This recipe posted at a weekly food carnival caught my eye. I’m always on the lookout for new ways to make low or lower carb replacements for foods that are much higher in carbs. When I saw this recipe posted by Tiffany at The Coconut Mama I thought it was worth a try.  

Grain Free Flat Bread Recipe

1 1/2 tablespoons coconut flour (I used 1 tablespoon ground almonds and 1 tablespoon coconut flour)

1 tablespoon melted butter or coconut oil

1 large egg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a pan with parchment paper to keep the bun from sticking to the pan.

In a bowl mix the dry ingredients together until well combined. Add the egg and the melted oil. Mix well and allow the batter to sit for several minutes so the coconut flour can absorb the liquid. Spoon half the mixture on to the pan and use the back of the spoon to spread it into a circle the size of a hamburger bun. Repeat with the remaining mixture to form another bun. Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until the edges are a golden brown.

The recipe makes enough for one bun but could easily be multiplied to make a larger batch. The picture above shows the bread as it was cooked on the pan (left side) and the bread flipped over (right side). The top does not get as golden brown as the bottom but the bread is cooked through.

The big question is does this taste like bread? No it doesn’t. The flavor is a bit on the bland side and I will try it again adding some additional spices to the dry mix. Does it work as a bread replacement for sandwiches? Yes it holds up rather well even if the filling is a bit moist. I used one slice to make half a sandwich and it did not fall apart even when mustard was smeared all over it.

The other half of the bun is in the refrigerator to see how well it holds up after several days. It would be a time saver to make multiple buns and keep them in the refrigerator until needed but not if they turn squishy after a few days. I’ll definitely try this recipe again but add some added items to boost the flavor.

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    When I made the Low Carb Italian Meatloaf  the other day I didn’t end up using all the prepared meat mixture. I put it aside and thought perhaps I’d make a couple of burgers with what was left. Instead I made this quick soup. You can use the meatloaf mixture or your favorite meatball mix to create the meatballs for the soup.

Mexican Meatball Soup

1 lb of ground beef or use your favorite meatball/meatloaf recipe

1 tablespoon olive oil, butter or coconut oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 – 4 ounce can of diced green chilies

28 ounce can of stewed tomatoes

6 cups chicken broth or stock

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

hot sauce to taste

Place your olive oil, butter or coconut oil in a large stockpot and turn the heat to medium high. Roll the ground beef, meatloaf or meatball mixture into small meatballs. I used a small ice cream scoop. The meatballs were about 3/4 to 1 ounce each. Place them in the oil and brown the meatballs on all sides. Once the meatballs have been browned remove them from the pot and set aside.

Add the chopped onions and garlic to the pot and saute them for several minutes. Add in the green chilies, tomatoes, chicken broth and spices. Simmer for 10 minutes and then add the meatballs back into the soup. Simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.

Serve the soup with garnishes such as avocado cubes/slices, shredded cheese, sour cream or, if you like it spicy, try adding some chopped jalapenoes.

Serves 8

Calories: 195

Fat 12.4 grams

Total carbs: 9.6 grams

Fiber 1.6 grams

Protein: 12.1 grams

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A delicious spin on plain old meatloaf. The center is filled with a blend of mozzarella cheese, spinach and thinly sliced salami. You’ll never notice that this meatloaf isn’t made with breadcrumbs. Serve with broccoli, zucchini or green beans and pass on the garlic bread for a truly low carb meal.

Low Carb Italian Meatloaf

1 1/2 to 2 lbs ground beef

1 small onion, diced

1/2 green pepper, diced

2 large eggs

8 oz of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 cup mozzarella cheese

10 to 15 thin slices of Genoa salami

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon basil

Preheat oven to 350F. Lay out a sheet of foil about 16 or 17 inches long.

In a large bowl combine ground beef, onion, green pepper, eggs, salt, pepper, oregano and basil. Mix well with hands. Place mixture on foil and press out into a thin layer that almost reaches the edges. Top the meat mixture with spinach. Follow it by sprinkling on the mozzarella cheese. Finish by spreading slices of salami over the cheese.

Using the foil gently begin rolling the meat from the short end. Once completely rolled use the foil to transfer the meatloaf to a pan.

Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 160F in the center. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with a bit of marinara sauce drizzled over the top.

Serves 7 to 8 (amounts below based on 7 slices)

Calories: 422

Fat: 32 grams

Total Carbs: 2.6 grams

Fiber 1.0 grams

Protein: 30 grams

This post is being linked back to Fight Back Friday at the Food Renegade. Stop in to check out all the other great recipes, tips and ideas.

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This is one of my favorite chicken recipes. It can easily be varied depending upon the vegetables you have on hand. The original recipe called for the chicken to be served over pasta. To make it a low carb version I usually serve it over other cooked vegetables such as sliced zucchini, cooked spinach, steamed cauliflower or even cauliflower mashed potatoes. Those who enjoy the faux pasta like shirataki noodles can also use those to create a low carb meal.

Lemon Chicken

3-4 chicken breasts (about 1 lb total)

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 cups of chicken broth

1/2 cup white wine

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 lemons, juice or about 1/4 cup lemon juice

2 roasted red peppers, chopped

Prepare the chicken one of two ways. Either slice the chicken breasts into 3 or 4 large pieces each or pound each breast until they are about 1/2 inch thick. I the picture above I cut them into pieces. Sprinkle each piece with salt and pepper.

In a large skilled add the olive oil and turn the heat up to medium high. Add the chicken breasts or pieces and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Turn each piece and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.

In the skillet add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, red peppers, white wine, lemon juice, parsley and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer 4 to 5 minutes to reduce the liquid slightly. Add the chicken breasts back to the pan and continue to cook them until the centers are no longer pink.

Serve the chicken and sauce over additional cooked vegetables,shirataki noodles or low carb pasta.

Calories: 237

Fat: 9.0 grams

Total Carbs: 8.6 grams

Fiber: 1.6 grams

Protein: 28 grams

This post is being linked back to Real Food Wednesdays. Stop in to check out all the other great recipes, tips and ideas.

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Cheeeeeesecake! Need I say more?

Low carb thankfully does not mean low fat. This means that your cheesecakes will be incredibly delicious. All the low fat versions I’ve eaten in the past pale in comparison to any low carb version. The picture above shows thecheesecake with a ground almond crust but, after making it several times, my family has decided that it tastes even better without it. Since I haven’t found a crust I’m happy with just yet the recipe below is actually for a crustless cheesecake.

Crustless, Low Carb Peanut Butter Cheesecake

12 ounce cream cheese, softened

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup smooth or chunky peanut butter (use one that contains no added sugar)

1/2 cup Splenda for baking (or an equal amount of your favorite low carb sweetener)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl beat the heavy whipping cream until it forms soft peaks.

In another bowl combine the cream cheese, Splenda, peanut butter and vanilla extract. Fold the whipping cream into the peanut butter mixture. Place the cream cheese mixture into a pie plate, a large bowl or even create individual portions by dividing into 8 small containers with covers (I use Gladware for this). Place your plate, bowl or small containers into the refrigerator and allow it to chill for 30 minutes before eating.

Serves 8

Calories: 313

Fat: 30 grams

Total carbs: 5.9 grams

Fiber 0.5 grams

Protein: 9.3 grams

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This avocado and tomato dressing is perfect for any type of Mexican food….use it in place of Guacamole. It’s also great on salads and even sandwiches. The great part is I can make it any time without a lot of hassle because it uses mashed avocados that are stored in my freezer.

Avocado and Tomato Dressing

2 avocados, mashed

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1 medium to large tomato

1/2 of a small onion cut into chunks

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/3 to 1/2  of a 16 ounce container of sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 or more teaspoon of hot sauce

If your using mashed avocados from your freezer simply place your avocados in a large bowl. If your using fresh avocados cut them in half, remove the avocado and mash them in a large bowl.

Cut the stem off of the tomato and cut into quarters. Remove the seeds from the tomato. Place the tomato and onion in a food processor and process until pureed. You can leave some smaller chunks in it if you desire. Remove from the food processor and add to the bowl of mashed avocado. Add in the garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Start by adding 1/3 of a 16 ounce container of sour cream. Mix it in well. You want the avocado/tomato mixture to be think enough to spoon or pour. If it is still thick add up to 1/2 of the 16 ounce container. Most of the time the pureed tomatoes are enough to make the dressing pourable so additional sour cream isn’t needed. Add in a teaspoon or more of hot sauce. Adjust the amount to suit your own tastes. I usually end up adding about 3 teaspoons and no one complains that it’s too spicy. Mix all the ingredients well and your dressing is ready. Store any extras in the refrigerator for 3 days up to a week. Please note that you may find the dressing darkens a bit over time. This is just the avocados reacting to the air so having a well covered container will help prevent this.

The following nutritional stats were calculated based on 10 servings from the recipe

Calories: 87

Fat: 7.8 grams

Total Carbohydrates: 4.4 grams

Fiber: 2.6 grams

Protein 1.2 grams

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I’ve been trying to use some miscellaneous items that I have in my cupboards. A lone can of sauerkraut has been starring at me for a while. It calls for me to stick it in a toasty Reuben sandwich. Given that an average Reuben sandwich contains two slices of bread, a slice of swiss cheese, a couple of ounces of corned beef and is topped with several tablespoons of Thousand Island dressing there’s at least 40 grams of carbohydrates in one. Even more if you use really thick bread. Rather then load up on a bunch of carbs in one single meal I decided to see if there was a way to create a low carb version of the Reuben Sandwich.

If I had a low carb tortilla on hand that probably would have worked. The sandwich could be made like a stuffed burrito. Of course there wasn’t a single tortilla left in the house. Back to the drawing board. With the burrito idea in my head I started to think of other things the filling could be wrapped in. Lettuce was one idea but all I had on hand was Romaine. Boston lettuce would have made a better burrito like sandwich but Romaine doesn’t really work. Then I noticed the head of cabbage just sitting in the refrigerator. Hmmm…..I’ve used cabbage to make rolled up stuffed cabbage. Why not try doing the same thing but replacing the meat/rice mixture normally used with the Reuben sandwich filling ingredients. In the end it worked out great!

Reuben Roll Ups

8 oz corned beef

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 of a 15 oz can of sauerkraut

4 to 8 oz shredded or diced Swiss cheese

head of cabbage

Thousand Island dressing

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Boil water in a large pot and 4 to 8 cabbage leaves. Boil for 7 to 10 minutes or until the cabbage is tender. Carefully remove cabbage from the pot, trying not to tear the leaves, and drain the excess water from them.

Shred or dice the corned beef. Add the Swiss cheese and cream cheese. Stir well to combine.

Lay the cabbage leaves out and evenly distribute the corned beef mixture. The number of cabbage leaves you end up using will depend upon how much sauerkraut you like to use. We like more corned beef than sauerkraut so I only used 6 leaves. If you prefer an even amount of corned beef and sauerkraut then the corned beef mixture could easily be divided among 8 leaves. Top the corned beef mixture with some sauerkraut. Roll up the leaves like a tortilla and place seam down in a baking pan. Bake in the oven until how, about 15 minutes.

Remove cabbage roll up from pan and drizzle some low carb Thousand Island dressing on top. Enjoy!

Made with cabbage these low carb Reuben Roll Ups with Thousand Island Dressing have about 11 grams of carbohydrates.

If you make them but don’t use the Thousand Island dressing they have about 6.5 grams of carbohydrates.

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I had previously blogged abouthow much sugar (and carbs) are in regular cranberry sauce. A serving size of 1/4 cup has 24 grams of carbohydrates. The easiest way to cut back on the carbs is to make your own sauce from fresh cranberries.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner I decided to get a jump on the holiday but making several batches of sugar free/reduced carb cranberry sauce today. To show how easy it is to do I thought I would try my hand at making a Youtube video. It’s the first time I’ve tried this and I haven’t quite figured out how to position the camera just yet.

Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce

1 bag of fresh cranberries

1 cup of Splenda granular

1 cup of water

zest of one small orange if desired

Sort through the cranberries and remove any soft or damaged ones. Place the remaining cranberries in a sauce pan. Add 1 cup of Splenda, 1 cup of water and, if desired, the zest from one small orange. Turn the heat to medium and cook until the cranberries have popped and the sauce thickens. This usually takes about 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and allow the cranberry sauce to cool. Place in a container and store in the refrigerator.

Makes approximately 16 ounces of cranberry sauce.

By substituting granulated sugar with Splenda (the granular kind) you can cut the carbs back to 8 grams per 1/4 cup serving. The carbs come from the naturally occurring sugars/starches found in the cranberries as well as the Splenda. I know the Splenda package says zero carbs per serving but that is because each teaspoonful only contains 0.5 grams so they are allowed, by law, to say zero carbs per teaspoon. When you use an entire cupful you actually get 24 grams of carbohydrates in 1 cup.

Looking for a more savory cranberry sauce? Leave the orange zest out and try adding some mustard (about 2 tablespoons) and some horseradish (about 1/2 teaspoon).

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Philadelphia Cheese Steak Soup

2 tablespoons of butter, coconut oil or olive oil
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
8 ounces of mushrooms, sliced or one 8oz+ can of sliced mushrooms drained
5 cups of milk
2 cups of beef broth
2-3 cups of leftover beef, diced
8 ounces or more of provolone cheese, diced
2 ounces of cream cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter/coconut oil in a large stock pot. Add the peppers, onions and mushrooms and saute until tender (about 5 to 7 minutes). If using canned mushrooms added them in once the peppers and onions have been sauted.

Add the diced beef, milk and beef broth. Heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the provolone and cream cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Super fast, super easy and super good!

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Fast forward from my last post about a month and a half ago. I didn’t even realize so much time had passed. Between paid work, free work (my internship) and dealing with three kids who clearly had conspired to make me insane before the new school year started, every time I thought I would get a chance to post my bed was calling to me. Then school started at the beginning of September and now the month is almost over. Whew! Time certainly flies even if your not having fun.

Now that another semester has begun time is once again limited due to homework. Lack of time means I’m always looking for ways to make fast and easy meals. Less time cooking means more time for school work. Fast food, take out and premade meals would make things so much easier for me but all the choices available are nothing but high carb junk. My crockpot is going to get a work out this semester. Here’s one way I save both time and money.

Crockpot Beef Starter

several lbs of beef stew meat or even steak tips
1-2 cups of beef broth (homemade if possible)
Spices: salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, etc

Spread whatever choice of beef you are using in the bottom of the crockpot. Pour your beef broth in. If your using frozen, homemade beef broth (like I did) simply place it on top of the beef. No need to thaw it ahead of time. It will melt while the meat is cooking. Sprinkle the herbs over the top. I use about a teaspoon of each. Just enough to give the meat some flavor but not so much that the seasoned meat overpowers the recipe it will ultimately be used in. Cook on the lowest setting for at least 8 hours or until the meat easily breaks up. When the meat is done shred it with two forks. Use some of the meat for that nights meal. The remainder can either be stored in the refrigerator for several days to be used in another dish.

FREEZER TIP:  The cooked meat can also be frozen if desired.

This is a super easy way to cook up a batch of beef that can then be used to quickly make other recipes. I use it for beef stew and other types of soup. If you vary the spices (cumin, chile powder, onions, garlic, etc) the shredded beef can also be used as taco filling.

This batch of crockpot beef starter was used to make a quick beef stew as well as Philadelphia Cheesesteak Soup.

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