Tag Archives: low carb recipes

Desserts, Recipes

Cakes for Everyone: Orange Almond Cake

Back when I worked for the bank, I used to be part of a dinner club with several of my co-workers. We would meet once every month or so at a members’ home and enjoy a fine meal. Usually the host would provide the dinner but everyone else would bring an appetizer or a wine or something along those lines and a fine meal would be enjoyed with friends.

Following a trip to Spain and Portugal, I decided to make my next dinner a Spanish-style meal with examples of all the food I had enjoyed on that trip. The menu included gazpacho, an octopus salad, paella, and fresh French bread. The dessert that night was not one I had tasted on my trip, but one from my old stand-by Betty Crocker International Cookbook for Torta de Almendra or an Orange Almond Cake. It complimented the meal perfectly.

Going through my cookbook, I noticed that I had already converted the recipe to a lower carbohydrate version that was 29.3 carbs and 205 calories per 1/8 cake slice, but that didn’t break it down to net carbs. With the reduced carbs flour products available now, I was sure this could be done with a fairly low carb count, so here is the recipe for a lower carb and calorie count. And it is still delicious.
One note, like many European cakes and other desserts, it is not as sweet as American recipes tend to be, so adjust the sugar substitute if you like it sweeter. This cake uses almond flour, which is available at most supermarkets and health food stores. Check the net carb count on the package as it varies with different brands. I also use CarbQuick from Tova Foods in the recipe. There are other low carb flours and you might find those at health food stores or you can purchase online.

Almond flour makes this a very light and delicate cake. Be sure to let it cool before moving it and move it very carefully.

Torta de Almendra (Orange Almond Cake)

Makes 8 servings

1/2 cup Carbquick
3/4 cup Almond Flour
3/4 cup Sugar Substitute
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream,
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon Water
1/3 cup Shortening
1 large Egg
2 teaspoons Orange Peel
1/3 cup Almonds, sliced
1 tablespoon granulated Sugar Substitute
2 tablespoons Orange sugar free syrup or Grand Marnier

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 1 1/2 inch round or square cake pan or 4 individual one cup cake pans, which is what I used, with floured baking spray. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, cream, water, shortening, egg and orange peel in a bowl and beat with a mixer on low speed for about 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly, then switch to high speed for three minutes.

Pour batter into the pan and sprinkle with almond slices. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 tablepoon granulated sugar substitute and drizzle with orange syrup. Cool 10 to 15 minutes before removing from the pan by flipping the pan onto a serving plate. (You may need to loosen the cake by running a knife carefully along the edge.) Cool completely before serving.

Optional: Top with 1 tablespoon whipped cream and a piece of orange segment.

1 servings is 204 calories (3.9 net carbs) when made with Grand Marnier or 194 calories (3.1 net carbs) with sugar free orange syrup. (Count does not include whipped cream and orange, which will add a little more to it.)

*You can use Splenda or other powdered sugar substitute for all the sugar substitutes in the recipe; use 3/4 cup for the whole recipe. However, the carb count will increase because Splenda and most of the powder-type sugars have slightly less than 1 net carb per teaspoon due to the filler used to hold the sucralose. 35 teaspoons or packets equal 3/4 cup of sugar. So that would be over 4 net carbs per serving added to the carb count.

Original POST BY RENE AVERETT AT 8/28/2012 2:42 PM

Crock Pot Recipes, Main Dish, Recipes

Crock Pot Guinness Chicken Stew

September 17 is half-St. Patrick’s Day. Not exactly a national holiday, but among Celtic-oriented folk, it’s another excuse to celebrate.  At the very least, you can sit down with a nice bowl of stew and a loaf of Irish soda bread.  Actually, I am checking this out as a main dish for an Alban Elfed gathering this weekend to celebrate the Fall Equinox.  Being as this is a Celtic group of people, how can you go wrong with a Guinness stout enhanced recipe? And it makes the meat juicy and tender.

At this time of the year, you’re probably not too keen to heat up the kitchen with a stew in the oven, but this version is cooked in a crock pot and is made with chicken so it isn’t as heavy as a hearty beef stew, which is so welcome in winter. This version is pretty low in carbs, even with potatoes thrown in. I usually use turnips, but if you don’t like them, it’s only a couple of extra carbs per serving to use regular potatoes.

2 half Chicken Breasts, boned and skinned
2 Chicken Thighs, boned and skinned
1 tblsp Olive Oil
1 cup cubed Turnips or potatoes
1 cup Guinness Draught Stout Beer
1/4 cup Carbquick
2 medium slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 tsp minced Garlic
1 cup Green Beans, frozen or fresh, cut into pieces (optional)
2 stalks medium Celery, chopped
2 cups Chicken Broth
Salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 teaspoon ground Thyme
1/2 cup fresh Mushrooms, pieces or slices
1/2 cup chopped Onions

In a shallow bowl or tin pan, mix together the Carbquick, a pinch of salt and pepper. Wash and trim the chicken and pat dry. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture and place in the skillet. Cook until lightly browned, about 2-4 minutes on each side. Put into crock pot.

Add chopped bacon to the pot, then pour beer and chicken broth into it. Stir well.

Add the garlic, thyme and the vegetables and stir well.

Cover and cook until the chicken falls apart, 4 hours on High or 7 to 8 hours on Low.

Add additional salt and pepper if needed.

Makes 6 servings

Calories: 124 Net Carbs: 5.1 g Protein: 14.3 g

Without green beans: Calories: 119 Net Carbs: 4.7 g Protein: 14.3

With 1 cup diced potatoes instead of turnips: 132 Net Carbs: 7.2 Protein: 14.6

POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 9/17/2012 12:43 PM

Breakfast & Brunch, Main Dish, Recipes

Crustless Sausage and Ham Ricotta Quiche

I’ve made my quiches with ricotta cheese in them for years and find the addition is really good, no matter what other ingredients I put in with the eggs and cheese. This quiche features ham and sausage along with fresh spinach. I use pico de gallo for the tomatoes, onion and cilantro since the local grocery store has a lovely fresh version all ready to go. This is an especially good use for the pico de gallo when it is “on the verge” of becoming not so good.

6 large Eggs
3/4 cup of browned bulk Pork sausage
1/2 cup diced Ham
1/4 cup chopped Onions
1/4 cup chopped Tomatoes,
2 tbsp chopped Cilantro
1 cup fresh Spinach, fresh, torn or chopped
1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream,
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh Chives
3/4 cup cheddar jack or Mexican four cheese mix
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Garlic herb mix seasoning or other seasoning of choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together eggs, ricotta cheese, whipping cream and seasoning. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cheddar jack cheese and mix the rest with the remaining ingredients into the eggs.

Use a cooking spray to lightly coat an 8×8″ square pan or a deep dish pan plate. Pour the egg and meat mixture into the pan.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until eggs are set and lightly browned. Turn off oven. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese on top of the quiche and put back into the oven for another five minutes to allow the cheese to melt.

Cut and serve. Also reheats in the microwave easily. Just heat for 1 minute.

6 servings
1 serving equals calories: 268, Net Carbs 2.5 g and protein 19.1 g.

Original POST BY RENE AVERETT AT 9/21/2012 1:30 PM

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Mah-velous LC Pumpkin Pancakes

When the cool of fall hits the air, it’s time for pumpkin pancakes at IHOP.  Sometimes I really miss those!  So I decided to do something about that desire for the wonderful taste of pumpkin, cinnamon, butter and maple syrup.  This recipe hits all the right buttons for me and I hope you find it as delicious as I do.  There are a few brands of sugar free pancake syrup available at various grocery stores and Wal-Mart, so look for one that is 0 carbs and 0 calories, like Mrs. Butterworth’s, Log Cabin and Smith’s brand.

Still can’t find one?  Use maple extract and mix about 1 teaspoon with 1/2 cup sugar substitute dissolved in 1/2 cup water and heated until just boiling.  Melt a tablespoon of butter into it and you have a wonderful quick maple syrup.

2/3 cup Carbquick
1/3 cup Almond flour
2 tablespoons Buttermilk
1 large Egg
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar Substitute
1 tablespoon Whey Protein Powder (optional)
1/2 stick Butter, melted
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/3 cup Pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground Clove
1/4 cup Water

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, then add the wet ingredients and hand mix until just combined. Don’t over-mix the ingredients. Add just enough water to make an easily spoon-able batter. Spray a large skillet or griddle with baking spray and heat to medium hot. A little water should skittle across the top when it is hot enough. Spoon about a 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter for each pancake and smooth it out. If using a skillet, cover it with a lid and cook it for about 2 minutes. Turn the pancakes and cook another two minutes until done.

Spread with butter and serve with sugar free, low carb syrup.

Makes 8 pancakes. Each pancake is 114 calories, 2.1 g net carbs, and 3.6 g protein. Two pancakes make a normal serving.

Original POST BY RENE AVERETT AT 9/28/2012 11:13 PM

Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Turning Leftovers Into Lunch Pies

If you’re like me and you come home with leftover steak or you have lots of ham leftovers, then you have the main ingredient for these two quick and easy lunch pies. Of course, I do have to add that CarbQuick is a staple around my house, so the recipe also uses that low carb flour option. I think you can probably substitute almond flour and flax meal flour for the CarbQuick, but I haven’t tried it on this recipe. It worked well to make a pizza crust, so why not?

The recipe for the bread base is the same for both pies, only the toppers and the cheese change.

Bread Pie Base:
3/4 cup Carbquik
1 Egg
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup cheese (whichever one you are using in the pie)

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a pie plate with cooking spray.

Combine the cream and water in a cup and mix. In a small bowl, mix flours, egg, seasoning and 1/2 the cream mixture. Stir well or beat with an egg beater to remove lumps. Add the remaining cream and 1/2 the cheese and mix together. Pour into the pie pan.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven

Ham, Bacon and Cheese Pie

Honestly, you can’t go wrong with bacon in a dish, can you?

2 tablespoons Hormel Bacon Bits
1 sliced Red Ripe Tomatoes or 3/4 cup Pico de Gallo
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/2 cup diced Ham
1/4 cup Mushrooms sliced
1/2 cup Spinach Leaves, torn

Once you remove the crust from the oven, spread the topping ingredients evenly over the top covering them with the cheese last. Put back in the oven for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned. Serve with a salad or green vegetable.

Makes 4 moderate servings or 2 hungry man servings.

Nutrition Info for 1/4 pie:
Calories: 300 Net Carbs: 2.2g Protein: 19.5g

Steak and Onion Pie

As you can tell from the photo, the mozzarella cheese got a little browner than you might like, so watch it the last few minutes of cooking.

A variation on the pie uses leftover steak or you can grill a small steak for this purpose. Use the basic pie base above with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese then these toppings:

1/2 cup sliced Onions
1 cup grilled Steak, chopped or diced
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 cup sliced Mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced Sweet Peppers (small or bell peppers)

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a pie plate with cooking spray.

Prepare pie crust as above and bake.

Once you remove the crust from the oven, spread the topping ingredients evenly over the top covering them with the cheese last. Put back in the oven for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned. Serve with a salad or green vegetable.

Serves 4
Calories: 380 Net Carbs 3.8g Protein: 30.9g