Low Carb Zucchini-Carrot Cake with LC Cream Cheese Frosting

Let me begin by setting the tone. Steve and I have decided to begin a low carb eating journey. Of course, that said, there's no reason we should give up cake and other goodies. There are tons of recipes now that are low-carb and taste great. The above pictured cake is an example, so I'm publishing the recipe courtesy of Dana Carpender's 1001 Low-carb Recipes. Hope you'll give it a read to see if it may be something you'd enjoy (no garlic Bill! :-)

LC Zucchini-Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 c. hazelnuts
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c. oil
• 1/2 c. yogurt (I used unflavored Greek yogurt for lowest carb count)
• 2/3 c. Splenda
• 1/2 c. vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 3/4 c. shredded zucchini (about 1 large zucchini)
• 1/4 c. shredded carrot (about 1/2 large carrot stick)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a food processor, using the Sblade, use the pulse control to grind the hazelnuts to a mealy consistency. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until well blended. Add the oil, yogurt, ground hazelnuts, Splenda, protein powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, mixing well after each addition. Add zucchini and carrots last, mixing well.
Thoroughly coat a ring mold or bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Batter will fill about half of the pan. I used a glass casserole dish which worked just as well (don't have a bundt pan as my life has been complete without one to this point, so don't intend to buy one :-) Bake for 45 minutes and turn out gently onto a wire rack to cool. Yields 8 generous servings. Has 6 grams of usable carbs and 16 grams of protein per serving of cake.

Cream Cheese "Frosting"

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c. heavy cream, chilled
• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened (I prefer Neufchatel, a/k/a "Lite Philly" - 1/3 less fat) 
• 1/2 c. Splenda
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Whip the heavy cream until it's stiff.
In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until very smooth, then beat in the Splenda and vanilla. Turn the mixer to its lowest speed and blend in the whipped cream, quickly. "Frosting" must be refrigerated at all times. It's not as sweet as you may be used to, but hit the spot for purposes of topping this cake. Overall, the cake was good. Steve and I ate too much, which really defeats the point of it being low carb.......had a pretty nutty consistency and did not rise a lot in cooking, but we enjoyed it, hope you will too if you venture to give it a try!

* Sherrie

Southern Crab Cakes Y'all

                                        (courtesy of Paula Deen)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. lump crab meat (salmon can be used instead, if preferred)
• 1/3 c. crushed crackers (recommended - buttery Ritz of course!)
• 3 green onions finely chopped
• 1/2 c. finely chopped bell pepper
• 1/4 c. mayonnaise
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Dash Old Bay seasoning or cayenne pepper
• Flour, for dusting, 1/2 c. peanut oil  (if you intend to bake rather than fry the crab cakes, omit these ingredients)

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together (except the flour and peanut oil).
Shape into patties.

To Bake:
Preheat oven at 400 degrees.
Brush tops with melted butter and bake 10 minutes each side until golden brown and thoroughly cooked. Serve with preferred dipping sauce.

To Fry:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, carefully place crab cakes in pan and fry until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip crab cakes and fry on other side until golden brown, about 4 minutes.

This is the best crab cake recipe I've ever encountered because there is very little filler (when ordering crab cakes at restaurants, my grandfather would always ask how much mashed potatoes they included.) I will use it with crab or salmon in the future. I baked the crab cakes and found them to be non-greasy and quite tasty. Steve liked them too so we had no leftovers!

* Sherrie

Cheesy Chicken Rotini

Okay, this is kind of a "cheating" recipe but knowing how bloggers on this site just LOVE cheese, thought it was still work sharing. The recipe came from VelveetaRotel.com and the resulting dish was devoured by my family in one sitting, I barely had enough to photograph for this blog! 


Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 c. water
13 oz. box rotini pasta (I like Dreamfields, it tastes great but is lower in carbs)
16 oz. frozen Normandy mix (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots)
1 can (10 oz.) RO*TEL, undrained
1 lb. Velveeta, cut into 1/2" cubes


Directions:

1. Cook and stir chicken in large skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in water. Bring to boil. Add pasta; stir. Cover, simmer on medium-low heat10 mins or until pasta is tender. 
2. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Cook covered, 5 to 7 minutes, making sure Velveeta is melted and vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring frequently. 

Steve adds salt before eating, but as he's fond of saying, "don't add the salt while cooking, you can always add after but you can't take it out." Don't ask how he found that out :-)

Corn and Pepper Chowder

This is a hearty soup which goes down well on a damp, rainy day. Served with warm brie and Honey Crisp apple slices, makes a well balanced, heavenly meal which can be prepared in advance. Variations are available on allrecipes.com. Helpful hint when using allrecipes.com - read the user comments, they're frequently creative and can add a twist to make the dish more interesting.


Ingredients:


2 T. butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional if you're allergic)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 c. chicken broth
1 lb. red potatoes, cut into chunks
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
3 c. whole kernel corn
14 oz. kielbasa, halved and sliced (can substitute turkey sausage for a "lighter" option)
1 c. fat-free half and half


Directions:

1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook onion, garlic, and bell peppers in butter until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in broth, potatoes, pepper and cumin and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. 
2. Stir in corn, kielbasa, and half & half into soup. Simmer 20 minutes more. 

Steve found this dish, although hearty, lacking "bite" and added red pepper flakes to pump it up a bit, so this is another option. Also, the original recipe calls for pureeing half the corn and adding it that way, we chose not to. In any event, it's a good base with many possible variations. Be creative and enjoy!

Greek Quinoa Salad

This is my first blog entry EVER so please bear with me if it's not quite up to par. Rest assured the recipe is and one I hope you'll have occasion to enjoy it. I tried this recipe because I was looking for something interesting, out of the ordinary (sure, we can pretend I can cook......), and most importantly, something I could make ahead in preparation for a dear friend's visit after 15 years!

Ingredients:

2 c. chicken broth

1 clove garlic, smashed (optional if allergic to garlic)

1 c. uncooked quinoa

3 large cooked chicken breasts cut into 1" cubes (chick peas can be substituted for a vegetarian option)

1 large yellow onion

1 large orange or green bell pepper, diced

1/2 c. sliced olives (original recipe calls for kalamata, I only had green on hand and they were yummy!)

1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

1/4 c. chopped fresh chives

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2c. fresh lemon juice

1 T. balsamic vinegar

1/4 c. olive oil

Directions:

1. Bring the chicken broth and garlic to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the quinoa and reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer about 15 to 20 minutes, quinoa should be tender and the liquid absorbed. Discard the garlic clove and transfer the quinoa to a large bowl. 
2. Add in the chicken, onion, bell pepper, olives, feta cheese, parsley, chives, and salt into the quinoa, stirring gently. Pour the lemon juice, olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top and mix together. May be served warm or  cold and in one of those recipes that tastes best the day after, once all the flavors come together. 

Steve tasted this one, but is more a meat and potatoes guy, so much for exotic grains! Hope you will enjoy, none the less.......