Coming from the southwest, you just know that I love Mexican food and that includes the spicy chorizo sausage that is mixed with chile. The basque chorizo that I first found more frequently when I moved to Reno is a solid, easily cut version and it doesn’t melt in the skillet as the Mexican chorizo does. This recipe is definitely for the Mexican variety. These days, it’s packaged in a plastic tube and you can cut it open and squeeze it into the skillet.
Mexican style chorizo in a plastic tube. Chorizo can be pork or beef or a combination.
I made a small 2 or 4 serving (depending on how hungry you are) casserole of this, but it’s easy to double it to make a larger size.
Chorizo and Egg Casserole
4 eggs
2 oz Chorizo
1/4 cup sliced Bell Pepper
1/4 cup diced Onions
1/2 cup Mexican Cheese (Queso Fresca)
1/4 cup grated Cheddar Cheese
1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
1/4 teaspoon Chile Powder
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F>)
In a skillet add the olive oil and chorizo and cook over medium high heat until the chorizo begins to melt. Add the onions and bell peppers and continue to cook until the onions are tender and the chorizo is completely melted. Turn heat to low.
In a bowl, beat together eggs and seasonings. Add most of the Mexican cheese, saving a little for topping. Pour the eggs into the pan with the chorizo and stir to mix well. The eggs will begin to cook as you stir. Remove from heat. Spray a small casserole dish with cooking spray and pour the egg and chorizo mixture into the casserole. Sprinkle the remaining Mexican cheese and shredded cheddar cheese over the top.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the eggs are set and the cheese is melted. Let cool about 5 minutes before serving.
Makes 2 servings.
Nutrition Info: Calories: 431 Fat: 32 g g Net Carbs: 3.9 g Protein: 29.5 g
*I’ve actually pictured 1/4 of the recipe serving, which is what I usually eat, so picture double the amount of that wedge in a regular serving.
Curries are very popular in Britain, so it’s no surprise that there’s a lovely curried chicken tea sandwich on some menus. Happily, it’s an easy recipe to adapt to low carb and easy to make. I am co-hosting a birthday tea for a dear friend who is turning 90 on Valentine’s Day and I plan to bring these sandwiches along with smoked salmon and cream cheese ones. These are colorful and delicious. They also make a great luncheon open-faced sandwich.
The bigger challenge with these is the low carb bread. You can make your own. I made a low carb focaccia-style bread for this and that worked perfectly. Or you could try thisflat breadwith it. You can also spread it on low carb tortillas and roll them up, then slice into a pinwheels. Or you can ditch the bread altogether and spread it on zucchini cut lengthwise to make the base. However you do it, if you like curry, you’re going to love it.
Curried Chicken Tea Sandwiches
1/4 cup Unsweetened Flaked Coconut, re-hydrated
2 tablespoons Coconut Milk or Heavy Cream
1 teaspoon Sugar Substitute
1/2 cup chopped or slivered Almonds
1 (8-ounce) package Cream Cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sugar-free Orange Marmalade
2 teaspoons Curry Powder
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Pepper
2 cups diced cooked Chicken
12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices low carb Bread
1 tablespoons diced Green Onions or fresh Parsley.
To rehydrate the coconut, place in a shallow bowl, add 1 tablespoon coconut milk or heavy cream, 1 tablespoon water and sugar substitute. Stir together, then let sit for at least 15 minutes.
In a medium bowl, add the softened cream cheese and 1 tablespoon heavy cream and beat until smooth. Add the salt, pepper, curry powder and orange marmalade and mix in. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the almonds and mix the rest into the cream cheese mixture.
In your food processor, put in chunks of chicken meat and pulse a few times to chop it to small pieces. Don’t cut them too small, but it will make the mixture easier to spread on the bread if the piees are about 1/4″ . Alternately, chop the chicken finely on a cutting board. Stir the chicken into the cream cheese mixture.
For Tea:
Spread the mixture evenly on the bread slices, trim the crusts. Top with a few pieces of the reserved almonds and green onions. Cut each slice into 3 finger sandwiches. Makes 36 finger sanwiches.
For Luncheon:
Spread the mixture evenly on the bread slices and top with almonds and green onions or parsley. Makes 12 open-faced sandwiches.
Nutrition Info per finger sandwich (filling only): Calories: 45 Fat: 3.3 g Net Carbs: 0.7 g Protein: 03.4 g
If your bread is 2.0 carbs per slice, your net carbs per finger sandwich would be about 1.4 net carbs.
Nutrition Info per luncheon sandwich (filling only): Calories: 135 Fat: 9.9 g Net Carbs: 2.1 g Protein: 10.2 g
If your bread is 2.0 carbs per slice, your net carbs per luncheon sandwich would be about 4.1 net carbs
I’d love to hear how you like this if you try it and how you serve it. Please send me comments.
Um umm, morning coffee with a piece of coffee cake… could anything be better? Or missing from a low carb lifestyle? Not anymore! Although this is not recommended for phase 1. It is definitely not on the food list and it’s iffy on phase 2.
I found the base for this recipe on the Tova Foods CarbQuick site and thought it sounded great. Giving credit where it is due, the original recipe was contributed by nawthwoodshuntress at Low Carb Friends. I adapted it a little more and used homemade low carb cranberry sauce in it. It was incredibly good – so good it was hard to believe it was low carb! I do recommend getting a box of CarbQuick for this kind of baking, but any low carb baking mix will work in it.
The low carb Cranberry Jam is easy to make. I’m including the instructions after the recipe for my version of this coffee cake. Obviously, this would be suitable with other low carb jams as well.
If you don’t use the whey powder and/or oat fiber or protein isolate, then substitute in 1/4 cup more CarbQuick or 1/4 cup almond flour. If you don’t like coconut flour, substitute 1/4 cup or either of those two flours also.
Cranberry Almond Coffee Cake
1 cup whole low carb Cranberry Sauce
1cup Carbquik or other low carb baking mix
2 tablespoons Coconut Flour
2 tablespoons Vanilla Whey Powder (optional)
2 tablespoons Oat Fiber or Protein Isolate (optional)
1-1/2 teaspoons Baking powder
3/4 cup Sugar Substitute
1/2 cup Shortening
2 Eggs
1 Egg White (can use packaged liquid egg whites)
1 teaspoon Almond extract
1/2 cup Almond milk or Coconut Milk or 1/4 cup Heavy Cream and 1/4 cup water
TOPPING:
1/2 c. Almond Flour
2 tablespoon Flax Meal Cereal or 2 tablespoons Oats
1/4 c. Brown Sugar Substitute
1 teaspoon Sugar Free Maple Syrup
1/4 cup melted Butter,
1/4 cup chopped or sliced Almonds
1 teaspoon Cinnamon.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.) Prepare a 9″ square cake pan by spraying with baking spray or grease with with butter.
For the main cake, combine low carb flours and baking powder in a small bowl; set aside. Cream 3/4 c. sugar substitute, shortening, eggs, egg whites and almond extract in a large bowl. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture. Mix well, then add almond or coconut milk (or cream combined with water), and continue mixing until it forms a batter.
Spread half the batter on the bottom, top with cranberry jam and then spread the rest of the batter over the top.
Spread half the batter into the square pan. Spread cranberry sauce over batter. Spread the rest of the batter over the cranberry sauce.
In another small bowl, mix the topping ingredients until they are combined into a crumble topping, then use a spoon to distribute it over the top.
Bake for about 45 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes, then cut into 16 squares.
Makes 16 servings
Nutrition Info per square (with oats) Calories: 288.1 Fat 30.9 g: Net Carbs: 4.3 g Protein: 6.0 g
Nutrition Info per square (with flax cereal) Calories: 283.5 Fat: 30.8 g Net Carbs: 3.6 g Protein: 5.9 g
Cranberry Jam
I am a big fan of cranberry jam and the low carb version is easy to make. Cranberries don’t really require anything to help them thicken. I’ve added cinnamon and clove to my version, but I know not everyone is a clove fan. You can add orange flavoring or orange zest to it, but it might change the carb count a little bit. Pectin is not really necessary in it, but if you aren’t going to eat the jam within a couple of weeks, you might add it to help extend the life. You can also put part of the batch into a plastic bag, press out as much air as possible and freeze it. I used Ideal Sugar, which is a sugar alcohol substitute sugar. It has 0 carbs. Splenda and other sweeteners that are packaged in a filler material have a small amount of carbs in the filler, so it may increase the carb count.
1 – 10 oz package Fresh Cranberries
1 cup Sugar Substitute
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves (optional)
1/2 cup Water
1 teaspoon Pectin
This is pretty much the package directions. Rinse cranberries in a colander and sort out any bad ones. You will have about three cups of cranberries. Put in a medium-sized sauce pan and add water. Cook over medium high heat, add sugar substitute and stir until it is dissolved. Cook until cranberries pop. Add cinnamon and clove seasonings if you wish. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes until most of the water is gone and you have a thick consistency with the fruit.
Remove from the heat and let set up. When the jam is cooled, spoon into a clean jar with a tight lid. Store in your refrigerator. Will easily keep about three weeks or more, if it lasts that long.
The main difference from cranberry sauce is that it is cooked longer to make it thicker and more of a jam consistency.
Makes about 2 cups of Cranberry Jam or 32 one tablespoon servings.
Nutrition Info per serving based on 32 servings
Calories: 4.3 Fat: 0.0 g Net Carbs: 0.7 g Protein: 0.0 g
I nabbed some Dover Sole at my grocery store a few days ago, which is something I don’t see too often. I was very excited to do a recipe using the sole and found many of them on the internet. But I settled on an adaptation of Chief John’s Crab Stuffed Sole. I didn’t have any crab and I wanted to do something a little different with it anyway, so I came up with this recipe using vegetables and bacon instead.
For the low carb bread crumbs, you can crumble any low carb bread – you only need a 1 tablespoon – or use the lowest carb commercial bread crumbs you can find. I have leftover bread stuffing mix from my Christmas dinner. Not the stuff made into the stuffing, but the seasoned, cut up squares from my recipehere.
The result is a delicious, a lightly-flavored roll of sole filled with tasty vegetables and bacon and topped with a toasted mayonnaise sauce. Try the original with crab or try this version. Either way, you’ll love it. And if you can’t find sole, try cod or another boneless white fish filet.
Bacon and Zucchini Stuffed Sole
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
2 strips of bacon, fried and chopped
1 tablespoon low carb bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced green onions
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and black pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 pinch paprika
8 2 oz. sole fillets (1 lb.)
Paprika to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking dish or spray with cooking spray.
Finely chop vegetables and break bacon into small pieces.
Combine vegetables, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, bread crumbs, and black pepper together in a bowl.
In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and cayenne pepper.
Wash the sole fillets and pat dry. Place flat side up on your work surface or a silicone mat. Season fillets with a little salt and paprika. Divide stuffing mixture between the fillets, spreading it down the length of the filet. Roll each filet up around filling, rolling the full length of the filet so it makes a spiral roll with the filling in layers inside. Place rolled sole in the prepared baking dish.
Distribute filling the full length of the filet.
Using a spoon or spatula, spread 1/2 the mayonnaise mixture over the sides and tops of each sole roll to coat. Place remaining mayonnaise mixture in a small plastic bag and cut the tip of a corner off to squeeze out the mayonnaise. Pipe the mixture in a zigzag pattern over the top of each filet roll and sprinkle paprika over the top.
Roll the filets from the shorter side up to form roll.
Bake in the preheated oven until browned on top and fish flakes easily with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes.
Makes 4 servings (2 rolls each)
Nutrition Info per servings: Calories: 336 Fat: 3.6 g Net Carbs: 2 g Protein: 28.7
Notes: As you can see from my photo, If you nip off too much of the bag tip, the flow will be too big for neat zigzags. Also, try to get evenly sized fillets for this so that the rolls are consistent in size.
When winter really hits is when I begin to miss hot cereals like oatmeal and cream of wheat. Actually, the former more than the latter, but you get the point. On a cold morning, hot cereal really hits the spot and warms the body. I had pretty much given up on any cereals when a low carb lifestyle, but it’s not as hopeless as I’d thought it was. Usually anything that I think I might try has been tried by someone else before me and this is the case with hot cereal as well. There are low carb or close to low carb recipes out there and some that I can adapt to low carb. So, I am offering up two of these warming recipes and one that is more like a cold granola cereal just to round it out.
These are adapted and changed a bit from the recipes that inspired them. Enjoy them.
Pumpkin, Oatmeal and Flax Hot Cereal
Swapping out most of the oatmeal for flax means a much lower carb’d recipe. The oatmeal adds a little in the texture department, but not a lot in the taste, since that is overridden by the pumpkin and cinnamon. To make this even a little lower in carbs, omit the oatmeal. It’s still delicious. I used Golden Flax, but you can use the regular flax as well.
1/4 cup Golden Flax Meal
1/2 tablespoon Oat Meal
1/2 tablespoon Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (optional)
3 tablespoons Almond Milk or Coconut Milk
1 tablespoon Hot Water
2 tablespoons Pumpkin Puree
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon chopped Pecans or Walnuts
1/2 teaspoon Sugar-Free Honey or Sugar Free Maple Syrup
1 teaspoon Butter
In a small microwave safe bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir. Microwave another 30 seconds. Put the butter on top to melt, then stir in. Add a little extra almond or coconut milk, if you like, and a bit of sugar substitute to taste.
Serves 1
Nutrition Info: Calories: 254.2 Fat: 19.2 g Net Carbs: 3.6 g Protein: 7.5 g
Nutrition Info without oatmeal: Calories:244.3 Fat: 19.0 g Net Carbs: 2.1 g Protein: 7.2 g
Hot Cereal Basic Mix for Coconut Flax Cereal
Cranberry, Coconut & Oatmeal Flax Cereal
Sometimes, you just want to have the basic cereal mix for two or three delicious cereals ready to go for a quick breakfast before work. You can pre-mix the dry ingredients and pre-chop the fruit, if you wish, but store them separately. This recipe is wonderful with the added chopped cranberries, but you can also use other berries and fruits in it.
Mix
1 cup Ground Flax Seed Meal
1/4 cup Quick Cook Oatmeal, uncooked
1/4 cup Shredded Unsweetened Coconut
1/4 cup Pecans, chopped
2 teaspoons Cinnamon, ground
1/4 cup fresh Cranberries, chopped
When preparing:
1 tablespoon unsweetened Coconut or Almond Milk
1 tablespoon sugar substitute or Sugar Free Honey
To make a four serving quantity that you can store and use during the week for a quick mix, combine all the dry ingredients – flax, oatmeal, coconut, pecans. Cinnamon and sugar substitute — and mix well. Put in a jar and store in the refrigerator to keep fresher.
To prepare the cranberries, chop them in a food processor and put them in a small jar, add a drop of lemon juice and put in the fridge. They won’t keep as long as the dry ingredients and tend to weep juice, so it’s best to keep them separate from the dry ingredients until you’re ready to cook. If you can chop them just before using, it is best.
To make one serving, use 1/4 of the mix, 1/4 of the cranberries. Add 1 tablespoon of unsweetened coconut milk and 1 tablespoon of sugar substitute or sugar free honey, then stir all together. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir. Microwave another 30 seconds, then stir again. Put a pat of butter on top and a splash of coconut milk or cream, if you like. Add sugar substitute to your preference.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition Info per serving (with cranberries) Calories: 259 Fat: 22.2 g Net Carbs: 3.3 g Protein: 7.6 g
Instead of cranberries, you can use raspberries, blueberries, peaches, apples, or blackberries.
Peach, Flax and Pecan Granola Cereal
This is one I came up with although the technique isn’t unique. I was hoping it would have more of a peach taste than it does, but I did use canned peaches and it might work better with a fresh peach puree.
1/4 cup Flax Meal
2 tablespoon Golden Flax Meal
3 tablespoons Almond Flour or Ground Almonds
1 tablespoon Wheat Germ
2 tablespoons Water
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
Pinch Clove
1/4 cup pureed sugar free Peach slices
1 tablespoon Sugar Free Peach syrup
1 tablespoons Almond Butter
1 tablespoon Sugar Free Maple Pancake Syrup
2 tablespoons chopped Pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking pan with parchment paper sprayed with baking spray.
Mix all ingredients except water together, then add enough water to make a crumbly dough. Spread in clumps on the baking pan. This will make a granola-like cereal.
Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees, then lower temperature to 250 degrees and bake in 10 minute increments until the cereal is dried out and crunchy.
Store in a plastic container. Serve with unsweetened almond or coconut milk. Makes three 1/2 cup servings.
Nutrition Info per serving: Calories: 2169.5 Fat: 13.5 g Net Carbs: 3.4 g Protein: 6.1 g
