Favorite Low Carb Substitutions / Recipies

carrottop · 05-06-2009, 01:26 PM

I am always looking for new LC variations of my favorite dishes as well as just good LC recipes. I will post some of my favorites. Please add any of yours as well.

carrottop · 05-06-2009, 01:35 PM

Mashed Cauliflower "Fauxtatoes"

2 bags frozen cauliflower (can use fresh but can be expensive and too much trouble)
.25 cup milk / half and half
.5 block FF cream cheese
Greek Seasoning to Taste (prefer Cavender's - found at walmart)

Put the Cauliflower in a pot with water to cover it. Add the milk/cream - this will prevent the cauliflower from turning grey and bitter while boiling it. Cook till tender. Drain all liquid and let sit in colander for several minutes. You want as much liquid as possible to drain off it or your fauxtatoes will be runny.

Add the califlower and cream cheese to a food processor. Run on high untill mixture is smooth. If needed you can add a little milk to help this process along. Add Greek Seasoning to taste, mix well, and serve.

For some dishes that call for grits (ie Shrimp & grits, etc) you can incorporate the other half of the block of cream cheese and some paremsan cheese to the mixture and heat well in a pot till all is melted. This is a great grits substitute for savory dishes.

My house prefers this over standard mashed potatoes as it has more flavor and it is definitely healthier to eat

Jashobeam · 05-06-2009, 01:57 PM

I use mayo and whole wheat flour in fish cakes instead of white flour. I use whole wheat bread crumbs instead of white flour ones in meatloaf.

carrottop · 05-06-2009, 02:08 PM

Shrimp Squash Sausage and Bacon Stuffing

1lb of shrimp peeled, deveined
.5lb Hot Italian Sausage of choice (turkey works well)
4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
Approx 5 lbs of squash, sliced
1 onion chopped
1-2 eggs, lightly beaten
1cup Panko Breadcrumbs
Seasoning to Taste
Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

Put the squash and onion in a large pot with a little bit of olive oil to prevent sticking. Saute till tender and most of the liquid is gone. I find that if you put the stove on Med High / High heat the water cook out of the squash much better than on medium heat (you tend to boil it more than saute).

Drain the squash and let sit in the colander for a while to release any extra moisture (can even be done several hours in advance and put in the fridge to drain).

Meanwhile cook the bacon in the pot and then add the sausage and brown it as well. Turn off the stove. Add the squash back to the pot. Season with creole seasoning / salt / pepper to taste. Add 3/4 cup panko to mixture and eggs and mix well. Add Shrimp. Transfer entire mixture to casserole dish, top with remaining panko and parmesan cheese if desired. Bake at 350 till mixture is hot and bubbly (30-45min) and shrimp are completely cooked.

Note: Panko can be omitted if preferred. If you cook the shrimp prior to going in the oven they can become rubbery and overcooked.

Makes 8-10 servings and approximately 275 calories per serving and 14 grams carbs (I make this a little different every time depending on what I have in the house so this is an approx estimate). Goes great with a salad for a complete meal.

Pearl1981 · 05-07-2009, 09:40 PM

Wow love the cauliflower one

I do fake Pizza on very low carb

Whisk two eggs with a drop of milk, cook on low heat, then top with cheese, peppers, onions, whatever you like, make sure you add origano as this is a very important one in getting the "italian pizza flavour" place under grill and brown off

Tastes like a deep pan pizza and is like 1 gram of carbs lol

Icecream: use some full fat cream and add some strawberries, mix with sugar substitute and freeze for a while. This is like 3 grams of carbs or less

carrottop · 05-08-2009, 12:04 PM

I will definitely have to try that the LC Pizza as it is much quicker than my LC pizza recipe.

Deep Dish Quiche Pizza

Ingredients:

1 4-oz pkg cream cheese
4 eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream (I usually use Fat Free Half and Half)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (fresh grated)
1 Tablespoons chives
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 cups mixed Italian cheeses of your choice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup low-carb pizza sauce

Plus any or all of the following "toppings":

pepperoni
black olives
mushrooms
chopped green peppers
chopped onion
ham or bacon bits
browned, seasoned and totally drained ground beef or turkey

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Beat together cream cheese and eggs until smooth. Add cream, parmesan cheese, and spices and mix again.

Spray 9" or larger glass baking dish with oil or PAM. Sprinkle 2 cups Italian cheeses into dish and pour egg mixture over it. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes.

Spread on pizza sauce; sprinkle on 1 cup mozzarella cheese and pile high with your chosen toppings. Return to oven and bake until bubbly and browning. Allow to stand 10-15 minutes before cutting.

Serves 6. 5 carbs per serving without toppings.

carrottop · 05-08-2009, 12:10 PM

Goat Cheese - Basil Chicken

1 Whole Chicken, gizzards etc removed
4-6oz Goat Cheese, at room temp
Lots of Basil (I buy a large package of it and use most of it)
Mrs. Dash Chicken or Zesty Seasoning Blend

Preheat oven to 400. Put Cheese and Basil in a Food Processor and process till incorporated (mixture should be green in color).

Place chicken on roasting pan. Carefully separate the skin from the chicken. Stuff the cheese mixture under the skin making sure to get all parts of the chicken. (I typically has about .5 inch layer of cheese mixture under the skin. Season outside of chicken with generous amount of Mrs Dash. Place in oven and roast till chicken is completely cooked.

Jashobeam · 05-08-2009, 12:19 PM

We buy whole wheat tortillias to make quick pizzas at home. We top with cheese and sauce.

tryinghard! · 05-08-2009, 02:04 PM

This is great - thanks ladies! Just sarted low carb route and feel like its working, lost 2 kilos in 2 weeks so must be doing something - just hope this leads to ovulation as TTC for 1.5yrs! Fingers crossed!

tryinghard! · 05-08-2009, 02:05 PM

Oh - PS, have seen something simlar to the cauliflower one using celeriac which even my hubby liked and he is fussy!

aplysina · 05-12-2009, 10:49 AM

I have switched completely to whole wheat flour. We use it to make pizza dough and in anything that needs a little flour to keep ingredients together. I use whole wheat pastry flour in my baking. It's ground finer, and I think it takes some of the whole wheat flour after-taste out. I have used it in birthday cakes, muffins, and pie crust. I make my own whole wheat bread crumbs. My family and I have learned how to use whole wheat flour, so that guests do not realize that they are eating it.

carrottop · 05-26-2009, 12:03 PM

My husband and I cooked this over the weekend in a Dutch Oven while camping out but the recipe came from a LC Slow Cooker Book and it was awesome.

Osso Bucco pieces (4-6 depending on # of people)
1 can Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Condensed Cream of Celery Soup
1 package dry Onion Soup Mix
1 cup red wine
1 package mushrooms, sliced (I prefer Baby Bellas over Button)
Cooked Rice or Pasta (if desired)

Brown the Osso Bucco pieces in oil.
Meanwhile in Slow Cooker combine the Mushroom, Celery, and Onion Soup with the red wine.
Add the browned meat to the slow cooker with the mushrooms.
Cook on low heat for 7-9 hours (till meat is very tender and connective tissues have broken down).

Osso Bucco is a cheap cut of beef but has to be cooked for a long time to break down the connective tissues to become extremely tender.

We followed this same recipe in the Dutch Oven over a campfire. It only took approx 1 hour to cook this way.

carrottop · 05-26-2009, 12:07 PM

Here is another recipe we made over the campfire that was adapted from a Slow Cooker recipe:

Pork Chops (4-6 depending on # of people; if using Slow Cooker and will cook for more than 4 hours you will need to use boneless chops as the bones will fragment and splinter in food if cooked longer)
1 can of Chili Beans
1.5 cups salsa
1 can corn (prefer shoepeg)
Rice (if desired)

Brown chops in oil in a skillet .
Place chops is Slow Cooker and then cover with beans and salsa.
Cook 4 hours if using bone in chops or can be cooked up to 9-10 hours if using boneless.
Add corn during the last 15 minutes of cooking just to heat.
Serve with rice if desired.

We followed the same process but only cooked for approx 45 minutes using the dutch oven over the campfire.

Salty · 06-29-2009, 02:37 AM

hot and spicy pork skins or plain ones if you like. Crush them to a crumbly mixture. Dip chicken or preferably pork in beaten eggs and roll around in crushed pork skins, can be fried but better baked on a pan covered with alum at 350 depending on which meat you chose. Makes it crispy, crunchy, seasoned and yummy.

hgielrehtaeh · 07-28-2009, 06:57 PM

Sometimes I use green beans instead of pasta....
Basically, if I buy a grain product, it either has to be the grain itself or the first ingredient has to be "Whole ________ Flour".

I use lentils instead of rice a lot - they cook fast, are high in protein and fiber, and are super cheap!