Tag Archives: low carb recipes

Crock Pot Recipes, Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes, Seafood, Soups and Stews

Slow Cooker East Texas Jambalaya

Hey, y’all!  This here recipe is a variation of one PK’s mother, Toni Kelly, used to make and we’ve adapted it a little to make it low carb and add more meat to it. The changes are in the choices of vegetables and tomatoes that go into it.  Always, a southern recipe includes the “holy trinity” of Cajun-cooking, which is celery, bell peppers, and onions.  This is a delicious and slightly spicy dish that warms you up on a cold day and just bursts with flavor as you eat it.

And it is pretty easy to make.  If you want to put it on before you leave for work, then do the prep work, including lightly cooking the chicken and bell pepper, onions, and celery the night before and refrigerating until morning when you put it all in the slow cooker.  Then just add the rest of the ingredients, except the shrimp and mushrooms, put it on low to cook all day.  When you come home, check the seasoning mix, adjust, then add the shrimp and mushrooms and cook for another 30 minutes to cook the shrimp.

You want to look for the lowest net carbs for the tomatoes that you can find. Check the nutrition information on the back of the can, which is per serving, and find the carbohydrate count, then subtract the fiber. This is the net carb count of one serving. I used canned tomatoes that were 8 net carbs per cup for the calculation. You can add more chicken without increasing the carb count, but the calorie count will go up accordingly. If you are making chicken only, then use two whole breasts (4 of the half breasts).

1 whole Chicken Breast, skin removed
1 link Andouille Sausage
1 oz. can whole or diced, peeled Tomatoes
1 cup Butternut Squash, cubes (optional)
1 cup Green Bell Peppers cut into strips
1 cup Zucchini, (Green and Yellow), sliced
3 stalks Celery, trimmed and chopped
1 cup Chicken Broth
1/3 cup Mushrooms, sliced
6 oz. Shrimp, peeled and cleaned
1/2 cup Ham, diced
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon Garlic
1/2 tablespoon Creole Seasoning
1/2 cup Onions, Chopped
2 tablespoons Pumpkin Puree

Cut chicken into cubes or small bite-sized pieces. Cut the sausage into small pieces and dice the ham. In a large skillet, add 1 teaspoon olive oil and over medium heat, sauté the garlic, celery, and onion until the onion sweats and softens a little, then add to the slow cooker. Add green peppers to the skillet, then the chicken. Add a little more olive oil if needed. Cook for a couple of minutes to just get the chicken to start to firm up. This is mostly to add flavor to it before adding to the cooker. Put the chicken and peppers in the cooker.

Add the tomatoes, zucchini, butternut squash, chicken broth, Creole seasoning, salt and pepper. Turn the cooker on High and cook for 1 hour, then reduce it to low setting. Let cook for two hours. Check the seasonings in the sauce and adjust if needed, then add the ham and the pumpkin puree. The pumpkin will work to thicken the sauce and adds a little flavor. Cook another 30 minutes, then add the shrimp and the mushrooms. Cook another 30 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked through, but not overcooked.

Serve with cauli-rice or stir-fried angel hair cabbage to keep the carbohydrates low. The butternut squash adds an interesting flavor to the Jambalaya, but can be omitted, which will also reduce the number of carbs per serving. Makes 8 servings, about 3/4 cup each.

Nutrition info with Butternut Squash per serving:
(doesn’t include the cauli-rice or cabbage)
Calories: 150 Fat: 5.1 g Net Carbs: 7.6 g Protein: 16.3 g

Nutrition info without Butternut Squash per serving:
(doesn’t include the cauli-rice or cabbage)
Calories: 140 Fat: 5.0 g Net Carbs: 5.6 g Protein: 16.1 g

Notes: Jambalaya is a flexible stew, but almost always includes chicken and the “holy trinity” of southern cooking, but the vegetable and meat choices vary with personal taste. You can add other vegetables such as okra, green beans, cauliflower, carrots or broccoli. The carbs will vary a little based on what you add, but it will be close.

Typical net carb (nc) values of the possible add-ins per half cup diced or chopped:
Okra – 1.6 g nc; Green Beans (fresh) – 2.0 g nc; Cauliflower – 1.3 g nc; Carrots – 4.3 g nc; Broccoli – 1.0 nc; Butternut Squash – 7.8 g nc; Turnip Greens – 1.1 g nc; Turnips – 3.0 g nc; Kohlrabi – 1.5 g nc; White Potato – 10 g nc

 

Desserts, Recipes

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cakes Are Great!

Did you know that chocolate cake can be a very low carb dessert? It really is. When you replace the sugar in it with a sugar substitute and use a low carb flour, the carbs really go down. Here’s a great little cupcake that combines a chocolate hazelnut flour cake with peanut butter cups for a delightful snack or dessert that is only 1.7 net carbs!  I used Russell Stover’s Peanut Butter Cups in this but Reese’s also makes a sugar-free peanut butter cup.  I think the carbs may be a little higher on Reese’s cups though.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cakes

1/4 cup Low Carb Flour
1 tablespoon Hazelnut Flour
1 tablespoon Vanilla Whey Powder (optional)
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 tablespoon Vegetable or Olive or Coconut Oil
1 tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 Egg
1 tablespoon Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Sugar Substitute
4 Russell Stover Sugar-free Peanut Butter Cups

Preheat oven to 365 degrees. Prepare four cupcake molds by spraying with baking spray with flour.

In a medium bowl, add flours, why powder and baking powder. (If you are not using whey powder, add an extra tablespoon of low carb flour.) Mix in sugar substitute and cocoa powder. Add egg, oil and cream. Mix together well.

Spoon 2 tablespoons of batter into each cupcake mold. It should bring it to about 2/3rds full. If there is a little extra batter, divide it around. Put a peanut butter cup, bottom down in the top of each of the cupcakes. It will sink in as they cook.

Bake for 12 to 16 minutes until the cake is done and a toothpick inserted at the side comes out clean. The middle of the cupcake will be the candy.

Peanut Butter Cup sinks to the middle of the cake.

Let cool a few minutes, then sprinkle with powdered sugar substitute or serve with whipped cream.

Makes 4 cupcakes.

Nutrition Info per cupcake:
Calories: 180.6 Fat: 8.7 g Net Carbs: 1.7 g Protein: 4.9 g

Regular Version using flour and sugar

To make without using sugar substitute, simply replace the 1/4 cup sugar substitute with 1/4 cup sugar and replace the sugar-free peanut butter cups with regular ones.  Replace the low carb flour with regular flour and, if you prefer, you can replace the hazelnut flour and whey powder with regular flour as well.  The rest of the recipe is the same.

Nutrition Info per cupcake with sugar and flour:
Calories: 232 Fat: 10.4 g Net Carbs: 32 g Protein: 5.5 g

Desserts, Recipes

Cranberry Chocolate Bourbon Balls

Just in time to spice up your New Year’s party, here’s a low carb version of the ever-popular bourbon (or rum) ball that is easy to make and tastes very good. It uses almond flour and a little coconut flour to create a soft cookie dough to replace the vanilla wafers in the original recipe. Use the microwave for a quick cook that leaves the dough soft and easy to roll. Make them a few days ahead of time so they can really absorb the alochol flavor. I’ve used Sugar-free Mocha Syrup in place of Light Corn Syrup in the recipe, but you can use the corn syrup if you prefer. It is slightly higher in carbs, but it is only 0.8 additional carbs per bourbon ball.

Cranberry Chocolate Bourbon Balls

1/2 cup Almond Flour
1 tablespoon Coconut Flour
1/2 cup chopped Pecans or Walnuts
1/2 cup Confectioners’ Sugar Substitute
2 teaspoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/4 cup Bourbon
1 1/2 teaspoons Sugar-free Mocha Syrup or Light Corn Syrup
1 teaspoon Butter
1/4 cup chopped Cranberries(optional)

In a medium bowl, mix flours, pecans, confectioners’ sugar substitute and cocoa powder together until well blended. Add butter and 2 tablespoons water and mix together well. Stir in the chopped cranberries. Microwave for 30 seconds on high to slightly cook. Let cool for a few minutes.

In a cup, add bourbon and s-f mocha syrup and add to the flour mixture, mixing in well. Roll into 1″ balls and place on a wax paper or parchment covered pan. The dough will probably be sticky, so wet your hands to keep the dough from sticking to them. If it starts sticking, wash hands again and rewet them.

Makes about 18 balls. Let dry for an hour or so, then roll in confectioners’ sugar substitute or in granulated sugar substitute. Let dry until they are no longer sticky, then put in a covered container and put in the refrigerator.

These are best when allowed several days before eating for the alcohol to really flavor the dough.

Nutrition information per ball with Sugar-Free Mocha Syrup:
Calories: 72.5 Fat:6.3 g Net Carbs:0.8 g Protein: 1.33 g

Nutrition information per ball with Light Corn Syrup:
Calories: 76 Fat:6.3 g Net Carbs:1.6 g Protein: 1.33 g

The original recipe with Vanilla Wafers

Bourbon Balls

1 cup Vanilla Wafer Crumbs
1 cup chopped Pecans
1 cup Confectioners’ Sugar
2 teaspoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/4 cup Bourbon
2 teaspoons Light Corn Syrup
1/3 cup Confectioners’ Sugar or Granulated Sugar to roll the balls in

Crush about 1-1/2 cups of Vanilla Wafers and measure out 1 cup for the recipe. In a medium bowl, mix wafer crumbs, pecans, confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder together until well blended.

In a cup, mix bourbon and corn syrup together and add to the flour mixture, mixing in well until it is moist. Roll into 1″ balls and place on a wax paper or parchment covered baking sheet. The dough may be sticky, so wet your hands to keep the dough from sticking to them. If they are too sticky, let dry for about an hour before rolling into the confectioners’ sugar or granulated sugar.

Makes about 24 1″ balls.

Nutrition Info per ball:
Calories:80.5 Fat: 4.2g Net Carbs: 8.8 g Protein: 0.6 g

Breads, Product Review

Product Review: Dixie Carb Counters One Step Homemade White Bread

Dixie Carb Counters White Bread

Right off, I’m going to say that this is hands-down the best low carb white bread I’ve had so far. To be fair, I haven’t tried all the options that are out there, but the price and taste on this bread are excellent and I plan to buy it again and again.

This is a mix, so you need to add eggs, butter, and water to it, but that’s about it. You have the option to make it with whole eggs, 5 of them, or the equivalent amount of egg whites or a combination. If you use all eggs, as I did, then your bread is golden color. If you use only egg whites, the bread will be a white bread. As soon as I mixed in the liquid ingredients, the bread started to puff up in the bowl, meaning it was rising. I put it in a standard 9×5-inch loaf pan and popped it into the oven at the designated temperature. The bread rose beautifully and was a deep golden brown when I pulled it from the oven. I immediately cut off an end piece, buttered it, and savored the taste of this bread. It’s terrific!

It’s not quite like a yeast bread, but the flavor is excellent, the texture is perfect and it’s study enough to hold up to sandwiches and peanut butter and jam. (See photo below.) Best of all, it’s only 2 net carbs per slice when divided into 24 slices. It’s a little more if you want thicker bread. I see no reason you couldn’t add a little sugar substitute, cinnamon and reduced sugar craisins to the batter to make this a a low carb craisin loaf if you’d like or omit the craisins and just add the sugar substitute and cinnamon to make cinnamon bread. I’m thinking you could even divide this into two dozen cupcake molds and make small rolls. Just cook them between 10 and 15 minutes until they are done. I definitely plan to experiment with this bread, so check back on my blog to see what ways I can use it successfully.

At $7.79 from Netrition.com a pack to make one loaf, ($9.99 from Dixie direct) it may seem a little pricey, but to get a really good tasting loaf of low carb bread, it isn’t that bad. You can freeze it in serving portions so you don’t waste any of the bread. I’ve previously made and reviewed their Rye Bread and Multi-grain & Flax Bread Mixes and they are also excellent when it comes to taste and texture, but for white bread lovers, this is the one. It is worth the money and it’s easy to make.

So this bread definitely gets five cooking spoons from me and from my roomie. We both indulged on peanut butter and low carb jam toast this Christmas morning.

5-spoons

Disclaimer: 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.

Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Recipes

Holiday Breakfast Waffles Are Great!

1 Comment

Typically on Christmas or New Year’s, I’m looking for something a little special for breakfast that isn’t too heavy or too high in carbs because that big holiday dinner is coming and I want to be able to fully enjoy it. So this recipe for Cranberry Waffles works really well. It is easy to make and very satisfying. Put a couple of strips of bacon or sausages with it and it’s the perfect holiday breakfast.

There are a couple of other good options on this site for holiday breakfast that are equally easy to make and can even be made in advance. (By the way, the waffles can be made in advance and refrigerated or frozen until you’re ready for them. Simply microwave for about 40 seconds or until they are hot, then butter and serve.)

Check out these recipes:

Breakfast Egg Casserole
Fiesta Cornmeal Pancakes
Pumpkin French Toast
Ricotta Waffles with Bourbon Pecan Sauce
Cream Scones
Cranberry Almond Coffee Cake

Cranberry Waffles

Waffle cut to show the cranberries and rich texture of the cake. Tastes as good as it looks.

I used a Belgian waffle maker and this recipe makes two waffles that will serve two people, so a total of four servings from the recipe. A regular waffle maker will probably make at least six waffles.

1/2 cup low carb flour
1/2 cup Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
1/4 cup Cranberries, chopped
2 tablespoons Sugar Substitute
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons Coconut Oil or Vegetable Oil
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
2 tablespoons Pecans or Walnuts (optional)

Chop cranberries up with a food processor.

Heat the waffle iron. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients together and stir well to combine. If the batter is too thick, add a little water until it is liquid enough to spread without the aid of a spoon. It should be thick, but able to spread once it is placed in the waffle maker.

When the waffle maker is hot, spray with cooking spray, then put one-third to one-half cup of batter into the iron and use the back of a wooden spoon to spread if it is a little too thick. Close the lid and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions until steam from the waffle is almost dissipated (about 2 to 3 minutes), then carefully lift up on the lid. If the waffle is done, the lid will lift easily. If it doesn’t, let it cook a little longer.

When the lid lifts easily, carefully lift the waffle from the iron with spatula or pancake turner to give it support. Waffles made with almond flour and other low carb flours tend to be delicate when they are hot. The easiest way to get it out in tact is to put a plate over the waffle and flip the whole iron, but be careful to use hot pads so you don’t burn your hand.

Cut each waffle in half, butter and serve with sugar-free syrup.

Makes four to six servings, depending on your waffle iron.

Nutrition Information per 1/2 Belgian waffle:
Calories: 187 Fat: 8.3 g Net Carbs: 2.5 g Protein: 13.5 g

Adding either pecans or walnuts will add about a .2 net carbs to each serving and brings the calories up to about 212.5.

For a special dessert, use one-fourth of a waffle on a dessert plate with a scoop of low carb vanilla ice cream (Breyers makes CarbSmart, which is delicious) and a tablespoon of Cranberry Syrup over the top. Or you can top it with whipped cream and a little low carb Cranberry sauce.

You can make your own cranberry syrup by using the recipe for cranberry sauce, then processing in a food processor until it is completely pulverized, putting back in the sauce pan with a little water and cooking until thick. You can strain if you don’t want any pulp in it, but it isn’t necessary.

Regular Version

To make this fully carb’d, here’s the ingredient list. The directions are the same.

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 cup Cranberries, chopped
2 tablespoons Sugar
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons Coconut Oil or Vegetable Oil
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
2 tablespoons Pecans or Walnuts (optional)

Nutrition Information per 1/2 Belgian waffle:
Calories: 208.6 Fat:6.0 g Net Carbs: 30.2 g Protein: 7.2 g