Category Archives: Recipes

Desserts, Recipes

Celebrate Easter with Spring Bird’s Nest Cookies

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With Easter coming up this weekend, I wanted to get this nice spring cookie recipe out to everyone. This is a simple, colorful cookie that’s easy to make–mix, bake, and decorate. I used a sugar-free liquid drink mix to color the coconut. Unsweetened coconut is dried and doesn’t have much coconut flavor when it’s reconstituted. I used a strawberry-flavored drink, so it added a touch of strawberry flavor. If you use food coloring, you might want to add a little flavor extract, like even coconut, to the mix.

I used Russell Stover’s sugar-free Jelly Beans but several other companies make them. Check at your grocery, drug stores, or Wal-Mart for them.

Spring Bird’s Nest Cookies

Recipe by Rene

1/4 cup Butter
1/4 cup Sugar Substitute
1/2 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 egg white
3/4 cup Low Carb Baking Mix
1/4 cup Vanilla Whey Protein Powder or Almond Flour

1/4 cup Unsweetened Shredded or shaved Coconut
Few drops of food coloring or Sugar Free Liquid Drink Mix
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar Substitute
1 tablespoon Heavy Cream
36 Sugar Free Jelly Beans

A couple of hours before making the cookies, put the coconut into a small bowl, add about 1/4 cup of water and the food color or drink mix. The mix will add a little flavor to the coconut shreds. If you don’t use it, you might want to add a little coconut extract as the shreds don’t have a lot of flavor. Stir the coconut around and let sit to rehydrate and dye the coconut.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (F.) Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium-sized bowl, cream the butter, sugar substitute , vanilla extract and egg white together with a mixer, or vigorously by hand,  in a medium-sized bowl . Do not over-cream. You just want it to mix together into a smooth paste.

Add the flour and protein powder (if you’re using it) and mix to combine it into a shape-able dough. Make sure all the flour is mixed in.

Separate the dough into quarters and form three ball from each quarter. Place on the parchment paper about 1-1/2-inches apart and use the back of a spoon to press into a flattened round about 1-1/2 inch in diameter. Don’t press them too thinly.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the edges are lightly browned but the top is not. Let them cool for about 10 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Spread the coconut on a piece of waxed paper on a plate to allow it to dry a little while the cookies are cooling.

Make the sugar icing by combining the powdered sugar substitute and cream. Stir to mix it together until it forms a thick, but spreadable icing. If it is too thick, add a little water.

Using a spoon, put about a half teaspoon of icing on a cookie and spread it around the middle of the top, then put about 1/2 teaspoon of colored coconut on it to make a nest. Dip the edges of three of the jelly beans into the icing and place them on the nest. The icing will help them stick to it. Repeat with the rest of the cookies. Let the icing dry and enjoy.

Makes 12 cookies.

Nutrition Information per cookie (whey powder):
Calories: 106.4 Fat: 9.1 g Net Carbs: 1.2 g Protein: 3.9 g

Nutrition Information per cookie (almond flour):
Calories: 110.5 Fat: 10.3 g Net Carbs: 1.3 g Protein: 2.3 g

Note:  The carb counts may vary a little depending on the flours and other ingredients you use, but they should be very close.

Close up of this colorful and yummy-tasting cookie.

Full Flavor Non-Low Carb Version

If you want to make non-low carb version using flour, sugar and regular shredded coconut, you just need to dye the coconut as it is already moist. So for that version, put the coconut in a bowl and add a couple of drops of food coloring and stir around, adding more drops of color to adjust the shade to one you prefer.

1/4 cup Butter
1/4 cup Sugar
1/2 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 egg white
1 cup Flour
1/4 cup Shredded Coconut
Few drops of Food Coloring
1/4 teaspoon Fruit Extract, such as Coconut, Pineapple, or Strawberry
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
1 tablespoon Heavy Cream
36 Jelly Beans

Follow the instructions above using the regular ingredients in place of the low carb and unsweetened ones.

Nutrition Information per cookie (regular flour, sugar & coconut):
Calories: 184.5 Fat: 9.6 g Net Carbs: 22.0 g Protein: 1.3 g

Beef, Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

A Bit of Luck with an Irish Benedict Brunch

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St. Patrick’s Day is past, but the Sunday after is always a good time for an Irish Benedict breakfast or brunch. Who am I kidding? Any time is a good time for Irish Eggs Benedict. It’s often on the menu at our favorite breakfast spots in Reno, along with Corned Beef Hash and Eggs. When you’re watching the carbs, the big drawback in ordering it is the English Muffin.

This make-at-home recipe uses the fabulous Muffin in a Minute recipe as the base muffin. Actually, I have a recipe that enhances that one, but is just as easy to make, but you can use either one. Did you know that when you can take the microwaved muffin, slice in half across the middle and pop it into the toaster and it tastes fabulous? It changes the taste and the texture so it is more like toast. It also has a lot of little holes in for butter melt into so it’s a little like an English muffin! Yep, it’s the perfect base for this Irish Benedict.

Irish Eggs Benedict

For the complete dish, you will need:

2 Super Minute Muffins or Muffin in a Minutes, toasted
2 tablespoons Butter
4 eggs, poached or over-easy
1 cup shredded or diced Corned Beef
4 slices tomato
1 cup fresh Spinach
Hollandaise sauce recipe(see below)

Prepare Muffins by using my recipe or by using Atkins recipe for Muffin in a Minute in a 3″ in diameter bowl or ramekin. Cook them, cut in half and set aside or now. TIP:  Leave out the sugar substitute and add a little seasoning salt.  You can also make them with almond flour in place of flax meal.

Prepare the corned beef by slicing and either chopping or shredding it into bite-sized pieces. You should have about 1 cup of meat. Slice the tomatoes and set aside for now.

Prepare the hollandaise Sauce. You can make your favorite one or use this recipe.

Hollandaise Sauce

2 egg yolks
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (1/2 stick)
Pinch cayenne or white pepper
Pinch salt

Put about two cups of water in a pan and put on the stove to boil. Separate eggs, putting the yolks into the top of a double boiler or other metal pan that can fit inside a pot without touching the water. Put the whites away to use in a different recipe. Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl for about 20 to 30 seconds. Add lemon juice to the eggs. Reduce the heat on the boiling water to a simmer, then put the egg pan over the hot water and begin whisking. Make sure the water doesn’t boil or it will scramble the eggs instead of making them creamy. When they thicken, stir in the butter, salt and pepper. Remove from heat but keep in a warm place.

Assemble the dish:

Put the muffin halves into a toaster or toast in the boiler. Cook the eggs by either poaching or frying, two at a time. (This will also be tasty with scrambled eggs.) When the eggs and toast are done, then put the spinach into a pan and cook over low heat for about 30 seconds until they begin to wilt.

Assemble the dish: Put the muffin halves on a plate, then put a tomato slice on each half. Put the 1/4 of the wilted spinach leaves on top of the tomato, then add 1/4 cup of corned beef on top of each one and top each with a poached egg. Spoon 1/4 of the Hollandaise sauce over the top.

Serve or put in an oven on low to keep warm, then prepare the second plate the same way.

Makes 2 servings. For a lighter breakfast, you can serve 1/2 a serving along with Smashed Turnip Fritters or Zucchini Fritters or 1/2 cup of berries.

Nutrition Info per full serving:
Calories: 1061 Fat: 88.2 g Net Carbs: 6.1 g Protein: 55.0 g
Per 1/2 servings (one muffin with toppings)
Calories:530.5 Fat:44.1 g Net Carbs: 3.1 g Protein: 27.5 g

NOTE: These carb counts are for the full Irish Benedict, including the muffins and the Hollandaise.

Confession time,as you may conclude by the photos, I didn’t put the eggs on the Irish Benedict when I made it this morning. It was an oversight, or maybe subconciously I was thinking that I didn’t need any more eggs in my meal. However, it does great without it and I didn’t miss the eggs until I started working on this page. So feel free to make those poached or fried eggs optional.

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Super Minute Muffins

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This recipe is a variation on the Atkins Muffin in a Minute.  I added a couple of things to it to make it a sturdier muffin and it uses a low carb baking mix instead of flax meal.  It can also be made with almond flour.  I would not recommend coconut flour for this one.  Like the MIM, it cooks up quickly in the microwave.  I also prefer to put it in a one cup ramekin about 3″ or more in diameter.  This gives me a muffin that I can easily pop into my toaster to make breakfast toast.

Low carb muffins with sugar-free pumpkin butter. You don’t have to miss out on anything on a low carb life style.

Super Minute Muffins

2 tablespoons Low Carb Baking Mix
1 tablespoon Golden Flax Meal
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Sugar Substitute *
1 large Egg
1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon or other seasoning*

*To make a savory one for a sandwich or garlic toast, use garlic seasoning, a pinch of salt, and onion or other seasonings of your choice. Omit the sugar or just add a pinch.

Spray a ramekin with baking spray.

In a small container, mix all ingredients together until completely moist. Add a little water if the batter is too thick to pour into the ramekin. Tap the ramekin on the counter a couple of times to try to eliminate any bubbles. They are persistent though and mine often come out a little lopsided.

Cook in the microwave for one minute. Remove and set on counter to cool. Gently press against the muffin to rock it free from the container. Let cool until you can touch the ramekin without burning your fingers, then gently tap it and turn upside down to released the muffin. If it doesn’t come out easily, push against the sides of the muffin and continue to tap the bottom. If it still won’t release, slide a knife along the sides and nudge the bottom until it pulls free.

Look at the lovely little wells to hold your butter and jam!

Cut the muffin in half and toast, then butter and add sugar-free jam if you wish. Makes 1 muffin.

Nutrition Information per muffin:
Calories: 225 Fat: 15.1 g Net Carbs: 3.5 g Protein: 12.9 g

 

Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Poultry, Recipes

Cast Iron Skillet Enchiladas

Inspired by a recipe for vegetarian enchiladas that popped into my Facebook feed, I decided to try making my red sauce chicken enchiladas in a cast iron skillet.  It’s a one pot dish so that makes it simple.  It takes about 1 hour to prepare and bake this easy dish.  I found a very low carb enchilada sauce at my local Raley’s grocery store, so check your labels for the lowest net carbs for the sauce.  Mine came in at 1 net carb per 1/4 cup.  The cheese is also 0 net carbs.

Cast Iron Skillet Enchiladas

2 cups Roasting Chicken, chopped or diced
1/2 medium Onions, chopped
6 Mini Sweet Bell Peppers, sliced
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1-1/2 cup Raleys Enchilada Sauce
6 Low Carb Tortillas (3 nc each)
1 1/2 cups Cheddar Jack Cheese
1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).

In a large cast iron skillet (or any other skillet that can go from stove to oven) add olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add minced garlic, onions and sweet peppers and sauté until just tender. Remove from skillet.

Pour 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the skillet. Heat the tortillas in a plastic bag in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften them. Put one tortilla on a plate, then spread 1/6 of the onion mixture down the middle, leaving about 1/2 inch at each end. Repeat with the chicken, then sprinkle cheese over the top. Roll the tortilla into a snug roll and tuck in the ends. Place in the skillet along the edge. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Four will fit along the outside curves of the skillet, then put the last two in the middle.

Spread the remainder of the sauce evenly over the rolled tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Bake in the skillet for 30 to 35 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce is thickened. Let cool about 5 minutes, then serve with sour cream and chopped green onions if you like. Makes 6 enchiladas.

Nutrition information for 1 enchilada:
Calories: 215.5 Fat: 11.0 g Net Carbs: 6.5 g Protein: 21.7 g

Breads, Product Review, Recipes

Low Carb Bagels Are Great!

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First off, happy St. David’s Day! St. David is the patron saint of Wales and is honored by wearing a leek on March 1st. Personally, I prefer to eat my leeks, but the tradition of wearing the leek goes back to a troop of Welsh wearing them as a way to identify themselves to other Welsh during a battle. If you’d like to celebrate with a leek enhanced dish, try one of these tried and truly delicious recipes:

Chicken Leek Pot Pie
Creamy Cock-a-Leekie Soup
Asparagus Leek Cauli-Risotto
Leeks with Tomatoes and Bacon

Last week, I promised I would publish a recipe for honest-to-goodness yeast bagels that are made with LC Foods Pizza and Bagel Flour. The product review for the pizza I made with it is here. This flour honestly does rise and makes very good tasting pizza and bagels. The best part is not only do they taste delicious, but they are low carb! How cool is that? The only drawback with this recipe is that it makes six small bagels, not the size you might find at the grocery store where they have the double-sized versions. If you want a larger bagel, then make four bagels from the recipe and they are a very nice size.

If you’ve ever made bagels before, you know this is a two-step cooking process. First, you let the bagels rise after they are shaped, then you put them in boiling hot water for a short time to stop the rise and give them the chewiness that is so typical of a bagel. Second, you bake them until lightly browned. And to be thorough, you actually cook them a third time when you toast them to eat.

The LC Flour is higher priced than standard flour, but it is great for making these and worth the cost. You can purchase it from LC Foods or from Netrition.com. It is less expensive from Netrition, especially if you are ordering other low carb products at the same time since you will save on flat rate shipping.

LC Plain Bagels

3/4 cups Water, warm
1 package Quick Rising Yeast
1 tablespoon Sugar Substitute
1 teaspoon Salt
1 3/4 cups LC Foods Pizza & Bagel Flour
1/4 cup Low Carb Flour for bread board
1 Egg, beaten
2 quarts Water
1 Egg White (boxed are ok)

In a small glass bowl or cup, mix yeast, sugar substitute and warm water together and let stand 3 minutes. The yeast will soften and foam.

In a larger bowl, mix 1 cup of flour with the salt. Add the yeast mixture and beaten egg and stir until combined. Mix in the rest of the flour gradually until it is pulling together into a ball. If you want any add-ins in the bagels, such as cinnamon, raisins, craisins, or blueberries, add them before you add the second round of flour. (Remember to adjust the carbs for the add-ins.)

Put two tablespoons of low carb flour on a bread board or other surface and knead for about five minutes, adding additional low carb flour if needed until the dough is firm and elastic.

Wash out the mixing bowl, then use a paper towel or your fingers to spread about a teaspoon of olive oil around the bowl. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until double, about an hour.

Blueberry Bagels shaped and rising prior to dipping in the simmering hot water.

Punch down the dough and divide it into 6 evenly-sized balls. Allow the dough balls to rest while you bring the 2 quarts of water to boil.

Using your thumb, press through the middle of each ball of dough and pull it open about 2 inches, making a bagel shape.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the shaped dough onto a cookie sheet and cover for 10 minutes. Lower heat under water to a hot simmer. Drop 2 or 3 bagels at a time into the water for about 45 seconds, turn and cook 45 seconds more. Drain on a paper towel and place on a greased baking sheet.

Brush tops with beaten egg white. Bake for 35 minutes, turning once for even browning. Bagels are done when they are golden brown and shiny.

Makes 6 bagels

Nutrition Info per bagel
Calories: 107 Fat:6.9 g Net Carbs: 2.3 g Protein: 7.7 g