Tag Archives: flax meal

Beef, Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Pork, Poultry, Recipes

Something Special for Cinco de Mayo

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Sopes with chicken and green sauce.

Mexican Sopes are the bomb!

I didn’t try Mexican Sopes until recently. Sure, I had the corn cakes at Cheesecake Factory and those are so delicious! They are more of a tamale mix than sopes are although the both use masa. But they are equally high in carbohydrate’s. So, I decided to try to make a similar-tasting one from low carb ingredients. I tried a couple of different recipes I found from other Keto sites, but they didn’t quite do it.

Ultimately, I came up with my own recipe for sopes using a combination of flours and Mozzarella cheese. Yes, cheese. The Mozzarella melts well, has a very mild flavor, and helps the flour ingredients hold together. For this, I used CarbQuik, a biscuit combination flour that works well. I added a little corn meal to get the corn flavor into it, but if you want to lower the carbs a little more, you can leave it out and add 2 more tablespoons of flax meal or almond flour. The flax helps with the texture and adds a golden color. Adding in taco seasoning brings more flavor to the mix. If you prefer, just add a little salt and a bit of garlic powder.

Although the ingredients are low carb, a sope still comes out to 8 grams of carbs, but if you have a low threshold, plan for your higher carb dinner by eating really low carb the rest of the day. I find two sopes are a good dinner meal, but if you add a side salad, you can get by with one.

The fillings also affect the carbs, so use cheese and meat, chicken, or fish with a salsa or low carb sauce. Feel free to top with a bit of sour cream or chopped lettuce and sliced radishes.

Give it a try for Cinco de Mayo!

Mexican-style Sopes

1/3 cup Almond Flour
2 tablespoons Corn Meal
1/3 cup Low Carb Flour
1/3 cup Golden Flax Meal
1 tablespoon Lard
1/3 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1/4 teaspoon Taco Seasoning
1/4 to 1/3 cup water

Mix the ingredients, except the water together and cut with your clean fingers until it forms crumbles. Add 1/4 cup water and mx together with your hands. The dough will begin to pull together to form a ball. If the mix isn’t adhering together well, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it forms a smooth, but not wet ball. Roll into a log about 4 inches long. Cut in half.

Form the 1st half into a 3″ circle about 1 thick. Smooth the top and sides and make it as even as possible. Repeat with the second piece of dough.

Two balls, flattened and cooked on both sides long enough to lightly brown, but not cook through.

Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over medium high heat until it is hot. Place each rounded ball into the griddle and cook for about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes until it is lightly browned. Flip and repeat on the other side. Remove dough patties to a work surface. Carefully cut each one across the middle of the 1″ side, like you would split an English muffin. The dough in the center will be raw, so cut carefully.

Press down the bottom and pinch the sides to form a ring around the top.

With the doughy side up, push down the middle of the sope and use your fingers to pinch the edges to a 1/2 inch wall around the middle. It’s easier to use the pointer finger on each hand to shape this. If it cracks, pinch it closed. This is like forming the top edge with pie dough. Push the center down more if needed, then use a finger to push the bottom of the edging to be even with the base.

If you are not cooking right away, cover the sopes with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to cook.

You can cook the sopes in hot oil and it will take about 4 minutes to get them completely done. Or you can cook them in a hot oven or air fryer. If you do that, spray with oil or cooking spray and cook until they are browned and cooked through. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

Fill with your favorite fillings and serve with salsa if you like.

Makes 4 sopes.

Nutrition Information per Sope:
Calories 390 , Total Fat 32 g , Cholesterol 12 mg, Sodium 45 mg, Potassium 312 mg, Carbohydrates 18 g, Fiber 10 g, Sugars 1.3 g, Protein 14 g, Net Carbs 8 g

Note: Nutrition information is based on the ingredients I used in this recipe and my measurements. Although they are a close calculation, your results may be slightly higher or lower. Ingredient substitutions may affect the carb count. Different brands may have other carb counts.

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Pork, Recipes, Sandwiches

A Substitute for a McGriddles Pancake

Photo: McGriddles-style Pancake Sandwich

I found this recipe on Tova Foods website. They are the makers of Carbquik, but the recipe was submitted by a user who compared it to McDonald’s McGriddles pancake sandwiches. I’ve never eaten one from Mickey D’s, so I can’t say how close it is to theirs. However, I will say it tastes delicious and works well to hold the sandwich together.

In fact, you can use the pancakes with any combination you’d like for a sandwich. Not too sure about tuna, though it might work fine.
If you don’t like flax meal, you can make it with another low carb flour or all Carbquik. However, the carbs will go up to another .5 to 1 carb, depending on what flour you use.

McGriddles-Style Pancakes

1/4 cup Carbquik or other Low Carb Flour
1/4 cup Golden flax meal
1 teaspoon Sugar Substitute
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract or Sugar-free Maple Syrup
1 Egg
3 tablespoons Butter, melted
2 tablespoons Cream plus 2 tablespoons Water

Filling:
3 Eggs
3 slices Ham or Sausage Patty or 6 slices Bacon
3 slices Cheese of choice

In a medium bowl, mix the ingredients together. The batter should be easy to scoop and spread in a skillet like most pancake batter.

Heat the skillet over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Put about two tablespoons of batter in it and spread to make a 4″ circle. If there’s room for a second pancake, make another about the same size. Repeat until you’ve used all the batter.

Use two pancakes to make your sandwich. Cook the meat in the same skillet with a little butter. Place the meat on one pancake. Cook the egg to your preference (I like to break the yolk and mix it into the white.) Place on top of the meat. Repeat for other two sandwiches.

Makes 3 sandwiches. If you only want one, you can store the extra pancakes in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze them to use later.

Nutrition Info for Pancakes and Sandwiches

Breads, Recipes

Easy, delicious sandwich buns

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Photo: Sandwich buns on a plate

Anyone who knows me can tell you I love bread. It’s probably the biggest challenge to my low carb lifestyle. Nothing beats the taste of homemade bread just out of the oven and smothered in butter. So, I am always on the hunt for good-tasting bread recipes made with low carb ingredients. I’ve used Carbquik and Bakesquick for quite a few years now. Both are good low carb flour, but I usually favor Bakesquik or its parent Dixie Carb Counter All Purpose Low Carb Flour for making cakes and anything that uses a fine flour. The texture is better than Bakesquik. When it comes to biscuits both deliver, but with subtle differences. I’ve used both to make sandwich rolls with mixed results.

Recently, I ran across Tova Foods recipe for sandwich rolls from their resident chef, Gregory Pryor. This one calls for yeast in it, which is a big plus. I made a few little changes to it to give it a bit more flavor and texture. I baked them in my muffin top pan, which makes regular hamburger-sized buns and they came out perfect. They slice easily and are neither too skinny or too thick for a sandwich. I may adjust this a little more over time. Still, it is a great-tasting bread that can be adapted to more personalized flavors, such as adding onion flakes, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or herbs. Add more sugar substitute if you want a sweeter roll. Add in shredded cheddar cheese for a cheese roll.

Sandwich Rolls

1/2 cup warm Water
1 tablespoon Sugar Substitute or sugar-free Honey
2-1/2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
1/3 cup heavy cream with Warm water added to make 3/4 cup
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 tablespoon Water
2 cups CarbQuick or other low carb Flour
1/4 cup Wheat Gluten Flour
1/4 cup Flax Meal, ground
2 teaspoons Sesame Seeds, optional

If you’re using a muffin top pan, prepare each well with a parchment paper base and spray with cooking spray. If you don’t have a muffin top pan, you can use 4-3/4 to 5-inch rings, oven-proof bowls, or pot pie foil tins. Spray those with cooking spray also and dust with low carb flour.

In a large bowl, add warm water, sugar or honey, and yeast. Stir and let sit until it is bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix salt, flour, gluten flour, and flax meal together. Add 1 cup of the flour mixture and baking soda to the yeast mixture and use a mixer with a dough hook to make a smooth batter. Add the rest of the flour mixture and mix on low until a sticky dough forms. If you’re adding herbs or cheese to the mix, do it in this step. You may need to scrape down the sides and pause to get the dough off the hook a few times while mixing. Once the dough is smooth, divide it into 6 equal pieces.

Shape each piece into a ball and place in each bowl or well in the pan. Press down on the top to flatten it a little. If you are adding sesame seeds or poppy seeds, do it now, pressing them into the top of the dough. Spray plastic wrap with cooking spray and place over the rolls. Place in a warm spot and let rise until the dough has doubled or rises over the bowl’s rim. Remove the plastic wrap and throw away.

Photo: Sandwich buns rising in muffin top pan

Bake on the center rack for about 20 minutes or until the buns are golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack. Slice horizontally when you’re ready to use. They toast well or can be warmed up in the oven for a few minutes or in the microwave for about 15 seconds.

Makes 6 delicious, nicely textured, and sturdy sandwich buns.

Image: Nutrition Information for Sandwich buns

 

Breads, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Recipes

Low Carb, for real, tortillas

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Photo: flax tortillas with filling

Because this recipe for flax meal tortilla wraps seems so incredibly simple, I had to try it. As I’ve been experimenting with various ways to make a suitable substitute for a corn tortilla, which is too high in carbohydrates, I hadn’t found one that worked well for me until now.

This does not taste exactly like a corn tortilla, but it is close enough to satisfy my taste buds. It looks like one, acts like one, and even works in my tortilla press although it did want to stick to the waxed paper. If you want to push it a little more, you could add one tablespoon of corn meal in place of one tablespoon flax meal. This would add 7.7 carbs to the recipe or 1.9 carbs per tortilla.

As of yet, I haven’t tried to fry it after cooking it, but I will get to that soon and update this post on how well this works.

The recipe is a keto one. I found it at ketovale.com. I made an adjustment to suit my seasoning tastes, but it is basically the same.

photo: flat flax tortilla

Flax Meal Tortillas

1 cup golden Flaxseed Meal
1/4 cup boiling Water
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cajun Spice
1/2 tsp salt

In a bowl, mix flax seed meal, salt, and the spices. Add the boiling water and stir until the flax pulls together into a ball. If it is too dry, add another tablespoon of boiling water. Make sure all the flax is mixed in. It will absorb the water. Form into a ball and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

If you have a tortilla press, place wax paper or parchment paper, sprayed with cooking spray, on the bottom of the press. Divide the dough into four equal-sized balls. Place one in the middle of the tortilla press, place another sheet of waxed paper or oiled parchment over the top of the dough, Lower the press lid and press it down until the dough is flattened.

Heat a flat pan or griddle to medium heat, spray with cooking oil and cook for about 3 minutes on each side. The tortilla should be lightly browned.

If you don’t have a tortilla press or want to make a larger tortilla, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out on a bread board until it is thin. Use a plate to cut the dough to the desired size. Re-roll any excess and repeat until all the dough is gone.

Or you can break the dough into balls, and roll each ball out to the size you want, cut around the plate, and set the excess aside. This way, you aren’t working the dough too much.

Use immediately or wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Makes four 6 to 7-inch tortillas

Nutrition Information per tortilla:
Calories: 122 Fat: 9.0 g Net Carbs: 0.5 g Protein: 6.1 g

Atkins Diet Tips, Healthy Life, Recipes

Super low carb mock tortillas

Sausage and egg tacos made with low carb mock tortillas.

As I was considering alternatives for corn tortillas, I ran across a few options on low carb and paleo websites with various variations, from a mix of almond flour and cornmeal, which are still too high in carbs, to cauliflower tortillas. Cauliflower is amazing and I’ve used it to make pizza crust, but I can’t really advocate for it as a tortilla.

Then last week I was finishing up my two week induction period on phase 1 of Atkins where you should be avoiding anything with grains. But flax meal is permitted and I got to thinking that flax has a texture similar to ground corn so it could substitute for the masa. I made waffles with flax meal and they have good flavor that isn’t exactly like corn, but still a taste in the same ballpark. I decided to try making a thin pancake batter like a crepe and cooking in the skillet. The result was a thin cake that is similar to a tortilla and can be used for tacos or enchiladas or wrapping meat, eggs, or even vegetables in. They can be frozen, with a sheet of wax paper between each layer to prevent sticking, and heated on a griddle or skillet or microwaved. They do NOT fry well. In some ways these also resemble the flat Indian bread paratha.

These tortilla substitutes are flavorful, super low carb’d, and easy to make. If you have a problem with flax meal, then don’t try them. Golden flax meal tastes better and looks prettier, than the regular flax meal. This recipe works for the Induction phase of Atkins and for any other level.

Mock Tortillas

These are a cross between tortillas and crepes. They use egg to hold the flax meal together. Make them very thin. You can roll a scrambled egg with bacon or sausage and cheese inside these or fold them over like tacos. They can be reheated in the oven or on top of a griddle like a tortilla.

2 tablespoons Golden Flax Meal
1 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 Egg
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 tablespoon Oil
1/2 tablespoon Water

Mix ingredients in a bowl until they are well blended. Batter should be thin. If not, add enough water to get it thin and easily spreadable. Heat a large skillet over high heat and spray with cooking spray or lightly oil using a paper towel. Reduce the heat to medium high.

Pour 1/2 of the mixture in the center of the skillet and use a rubber spatula to spread it into a 5 to 6″ circle. It should be very thin. Put a lid over it and cook for about 2 minutes. Check to see if the center is set up. If so, then use a pancake spatula to flip the cake to the other side and cook about 2 minutes on that side.

The resulting bread should be lightly browned and firm.

Makes 2 tortillas.

Nutrition Information per crepe:
Calories: 97.3 Fat: 7.7 g Net Carbs: 0.4 g Protein: 5.7 g

Tip: To make a batch of four, double the ingredients except the egg. One egg is enough for a double batch. Add a little more water to get the thin batter.