Carb free

[julesapple]

Urban, we can't use oats/bran in anything - the BH is a diabetic and oats convert to glucose in your blood very fast, so they give him a huge spike in his levels. He's such a porridge fan too, or he was.

[Urban]

"Oat bran" Is a bit different to normal oats, it supposedly reduces the speed and absorption of sugars in the intestine, and can actually help prevent diabetes, according to Dr dukan at least

But anyway for those that can eat oat bran

Mix the following ingredients in a small microwaveable bowl

2 tablespoons oatbran (blended to powder is better)
2 tablespoons low fat fromage frais
1 egg
1 to 2 teaspoons of sweetener (Splenda)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 to 2 tablespoons of tesco reduced fat cocoa powder (2 is better)
2 caps vanilla essence
Pinch of salt

Mix everything to a nice paste in the bowl, and nuke in an 800w microwave for 2 mins

Enjoy

[Tomato Head]

I eat low carb and have done for over 2 years. I don't eat any grains (I'm gluten intolerant so that rules out a lot of carbs) and only really eat meat, fish, eggs, veg, berries and dark chocolate (100% cocoa solids). I don't miss things like pasta. I thought I would and did to begin with but now it would never cross my mind to eat something like that. I've totally lost my sweet tooth (hence the 100% chocolate) and can't eat sugary things now because I hate the taste now. I've lost 3 stone (and kept it off for over a year) and feel better than I have done in years

[julesapple]

Chocolate Cookies

These are the closest I've made to a crisp cookie, most low carb cookies are very moist.



1 cup sifted soy flour
2 tsp. baking Powder
½ tsp. salt
6oz/170g butter
½ cup low carb sweetener *
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
2 egg whites

Method:
Preheat oven to Gas 6/200c/400f degrees. In a bowl sift together soy flour, baking powder, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl cream the butter with low carb sweetener until pale and soft. Add vanilla and mix again.
Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula and add egg whites and continue to mix for 1 minute.
Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until incorporated.
Take a piece of baking parchment and place cookie mix in the centre. Form it into a long sausage, about 25cm/9 inches, and wrap in the paper, evening the sausage out as you wrap and twisting the ends like a sweetie. Freeze for about 20 minutes or chill in the fridge for an hour or until firm.

When chilled, slice into 1cm/½ inch thick slices and place about 2cms/1 inch apart on lined or greased cookie sheet. Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Then finish cooling on a wire rack.

* I used half a cup of Splenda Granulated but for me this was too sweet, next time I'll cut it down to ¼ cup.

There are 1.7g carbs per cookie


P.S. You'll need a cuppa with these cookies - the soy flour makes them crispy but quite dry. Which is odd because the dough is fairly sticky. I'm thinking about cutting the sausage thinner and sandwiching two cookies together...made with a cream cheese filling.

[zazen999]

Just came back to get that cake recipe again. I've made it without butter, without almonds and without spices [because I kept forgetting, not be design] and all 3 were lovely.

Going to get soy flour next, and try those bikkies. I might take some into work to see what the others think of them as well.

[zazen999]

Not a veggie (just not my thing) but I can, and do, cook veggie (and occasionally vegan) meals, and it's none of my business what you choose not to eat (I avoid beetroot, that is MY business!).
I do tend to ask WHY people have taken the veggie option, but that is simply curiosity about reasons for decisions, not a criticism!

Sheesh. Why is it your business whether you eat beetroot, but also your business when other people make food choices? Why not just let other people eat what they want without grilling them on their 'options'?

[julesapple]

Low Carb Vanilla Ice cream without an Ice Cream Maker

This is seriously good proper ice cream!

Ingredients

2 vanilla pods
500ml/16fl oz double cream (see tip)
70g/3oz xylitol sweetener or equivalent Splenda.
3 egg yolks

Preparation

1. Halve the vanilla pods lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Add the pods & seeds to the cream and bring to the boil, then add the sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

2. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl then slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture.

3. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a freezer-proof container and freeze for 2-3 hours, or until set.

You can also add 2 tbsps unsweetened cocoa at step 1, or 2 to 3 tsps instant coffee.

[zazen999]

Nice one Jules.

Egg yolks for the ice cream and the whites for the choccie bikkies. Once this week's cake is gone, I'm making both.

[Hilary B]

Sheesh. Why is it your business whether you eat beetroot, but also your business when other people make food choices? Why not just let other people eat what they want without grilling them on their 'options'?

Curiosity, like I said! I simply 'like to know' these things. Didn't say it was my business, I am happy to admit there are things I would like to know that are not my business, and quite content to get an answer to the effect "I don't want to tell you."
What I was TRYING to say is that I don't intend to criticise anyone for being a vegetarian (that would be silly anyway), I am just interested in WHY, because I am interested in 'why' about a lot of things.

[julesapple]

Low Carb Chocolate & Raspberry Fudge Cake



(Thanks go to Candice for the recipe)


12 servings

Ingredients:

2 - 100g 85% Lindt chocolate bar(7oz)
8.5oz unsalted butter(1 cup + 1 tablespoon)
1/2 cup Total Sweet (xylitol sweetener)
1/4 cup granulated Splenda
6 large eggs, whisked up
1 teaspoon vanilla
19 tablespoons (1 cup + 3 tablespoons)Dutch process cocoa powder
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries(you can make without if you do not care for raspberries)

Preheat oven to 375°F

Butter an 8-inch round baking pan. Line bottom with a round of parchment paper. If you do not have parchment you can just dust cocoa powder over the buttered pan(exactly the same way you butter and flour a cake pan). I used a cake tin liner.

Break up chocolate into small pieces. In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth. An easier way to do this is to nuke the butter and chocolate in the micro for about 2 minutes, then stir well until completely melted & blended.

Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and whisk xylitol and Splenda into chocolate mixture. Add eggs & vanilla, whisk well (eggs should be added slowly while whisking quickly but do not over mix as it will stiffen considerably) Sift cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and stir until just combined. Pour mix into tin. If adding raspberries, add now by evenly distributing over smoothed out batter in pan. Gently press raspberries down.
Bake at 375f/190c/gas 5 oven for 25-35 minutes.(no raspberries is close to 27 min and with raspberries a few mins longer)

You can buy Total Sweet in most good supermarkets, although I've not seen it in Asda.



Pear & Ginger Version

Use 175g ripe peeled & sliced pears instead of the raspberries. Add 2tsp powdered ginger to the sieved cocoa.

[piskieinboots]

I've been away for a while - are you still doing low carbs Zaz?

For me, I can't imagine every going back to pasta, rice etc - so much good stuff out there

[julesapple]

Some of the cakes in here would be nice with custard, Zaz!

[zazen999]

Some of the cakes in here would be nice with custard, Zaz!

I know - it's just that with so much of it I wanted to use it for other things...

Might do that last cake for when himself gets back from his business trip later this week.

[julesapple]

Despite the dates on the tin, it does take forever to go off.

If you've got an ice cream maker you could make up the custard with xylitol, add some vanilla or unsweetened cocoa powder, and churn it into low carb ice cream. You could even add chunks of very dark chocolate, nuts or berries.

If you haven't got an icecream maker, put it in a container and freeze it. Stir it really really well every half an hour (to break up ice crystals) over about four hours. You can use an electric hand mixer to do this too.

[zazen999]

Despite the dates on the tin, it does take forever to go off.

If you've got an ice cream maker you could make up the custard with xylitol, add some vanilla or unsweetened cocoa powder, and churn it into low carb ice cream. You could even add chunks of very dark chocolate, nuts or berries.

If you haven't got an icecream maker, put it in a container and freeze it. Stir it really really well every half an hour (to break up ice crystals) over about four hours. You can use an electric hand mixer to do this too.

I made rasp ice cream yesterday. No ice cream maker but was beating it by hand.