Banana Pancakes

Lately, I've been trying to reduce my calorie intake while still staying satiated.  A lot of overnight oats, low-carb high-protein muffins, and eggs.  I prefer the eating style of many small meals/snacks throughout the day (What? I like variety!) rather than 3 big meals--it helps me keep things in check and satisfy my desire for many tastes.  But this leads to not being able to partake in some of my favorite breakfast indulgences (I would kill for a full English brekkie one of these days).

Sometimes, though, you just want something.

It's been months since I've had pancakes.  I just..haven't let myself make them, which I guess is a good thing, because for a while there I was just baking up a storm constantly.  Pancakes would have just added to the torrential carb downpour :P.

Those of you in the paleo/gluten free/low carb world know the pain of flat, sad pancakes that barely hold together on the pan, let alone once they're on the plate and covered in your choice of syrup, fruit, nut butter, or what-have-you.  Not only am I tired of eating those kinds of pancakes, but I'm tired of serving them to my disappointed friends and family.  I feel like it's an insult to the glory that is delicious stacks of pan-baked comforting goodness that pancakes should be.

I delved into my new-found baking knowledge and decided to pull out the ingredients I have found most helpful in the last year, and I did it.  I made the fluffy paleo pancake that doesn't involve a million eggs, cheese, or coconut flour.  (Don't get me wrong, I love coconut flour...for some things.  But its texture and flavor often overtakes and puts me off.)

Are they low carb?  ...kind of?

Each serving of 3-ish pancakes has 21g net carbs.  I mean, we all know that's mostly the banana.  But it's worth it to me.  'Cause bananas are delicious.

Also, as with all things MyFitnessPal, I take some of these "facts" with a grain of salt.  It did, in the beginning, tell me that 2 bananas had over 2000 calories.

The recipe is as follows:

Dry:

1/2 cup almond meal

1/4 cup arrowroot starch (or your starch of choice--you could also use tapioca to keep it paleo)

2 T ground flax meal

1 t psyllium husk powder

1 scoop unflavored whey protein (could also use vanilla)

1/2 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

Pinch of salt and cinnamon

Wet:

2 medium overripe bananas

2 egg whites

2 eggs

Optional: sweetener to your taste

Combine all dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined.

Add bananas and pulse until mixed in, then add eggs.  Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, to allow the psyllium powder and flax to "gel".

Ladle onto a medium-hot griddle and cook until bubbles are popping in the center of the pancakes.  Flip and cook for one minute more.

Makes about 8 "normal" sized pancakes.

Serve immediately with your choice of toppings!  Maybe a little bacon on the side, too...

Links!

Good day, everyone!

No need to remind me that it's been almost a month since my last post.  I know.

Work has me very busy (I'm full-time with a schedule ALL over the place) and I honestly haven't much time to cook, let alone blog it.

I promise I'll get better at managing my time.

Here's a link post for you all, though.

Things I'm loving lately:

BREAKFAST:

I make a mish-mash of these two recipes: http://mouthwateringfoods.blogspot.com/2013/03/chocolate-steel-cut-oats.html and http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2012/04/chocolate-banana-baked-oatmeal-359.html.  I'm obsessed with overnight oats.  So simple (throw everything in your slow-cooker and leave it!) and delicious, with so many options!  It makes morning meals really quick and tasty.  The browned bits on the edges are sometimes the best thing ever.

Protein pancakes are awesome!  Some recipes are paleo, some are low-carb, but all are delicious!

DINNERS:

Brisket!  Brisket is so easy to find here!  We made this BBQ brisket recipe with my parents one night.  *drools* So good.  We used a local place's barbecue sauces and it was divine.

This vegan kabocha-lentil curry is fantastic and flavorful, though I recommend doubling the spices (and definitely add the tomatoes.

I would have these sweet potato burgers daily if I could!  I used coconut flour instead of quinoa and added flax and another egg.  They weren't as solid as the photos seem but oh my gosh were they tasty!

DESSERT:

The last two weeks have been filled with one dessert requested twice by my husband:  Lemon meringue pie. We've used Alton Brown's recipe and it's soooo good!  For gluten-free people, I suggest this pie crust recipe.  It's still not 100% foolprood, but it tastes great.

Vegetarian Moussaka

Moussaka is essentially the Greek lasagna--there are thousands of recipes for it, and everyone says theirs is the right one.  I learned recently that the "traditional" topping may not be a bechamel sauce, but a yogurt mixture, which sounded great to me!  So I decided to try it out!  I actually prefer the flavor to the bechamel, and it feels a bit more, I don't know, nutritious.

I love moussaka, and my mom requested it this week, but I wasn't feeling a heavy meat-filled meal.  So, we did a vegetarian version with lentils, which came out delightfully!  Even better the next day!

Ingredients:

500 grams eggplant, thinly sliced (about one LARGE eggplant, or two small ones/2 lb.)
250 grams zucchini, thinly sliced (about two medium/1 lb. zucchini)
250 grams Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced (about 2 medium/1 lb. potatoes)
2-3 T. olive oil

Filling:
1 cup cooked lentils
2 carrots, diced
2 stalk of celery, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 T. cider vinegar
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. gluten-free soy sauce
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. oregano
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. ground allspice
1/2 t. fennel seeds
14 oz. can diced or crushed tomatoes
Salt & pepper to taste

About 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Topping:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
Pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon
1 t. fresh thyme leaves
Salt to taste

Instructions:

Toss your eggplant and zucchini slices in a large bowl with some salt.  Allow to sit and sweat out their water for at least 30 minutes.  Rinse and pat dry on a few layers of paper towels.

Toss eggplant, potatoes, and zucchini in olive oil until lightly coated.  Preheat your broiler and place a rack on the highest slot.  Spread the vegetables over a few foil-lined cookie sheets, in single layers, and broil for 5-10 minutes, until lightly browned on top and tender.  Set aside and allow to cool.

Now preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large, lidded skillet, heat 1 T. oil over medium heat.  Saute onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until cooked through and lightly browned.  Add in your spices and allow them to "bloom" (i.e. until you can REALLY smell them), about 2 minutes.  Toss in the lentils, vinegar, sauces, and tomatoes.  Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, and partially cover the pan.  Cook until the liquid is reduced and the mixture is thick and pasty (30 min. to an hour).  Taste and correct seasonings to your liking.

Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 inch glass/ceramic baking pan.

Arrange 1/3 of your vegetables in the bottom of the pan in the order of:  eggplant, potatoes, zucchini.  Spread half of the lentil filling mixture over this, and top with half of the feta.  Repeat.  Then, for the last layer, reverse the vegetable order (zucchini, potatoes, eggplant) and you are done assembling!    Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven.

While that's baking, in a food processor, combine the topping ingredients until smooth.  Once the first bake is finished, remove the moussaka from the oven and remove the foil.  Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.  Spread the yogurt mixture over the top of the dish and place back in the oven, uncovered.  Bake for 30 minutes more, until the top is lightly browned and the sides are bubbling.

Enjoy alone, or with a lovely Greek salad!

Recent Recipes

Seeing as I have packed the camera away, I unfortunately haven't been taking any photos of my foodstuffs lately.  But, I shall list for you the recipes I have made (plus any changes I made) in this post!

Also, in case you didn't know, I discovered a new source of cross-contamination this week:  plastic storage containers!  Apparently they can absorb gluten!  *themoreyouknow*

I felt like I was going insane all week, getting glutened daily but not using/eating anything with gluten-containing ingredients.  And it wasn't BAD reactions, just mild discomfort and bloat (and over the week, I began getting depressed and anxious).  I was starting to think they were psychosomatic.  Nope.  Not crazy.  It's my (admittedly very old) Gladware.  *sigh* Oh well, at least we're moving and I have an excuse to get more?

***********************************************************************

So, on with the

RECIPE LINKS

This is my favorite thing of the week.  Andalusian Gypsy Stew.  Also known as "Olla Gitana", but this recipe, instead of being vegetarian (like all the other recipes I looked up), this one is a bit heartier with the addition of sausage and pork.  The only changes I made were to omit the bread crumbs (for obvious reasons) and the pork bones (simply because I didn't have them).  It.  Is.  Incredible.  Very hearty, very healthy, very flavorful.  Go.  Make it now.  I'll wait.  **Low Carb, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian/Vegan Option**

Last night, I prepared this for myself: Spinach with Chickpeas and Fried Eggs.  NOW.  The recipe made me think of something else I wanted to try for a while, called shakshouka.  Or menemen.   See a theme?  So what did I do?  I mixed them together!  I started with the onion, and a thinly sliced red and green bell pepper.  Cooked that until tender, and then I tossed in the chickpeas, tomatoes (I used a whole 28-oz/798 mL can), and garlic.  I allowed this to simmer for about 30 minutes (I wanted the bell peppers/onion broken down) and then I added in the broth and spices (I doubled the spice amounts).  I let that cook on almost-high-heat for almost an hour, until the broth had mostly boiled off (and left the delicious taste behind).  About 30 minutes before serving, I tossed in all on the spinach (in batches, because that's a lot of spinach), stirred it in, and fried up my egg in the meantime (not in a ton of oil, just a spritz).  Add a dash of lemon juice or a vinegar of your choice at the end to give it a bit of acid flavor.  Really healthy and filling, great for lunch, dinner, or breakfast.  (The original recipe says this is 4 servings, but to me it looks more like 6?  I don't know how you could eat 1/4 of the recipe without bursting.)  **Slow Carb, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian/Vegan Option without the eggs**

I also made these puppies!  Carrot Cake Protein Bars.  Instead of syrup, I used Splenda, and instead of coconut flour, I used almond meal.  This resulted in a batter-like consistency, rather than a dough, so I just poured it into a baking pan and cut it afterward.  Really delicious!  A great fake-out dessert (or breakfast...porque no los dos?) full of good stuff.  And it really does taste like carrot cake.  **Low Carb, Gluten-Free, High-Protein, Vegetarian, Vegan Option with Egg Replacers**

Lastly, my "real" dessert of the week was Gluten-Free Goddess' Pumpkin Pie Bread.  So good.  So so good.  I added chopped up dark chocolate Toblerone to it (no chocolate chips in the house).  To die for.  **...Yeah, this is just gluten-free, not healthy at all :P.

There you have it!  Enjoy, readers.  Go make these things.

**************************************************************************

And a VERY great piece of advice to fellow gluten-intolerant/Celiacs:  If you get glutened, swallowing a shot (a couple of tablespoons) of apple cider/white vinegar (dilute it if you want) will reduce your symptoms.  I didn't believe it until I tried it.  Within 10 minutes, my bloat had almost disappeared, the headfog had dissipated, and the nausea was gone.  Such a relief not feeling sick!  But you're gonna feel really strange for a few minutes, just be warned.

Roasted Vegetable Meatloaf and Maple-Dijon Brussels Sprouts

Somehow I have never posted this recipe.

And yet, it's one of my favorites, and completely worth all the effort.  I've made it for guests and they say it's the best meatloaf they've ever had--and I have to agree!

Total credit to the original recipe!  The only thing I have ever changed is leaving out the panko--which kind of works, but you have a more crumbly loaf.  Or, instead of panko, I toast GF bread and then grind it up in the food processor.

You can go to her website to get the recipe since I change nothing.

Now, the Brussels sprouts, I will give you that one.  Roasted, caramelized Brussels sprouts are DELICIOUS.  Try them.  Really.  You must.

Ingredients:

1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved
2 T. maple syrup
2 T. Dijon mustard (I used large grain)
2 T. olive oil
1 T. red wine vinegar

Instructions:

Toss everything together and place in a baking dish.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 40-45 minutes, or until caramelized and tender.

Gluten-Free Buttermilk Belgian Waffles

No one's recipe looked good enough to me, so I kind of took from here and there and made up my own!

They're light, airy, and super-crispy.  Perfect waffle consistency.  Sometimes I get tired of our dense gluten-free substitutes.  But these are delicious.

Ingredients:

2 cups Carol's sorghum blend (or other AP flour...the sorghum blend is 35% sorghum flour, 35% potato starch, 30% tapioca starch)

2 t. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
Pinch of salt
Pinch of xantham gum
2 eggs, separated
1 3/4 cup buttermilk (or 1 3/4 cup milk with 1 T. vinegar or loemon juice whisked in, left to sit for 10 minutes)
1/4 cup oil

Instructions:

Preheat your waffle iron.

Mix all dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Mix together buttermilk, egg yolks, and oil in a large bowl.  Add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Using an electric mixture, beat egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Fold whites into the batter until almost combined.  There should be small chunks of white throughout.

The batter will be thin.  Don't let that concern you.

Spray your waffle iron with a little oil.  Pour in 3/4 cup of batter (more or less depending on your iron size) and cook.

Enjoy!

Banana Bread Pancakes

I don't post many breakfast recipes because I'm always looking to recreate that perfect gluten-y pancake, without the gluten of course.  So far, I haven't quite found it.  Every time I think I have, it never works twice.

That being said, I really like these.  We always have overripe bananas on hand, and who doesn't love banana bread?  They're not too sweet, the texture is great, and they're pretty hearty as well.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour (I like to use half oat flour (oats pulsed into a flour in a processor) and half sorghum blend)
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 T. sugar
2 T. canola oil
2 eggs
1 overripe banana, mashed
1/4-1/2 cup milk (cow, plant, whatever)

Instructions:

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.

In another bowl, combine eggs, banana, and oil.  Mix into the dry mixture.

Add milk to the batter until it reaches a pancake-batter consistency (this will vary depending on your flours, so add as much as you need).

Cook on a heated griddle, until the edges are golden brown and air bubbles are popping in the center of the pancake.  Flip over and cook for 2 minutes more.

Of course, you need the bacon as well.  Duh.

Serve immediately with maple syrup, butter, and lots of fruit!  This makes 8-10 pancakes.

Would you like some pancake with your fruit?

Sour-Cream Apple Coffee Cake with Oat Crumble

Sometimes you need a really good, dense coffee cake to satisfy those winter-driven sugar cravings.

And I wanted streusel/crumble on top, so I combined two recipes.

Both are from Carol Fenster's 1000 Gluten-Free Recipes, which I highly recommend, if only for the baked goods recipes.  The rest are kind of blah and can be found readily on blogs throughout the internet.

Ingredients:

Cake:

1/2 cup melted butter/canola oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. lemon extract (optional)
1 cup sour cream (this can also be swapped out for plain Greek yogurt)
2 cups Carol's sorghum blend (35% sorghum flour, 35% potato starch, 30% tapioca starch)
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger (I used fresh)
2 cups diced Granny Smith apples

Crumble:

1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup Carol's sorghum blend
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (I used pecans, but walnuts or almonds can be used as well)
2-3 T. maple syrup
2 T. brown sugar
3-4 T. melted butter
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter and (gf) flour a springform pan for the cake (this makes cake-removal easier and looks really nice--if you want to use a normal cake pan, just make sure it will all fit).

In a large bowl, mix your oil/butter, eggs, and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth.

Add in your sour cream and extracts.  Mix until smooth.

In a separate smaller bowl, mix together all your dry ingredients.  Add them in batches to the wet mixture and mix until combined.

Stir in your diced apples and freshly grated ginger.

Pour into prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

While your cake has begun baking, mix together all the topping ingredients until there are chunks of crumble-topping.  If it's not sticky enough, add more syrup.  If it's too dry, add more butter.  

When your cake has 15 minutes left of bake-time, crumble the topping over the cake and lightly press down.   Don't burn yourself! 

Bake until finished, and allow to cool a bit before popping the sides off of the pan.  

Enjoy!  This is also amazing with a little scoop of ice cream.

Old-Fashioned Sorghum Molasses Drop Cookies

I like these gluten-free cookies because they don't require three or four different kinds of gluten-free flour in the recipe, just one!  And they are delightfully chewy, like gingersnaps, only a bit less ginger.

I pulled this out of 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes by Carol Fenster--if you're gluten-intolerant/celiac/allergic, I highly recommend it!  Everything I've made out of it is fantastic.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, softened/room temperature
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
1/4 t. vanilla extract
2 cups sorghum flour
2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. xanthan gum
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
2 T. granulated sugar (for rolling)

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper/another non-stick element.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until smooth.  Add in the egg and beat until combined.  Do the same with the molasses and the vanilla.

In another small bowl, combine the sorghum flour, cinnamon, ginger, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt.

Add it in batches to the wet mixture, using an electric mixer.

When well-mixed, either immediately make your cookies, or refrigerate the dough until you are ready.

Take a small spoon, scoop out the dough, and roll 1-inch balls of dough between your hands, rolling them in the sugar once formed.

Place them on your baking sheet and flatten them slightly.  You should end up with 24-30 cookies.

Bake in the preheated oven for 7-10 minutes, until they are cracked and golden-brown all over.

Enjoy!

GO BIG OR GO HOME LASAGNA

Who doesn't like lasagna?  This amazing traditional Italian comfort food is adored throughout the world.  The recipe I use tries really hard to be authentic.  Is it?  I dunno.  But it's awesome.

Yes, it takes work, but it's well worth it.  It's big.  It's for, like, a family of 10.  But that's how I make it. It keeps well, freezes well, all that jazz.

I use GF noodles and flour, but this is taken from a non-GF bunch of recipes, so cater it to your own diet.

No, this is not low-fat healthy lasagna.  It is amazing full-fat, full-calorie deliciousness.  Deal with it.  It's fall.  We all need some extra poundage.  Winter is coming (/Ned Stark).

Bolognese Sauce:

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
4 slices of bacon, chopped
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound of ground beef
.5-1 pound of ground pork
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
28 oz (about 4.5 cups) of whole, peeled tomatoes
A handful of basil leaves, chopped (or 1 T. dried basil/basil paste)
1 T. dried oregano (or fresh, if you have it)
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add bacon and cook until crispy.  Add mirepoix (onion, celery, carrot) and saute until soft.

Add garlic and ground meat and cook until meat is mostly cooked through.

Add white wine, stock, and herbs, and bring to a simmer.

Add tomatoes and tomato paste.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, at least.

 I allow mine to go for 5-6 hours over low heat to cook off as much of the liquid as possible.

Bechamel Sauce:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup GF flour
4 cups milk
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt to taste
2 eggs

Instructions:

Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it comes to a simmer (stir this a lot or else your milk will burn).  Set aside once heated.

Heat butter over medium heat until melted and foamy.

Add flour and whisk until the mixture becomes foamy and has a nutty smell to it (like browned butter).

Before.

After.

Add in 1/3 of the milk and whisk until the mixture thickens.  Repeat for the next 2/3 of the milk.  If the mixture no longer thickens, whisk in more GF flour (I had trouble once the last third was mixed in).  Once the mixture is thick, add in the pinch of nutmeg and salt.  Set aside to cool a bit, and then whisk in the 2 eggs (I  do this so that the bechamel "sets"and the lasagna doesn't get too goopy) until well-blended.

Lasagna:


Ingredients:

1 recipe Bolognese Sauce
1 recipe Bechamel Sauce
Pack of 12-15 GF lasagna noodles (mine had 13, of course)
500 g mozzarella cheese, grated (about 3-4 cups grated total)
2 T. dried parsley (or fresh, just use more)

Instructions:

So I took this picture and forgot to take any of the layering ones XD.

Spray a large 9x13 inch (I think that's the size?) casserole dish with olive oil.  Place a ladle-full of the bolognese sauce in the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking.  Place a layer of noodles over that, slightly overlapping the edges.  Spread a layer of sauce over them (I put sauce down until I can't see noodle poking through).  Spread half of the bechamel over that.  Take 1/3 of the mozzarella and sprinkle it evenly over the dish.  Sprinkle half the parsley over that.  

You may now choose to either repeat all the layers (noodles included) or skip the noodles. This is to your preference.  I like a middle layer of noodles in my lasagna.  I find that it gives it more structure.

When done, place a final layer of noodles over the top.  Spread a small amount of the sauce over this noodles, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to stand while you preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, and then remove the foil, add the rest of the mozzarella, and bake for another 20-25 minutes, until the edges are bubbly and the top is browned all over.

It's a bit too brown.  But I like that.

Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes and serve.  With a salad, if you must.

I ate 2 plates of it.  Oh my gooooooood, I am so full.

Also, yes, I know my blog is no longer really low-carb.  I'm trying to think up an awesome new name.  Have patience.

Spicy Chicken and Tofu Veggie Stir-Fry, and a Mini-Rant

Uggggh, I wrote this up last week and never got around to posting it. >.<

Sorry, readers!

Mini-Rant!

Can we, in the food world, stop labeling everything that might have a mere smidgen of vegetable, fruit, or whole grain in it as "healthy"?

People are deceived by the word healthy.  They take it to mean that the food item is nutritious, or--the even bigger fallacy--that the food is now magically light and will help them lose weight.

Your choco-vanilla-caramel-glazed-pound-cake-with-3-sticks-of-butter-and-half-a-pound-of-sugar may have an apple or a zucchini in it, but, please, people, don't play coy.  It's not "healthy".  Sure, there might be a few more vitamins added, or some fiber, but COME ON.  It's still 400+ calories a slice and loaded with carbs and fats (which, no, are not inherently bad, but I digress).

When your pie or crumble contains a few hefty cups of sugar, it's no longer light, no matter how much fruit you put in it or how many antioxidants are in those berries.

I feel like people get duped by all the hefty mislabeling of food already--can we not contribute?  Let's just call a spade a spade and stop trying to fool ourselves that a buttery, sugary dessert can be eaten in large quantities with no consequences to our health and waistline.

The secret is not throwing a healthy food item into your baked goods--the secret is self-control and moderation.

/Mini-Rant

On with food!

It's stir-fry week.  Why?  I have a lot of random veggies, cheaper meats, and don't want to spend much time cooking.

Stir-fries are fantastic because it's so easy to use whatever meat or vegetables you have on hand.  And it's quick and a lot of food for very little money!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. chicken breast, in bite-sized pieces (I only had 1 chicken breast, so I also used about 300 g. firm tofu)
2-inch knob of ginger, cut into matchsticks
1 T. cornstarch
2 eggs, whisked

1/2 lb. bacon (I used a bit less...about 5 slices), chopped

1 small head of broccoli florets, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch of scallions, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1 T. chili-garlic paste, such as Sambal Oelek
2 T. brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce

Instructions:

Toss chicken, tofu (if using), ginger, cornstarch, and eggs in a bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the chili paste, soy sauce, and brown sugar.  Set aside.

Chop all vegetables, set aside.

Chop bacon.  Yup, set aside.

A secret of stir-fries: Place everything in order before you cook!  

Heat a wok or a large, deep skillet over high heat (woks are really better for this).  Toss in the bacon and cook for 4-5 minutes, until well-browned and fat has rendered out.

Add the chicken mixture.  Cook until browned and mostly cooked-through.  ALWAYS STIRRING.

Add the peppers and scallions.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the broccoli, and cook for another few minutes.  ALWAYS STIRRING.

Add the sauce.  Turn the heat down to medium-high heat (closer to medium, really), bring to a simmer, stir frequently, and cook until the vegetables are cooked and the sauce thickens up.

Remove from heat and serve, over rice if desired!  I didn't have rice, so I cooked up some quinoa in chicken broth, water, and a bit of soy sauce.

Enjoy!

Low-Carb Carrot Cake

Allow me to take this opportunity to state that just because something is low carb does NOT mean it is low calorie.  I run into a lot of people who think that just because my dessert has no flour or sugar in it means they can eat an absurd amount of it without any problem.  Almond flour is still almonds, and nuts are very calorie dense.  Butter is still butter.  Eat in moderation!

I was craving cake--real cake with frosting and layers--and I decided to convert this recipe that I've had saved forever into something more diet friendly, so I don't have to feel so guilty for eating it.

The cake came out a bit too moist (next time I might strain the carrots/pineapple in cheesecloth to get out the extra liquid) and the texture is not quite right, but it still tastes great.  Charles even had two pieces of it!  So I deem it a success.


Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour
2 cups Splenda (or equivalent of another sugar substitute)
2 t. baking soda
1 t. xanthan gum
1 t. salt
2 1/4 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
Pinch of nutmeg
1 lb. carrots, peeled (if you prefer) and sliced into 2-inch chunks (this was about 5 1/2 carrots for me)
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1/2 cup canola oil
1 t. vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Optional:
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins

Instructions:


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.

Sift together dry ingredients and set aside.

Place carrots and pineapple in a food processor and chop.  How chunky you want it is up to you.  I would also strain it, as I said, to remove excess liquid next time.

Mix wet ingredients together with the carrots and pineapple, and combine with dry ingredients.  Stir in whatever additions you like--we just used walnuts.

Pour into prepared pans and bake for 35-45 minutes (check that the cake isn't squishy in the center by pressing down on it--I find that the toothpick trick isn't useful with almond flour).

Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting


Ingredients:

2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup of butter, room temperature
2 cups Splenda (I used the granulated kind, it came out fine)
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 T. vanilla extract

Instructions:


Beat together butter and cream cheese on a high speed until well-combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes (do not overbeat!).  Add in lemon zest, juice, and vanilla.

Beat in Splenda gradually until well combined.  Stop beating when the texture reaches a spreadable consistency.  Chill until it is time to frost the cake.

This made enough to frost the two layer cake entirely, and I still had a small bit leftover!

Enjoy, everyone!