Low-Carbing Among Friends cookbook, what are the recipes you've tried?

[TBipp]

I tried the Pecan Turtle Bars on page 195. Excellent recipe, and I am impressed that such a traditional recipe can be made low carb. I tweaked somewhat as I like my treats fairly sweet.

My mistake on the recipe was not noticing that the crust called for 1/4 cup 'granular' erythritol, and I used 1/4 cup 'powdered' erythritol (which is what I have). The crust did not call for salt but I added a tiny bit. I will add more sweetener to the crust the next time I make these. I may also reduce the butter from 6 Tbsp. to 4 Tbsp as these are so rich. What is nice about the crust is that you can taste it before patting into the pan so you can determine the level of sweetness you want in advance.

On the Filling, I then noticed that it called for 6 Tbsp 'granular' erythritol so I upped it to about 9 Tbsp 'powdered' erythritol so that part came out perfect.

The chocolate glaze calls for 1/4 cup 'powdered' erythritol for 1/4 cup cocoa and 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate. This makes for a very bittersweet glaze so I added stevia to taste in addition to the erythritol. By the way, bittersweet chocolate is my favorite; however, because I did not add sufficient erythritol to the crust (my fault for not noticing it called for 'granular') the glaze needed to be sweeter for my tastes, which was easy to adjust as I was stirring along.

Possible future tweaks: many traditional turtle bars use brown sugar so I may add 1/2 tsp. molasses each to the crust and filling to add the "caramelly" flavor. I will continue to add salt to the crust and possibly up to 1/4 tsp to give that salted caramel flavor.

How nice to enjoy such a rich goodie.

[litehousepat]

Originally Posted by TBipp

I tried the Pecan Turtle Bars on page 195. Excellent recipe, and I am impressed that such a traditional recipe can be made low carb. I tweaked somewhat as I like my treats fairly sweet.

My mistake on the recipe was not noticing that the crust called for 1/4 cup 'granular' erythritol, and I used 1/4 cup 'powdered' erythritol (which is what I have). The crust did not call for salt but I added a tiny bit. I will add more sweetener to the crust the next time I make these. I may also reduce the butter from 6 Tbsp. to 4 Tbsp as these are so rich. What is nice about the crust is that you can taste it before patting into the pan so you can determine the level of sweetness you want in advance.

On the Filling, I then noticed that it called for 6 Tbsp 'granular' erythritol so I upped it to about 9 Tbsp 'powdered' erythritol so that part came out perfect.

The chocolate glaze calls for 1/4 cup 'powdered' erythritol for 1/4 cup cocoa and 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate. This makes for a very bittersweet glaze so I added stevia to taste in addition to the erythritol. By the way, bittersweet chocolate is my favorite; however, because I did not add sufficient erythritol to the crust (my fault for not noticing it called for 'granular') the glaze needed to be sweeter for my tastes, which was easy to adjust as I was stirring along.

Possible future tweaks: many traditional turtle bars use brown sugar so I may add 1/2 tsp. molasses each to the crust and filling to add the "caramelly" flavor. I will continue to add salt to the crust and possibly up to 1/4 tsp to give that salted caramel flavor.

How nice to enjoy such a rich goodie.

Thanks for the info, I made a note on the recipe!

Pat

[SCOTTSDALEJULIE]

I am making the banana bread tomorrow. I'll let you know how it comes out. Those Turtle bars sound divine.

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by TBipp

I can answer the question about disposing of oil. I use coffee cans for disposing of old oil. I let the oil cool, pour into the can, snap on the lid and discard. For reusing oil, I let it cool, strain it back into the original bottle and refrigerate it. Hope that helps for some of your questions.

Yes, it does. Thank you!

[nekkidfish]

I wonder if there are others like me? I have yet to try a recipe, well first, I've been too busy. But, the main reason is that every recipe I see that I want to try has one or two ingredients that I do not have here ... or have ever used.

One of these days I'll go through it and make a list of what I need to get.

HUGz! Jules

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by nekkidfish

I wonder if there are others like me? I have yet to try a recipe, well first, I've been too busy. But, the main reason is that every recipe I see that I want to try has one or two ingredients that I do not have here ... or have ever used.

One of these days I'll go through it and make a list of what I need to get.

HUGz! Jules

Not sure if this will help or not. I sit here and look at everyone's recipes posted on this forum that I am interested in (save them if I am) and see something in the cookbook and tag it with a sticky. I keep a running list of things I am either running out of or could use for a recipe and don't have. I also write next to the item used for a recipe, what I am ordering it for, so I don't get it in the mail and go, huh? And having spent the money on it and no clue what to do with it. And now that the list is getting longer and my supplies are getting smaller, I will pull it out and plug it into Netrition. Other items I need that are in town, I just put on the grocery list and the store that sells the item, so when I am close by that particular place, I can stop by before running out of whatever it is.

Hope that is clear and helps!

[nekkidfish]

Originally Posted by Tilly

Not sure if this will help or not. I sit here and look at everyone's recipes posted on this forum that I am interested in (save them if I am) and see something in the cookbook and tag it with a sticky. I keep a running list of things I am either running out of or could use for a recipe and don't have. I also write next to the item used for a recipe, what I am ordering it for, so I don't get it in the mail and go, huh? And having spent the money on it and no clue what to do with it. And now that the list is getting longer and my supplies are getting smaller, I will pull it out and plug it into Netrition. Other items I need that are in town, I just put on the grocery list and the store that sells the item, so when I am close by that particular place, I can stop by before running out of whatever it is.

Hope that is clear and helps!

It's items like (spelling?) gantthum gum, etc. that I don't have a clue what they are. LOL

ღ Jules

[RVcook]

Originally Posted by nekkidfish

It's items like (spelling?) gantthum gum, etc. that I don't have a clue what they are. LOL

ღ Jules

Xanthan gum is used to help mimic the properties of gluten in gluten free cooking and baking. It's basically a gum, grown on corn. You wouldn't ordinarily need this product if you were using regular wheat flour or similar products.

[Tweaker Geek]

I made the black bottom marble cheesecake on page 213 today. I haven't tried it yet but it sure looks good! I'll refrigerate overnight and report back tomorrow.

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by Tweaker Geek

I made the black bottom marble cheesecake on page 213 today. I haven't tried it yet but it sure looks good! I'll refrigerate overnight and report back tomorrow.

Oooo, that sounds so good. Yes please tell us what you think!!!

[crazywoman-n-wy]

Originally Posted by nekkidfish

It's items like (spelling?) gantthum gum, etc. that I don't have a clue what they are. LOL

ღ Jules

To go a little further on what Donna said before, you can go to Netrition and find most of the products, and check out their description of what they are, and usually what they do. You can also come here & ask questions about them. Ask if there are subs that might can be used that you might have. While it is true, that some things just cannot be subbed well if at all, many can. Most all the time you can sub your own sweeteners. If a recipe doesn't give an equivalent to sugar, & you have no clue, come ask. Usually someone can figure it out if the one who did the recipe isn't available.
If you are looking at a recipe online, most of the time the ingredients will be in blue and are a link to them in Netrition (if they are available there, or weren't misspelled).
I know it can get very confusing at times!! But we're all here to try to help each other out!

[nekkidfish]

I finally have a moment to sit down and ask about about ingredients I'm talking about that I don't have a clue about.

I'll use the Cinnamon Cookies on page 144 as my example.

Unknown ingredients:

Vanilla whey protein? What is it? Do I *have* to use it? Is there a substitute?

Powdered erythritol? Is powdered Splenda the same?

Unsweetened almond milk? Where to buy? Since the recipe only calls for 2 Tbsp., is it something that has a long shelf life? Is there a substitute, like heavy cream?

Stevia glycerite? Is this the same as EzSweetz?

Thanks for all of the help as I venture into the unknown!!

Happy Christmas Eve!! Jules

[RVcook]

Originally Posted by nekkidfish

I finally have a moment to sit down and ask about about ingredients I'm talking about that I don't have a clue about.

I'll use the Cinnamon Cookies on page 144 as my example.

Unknown ingredients:

Vanilla whey protein? What is it? Do I *have* to use it? Is there a substitute?

Powdered erythritol? Is powdered Splenda the same?

Unsweetened almond milk? Where to buy? Since the recipe only calls for 2 Tbsp., is it something that has a long shelf life? Is there a substitute, like heavy cream?

Stevia glycerite? Is this the same as EzSweetz?

Thanks for all of the help as I venture into the unknown!!

Happy Christmas Eve!! Jules

Usually, whey protein powder is something that most LCers keep in their supply. It helps to boost the protein (obviously), and in LC baking, stands in (to some extent) for the missing flour component. We keep both vanilla and chocolate in our home, but then we add it to yogurt, sprinkle it on cereal, and of course drink it. I do not find that it is easy to sub, since it is almost pure protein, has little or no carbs and very little fat. Most grocery stores carry some version of it, but beware...some brands contain a lot of sugar and others are downright NASTY tasting!....

Powdered Erythritol is NOT the same as splenda. Splenda is a chemical based, artificial sweetener while Erythritol is a sugar alcohol, derived from fruits and veggies. Erythritol is in the 'polyols' category of sweeteners which also includes, malitol, lacitlol and xylitol Because all sugar alcohols are digested in the large intestine, "some" can cause more gastric distress than others. Erythritol causes the least amount of distress in most people. The good part of using Erythritol is that it provides 'bulk' when subbing for regular sugar in LC recipes...something that using splenda does not accomplish. Most LCers stock this in their sweetener arsenal as well. You will find that a lot of recipes usually combine Erythritol with another sweetener to get a better tasting, better textured result. Erythritol is rarely found in stores, but can be purchased at many online retailers including Netrition. I would think that you could sub splenda for Erythritol, but if it is a recipe that a lot of chocolate and/or cocoa, using splenda alone will result in a terribly bitter, awful end result.

Almond milk can be purchased in almost every store and you can sub almost any other 'milk' you choose. If using heavy cream as a sub, make sure that you first make a 'milk' out of it by adding a bit of water. If the recipe calls for 2 TB almond milk, I would NOT go out and buy an entire carton! I would simply sub 1 TB heavy cream and 1 TB water for the almond milk. And no, it does not necessarily have a long shelf life.

I just recently purchased a bottle of Stevia Glycerite and am pretty happy with it. If you have never purchased stevia in any form, you may be surprised at how sweet it is in just a few drops. So sweet in fact, that you may actually find it bitter, especially if you are a 'super taster.' To me it has a fairly 'clean' taste and I like the fact that it is already in a thick, liquid form. I have not used EZsweetz, so I am not sure about subbing, but because they are both concentrated sweeteners, I would think you could sub fairly easily.

Experience with LC baking really does play a HUGE role in your ability to know how and when to sub. In the beginning, it is sometimes just easier to follow a LC recipe that has been specifically designed to use the ingredients as listed. But I sure do understand why you have questions. Don't worry...you'll become more adept at this as time goes on...really.

[Tweaker Geek]

I just cut up the black bottom marble cheesecake; it is very good but I think needs to be a bit sweeter, it's kind of bittersweet tasting to me. I made in a springform pan but when cutting I made it into a large square then cut into smaller squares then cut those squares into triangles; makes a pretty presentation. I put them on a Christmas plate in a double layer. I also made chocolate peanut butter candy in a Christmas candy mold. I'm taking both to Christmas dinner tomorrow so hope they go over well.
Merry Christmas everyone!

Here's a couple pics:

[crazywoman-n-wy]

Just a few things to add to what Donna said. (She did it much better than what I could.)

First here is an example (there are MANY other whey protein products) of a Whey Protein powder. Next Proteins Designer Whey Protein
You can get Protein powders at most stores, usually in their pharmacy dept, or where you would buy health food items. One that many of us uses is Body Fortress found at WalMarts. I don't know where you live, if even in the US, so don't know how available any of those type things are. All or most health food stores will usually carry some type of protein powder. Again as Donna said, look at the ingredients & carb counts to make sure you aren't buying one laden with sugars & carbs! Some have 0 carbs, but even low carb ones can have up to 4g per serving size. It's OK to buy & sub unflavored, and add extra sweetener and/or flavoring as needed.

Almond milk: Like Donna said, almond milk doesn't have a really long shelf live (once opened). If you won't be using it often, and only 2 TB for a recipe, I'd do like Donna said & use cream & water. I personally don't use a 1/2&1/2 ratio tho to sub for milk. For 2 TB I would use about 1 tsp cream, and the rest water. But that is me personally. IF you do decide to buy Almond milk, be sure you look and buy UNSWEETENED, not the Original, as the Original is sweetened with SUGAR! It's OK to buy Vanilla, as long as it says UNSWEETENED.

As for the stevia glycerite, there are different brands, and possibly different strengths. You could sub out any sweetener you would like, but you may have to taste to get the right sweetness level. I believe that Maria said that the stevia glycerite that she uses 1 tsp equals 1 cup. But I can't find that post now. So you would have to adjust your sweetener accordingly. (And I may be wrong on that equivalency.) If I can find that for sure I'll post. EZSweetz (the .5 oz bottle) is 1/4 tsp. = 1 cup.

Xanthan gum can be found here at Netrition, or at most supermarkets. It is typically found with baking items (depending on the store), and at most or all health food stores.

Hope this helps.

[crazywoman-n-wy]

Here is what Maria posted on her blog about Stevia Glycerite:

STEVIA GLYCERITE Stevia glycerite is a favorite of many people. It is an herb that has been used as a sweetener in South America for hundreds of years. One tip is to look for “stevia glycerite;” which has no bitter aftertaste as compared to plain “stevia. It is widely used all over the world. In Japan, it claims 58% of the sweetener market, and was used in Japanese Diet Coke until the company replaced it with aspartame to "standardize" worldwide.
CALORIES = 0
SWEETNESS/CONVERSION = 300 times sweeter than sugar
CONVERSION = 1 tsp of stevia = 1 cup of sugar
WHY I USE IT = It is great for cooking, because it maintains flavor that many other sweeteners lose when heated, but it also needs an additional sweetener in most cases when making baked goods since it doesn't caramelize or create "bulk."
BENEFITS OF STEVIA
1. WEIGHT LOSS and DIABETICS: It does not affect blood sugar metabolism. This makes it a great tool in weight loss programs, but it also for diabetics. Stevia creates a hypoglycemic effect and increases glucose tolerance. It significantly decreases plasma glucose levels. In multiple human studies, blood sugar is reduced by 35% 6-8 hours after consumption of a hot water extract of the leaf.
2. BLOOD PRESSURE: Stevia extract is a vasodilator agent. Studies show that a mix of hot water and extract from the leaf lowers both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Several studies demonstrated this hypotensive action (as well as a diuretic action).
3. ANTI-BACTERIAL/ANTI-YEAST: has anti-bacterial properties in that it helps to inhibit the growth and reproduction of harmful bacteria that lead to disease. It helps prevent dental cavities by inhibiting the bacteria Streptococcus mutans that stimulates plaque growth. It also has vasodilatory activity and is effective for various skin issues, such as acne, heat rash, and problems caused by insufficient blood circulation.
4. CANCER: It keeps your body in a ketogenic state so you can starve the cancer of sugar on which cancer feeds upon (read more HERE).
UNDESIRED PROPERTIES = It doesn't create a "caramelized" cookie, or "bulk" in baked goods, which is why I add erythritol.

[RVcook]

Thanks for posting this Billie. Great info!!!

[nekkidfish]

Thanks for all the info!! I now have the Xanthan Gum and Whey Protein Powder in the pantry! Woot!

HUGz! Jules

[SCOTTSDALEJULIE]

I made 2 loaves of the banana bread yesterday, and they were perfect. Reall good. Julie

[Tilly]

Just made the Broccoli Bacon Salad on page 279 for dinner tonight, added 3 boiled eggs, reduced the bacon to 4 slices, instead of 1 whole cup of mayo (don't like the taste leftover in my mouth after, not sure why that happens, but does) I used 1/2 mayo and 1/2 sour cream, and sweetener to my taste (more than what is written). YUM!!!

[CarolynF]

Originally Posted by SCOTTSDALEJULIE

I made 2 loaves of the banana bread yesterday, and they were perfect. Reall good. Julie

I just made a loaf with my 2 very ripe bananas..Very good..I think this will be a staple in my household..Now, to get those pieces slim enough to keep the carbs down..Jen says 18 pieces, 5 carbs each. I think I'll slice it up and put each piece in a baggie for portion control..I need it with this bread.

I had a brillant idea when going to cut my bread...lOL..I cut it down the middle, then cut it the other way into 9 slices on each side..They are chunkier and will hold cream cheese very nicely.

[SCOTTSDALEJULIE]

Originally Posted by CarolynF

I just made a loaf with my 2 very ripe bananas..Very good..I think this will be a staple in my household..Now, to get those pieces slim enough to keep the carbs down..Jen says 18 pieces, 5 carbs each. I think I'll slice it up and put each piece in a baggie for portion control..I need it with this bread.

I had a brillant idea when going to cut my bread...lOL..I cut it down the middle, then cut it the other way into 9 slices on each side..They are chunkier and will hold cream cheese very nicely.

I like butter on this bread. It really is delish. Much better the next day.

[litehousepat]

Today is a day of no cooking! Out to dinner. Maybe tomorrow I'll try a new recipe.

Pat

[catkan]

I am curious about recipes besides sweets. I have seen a Broccolli Bacon Salad, Smoked Gouda Cauliflower and Taco Bake mentioned. These sound like recipes similiar to ones I already have. Can you tell me more about the other recipes that are geared more for meals? I would love to buy this book, but I have so many already. (And yes, I do have all of Jennifer's other cookbooks.)

Also, on the frybaby, I just leave the oil in my frybaby. I do change it out every once in awhile when it has too many crusties in it.

Thanks for any input.

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by MistyJ

I am curious about recipes besides sweets. I have seen a Broccolli Bacon Salad, Smoked Gouda Cauliflower and Taco Bake mentioned. These sound like recipes similiar to ones I already have. Can you tell me more about the other recipes that are geared more for meals? I would love to buy this book, but I have so many already. (And yes, I do have all of Jennifer's other cookbooks.)

Also, on the frybaby, I just leave the oil in my frybaby. I do change it out every once in awhile when it has too many crusties in it.

Thanks for any input.

I made the Seafood chowder for Christmas Eve. Left out the other seafood and made it with just clams (just the 2 cans) and added a bottle of clam juice and some heavy cream. Quite good and one serving was filling. I had that with one of Jennifer's Artisan Hamburger Buns. Both very good!

[Jennifer Eloff]

Thanks everyone for helping Jules. Awesome replies!

Tweaker - your desserts looked great! Liked the way you made the cheesecake stretch and presented it in such an attractive fashion. You must have had to keep the chocolate peanut butter candy in the freezer. Your candy looked really professional.

Misty, thank you for your interest. All the authors made more regular recipes than desserts and 2 of the authors - Lisa and Kent - concentrated on meals. If you go and have a look at Lisa's 24/7 Low Carb Diner blog and Kents Altena's videos when you have time some day, you'll get an idea.

Carolyn, Tilly, Pat and Julie - Yay, happy everyone is having success with the recipes.

[Tilly]

I have way more meals marked in the book than sweets. I have to be careful of those!!!!

[litehousepat]

I made another pizza again tonight using the pizza crust a la Peggy-style. For the toppings I used leftover ham, the pizza sauce on pg 56 and pineapple chunks. It was delicious!

Pat

[Tilly]

I made Kent's Eggplant Parmesan (page 298) last night. Oooo that was good! My girls loved it and I had to keep them from taking more (love those leftovers!!!). They had theirs over noodles, but had mine as is. Was very filling as well. Side of cauliflower and life is good (well, dinner was anyway, until I had to get to the dishes, )

[libbysmom]

I made Jenn's sandwich bread pg. 59 and it is seriously good! I can't wait to make a grilled cheese sandwich (maybe today)!

When Jenn says to grease the foil, she is not kidding! Next time I will use a lot of oil and maybe switch to the nonstick foil.

Thanks Jenn!
Leigh