. Delicious as a side dish or as a snack.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition Info per serving:
Calories: 249 Fat: 18.3 g Net Carbs: 4.6 g Protein: 12.1 g

Note: You can fry these instead of baking them, but I had trouble with the batter staying on the slices when they are fried. If you wish to fry, use a small pan and add about 1/4 inch of oil to it.

Desserts, Recipes

Low Carb Fruit Mini-pies are possible

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Ever wished for a little mini-pie to satisfy your sweet tooth, then looked at the carb count on the package of one of those pre-made ones?  Yikes!  One of the them can run around 70 net carbs for an apple one.

But you can make a low carb one at home fairly easily.  How, you may ask? Using low carb flours and sugar substitute really brings the carb count down.  Apples are a high carb fruit, but you can make a low carb apple mini-pie (or turnover) for under 10 net carbs.  I definitely don’t recommend this for anyone who is still losing weight and on phases 1-3 of the Atkins plan.  But for those who are on maintenance or have a high daily net carb count, this recipe will give you a great little pie. Just don’t make a habit of it.

You can use the same recipe for other fruit pies, such as peach, cranberry, raspberry, blueberry and blackberry.  Of these options, raspberry is the lowest carb count, coming in around 4 net carbs per pie. I broke open the crust in the photo so you could see how flaky the crust is and how good the fruit looks.

Low Carb Fruit Mini-Pies

1 Gala or other semi-tart Apple or 1 cup of other fruit
2 tablespoons chopped Pecans or Walnuts
2 tablespoon Butter
1 tablespoon Diet Cranberry Juice
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
2 tablespoon Brown Sugar Substitute

1/2 cup Low Carb Baking Mix
1/4 cup Coconut Flour
2 tablespoon Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
3 tablespoons Shortening
2 to 3 tablespoons Cold Water

Make the pie crust by mixing the flours together in a small and cutting in the shortening until it resembles crumbs. Add enough water to pull the flour mix together into a ball. Wrap in wax paper and put in the refrigerator to chill for about an hour.

While the dough is chilling, make the filling. Peel the apple, if you wish, and cut into thin slices or chop it, whichever you prefer. Melt butter in a skillet and add the apples, nuts, cranberry juice, brown sugar and seasonings and stir together, continuing to cook and stir for about five minutes. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool until the dough is done.

Before you take the dough out, preheat the oven to 265 degrees (F.). Prepare four muffin wells by spraying with baking spray.

Separate dough into five balls. Dough should not be sticky. Place a piece of waxed paper on a bread board and put a little low carb flour on it. Press the dough into a small round, then put another sheet of waxed paper over the top and roll until you have about a three-inch in diameter crust. Press into a well of the muffin tin. Repeat with three more balls of dough. Use a fork to poke a few vents in the bottom of the crust.

Spoon 1/4 of the filling into each of the muffin wells and top with 1 teaspoon of butter. Now, take the fifth ball of dough and split it into four smaller balls. Roll each one into a round that is large enough for the top of the muffin tin. Place the top dough on each pie in the tin and seal the edges. Poke a couple of holes in the top with the fork or a knife.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown. Remove and let cool about 10 minutes. Serve with a scoop of low carb ice cream or a tablespoon of whipped cream topping.

Makes four mini-pies.

Nutrition Information per Apple pie:
Calories: 320.5 Fat:23.3 Net Carbs: 9.6 g Protein: 11.5 g

Nutrition Information per Peach pie:
Calories: 307.2 Fat:23.3 g Net Carbs: 6.6 g Protein: 11.6 g

Nutrition Information Raspberry pie:
Calories: 276.4 Fat:22.7 g Net Carbs: 4.0 g Protein: 11.9 g

Main Dish, Pork, Recipes

Delightful Pork with a Mustard Sauce

I love pork, so I really enjoy finding recipes that combine it with savory sauces.  This is a very good one and the mustard adds just a little bite to the flavor.  Serve it with the vegetable of your choice and a small side salad.  If you aren’t that crazy about pork, the other white meat, a chicken breast, works well.

4 boneless pork chops, about 1/2 inch thick (2 to 3 oz. each)
1/2 teaspoon Lemon Pepper
1 tablespoon Butter
1/4 cup Hot Water
1 teaspoon Better Than Bullion
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1 tablespoon Dijon-style or Brown Mustard
1/2 teaspoon Dry Mustard Powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

Sprinkle the pork chops with lemon pepper on both sides. In a skillet, melt the butter, then add the chops and cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate.

Mix the bullion in the hot water and add to the skillet, stirring to get all the meaty bits loose and pulled into the sauce. Add the mustard, mustard powder and Worcestershire sauce. Stir into the mixture, then stir in the cream. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and continue to cook and stir until the sauce begins to thicken.

Add the pork chops back in with any juices on the plate. Cover the chops and cook a little longer to heat them up and finish any side dishes. I served mine with asparagus and diced turnips with butter and cheese.

Makes two servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 434 Fat: 30.4 g Net Carbs: 2.9 g Protein: 36.7 g

Breads, Main Dish, Pork, Recipes

A touch of the tropics in a ham patty

Another recipe from Better Homes & Gardens “Dieting for One” that I’ve adapted for a low carb lifestyle. When I first read the recipe, I chuckled at the simplicity of it, but I thought I’d give it a try. It uses chunk-style canned ham, but if you’d rather avoid the canned taste, pick up a ham steak at the grocery instead or use leftovers to make it. This tasty little round goes well with a slaw or you can put it on a low carb bun and make a tasty sandwich.

Polynesian-style Ham Patty

2 spears of fresh Pineapple, each cut into six wedges
1 6-1/2 oz. can Chunk-style Ham or 7 oz. Ham
1-2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
2 tablespoon Soft Low Carb Bread Crumbs*
1 teaspoon Minced Onion Flakes, rehydrated
2 tablespoons Green Sweet Pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.)

Cut the ham into chunks or cubes, if it isn’t already, then put it into a food processor  and pulse two or three times to make it ground or flaky.

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients except the pineapple and mix well. Form two patties with your hands, each about 4 inches in diameter. If the mixture is too moist to hold the patty shape, use a baking-spray-coated muffin ring (or cut the bottom out of the ham can or a tuna can for this purpose) to hold the patty.

Spray a baking pan with cooking spray and place the patties in the pan. Press six wedges of pineapple into each ham patty.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the ham is lightly browned.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 161 Fat: 9.2 g Net Carbs: 5.8 g Protein: 12.0 g

* To make low carb bread crumbs, use a Muffin in a Minute recipe, using any low carb flour to replace one tablespoon of the flax meal. If you don’t like flax meal, use almond flour and low carb baking mix.

Muffin in a Minute Adapted

1 Egg
1 Tablespoon Oil
1 Tablespoon Low Carb Baking Mix
1 tablespoon Flax Meal or Almond Flour
Pinch Salt & pinch Pepper
1 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese, grated

In a coffee cup or small microwaveable bowl, add the egg and oil and beat with a skinny spatula or fork to blend the egg into the oil until it looks creamy. You want to ensure the egg is completely mixed in. Add the flour and seasonings and mix together well, making sure the flour is completely mixed in.

Microwave for one minute. Loosen the muffin with your fingers when you take it out, then let it cool a few minutes before crumbling up as much as you need for crumbs. It will not be a fine, dry crumble, but the soft little pieces work well for this recipe. If you’d like to dry it out more, slice it into rounds and put it in a 300 degree (F.) oven to toast for about five minutes.

Nutrition Information per muffin:
Calories:269 Fat:23.8 g Net Carbs: 1.7 g Protein: 11.4 g

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