Category Archives: Recipes

Breads, Product Review

Delicious Low Carb Rye Bread Is Possible

Product Review

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.

My loaf of Dixie Carb Counters (aka Dixie Diner) low carb Rye Bread.

Dixie Carb Counters Rye Bread Mix

This bread mix caught my eye as I was placing a recent order on Netrition.com. I like rye bread and the idea of a low carb rye bread was instantly appealing. So I decided to order the mix and give it a try.

The package from Dixie Carb Counters is very appealing and sturdy, so it arrived with no damage and ready to go. In addition to the mix, you will need 1-1/4  cup of egg whites or 5 whole large or extra large eggs. I used the liquid egg whites in mine and it worked fine. You also need 1-1/2 sticks of melted salted butter, that’s 3/4 of a cup or 12 oz. for those who measure it out. And you need 1/3 cup water. You’ll use a 9”x5” standard size bread pan as this makes a full sized loaf.

From here, it’s easy. Just mix everything in a bowl and whisk until well blended, about 1 minute of mixing, then spread into the bread pan evenly and bake. It is really a snap making it.

Let it cool on a bread rack, then slice into 24 slices or cut it in half and freeze half for use later. Here’s where I had a bit of a problem. A 3/8” slice is really hard to cut without the bread crumbling a bit. It may be easier to slice it into 12 slices, then cut each of those in half. Or perhaps if it is partially frozen, it will cut easier.

The bottom line though is the flavor. This is a delicious rye bread. It’s a light rye, not like the dark deli bread. It would go great with corned beef or pastrami. The taste is really wonderful, especially for a low carb bread. If you’ve cut it into 24 even slices, each slice is 2 net carbs.

The price on this through Netrition is $7.95 for the mix to make one loaf. Add in the eggs and the butter and you’re about a $1.00 more into it, so it’s a $9.00 loaf of bread. But at least it’s a great tasting loaf for the price.

In summary: Great taste, easy to make, and worth the price if you are craving a rye bread. I give it 2 flour-covered thumbs up.

Curds and Jellies, Recipes

Luscious Low Carb Lemon Curd

Lemon curd is one of those delicious and versatile fruit jams that can just make a scone extra delicious or become a yummy filling between cake layers. Or just mix it in with vanilla yogurt to make a delicious treat. This low carb version is easy to make. Thanks to low carb sugar alcohols, like Xilitol and Sorbitol, they are really sugar free and taste absolutely wonderful. I use Ideal sugar, but there are many brands.  Some  groceries and health food stores carry these. You can also use Stevia, if you prefer.

I just made a batch of lemon curd for the niece-in-love for her birthday since it’s a favorite of hers, so it seems like an ideal time to share this recipe.

Low Carb Lemon Curd

3 large Eggs
3/4 cup Sugar Substitute
1/3 cup Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Butter
2 teaspoons Lemon Pulp (optional)
1 teaspoon grated Lemon Zest (optional)

If you start with fresh lemons, it will take about three average-sized lemons to make 1/3 cup.  Grate the lemon zest first.  Then roll the lemon on a counter to break down the pulp inside and make it easier to squeeze the juice out.  Cut in half, remove as many seeds as you can, then squeeze  the juice into a bowl.  Scrape out some of the pulp after squeezing.  Remove any seeds that got into the juice.  Put the juice and pulp into a food processor and pulse a few times to get it smooth.

Bring water to a boil in the lower pan of a double boiler or in the larger of two pots that will stack one in the other. Reduce to a simmer and whisk eggs, sugar, and lemon juice in the top pot until it’s mixed well. Make sure to break any lumps in the mixture as you are stirring.

Continue stirring until it thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes.  This does not have to be continuous, but you do have to stir frequently.  Remove from heat.  If there are lumps, press through a mesh strainer to remove them.  Fold in butter and lemon zest until they are completely mixed into the curd. Cover with plastic wrap and let it cool in the fridge.

Put in a jar, refrigerate and use with scones, muffins or toast, or whatever inspires you.  Keeps from two to three weeks in the refrigerator, if it lasts that long.

Makes a little over 1 cup – about 16 one tablespoon servings

Nutrition Info Per recipe:
Calories: 685.2 Fat: 60.5 g Net Carbs: 13.5 g Protein: 20.5 g

Nutrition Info Per serving:
Calories: 42.8 Fat: 3.8 g Net Carbs: .8 g Protein: 1.3 g

 

Desserts, Recipes

“Snickers” Cheesecake Without Guilt

Don’t you hate it when you go to dinner and they have a “Snickers” Cheesecake on the menu and it’s not a low carb one?  It seems like the only option you can find in sugar-free cheesecakes is the plain cheesecake with maybe a few berries on top?  That’s been my experience and even at the Cheesecake Factory, as tasty as the plain cheesecake is, it pales beside all the other options they have for everyone else.

Well, if you’re willing to grab a box of the Atkins Caramel Nut Bars, you can make your own “Snickers” type cheesecake and enjoy this treat without blowing your carb count out the window.  This works with some of the other Atkins bars, so feel free to experiment a little… like a Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar Cheesecake.  This is a crust-less cheesecake, but you can easily make a crust for the bottom of the muffin pans by using 1/2 cup ground pecans, 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar substitute.  Mix together, spoon into sprayed muffin cups and press into the bottom.

Chocolate Caramel Nut Mini-Cheesecakes

4 oz cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoon sugar substitute
2 Atkins Chocolate Caramel Nut bars
2 eggs
4 tablespoons heavy cream
4 tablespoons Vanilla Whey Powder (optional)*
1 teaspoon vanilla

* Vanilla Whey Powder is optional, but I use it often in my baking to improve the texture.  If you are looking for gluten free, my brand of protein powder is gluten free, so check the label.  But I am not sure if the Atkins bar is.  It has wheat protein isolate in it, so it may not be.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Prepare a muffin tin by spraying 8 wells with cooking spray or put in baking cups.

Chop the Caramel Nut bar into small pieces. In a small bowl, use a mixer to cream the cream cheese, vanilla, egg and sugar substitute together. Mix in the whey powder and, cream until all ingredients are blended. Hand stir in the Caramel Nut Bar pieces.

Spoon into the muffin cups, taking care to try to distribute the candy pieces evenly. Stirring the batter each time you dip out a spoonful will help.

Put a little water in any empty muffin wells so you are not baking them empty. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of one comes out clean. Let cool before serving or refrigerate until about 30 minutes before you are ready to serve. To serve, put on a small plate or dessert bowl and top with a little sugar free chocolate syrup and a teaspoon of whipped cream, if you like.

Makes eight mini-cheesecakes.

Nutrition Info per mini-cake:

Calories: 128.5 Fat: 11.5 g Net Carbs: 1.75 g Protein: 4.35 g

 

Main Dish, Pork, Recipes

Italian Style Low Carb Stuffed Eggplant

If you like eggplant and Italian food, you’re going to lvoe this recipe.  It’s easy to make and the flavor is magnifico!  Best of all, it’s low carb.  You can either make it in the eggplant boat, as I did, or you can put it in a casserole dish and just discard the eggplant shell after you scoop the delicious vegetable out.  Either way, it’s great low carb’d dinner entree.

Stuffed Eggplant Boats

Eggplant boat filled with diced eggplant sautéed with onions, sausage and mushrooms, then stuffed into the shells and baked with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese topping.

1 large eggplant, about 1 lb)
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup minced onion
1 cups shredded mozarella cheese, divided
1 tomato, sliced
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
3/4 lb Italian sausage

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Cut eggplant in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out and chop flesh, leaving skin intact. Place in a shallow baking dish, and set aside.

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium high heat and stir in garlic to lightly brown. Add eggplant, mushrooms, and onion, stirring until tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside. Brown sausage until it is lightly browned. Pour off any grease and combine with the eggplant mixture. Stir in 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Fill eggplant shells with stuffing, arrange tomato slices over the top and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until warmed throughout and melted on top.

Makes 6 servings

Nutrition Info per serving
Calories 318.4 Fat: 24.8 g Net Carbs: 5.9 g

Main Dish, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads, Vegetarian

Summer Harvest Cauli-Risotto Is Amazing

After four years of making cauliflower pretend to be something it isn’t, I am still in awe of all the things you can make using this wonderful vegetable to substitute.  One of its applications is to reduce it to rice-sized pieces in a food processor (or by hand with a grater) and use it nearly anywhere that you use rice.  I have used it for Spanish Cauli-rice, a Basic Cauli-rice and with an Asparagus Cauli- Risotto.  All of them are great.

This adapted risotto recipe is also outstanding.  I don’t know why I don’t make risottos more often.  The flavor is wonderful and it isn’t too difficult, just takes a little longer to get all the liquid absorbed into the cauli-rice.  Unlike rice risotto, the cauliflower doesn’t expand as it absorbs liquid, so while it does puff a little and soften as you cook it, it doesn’t use as much liquid as rice does.

The other vegetable that contributes to the deception in this dish is daikon radish.  You’ve probably seen it at the grocery store.  It’s that long, white 3 or 4 inch in diameter root that may have puzzled you.  It has a slight peppery taste, but is otherwise very mild.  It works well in cauli-rice recipes and is great when grated and fried for hash browns.  You can also make fries out of it or simply cut or shred to add it raw to a salad.  Very versatile!

Summer Harvest Cauli-Risotto

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 cups riced cauliflower
1 cup riced daikon radish
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
2 1/2 cups hot water
Salt and black pepper
1/2 cup snow peas or 1 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (small dice)
1/4 cup Mushrooms, chopped (optional)
2 green onions, chopped (white and green parts)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10-12 basil leaves, torn up small
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

 Bring the water to a simmer in a small pot or use an electric pot to heat the water and rewarm it as needed while cooking this.

In large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the riced cauliflower and riced daikon and coat with the olive oil. Sauté, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes.

Add the white wine (or chicken broth) to the skillet and stir. You will stirring frequently as you continue adding liquid to the skillet.  When most of the liquid is absorbed,  add a cup of the hot water to the pan and add a about 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Reduce the heat to a high simmer and stir often while the water is being absorbed and cooks out.  When it is almost dry again, stir in another 1/2 cup of hot water.  Continue to cook and stir until it is almost dry again, then add another 1/2 cup of hot water and repeat the process.

Take a small taste of the cauliflower to see if it is getting tender.  If so, then proceed to the next step.  Otherwise, add another 1/2 cup of hot water and stir it in until it is absorbed.

Add the snow peas or zucchini and red bell pepper. Add another 1/2 cup of water and stir until it is absorbed. Repeat with another 1/2 cup of hot water and large pinch of salt.

Cauli-risotto with zucchini, mushrooms and bell pepper is delicious and filled with healthful vegetables.

By now the cauli-rice should be close to being done; it should be firm, but not gritty and the zucchini should be soft, but a not mushy.  Now, stir in the green onions and grated Parmesan. When the water has been mostly absorbed, it is ready to finish.  Stir in the basil and butter and serve at once.

Makes 6 side dish servings or 4 main course servings.

Nutrition Info per 1/6 of recipe:
Calories: 122.6 Fat:8.0 g Net Carbs: 4 g Protein: 4.6 g