Low Carb Freedom

Easy Low Carb Tuna Cakes

You know, it is one of those nights, you need to go to the grocery store, but there is no time to do that between work and dinner time. What can you cook quickly and what can you have in your cabinet?

I always have cans of tuna, and I also bought this Old Bay Tuna Classic Cake Mix packet a while ago. It was time to put this recipe to the test.

I had one packet. The receipe calls for two cans of tuna. I had to add a third can to feed three people. My son wouldn't eat it, but I had a few extra pieces of chicken for him.

It was actually delicious! Only change to the recipe on the package was to add more mayo.

From the package:

In a large bowl, combine 1 package of mix and 1/2 cup mayonnaise. Add 2 cans (6 0z) tuna. Shape into 4 patties. Broil or fry 5 minutes per side or until browned, turning once. Serve with OLD BAY® Tartar Sauce. Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

BREAD CRUMBS (BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, DEXTROSE, SALT AND YEAST), WHOLE EGG SOLIDS, SPICES (INCLUDING RED PEPPER, CELERY SEED AND MUSTARD), ONION, SALT AND PAPRIKA.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Amount Per Serving 1 1/3 tbsp. (7 g) seasons 1 tuna cake
Calories:30
Fat:1 g
Cholesterol: 35 mg
Sodium: 90 mg
Carbohydrates: 3 g
Protein: 1 g
Fiber: 0 g

I couldn't find a place to buy the tuna packet on the web, but I could find their crab cake recipe. The ingredients are the same, and it is for 16 oz versus the 12 oz. I bet it would work even better with the three (or four) cans of tuna.

They have it at Amazon:

Old Bay Crab Cake Classic Seasoning Mix, 1.24-Ounce Packages (Pack of 12)

And it is part of Prime membership!

If you can find the tuna, try that. If you try the crab with either crab or tuna, please let me know!

Low Carb Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe

OK, I made these for my family and they loved them!

Ingredients: Large Mushrooms, onion, celery stalk, TGI Fridays Spinach Cheese and Artichoke Dip, parmesan cheese.

1. First, I bought a package of the large mushrooms at Costco. These were only $5.99 there. I then took about 20 of them and took off the stems, wiped them if needed, brushed them with melted butter inside and out, and put them on a cookie sheet.
2. Chopped up the onion and celery stalk in the Cusinart and sauteed them on the stove in butter until the onion was clear.
3. Chopped up the mushroom stems.
4. Cooked the TGI Friday dip per instructions.
5. Combined onion, celery, chopped mushroom and TGI Friday dip in a bowl and then put them in the mushroom caps.
6. Sprinkeld with parmesan cheese.
7. Convection baked them for about 5 minutes at 450 and then broiled them a few minutes or until done.

Easy and delicious!

Let me know if you liked them!

A New Low Carb Recipe Blog

New (and great!) low carb resources are just popping up all over the place! I just got this email:

I found your blog on newsgator.  You said you are interested in seeing original low carb blogs and I thought you might like to see mine.  I only post recipes and product recommendations, and I just started in April, but still I have gotten a lot of good response to the blog.  My focus is "gourmet" low carb food, something I frankly haven't found a lot of on the internet.

Kalynskitchen.blogspot.com

I went and checked it out, and while Kalyn is doing South Beach and is more concerned with fat than I am, the recipes seem just great! Just don't eat the rice, etc. if you are doing Atkins like I am.

She has a recipe for paprika sauce that I really want to try because Knorr makes a great paprika sauce, but it isn't sold in the states -- too bad! And I'm all out!

Low Carb Memorial Day

It is Memorial Day, and you are low carbing. What do you do? Well, it depends if you have the Memorial Day party in your backyard (lots of work but total control over the eats) or if you go slouch at a friend’s backyard (less work but little control over the eats.) Since your proclivities may vary from year to year, I’ll help you out with both situations.

Having It In Your Backyard

The trick to having a great Memorial Day party is to think, grilling. What cooks on the grill? Meat, like chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, bratwursts, kabobs, even fish. Try some of these spices to grill. Or use low carb barbecue sauce! If you use the Kraft South Beach barbecue sauce, no one will ever know it has less sugar!

What else? Veggies, like zucchini with butter and spices! If you do this, no one will even know that you are low carbing! You can also buy lots of naturally low carbohydrate food, which cuts down on the prep time. Some food can be made ahead, which saves your sanity on the day of the event.

Food that can be purchased:

Low Carb Tortilla Chips (Trader Joe’s or Deliciously Slim has the best!)
Fresh Marinated Mozzarella Balls (I love the huge 3 lb. Formaggio tub at Costco for about $11.)
Low Carb Crackers (Cheeters and CarboSave are two brands, but I just use tortilla chips instead of crackers -- much less expensive!)
Assorted Cheeses (pub cheese, cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, limitless selection!)
Assorted Nuts
Black Olives
Marinated Mushrooms

Dishes that can be made ahead:

Low Carb 7-Layer Mexican Dip can be made the night before and lettuce, tomatoes added the day of the event.

Low Carb Pasta Salad, just use Dreamfield's or Mueller's with some salad dressing and some sliced pepper, etc.

Caesar Salad -- just wait to add the dressing, Cardini's is great! and naturally low carb!

Home grown tomatoes sliced thin and sprinkled with garlic salt and fresh parsley flakes, then refrigerated for an hour. Delicious!

Low Carb Cole Slaw

Assorted Veggies: Cucumbers, Cauliflower, Peppers, and Mushrooms for a Crudités
Low Carb Salad Dressings for the Crudités (most ranch dressings are inherently low carb, or make a sour cream dip.)

Low Carb Cucumber Salad

Desserts that can be made ahead.

Low Carb Brownies! or here My Brownies. Or make some cannolis and just eat the low carb filling.

How about berries? They are in season. Just add some whipped cream. (Made with Splenda, not sugar.)

And a little watermelon won't hurt either.

Drinks:

Have some regular beer, but also some Michelob Ultra or other low carb beer on hand. White wine or red wine is just fine. If you want a mixed drink, try some Fuze Slenderize or Tropicana Light Lemonade mixed with vodka or rum. Tastes like it has a million calories. You can even fool the girls or the guys with this one! Let them have a taste, and they will want one of their own.

You can also get some Low Carb off the shelf products from Bacardi like Island Breeze (1.5 carbs per serving with free recipe book available with some old time favorites made in a lower calorie, lower carb manner.)

(AV. ANALYSIS: ISLAND BREEZE (1.5 FL. OZ.): 48 CAL, 1.5g CARBS, 0g PROTEIN, 0g FAT.

AV. ANALYSIS: Traditional Spirits (1.5 FL. OZ.): 96 CAL, 0g CARBS, 0g PROTEIN, 0g FAT (Traditional Spirits based on Vodka, Gin, Rum, Whiskey).

AV. ANALYSIS: Wine (5 FL. OZ.): 114 CAL, 4.72g CARBS, 0.29g PROTEIN, 0g FAT.

AV. ANALYSIS: White Wine (5 FL. OZ.): 100 CAL, 1.18g CARBS, 0.15g PROTEIN, 0g FAT.

You can also get some Baja Bob’s Low Carb Drink Mixes. Or create your own drinks from scratch using this book, Low Carb Bartender. Always a handy guide to have around.

Result:

No one is going to know that you are on a low carb diet! You can further enhance the charade by having some regular crackers and tortilla chips to serve for your guests. People will eat both, but you will know to only eat the non-white versions – the versions with the fiber.

Slouching in a Friend’s Backyard

OK, you have accepted an invitation at a friend’s house. You suspect that there is going to be lots of tempting high carb food. First order of business, ask the host what he or she will be serving so you can bring an appropriate dish. (This will give you insight as to how much food you need to bring or how full you need to be before you go.)

Second order of business, buy some pre-packaged low carb but appropriate snacks to bring as the housewarming gift. (Yes, you are supposed to bring a gift if you are invited to a party. Only this time try to make it one that you could use during the occasion!) For example, macadamia nuts and a Hickory Farm beef stick in a little bag might be nice. (Hopefully the host gets the hint to serve them right away!)

Third order of business, bring some wine or some low carb beer (You can bring some light beers if you don’t want to bring one specifically labeled low carb. For example, Miller Lite has 3.2 carbs per beer.)

Fourth order of business, choose one of the recipes above that you really like and bring that for the host to serve!

If you follow the above advice, you should be able to eat at least three or four things and also have a few drinks without blowing your diet and having your blood sugar soar.

Best Low Carb Dessert -- Mascarpone Cheese

I thought I died and went to heaven when I found this low carb item: mascarpone cheese. I always want to pronounce this and spell this marscarpone cheese, with an extra "r".

Think of the center filling of a cannoli, which is the best part, only better and quicker.

You can buy mascarpone cheese at BJ's and Costco. Costco gives you two containers, BJ's gives you one container. But be CAREFUL! This stuff is packed with calories, and, despite what others tell you, calories do count. If you are looking to lose weight, you can't eat 4,000 calories a day. I make sure that I use a very small bowl and only eat this, at MOST, a couple of times a week on "special" nights. It is a good thing that this cheese lasts in the refrigerator for months.

Take 1 to 2 oz(s). mascarpone cheese, mix with your favorite liquid sweetener (I am currently using amaretto, but butter rum sounds like something I should try), put on a dollop of no sugar/low sugar whipped cream, and enjoy! This is very rich, and truly assuages any sugar craving you might have.

Furthermore, if you use Dr. Atkins' plateau buster method of eating lots of fat for a few days, this can certainly be added to the regimen to alleviate the monotony of cream cheese. (Although, since it is so heavy, it might take me months and months before I tried it again after that.)

The nutritional information is below, and I love the simplicity of the ingredients list.

If you have more low carb recipe ideas for Mascarpone cheese, please let me know!

Update: Karen told me that she uses Eggo Low Carb Waffles in place of the lady fingers to make tiramisu with the mascarpone cheese.

Another Update: Laura from Turtleway (a great blog) writes -- I LOVE mascarpone! It's true that it's rich, but perhaps due to that you can be satisfied with a small amount. Try it with a bit of vanilla, and unflavored sweetener mixed in atop some berries! (You may need to thin it out with a bit of water.) HEAVEN!!!!!

	Mascarpone Cheese by Belgioioso
Serving Size	1 oz.
Calories	124
Total Fat	13g
Saturated Fat	7g
Cholesterol	36mg
Sodium	16mg
Total Carbohydrates	.5g
Dietary Fiber	0g
Sugar	0g
Protein	2g
Ingredients	Pasteurized milk, cream and citric acid.

Great Low Carb Recipes on Blaine's Low Carb Kitchen on FitTV

When I was looking for the Protein Power shows on PBS through my Tivo, I discovered a new show on FitTV, Blaine's Low Carb Kitchen. I really like it! I've seen three episodes so far and I've learned a lot about cooking.

Blaine weighed over 300 lbs. and he is trying to get it off by eating low carb. Each week he weighs in after making some delicious food. Of course, you cheer him on as he progresses.

If you can't see the show, FitTV does post all of the low carb recipes here. When I try one of the recipes, I'll post a review. So far I have seen episodes 15, 21, and 22.

If you try a recipe, please let me know how it worked for you.

BTW, they have a great deal right now on Tivos, an 80-hour Tivo for $99 with rebates. If you order one, put in my email, lowcarbfreedom@comcast.net! Maybe I can get some Tivo points! (Love my Tivo!)

Is This Too Good To Be True? Low Carb Bisquick?

I haven't used regular flour in years. In the past I had purchased Atkins baking mix and other low carb baking mixes to make pancakes, but the taste was so bad I have since moved exclusively to nut flours and given up on making pancakes. Every once in a while, my husband gets some Bisquick and makes pancakes for the kids. Well, I'm off on a great adventure, I'm going to try some Carbquick Bake Mix from netrition.com. They are having a sale this week where a 3 lb. box is only $9.99.

I still wouldn't have purchased it, except I did go through the hundreds of posts on a bulletin board (but not all of them) and didn't find a report that people had gained weight after using it. (Always, always, watch your own scale! Everyone is different!)

That same bulletin board has a ton of Carbquick recipes for the stuff. Normally, I would try the product before talking about it, but the sale stops next Friday, and that $1 off can go towards flat fee of $4.95 to ship any size order.

I've also read that it makes a great roux! Now, I've used Thick'nThin Not Starch in the past, but this sounds as though it works much better. (You can't use too much Thick'n Thin or it dulls the flavor of whatever you are cooking.) For those of you who don't know, you make a roux to make sauces or thicken stews, etc.

So, I'm buying Carbquick (click here if you want to try Carbquick) and I'll give a full report. If my son can eat lower carb pancakes or I can make a good roux*, I'll be happy.

If I can make a real chicken pot pie or a streussel (sometimes), I'll be in heaven! If you try it, please let me know your results!

*(A roux is used to thicken gravies, soups, and sauces. You use equal parts fat (I use butter) to equal parts flour and cook over medium heat until it thickens. To make a sauce, you add the cool liquid to the roux. If you already have a hot soup, then allow the roux to cool and then add it to the hot liquid. And if it gets too many lumps, always dump it into the Cuisinart, it may work wonders!) 

Caray, a reader who always gives insightful comments, had this to say:

I have tried the carbquik.  It's ok. It doesn't taste exactly like
bisquick, so if people are looking for that, be aware. But how many truly
low carb alternatives do? However, I have found the taste of some of the
things I've made to be acceptable.

I didn't care for the pancakes I made with it, or the pizza crust (recipes
on the box) but others I've talked to did like it, so it could just be a
matter of differing tastes.  I found the "cheddar bay biscuits" I made with
it were pretty good... again, not exactly the same, but pretty good.

It will be interesting to find out if my kids like the pancakes! If anyone else has tried it, please comment as well!

MiniCarb Thai Coconut Cream Soup Mix

I purchased the MiniCarb Thai Coconut Cream Low Carb Soup Mix at Big Lots for 39 cents. I had no intention of using it as a soup when I bought it. I wanted to use it for a sauce to make Thai curried chicken. Now, I know that using fresh ingredients is best, but sometimes I want something fast, and this fit the bill.

First, I pounded the 3 lbs. of chicken, then I dragged it through beaten eggs in one bowl and then a nut meal in a second bowl. (More "about nut meals or flour" used for baking or breading here.  Note: the more coarse nut meal that is just fine for "breading" is available at Trader Joe's. You must discard the nut meal that has touched the chicken and egg.)  I then fried the chicken in butter until there was a nice crust and the chicken was white on the outside.

I took the chicken out of the frying pan and used the same pan to make the soup according to the package directions. I took a quick taste of the soup and thought it was kind of sweet for my taste, but as a base, it was just fine.  I then added some sour cream (about 8 oz.) to thicken it and make more sauce. I also added about 2 teaspoons of mild curry paste to make it spicy.

I put the chicken in a baking dish and poured the sauce over it and put it into a preheated 350 degree oven for about 1/2 hour or until it was cooked through.

My husband and daughter both liked it, and my husband ate it for three meals and didn't complain! (This is just unprecedented.)

	MiniCarb Thai Coconut Cream Low Carb Instant Soup Mix
Serving Size	1 packet .75 oz.
Calories	100
Total Fat	6g
Saturated Fat	4g
Cholesterol	3mg
Sodium	770mg
Total Carbohydrates	9g
Dietary Fiber	1g
Sugar	0g
Sugar Alcohol	4g
Protein	3g
Ingredients	Coconut Milk Powder, Chicken Broth and Fat, Non Fat Dry Milk, Xylitol, Salt, Onion Powder, Natural Flavors, Spices, Fish Sauce Powder (Sardines, Maltodextrin), Malic Acid, Xanthan Gum

Low Carb Pizza from the Low Carb Gourmet by Karen Barnaby

This is the final recipe from Karen Barnaby's Low Carb Gourmet! Enjoy! Click here for a review of The Low Carb Gourmet. (I also spotted this book at Costco!)

Donald's Deep-Dish Pizza Quiche

Makes 8 servings

Donald is a lowcarber.org success story. He's lost more than 100 pounds.

Donald cuts the quiche into pieces and then freezes them to take to work for lunch. Of course, you can use any pizza toppings that you prefer. The mushrooms and sausage are my preference. This is one of the most popular recipes ever from lowcarber.org.

4 oz.	(112 g)	cream cheese, at room temperature
4		large eggs
1/3 cup	(80 ml)	whipping cream
1/4 cup	(60 ml)	freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp.	(15 ml)	minced fresh chives
1/2 tsp.	(2.5 ml)	minced garlic
1/2 tsp.	(2.5 ml)	dried oregano
1 cup	(240 ml)	shredded Asiago cheese
2 cups	(480 ml)	shredded full-fat mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup	(120 ml)	tomato sauce
2 cups	(480 ml)	sliced mushrooms, sautéed
2		Italian sausages, casing removed, crumbled, and cooked

--Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 13 x 9-inch (32.5 x 22.5-cm) baking dish.

--In a food processor, blend together the cream cheese and eggs until smooth. Add the cream, Parmesan, chives, garlic, and oregano. Blend until smooth.

--Scatter the Asiago and 1 cup of the mozzarella in the prepared baking dish. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.

--Spread with the tomato sauce. Scatter the mushrooms and sausage over the top. Cover with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella.

--Turn on the broiler and broil about 6 inches from the heat until brown and bubbly. Let sit for 5 minutes or so before cutting.

Per serving. Effective carbohydrates: 3.5 g; Carbohydrates: 4 g; Fiber: 0.5 g; Protein: 16.3 g; Fat: 25g; Calories: 305

And here is the complete list of recipes that she allowed me to post:

• Grilled Flank Steak with Cumin Aioli from Karen Barnaby's Low Carb Gourmet
• Low Carb Turkey Leftovers: Escarole Soup with Turkey Meatballs from the Low Carb Gourmet
• Low Carb Pumpkin Pie Dessert from The Low Carb Gourmet by Karen Barnaby
• My Brownies Recipe from The Low-Carb Gourmet by Karen Barnaby

Low Carb Hot Pumpkin Cereal Breakfast

This low carb breakfast recipe from Laura from Turtleway seems healthy, warm, and delicious! I'll try it tomorrow and I'll keep you posted!