Chocolate Cake

The Vanilla extract is not included in the Nutritional Value because the value of my home made extract is very different then store bought extract. Please make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. I use Tagatesse as sweetener but because that is not easily available in the US I use Splenda in my recipes. I usualy use tartaric acid backing powder.

Servings: 12

4 ½   oz Butter ( 125 gram) at room temperature ½ cup Splenda 4 egg (medium) 1 tbsp vanilla extract ½ cup cocoa powder 1 cup Almond Flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp butter

1   Beat the butter until it is soft and creamy. 2 Add the sweetener and mix. 3 Add the eggs one by one and beat until it is fully mixed with the butter. Do not add the next until the previous is fully mixed in. 4 Add the Vanilla extract. 5 Add the cocoa powder trough a sieve to get the lumps out and mix again. 6 Add ½ a cup of Almond flour and mix it well. 7 Add the other ½ cup Almond flour and the baking powder and mix well again. 8 Use the left over tsp of butter to grease a cake tin (about 9 inch, 24 cm) and poor the batter in. 9 Place in a pre heated oven on 320F ( 160°C) for 40 - 45 minutes. Check if the cake is ready by putting in a skewer, if it comes out clean it is done. If not give it another 5 minutes.

Tips Great with whipped cream and strawberries. If you think the carb count is a bit high then you can lower it by using less cocoa powder.

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 162 calories, 134 calories from fat, 15,5g total fat, 78,3mg cholesterol, 63,4mg sodium, 77,6mg potassium, 4,3g carbohydrates, 2,2g fiber, <1g sugar, 4,6g protein, 2,1g net carbohydrates.

Oven Temperature: 320°F

Vanilla Extract

Real vanilla extract is very expensive. All other kinds are usually sugar based and don't even have real vanilla in it. Vanilla extract is alcohol based therefore this recipe is as close as it gets (or the same) as the very expensive kind. It should be placed in a cool, dark place but if you are like me jut put it where you can see it. After 8 weeks it will be really dark and ready to use. As soon as the pods start sticking out of the vodka buy some more and just add to the extract. I have been using the dame bottle for close to a year now. When I found it wasn't getting as dark as I wanted anymore I just added a few more beans. It is important you buy real good quality vanilla beans and not the dried out supermarket beans.

Yield: 1 Liter

12   vanilla bean 33   ounces   vodka (1 liter bottle) 40%

1   Take a little bit of Vodka out of the bottle. 2 Cut the beans lengthwise and scrape out the seeds 3 Put both the seeds and pods in the bottle of vodka. 4 Poor the rest of the Vodka back in until the bottle is full and save the rest of the vodka to add again later. 5 Place the bottle in a cool, dark place for 6-8 weeks. Shake the bottle a few times a week.

Tips great to use in cakes, pancakes and other baked things but I also love it in my coffee.

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (entire recipe): 2161 calories, 0 calories from fat, 0g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 9,4mg sodium, 9,4mg potassium, 0g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 0g sugar, 0g protein, 0g net carbohydrates.

Swedish Tuna Salad

This salad brings back memories for me. I call this a Swedish Tuna Salad because the first time I ate it was at my Swedish neighbor across the street when I was a kid. I never really got the recipe but I always remembered what was in it. I hope. This salad can be made with canned green beans too but I prefer fresh. Originally it also had potatoes in it and you can always serve those on the side for non low-carbing family members or friends. Pasta would be an option too. This is great to prepare up front and is perfect to take to work. Also great for those hot summer days when you do not want the stove to warm up the kitchen. Then you need to use canned beans or steam them in the microwave.

Servings: 3

7     oz   green beans (200 gram) 3 oz onion sliced ( 90 gram) 3.5 oz cucumber (100 gram) 5 oz tomato, diced (140 gram) 9 oz Tuna, canned in oil (2 small cans) Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1   Cook the beans, but don't overcook they are best when still a bit crunchy. Let them cool down while moving on to step 2. 2 Slice all the other vegetables and mix in a bowl. 3 Add the beans and tuna. 4 Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Tips If you like you could add a bit of mayo, lemon juice or Olive Oil to the salad. ( not added to the nutritional value)

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 194 calories, 64 calories from fat, 7,2g total fat, 15,3mg cholesterol, 305,5mg sodium, 383,1mg potassium, 5,5g carbohydrates, 1,4g fiber, 3g sugar, 25,8g protein, 4,1g net carbohydrates.

Recipe Type: Fish and Shellfish, Main Dish, Salad, Seafood

Source Author: Saskia van der Zanden Web Page: sizzling-lowcarb.blogspot.nl

Summer holiday is almost over.

I know I have been slacking with new recipes.
I don't have any good excuse really. I can tell you I have been having trouble with my recipe program, which is true. But  I could have been working harder on what I am doing wrong.
Trying to get back to writing soon.

Cinnamon Flax Muffins

This recipe is not mine. This is one off the Atkins MiM (Muffin in a Minute) recipes. You either like them or you don't they say. And that is partially true. there will always be things we just don't like. But sometimes a change in how something is prepared makes a huge difference too. By resting the dough before baking the flax becomes a lot softer already but by baking them in the oven they get even better. the serving size of one MiM is the same as 2 oven backed muffins if you use a regular muffin baking form. I use a silicone form. I always use Tagatesse as sweetener but because that is harder to get for those of you in the U.S.A. and Canada I calculate the nutritional info as if I would use Splenda.

Servings: 3 Yield: 6

2 oz Butter (60 gram) 2 tbsp    Splenda 4   Egg (medium) 1 tsp Cream of tartar 3 tsp Cinnamon ¾ cup Flax meal 1 pinch Salt (optional)

1  Make sure your butter is at room temperature before you start. 2  Beat the butter with an electrical mixer until it is creamy, add the sweetener and mix until it is fully incorporated. 3  Add the eggs one by one. making sure the egg is completely mixed before adding the next. 4  Mix the dry ingredients in another bowl and slowly add it to the butter/egg mixture. 5  Scoop the batter in the muffin forms, use paper liners if you want, and let it rest for about 5 minutes while you preheat the oven on 320°F (160°C) 6  Bake the muffins 15 minutes and check if they are fully baked by inserting a skewer. If it comes out clean they are done.

Tips They are also very good with a bit of cream cheese frosting. (just mix a bit of mascarpone with sweetener)

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 435 calories, 322 calories from fat, 37,3g total fat, 258,9mg cholesterol, 194,7mg sodium, 576,8mg potassium, 14,3g carbohydrates, 12g fiber, <1g sugar, 14,7g protein, 2,4g net carbohydrates.

Oven Temperature: 320°F

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I made grilled cheese sandwiches using the Mediteranean Flax Bread.
Served it with lc bbq sauce.

Mediterranean Flax Bread

I used the Atkins Muffin in a Minute (MiM) recipe as a base for this "bread". Because of the grainy texture of the mim's I prefer baking them in the oven. I use this 'bread' to make grilled cheese sandwiches or as toast. I got 28 slices out of the entire loaf. If you plan on making grilled cheese sandwiches with them you will probably use 4 slices per person. That is why I gave the nutritional info per serving of 4 slices.

Servings: 7 Yield: 28 slices

4.4 oz Butter ( 125 gram) at room temperature 8 egg (medium) 1½ cup  ground flax 2 tsp cream of tartar ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp parsley ½ tsp thyme ½ tsp oregano ½ tsp salt ½ tsp Splenda (optional) ¼ tsp pepper butter or oil to grease the baking form

1    Use an electrical mixer to beat the butter until it is creamy. 2 Add the eggs one by one. Do not add another until the previous one is completely mixed 3 mix the dry ingredients in another bowl 4 Add the dry mix ¼ cup at a time through the eggs and butter mix. 5 Preheat your oven at 320°F (160°C) 6 Put the batter into a greased loaf tin or cake form 9.5 inch (24 cm) 7 Let it rest for 5 minutes 8 Bake the "bread" for about 35-45 minutes. Let it cool down and slice into very thin slices. 9 Use them to make grilled cheese sandwiches or just eat as 'bread' or toast.

Tips You can freeze this as individual slices or completely

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 381 calories, 288 calories from fat, 33,3g total fat, 225,4mg cholesterol, 250,3mg sodium, 491,9mg potassium, 10,9g carbohydrates, 9,2g fiber, <1g sugar, 12,6g protein, 1,7g net carbohydrates.

Oven Temperature: 320°F

I'm back

My pc is fixed. I will be posting again real soon.

Computer says NO!

I'm having some issues with my pc. It has a mind of its own and has other plans then I do.
I am still cooking and for now writing my recipes on paper. I hope we can fix it quickly.

Chicken, Strawberry Salad

I got the inspiration for this recipe while testing recipes for Dana Carpender's new cookbook. I found out the only way strawberries do not cause cravings is when I eat them with a savory dish that includes protein and fat.

Servings: 2

1 oz pine nuts (30 gram) 0.3 oz basil leaves (10 gram) about a cup of fresh leaves 1 clove  garlic 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp olive oil 10 oz chicken breasts (300 gram) 7 oz lettuce 2 oz strawberries 2 oz brie Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 Toast the pine nuts and put half of them aside to sprinkle over the salad. 2 Mix the other half of the pine nuts with the basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender to pesto. 3 Add the balsamic and stir. 4 Cut the chicken in a few smaller pieces for faster cooking. 5 Rub the chicken with olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper. Grill in a grill pan or tabletop grill. When it's done leave it to rest. 6 Slice the lettuce into thin strips and place on plates. 7 Slice the chicken into strips and put them on top of the lettuce. 8 Wash the strawberries and cut them into halves (or quarters, depends how big they are) and put them on top of the salad. 9 Drizzle the pesto-balsamic dressing over the salad. Sprinkle the left over pine nuts over the salad. 10 Cut the brie in thin slices and put on the salad.

Tips The fist time you make it don't put all the dressing on, you might not like it that strong.

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 475 calories, 288 calories from fat, 32,6g total fat, 119,1mg cholesterol, 355,7mg sodium, 784mg potassium, 7,3g carbohydrates, 1,9g fiber, 4,7g sugar, 37,5g protein, 5,5g net carbohydrates.

Recipe Type: Main Dish, Salad Source Author: Saskia van der Zanden Web Page: Sizzling-lowcarb.blogspot.nl

Avocado Summer Salad

I absolutely love spicy food but sometimes I am in the mood for something mild. For those hot summer days you don't need the extra spice this is a perfect salad. This also makes a great lunch on the go but only if you can keep it cool. Leaf Chicory is also known as Belgian or French Endive. If you can't find it you can use radiccio instead.

Servings: 2

7 oz Leaf Chicory ( 200 gram) Hart removed 1.7 oz radishes 5 oz Avocado ( 150 gram) 1 lb chicken breasts (450 gram) 2 tbsp   mayonnaise 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp vinegar (distilled) ½ tsp curry powder 1 tbsp olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1  Cut the chicken into a few pieces, That way they cook faster. 2 Mix the olive oil with the curry powder and some salt and pepper to taste and rub it into the chicken pieces. 3 Grill or bake the chicken. 4 Cut the avocado in half and remove the stone. Dice and sprinkle with the lemon juice. 5 Mix the mayo with, water, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. 6 Slice the chicory and radishes in thin strips and mix with the mayo dressing. 7 Mix the avocado carefully into the chicory. 8 Serve with the chicken on the side or if it's a lunch on the go cut the chicken in small strips and mix with the salad.

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 297 calories, 205 calories from fat, 23,8g total fat, 26,5mg cholesterol, 166,3mg sodium, 759,8mg potassium, 12,8g carbohydrates, 6,7g fiber, 1,8g sugar, 10,6g protein, 6,1g net carbohydrates.

Source Author: Saskia van der Zanden Web Page: Sizzling-lowcarb.blogspot.nl

Lemon Meringue Pie

I love Lemon and Meringue so what better to make then a Lemon Meringue pie right?  I am not completely sure about the Meringue on top yet so if you have any comments or idea's please let me know. Servings: 12

Crust 2 oz butter, at room temperature 2 tbsp Splenda 1 egg 1 ½ cup Almond Flour Filling 5 egg yolks 2 tbsp Splenda 1 tbsp lemon zest 1½ tbsp lemon juice 1 cup cream ( I used 200 ml wich is ½ cup and ⅓ cup) Meringue 5 egg white ¼ cup Splenda ⅛ tsp cream of tartar

Crust 1  Preheat the oven at 160°C (320°F) 2 Whisk the butter using an electrical mixer, add the sweetener. Then add the egg and when that's fully incorporated add the Almond Flour 1/2 cup at a time. 3 Cover the bottom of a Spring form pan with parchment paper and press the dough in with the back of a warm, wet spoon. Make sure you get an edge of about ½ inch up the side 4 Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Let it cool and harden a bit before the next step. Filling 1 Preheat the oven at 180°C (356°F) 2 Whisk the egg yolks with sweetener, add the zest and juice of 1 lemon and whisk until fully incorporated. 3 Heat the cream till it starts to boil. 4 Add the boiling cream little by little to the eggs while whisking do the egg doesn't start to curdle. Then transfer the mixture back into the pan that you used to heat the cream and put it back on the stove. Keep whisking constantly while the mixture thickens. 5 As soon as it looks like custard and starts to bubble pour it onto the crust and put it in the oven for 15 minutes. Let it cool and set a bit before the next step. Meringue 1 preheat the broiler 2 Whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar and sweetener to stiff peaks. 3 Put it onto the pie and place it under the broiler for about 5 minutes, but keep checking on it all the time. Get it out when the pie starts to change color.

Tips Best when served cold. I use Tagatesse, a tagatose based sweetener for all my recipes but that is not easy to find for everyone. Because the sweetness is just as strong as Splenda I use that for writing my recipes. But you can of course substitute it for the sweetener of your preference. I have made this into 12 servings but you might not agree. If you cut the pie into 10 servings they are 3.1 nc per serving

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 218 calories, 176 calories from fat, 20,4g total fat, 126mg cholesterol, 39,8mg sodium, 59,2mg potassium, 4,2g carbohydrates, 1,6g fiber, <1g sugar, 6,5g protein, 2,6g net carbohydrates.

Recipe Type: Cakes, Pastries, and Desserts, Dessert, Holiday

Shaslicks

One of my all time favorite barbecue food on a stick. We call them Shaslicks, but I have heard they are called Kabob's in other places.

Servings: 4

1 lb Pork (450 gram) 3.5 oz bacon (100 gram) 1.5 oz Green bell pepper (45 gram) 1.5 oz Red bell pepper (45 gram) 1.5 oz Onion (45 gram) 1 tsp paprika ¼ tsp salt ⅛ tsp pepper 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp Lea & Perrins Worchestershire sauce

1  Cut the pork into 40 more or less equal dices. You need 5 dices per Shaslick. 2    Mix the olive oil with the paprika, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce and stir in the meat. Let it absorb the flavors for at least 30 minutes. Several hours would be best if you have the time. 3  While you are waiting, cut the peppers and onion in 8 pieces. and fold the slices of bacon in the same size. 4  Thread onto 8 skewers alternating between meat and veggie's 5  Grill on the barbeque, tabletop grill or use a grillpan.

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 188 calories, 139 calories from fat, 15,5g total fat, 32,2mg cholesterol, 406,7mg sodium, 246,2mg potassium, 3,5g carbohydrates, <1g fiber, 1,6g sugar, 8,5g protein, 2,7g net carbohydrates.

Recipe Type: Barbecue, Main Dish, Meat

Source Author: Saskia van der Zanden Web Page: Sizzling-lowcarb.blogspot.nl

Chicken Sate

This is a great recipe for on the barbecue but it can just as easily be prepared in a skillet. Serve with Sate sauce, Indonesian style peanut sauce and pickled vegetables called Atjar

Servings: 5

1/4 cup  Olive oil 2 tbsp  Soy sauce 1/2 tsp  Ginger 1/4 tsp  Garlic powder 1/2 tsp  Cumin powder 1/4 tsp  Lemongrass powder 1/4 tsp  Laos 1/4 tsp  Tumeric 1 tsp  Dried red onion 1/2 tsp  Sambal Oelek ( chilli paste ) 1/8 tsp  Chili powder 1/8 tsp  Cardamom 1 tbsp  Lemon juice 2.4 lbs  Chicken breast, diced 3/4-inch

1 Put all the ingredients into a ziploc bag and add the chicken pieces. 2 Let it Marinate at least15 minutes but a few hours would be best. Overnight wouldn't hurt but it is not nessesary 3 Put the meat on skewers and place on the barbecue or just fry in a pan over medium heat. Serve with Sate Sauce (peanut sauce)

Tips You could garnish it with some peanuts if you like. I did do for the picture but those are not included in the nutritional value. Leftovers are great in a salad for lunch the next day.

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 83 calories, 20 calories from fat, 2,2g total fat, 35,1mg cholesterol, 434,2mg sodium, 142,5mg potassium, 1,7g carbohydrates, <1g fiber, <1g sugar, 13,7g protein, 1,5g net carbohydrates.

Recipe Type: Barbecue, Poultry

Source Author: Saskia van der Zanden Web Page: Sizzling-lowcarb.blogspot.nl

Sate Sauce

This is an Indonesian style Peanut sauce that goes great with meat and vegetables.

Servings: 8 Yield: 2 cups

1/2 cup Peanut butter 1/4 cup Cream 2 tbsp Soy sauce 1/8 tsp Ginger 1/8 tsp Garlic 1/8 tsp Cumin 1/8 tsp Lemongrass powder 1 tbsp Lemon juice 1/8 tsp Laos 1/8 tsp Coriander powder 1 pinch  Tumeric 1 pinch  Chili powder 1/8 tsp Cardamom 1/2 tsp Sambal Oelek (or chili paste) 1 tsp Splenda, or other sweetner 1 tsp Dried red onion 1 pinch  Pepper (optional) 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 1/4 cup Water

1 Put all ingredients, except 1/4 cup of water, in a saucepan and heat, while stirring till it starts to bubble, but do not boil. 2 it is too thick add the rest of the water.

Tips Be careful with the water it cannot be taken out and the sauce should not be boiling. When the sauce is left boiling the oil in the peanut butter will separate from the peanuts. If that happens add a bit of cream and whisk vigorously and cross your fingers it will mix again. Otherwise scoop off the oil and just don't tell anyone.

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per serving): 31 calories, 21 calories from fat, 2,4g total fat, 5,1mg cholesterol, 284,7mg sodium, 50,4mg potassium, 1,6g carbohydrates, <1g fiber, <1g sugar, 1,1g protein, 1,3g net carbohydrates.