Tag Archives: Atkins friendly recipe

Desserts, Recipes

Traditional Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving holiday just isn’t complete at my house without pumpkin pie. The best recipe I’ve found for it is the one on Libby’s pumpkin can, but it does need adjustments to be low carb.  But this year I decided to enhance my low carb recipe to a Maple Pumpkin Pie with Pecans.

The first change is the pie crust. I made the crust with hazelnut flour mixed with a low carb flour. You can use all almond flour as a substitute for both flours.  The crust will not be like a regular crust, but more like a crumble crust on the bottom.  Look for almond flour  or hazelnut flour in the health food section of the grocery store or at health food stores. You can also find Bob’s Red Mill low carb flour in these places also.  Bob’s is not the lowest low carb flour, but it will only add about 1/2 a carb to the serving over the CarbQuick flour.  The other change is using sugar substitute for the sugar and heavy whipping cream for evaporated milk.

If you use Splenda, the filler that carries the sweetener has up to .9 carb per teaspoon.   I don’t  know the exact amount as they only show <1 carb.  Xylitol and liquid sucralose have no carbs. That saves up to 36 carbs by making the switch.  For those that like it, liquid Stevia also works.

For those who are phase 1 of Atkins or just don’t want a crust on your pie, you can make this without the crust.  Just spray the pie pan with baking spray and pour the filling into the pan.  Everything else is the same.  If you want to make them in muffin pans or custard cups, go the instructions at the bottom of the page.

For more recipes for your Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday to stay on a low carb lifestyle, go to A Low Carb Winter Holiday

Hazelnut and low carb flour pie shell.

Pie Crust:

1/4 tsp Salt
3 Tbsp Cold Water
1/3 cup Shortening or Butter (cold)
1/3 cup  LOW CARB BAKING MIX (CarbQuick, Bob’s Red Mill, LC Foods or Atkins)
1/3 cup hazelnut flour or almond flour

Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Lightly spray an 8″ or 9″ deep dish pie pan with cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients ( Low Carb Baking Mix and salt). Cut in shortening until pea sized balls are formed. Sprinkle water one tablespoon at a time and mix in lightly with a fork.  If the dough is very moist, then only use as much water as necessary for it to form a ball.  Let rest a few minutes.

Divide the dough into quarters and place in each section of  a deep dish pie tin. Use your fingers to spread the crust around the bottom of the pan and work it up the edge of the pie pan about half way. Use a fork, to pierce the bottom of the crust a few times.

Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Crust Nutrition Info: Calories: 72.3 g Net Carbs: .4 g Protein: 1.1 g

(I’m giving you crust only information in case you want to use it for another pie.  Whether you use Almond flour, Hazelnut flour or all Baking Mix, the crust will be about the same number of carbs.)

1/12 slice of Maple Pumpkin Pie.

Pie Filling

3/4 cup Sugar substitute
1/4 cup Brown Sugar Substitute**
1/4 cup sugar-free Maple Syrup
1 tablespoon ground Cinnamon *
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger *
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground Nutmeg *
3 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.)  Pumpkin Puree
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 cup unsweetened Almond or Coconut Milk
1 cup Pecan halves (optional)
Whipped cream (optional)

• You can use 2 tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Spice for the cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Still add the clove .

** You can use white sugar substitute for the brown sugar if you can’t find any sugar free Brown Sugar.  Do NOT use the Splenda Brown Sugar mix for this.  It uses real brown sugar, so the carbs are quite a bit higher.

Mix sugar, salt, and spices in a small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl., then stir pumpkin, maple syrup and sugar-spice mixture. Combine milks and stir together.  Gradually add to mixture as you stir it in.

POUR into prepared pie shell.  Arrange the pecans over the top of the pie.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours.  After it cools down enough, about 30 minutes, I cover the pie with plastic wrap.

Serve or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

To make a thicker pie, use 4 eggs, 3 cups of pumpkin puree and 1 cup of heavy whipping cream.  This will add about 1 net carb to the count.

Makes 10 average servings or 12 small servings.

Nutrition Info per serving: 10 servings
Calories: 237 Fat: 22g Net Carbs: 4.1 g Protein: 4.4 g

Nutrition Info per serving: 12 servings
Calories: 198 Fat: 18.4 g Net Carbs: 3.4 g Protein: 3.7 g

Crustless Pumpkin Pie (Custard)

You can make these in 8 to 10 muffin pans instead of putting into a pie shell. If you’re on phase I of Atkins, the crust is definitely not a part of the plan.
To make: Simply use the recipe for the pie filling and mix it up according to the directions above, omitting the optional pecans.

Preheat the oven to 365 degrees (F.). Spray 1/2 capacity cup muffin cups or custard cups with cooking spray. Use a 1/2 cup measure to dip into the batter and fill cups to about 2/3 full.

Put muffin cups on a baking sheet and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let cool, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Remove from the mold. Add a dollop of whipped cream and serve. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Nutrition Info: 8 servings per serving
Calories: 131 Fat: 10.5 g Net Carbs: 4.3 g Protein: 3.6 g

Main Dish, Pork, Recipes, Soups and Stews, Vegetarian

Hearty Winter Loaded Cauliflower Soup

Loaded Cauliflower Soup without the optional ingredients. First night, it was more soupy than when I reheated it and added the optional ingredients.

This recipe cmae out of a brief discussion of what warming soup to make for the weekend.  Someone mentioned Loaded Potato Soup and I countered with a cauliflower soup.  But the loaded potato sounded so good that I went to look for the recipe.  What resulted is the Loaded Cauliflower Soup.  I admit it, cauliflower will never taste like potato, but it is still a scrumptious and filling cold winter’s night soup.  It’s definitely on my do again and again list.

I started with Guy Fieri’s Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup recipe  at Food Network and made adjustments to make it low carb’d.   The result is considerably different and you can make it with or without the additions of turnips and Daikon radish.

When I added Daikon and turnips at the reheat, the soup became more like a stew. You could add a little water or more unsweetened almond milk to thin it a little, but this was like eating a loaded baked potato.

Loaded Cauliflower Soup

Adapted from a recipe by Guy Fieri

4 cups of Cauliflower, chopped
1 medium turnip, peeled and diced (optional)
1 cup daikon radish, peeled and diced (optional)
6 slices thick-cut Applewood Smoked Bacon
1/4 cup Onions, chopped
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
1 teaspoon Chicken Bullion or Better than Bullion or 1 cup Chicken Broth
1/4 Red or Green Bell Pepper, diced
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 cup Water
3 cups Unsweetened Almond Milk (not flavored)
2 cups sharp Cheddar, grated or shredded
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
4 tablespoons Sour Cream
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Chives

Preheat the oven to 385 degrees F.

Place the bacon on a cookie rack and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until it is crisp. Let cool. Pour 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat into the bottom of a large soup pot. Add 1/4 cup onions and cook until onions are translucent.

Mix 1/4 cup of the water with the cornstarch, then add to the rest of the water, cream and almond milk.  Pour into the soup pot and stir. Add the cauliflower to the pot, turn to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes until the cauliflower is fork tender.

Crumble the bacon, set aside 2 tablespoons, and add the rest to the pot. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cheese then add the rest to the pot and stir.  Cook until the cheese is melted and the soup thickens.

Ladle the soup into bowls, put a dollop of sour cream on top, and sprinkle with remaining bacon bits, grated cheese and chives.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Nutrition Info per serving:  (4 servings) without optional ingredients
Calories: 436 Fat: 34 g Net Carbs: 7.6 g Protein: 23.3 g

Nutritional Info per serving: (6 servings) with optional ingredients
Calories: 341 Fat: 27.3 g Net Carbs: 8 g Protein: 14.2 g

Tip:  Leftovers can be easily reheated.  Store in the refrigerator up to three days.  Just don’t add the sour cream and bacon and cheese extras until after it’s reheated.

For Vegetarians, omit the bacon.  If you don’t use any  animal products, then omit the cheese, sour cream and cream and add more almond or coconut milk.  I’d also add some seasonings, such as rosemary, sage and thyme.

Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Recipes

German Apple Pancake Is Easy and Great

Back before I went to the low carb lifestyle, I used to make this pancake often and with other fruits than apples.  It works very well with pears and peaches instead of apples.  Technically, none of those fruits are on the okay list for Atkins phase 2 or phase 3, but lately Atkins has been allowing more of these “forbidden” fruits to their list.  They put out a recipe using peaches, so I think the best bet is to just be careful of the number of carbs in the total dish and not do it too often.

I use a combination of CarbQuick and almond flour for the pancake part.  You can use all almond flour or a combination of almond flour and coconut flour (use 1/2 the amount called for of coconut flour if you use it.  It expands with liquid.)  I don’t like coconut flour as well for baking because the texture is kind of gritty, but if you use a small amount, it works very well.

To make a great breakfast, serve this with bacon and eggs, or just bacon or ham.  Great start for the day.  To make a nice dessert out of it, put a dollop of whipped cream on top and/or a bit of sugar free caramel syrup.

German Apple Pancakes

1 tablespoon Butter, unsalted
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons Carbquick
2 tablespoons Almond flour
2 tablespoons Unsweetened Coconut Milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon Sugar Substitute
1 medium Apple, cored (peeling optional)
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 tablespoons Sugar Substitute
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground,
1/4 teaspoon Clove, ground

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Put 8 inch pie tin into the oven to heat.

In a bowl, beat together the flours, eggs, coconut milk, 2 teaspoons sugar substitute and salt.

Cut the apple in half, then slice into thin pieces. Put slices in a small bowl, add cinnamon, clove and 2 tablespoons sugar substitute

German Apple Pancake cooked in a cake tin.

Remove the pie tin and put the butter in the hot tin and swirl it around to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Be sure to use a pot holder when holding the tin. It will be hot enough to melt the butter.

Layer the apples over the bottom of the buttered tin then pour the flour and egg mixture over the apples carefully.

Bake for about 20 minutes until the pancake is golden brown. It will puff up while cooking. Cut into quarters and serve immediately. Add a little whipped cream topping if you wish.

Makes 4 or 6 servings, depending on how many carbs you have to spare.

Nutrition Info – 4 slices – per slice
Calories: 120 Fat: 8.1 g Net Carbs: 6.3 g Protein: 4.8 g

Nutrition Info – 6 slices – per slice

Calories: 80 Fat: 5.4 g Net Carbs: 4.2 g Protein: 3.2 g

 

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Fresh Taste with Zucchini Fritters

To me, it still seems like an impossible dream that any diet could allow the luxury of any kind of fried food and still be legal.  I’ve always joked that Atkins low carb diet was the one that allowed you to eat all the toppings — sour cream, butter, bacon and cheese — that go on a baked potato, but the not potato itself.  What irony.

Well, potatoes might not be on the menu, but there are other substitutes that are totally palate pleasing as well as low carb’d.  One of these is the Zucchini Fritter.  My version is loaded with fresh zucchini, onions, bell pepper and bacon pieces.  Usually, the recipes start with grating the zucchini, then draining it, adding salt to remove the liquid and squeezing as much water out as possible so that it’s very dry.  I skip that step.  You can shred the zucchini or take my approach and let the food processor chop it into small pieces.  I don’t squeeze the liquid out, but just use it as is and let the flour absorb the liquid.  Serve this with a dill sauce, a low carb Ranch dressing or heat up a little pasta sauce.

Zucchini, Onions and Peppers Fritters

1 cup Zucchini, shredded or chopped
1/2 cup Onions, chopped
1/4 cup Bell Peppers, chopped
2 large Eggs
1/2 cup  low carb Flour *
2 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese, grated
2 tablespoons Bacon pieces
1/2 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
4 to 6 tablespoons Olive Oil

* If you use Coconut Flour, reduce to 3 tablespoons.  The flour will absorb the liquid very well.

Finely chop the zucchini, onion and bell peppers in a food processor and mix together in a bowl. Add eggs, low carb flour, cheese, bacon pieces and seasoning salt. Stir together until the mixture is completely blended with the vegetables and all the flour is mixed in. The liquid from the vegetables and the eggs will provide enough moisture to make a pancake consistency batter.

Fitter patties in the frying pan.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When hot, add a big tablespoon of the zucchini mixture to the pan and smooth it into a small pancake. Repeat with a second tablespoon on the other side of the pan.  Cover with a lid and cook for about two minutes until golden brown. Turn over and cook another two minutes. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Add more olive oil if needed.  Repeat, making two at a time, with the remainder of the batter.

Flipped golden brown fritters. The trick here is to cook them at a medium temperature, just hot enough to lightly brown them and still cook them through. These were about 1 minute and 40 seconds.

Serve warm with a dill dressing or a low carb dressing. Delicious.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition Info per fritter
Calories: 109 Fat:9.8 g Net Carbs: 2.0 Protein: 3.5 g

 

 

Desserts, Recipes

More Madeleine Cookie Options

I admit it.  Once I get hooked on something new, I have to experiment more with it and that’s exactly what I have been doing with the Madeleine cookie recipe.  The basic one that I just posted is really very good and the savory one has many possibilities, and I’ll probably be doing some more of those at a later date.  But for now, with pumpkin harvest upon us, I felt I simply had to try it with pumpkin and it is wonderfully delicious.  The other option that also must be tried is the chocolate Madeleine.  So, I am thrilled to share these two recipes with you.  My friend has created a Madeleine Cookie Monster, but the beauty is that they are all low carb.  Yummmm…

Pumpkin Madeleine Cookies

This recipe is figured to make 36 cakes rather than 24, mostly because my pan has 18 wells in it and I didn’t want to have to cook the second batch with just 6 wells used.  If you do find yourself in the situation of cooking with empty wells in the pan, put a tablespoon of water in the well, so that it isn’t empty.    Apart from that, 3 dozen cookies are always good to have around when they are so tasty.

4 large Eggs
1/4 cup liquid Egg Whites
1/2 cup granulated sugar substitute
1/4 cup granulated brown sugar substitute
1 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons Low Carb Flour (CarbQuick, LC Foods or others)
1/4 cup Coconut Flour
1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie spice
1/2 teaspoon Clove, ground
3/4 cup Pumpkin puree
1/2 cup Butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
3 tablespoons Water

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

In a medium bowl, break the eggs and add the sugar and vanilla. Whisk together until foamy, then add the pumpkin and seasonings and whisk them in. Add the flours and baking powder and stir together with a spoon until well mixed. Let rest a few minutes, then add the water. The coconut flour will absorb liquid, so if it seems too stiff, add a little more water.

Use a silicon Madeleine cake pan or spray a metal pan with baking spray to make it easier to release the cakes.

Fill the wells to 2/3 full, about 1 level tablespoon of batter per well 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 to 12 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes, then turn out of the pans.  Makes 36 cookies.

Nutrition Info per cookie:
Calories: 43.2 Fat: 3.6 g Net Carbs: 0.8 g Protein: 1.5 g

Pumpkin Marshmallow Cookies

Low Carb Pumpkin Marshmallow Madeleine Cookie

Another simple way to dress up a Madeleine cookie is to take two pumpkin Madeleine cookies and spread a layer of sugar free Marshmallow Creme* on top of one, then top with the other.  Both of the cookies have the shell side out with the smoother side in.

You can also put whipped cream between them.

Or take 1 oz of Cream Cheese, add a teaspoon of whipping cream, 1 teaspoon of sugar substitute (more or less to taste) and a 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla and mix well to make a cream cheese filling to make two filled cookies.

* I buy Walden Farms Sugar Free Marshmallow Creme , which is 0 calories and 0 carbs.  Sometimes grocery stores carry it or you can order it online.

Chocolate Madeleine Cookies

Orange Syrup or orange extract adds just a light citrus taste to these chocolate cookies.

3 Eggs
1 Egg White
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar Substitute
1/2 cup CarbQuick or other low carb flour
2 tablespoons Coconut Flour
2 tablespoons Cocoa
1 tablespoon Orange Syrup
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.

In a medium bowl, break the eggs and add the sugar. Whisk together until foamy. Add the flours and baking powder, chocolate 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.

Use a silicon Madeleine cake pan, if possible.

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 to 12 minutes.

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

Makes 24 cakes.

Nutrition Info per cookie:
Calories: 53 Fat: 4.9 g Net Carbs: 0.5 g Protein: 1.5 g

Chocolate Madeleine Cookies with Cherry Yogurt Dessert

 

Chocolate Madeleine cookies topped with cherry yogurt, Cool Whip and tiny sugar free chocolate chips.

For  quick, yet elegant-looking dessert, take two Madeleine cookies and arrange them on a plate, add 1 oz of low carb Cherry Yogurt on top or partially on top and top with a tablespoon of Cool Whip or whipped cream and a couple of sugar-free chocolate chips.

Tip:  If you don’t have Madeleine pans, you can bake these in mini-cupcake molds and they won’t taste much different.  They just won’t have the distinctive shape.  Be sure to spray the molds with cooking spray to make it easier to release the cookie and allow it to cool completely.