Low Carb Family

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Low Carb Peanut Roll

Posted on May 13, 2012 3:34 pm by Anna Comment

I’m so excited to share this recipe. I’ve been making lots of different types of candies lately, and I decided that I wanted something that combined salty and sweet. My most recent experiment reminds me of one of my old favorite candy bars, the Pay Day. These were simple to make and don’t require unusual ingredients. If you cook low carb, you probably already have everything you need to make these.

Low Carb Peanut Roll

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup granular erythritol (or xylitol)

12 drops EZ Sweetz (equivalent to 1/2 cup Splenda)

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 1/2 cups salted cocktail peanuts

Melt butter in a small pot over medium-low heat. Add erythritol, EZ Sweetz, cream, and protein powder. Combine with a whisk. Allow mixture to reach a simmer to dissolve the sweetener. Remove from heat, add peanuts, and stir until peanuts are thoroughly coated. Allow to cool for about 3-5 minutes. Stir mixture again before placing on parchment paper. I shaped mine into 3 long bars because I wanted them to look like a Pay Day. Allow mixture to set in refrigerator for about 2-3 hours, or overnight. Cut each bar into 4 pieces.

Serves 12: only 2 NET carbs in each piece

This entry was posted in Peanut Roll (Pay Day), Recipes, Sweet Recipes and tagged candy, dessert, sweets. Bookmark the permalink.
Chocolate Cupcakes

Posted on May 6, 2012 7:32 pm by Anna 6 Comments

I love how these cupcakes turned out. The best thing I can tell you is that my daughter, Katie, actually liked these. She only eats low carb when it’s a dead ringer for the “real” thing. These were very moist with a good flavor and texture. They were also nice and large. I only wish I had some left…

Low Carb Chocolate Cupcakes

8 ounces softened cream cheese

3 eggs (preferably room temperature)

18 drops EZ Sweetz (3/4 cup Splenda equivalent)

1/4 cup Torani’s sugar-free chocolate syrup (or Hershey’s)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups almond flour

1/2 cup powdered erythritol

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place 12 cupcake liners in a muffin pan. Mix almond flour, erythritol, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl (or food processor) mix cream cheese, eggs, EZ Sweetz, syrup, oil, almond milk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients in three batches. Blend well each time. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Allow to cool before frosting.

Simple White Frosting

4 ounces softened cream cheese

2 tablespoons softened butter

1/4 cup powdered erythritol

1/4 cup Torani sugar-free vanilla syrup

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and blend with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. (Or use a whisk if you’re feeling froggy. Be sure to use both arms, then you can count it as your arm workout for the day.) Makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes or a 9 x 13 cake.

Serves 12: NET carbs 4.5 each

This entry was posted in Chocolate Cupcakes, Recipes, Sweet Recipes and tagged almond flour, chocolate, cream cheese, dessert, frosting, sweets, vanilla frosting, white frosting. Bookmark the permalink.
Country Fried Steak and Mush-room Gravy

Posted on April 29, 2012 3:31 pm by Anna Comment

My husband loves a good meat and “potatoes” meal. I decided to make him Country Fried Steak (sometimes called Chicken Fried Steak) with mashed cauliflower and green beans with bacon. He and my son loved this meal. They said I definitely needed to share. I hope you enjoy!

Low Carb Country Fried Steak

8 pieces of cubed steak

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup Carbquik

1/2 cup almond flour

Season cubed steak with salt and pepper. Mix Carbquik and almond flour and season mixture with salt and pepper. Dip cubed steak in buttermilk, and then dredge in Carbquik/flour mixture. Allow steaks to rest a few minutes for the breading to set. Heat about 1 inch of oil over medium-high heat (350 degrees) in a large skillet. Place steaks into heated oil and fry for about 6-7 minutes per side. Handle and turn them gently so you don’t lose your breading.

I decided that while I was cooking some of my husband’s favorites, I would add a mushroom gravy to the meal. I think mushrooms are his absolute favorite food.

This is optional, but it was a nice addition to the meal. It would also be great over a plain hamburger steak.

Low Carb Mushroom Gravy

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

3 ounces cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 1/2 cups broth (beef, vegetable, or chicken)

salt and pepper to taste

Sautee mushrooms over medium heat until brown. (I used the grease from the bacon I fried to go in the green beans; in fact, I used the same pan so I wouldn’t have another one to clean. You can use butter or olive oil to sautee the mushrooms if you haven’t made bacon recently. Although, I can’t imagine a time when I haven’t made bacon recently.) Remove mushroom from pan and set aside. Melt cream cheese into the pan and whisk in broth until smooth. Bring to a simmer and mix in xanthan gum. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add mushrooms and stir. Remove from heat. Sauce will thicken further as it cools.

This is the finished meal served with mashed cauliflower (recipe here) and green beans with crumbled bacon.

NET carbs in each piece of steak is 2.5.

NET carbs in entire batch of gravy is 8.

This entry was posted in Country Fried Steak, Recipes, Savory Recipes and tagged almond flour, carbquik, cauliflower, cream cheese, dinner, gravy, sides. Bookmark the permalink.
LC Thick’n Potatoes

Posted on April 28, 2012 2:28 pm by Anna Comment

I recently decided to try a few products from LC Foods (holdthecarbs.com). They have an interesting variety of products for people who eat low carb and/or gluten-free. They also don’t use maltitol, which tells me they’ve done their homework.

The first product I tried was LC Thick’n Potatoes which you can find here. It sells for $7.98 for a 4 ounce container.

The package directions basically say to steam, puree, and season one head of cauliflower with 1 1/2 teaspoons of this product.

Instead of doing that, I used my recipe for mashed cauliflower (here) and substituted the LC Thickener for xanthan gum.

The results were good. It did seem to give the cauliflower a texture that was more like mashed potatoes. My husband and my son both liked it. I really wish I hadn’t told them that I’d changed anything and then waited to see if they would notice a difference.

In the end, it is a good product. I’m not sure it changes the cauliflower enough to justify paying $8 for such a small quantity.

I read somewhere that a couple of tablespoons of instant mashed potato mix added to the cauliflower puree makes it seem more like the real thing. Has anyone tried that and gotten a good result?

This entry was posted in Product Reviews and tagged cauliflower, sides. Bookmark the permalink.
Low Carb Protein Bars

Posted on April 20, 2012 12:19 am by Anna 5 Comments

Okay. I have no idea what to actually call this recipe. My intention was to make a low carb protein bar, so I’m sticking with that. While I’d rather have ”real” food, I wanted a protein or meal bar on occasion for convenience. However, I don’t want the maltitol and glycerin that are found in commercial protein bars. These bars will keep you full, plus they happen to be really, really delicious. Hence the confusion about the name. They are more like a dessert or candy bar than they are a typical protein bar. Plus, they are super easy to make.

That was the good news. The not so good news is that one of the main ingredients in this recipe is a little pricey and I have only found them on the internet. I bought them at Netrition here. I have managed to rationalize this purchase in a way that may help you: protein seldom comes cheap, you get 3 pounds of the stuff, and you don’t need to use much at a time. They are completely unflavored, and could be used in sweet or savory applications. I love how crisp they are. I plan to use them in many more experiments. They add a crunchy texture that is hard to recreate in low carb dishes.

Low Carb Butter Pecan Protein Bar

1 stick of butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

12 drops EZ Sweetz (1/2 cup equivalent)

1/2 cup granular erythritol (or xylitol)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 scoops whey protein crisps

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut (optional)

Melt butter over medium heat. Add cream, erythritol, and EZ Sweetz. Mix thoroughly and stir until mixture simmers and sweetener is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Add protein crisps, nuts, and coconut and mix well. Allow to cool for approximately 5 minutes. Spread on parchment paper. (I spread mine in a rectangular shape about 8 X 10 inches.) Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until mixture is firm to the touch. When mixture is set, cut into 12 pieces. *Update: I’ve realized that the parchment paper is necessary to the process. Without it, the bars don’t seem to set properly. I actually wrap mine in the parchment while they sit refrigerator. It seems to remove just enough excess moisture to make them perfect.

Serves 12: NET carbs 2.5 each

I also made a Low Carb Vanilla Almond Protein Bar. I used the same amounts of butter, cream, sweeteners, and vanilla. I followed the same process to the point where you add the vanilla. At the end I mixed in 2 scoops of protein crisps, 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein, and 1 cup of sliced almonds. These were my absolute favorite! They are one of the best things I’ve ever made.

NET carbs 2.2 each

This entry was posted in Protein Bars, Recipes, Sweet Recipes and tagged candy, protein, sweets. Bookmark the permalink.
Chocolate Brownie Cake

Posted on April 11, 2012 1:56 pm by Anna 4 Comments

Someone recently asked me if I allow myself to “cheat” and eat carbs on special occasions. I honestly can say that I don’t: not on my birthday, not on vacation, not on holidays, not at the movies, not anywhere. (Sorry, had a little “Green Eggs and Ham” moment.) The person’s response to my answer was, “I’d love to lose weight, but I just can’t deprive myself like that.” I want you to take a look at the meal my parents made for me to celebrate my birthday. Do you think I left feeling deprived?

However, I do understand what my friend was saying. People think too much about dieting and not enough about changing their way of eating permanently. I must admit that I made the same mistake myself in the past. I went on a low carb “diet” about 12 years ago. I was successful in losing weight, but I had the mentality that I was going to let myself have what I wanted for special occasions. This ultimately led to my failure and regaining all my weight plus some. Eating a high carb meal immediately makes you feel bloated, tired, and guilty. It also can lead to telling yourself that you might as well take the rest of the weekend ”off” and start again on Monday. Trust me, that’s a slippery slope. I compare it to my mom’s struggle to quit smoking. She tried patches, gum, tapering, electronic devices etc. All of these things kept nicotine in her system and kept her physically needing the cigarettes. A couple of months ago, she quit cold turkey. (Yeah Mom!) She says it’s the only way for her to break her addiction. I’m not sure if food addictions are the same, but I do know that for me it’s best to stay clear of carbs. I can do this AND enjoy wonderful meals and treats. Believe me, it’s easier to maintain your way of eating than it is to constantly struggle in the name of “treating” yourself.

Back to the reason for this post…the cake. I was watching Paula Deen make her Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes and I decided that I wanted to experiment with making the recipe low carb. My intention was obviously to make a cake. However, what I actually ended up with was much more like a brownie than a cake. Or, you might compare it to a super dense and moist pound cake. We decided it was serendipity at it’s finest.

Low Carb Chocolate Brownie Cake

2 sticks softened butter

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup granular erythritol

18 drops EZ Sweetz (1.5 cup equivalent)

1/2 cup granular xylitol (or additional 1/2 cup erythritol)

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

4 large room temperature eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 cup almond flour

1/2 cup bake mix (click here)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 X 13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, cocoa, erythritol, EZ Sweetz, and xylitol. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until the butter melts and the sweeteners are dissolved. This will take only about 1 minute after your butter first simmers. Turn the heat off and add the unsweetened chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Remove pan from burner and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

Mix almond flour, bake mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, blend sour cream and eggs until creamy and smooth. Blend in dry ingredients and mix well. Add chocolate mixture and blend again. Prepare for the fight over who gets to lick the beater, spatula, and bowl.

Bake for 27-28 minutes, or until center of brownie cake is just set.

Serves 16: Net Carbs 5 per piece with frosting.

*Now, here’s where the jury was split. About half the family thought these should be topped with a few nuts, or with nothing at all and be treated as a brownie. However, some thought that it needed the frosting. So, here’s the frosting we made.

Blend 3 ounces softened cream cheese, one stick softened butter, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 cup powdered erythritol, 6 drops of EZ Sweetz, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth and fluffy. We also added 5 or 6 drops of green food coloring because it was Easter.

**Please make this a few days ahead of time. It gets even better with time to sit in the fridge.

This entry was posted in Brownies, Recipes, Sweet Recipes and tagged almond flour, bake mix, cake, chocolate, dessert, frosting, sweets, vanilla frosting, white frosting. Bookmark the permalink.
Low Carb Macadamia Nut Cookies

Posted on April 5, 2012 12:16 am by Anna 2 Comments

I just love these cookies. They are sweet and soft with the buttery crunch of the macadamia nuts. The glaze puts them over the top. Like most low carb baked goods, they are even better the second day- or the third if they make it that long.

Low Carb Macadamia Nut Cookies

1 stick of softened butter

1/2 cup powdered erythritol

12 drops EZ Sweetz (or 1/2 cup Splenda)

2 eggs

1/3 cup ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

3/4 cup rough chopped macadamia nuts

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered erythritol

2 tablespoons almond milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream butter, erythritol, EZ Sweetz, eggs, ricotta, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Mix almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to wet ingredients and blend well.

Remove from blender and fold in chopped nuts.

Use a mini ice cream scoop to portion dough onto cookie sheets. Then use the back of a teaspoon to flatten the cookie dough. (You may have to wet the spoon to keep the dough from sticking.)

Bake for 14 minutes, until edges are lightly brown. Allow cookies to cool, then mix powdered erythritol and almond milk in a small bowl to form a glaze.

Store in the refrigerator. They are better chilled than they are fresh from the oven.

Makes 34 cookies: 1 NET carb each

This entry was posted in Macadamia Nut Cookies, Recipes, Sweet Recipes and tagged almond flour, cookies, dessert, frosting, sweets, vanilla frosting, white frosting. Bookmark the permalink.
Low Carb Chocolate Pecan Candy

Posted on March 29, 2012 1:35 am by Anna 2 Comments

These are a great alternative to the sugar-free candies sold in the grocery store– plus they don’t have maltitol. They are very rich and really satisfy a craving for chocolate. Actually, they remind me of no bake chocolate and oatmeal cookies that some people call “oaties.” They are quick and easy to make. I hope you give them a try!

Low Carb Chocolate Pecan Candy

1 stick of butter

24 drops EZ Sweetz

1 cup granular erythritol

1/4 cup cream

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup pecans

1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate

In a small saucepan, melt butter and stir in EZ Sweetz, erythritol, cream, and salt. Bring mixture to a simmer and stir until sweetener is completely dissolved. It only takes about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Stir in pecans and coconut and combine well.

I allowed my mixture to cool slightly and put small spoonfuls in a mini-muffin tin. I let them sit in the freezer for 20-25 minutes. I removed them from the pan and stored them in the refrigerator.

However, I must admit the muffin tin was probably more trouble than it was worth. They were hard to get out of the pan. The next time I make these, I’ll put spoonfuls of the mixture onto wax paper like a drop cookie, and then let them set in the refrigerator until firm.

Makes 24 pieces: 1.8 NET carbs in a 3 piece serving

This entry was posted in Chocolate Pecan Candy, Recipes, Sweet Recipes and tagged chocolate, christmas, cookies, dessert, sweets. Bookmark the permalink.
Low Carb Breakfast Casserole

Posted on March 20, 2012 10:40 pm by Anna Comment

This is a great breakfast casserole that reheats really well. You can make it on the weekend and enjoy it throughout the week for breakfast when you may not have as much time to cook. It’s also very filling due to the higher fat content. We actually had this for dinner tonight. It’s easy to make, inexpensive, and plentiful. In fact, if you are cooking for just a few people, you may want to cut the recipe in half.

Low Carb Breakfast Casserole

2 lbs ground sausage

8 ounces softened cream cheese

1/2 small onion, diced

2 jalapeno peppers, diced (or 1/2 green pepper)

12 well-beaten eggs (season with salt and pepper)

1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or mexican blend)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Brown sausage and drain excess grease. Press sausage into the bottom of pan. Break cream cheese into pieces and evenly distribute on top of sausage. Sprinkle with onions and peppers. Pour eggs over the sausage mixture. Add shredded cheese to the top.

Bake for 25 minutes, until eggs are just set. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before cutting.

Serves 12: NET carb count is about 2 per serving.

This entry was posted in Breakfast Casserole, Recipes, Savory Recipes and tagged breakfast, casserole, cheddar, cheese, cream cheese, dinner. Bookmark the permalink.
Low Carb German Chocolate Cake

Posted on March 13, 2012 11:59 pm by Anna 2 Comments

German chocolate cake was my husband’s favorite before we started eating low carb. I was recently experimenting with a candy recipe that turned out to be a failure as candy, but made an awesome topping for a this cake. It made a very rich dessert. It’s also a very pretty cake and would be great for any special occasion.

Low Carb German Chocolate Cake

1 cup bake mix (see post here)

½ cup almond flour

½ cup carbalose flour (or additional ½ cup bake mix)

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 stick of softened butter

3 eggs (room temperature)

18 drops EZ Sweetz (or ¾ cup Splenda)

¾ cup powdered erythritol

¼ cup sugar-free chocolate syrup (Torani or Hershey’s)

1/3 cup oil

¼ cup heavy cream

½ cup almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch round pan with non-stick cooking spray. (I used a spring form pan.) Combine bake mix, almond flour, carbalose, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside. Cream butter, eggs, EZ Sweetz, and erythritol. Add chocolate syrup, oil, cream, almond milk, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Bake for 25 minutes and allow to cool.

I added half a batch of chocolate frosting (recipe here) to the sides and around the edge of the top of my cake to make a well for my topping. However, you could skip this step and just add the topping to the cake. You really don’t need the frosting…but sometimes it isn’t a matter of need, it’s a matter of want.

German Chocolate Topping

1 stick of butter

½ cup granular xylitol (or heaping ½ cup granular erythritol)

12 drops EZ Sweetz (equivalent to ½ cup Splenda)

¼ cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon molasses

Pinch of salt

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups chopped pecans

½ cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

Melt butter in a small pot over medium heat. Add xylitol, EZ Sweetz, cream, molasses, and salt. Heat until the mixture just starts to bubble and the xylitol is dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla first, and then add the pecans and coconut. Mix well to coat. Allow to cool. Add to the top of cooled chocolate cake.

Serves 12: NET carbs 5.3 (You could easily slice this cake into 16 pieces for 4 NET carbs each. It’s very rich and I think a smaller piece would be plenty for most people.)

This entry was posted in German Chocolate Cake, Recipes, Sweet Recipes and tagged almond flour, bake mix, chocolate, dessert, frosting, sweets. Bookmark the permalink.