Blueberry Muffins

Similar to the pancakes, this changes a few of the "wet" ingredient proportions, and, of course, adds in the blueberries.

1 c. carbalose flour
1/4 c. flax seed meal
1/4 c. coconut flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
4 eggs
1 t. sugar-free vanilla
2 T. fiber fit (or other liquid sweetener equal to 1 c. sugar)
1 c. Hood's Calorie Countdown milk (or, 1/4 c. heavy cream plus 3/4 c. water)
1/2 c. blueberries

Mix all except blueberries, making sure to avoid any lumps, as unlike regular flour, these will not "cook out". Fold in blueberries and bake in a muffin tin at 350 for about 25 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins at approximately 3 net carbs per muffin.

Pancakes

I've been playing around with a variety of flour substitutes, trying to find something that will work pretty much as well as regular flour, without having any unpleasant or otherwise undesirable tastes to it. I think I've come up with a pretty good mix, as illustrated by this pancake recipe:

1 c. carbalose flour
1/4 c. flax seed meal
1/4 c. coconut flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
4 eggs
1 t. sugar-free vanilla
1 t. fiber fit (or other liquid sweetener equal to 2 T. sugar)
2 c. Hood's Calorie Countdown milk (or, 1/2 c. heavy cream plus 1 1/2 c. water)

Mix all together -- thoroughly, as the coconut flour likes to "lump up" - and let sit for a couple of minutes before placing on the griddle. It may thicken up, so add small amounts of water, as needed, to thin it out to pancake batter consistency.

The entire recipe has approximately 33 net carbs.

Pizza!

This is a very simple way to make personal-sized pizzas, or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof. Don't expect a thick crust or deep dish here, but it does satisfy the occasional pizza craving!

For each pizza, you will need:

1 Low-carb tortilla (I use Mama Lupe's, and the carb count reflects this)
2 T. Pizza sauce (Ragu PizzaQuick works great)
1/4 c. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 T. Parmesan cheese, grated
Pinch each of dried Basil and Oregano

Preheat oven to 450. Line a baking sheet -- or better yet, a pizza tray (if you have one) -- with parchment paper. Put the tortilla on the paper, spread the the sauce evenly over the tortilla, close to (but all the way to) the edge. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over sauce and then top with the Parmesan and herbs. Bake for 7-8 minutes, until the cheese is browned.

1 serving, 6 net carbs.

Notes: Naturally, you can add whatever toppings you like -- just bear in mind the size and thinness of thebase pizza that you're working with, and of course to include the extra carb cost of anything you add. Also, I like this best cut into 4 slices; each slice is therefore 1.5 net carbs and can be used as a low-carb "finger food" appetizer.

Cinnamon Nut Mix

Cinnamon Nut Mix

1 c. Almonds, whole
1 c. Walnuts, pieces
1 c. Pecans, halves
3 T. Butter
4 T. Cinnamon, ground
3/4 c. Splenda
2 T. (appx.) Water

In a large non-stick pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the nuts and stir to coat. Add cinnamon and Splenda, turning to coat completely. Add water a tiny bit at a time until the cinnamon and Splenda completely dissolve. Spread mixture over a baking sheet (lining with parchment paper is a good idea) and let cool completely.

Makes appx. 10 servings of 1/4 cup each, 3 net carbs

Note: It is vital that you do not add too much water -- you want the Splenda to simply dissolve, not turn into a syrup.

Teriaki Wings

Teryaki Wings

Per 2 lbs. of wings:

1/4 c. Soy sauce
1/4 c. Rice wine vinegar
2 T. Splenda
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 t. Ginger
2 t. Sesame seeds
(to taste) Red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients together and add to marinading container with chicken wings. Place in refrigerator at least 4 hours before cooking, up to 24 hours.

Place wings and marinade in a shallow baking dish and cook uncovered at 325 for an hour. Remove wings from marinade and refrigerate if not using immediately. Right before serving, broil (low setting) until nicely browned (time depends on your oven... keep an eye on 'em!).

2 portions, appx. 7-8 wings, 1 net carb.

Note: Since the marinade does not use real sugar, it doesn't get syrupy when it cooks. If you'd like a thicker sauce on the wings, add 1/2 t. ThickenThin to the marinade ingredients above.

Hot Wings

"Hooters"-Style Hot Wings

Coating:

1/2 cup Carbquik bake mix (or soy flour, but this negatively affects the taste)
2 t. Paprika
1 t. Cayenne pepper, ground

Sauce

4 oz. (1 stick) Butter
1/2 Hot sauce (such as Crustal's)
(to taste) Garlic powder
(to taste) Cracked black pepper

Mix all coating ingredients in a zip-top bag; add 2 lbs. chicken wings. Toss to coat completely.

Fry in batches (I use a deep fryer at 360 for 10 minutes, 5-6 wings at a time) until cooked thoroughly.

In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients over medium-low heat until completely melted.

Using two bowls, one slightly smaller than the other, add the wings and sauce to the larger bowl, cover with the smaller bowl, and shake to coat. Serve immediately.

2 servings, appx. 7-8 wings each, for 2 net carbs.

(For a zero carb option, simply fry the wings without the coating -- this will require half as much sauce, as less will absorb into the "breading".)

Recipe: "I Can't believe It's Low-Carb" Cheesecake

In general, I find that mixing Splenda and sugar alcohols works well to control the net carb count and provide a sweeter taste while using fewer artificial sweeteners overall. As a result, this cheesecake uses about 1/3 less overall sweetener than the amount of sugar it would otherwise replace. Since maltitol and sorbitol tend to have nasty side effects, I prefer using erythritol and xylitol.

The taste is more "natural", too. Combine that with the nut crust (replacing a flour- or graham cracker-based crust), and you could could serve this to people who'd never know it was low-carb!

New York Style Low-Carb Cheesecake

Filling:

• 24 oz. cream cheese
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1 T. sugar-free vanilla extract
• 1 t. salt
• 1/2 cup Splenda
• 1/4 cup Erythritol
• 1/4 cup Xylitol
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 5 eggs

Crust:

• 1 cup shelled walnuts
• 2 T. butter
• 1 T. Splenda

Place a pan of water on the lower rack of the oven, and set the upper rack to about the middle. Preheat oven to 350.

Place a square of parchment paper over the bottom of a 9" springform pan. Place the pan "sides" over this, and close the latch. Trim off any excess parchment paper, and spray the sides of the pan with cooking spray.

Start with the crust. Chop the walnuts into crumb-sized pieces (use a food processor for this). Melt the butter, and mix with the nuts and the 1 tablespoon of Splenda. Press the mixture in the pan, and put in the refrigerator to set quickly.

In a mixer, start with the cream cheese, sour cream, and salt. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add the sweeteners, vanilla, and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly (and very carefully at first, or you'll have a "cloud" of sweetener in the air). Add eggs one at a time until fully blended. Pour filling into prepared springform pan and bake for 70-80 minutes, until set.

Let cool on a rack for 10-15 minutes before removing springform pan ring. Continue to cool to room temperature. Place a plate on top of the cheescake, flip the rack over, and peel off the bottom of the pan and the parchment paper. Flip the cheesecake back over, onto the serving/storage dish.

Makes 12 servings, appx. 5 net carbs (plus 9 grams of sugar alcohols) per serving.

Variation: Chocolate Cheesecake

Use the above recipe, except for the filling, remove the lemon juice and add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and, if desired, 1/8 to 1/4 cup sugar-free flavoring syrup (such as raspberry!). For the crust, the walnuts can be kept or replaced with almonds or hazelnuts.

This adds roughly 0.5 net carbs per slice.

Variation: Key Lime Cheesecake

Using the base New York style recipe, omit the lemon juice and 1 cup of the sour cream. Add 1/2 cup key lime juice.