Tag Archives: Atkins friendly

Breads, Product Review

Product Review: LC-Cinnamon Buns

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Cinnamon Buns

Mix From LC Foods – Cost $8.98 Makes 9 cinnamon rolls

Package contains about 1 1/2 cups of mix to make the cinnamon buns plus a packet of cinnamon filling mix. You need to add heavy cream, butter, seltzer water, and yeast.  You also need butter and walnuts (or pecans) for the filling.

I mixed according to the directions and used 2 tablespoons of Diet 7-Up for the carbonated water.  The dough was extremely sticky.  The directions say the dough needs to be stiff to roll and to add extra carbonated water if it isn’t.  It didn’t say what to do if the dough was too soft.  I add 2 tablespoons of protein powder and mixed it in and it was still too soft and sticky.  I added 1 tablespoon of carbolose low carb flour and it was finally not too sticky to handle although still too sticky to roll out.  Next, I separated the dough into three equal-sized balls.

I made the cinnamon filling according to directions using 2 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon melted butter.  Very thick filling.  I put 1 tablespoon of carbolose on the bread  board, took the first ball and shaped it into a cylinder about 5 to 6 inches long, then put it on the board and pressed it into a 3 inch wide by about 9 inch long strip.  It was too thin to press to 12” long without it tearing.  I turned it a couple of times during the shaping to keep it from sticking to the board and shifted the flour under it.

Then I spread the cinnamon mix onto the strip, which was not too easy as the cinnamon mix wanted to stick to the fork I was using and pulled the dough a couple of times.  I spread chopped pecans on top since we don’t use walnuts at our house.  Then I cut the strip into three one inch wide strips and rolled them from one end to the other to make the roll.

Once they were all done and in the baking pan, the instructions say to put in a warm 70-85 degree oven to rise.  I don’t know about you, but my oven, which I bought about 5 years ago, doesn’t go down below 250 degrees.  It’s electronic ignition, so it doesn’t even have a pilot light to give off heat.  I used my toaster oven, set to the unmarked area below 150 degrees and hoped it wouldn’t destroy the yeast before its time.

It took about twice as long as recommended for the rolls to almost double in size, so that was about 1 hour 15 minutes to rise.  This might be because I live in a high altitude location and that does affect the rise.  Then I brought the oven up to 400 degrees and allowed it to heat for about 5 minutes, then put the rolls in for 15 minutes to bake.  At this point, they look like they will be very tasty although the dough itself is brown rather than white bread type dough.  The mix contains flax meal, wheat isolate, wheat starches, wheat gluten, inulin, and other products that substitute for wheat and sugar.

The mix does not include icing, so you need powdered sugar substitute if you want to ice the rolls.  You can purchase LC Foods powdered sugar or you can make your own by putting sugar substitute in a blender or food processor and running it until it turns to a fine powder.   You’ll need about 2 tablespoons of sugar-free powdered sugar to make a simple icing.  I put 1 tablespoon butter in with the powdered sugar and add enough water to make either a spreadable frosting or a drip frosting, whichever you prefer.

So, making the rolls didn’t go as smoothly as I’d hoped and if you’re trying it, I would suggest not adding the carbonated soda until you have all the other ingredients mixed to see how thick your dough is, then adding it a little at a time.  I still think you will need a low carb flour, possibly coconut flour or almond flour to roll or pat the dough out on in order to prevent it from sticking to the board.

How about taste?  This is the bottom line.  Is the taste worth the expense and effort to make these?  My taste test panel was only two people and we thought that the rolls had a very good flavor, lots of cinnamon taste and were slightly crispy outside with a soft center.  I pour two tablespoons of melted butter over the rolls when they came out of the oven and that added a buttery taste to the rolls that is very nice.  I made a powdered sugar icing and spread it over the top, which added a sweeter taste to it.  We did notice a slight bitter aftertaste, which I think came from the stevia used in the mix or from the inulin.

Overall, I would say it is a very good cinnamon roll and not too difficult to make.  It is almost $1 per cinnamon roll and they aren’t very big ones, about 3 inches in diameter.  My rolls are uneven in size, but that is likely the baker’s fault and I didn’t cut them evenly.  I might buy these again and try them, but it wouldn’t be too often at the price for the mix.  I have a couple of other options to try, including cinnamon bread from Dixie Carb Counters.  I will do that over the next few weeks and post a review.

I give these cinnamon rolls  4 out of 5 tasty spoons.

4-spoons

Disclaimer:  I have not received any promotional items to review and no one from any of the companies whose products I review has 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.

Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes, Vegetarian

Asparagus, Ricotta & Bacon Cheese Pie Is Versatile

Asparagus is figuring prominently in my recipes at the moment since a friend of mine just brought over about three pounds and left them with me.  So, I need to eat a lot of it over the next week or so!  I whipped up this yummy cheese pie featuring asparagus and bacon, two of my favorite things.   I often add ricotta cheese to my quiches and breakfast omelets, so it goes in great with this crustless pie.  It’s great for brunch, lunch or add a salad and make it dinner.

Incidently, if you missed it, I did a guest post earlier this week for The Chinese Quest with a great recipe for Asparagus Shrimp Stir Fry.  

Just want to mention that the print copy of my cookbook is on sale at Amazon for $5,85 versus $6.50.  Not sure how long this price will last, but it’s a good time to buy it if you haven’t already.  Many recipes in it are not on this website, so you won’t find them here, but you will find the color images of the photos in the book, which are black and white, beginning on this page with links to the rest of the pages.  The link to the book page at Amazon is on the right.

Asparagus Bacon Pie with salad topped with fried pork rinds.

Asparagus, Bacon & Ricotta Cheese Pie

A crustless pie made with ricotta cheese, bacon, asparagus and cheddar jack cheese. It’s garnished with more asparagus and tomatoes.

14 stalks Asparagus, 5″ trimmed
4 Eggs
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 cup Cheddar Jack Cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Onions, diced
4 slices thick Bacon,
4 large grape tomatoes (optional)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 oz. Heavy Cream
1/2 teaspoon Seasoning Salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F.) Spray an 8″ pie dish with baking spray.

Hold back 6 asparagus spears, then slice the rest into 1 inch pieces and distribute evenly over the bottom of the pie pan.

Cook bacon until crisp and let drain and cool on paper towels while you cook the onions. Add a little bacon grease to a small pan and sauté the onions until they are just tender. Sprinkle the onions over the top of the asparagus. Break the bacon into pieces and distribute over the top of the asparagus, then sprinkle 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese over the top.

In a medium bowl, break the eggs and beat until blended, then add the ricotta cheese, heavy cream, and seasonings. Beat to mix the ingredients together. Pour over the asparagus and cheese in the pan, spreading as evenly as possible. It will settle in.

Trim the asparagus to the 4″ lengths and cut the extra trimmed off into two pieces. Position the asparagus spears on the top to form six divisions. Cut grape tomatoes and use to decorate the pie as shown.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out fairly clean, It will firm up more as it cools. Let sit about 10 minutes, then cut and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition info per serving:
Calories: 190.4 Fat: 14.3 g Net Carbs: 3.0 g Protein: 12.9 g

Tip:  This can be made with zucchini or chopped broccoli (par-boil first).  Substitute in turkey bacon if you prefer or to make it vegetarian, use a soy bacon or other vegetarian bacon.  This will affect the carb count by about .5 net carbs more per serving.

guest blog, Healthy Life

Chinese Restaurants and Low Carb

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My friend at The Chinese Quest, Mee Magnum, has graciously allowed me to repost this great article about how to approach eating Chinese food at restaurants without over-doing the carbohydrates.  It is a challenge, but it is entirely do-able.

Low Carb Chinese Food

This month marks the one-year anniversary that Mini Mee was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.  In his three days in the hospital, upon diagnosis, I learned more about carbs than I had known about it in my whole entire life.  I had to become keenly aware of his carbohydrate intake so that he would get the proper amount of insulin to offset it.  Counting carbs, or carbohydrates, became a way of life of him.  And for Mee.  To honor him, and The Chinese Quest, I am going to post a series of articles and recipes this month on low carb Chinese food.

Low Carb Chinese Food PyramidAs an added bonus, cutting down on your carbs will help you (umm, Mee) to lose the weight you’ve been wanting to lose, and to help you lead a healthier lifestyle.  And now I won’t have to give up my Chinese food, or The Chinese Quest!

You don’t have to stop eating Chinese food to follow a low carb diet, but you’ll need to pick your dishes carefully.  For instance, a typical serving of a Chinese restaurant staple such as sesame chicken with white rice can contain as much as 76 grams of carbohydrates. Learning what to eat, and what to avoid, can allow you to enjoy Chinese cuisine while keeping your carb count as low as possible.

Clear SoupClear Soups

Instead of ordering egg rolls, fried wontons, dim sum, dumplings, prawn toast or batter-fried shrimp as an appetizer, go for a clear soup such as egg drop soup, recommends the low carb Atkins diet guidelines.  Soups with a heavier consistency usually rely on carbohydrate-rich cornstarch as a thickener, which can add approximately seven grams of carbohydrates per tablespoon.

Tip:  Ask your server to help you identify which soups on the menu are prepared without cornstarch.

Stir FriesStir Fries

Stir fried vegetables, lean beef, chicken, shrimp or a combination such as beef with mushrooms are a low carb Chinese entree choice as long as you ask them to be served without noodles or rice.  Many stir fry dishes come seasoned with plum, orange, hoisin, sweet and sour or oyster sauce.

Tip:  Ask for yours to be prepared without any sauce, or with a small amount of the sauce served on the side. These sauces contain a large amount of sugar and often include cornstarch.

Grilled Meat, Poultry or Seafood

Avoid Chinese dishes that contain meat, poultry, fish or shellfish that’s been breaded or coated with a thick batter and fried, particularly if the food is served in a thick sauce. A restaurant serving of a batter-coated, sauce-rich entree such as sweet and sour pork can contain more than 70 grams of carbohydrates, even without the addition of noodles or rice.

Tip:  Opt for grilled foods instead, such as grilled fish or skewers of chicken or lean beef.  If grilled dishes aren’t available, look for steamed entrees.

Egg Foo YoungEgg Foo Young

Egg foo young is a combination of minced vegetables, eggs and small pieces of meat, seafood or poultry cooked into an omelet-style pancake.  Egg foo young is traditionally served with a dark brown sauce made from soy sauce, oyster sauce and cornstarch.

Tip:  Skip the sauce to avoid excess carbs.

So there you have it, you can have your cake (ok, perhaps NOT literally), and eat it too!  Choose your carbs as wisely as you choose the Chinese restaurants you eat in.  And for our recommendations and reviews, please check out our Review page, and our Rankings page.

If you have any other suggestions to share, please post them in the comments.

Humbly submitted for your consumption,

–Mee Magnum (“Chop!  Chop!”)

From ARene (Mee Ree)- Check out more of Mee Magnum’s post at The Chinese Quest to get more tips, recipes and reviews of some of the great Chinese restaurants in New York.

A to Z Challenge 2015, Beef, Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Recipes

Zest for Zucchini

Zucchini is one of the favorite vegetables of the world and it certainly ranks high in my culinary endeavors. It is delicious almost any way you prepare it and there are countless ways to use it in your cooking from salads, to main course to appetizers to desserts and breads. However, zucchini is part of a much larger family that includes other summer squashes, winter squashes, melons and cucumbers. Yep, they are all related, some a little closer than others.

Greenhouses, importers, and various growing locations worldwide have ensured that we can find zucchini in grocery stores at any time of the year. Others in the family, like yellow, crookneck and scallop squashes don’t show up as consistently. They each have their own unique flavor and blend well together when cooked. Zucchini has a delicate flavor, an edible skin, and a creamy off-white flesh. Generally the smaller, 3 to 4-inch vegetables are the best for eating since the seeds are smaller and edible and the flavor is at its best, I think. As they get bigger, they get tougher, seeds are bigger and the flesh isn’t as sweet. If you are stuffing a zucchini, try to look for about 5” and as big around as you can find.

Besides the delicious vegetables — oh, wait, that isn’t really a vegetable, but a fruit! It is formed in the same manner as fruits, so technically it is one of them. But I will continue to count it in the vegetable column. The zucchini also produces an edible golden flower. I admit, I have never cooked one of the flowers, although they are popular fried. I did have a couple of plants one summer that did not cross-pollinate because the flowers were all I got. The male flower blooms first to attract bees and the female blossom, which has the bud of a tiny fruit under it, needs to be pollinated by the bee. If this doesn’t happen, no zucchini will form. I was once told that you need at least two plants, but that apparently, isn’t necessary so long as the plant produces a female blossom. If no bees are in the area, you can transfer some of the pollen using a Q-Tip to dip into the male flower and put it in the center of the female bloom. Doesn’t that sound romantic?

All squashes have their ancestry in the Americas, but they have spread around the world. They are easy to grow and mature quickly. It’s one of the few plants that I can actually get a decent crop from in the micro-climate of South Reno. Native Americans called squashes one of the “three sisters” in their culture. The other two were corn and beans, which are also native to the Americas. The squash blossom is a popular design motif in Native American art and jewelry.

The squash we now call zucchini was developed in Italy from the root squashes brought back from America. It was cultivated,  in the late 19th century and likely near Milan. The name came from zucca, which is the Italian word for pumpkin or squash and the suffix “ino” or “ina”, meaning little and becoming zucchini in the plural form. The French called it “Courgette” and it is known that way in much of Europe, so if you see that in a recipe, you know it is zucchini or vice versa. They are known as baby marrow in South Africa.

As little as 30 years ago, the zucchini was barely known in the United States and it was referred to as the Italian squash. It was likely brought to the country of its ancestors by Italian immigrants. But it took hold and has become  popular to eat and grow.

Going back to its roots, zucchini, like all summer squash, is delicious with its other two sisters, corn and beans, and popular in Native American and Mexican foods. While beans and corn are used sparingly in a low carb lifestyle, summer squashes are very low in carbohydrates, which makes them awesome!

Nutrition information 1 medium (196 g)
Calories: 33 Fat: 0.5g Net Carbs: 4.0 g Protein: 2.4 g

Recipes

There are several recipes on this site that feature zucchini:

Bacon & Zucchini Stuffed Sole
Zucchini Fritters
Chicken with Tomatoes & Zucchini
Zucchini and Sausages Bake

Featured Recipe

Since Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner and the squash is a Native American, which includes Mexico and South America, crop, it seems apropos that the recipe should honor that heritage. The Mexican name for squash is calabacitas and the Mexican zucchini is similar to the Italian one but more rounded and tear drop shaped. This is an original recipe I’ve developed over the years.

Calabacitas y Carne Con Queso

Mexican Squash with Meat and Cheese
Recipe by Rene Averett

3 cups Mexican Zucchini (or regular zucchini)
1 lb Beef, ground
1 can Chiles, mild or medium to your preference
1 cup Cheddar Jack Cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Mexican Cheese, Queso Fresco or similar
1/2 cup diced Onions
1 cup canned Diced Tomatoes, with juice
2 Low Carb Tortillas
1 cup Jicama, shredded or cubed or Daikon Radish, chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon ground Cumin
1 teaspoon dried Mexican Oregano
2 tablespoon fresh Cilantro
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.)

Slice zucchini into 1/4″thick rounds.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and heat a minute or so, then add garlic, jicama and onions. Stir cook the onions until they are fragrant and shiny. Add ground beef and lightly brown, then add seasonings, chiles and diced tomatoes. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes until hot and bubbly. Stir in the fresh cilantro.

Spray a round 2 qt. casserole dish with baking spray. Layer 1/3 of the zucchini on the bottom of the dish. Pour 1/3 of the meat mixture over the top, then sprinkle 1/3 cup of cheddar jack cheese over that. Put a tortilla on top and repeat with another layer of zucchini followed by the meat and cheese. Put the second tortilla on top and use the rest of the zucchini, meat and cheese on top of that.

Bake for 25 minutes until the casserole is hot and bubbly. Sprinkle the Mexican cheese over the top and return to the oven for another 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Info per serving :
Calories: 260 Fat:17.0 g Net Carbs: 8.7 g Protein: 16.3 g

And it’s Z-end of the the A to Z blog challenge! I will resume my usual Tuesday post schedule next week, but I thank everyone who stopped by to visit and comment during the A to Z Challenge. I hope you will continue to visit now and then.

 

Input for this article came from World’s Healthiest Foods,  Nutrition and You, Wikipedia, and The History of Zucchini.

All photos taken by R. Averett for Skinny Girl Bistro.

A to Z Challenge 2015

Yams are Yummy

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But they may not be what you think they are…

Many people are confused about the difference between yams and a sweet potato and it’s easy to see why. When we see them in the grocery store, they look similar. More than that, they are basically interchangeable in recipes. Candied yams can easily become candied sweet potatoes, mashed yams don’t look much different, and they both bake into a delicious potato-like food that you can slather with butter, brown sugar or a bit of maple syrup.

But they are not the same. Not even related. The yam comes from South Africa and Asia and is related to lilies and grasses while the sweet potato is in the morning glory family. Interesting that two very similar vegetables developed in two different plant families. Yams are tropical and sub-tropical and won’t grow if the temperatures are below 65 degrees (F). There are over 150 varieties of yams.

One major difference between yams and sweet potatoes is that yam cannot be eaten raw. They have naturally occurring toxins in the flesh that make them bitter.   When they are cooked, the toxins are are removed or neutralized. Having said that, there is one yam that is edible raw and that is the Japanese Yam, but the yam is soaked in a vinegar-water solution to neutralize the irritants found in the skin. Taro is one variety of yam and is often referred to as yam in Asian countries.

Among the other differences, the yams’ flesh color varies from white to purplish or brown, whereas sweet potatoes are orangish. They are also larger tubers with rough dark brown to pink skin compared to the sweet potato’s smaller size and thin peel.  And they are starchier and drier.

Yams are a major food crop in Africa and many recipes use them.   They are eaten like potatoes with their meals. Their name came from the African word “nYami” meaning “to eat”. Although the yam is grown in many parts of Africa, Nigeria is the largest producer in the world with over 70% of the crop coming from there.

One thing yams and sweet potatoes do have in common, apart from  very similar flavor, is that they are both high in carbohydrates, so they are no longer a part of my lifestyle.

Nutrition Information for yams – 1 cup, cubed (150 g)
Calories: 177 Fat: 0.3 g Net Carbs: 36.0 g Protein: 2.3 g

Preparation and Recipes:

The yam can be used in most ways you would use a sweet potato.
It can be boiled, baked, fried or roasted and works in a variety of cuisines.

Fried mashed yam and rice with water lettuce.
Fried mashed yam and rice with water lettuce.

The most common cooking method in Africa is “pounded yams”. A special dish called Fufu is made during the Yam Festival. Yams are pounded, seasoned slightly then shaped to make a cake which is then eaten with sauces, stews, and soups. This is similar to taro in Hawaii and other South Pacific countries. I tried taro made like this in Hawaii and I wasn’t thrilled with it, although my brother enjoyed it. The key, apparently, is to eat it with a sauce or stew.  I’ve often heard mashed taro compared to the taste of library paste.  Well, I’ve never tasted that, but taro was pretty bland.

Yams cab be used interchangeably with sweet potatoes in cakes, casseroles, breads, and other dishes.  I’ve used yams and find them pretty delicious no matter how you prepare them, but my preference is for sweet potatoes.  Partially because of the color, but also because of the texture.  But I wonder…?  When I bought canned yams, were those really yams or sweet potatoes?

Here are a few recipes from around the web in case you want to get adventurous. But they are all high in carbs, so don’t over-do it if you’re trying to stay on track.

African Fufu
Nigerian Yam and Vegetable with Ukpaka
Ulpaka or ugba is an oil bean seed that is fermented before using.  Not sure where you would find them, so possibly just omit.
Spicy African Yam Soup
Penang Yam Cake
Louisiana Yam Cake
Buddhist Yam Delight

Here’s another tip: If you really want to try any of these recipes without the high carbs in yams, substitute in a winter squash, like butternut, pumpkin or acorn. It will work almost as well. Not sure if would hold together on the Fufu though.

These resources provided information for this article: Nature’s Pride,  Encyclopedia.com,  Nutrition and You,  and Hawaii Edu .

Top photo of yams from Wikipedia Commons, used by public permission grant – By Yemisi Ogbe (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Mashed yam and rice cake – By Hhaithait (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons