Mexican Cornbread...Sans Corn, of course

Mexican Cornbread was a staple in my mom's kitchen. It was one of my sister's favorites. Similar to a tamale pie, but not pasty. The cornbread was fluffy on top. Wow. So is this. I can't believe I never tried this as a low carb casserole. I've missed so much!

This recipe does not have several of the things my mom's version has. No creamed corn. Not necessary. No salsa, but diced tomatoes instead to keep it a little drier. No packaged taco seasoning filled with MSG. No cornbread mix either.  It does have spiced ground beef, tomatoes and pepper, and cheese! Any recipe with cheese is a winner in my book.

The "cornbread" is a cheesy quickbread made with coarsely ground almond meal and golden flax. It works!!! I was inspired by my cheese bread topped chili in a jar from the February newsletter. This recipe is a little different, and oh so delicious.

Mexican Cornbread sans Corn...and Carbs

Base:
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp minced dried onions
1 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp coconut oil
1 green bell pepper
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Cornbread topping:
1/2 cup coarsely ground almond meal
1/2 cup golden flax meal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 tbsp olive oil

Brown ground beef, breaking it into small crumbles. Drain fat and place in a medium bowl. Stir in chili powder, cumin, onions, garlic salt and garlic powder. Drain the liquid from the canned tomatoes and stir them into the beef. Place the beef into an 8 inch square baking dish.

Slice the bell pepper into bite sized chunks. Saute in coconut oil 5-7 minutes until soft. Layer the peppers over the beef in the dish. Top with 1/2 cup cheese.

To prepare the bread, combine almond meal, flax meal, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add the eggs, cheese and olive oil. Stir until no large lumps remain. Spread the batter over the meat and topping in the casserole dish. Smooth the top of the batter with a spatula or large spoon until it covers the meat completely and touches the sides. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden and the center is set. Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving. Serves 6.

537 calories    4 g net carbs   33 g  fat   43 g  protein

This is perfect with a small guacamole salad on the side. Some of the juices from the meat layer bubbled up along the edges and saturated the bread topping, but it was not soggy at all, just a little darker. I baked mine just a little too long. I seem to be expert at not hearing my oven timer go off. What makes me able to focus among the mass chaos at school also means I don't notice things like a few oven beeps. That's what I get for working on the crockpot recipe while this was in the oven. Multi-tasking is a prep day necessity, but I still manage to mess it up once in a while. As anyone who knows me can tell you, I prefer to have baked goods a bit over done rather than under baked. You might want to check yours at 35 minutes just in case.

This would be an excellent dish for a potluck dinner or to take to a sick friend. It is going to store well, reheat well and travel is no mess. Bet your carby eaters would like it. If not, make some extra of the meat and let them make their own soft tacos.




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Not So Thin Mint Cake Balls

It is Girl Scout Cookie time. Although I have never understood all the fuss, it is pretty hard to miss. I have good excuses, letting sugar be the villain not my inner cheapskate. Now honestly, I do give, especially to kids--just other places. I understand overpriced fundraisers, but no one ever got that excited about our Boy Scout popcorn sales and I am jealous. Besides, I was a Campfire girl in my youth, not a Girl Scout. But of those cookies I have tasted, Thin Mints are my fav. Chocolate mint somehow reminds me of Christmas, though I don't know why. It certainly isn't necessary. Maybe it is the snow and ice still parked outside my door this March.

These cake balls are so delicious. They may not be the most beautiful to look at, but then neither is the Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie. These have a wonderful flavor. I cannot taste the coconut at all. It is all about the mint. If you don't like chocolate mint as much as I do, cut the flavoring back to 1/2 tsp.

Not So Thin Mint Cake Balls

Cake:
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup Swerve or any sweetener equal to 1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup mild flavored oil, melted butter or melted coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp peppermint extract
up to 1/2 cup water or almond milk

Glaze:
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp powdered erythritol blend1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1 tbsp granular erythritol or sucralose for garnish

In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Then stir in the eggs, oil and flavoring. If using coconut oil, you may need to briefly heat the batter to remelt the coconut oil, as it will solidify if the eggs are cold. Add water or almond milk to make the batter comparable to a brownie batter.. Fill the wells of the cake ball appliance with rounded spoonfuls of batter. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove and let cool. Repeat until all the batter is used. My machine makes 15 cake balls. Alternately, fill mini muffin cups 3/4 full of batter and bake at 325 for 15 minutes.

In a very small cup, melt coconut oil. Stir in the cocoa powder, sweetener and peppermint flavoring. Drizzle over the cake balls. Sprinkle with granular sweetener. Of the ones I tested, granular sucralose looked best.

(Per ball) with erythritol: 74 calories each      1 net carb each   7 g fat    2 g  protein

In this batch, I did not use Swerve, but the Natural Mates Sucralose and Erythritol blend. It is twice the sweetening power of Swerve or Z-Sweet. Any of these products will work well, just watch to get the conversions correct. I use many different sweeteners, and while it does get confusing, they all behave a little differently and they all have their place in my recipes. My best advice is to find one you like best, and create your recipes--or mine--around it. So grab your sweetener of choice and try these Not So Thin Mint Cakeballs. They may be plumper than the original, but they will make you the thinner one!

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My Thai Chicken

This is an old recipe for me...way back to our original low carb days. It is funny that sometimes in my quest to find new things for my blog and FB, I neglect our old standards. John didn't even recognize this meal. I did change out thighs for breast meat, but that wasn't it. True, I did change out red pepper for green this time, and actually had some fresh cilantro in the fridge.That makes it way more beautiful! But maybe it had just been too long since I have made this one. What a shame.

In my Diner e-book, this recipe is a Multiply Meal. For you uninitiated, that means it is a recipe for three complete dinners. Make it once, eat that night and freeze two others. With a winter storm bearing down on my door today, through, I wanted to get several meals out of my 5 lb package of chicken breast, so I made just one entree. I will give you that recipe, but it is good enough to make a triple batch...if you like peanuts. I love peanuts. Just so you know, I use Smuckers peanut butter for this.

Just a note on an ingredient. Knorr Cilantro cubes. I keep these on hand for when I don't have fresh cilantro on hand. I know you can freeze fresh herbs and all, but these cubes are handy. Always ready to go in the pantry. They are completely optional, however, and fresh cilantro will be even more flavorful! Here is today's version:

My Thai Chicken

2 lbs boneless chicken breast or thigh, cut into serving size chunks
1 diced bell pepper
1/2 cup thick mild salsa
1/4 cup no sugar peanut butter
3 tbsp lime juice
1 teaspoons ginger
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 Knorr cilantro cube (or 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves)
1 oz  peanuts

Mix salsa, peanut butter, juice and spices. Place chicken in casserole dish and coat with the sauce. Add diced pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and stir the sauce into the cooking juices. Chop peanuts and sprinkle over the top. Garnish with fresh cilantro when serving.

Serves 6 at   4.5 carbs each         186 calories

This is nice and warming. The salsa sees to that. Good thing since we were having "Thunder Sleet" while this was in the oven. Crazy weather. School is now cancelled for tomorrow, but that gave me some extra time to blog. Gotta grab it when I can. 

Ready to order the e-book that gives you all the secrets for multiply meals like this one, plus Triple Play meals (1 protein and 3 different entrees), Freezer Favorites, Crock-It entrees, Muffin Mania, Build It Buffet meals and E.Z. Fix meals? Order here:  http://www.247lowcarbdiner.com

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Oven Baked Rolled Omelet, Still a Favorite

When you need to make omelets for a crew, getting them ready at once can be a chore. This omelet eliminates the problem with the timing, It will feed 6 and it is ready all at once. Great news if you can agree on the fillings. These are just optional. You can use ham, chorizo, bacon or any protein you like. Mushrooms are a great addition, or olives. Vary the cheese--Swiss, Pepper Jack, mmm. Switch out the herbs. Customize to your hearts content.

This really is not complicated. The parchment paper does all the work for you. It looks impressive, though, so I won't tell if you don't.

Oven Baked Rolled Omelet

8 eggs 
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp coconut flour
1/2 lb fresh sausage, cooked and crumbled
1 cup diced onion and pepper blend
1 cup shredded cheese
1 tsp dried oregano
additional toppings: sour cream, guacamole, salsa, extra cheese

Line a jelly roll pan (or large cookie sheet with sides)  with parchment paper turning up the edges to contain the egg mixture. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, heavy cream, water and coconut flour. Pour into the prepared pan. Top the egg mixture with the sausage, vegetables, half the cheese and the oregano.

Bake 14-16 minutes at 375 degrees or until edges are set. Top with remaining cheese and bake another 3 minutes or more until the cheese is melted and the center is fully set. Remove from oven and roll the omelet immediately, starting from the short end and peeling the paper off as you roll. Place the rolled omelet on a platter and slice to serve. Garnish with toppings as desired.

6 servings

1 serving:  319 calories       14 g protein    27 g fat     3 g net carbs

I first featured this recipe in the Low Carbing Among Friends Volume I. It is one of those family favorites that never gets old. I sometimes make one for our smaller family and save some slices for weekday breakfasts.

On days when I am not needing extra servings, I scaled down the recipe for just 4 servings. Then you can use an oblong casserole dish instead of a cookie sheet. To drop it down to 4 servings, use 6 eggs, 3 tsp coconut flour, and cut the cream and water to a combined 3/4 cup. I just added both to the measuring cup to save effort. 

One more tip--I like to roll the omelet, then let it sit with the parchment paper still wrapping the outer surface for about 5 minutes to cool. That sets the shape so it holds together beautifully when sliced. This is great with some fresh berries and Jennifer Eloff's Cheese Biscuits. That recipe is on page 70 of the Low Carbing Among Friends Vol. I. If you don't own this cookbook series, you really need to order them. My copy is ragged I have used it so much. To order: http://amongfriends.us/24-7-LCD.php



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Shaved Rutabaga with Browned Butter

I can't wait to make this dish again. I love browned butter. You know that if you have followed my blog for very long. I love potatoes rutabagas. I  love my spiral slicer that made gorgeous ribbons out of a rather homely rutabaga. You can slice these on a mandolin slicer but they won't have that curl. Still they will taste great, just no extra pizzazz. Love me some pizzazz too. That's a lotta love.

This is a recipe featured in the 24/7 Low Carb Diner News for March. Move over potatoes, we have lots of ideas to replace you! This is one. Sometimes simple is the absolute best. Just the veggie, some sea salt and some elixir of the gods...umm... butter. Browned. Browned is a must.

Shaved Rutabaga with Browned Butter

1 small rutabaga

1/3 cup water

3 tbsp butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Peel rutabaga and cut it into chunks to fit a spiral cutter. Set the device to the shave blade. Shave the rutabaga. You can also use a mandolin, but the curls will be missing. Gently transfer the thin slices to a lidded skillet. Add water and simmer  with the lid on while you brown the butter. In a small saucepan, cook the butter over low heat until it just begins to brown. Remove from heat immediately. When rutabaga is tender (stir very gently to retain the volume of the curls) transfer rutabaga into a serving dish or plates and drizzle with browned butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4

Carb count varies: 1/2 cup is roughly 4 net carbs

I just use an inexpensive spiral slicer. You can find one like mine here. I use it a lot to make zucchini noodles. This is a fun use of the shaver function. Even though it is cheaply made, it still has not broken in over 2 years. Of course, it would be great to have one of those sturdier models too. I used the angel hair attachment to make some tasty rutabaga hashbrowns. Those are in the Diner News too.

What else is in there? Here are some photos to tantalize you. Yes, all low carb!

Want to order the Diner News?

http://www.247lowcarbdiner.com/html/newsletter.html 

You will get 12 issues for just $6. What a deal. And yes, you will get the recipes for all those dished above. Plus the secret to getting a soft jicama, how to take the bitterness out of turnips and more. Many of the recipes are never shared on the blog or Facebook page.

Get more great recipes at the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook Page:               https://www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends

Order our books at: 
http://amongfriends.us/24-7-LCD.php

Love the recipes I share on this blog? My ebook helps you plan and prep to stay healthy 24/7.   http://www.247lowcarbdiner.com

Sunny Sesame Crackers

I saw a question on our Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook page today. Heather asked for a replacement for her old stand by snack: pretzels. When I want something crunchy and salty, these delicious crackers do the trick. They are in LCAF Volume 2 pg. 268. But I never posted the recipe here on the Diner blog. So here ya go Heather, and everyone else. These crackers are wonderful. Hearty and crispy and inexpensive to make. They are sturdy enough to travel well too.

SUNNY SESAME CRACKERS

If you like the flavor of sesame seeds, and you want a sturdy cracker that can stand up to a dip, this is it! Cheaper and more flavorful than crackers made with almond flour, these have become a family favorite.

1 cup raw sunflower seeds (250 mL)

1 cup sesame seeds (250 mL)

¹/₂ tsp sea salt (2 mL)

1/₂ cup water (125 mL)

In a food processor or bullet blender, grind sunflower seeds into a fine meal.  Pour the sunflower meal into a medium sized bowl. Combine with the sesame seeds and salt. Stir in water, a few tablespoons at a time, until the mixture forms stiff dough. (You may not need all the water.)

Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit a cookie sheet. Place the dough onto the sheet. Using fingers, pat it out as evenly as possible. Place another sheet of parchment over the dough, and use a rolling pin to make the dough as thin and even as possible. Be careful not to make the edges thinner than the center, or the edges will burn. Remove the top sheet and score into cracker shapes with a pizza cutter. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a 350°F (180°C) oven.

Let the crackers cool on the sheet for 10 minutes before breaking into individual crackers.

24 servings of 2 crackers:  69 calories   2 g protein   6 g fat 2 g net carbs

Helpful Hint: Watch the crackers very closely in the last 5 minutes. If the edges are getting too browned, take the cookie sheet from the oven and remove the browned edge crackers to a flat cooling surface. Return the remaining crackers to the oven until they are golden.

I am super busy this week working on the soon to be released Diner News. This month I am featuring many of the different ways to replace potatoes. Today, I made a couple of wonderful new side dishes. You are going to love them. Here is a sneak peak at one of my favorites. Can you guess what it is?

Get more great recipes at the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook Page:               https://www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends

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http://amongfriends.us/24-7-LCD.php

Love the recipes I share on this blog? My ebook helps you plan and prep to stay healthy 24/7.   http://www.247lowcarbdiner.com

Amish Turnip Bake

So turnips usually make us say yuck. Well, maybe not everyone, but you have to admit they are not winning any popularity contests in the culinary world. Hard to compete with all that bacon and those cupcakes. But then if you add the 'Amish' part...I have never found any Amish food that was not delicious. My husband once brought home some leftovers from an Amish restaurant. It was so amazing, I promise I licked the styrofoam container. This is pretty darn close. Pure comfort food and a delight to someone who misses mashed potatoes. Very mild. I based this off a recipe I found at Food.com.

This turnip dish does not have the "bite" that turnips often do. I did a little research on the best ways to get a very mild flavor. The open pot boiling, salt and vinegar in the water seemed to help. Another tip I found was to choose small turnips. Mine were already bagged, but they were small. What you get is a very mild vegetable puree, made special with the addition of low carb bread crumbs. Yup, added right to the mash. That makes the mouth feel perfect. True, you do have to make a recipe of bread as well, but so worth it. Besides, then you will have some for sandwiches next week.

I think this recipe does splendidly in individual casseroles. (I seem to collect those) Pretty sure it would freeze well. That would make a wonderful side on busy weeknights. So don't just pass up those turnips in the produce aisle. The next edition of the Diner News is featuring recipes that replace potatoes. This is one of the recipes that will be featured, but there are plenty of others as well. More with turnips, jicama, cauliflower, rutabaga and more. If you miss potato dishes, you will want this issue. It comes out on March 1st.

Amish Turnip Bake

1 lb small turnips

2 tbsp white vinegar

2 tsp table salt

3 tbsp butter (divided use)

2 tbsp cream

1 egg

2/3 cup bread crumbs*

Sweetener equal to 2 tsp of sugar

1 tsp sea salt

Trim and peel turnips. Cut into chunks. Bring a 2 quart pan of water to boil. Add 2 tsp table salt and 2 tbsp white vinegar. Add turnips and boil until soft. Drain water. Mash turnips with 2 tbsp butter, cream and egg. Stir in 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs, sweetener and salt. Spoon into a casserole dish. Dot with remaining butter and sprinkle bread crumbs over the top. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes

*I used Jennifer Eloff's recipe for Plain Bread, a quick microwave bread which toasted, makes good bread crumbs. Find that here,

4 servings  165 cal.  <4 g net carb

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