Category: Recipes

Low-Carb Cooking! (A Breakfast Crumb Cake)

On By celestelindIn RecipesLeave a comment

It’s Apple season!! Applesauce, Waldorf Salad, Apple Cake, Caramel Apples! Love love apples! Only problem is how to enjoy them in all the many ways without getting “too big for my britches”! Aren’t we all trying to watch our carbohydrates or calories? I think everyone is worried about their diet, in one way or another.

I personally just want to fit into my clothes, look good in my Speedo, and avoid gas pains. Yes, gas pain from wheat consumption! Who knew, that by eliminating wheat, or at least seriously cutting back on it, that I could resolve my lifelong issues with abdominal pain?! I’ve already cut out cabbage & legumes (beans specifically, as I’ve never been a fan of split peas, lentils or chick peas), but cutting back on my wheat has really made a difference.

Today, I’m going to share with you my modified recipe for “Cream Cheese Apple Crumb Cake”. Basically, I’ve just substituted Lakantos Monkfruit for the sugar, and replaced half of the flour with almond flour. NO xanthan gum required. You can also make this with raspberries or blueberries to mix it up.

This recipe is so well loved, and made so often at my house, I almost have it memorized. You will need:

a 9″ springform pan
Filling:
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp Lakanto Monkfruit
8 oz Philly Cream Cheese
One EB egg white
2-3 peeled and diced granny smith apples (microwave them for about one minute, to soften them somewhat)
Cake:
3/4 cup King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup Almond Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Lakanto Monkfruit
3/4 cup of Sour Cream (I generally use Breakstones, or Publix brand)
6 Tbsp Land O’Lakes butter or margarine (softened)
One EB egg, and the yolk from the egg used in the filling
One tsp vanilla extract
Topping:
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp Lakanto Monkfruit
1/4 cup King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup Almond Flour
3 Tbsp cold butter or margarine

Mix your filling first. In a separate bowl, make the cake batter, starting with the wet ingredients, and blending until smooth, and then adding in the sweeteners, and finally the flours. Pour 1/2 of it into a greased 9″ springform pan. Take half of your prepared apples, and sprinkle them evenly over the cake batter. Pour the rest of the batter over the apples, and now pour and smooth the filling over the top layer of cake batter. Spread the rest of your apple pieces over the filling.

Cut your butter/margarine into the flour and sweeteners for the topping, and then crumble it over the top of your apples.

Bake for about 45 minutes at 350° F. It will appear a big gooey due to the cream cheese, but it will set-up nicely in about 30-40 minutes. You should be able to get at least 8 generous slices. Enjoy!

Keto Blackberry Crumb Cake

On By celestelindIn Crafting, Lifestyle, Recipes2 Comments

It’s Summertime! My favorite time of year. Fruit is plentiful in the spring & summer, and I enjoy eating a lot of anti-oxidant rich berries, like Blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. When I first went keto, I didn’t allow myself ANY fruit that summer, except for fruit flavored gelatin, lol! It was a sad, sad summer. The next summer, I just had to have some fruit, and it turns out that most of my favorites are berries, which are much lower in carbohydrates that things like Mangos and Bing Cherries.

Sooo, I’ve been experimenting in the kitchen for the past couple of years, and if I do say so myself, I’ve come up with some really delicious food, that is extremely low in carbohydrates.

In case you are not aware of what to look out for, here is the skinny: no starches. No rice, potatoes, bread or pasta. No corn, and no juice, and even watch some of your fruits, like bananas and mangos – these are seriously high in frucose, which of course means high carbohydrates, or what I call a high glycemic index. Grapes, raisens and craisens too (sorry!). Seriously! It’s pretty hard at first, but after 3-4 days your tastebuds & brain get reprogrammed, and it’s all downhill from there.

Today, I’m going to share with you my modified recipe for “Cream Cheese Blackberry Crumb Cake”. Basically, I’ve just substituted Lakantos Monkfruit for the sugar, and replaced half of the flour with almond flour. NO xanthan gum required. You can also make this with raspberries or blueberries to mix it up.

This recipe is so well loved, and made so often at my house, I almost have it memorized. You will need: 

a 9″ springform pan
Filling:
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp Lakanto Monkfruit
8 oz Philly Cream Cheese
One EB egg white
2 packages of fresh or frozen blackberries – enough to cover all the cream cheese filling
Cake:
3/4 cup King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup Almond Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Lakanto Monkfruit
3/4 cup of Sour Cream (I generally use Breakstones, or Publix brand)
6 Tbsp Land O’Lakes butter or margarine (softened)
One EB egg, and the yolk from the egg used in the filling
One tsp vanilla extract
Topping:
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp Lakanto Monkfruit
1/4 cup King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup Almond Flour
3 Tbsp cold butter or margarine

Mix your filling first. In a separate bowl, make the cake batter, starting with the wet ingredients, and blending until smooth, and then adding in the sweeteners, and finally the flours. Pour 1/2 of it into a greased 9″ springform pan. Pour and smooth the filling over the top of the cake. Sprinkle the blackberries over the filling, be generous.

Cut your butter/margarine into the flour and sweeteners for the topping, and then crumble this over the top of your berries.

Bake for about 45 minutes at 350° F. It will appear a big gooey due to the cream cheese, but it will set-up nicely in about 30-40 minutes. You should be able to get at least 8 generous slices. Enjoy!

Keto Blueberry Muffins

On By celestelindIn RecipesLeave a comment

Generally I try to keep my posts to twice a week, on Sunday & Wednesday, but I am so pleased with this recipe, I just have to share – right now!

Ok, a little disclaimer here: I definitely am trying to create a Keto version of some of my favorite recipes, BUT I am not going to completely eliminate real flour or sugar, because, personally, I feel like the sacrifice to the texture and flavor is just too great. However, I bring the carb count of many of my favorite foods down to less than 1/4th of their original carb count, and this brings the calorie count down as well.

I think what is so amazing about this recipe is that it actually has the taste and texture of pound cake! Really! We started off using this cake for a 4th of July Red White & Blue Trifle, using strawberries and blueberries for the red and blue, and my mind just got to whiring!

Here is our Recipe:

4 EB XL eggs
3/4 cup almond flour & 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Monk Fruit
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
1-1/2 tsp Xanthen Gum
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp real vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups clean & dry Blueberries

Mix the dry ingredients together while the eggs come to room temperature, add in the coconut oil and eggs all at once, and blend in well – the dough will seem gummy or extra sticky, this is normal. Now add in the vanilla & mix again. Finally with a large spoon gently stir in the blueberries, trying to avoid breaking or popping them. Spoon into 12 regular cup cake wells, or 6 extra large ones (my preference, as I plan on eating 2 regular size ones anyway!). Bake 25 -30 minutes at 350.

These beauties only have 9 grams of carbohydrates for each regular size muffin, or 18 grams for the large one I’m going to eat. YUM!

Oh yeah, serve warm, or if you can, save for breakfast tomorrow & reheat for 10-15 seconds (each) in the microwave. Enjoy!

Pavlova, Keto style!

On By celestelindIn RecipesLeave a comment

I have always loved Pavlova, from its origins (Anna Pavlova) it has enchanted me, and it is not only delightful in appearance, but light and decadent at the same time. Perfect for a Bridal or Baby Shower, or even something to treat your favorite guy! (Fathers Day is coming up!)

My version has zero sugar, except for the fructose naturally occurring in your chosen fruit. Colorful berries are full of anti-oxidants, and very pleasing to the eye.

Start off by tracing circles on some parchment paper, these are about 5” in diameter. Then turn your oven on to 250°F. Take your eggs and place them into warm water to get them closer to room temperature. Once the eggs have come to room temperature you can start mixing things together.

2 EB eggs whites (extra large)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (I used Wilton Clear Vanilla, because I love the extra white look of the Pavlova)

1 teaspoon corn starch (Optional)

1/2 teaspoon of Cream of Tartar

1/2 cup Lakanto Monkfruit

Begin blending at a low speed, and continue increasing the speed until whipped well to fairly firm peaks. Then place the meringue into a piping bag, and fill in the circles you drew on the parchment paper. Bake 40 minutes at 250°, then turn the oven off, and leave them to set for another couple of hours, still in the oven.

Take a small box of Jello brand sugar-free Cheesecake or White Chocolate pudding mix, and mix with 2 cups of real whipping cream and 1/2 cup cold water, to very stiff peaks.

So yummy I took a bite before getting a picture!

When you’re ready to serve the Pavlovas, lift them off the parchment with a wide spatula, and place them on a plate. Put a very generous amount of your sugar-free pudding all over the top, and then drop your favorite berries on top of the pudding. My choice was blackberries, raspberries, and crushed strawberries. You could also add blueberries, or even go with mangoes and peaches!

This one is my Sweeties
And this one was my Son’s

Let me know how it goes!

Mother’s Day Breakfast – Keto style

On By celestelindIn RecipesLeave a comment

I had a great Mother’s Day – and I hope you did too! We started off with waffles & crushed strawberries for breakfast, and then my husband and one of my sons made a lovely dinner of quiche, arugula salad, a special stacked or layered jello, and finished off with keto style banana splits!

Doesn’t that look yummy?!! You start off with your typical Chaffle (one egg, 1/2 c shredded mozzarella, and 1 Tbsp almond flour) topped with crushed strawberries sweeties with just a touch of monk fruit, and all topped with real whipped cream, again sweetened with powdered monk fruit. It was delicious, let me tell you!

By the way, I get my Lakanto Monk Fruit and my Almond flour from Costco, and I only use extra large EB eggs. One Chaffle recipe makes two chaffles. It’s my favorite go-to food now a days!

The banana split includes banana, strawberry, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and whipped cream. Delish!

Semi-Low Carb “Bishops Bread”

On By celestelindIn RecipesLeave a comment

My husbands Aunt Charlene passed this recipe down to her nieces and nephews, and most likely she got this from her own mother, Elizabeth Whitmore Lind. It originally called for bananas, maraschino cherries, chocolate chips and pecans, but since I am modifying it (to be lower in carbohydrates), I decided to add some raisins too! Of course the addition of raisins doesn’t help my carb count, and the maraschino cherries do not either, so for a very low carb quick bread, I would suggest eliminating both of those. I keep looking for reduced-sugar raisins and cherries, but so far have yet to find any.

So here is the recipe:

6 very ripe bananas mashed well
3 medium or 2 extra large eggs
1 cup Lakanto Monk Fruit (regular)
1 cup Lakanto golden Monk Fruit
2/3 cups sour milk, buttermilk, or sour cream
7 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup oil
10oz sugar-free chocolate chips (I use Hershey’s)
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup (drained) chopped maraschino cherries
1 cup raisins
1-1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur brand, simply because it is not GMO, but you can use any all-purpose flour you like)
2-1/2 cups almond flour

Mix the bananas, eggs, milk, oil, and monk fruit well, until smooth. Add in the rest of the dry ingredients, starting with the salt and baking powder, again mixing in well. Add in the 2-1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup at a time, then add in 1-1/2 teaspoons Xanthin Gum, and mix well. Next add the 2-1/2 cups almond flour, 1/2 cup at a time. when all is incorporated, you can either add the nuts, chocolate and fruit by hand (easiest) or you can mix with a paddle blade. It will be very thick.

Pour into 2 well greased 9×5 loaf pans, and bake about 75 minutes at 350°. Test the center with a toothpick, to make sure the center is done. Let cool completely before cutting.

So you will have a lower carbohydrate Bishops bread, but not carb-free – which makes it easier to stick to the diet sometimes, no?

This should have 12-13 slices, and the carb count per slice would be about 26-27 grams per slice, 320.5 grams in an entire loaf.