Italian Chicken Tart

With just 1½ cups of leftover cooked chicken in the refrigerator, I am going to revisit my Italian Chicken Tart for lunch today.  We just loved it when I developed this recipe last year!  You could certainly serve this lunch with a salad, but with the fresh spinach layer here, there is a serving of greens right in the tart!  This delicious recipe is suitable once you reach Phase 2 of Atkins and is acceptable for most Keto plans.

VARIATION:  For a smaller version, divide the dough into 12 balls and press the dough onto the bottom and up the sides a bit of each cup in the tin.  Distribute the toppings on all 12 portions.  Baking time probably won’t change for the smaller version.  You could even divide dough into 24 balls and press into the real mini-muffin pans.  Reduce cook time a bit for those.  Another variation would be to sub in 2-3 Italian sausage links, skinned, crumbled and pre-browned for the chicken in this recipe.  Subbing in an Alfredo sauce for the rec marinara would change this up quite a bit, too.

CRUST INGREDIENTS:

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese (I used whole milk variety)

2 T. unsalted butter, pre-melted

½ c. Jennifer Eloff’s GF bake mix

½ c. Carbquik Bake Mix

1/8 tsp. each onion and garlic powder

1 T. oat fiber

1/2 tsp. psyllium husk powder (I use NOW brand)

1 egg, beaten

TOPPINGS:

1 c. fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped

¼ c. low-carb spaghetti sauce (jar) (I used Classico brand with basil)

1½ c. cooked chicken, coarsely chopped

½ tsp. each dried basil and oregano leaves

½ c. additional mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Place cheese in glass bowl and set in microwave.  Melt cheese on HI for around 2 minutes.  Remove bowl from.  Drizzle melted butter over the top of cheese and stir with fork.  Add in the two bake mixes, the psyllium, oat fiber, the beaten egg, onion and garlic powder.  Stir well with fork until it forms a ball and pulls away from the bowl.  Knead once or twice with hands in the bowl and then place dough into a classic tart pan (the kind where the bottom pushes up/out).  If you don’t have one, use a large pie plate.  This crust wanted to stick to the pan a bit, despite the fact my tart pan is non-stick, so you might want to lightly oil the pan with coconut oil.  Press the dough out evenly on the bottom with your hands, pushing it up the sides a bit to form a “wall” around the edge.  Just so you know, my tart pan is 11″ in diameter.  Pop into 350º oven for about 12 minutes to set up the dough surface. Remove when it just beings to get tan on the edges.  Remove.  Place the spinach evenly on the bottom of the tart.  Next add the chopped chicken, oregano and basil.  Top with the additional ½ c. mozzarella cheese.  Raise oven temp to 375º and pop back into oven.  Bake until lightly browned, or about 15 minutes.   Watch it, as ovens do vary.  Cut into 6 slices and serve hot.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:    Makes 6 slices, each contains:  (I ate 2 and the hubs ate 3)

333 calories, 25 g fat, 10.83 g carbs, 6.65 g fiber, 4.18 g NET CARBS, 27 g protein, 549 mg sodium

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Cheese Puffs

I decided to modify my Cheese Thin Buns recipe by adding some Carbquik to the ingredient line-up.   What a marvelous change that makes!  These tasty little snacks are less than 1 net carb per puff!  We both love snacking on cheese bread, but what we buy at the store isn’t exactly low-carb.  This is my answer to a late night snack that is suitable on a very low-carb diet.  These are easy to make and I’m certain they’ll be a hit with your family.  If you don’t like things spicy, omit the cayenne; if you do like things spicy, you may even want to increase the amount of cayenne!  🙂  These are suitable once you get to the end of Phase 2 Atkins.

INGREDIENTS:

3 eggs, beaten

½ c. water

2 T. olive oil

2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

1 T. + 1 tsp. glucomannan powder (there is no substitute for this)

¼ c. whey protein powder (plain, unsweetened)

1 T. (3 tsp) baking powder

¼ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. onion powder

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (optional, but greatly enhances flavor profile)

1/8 tsp. sea salt

1 c. Carbquik (use a gluten-free bake mix if needed)

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Measure out the dry ingredients in a small mixing bowl and stir well to evenly mix.  In a separate medium mixing bowl, beat the wet ingredients with an electric mixer or whisk.  While you are whisking the egg mixture, slowly add in the dry ingredients until all is well blended into a batter resembling pancake batter.  Stir in the cheese and mix it well.  Let the dough stand a few minutes as it will thicken/stiffen up a bit.

I used a non-stick mini-muffin pan.  The cheese will bleed out some oil, so you shouldn’t have to oil a non-stick pan.  But if yours is NOT non-stick, oil the cups of your mini-muffin pan lightly with a brush.  Using a measuring spoon, put 1 level tablespoon of batter into each cup raking it out with a finger to get it all.  Will make exactly 34 muffins, so a second baking will be necessary unless you own two mini-muffin pans.  Pop into 350º oven and bake for 17 minutes or until browning on top.  We found browning enhances flavor, so you may want to even bake yours a bit longer.  Remove from oven and cool a couple minutes.  If cooled a bit, they will come out of the pans with a knife tip’s help without tearing apart.  If removed too hot, you are going to tear them up.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:    Makes 34 Cheese Puffs, each contains:

50.6 cals., 4.52 g fat, 2.13 g carbs, 1.43 g fiber, 0.70 g NET CARBS, 3.06 g protein, 138 mg sodium

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Spicy Cheese Thins

This recipe is a variation of an Almond Thin cracker recipe posted on the now closed Low Carb Friends forums.  It was originally posted there by a member known as Miredkitty, but am not sure if it is in fact Miredkitty’s own recipe.   It has been tweaked by so many good cooks they have come up with a ton of wonderful savory and sweet variations.

I took the basic almond flour thins recipe, doubled it, omitted the Splenda and then added cheese and one of my favorite seasoning combinations to come up with a spicy little snack cracker reminiscent of Cheez-its or Pepperidge Farm Goldfish.  These are very thin and VERY crispy if you allow them to brown a bit!  They are good alone or they are delicious with soup! You can eat five of these crackers for under 2 net carbs!!   My kind of cracker!  These are not suitable until you get to the nuts and seeds rung of the Atkins OWL ladder.

VARIATION:  For an even cheesier taste, you can add 2 T. Nutritional Yeast to the dry ingredients when mixing the dough. 🙂

You can have many more delicious cracker and snack recipes to serve your guests with your very own copy of LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS, a collection of recipes by International author Jennifer Eloff and some other VERY talented low-carb  cooks, including George Stella, well-known to the low-carb community. Open the link to see a lovely sampling of what awaits you in these cookbooks.  You can order the 5-volume set or individual volumes at Amazon or here.

INGREDIENTS:

2 c. almond flour

2 egg whites from large eggs

¼ tsp. onion powder

1/8-¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

1/8 tsp. chili powder

1 c. grated Cheddar cheese (½ c. more if you want them even cheesier)

¼ tsp. salt (optional)

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 325º. Cut parchment paper to fit exactly the bottom of an 11″ x 16½” sheet pan.  Just set the paper on your kitchen counter for now.  Mix almond flour and seasonings in a bowl.  Add egg whites and stir with a fork.  Add cheese and continue stirring until it forms a moist dough.  Spoon (or crumble with your hands) the dough evenly onto parchment working from the center out. Cover the dough blobs with a sprayed/oiled sheet of waxed paper the same size.  Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a single, smooth rectangular sheet of dough the size of the parchment.  Be careful to not let the dough exceed the piece of parchment paper. If it does, put those bits back into the sheet and roll smooth again.  You definitely want this dough to go all the way to the edges of the parchment paper so the crackers will be thin enough to be crisp.

Slowly and carefully lift off the waxed paper.  Use the tip of a pointed knife to lift up two corners and with your hands, applying tension to keep the sheet stiff, carefully lift parchment, dough and all onto the baking sheet.  If you cut it the right size, it should sit right down on the bottom nicely.  Using your sharp knife, carefully (and gently since the dough is fragile) score the dough into cracker shapes (8 x 10, making 80 crackers total).  Pop into your preheated 325º oven and bake for about 10-11 minutes or until lightly browned.  The outer rows brown faster, so you will likely need to remove outer rows as soon as they are browned so those don’t get over-browned while  the center ones finish cooking.  Cool a few minutes and separate into separate crackers along your score lines.  Store in an airtight container or ziploc bag.  NOTE:  If these lose their crispness on day 2 or 3 (due to high oil content of cheddar cheese) re-crisp on a baking sheet in a 325º in the oven for about 10 minutes.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 80 crackers, each cracker contains: (using 1 c. cheese only)

23.5 calories, 1.98 g  fat, 0.64 g  carbs, 0.3 g  fiber, 0.34 g  NET CARBS, 1.12 g  protein, 20.4 mg sodium

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Einkorn Sausage Balls

This is an ever-popular party appetizer that never goes out of favor with your holiday guests.  I’m hosting the appetizers phase of our neighborhood annual Christmas round-robin dinner and this easy make-ahead treat will be easy to make ahead, heat and serve.  I have another Sausage Cheese Ball recipe on my website that rings in at only 1 net carb per ball but I like this one a bit better.  With fewer ingredients it’s a little easier to put together.  This recipe features my convenient homemade Einkorn Low-Carb Bake Mix (similar to Bisquick and Carbquick).  These tasty treats only have 1.76 net carbs per ball!  Not bad for the convenience of just reaching for 3 ingredients in lieu of a whole bunch of ingredients.   These are not suitable until the grains rung of the carb re-introduction ladder of Atkins Phase 2 OWL.  They are OK for Keto diets if you can fit a few into your daily carb limits.

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. breakfast sausage (I used my homemade breakfast sausage recipe)

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

2 c. my Einkorn Bake Mix  (For gluten-free version, use Jennifer Eloff’s Gluten-Free Bake Mix or another GF mix of your choice)

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º. Mix the above ingredients in a medium bowl with your hands as you would a meatloaf mixture.  When thoroughly blended, form into 30 1″ balls and place on non-stick baking sheet or one lined with parchment or silicone sheet for ease of clean-up. Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.  Remove to paper towels to drain off any excess grease (mine had none actually).  Serve warm and ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 30  1″ balls, each sausage ball contains:

95 calories, 7.81 g  fat, 2.4 g  carbs, 0.64 g fiber, 1.76 g  NET CARBS, 4.82 g  protein, 81 mg sodium

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Apricot Trail Mix

I absolutely LOVE trail mix.  And such a healthy snack!  It has the added bonus of being very transportable, for hiking, biking, camping, or taking to the office in a little baggie.  This apricot-coconut mix was a Christmas favorite of a relative.  She always brought some to the holiday gathering. The stuff is so good I have to dip my ½ cup portion out and put the bag away, or I’ll just keep eating and eating it.  Wrapped prettily with a ribbon, this makes a lovely gift when going to parties or for the holidays.  Just place in a pretty clear glass container and affix a pretty bow on top!  This very nutritious dessert/snack is not suitable until the highest fruit rung of the Atkins OWL carb re-introduction ladder (pre-maintenance or maintenance).  This recipe is suitable for Paleo-Primal eaters.

VARIATION:  Substitute dried pieces for the dried apricots. I also have a Cranberry Trail Mix recipe you might like.

More delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends’ best-selling cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS.  She has collaborated with famous low-carb Chef George Stella and several other talented chefs to bring you a wealth of delicious recipes you are going to want to try.  Even a few of my recipes are in her cookbooks! Order your 5-volume set TODAY! (available individually) from Amazon or: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

INGREDIENTS:

5 oz. pumpkin seeds, hulled, roasted (unsalted)

5 oz. sunflower seeds, hulled, roasted (unsalted)

2 oz. walnuts (about 28 halves), coarsely chopped/broken up

6 oz. fresh coconut meat, slivered thinly

4 oz. sliced almonds

6 oz. dried apricots, no sugar added (I buy them at Sam’s)

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 200º and spread thinly sliced coconut onto a sheet pan. Dry for about 1½-2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Remove from oven before coconut begins to brown and cool.  You don’t really want to toast it for this recipe, just dry it out a bit.  In a large mixing bowl, toss all ingredients together.  Using kitchen shears, cut apricots into small pieces and add to the bowl.  Stir to mix well.  Store in a zipper plastic bag in your pantry.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes about 6 cups or twelve ½ cup servings.  Each ½ cup serving contains:

301.6 cals, 23.5g fat, 18g carbs, 5.3g fiber, 12.7g NET CARBS, 9.8g protein, 53.6 mg sodium

 

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Einkorn Melba Toast

I made some delicious “Melba Toast®” today from a loaf of Maria Emerich’s Amazing Bread (slightly modified).  Given the moisture level of the interior of this bread, I wasn’t sure it would work………………… BUT IT DID!   I used these crisp cracker-like toasts to serve the leftover Smoked Steelhead Trout Spread I whipped up yesterday for lunch.  They were a delicious vehicle for the spread!  My husband was out of town yesterday and didn’t get to taste my delicious spread.  My husband loves Melba Toast® and said these were almost as crisp and tastier than the original!  And the spread was a hit, too!  Can’t wait to try these melba toasts with marmalade in the morning!  This recipe is not suitable (with my modifications) until you are nearing goal weight at the final grains rung of the carb-ladder of Phase 2.

Our latest three volumes of LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS cookbooks are calling you.  Volume 8 and Volume 9 are almost exclusively comprised of my recipes!  Included in both editions are a few tasty new creations of my dear friends George Stella and Jennifer Eloff.   Volume 10 is hot off the press with more delectable goodies.  Early orders can be delivered by Thanksgiving.  EARLY BIRD SECRET SALE!!  Special pricing and limited-time free shipping so hurry and place your order today.  You can order these or any of our cookbooks at https://amongfriends.us/Secret-SALE.php.  When you purchase our books, we would sure appreciate you stopping by Amazon to leave a review at this site.

INGREDIENTS:  (my 2 minor changes to Maria’s recipe in blue)

1 tsp. dry yeast + ½ tsp. real sugar dissolved in:

¼ c. warm water

3 c. almond flour

½ c. Einkorn flour

10 T. psyllium husk powder

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

5 T. apple cider vinegar

6 egg whites, beaten in a bowl with a whisk until frothy

1½ c. boiling water

DIRECTIONS:   Preheat oven to 350º.  You’ll need to first bake the loaf of bread these are made from (unless you already have a loaf baked and ready).  Lightly oil the ends of an 8×4″ loaf pan.  Lay a sheet of parchment (cut to fit) into the bottom that rolls up the long sides of the pan.

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the ¼ c. warm water with the sugar.  Let it sit on your counter while you measure out your other ingredients.

In a medium mixing bowl, measure out all listed dry ingredients.  Stir well to make sure they are uniformly mixed.  Into the yeast/water mixture, add the beaten egg whites and cider vinegar.  Stir well to blend.  Now add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients bowl and stir a few times.  All at once,  pour the boiling water over the mixture and stir quickly and briskly with a fork to pull it together into a contiguous ball of dough.  Switching to a rubber spatula, scrap the sides of the bowl down to get all of the dough.  Spoon the dough into your oiled/papered pan.  Pop into 350º oven for about 1 hour.  Check often after 50 minutes as ovens vary.  When toothpick stuck into center comes out dry and clean, it’s done.  Remove and chill in the refrigerator for at least a couple hours overnight before proceeding.

Preheat oven to 350º.  When the loaf of bread is completely chilled, remove from refrigerator and slice into 40 very thin slices ½cm or 3/16″ thick.  Lay them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Pop pan into oven and bake on first side for about 15-20 minutes (again, ovens vary, so keep an eye out on these so as not to over brown).  Remove from oven, turn each toast over and pop back into oven for about another 10 minutes only.  When you are satisfied they have dried out and are lightly browned, remove them and cool.  Serve as is with your favorite jams, jellies.  They will likely lose their crunchiness when stored, but just reheat on low oven setting (300º) awhile, or make fewer of them for immediate consumption.

NOTE:  *For party spreads and cheese balls, you might prefer a smaller, cracker shape.  Just cut the “toasts” in half before baking.  

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 40 “Melba Toasts”, each contains:

57 cals, 3.86g fat, 4.77g carbs, 2.62g fiber, 2.15g NET CARBS, 2.4g protein, 118mg sodium

• If cut in halves, recipe makes 80 square crackers with 1.07 net carbs per cracker.

 

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Smoked Steelhead Trout Spread

With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, you’re going to want some new munchies to set out while the turkey cooks.  We grilled a large filet of Steelhead Trout last night for dinner, which is quite mild in flavor.  We had nearly 6 oz. leftover from his huge filet, so I got creative with it today and made a fantastic spread for low-carb crackers or veggie dipping.  This was one of the yummiest dips/spreads I’ve ever created, so I do hope you’ll try it sometime!  Plan for it to disappear fast, as it it THAT good!   You can substitute grilled salmon if that is more readily available, but be aware that commercially smoked salmon will be considerably stronger in fish/smoke flavor and much higher in sodium than a fish you grill at home yourself.

Our latest three volumes of LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS cookbooks are calling you.  Volume 8 and Volume 9 are almost exclusively comprised of my recipes!  Included in both editions are a few tasty new creations of my dear friends George Stella and Jennifer Eloff.   Volume 10 is hot off the press with more delectable goodies.  Early orders can be delivered by Thanksgiving.  EARLY BIRD SECRET SALE!!  Special pricing and limited-time free shipping so hurry and place your order today.  You can order these or any of our cookbooks at https://amongfriends.us/Secret-SALE.php.  When you purchase our books, we would sure appreciate you stopping by Amazon to leave a review at this site

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. (8 oz) cream cheese

1/3 c. sour cream

1/3 c. my homemade Shawarma Mayo (or regular mayo)

4 T. green onion, finely chopped

½ tsp. Tobasco “Chipotle” Hot Sauce

Dash cayenne pepper

Dash sea salt

5-6 oz. smoked Steelhead Trout (or Salmon)

DIRECTIONS:  Place all ingredients but the fish into a food processor or blender.  Pulse until well blended.  Scrape out into a medium mixing bowl.  On a paper plate, flake the fish well with a fork.  Scrap into the bowl and stir just to blend the spread well.  Serve with you preferred dippers:  low-carb crackers, celery or carrot sticks, other raw veggies of choice.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 2½ cups or 40 Tbsp. Each tablespoon contains: (does not include dippers)

42 cals, 4.32g fat, 0.30g carbs, 0.02g fiber, 0.28g NET CARBS, 1.3g protein, 29 mg sodium (sodium will be much higher if you use commercially smoked salmon)

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