Category Archives: Low Carb

OMG The Best Low Carb Chocolate Chip Cookie EVER!

12 Wednesday Jul 2017

Posted by in Baking, Gluten Free, Low Carb, wrks4me - Recipes

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Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been trying everything to make a low carb, low sugar chocolate chip cookie. I’ve tried every combination of almond flour and coconut flour, even a combination of nut flours and regular flours, but couldn’t come close. So I went back to square one and started with things I like to make a great tasting, great texture and chewy and crunchy cookie. So I started making the batter and when I finished, I tasted the mixture….I realized that this might be the real thing as I enjoyed eating just the batter. Try it, I’m certain you’ll love it as much as I do. Remember nuts are used in this recipe so make sure to let people know in case they have a nut allergy.

Ingredientswrks4me_terry_tested-11

  • 1 cup of finely ground walnuts (I put them in my food processor)
  • 1/4 cup of coconut flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon xanthium gum (adds texture)
  • 1/2 cup sweetener (I use a Splenda or Truvia Baking Blend or “Fling Brand Sweetener. Note: Truvia Baking Blend and “Zing” both have sugar so choose accordingly). Others prefer Swerve or Natvia, so use your favourite sugar substitute, but make sure it’s one that’s OK for baking.
  • 1/2 cup butter (softened)
  • 1 egg (room temperature)
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla
  • 2 ounces of 90% dark chocolate (chopped into small pieces)
    The darker the chocolate the less sugar (see below)
  • 1/3 cup of chopped walnut pieces
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee (this gives a smoother flavour)
Use Dark Chocolate
Has less sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Put butter and sugar substitute into a food processor or into a bowl and cream together
  3. Add your ground walnuts “flour”, coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, xanthium gum, instant coffee and mix until well blended
  4. Then add the wet ingredients (egg and vanilla) and blend till smooth
  5. Fold in the chocolate pieces and chopped walnuts
  6. Spoon onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicon baking sheet
  7. Bake for 8-10 minutes in the middle of the oven (because nuts can burn, check often)
  8. Remove from oven and put cookies onto a cooling rack

Note: Because these are nut based they do not have as long a shelf life as normal cookies, but they are so delicious they probably won’t say around long anyways.

Enjoy

 

Bean Salad (No sugar added)

25 Sunday Jun 2017

Posted by in Low Carb, Salads, wrks4me - Recipes

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bean salad

Ingredientswrks4me_terry_tested-11

  • 1 can drained green beans (396 ml or 14 ounces)
  • 1 can drained wax beans (396 ml or 14 ounces)
  • 1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 ounce) can of Romano beans or the beans of your liking, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1⁄2 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 white or purple onion diced
  • 2 stalks of celery diced

Dressing

  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt (I use “Windsor® Half Salt)
  • 1⁄4 cup olive oil
  • 1⁄3 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions

  1. Put all beans and vegetables into a bowl
  2. Mix together all the dressing ingredients and whisk together
  3. Pour over beans and vegetables
  4. Put into the refrigerator and cool
  5. Serve cold

Enjoy

Original Recipe

Choco-Coconut Low Sugar Brownie Cookie

09 Tuesday May 2017

Posted by in Baking, Dessert, Gluten Free, Low Carb

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chocolate_brownie_cookie

Ingredientswrks4me_terry_tested-11

  • 1 1/3 Cups Golden Crisco Shortening (325 ml)
  • 1 cup Splenda sugar substitute (250 ml)
  • 2 cups Splenda brown sugar substitute (see below)
  • 1 Tbsp Vanilla  (15 ml)
  • 4 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1 cups almond flour
  • 2 cups coconut flour
  • 2/3 cup Cocoa Powder (150 ml)
  • 1 tsp baking soda (5 ml)
  • 1 tsp salt (5 ml)
  • 1 cup milk or cashew milk
  • 1½ cups walnut pieces (375 ml)
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (250 ml) (subsitute sugarless chocolate chips if you can)
  • 1/2 cup of shredding coconut

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F

  1. COMBINE Golden Crisco, Splenda sugar, Splenda brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl and
  2. BEAT with electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute or until creamy.
  3. ADD beaten eggs
  4. COMBINE Almond and Coconut flours, cocoa, baking soda and salt. ADD to creamed mixture alternatively with milk, beating on low speed about 1 minute, or just until blended.
  5. STIR in with spoon, nuts,chocolate chips and coconut
  6. DROP dough by heaping spoonfuls (about 2 Tbsp for each cookie) on parchment lined cookie sheet.
  7. BAKE at 325°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Cookies will still appear soft and moist when baked, but firm upon cooling. Cool 2 minutes.

Note: These cookies do not flatten out

How to make brown sugar with Splenda

  • 1 cup of Splenda
  • 1 teaspoon molasses
  • 1 or 2 drops of extract of maple

Put Splenda, molasses and maple extract into a cup and mix together with a fork until well blended

 

 

Ricotta Meatballs

20 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by in Low Carb, Main Dishes, wrks4me - Recipes

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Meat Balls.jpg

wrks4me_terry_tested-11These Ricotta meatballs are so flavourful and tender. Serve over spaghetti. If you are on a Keto diet you can use spaghetti squash or zucchini squash sliced as spaghetti, cauliflower rice. You can also cut them when cooled and use them as a layer in lasagna.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (depends on how intense you like the flavour)
  • 1 cup frozen cut leaf spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain and chop
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs (I prefer Italian bread crumbs) Note: Eliminate if on a Keto diet
  • 1 (28 ounce) jar  of your favourite marinara sauce

Directions

  1. Saute onion in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic into onion and gentle heat. Transfer onion mixture to a large mixing bowl.
  2. Add ground beef, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, spinach, egg, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper with onion mixture until almost combined; stir in bread crumbs and continue to mix until thoroughly blended.
  3. Roll into 1-inch meatballs (use about 2 tablespoons of mixture)
  4. Put 2 tablespoons olive oil into the skillet, and over medium heat and brown meatballs on all sides. Remove meatballs and drain on a paper towel
  5. Put meatballs back into the pan and pour marinara sauce over them and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, for about 30 minutes or no longer pink in the center.

Apple Streusel Cake

06 Friday Jan 2017

Posted by in Baking, Dessert, Gluten Free, Low Carb

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apple-streusel-cake

Ingredientswrks4me_terry_tested-11

Streusel Topping

  • 1/2 cup (65 grams) all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (55 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons (40 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup (50 grams) toasted and coarsely chopped nuts (can use almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts or pecans)

Batter

  • 3 cups of diced apples (either delicious, cortland, macintosh, honey crisp, empire, spartan apples)
  • 1 cup of flour
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1/4 cup of vegetable oil (canola)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • 3 large apples (sliced for top of cake)

Note: For Keto (low carb diet) substitute 1 cup of flour for 1/2 cup of gluten free flour mixture and 1/2 cup of Almond flour. Instead of 2 eggs + 1 yolk substitute with 3 egg white, whipped to soft peaks and add 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tarter along with 1 egg yolk. For the topping use Splenda instead of brown sugar and use gluten free flour mixture.

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Topping

Put flour, cinnamon, salt and brown sugar into a bowl. Cut in cold butter and with your hands combining until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Mix in the nuts. Set aside

Batter

  1. Mixture 1: In a bowl combine eggs and sugar and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy
  2. Mixture 2: Take 2 cups of apples and put in a food processor and pulse to make small pieces. Put into a bowl and add the remaining apple pieces and orange zest
  3. Mixture 3: Combine flour and baking powder in a bowl
  4. Combine mixture 1 and 2 together. Then stir in mixture 3 (flour combination) a little at a time to the combined mixture 1 and 2
  5. Add 1/2 cup of vegetable oil and stir
  6. Grease and flour a spring form pan
  7. Pour batter into pan
  8. Slice your 3 large apples and arrange on top of the batter
  9. Sprinkle topping mixture over apples
  10. Bake in a spring form pan (1 hour) or until toothpick comes out clean

Enjoy

 

 

Moist Keto Bran Muffins

05 Thursday Jan 2017

Posted by in Baking, Home, Low Carb, wrks4me - Recipes

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Ingredients

  1. 1 1/2 cups of Wheat Bran
  2. 1 cup of Vanilla Almond Milk
  3. 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil (Canola)
  4. 1 egg
  5. 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar subsitution (Splenda)
  6. 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  7. 1 cup almond flour
  8. 1 teaspoon baking soda
  9. 1 teaspoon baking powder
  10. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  11. 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
  12. 1/2 cup blueberries (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Mixture 1: Mix together wheat bran and almond milk, let sit for 10 minutes
  3. Mixture 2: Mix together oil, egg, brown sugar subsitute, vanilla and optional blueberries
  4. Mixture 3: In a separate bowl mix together almond flower, baking soda, baking powder, salt and optional cinnamon
  5. Add mixture 1 to mixture 2, graduadually add mixture 3
  6. Spoon batter into lined muffin tins
  7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Place on a cooling rake.

Make 12 muffins

Enjoy

Gluten Free (Keto) Pie Crusts

04 Wednesday Jan 2017

Posted by in Baking, Low Carb, wrks4me - Recipes

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Almond Crust

Ingredients

  • 2 cups blanched almond flour
  • 2 Tablespoons Crisco Golden All-Vegetable Shortening (cold)
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Sugar or Sugar Sustitute (Splenda)
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Large Egg

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Place almond flour, salt and sugar (or sugar substitute) into a bowl
  3. Add cold Shortening and with your hands mix between fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal
  4. Add egg and blend to form a ball
  5. Press dough into a 9 1/2 inch pie dish
  6. For a bottom pie shell alone, use a fork to poke holes before baking
  7. Bake for 8-12 minutes (do not overbake)
  8. Note: If you are using this shell with a pie filling such as a pecan or apple pie, bake for 4 minutes before filling, then add your contents and cover edges of pie shell with aluminium foil to prevent burning, then bake for approx. 40 minutes. Check the pie to ensure it is not overcooked.

 

 

 

 

Easy Harvest Squash Soup

23 Wednesday Nov 2016

Posted by in Low Carb, Soups, wrks4me - Recipes

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squash-soup

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil (or Vegetable Oil)
  • 1 Medium Butternut Squash
  • 1 Stalk of Celery (Diced)
  • 1 Medium Onion (Diced)
  • 1 Large Carrot (Diced)
  • 1 Medium Potato (Diced)
  • 900 ml (4 cups) Chicken Broth
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1/4 tsp Curry Powder

Directions

  1. Put oil celery, onion and carrot in a large pot and sauté til onions are translucent
  2. Put Squash, potato, chicken broth, curry powder in the pot
  3. Bring to a boil and cover and let simmer still potatoes and squash are tender
  4. Use a hand blender to blend everything together
  5. Season with salt and pepper

Option: Served with a teaspoon of sour cream

 

 

 

Low Carb Keto Fudge

04 Friday Nov 2016

Posted by in Dessert, Low Carb, wrks4me - Recipes

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keto-fudge

Ingredients

  • Baker’s Chocolate 2 oz 57 grams
  • Cream Cheese 12 oz 340 grams (microwave 30 seconds to soften
  • Vanilla 1.5 tablespoons
  • Butter 113 grams
  • 1 cup of sweetener (different sweeteners offer different degrees of sweetness, so start with 1/2 cup and and keep addding and adjusting accordingly
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup of coconut (unsweetened)

Preparation

  1. Add butter and chocolate on low pan
  2. Stir well
  3. Add Vanilla Extract
  4. Add 1/2 cup of Sweetener
  5. In a seperate bowl add Cream Cheese
  6. Pour chocolate mixture with cream cheese
  7. Use a hand blender to mix together
  8. Fold in coconut and walnuts
  9. Put into a greased 8″ x 8″ pan
  10. Put into freezer until hardened
  11. Take out and give it 5 minutes to soften before cutting. Store in fridge

Enjoy

 

Terry’s Chilly Winter Chili

03 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by in Home, Low Carb, Main Dishes, wrks4me - Recipes

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chili

wrks4me_terry_tested-11

Warm up this easy chili on a cold winter day.

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs Ground Beef
  • 2 Large Onions
  • 1 1/2 Green or Red Peppers
  • 1 small can of Tomato Paste
  • 2 cans Diced Tomatoes
  • 2 packs Club House Chili Seasoning (or equivilent)
  • 2 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
  • 2 teaspoon of Onion Powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon Salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon Ground Pepper
  • Options (Cayenne Pepper) to your taste

Instructions

  • Chop onions and peppers and place in crockpot
  • Brown Beef in a pan
  • In a crockpot add cooked ground beef
  • Add tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, Green or Red Peppers, Chili Seasoning, Garlic & Onion Powder, Salt and Ground Pepper and add to the crockpot
  • Cook for 6 hours on low
  • Optional: Season with Cayenne Pepper to your taste
  • Serve with grated sharp cheese