Almond Meal Low Carb Pancakes

Disappearing Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup     Almond meal flour    24 carbs
1 Tbsp Splenda                     1 carb
½ tsp    baking powder         0 carbs
2 eggs                                   1.2 carbs
1 Tbsp oil                             0 carbs
¼ cup water plus                   0 carbs

Total carbohydrates 26.2
8 pancakes
3.275 carbohydrates per pancake.

Mix Almond flour, Splenda and baking powder.

Beat eggs and oil together. 

Add egg mixture and flour mix together and blend well.

Lastly add the water. You can use club soda in stead water for fluffier pancakes. If the pancakes pour out to thick add just a tablespoon of water at a time to thin them out a little.



Let the pancake mixture set while you heat up you pan. Just before you pour the pancakes into the pan check to make sure the mixture is not to thick.  The Almond flour will absorb some of the moisture from the mix as it sits.  That is why you need to let them set before you use the pancake mixture.

If you see only a few bubbles then the pancake mixture needs more water. The bubbles should be all over the surface of the pancakes. Click on the pictures to see the different type of bubble coverage.

You should cook the pancakes on medium low heat. The trick is to not cook the pancakes at a high temperature. These pancakes are very light and delicate and can easily burn.

I like to add a little dab of lard to the non-stick frying pan. You can use any oil or spray oil.



Keep the cooked pancakes warm in an oven set to its lowest setting as you cook you pancakes.

Besure to use a low carb syrup. The one I selected has 10 carbs of Sorbitol. Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol that your will body metabolise slowly.

  Enjoy.
 

Roast Pork Belly

Roast Pork Belly

with caramelized onions and garlic.

 Pork belly is the part of the pig that is used to make bacon. It is every succulent piece of pork because of its fat content. However a lot of the fat is released (rendered) when the pork belly is cooked.

This is a very easy recipe and very cheap. The pork belly pictured is only half of the pork belly that I purchased for $9.00 at my local Mexican butcher shop. The pork belly was frozen and I asked the butcher to cut it in half for me. I plan on making bacon with the other half.

 Here is the simple recipe.

 

1 medium piece of pork belly

1 or 2 large sweet onions

rosemary

salt and pepper

 

Cut the onions into bit size pieces, leave the garlic cloves whole just remove the skin and the ends. As the onion and garlic roasts in the fat that the pork belly releases, they will become tender and brown. The natural sugar in the onion and garlic will turn to caramel, giving them a sweet and luscious flavor.

 Place the onions and garlic in a heap about the size of pork belly. Add a couple of sprigs rosemary on top of the onions and garlic.

Preheat the over to 350 Deg. F

Wash the skin side of the pork belly and dry with paper towels.   

Score through the skin with a single edge razor. Season the skin generously with salt and pepper. I like to grind my peppercorns in a small coffee grinder. Set aside to dry out a little.

Now place the pork belly on top of the onions and garlic.

Roast the pork belly in the oven for two hours. Keep a close eye on the roast after the first hour, to make sure that it does not burn. When done remove the roast pork belly from the oven and let it rest for ten minutes before slicing. 

Enjoy.

Low Carb almond Bread made with BreadMachine

Low Carb Almond Bread made with Bread Machine

Yield: 1 loaf   11 Slices
         
ingredients:
                                                             Sugar    Fiber
    1/2 cup             water                           0g    0g
    1                      egg                               0g    0g
    1 tablespoon     butter                           0g    0g
    2 tablespoons    Splenda                       2g    0g
    1/3 cup             ground Almond meal    1g    3g
    1/4 cup             Bread flour                   21g    1g
    3/4 cup             gluten flour                   0g    20g
    1 teaspoon       dried yeast                    0g    0g
    1/4 teaspoon    salt                                0g    0g
    1 teaspoon       sugar for the yeast         4g    0g
                                                   Total    28g    24g

               Cut into 11 slices  Per Slice    2.54g    2.18g

Mix the sugar, salt and yeast in the water that has been warmed between 104 and 110 deg. Stir the yeast mixture gently and let the yeast work on the sugar water for 10 minutes. The yeast will consume part of the sugar reducing the overall carb count even lower.

Combine ingredients according to bread machine manual.Select dough on your bread machine.Remove bread dough when the machine is done. Place dough on an Almond  floured work bench.

Work the dough and form a log just a little longer than your bread pan. Place the dough log in the bread pan and tuck the ends under forming a nice smooth top. Let the bread rise in a warm place until double.

Bake the bread in a 350 deg oven for about 40 to 50 minutes. Check the bread after 35 min. Ovens very. When done turn the hot loaf out onto a cooling rack. Enjoy when cool but still hot enough to melt butter. Use a serrated knife to cut the bread.

Note: This bread is very good and it comes close to real bread. The amount of gluten in the gluten flour can very from one brand to another. I use the NOW Gluten brand that has a gluten level of 70%. If the gluten flour that you use is higher or lower you may need to adjust the level of gluten flour in your batch of bread.

Low-Carb Cheesecake

Low-Carb Cheesecake


Ingredients:

    1 1/2 lbs        cream cheese, room temperature
    4                   eggs
    1/2 Tbs         vanilla
    1/2 Tbs         lemon juice
    1 1/3 cups     artificial sweetener
    1/4 cup         sour cream

Pecan Crust

    3 Tbs            melted butter
    3/4 cups        Pecan Meal
    3/4 cups        sugar substitute
    1/4 tsp          salt
    1/4 tsp          ground cinnamon

Preparation:
Heat oven to 375 F.

Combine ingredients for crust, and press into the bottom of a spring-form pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until beginning to brown.

Put room temperature cream cheese in the food processor, and pulse until fluffy. Add other ingredients, scraping the bowl each time, fully incorporating each ingredient. When all ingredients are combined, scrape one more time, process 15 seconds more, and pour mixture into pan over crust.

Put a spoon on the crust and slowly pour the mixture onto the spoon, so the batter does not disturb the crust.

Wrap the bottom and sides of the spring-form pan in foil, put it in a baking pan and pour boiling water around the sides. Bake at 350 F for 60 to 90 minutes, checking often. When the cake is firm to touch but slightly soft in the center, or the center reaches 155 F, remove from oven.

Chill completely. Top with fruit, if desired, such as Splenda blended with frozen strawberrys.

Makes 16 servings.

Each serving has 2 grams net carbohydrate plus 1 gram fiber, 6 grams protein, and 221 calories.

Low Carb Flax and Pecan Bread

 

Yield: 1 loaf

         

Ingredients:

                                                                                 Sugar       Fiber

            1/2 cup             water                                     0g            0g

            1                      egg                                         0g            0g

            1 tablespoon     butter                                    0g            0g

            2 tablespoons    Splenda                               6g            0g

            1/3 cup             ground flax seeds                  0g           10.6g

            1/4 cup             ground pecan nut meal         1.32         2.68g

            3/4 cup             gluten flour                             0g            20g

            1 teaspoon        dried yeast                            0g            0g

            1/4 teaspoon     salt                                        0g            0g

            2 teaspoon        sugar for the yeast                0g           0g

                                                              Total            15.32g     33.28g

If you cut the bread into 11 slices then per slice        1.39g       3.03g

            Mix the sugar, salt and yeast in the water that has been warmed between 104 and 110 deg. Stir the yeast mixture gently and let the yeast work on the sugar water for 10 minutes. The yeast will consume part of the sugar reducing the overall carbs count even lower. Do not leave the sugar out of this recipe, because the carbohydrate count is so low the yeast will not be able to grow and multiply.

  

Combine ingredients into the bread machine and select dough. I use my bread machine to mix, knead and do the first rise. You could let the machine do the complete job.

      My wife picked up this bread machine at a local thrift store for only $10. We have been using this machine for a few years now. If you find one in a thrift store that you like, plug it in before you buy it. If the display panel works, test the unit by selecting dough. If the dough paddle starts to work the machine should be in good working order. Most of these bread machines are not used much by the first owner.

          Remove bread dough when the machine is done. Place dough on floured workbench. I use regular wheat flour for the workbench. Work the dough and form a log just a little longer than your bread pan. 

         

      Place the dough log in the bread pan and tuck the ends under forming a nice smooth top. Let the bread rise in a warm place until double. Place the bread dough into a cool oven and then turn on the oven. As the oven comes to temperature the bread will continue to rise.  Bake the bread in a 350 deg oven for about 40 to 50 minutes. Check the bread after 35 min. Ovens very. When done, turn the hot loaf out onto a cooling rack. Enjoy when cool but still hot enough to melt butter. Use a serrated knife to cut the bread.

           

Note: This bread is very good and it comes close to real multi-grain bread. The amount of gluten in the gluten flour can very from one brand to another. I use NOW Gluten that has a gluten level of 70%. If the gluten flour that you use is higher or lower you may need to adjust the level of gluten flour in your batch of bread.

Baking with Fresh Pumpkin

            Cut the pumpkin in half and discard the stem and stringy pulp.

 

           

 

In a shallow baking dish, place the two halves face down and cover with foil

 

Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for about 1½ hours for a medium-sized pumpkin, or until tender.

            Once the baked pumpkin has cooled, scoop out the flesh and run it through your food processor.

If your pumpkin puree looks a little watered down you can hang it over your sink in several layers of cheesecloth. If you want to make the puree smoother, try putting it through a sieve. However I  use mine with out the sieve or cheesecloth.

          

            Most will tell you than the best pumpkin to make pies with is called a sugar pumpkin. But I find that the jack-o-lantern works just as well, if you pick the pumpkin in the 8 to 10 pound range. The larger pumpkins have too much fiber and can be stringy.  Also the sugar pumpkin is raised for sweetness AKA sugar contain.

Try this low carb Punkin Pie

Pecan crust Pumpkin Pie

For Two Pies

Pecan Crust                                           
                                                                          Sugar                 Fiber
    6 Tbs          Melted butter                               0 gram               0 gram
    1 1/2 cups   Pecan Meal                                 3.96 grams         8.04 grams
    1 1/2 cups   Splenda                                       12 grams            0 gram
    1/2 tsp        Salt                                              0 gram               0 gram
    1/2 tsp        Ground cinnamon                         0 gram               0 gram             
                                        Per Pie    Sub Total     15.96 grams       8.04 grams   


Pie Filling

    2 1/2 cups     Sugar free pumpkin filling           10 grams            12.5 grams
    1 cup            Splenda                                      5.33 grams        0 gram
    1 1/2 Tbs      Pumpkin pie spice                       0 gram              0 gram
    1 2/3 cups     Heavy cream                               0 gram              0 gram
    3                   Eggs                                           0 gram               0 gram
                                         Per Pie    Sub Total    15.33 grams       12.5 grams
                                         Per Pie           Total     31.29 grams      20.54 grams


       If you cut the pie into eight slices then each slice has 3.9 grams of sugar and  2.6 grams of fiber.

  Note: One cup of Splenda has 160 grams of sugar  and one cup of sugar has 200 grams of sugar.
                      

                                        

Topping

    Sugar free Whipping Cream recipe



Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Crust
     Mix all crust ingredients together in a small bowl. Press it evenly into the bottom of a nine inch pie pan. Bake for 6 minutes. Remove pecan pie crust from oven.

























Filling

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F


    Place all filling ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well with a wire whisk. Place a large spoon in the pie pan and pour the filling on the spoon to keep from disturbing the pecan crust.
    Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue to bake for an additional 50 to 55 minutes. To test if it is done, stick a toothpick in the center; if it comes out clean, the pie is done. Chill before serving.

Topping

1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup Splenda
1 tsp Sugar free vanilla extract

    Whip the heavy cream just until frothy. Then add in the sugar substitute and vanilla extract and continue to whip on high until peaks form. A can of sugar free whipping cream works just fine, or dust the top with some Splenda.

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