Weekly Cooking Thread - Special Low Carb Edition

[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:

http://funkins.com

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:

http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb

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

[bgill]

EVEN BETTER “HEINZ” KETCHUP
6 ounce can tomato paste
8 ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 cup water, or enough to get the right consistency
1/4 cup granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix all of the ingredients well in a medium saucepan. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Cool then chill before serving. Keep refrigerated.

Makes 2 cups or about 32 tablespoons at 1/5 carbs per T.

http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/evenbetter_heinz_ketchup.html

She has two other ketchup recipes on the site, so take your pick if you can’t find it in the store.

[Twotone]

Thank you! I love ketchup, but store bought has too much sugar.

[Fai Mao]

Baked ham
Iced tea - unsweetened

Is that low carb enough?

[bgill]

Yes and no. But it’s the closest I’ve found. Hubby, who’s particular, says it works so that is saying a lot. It sort of has a greasy feeling from the cream cheese but nothing to turn you off. Maybe cut back on the cream cheese? It will hold up with anything from a burger to tuna salad to whatever. However, I don’t think it’d hold up to something too juicy like a sloppy joe or a juicy pulled pork.

[Jamestown1630]

Ham is one of my lifesavers on this kind of diet. I’m just not much of a beef person, but I love hot dogs, hamburgers, bacon and ham. When you can make a bread substitute like the ‘magic’ or ‘revolution’ rolls to go with, you don’t really feel like you’re missing much.

[bgill]

Here’s a holiday desert to go with your ham.

DOTTIE’S PUMPKIN POUND CAKE
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup granulated Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch to 1/8 teaspoon salt
5 eggs
6 ounces almond flour, about 1 1/2 cups

Grease an 8x4” loaf pan well or line with foil and grease foil. In a medium bowl, beat the pumpkin, Splenda, baking powder, vanilla, spice and salt, if using, with an electric mixer until well blended. Beat in the eggs, then the almond flour. Add a little water, if needed, to make a thick, but pourable batter (I didn’t need it). Pour into the pan and bake at 300º 60-75 minutes, until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan a bit and a toothpick comes out clean. Mine took about 65 minutes. The toothpick came out clean at 60 minutes, but it needed to brown a little more. This comes out so moist that the extra baking time will be fine. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and peel off the foil; cool completely on a rack before slicing. Store in the refrigerator or freeze.

Makes 1 loaf or 12 servings. 5 net carbs per serving.

[Jamestown1630]

In my experience, the ‘Magic Rolls’, which are very like the revolution rolls, come out like a gougere, or a drier Yorkshire Pudding. A lot ‘eggier’ than bread; but very satisfying.

You do have to keep them frozen, and just take out what you’re going to use. But I’ve had people ask me for them once they’ve tasted them, even though they’re not dieting.

[bgill]

I love this cabbage dish in the winter but I tend to over eat it.

In a large skillet -
half a head of cabbage chopped
linked polish sausage sliced or chunked
two cans of rotel type tomatoes or one can of rotel type and one of plain diced tomatoes
one chopped onion
salt and pepper

Cover and cook until cabbage is cooked through.

[RoosterRedux]

I wonder if it would work with whole milk Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese or some mixture of the two (I love Cabot Farms whole milk Greek yogurt).

I love the low carb diet, but I need a good sandwich...without the bread of course.;-)

I am going to try your recipe this week.

Exciting.

As an aside, my doctor is fascinated by my diet. All health indicators are positive.

I do add a lot of Gatorade when exercising in hot temps (I do a lot of cardio).

Got weak for a while...doing much better now that I upped the Gatorade.

[Twotone]

Here’s another dessert appropriate for the season. You can eliminate most of the carbs by ditching the cookies, but it’s a nice touch for those who are not on LC.

PUMPKIN SPICE MOUSSE
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (less than 1 envelope)
1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
3 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin (slightly less than a 15-ounce can)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups well-chilled heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
18 gingersnaps

In a medium metal bowl sprinkle gelatin over cold water to soften 1 minute. Whisk in yolks and sugar and set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook egg mixture, whisking constantly, until an instant-read thermometer inserted 2 inches into mixture registers 160°F. (Tilt bowl to facilitate measuring temperature.) Remove bowl from pan and with an electric mixer beat egg mixture until cool and thickened, about 5 minutes (mixture will be very sticky). Beat in pumpkin and spices. Chill pumpkin mixture, covered, until thickened and cool but not set, about 1 hour.

In a bowl with cleaned beaters beat cream with vanilla until it just holds stiff peaks and fold into pumpkin mixture gently but thoroughly. Coarsely crumble 2 gingersnaps into each of 6 Martini glasses (or other 6- to 8-ounce stemmed glasses). Transfer mousse to a large pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip and pipe decoratively over cookies in glasses (or simply spoon mousse into glasses). Chill mousses, uncovered, until firm, about 3 hours, and up to 1 day (loosely cover after 3 hours).

Just before serving, garnish mousses with remaining 6 whole gingersnaps.

[RoosterRedux]

Thx much for that and for this thread. Will try the magic rolls this week.

[Twotone]

MEXICAN CASSEROLE

1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup diced onion
1 tbsp chopped green chilis (canned)
1 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp chili powder, divided
1/2 tbsp oregano
Garlic powder to taste
3 eggs
1/3 cup mayo
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger and onions, drain fat. Add chilis, cumin, 1 tbsp chili powder, oregano and garlic powder to taste.

Pam Spray or butter a 1-qt casserole dish. Place meat mixture in casserole dish.

Mix together eggs, mayo, heavy cream and 1 tbsp chili powder. Gently pour over meat mixture. Top with 1 cup shredded cheese, evenly layered on top of meat.

COVER and bake in 350 oven for 15 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 15 minutes more.

[Tx Angel]

I love these threads! Thank you so much for taking the time.

One of my favorite recipes from Atkins is their coconut bread. Easy, peasy and so delish!

https://www.atkins.com/recipes/low-carb-coconut-bread/1661

[mumblypeg]

Didn’t know Cabot Farms makes a whole milk Greek yogurt. I’ll have to ask local Walmart to stock it. Thanks!
Cabot makes a Sharp White Cheddar cheese that is fantastic; Walmart sells it for about $8.50 for a 2 lb block. I get it every trip.

[RoosterRedux]

I get mine at my local Walmart.

Did I mention I love it.;-)

[bgill]

Her Thousand Island Dressing and Chocolate Syrup are bang on.

I use to take a Big Mac salad to work as it’s easy to nuke and really reminds me of a Big Mac without the bun.

LINNY’S BIG MAC IN A BOWL
1/2 pound raw ground beef (about 5 1/2 ounces cooked weight or 153 grams cooked) *
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 slice deluxe American cheese, broken up
1 teaspoon minced dry onions
46 grams dill pickle slices or 2 dill spears, chopped (about 1 5/8 ounces)
2 tablespoons Smoky Thousand Island Dressing
1 1/2 ounces iceberg lettuce, shredded

Brown the ground beef, seasoning with salt and pepper; drain off the fat if desired. Meanwhile, soak the dry onions in a little water to rehydrate them. Add the cheese and cook until it melts. Put the meat in a large salad bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Toss and eat at once.

Makes 1 serving. 5 net carbs

I like plain Thousand Island Dressing rather than smoky and cheat with regular ketchup since we’re not big on ketchup. I could eat this dressing by the bowl -

THOUSAND ISLAND
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Better “Heinz” Ketchup
2 tablespoons dill pickle relish
Dash Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar
4 teaspoons granulated Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
Dash pepper

Mix all of the ingredients and chill to allow the flavors to blend.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups or 24 tablespoons
Do not freeze

[Jamestown1630]

Something I’ve found useful on low-carb dieting is seaweed (Don’t Laugh!)

There are lots of seaweed ‘snacks’ out there now that satisfy the desire to crunch something a little salty; and the good ones are healthy, low-carb, and very nutritious. They are full of minerals, as well as B-12, important to us as we get older.

My favorite has always been dulse; but lately I’ve been enjoying some of the Nori snacks. Like anything, don’t overdo it - it’s not something you want to eat a lot of. I use it like the occasional bonbon, a few leaves a day as a special treat; and some people use it flaked, instead of salt, or as a sprinkle on top of a salad. Check the nutrient content if you have issues with sodium, potassium, etc.

https://www.yahoo.com/beauty/seaweed-health-benefits-200245898.html

http://www.elle.com/beauty/health-fitness/news/a26568/seaweed-snacks-healthy/

https://www.amazon.com/ORGANIC-WILD-ATLANTIC-DULSE-OZ/dp/B003O2088K/ref=sr_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1476749787&sr=8-4&keywords=dulse

[Jamestown1630]

I haven’t done it yet, but I’ve suspected that the Magic Rolls might be easier to make in a blender. That’s a project I’ll have to try.

[bgill]

At one time there was discussion (people on both sides of the fence) of draining plain yogurt to make yocheese. Supposedly the drained whey took away enough carbs to make the yocheese 4 carbs per cup and there was no sugar spike. Your greek yogurt should work, too.

[Twotone]

I do love sauces & dressings. I’ll give that Thousand Island a try, as well as the Big Mac in a bowl!