Category Archives: Recipes

Appetizers, Breads, Desserts, Recipes

Versatility with French Madeleine Cakes

My friend Françoise , who is French, sent me her recipe for Madeleine Cakes a few weeks ago and I finally got around to adapting them to a low carb version. Magnifique! These are so delicious and rich-tasting, even with using low carb flour. They are wonderful right out of the oven, but equally good when warmed up for about 10 seconds per two in the microwave. I’ve also made a “cookie sandwich” with them and they work very well, except they try to slip off the filling.

But the recipe is more versatile than that. They can also be made in a savory version, so I’ve included that option below. Françoise’s original recipe called for Paris Ham, which is kind of like deli ham, and green olives. My adaptation still uses ham, but I’ve added bacon bits and bell peppers in lieu of the olives. I hope I haven’t committed sacrilege with the classic French recipe!

To make a “true” Madeleine cookie, you need to have the Madeleine pan, either a metal one or a silicone one.  You can find these in many stores that carry baking supplies and online at Amazon and other suppliers.  They have the shell shape and ridges that give the Madeleines their distinct look.  Françoise says that the temperatures are essential to getting the correct rise for the cookie.  I did lower the second temperature just a little for the low carb flours.

Classic Low Carb Madeleine Cookies

3 Eggs
1 Egg White
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar Substitite
1/2 cup CarbQuick or low carb flour
2 tablespoons Coconut Flour
2 tablespoons Vanilla Whey Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 cup Butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F.) Melt butter in a small saucepan or microwave in a bowl. Set the butter aside.

Grate the lemon zest and get about 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, break the eggs and add the sugar. Whisk together until foamy. Add the flours, whey powder and baking powder and mix together. Let rest a few minutes. If the batter is a little too thick, add a tablespoon of water. The coconut flour will absorb liquid.  Add the lemon juice and lemon zest and mix into the batter.

Use a silicon Madeleine cake pan to make it easier to release the cakes.

Fill the wells to 2/3 full, about 1 tablespoon, and smooth batter into the mold. Bake at 425 degrees for 4 minutes, then lower the temperature to 385 degrees and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes, then turn out of the pans.

Makes 24 cookie cakes

Nutrition Info per cookie:
Calories: 47.4  Fat: 3.9 g  Net Carbs 0.6 g  Protein: 1.9 g

Lemon Sandwich Cookies

And this is just something else you can do with the Madeleine cakes and low carb lemon curd. (Or any low carb jam, for that matter.)

8 Madeleine cakes
4 tablespoons Lemon Curd
4 tablespoons Cool Whip or Whipped Cream (optional)

Take two Madeleine cakes per serving. Place one on a serving plate, top down and spoon 1 tablespoon of lemon curd over the top, spreading smoothly. Top with the other Madeleine cake, shell design up and press into the lemon curd gently. Top with 1 tablespoon of Cool Whip or whipped cream.

Repeat with other cakes and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Ham and Peppers Madeleines

These are yummy as a snack or make great appetizers for a party. Try them with a little Ranch dressing or other low carb dressing as a dipping sauce. I added a ricotta cheese to my version to help the texture a little and add a bit more flavor.

3 large Eggs, fresh
3 tablespoons Liquid Egg White or 1 Egg White
2 tablespoons Ricotta Cheese
1/4 cup Ham, diced
1/4 cup Sweet Peppers, diced
2 tablespoons Bacon Bits,
1 teaspoon Parsley
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup Carbquick or other low carb flour
2 tablespoons Coconut Flour
1 tablespoon Water
1 teaspoon Baking Powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F.)

Dice ham and sweet peppers and set aside. Melt the butter in a small saucepan or a bowl in the microwave,

In a medium bowl, break the eggs and egg whites and beat with a whisk until they are creamy-looking, Add the ricotta cheese and whisk it in. Add the flours, salt, water and baking powder and stir in in well. The coconut flour will make the batter thicken, so add the water after its all mixed to thin the batter a little. Pour the butter around the edge of the bowl and gently mix into the batter. Stir in the ham, bacon, parsley and peppers.

In prepared Madeleine pans, spoon the batter into each of the wells to about 2/3 full. It is about 1 tablespoon of the batter.

Bake in 425 degree oven for 4 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 385 degrees and bake another 7 to 10 minutes until the cake is golden brown. Remove and let cool a few minutes, then turn them out on a pan and enjoy!

Makes 24 cakes.

Nutrition Info per cake
Calories: 60 Fat: 5.3 g Net Carbs: 0.5 g Protein: 2.2 g

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Summer’s End with Greek Style Spaghetti Squash

Luckily for us, summer’s end doesn’t mean the end of many of the vegetables we’ve enjoyed all summer, like broccoli, zucchini andbell peppers since so many of these are easily brought in from sunnier climates where they grow in the winter.  It does mark the start of the late fall vegetables, like pumpkins, acorn and butternut squashes, and spaghetti squash, when they will be more readily available.  In fact, some of you may have some growing in your garden.  Not so here, but the market had a steady supply of these through the summer and I hope to see more of the less common ones showing up soon.

For now, here’s a recipe that combines spaghetti squash with broccoli in a Greek-style dish.

Greek Style Spaghetti Squash

2 cups Spaghetti Squash, cooked
1 cup Broccoli, chopped and par-boiled
2 tablespoons Sour Cream
1 teaspoon Oregano, ground
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice, preferably freshly squeezed
1 cup Spinach, fresh and chopped
1/2 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Pepper, black
1/2 teaspoon Parsley, dried or 1 tablespoon fresh
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
2 tablespoons Butter or Olive Oil

If you haven’t already cooked the spaghetti squash, do it before starting. You can cut it in half and bake in the oven, face down on a foil-covered baking sheet for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees (F.) Or pierce the squash a few times with a knife, wrap in plastic wrap and microwave for about 5 minutes.   Cut the squash open and remove the seeds, then cut or pull the stands of squash away from the shell and separate into strands.

Cut broccoli into pieces. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, then add the broccoli and cook for 1 minute once the water comes back to a boil. Drain in a colander to get as much water off as possible.

In a large skillet, add butter or olive oil and heat about 1 minute on medium high heat. Add garlic and saute a minute or two. Add the spaghetti squash and broccoli and cook, stirring a little, for about five minutes. Add the seasonings, lemon juice and sour cream and stir in, then add the spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts, then serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 52.7 Fat: 1.7 g Net Carbs: 6.4 g Protein: 2.0 g

 

Desserts, Recipes

Pumpkin Season! Low Carb Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

A couple of weeks ago a recipe popped up on Facebook for Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes and I love almost anything made with pumpkin.  So I decided to make them low carb.  No, not just low carb, but also gluten free for those  of you who have issues with wheat flour.  The recipe has a few incarnations on the web, so I am not sure who actually came up with it, but it may be from here.  This version evolves from the original and it is pretty darn good.

A couple of things, though.  Definitely use paper baking cups so you don’t have a mess trying to get these out of a cupcake mold.  I used silicon molds that you can flex to remove the baked goods and they didn’t come out cleanly.  Which brings up the other thing, which is to cook them until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry.  Mine was a little moist and I thought it would set up once it cooled, but it didn’t set up well enough to come out without leaving bits behind in the mold.  It also didn’t separate into a pie center with the surrounding crust, but the taste is definitely a pumpkin pie.

Smaller sized recipe makes 6 to 7 cupcake-sized pies.

Low Carb, Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

1 cup Pumpkin Puree
1/4 cup Sugar Substitute
12 tablespoons Brown Sugar Substitute
1 large Egg
3 tablespoons Liquid Egg Whites
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Unsweetened Almond Milk
1/3 cup Almond Flour
1 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.)  Line a 6 cup muffin tin with silicon liners, foil liners or paper lines sprayed with cooking spray.  If you use paper liners, just serve them in the paper.

In a medium bowl, mix the pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar substitute, egg, egg white, vanilla extract and almond milk until blended.  Add the almond flour, pumpkin spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda to the mixture.

Fill each muffin cup with 1/3 cup of the mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, use the toothpick method to check that it is done, then remove and let cool completely.

Remove cupcakes from pan and chill in the fridge for 3 until ready to serve.  Top with whipped cream or frozen topping.   Makes 6 to 7 cupcakes.

Nutrition Info: (Per cupcake)
Calories: 59 Fat: 2.8 g Net Carbs: 2.9 g Protein: 2.9 g

 

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