Spicy Cheese Cornbread Loaf

I was asked by my husband to cook a pot of pinto beans and ham with some cornbread tonight.  I don’t like to eat such a carb-y meal, so I only ate a couple boiled eggs and 1/2 avocado during the day in plans for the carb-y dinner tonight.   I modified my Jalapeno-Cheese Bread recipe that has been on my website for years now and changed things up a bit.  I added onion powder and a hefty amount of cayenne pepper, along with a small amount of actual cornmeal.   We both LOVED the result!  This bread is not suitable until you reach Maintenance Phase of Atkins, since it has real cornmeal in it.   

This would probably make up nicely as muffins, too.  Muffins will only take about 15-20 minutes to cook.

The corn flavoring I use is, frankly, whatever brand I can find.   Select Products (who bought out Superior Flavors and then shut down their on-line website later.  Superior Products website will still open for me and may accept orders on certain products.   I use their “Fresh Corn” in their Regular Shop, but you have to get the 8 oz. bottle.   I succeeded in ordering 6 small bottles last time OK.  If you have no success placing an order at that site, try this corn flavoring (I have not personally tried):  https://amoretti.com/products/sweet-corn-extract-ws, try the corn flavoring at Naturesflavors.com (I hear it’s good, but I haven’t tried it yet, myself).

INGREDIENTS:

1½ c. almond flour

2 T. coconut flour

¼ c. golden flax meal

1 T.  baking powder

1½ c. shredded cheddar cheese (or other hard cheese)

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. granulated onion powder

1/3 c. cornmeal (I use white, but yellow is just fine)

5 eggs, beaten

2 T. coconut oil, melted

2 T. olive oil

1 T. cider vinegar

1 T. + 1 tsp. Fresh Corn flavoring (optional) Source:  selectflavors.com

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease a loaf pan well and set aside.  I highly recommend using a piece of parchment to cradle the batter, as my bread is inclined to stick on the bottom at times, even in a non-stick pan!  I can easily get 10 very thick slices out of this loaf.  For those that use over-long size loaf pans (4″x12″) I have had luck with this recipe using both the extra-long loaf pan, as well as a regular loaf pan.  The longer size will back a flatter loaf; the regular will make a slightly taller loaf.    

Measure all dry ingredients and cheese into a medium measuring bowl, stir and set aside.  Add cheese and stir all dry ingredients together to blend.   Add all liquid ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir to blend.    Using a rubber spatula, scrape batter into greased, preferably parchment-lined also,  loaf pan and pop into preheated oven for 40 minutes in a 5×8″ pan (only 30 min if using a 4″x12″ pan).  Ovens vary, so check center with finger for a dry touch and also do a toothpick test.   Remove and cool in pan a few minutes before attempting to tip out & slice.  Run sharp knife around edges to loosen and gently tip out onto a cutting board. Slice into 10 servings.  

This cornbread should make an outstanding “Cornbread” Stuffing for your holiday turkey, I’m sure.  

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes ten 1/2″ slices, each slice contains: 

284 cals, 22g fat, 9g  carbs, 3g  fiber, 6 g  NET CARBS, 11g  protein, 272 mg sodium

Peppered Bacon Cheese Bread

My husband really liked a new bread creation I came up with.  The peppered bacon and cheese are  memorable in this bread.  This recipe is not suitable until you reach the nuts and seeds rung of the Atkins OWL carb re-introduction ladder in Phase 2.   It is suitable for Primal diners, if you eat occasional cheese.   Omit the cheese to make this suitable for Paleo.  This batter cooks up nicely as biscuits or muffins, as the crust is particularly nice on this.  Muffins or biscuits will only take about 15-20 minutes to cook however.

You’ll find many more delicious bread recipes in our Low Carbing Among Friends cookbooks, a series by Jennifer Eloff and other talented low-carb kitchen gurus.  You can order them from Amazon or direct .

INGREDIENTS:

1½ c. almond flour

2 T. coconut flour

¼ c. golden flax meal

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. white or cider vinegar

1 c. grated cheese

4 oz. lean bacon, chopped (preferably peppered bacon)

¼ tsp. coarse black pepper (or just use Wright’s peppered bacon)

5 eggs, beaten

2 T. coconut oil, melted

2 T. olive oil

1 T. cider vinegar

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease a loaf pan and set aside.  I used a NON-standard sized loaf pan that is 4½” wide, 2½” deep and 12″ long.

Baked in an abnormal-size loaf pan 4½” x 3″ x  12″ (Italian import)

Measure all dry ingredients and cheese into a medium measuring bowl, stir and set aside.  Chop bacon and brown in skillet with black pepper shaken all over it (I didn’t measure the pepper, but I’d guess about ¼ tsp. total).  When bacon is done, set aside to drain/cool on paper towels a few minutes.  While it cools, add all liquid ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir to blend.  Add cooked bacon and stir one last time to blend bacon evenly throughout batter.  Using a rubber spatula, scrape batter into non-stick, greased or parchment lined loaf pan and pop into preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.  Ovens vary, so check with toothpick test.  Remove and cool in pan a few minutes.  Run sharp knife around edges to loosen and tip out onto a cutting board. Slice into 10 servings and serve warm.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 10 large slices, each contains:

293.6 cals, 26g fat, 6.16 g carbs, 3.18 g fiber, 2.88g NET CARBS, 11.24 g protein, 481 mg sodium

Einkorn Loaf Bread

As I stated in my last post, I tend towards single serve and individual rolls when I bake breads.  But when I do want a loaf of bread to serve more people than two, I tend to reach for this recipe.  It was a modification of my Lupin Flour Bread recipe (when I learned I’m allergic to lupin flour). 

My husband even likes this one, and he’s real hard to please with low-carb bread.  It has a nice chewy mouth feel one finds in a good traditional yeast bread.  I even included some dissolved yeast but I think it only impacts flavor, not rise, as the boiling water the psyllium requires would kill the yeast rising action for sure.  There’s not enough gluten in 2 T. Einkorn flour for proper yeast “action” anyway.  But this inclusion does give a little yeast taste.

This loaf slices into fourteen ½” slices or twenty-eight ¼” slices.  Yes, this bread has enough structure to be able to slice it into ¼” slices!  WOO HOO!  It doesn’t rise too high, so the sandwiches are small, but at 1.12 g net carbs per thinner slice, who cares?  Eat two sandwiches if that’s what it takes to fill up!  🙂

It doesn’t toast much better than most low-carb breads, so I use this mostly for sandwiches and making croutons.  But the crust toasts quite nicely.  

I order my non-GMO Einkorn flour direct from Jovial Foods.  Some have found it in Safeway and other stores right on the shelf, but I’ve not been so lucky.  It’s not as expensive as some low-carb baking ingredients.  Einkorn is real, ancient wheat, that has not been hybridized.  I use only the tiniest amounts in the occasional baked goods recipes.  It brings so much texture and flavor for few carbs.  This recipe is not suitable until you are near goal weight (Pre-Maintenance).

DRY INGREDIENTS:

½ c. almond flour

2 T. Einkorn flour

½ c. egg white protein powder (I use NOW brand)

2 T. oat fiber

2 T. coconut flour

1 T. baking powder

2 T. golden flax meal

¼ tsp. sea salt

3 T. psyllium husk powder (I use NOW brand)

WET INGREDIENTS:

1 tsp. dry yeast dissolved in 2 T. warm water + 1 tsp. sugar (consumed by yeast)

5 large eggs, beaten

3 T. olive oil

¼ c. egg whites (I used the the carton whites)

½ c. boiling water (added last)

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease or oil a standard 5×8″ loaf pan and set aside.  Dissolve yeast in 2 T. warm water and add a tiny pinch sugar.  Set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, measure out all dry ingredients.  Stir well.  In another medium bowl, add the first 4 wet ingredients (all but the boiling water) and beat with a fork.  Add the dissolved yeast mixture to the wet ingredients and stir.   Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat well using a rubber spatula. Slowly add the boiling water to the batter and using a whisk, beat until smooth of lumps.  Whisk thoroughly as this is what creates a smoother crust.  Spoon batter into greased loaf pan and bake at 350º for 30 minutes and test for doneness with toothpick.   If not done, cook 5-10 minutes longer.  Remove from oven and in a few minutes, tip onto board to finish cooling.  Stats below are calculated for 14 slices ½” thick.  I will also provide numbers for entire loaf so that you can figure out your own for the number of slices you choose to cut.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: 

Entire loaf:  1480 calories, 102.8 g  fat, 78.4 g  carbs, 47.2 g  fiber,  31.2 g  NET CARBS,     58.2 g  protein, 2669 mg sodium

If cut in 14 slices, ½”, @ contains: 106 calories, 7.3 g  fat, 5.60 g  carbs, 3.37 g  fiber, 2.23 g  NET CARBS, 4.15 g  protein, 191 mg sodium

If cut in 28 slices, ¼”, @ contains:  53 calories, 3.67 g fat, 2.8 g carbs, 1.68 g fiber, 1.12 g NET CARBS, 2.07 g protein, 95 mg sodium

Einkorn Loaf Bread

I took my Lupin Flour Bread recipe, eliminated the lupin flour totally and did some major tweaking to come up with a delicious Einkorn Loaf Bread today.  My husband even said this was quite good and he’s real hard to please with low-carb baking.  It has a nice elastic mouth feel one finds in a good traditional yeast bread.  I even included some dissolved yeast but I think it only impacts flavor, not rise.  There’s not enough gluten in 2 T. Einkorn flour for proper yeast “action”.  But it does give a little yeast taste.

I am not eating baked goods right now, so I only tasted and my husband will get to finish off this loaf.  This should make very nice sandwiches and slices into fourteen ½” slices or twenty-eight ¼” slices.  Yes, this bread has enough structure to be able to slice it into ¼” slices!  WOO HOO!  🙂

It doesn’t toast much better than most low-carb breads, so I use this mostly for sandwiches and making croutons.  But the crust toasts quite nicely.  Here’s a loaf that I sliced into 27 slices.  I failed to make sure of my 1/4″ accuracy along the way.  But I almost got 28 slices. 🙂

I order my non-GMO Einkorn flour direct from Jovial Foods.  Some have found it in Safeways and other stores right on the shelf, but I’ve not been so lucky.  It’s not as expensive as some low-carb baking ingredients.  Einkorn is real, ancient wheat, that has not been hybridized.  I use only the tiniest amounts in the occasional baked goods recipes.  It brings so much texture and flavor for little carbs.  This recipe is not suitable until you are near goal weight (Pre-Maintenance).

DRY INGREDIENTS:

½ c. almond flour

2 T. Einkorn flour

½ c. egg white protein powder (I use NOW brand)

2 T. oat fiber

2 T. coconut flour

1 T. baking powder

2 T. golden flax meal (dark flax or a mixture can be used for a darker, nuttier-tasting bread)

¼ tsp. sea salt

3 T. psyllium husk powder (I use NOW brand)

WET INGREDIENTS:

1 tsp. dry yeast dissolved in 2 T. warm water + pinch sugar

5 large eggs, beaten

3 T. olive oil

¼ c. egg whites (I used the ones in a carton)

½ c. boiling water (added last)

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease or oil a standard 5×8″ loaf pan and set aside.  Dissolve yeast in 2 T. warm water and add a tiny pinch sugar.  Set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, measure out all dry ingredients.  Stir well.  In another medium bowl, add the first 4 wet ingredients (all but the boiling water) and beat with a fork.  Add the dissolved yeast mixture to the wet ingredients and stir.   Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat well using a rubber spatula. Slowly add the boiling water to the batter and using a whisk, beat until smooth of lumps.  The more whisking the smoother the crust will come out, so don’t rush this step.  Spoon batter into greased loaf pan and bake at 350º for 30 minutes and test for doneness with toothpick.   If not done, cook 5-10 minutes longer.  Remove from oven and in a few minutes, tip onto board to finish cooling.  Stats below are calculated for 14 slices ½” thick.  I will also provide numbers for entire loaf so that you can figure out your own for the number of slices you choose to cut.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: 

Entire loaf:  1480 calories, 102.8 g  fat, 78.4 g  carbs, 47.2 g  fiber,  31.2 g  NET CARBS,     58.2 g  protein, 2669 mg sodium

If cut in 14 slices, ½”, @ contains: 106 calories, 7.3 g  fat, 5.60 g  carbs, 3.37 g  fiber, 2.23 g  NET CARBS, 4.15 g  protein, 191 mg sodium

If cut in 28 slices, ¼”, @ contains:  53 calories, 3.67 g fat, 2.8 g carbs, 1.68 g fiber, 1.12 g NET CARBS, 2.07 g protein, 95 mg sodium

Lupin Flour Bread

My inspiration for this <1g-net-carb-bread was the recipe here:  http://chocolatechillimango.com/2013/01/19/lupin-protein-bread/#.UVhdElfa7jU.   Once I discovered just how low-carb lupin flour is, I ordered some and have been experimenting with it lately.  First off, I just had to do something to reduce the yellow color lupin flour gives baked goods.  Yellow might be OK for a cornbread recipe, but I don’t want yellow sandwich bread.  So I set about making considerable changes to the inspirational recipe.

I’m quite pleased with the first loaf of bread and a few other baking experiments with lupin flour.  The bread has a nice firm texture and is moist.  It does not crumble apart like almond flour breads tend to do.  It has a more pleasant taste than most flax breads.  I will continue to experiment with the ingredients to try to achieve a whiter appearance and more “flour-y” taste.  I order my lupin flour direct from: http://www.lopino.com/product/21 .   Netrition.com also has recently started carrying lupin flour.  This recipe is not suitable until the grains rung of the Atkins Phase 2 OWL.  This recipe is unsuitable for Primal-Paleo on several levels.  I might mention that because of its slight “corn taste” this bread makes an excellent bread to crumble up for making cornbread stuffing!

CAUTION:  Lupin beans are a legume closely related to peanuts.  If you have a peanut allergy, I must inform you some peanut sensitive people react negatively to lupin beans.  Many of my low-carb cooking friends have had no problems eating lupin products whatsoever but I have found I do not tolerate this ingredient well, even though I am NOT allergic to peanuts.  Go figure…..no other legume bothers me.  😦 

This recipe appears in Vol. 4. (p.136) of LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS cookbook series by Jennifer Eloff and friends.  Jennifer has brought together a group of very talented low-carb chefs, including none other than George Stella, to offer some of their very tastiest low-carb creations.  Visit them on Facebook at the link above and if you like the photo preview there, like their page and buy the team’s cookbooks at Amazon or here.

DISCLAIMER:  By personal choice, I am not paid for this book promotion nor for the inclusion of my recipes in them. I do so because they are GREAT cookbooks.  ‘Nuff said.

INGREDIENTS:

½ c. lupin flour

¼ c. almond flour

1 T. golden flax meal

2 T. oat fiber (omit if gluten free)

2 T. coconut flour

2 T. plain, unsweetened whey protein powder (I use NOW brand)

1 T. egg white protein (I use NOW brand)

1½ tsp. each baking powder and baking soda

Dash garlic powder

½ tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. glucomannan powder (konjac powder) (optional, but enhances texture & rise)

1 c. grated Monterrey Jack cheese

3 T. water + 1 T. heavy cream

1 T. olive oil

6 beaten eggs

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Lightly grease/oil a loaf pan.   Mine is an unusual shape at 4″x3″x10″.  In a large mixing bowl, measure out all dry ingredients and stir well.  Make a well in the center and add the eggs, oil, water and cream and using a for, beat the liquid ingredients up in the well and slowly incorporate the dry ingredients to form a smooth batter.  Mine was fairly thick.  Spoon into the greased loaf pan, leveling with your rubber spatula.  Pop into preheated 350º oven for 30-40 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test in the center.  Remove, cool slightly and loosen from the pan with a knife.  I easily slice mine into 16 ½” slices using the 10″ loaf pan.  Using a deeper, shorter more standard loaf pan, you will need to see how many slices you get and recalculate your per slice stats.  I will provide the numbers for the entire loaf to facilitate recalculating.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  I get 16 slices from my 10″ long loaf:

1/16 loaf contains: 95 cals., 6.7 g  fat, 4.21 g  carbs, 3.34 g fiber, .87 NET CARBS, 6.78 g protein

Entire recipe contains:  1501 cals., 108 g  fat, 67.3 g  carbs, 53.4 g  fiber, 13.9 g  NET CARBS, 108 g  protein

Jalapeno Cheese Bread

I’ve been wanting to try my hand at a low-carb jalapeno cheese bread and finally got around to it.  I must say my first experiment turned into a delightfully tasty bread!  For some reason, this bread is better when completely cooled rather than right out of the oven.  Not sure why, but many low-carb baked goods just are!  It’s great on day 2 toasted with butter on top.  This bread is not suitable until you reach the nuts and seeds rung of the Atkins OWL phase.   It is acceptable for Keto diets. It is suitable for Primal diners, if you eat occasional dairy, but not acceptable for Paleo.

This makes up nicely as muffins, too, as the crust is very nice on this bread.  I discovered that leftovers make an outstanding cornbread stuffing!!  Muffins will only take about 15-20 minutes to cook.

I chose to use fresh jalapeno, but will try my next batch using pickled jalapenos to see which I like best.  Those that like their jalapeno bread “hotter” may want to use 2 jalapenos.  My husband and I don’t like it too hot.  🙂

The corn flavoring I used to buy was Superior Products brand, which I last bought direct from Superior Products.  Sadly they have gone out of business or sold out.  Only places I’ve seen corn flavoring since is either at Superior Products (where I order it and love the flavor) or at Naturesflavors.com (but I haven’t tried their’s yet).

INGREDIENTS:

1½ c. almond flour

2 T. coconut flour

¼ c. golden flax meal

1 T.  baking powder

1 c. shredded hard cheese of your choice (I use cheddar)

1 jalapeno, seeded & chopped

5 eggs, beaten

2 T. coconut oil, melted

2 T. olive oil

1 T. cider vinegar

1 T. + 1 tsp. Fresh Corn flavoring (optional) Source:  selectflavors.com

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease a loaf pan well and set aside.  I highly recommend using a piece of parchment as well, as mine is inclined to stick on the bottom at times, even in a non-stick pan!  I use an unusual shaped loaf pan, non-standard, that is 4½” wide, 2½” deep and 12″ long.  So I can easily get 10 very thick slices out of a loaf.  These can be found at Amazon if you search out “long non-stick loaf pans”.  Wilton® makes one.

click to see in my 4×12″ x-long loaf pan

Measure all dry ingredients and cheese into a medium measuring bowl, stir and set aside.  Seed and finely chop jalapeno and add. Add cheese and stir all dry ingredients together to blend.   Add all liquid ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir to blend.    Using a rubber spatula, scrape batter into greased loaf pan and pop into preheated oven for 30 minutes (40 min for 5×8 standard loaf pan).  Ovens vary, so check center with finger and toothpick test.   Remove and cool in pan a few minutes.  Run sharp knife around edges to loosen and gently tip out onto a cutting board. Slice into 10 servings.  This is best cooled somewhat before slicing.   See note in red above.  This problem has been resolved by using only baking powder instead of a mixture of soda and powder, as the recipe was originally published.

SPECIAL NOTE:  This bread makes an outstanding “Cornbread” Stuffing for your holiday turkey as well, with or without that corn flavoring!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 10 large slices, each contains: (calculated using 1 c. cheese only)

242 calories, 21 g fat, 6.2 g  carbs, 3.2 g  fiber, 3.0 g  NET CARBS, 9.95 g  protein, 386 mg sodium