Posted on 10/17/2016 3:49:54 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
Last week, the Better Homes and Gardens email newsletter had some great pumpkin decorating ideas; I liked this one using mini-lights:
You could also do this using 'Funkins', the carve-able artificial pumpkins, for a more permanent decoration:
If you're somewhat artistically inclined, BHG also has a stencil for carving a pumpkin to represent your favorite Presidential candidate:
http://www.bhg.com/halloween/presidential-pumpkin-stencils/#page=2
(You do have to sign up, to get the stencil.)
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We've had a request to do a 'Low Carb' cooking thread, and I thought we'd start it early on this busy week.
One of my favorite - and easiest - lunches to take to work that's low-carb is a simple, or fancy, Chef Salad. The possibilities are endless: along with your chosen greens, you can add radishes, slices of bell pepper, a few cherry tomatoes; and scoops of egg salad or tuna salad. I sometimes use diced hard cheeses, and diced meats, like chicken, turkey or ham. I like adding something sour or pickled - dill pickle slices or marinated mushrooms.
You can make your own low-carb dressing; but for convenience I keep at work one of the refrigerated bottled dressings, like Marie's or Marzetti's - they generally have only 1 or 2 carbs per two tablespoons.
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Probably one of my favorites is the cauliflower-masquerading-as-mashed-potatoes, which we do with bacon, cream cheese, and cheddar:
http://lusciouslowcarb.blogspot.com/2011/02/cheesy-bacon-potato-bake.html
One of the Freepers' favorite websites for low carb recipes is Linda Genaw's site; I've made some of her vegetable casseroles, and they were great:
Lastly, something that has been a lifesaver for many on low-carb diets: The Eades Magic Rolls, a bread substitute that really tastes like bread! This is not for 'induction' or the beginning phases of low-carb diets, but can really help out in the later stages. The link is in post 18 of this previous thread - and the thread includes lots of other low-carb goodies, especially the stuffed mushrooms:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3343366/posts
-JT
I am definitely trying that sour cream recipe! Seems really easy too. Speaking of non stick foil, I hope the person who came up w/ the idea received lots of money! I roast & do a lot in the oven & it is the ultimate time saver. I also recycle the foil so I don’t feel guilty. I love the stuff & it is worth every penny!
Thank you for posting that; it looks very good.
Another ‘treat’ I’ve found that can get you through the times when you’re dying for something sweet, is to make sugar-free Jello, and put real whipped cream on top (the kind that shoots out of the can ;-)
Strawberry Bavarian Cream
METHOD Pour cup boiling water over 3 oz pkg s/f strawberry Jello; stir/dissolve. Separately, add cool water to juice from frozen strawberries---make one cup. Stir into Jello. Chill/partially set. Elec/mixer foamy. Stir in pkg drained frozen sliced berries, 1/2 pint whipping cream (or cool whip).
PRESENTATION fill wet glass mold w/ jello cream; can add fresh berries, then rest Jello cream. Chill. Unmold on server.
SERVE w/ puddle of fresh strawberry sauce, garnish w/ fresh berries, mint sprig.
ING pkg frozen sliced strawberries, thawed and drained (save juice) cup boiling water 3 oz. strawberry Jello 1/2 pt. whipping cream or small Cool Whip 1-2 qt. fresh strawberries pureed for sauce mint sprigs
Simple solutions are always the best!
Guilty pleasure: cheese & crackers, & a good book before sleep.
Pet peeve: cracker crumbs in the sheets !
Re: Cabot yogurt and cheeses-—if your store doesn’t have it, you can ask the dairy dept. manager to get it. Walmart grocery welcomes requests.
Myra’s was the recipe I used years ago when I made cheese cake. I like a cheese cake that is less sweet so I didn’t use as much Splenda, and I like a little lemon in mine so added a squeeze. I also left off the crust and sour cream, but it always turned out well and was yummy. I also like savory cheese cakes, especially cheese and jalapeno, although I don’t have a recipe handy. It’s pretty much a basic cheese cake base without the sugar, and savory ingredients instead.
I had a fantastic custard recipe, but lost it and couldn’t find it on the internet. As I remember, it was eggs, cream and vanilla carefully microwaved to thicken.
I used to microwave American cheese, and just tried it again from the Cheeze-it substitute recipe posted. The parchment paper works so well and solved the problem of getting it off the plate. Another favorite is microwaved pepperoni chips. I put pepperoni on 2 cheap paper plates layered on a dinner plate. Microwave 1-2 min until crisp, remove from top paper plate to the bottom to continue to absorb oil. I add sauce and cheese before microwaving if I need a pizza fix.
Modify recipe to taste. So many variations on this dish are available I am only posting the very basics.
Taco seasoning mix
One jar of salsa
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Shredded cheddar cheese
Coat chicken with taco seasoning, put into baking dish with salsa and top with shredded cheddar
Baking times will vary.
Deliciousness invariably ensues!
That sounds good, and very easy for weeknights.
These ‘taco shells’ could also be a pizza crust...
CHEESE “TACO SHELLS”
Take grated cheddar cheese and put it in the bottom of a nonstick skillet, about 5” in diameter. It should not be in a thick layer, but should cover bottom of the pan lightly. Heat on medium and let it melt and bubble. If you see a few small ‘holes’ where the pan shows through, it’s ok. The oil from the cheese will
separate out in a few minutes and you can dab it up with a crunched up paper towel.
After a few minutes of this, the cheese will be firm enough that it can be flipped with a spatula. If it is still sticky and gooey, wait longer! The second side takes only a short time.
Remove the “tortilla’ to layers of paper towels and pat dry. Then while still hot, stuff a crinkled up paper towel in the middle of the “tortilla” and fold in half into a taco shape, pressing firmly. The paper towel allows the proper spread, so that you can easily fill it when cool. Put the shell upside down on a paper towel to cool off and harden, with the crunched up paper towel still inside, holding the shape. When cool, it is hard and crunchy and retains the shape of a taco shell. It is really easier to do than it might appear here.
Then fill with your favorite taco fillings (seasoned meat, lettuce, guacamole, salsa, olives, etc.)
You could heat your pepperoni in sauce with olives or whatever other topping & put on the cheese ‘taco’.
thanks for this thread!
Thx for the tip.
A little late for the thread, but I just spotted this:
103 Things To Cook If You’re Trying To Eat Fewer Carbs
https://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/every-low-carb-recipe-you-need
They’re not all “low carb” by my definition, but some are ... almost all of them look delicious.
That’s a nice site. The breakfast ‘pizza’ (number 13) looks good and easy to do.
I have kale in my fall garden so the “Baby Kale, Mozzarella, and Egg Bake” Recipe is one I’ll try. Plus, at the bottom of that recipe are links to other kale recipes.
All the recipes look delicious - just scrolling down the pictures is fun. :-)
I like those apple slices with peanut butter. Not exactly low-carb or even Paleo; but better than a donut ;-)
Those are some nice looking recipes. I plan to try the baccon chedar cauliflower soup.
Some ideas for pasta substitutes:
Spaghetti Squash with Marinara
Spiral cut zucchini, toss in hot marinara or bolognese
Lasagna - either overstuff layers and use only a couple of sheets, or use roasted veggies as layers instead of pasta sheets
Ricotta Gnocchi:
Ingredients
1 cup ricotta cheese (part skim)
1 egg yolk (medium or large)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/3 cup grated Parmesan and/or Percorino cheese
1/2-2/3 cup almond flour, plus more for the board
Finely chopped herbs (basil, parsley, oregano, etc.)
Tips
The more flour you add, the denser the gnocchi will be, and you are aiming for light, fluffy pillows! Using almond flour instead of regular flour makes the carb-count even lower.
Directions
1. Drain the ricotta in a mesh strainer for up to an hour
2. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil
3. Combine the cheese in a large bowl with egg yolk, salt, herbs and grated cheese, mixing well to combine. Add some of the flour and stir just until combined; it should still be quite sticky.
4. Flour the board heavily. Scoop a large spoonful of dough onto the board and flour the top heavily. Flour your hands and roll the dough into a log about the width of one finger. Dip a sharp knife into flour, and cut into pieces the size of the last joint of your thumb (about 3/4”).
5. Transfer to a parchment-lined, flour-dusted baking sheet. Repeat until all the gnocchi are formed. Work quickly so they don’t get soggy and stick.
6. Turn the heat down under the pot until the water bubbles gently. Add the gnocchi and stir once so they don’t stick to the bottom. Cook until the float to the surface, 2-4 minutes. Remove with a skimmer or spider and serve at once with a light tomato sauce, browned butter with sage, or any kind of pesto.
Serving Size: Makes enough gnocchi for two
GRANDMA SCHROEDER'S ROULADEN 
METHOD Spread each slice of beef with a little mustard; s/p. Top w/ slice bacon, thin pickle spear. Sprinkle w/ bit onion. Roll-up to form meat roll. Secure with toothpicks or string (Grandma uses cotton thread). Brown on all sides in hot oil, then place in roaster.
Cover/roast at 350º, til aroma permeates air; turn heat down to 300º. Roast 2 hours, turning them once to brown evenly.Can serve / pan juices or deglaze pan / with hot water and make gravy. Be sure to remove the toothpicks, string or thread before serving.
NOTE The number of servings will depend on amount of meat * Grandma says to get 1/2 pound per person.
ING Rump roast, have butcher slice 1/8" thick, against the grain * Salt and pepper Bacon, raw, 1 piece per slice of meat Small onion, minced, 2 1/2 ounces Dijon mustard, pickle slice options
Braised Red Cabbage / color is magnificent on plate.
ING 4 slices bacon, diced 1 large onion, chopped 1 small head red cabbage (about 2 lbs), thinly sliced 1 cup red wine 3 tbsp red wine vinegar 1/3 cup red currant jelly 1 apple, cored and shredded salt and pepper to taste
ROULADEN FILLING METHOD
Me neither, but I saw a recipe to try the other day, if I can just find it again.
The “Crack Slaw” involves cooked cabbage and reminds me a little of Hamburger Helper dishes without the carbs.
Frozen Peanut Butter Dreams / makes 12 little treats
METHOD Mix 1/2 c p/butter, cup skim, 1 1/2 oz pkg f/f-s/f instant dk chocolate pudding mix. (mixes easier using fork) Fold in cup fat-free cool whip. Pour into paper-lined cupcake tin and freeze.
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