*Christmas recipes that are low carb, gluten free*

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kirinesha, Nov 21, 2:12am
I loved stuffed cabbage leaves, I had a friend who was for while married to a Lebanese man who used to do a fabulous dish for us with meat stuffed cabbage leaves with a tomato and cumin sauce.
uli, Nov 21, 6:59am
Dolmas just means "stuffed" - so you can use the fillings to stuff anything: tomatoes, wine leaves, peppers, cabbage leaves, silverbeet, chillies ...
buzzy110, Nov 21, 10:04pm
I was in the library on Friday checking out recipe books and looking for low carb goodies for Xmas. The best book I found was the Carbohydrate's Addict Cookbook. There wasn't one single recipe with sugar in it. Obviously the authours understand that there is no such thing as a 'healthy sweet treat'. So for all of those on a low carb diet Xmas will just be a time when you have to either break your regime, stick to strawberries and cream (still carby) or just suck it up and make an antipasta type platter filled with all sorts of savoury goodies to nibble from.
buzzy110, Nov 21, 10:11pm
Oh, stuffed tomatoes. Now there's something that sets the imagination running. How about stuffings with such things as homemade chicken liver pate, cream cheese with capers, herbs and grated cheeses, fried haloumi, minced cooked chicken cooked into small balls with egg onion capsicum and mushroom, marinated fish.
bidz, Nov 23, 5:38am
*bump*
bedazzledjewels, Nov 26, 2:51am
Going to do these as part of our Christmas dinner.
Southern Green Beans and Pecans

Green beans are one of my very favorite vegetables and this is the easiest and best way I know how to prepare them! Something about pan sautéing them that just really makes the flavor! Steamed doesn’t cut it for me with veggies and I am sure you will agree when you make these Southern style beauties! Mmmmm good!

1 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed
1/4 pound bacon, sliced into small pieces
1/4 cup pecan halves
1 roasted red pepper, julienne
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Salt
2 tablespoons butter

Place a small pot of water over high heat to boil.

1. Drop trimmed green beans in boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes or until tender but still crispy.

2. While green beans are cooking, brown bacon pieces and pecans in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

3. When green beans are done, strain and place beans into the sauté pan with the cooked bacon and pecans.

4. Add roasted pepper strips, seasonings and butter and sauté together for another 2 minutes on high and serve.

Helpful Hints: If cooking green beans ahead of time, place the beans directly in an ice water bath the minute they are done boiling. Then strain and refrigerate until you are ready to use them. Cooked green beans may be frozen perfectly too!

Yield: 6 servings
Net Carbohydrates: 3 grams each serving
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
buzzy110, Nov 27, 2:15am
Asparagus is in season at Christmas time and you might like to use HFW's (River Cottage) asparagus recipe - maybe not for Xmas day but certainly for any special treat before hand.

Steam asparagus till tender but still nice and green looking. Soft boil as many eggs as people being served. Put egg into an eggcup, knock the top off and put in a drop or two of cider vinegar and a knob of butter. Dip your asparagus into the egg and enjoy.

This is his cheats Bernaise sauce.

It probably hasn't got any carbs at all.
uli, Nov 27, 3:19am
0. 7g for the egg
and 3. 8g of carbs (or 1. 7g effective carbs) for the asparagus per 100g :)
uli, Dec 3, 9:14pm
Almond - Linseed cookies

30g Almonds
30g Linseed
10g Sesam seed
5g Psyllium
2 Eggs
20g Butter melted
cinnamon, clove and Vanilla to taste (optional)
sweetener if liked (I don't find it necessary)

Put almonds, linseed and sesame seeds into the food processor (or blender) and chop finely. Add fiber husks, eggs, butter and spices.

Drop small spoonfuls onto a baking tray and flatten out a bit.

Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes at 150°C - leave in the switched-off oven to dry out more if necessary.

Makes about 10 cookies with 64 kcal. and 0. 3 carbs each

P. S. : I have used LSA to replace almonds, linseed and sesame seed and just added the psyllium.
bedazzledjewels, Dec 7, 8:30pm
Christmas Ham

Okay low carbers, which brand isn't massively cured with sugar?
And what low carbish glaze do you use?
rubyjane11, Dec 7, 8:47pm
great ideas guys... keep them coming!
uli, Dec 7, 9:10pm
No idea on the ham front sorry - I cure and smoke my own - and there is not much sugar in the recipe at all. It is basically a salty brine with a tiny bit of brown sugar or honey added for the flavour. Can't imagine that it would add many carbs at all to the end product.

However the commercial stuff is probably injected and not brined at all ... hmmm.

Will give you a recipe for rum balls though :)
uli, Dec 7, 9:20pm
Low Carb Chocolate Rum Balls

1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons rum
1/2 cup Splenda granular

Mix all dry ingredients together in bowl. Add vanilla and rum.
Add the liquid slowly and mix until it all comes together.
Roll into 18 small balls.

Store in refrigerator or cool place.
The flavours will mellow over the next few days.

approx. 18g effective carbs
so if you made 18 balls then you have 1g of carbs per ball :)

If you use 1/4 cup brown sugar instead of the splenda (which I did) - then you are adding 54g of carbs to the recipe, which would bring each ball to 4g of carbs instead of just 1g - however it may be actually much "healthier" than using splenda ...

More on splenda:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Community/MessageBoard/Messages. asp
x? id=73939
bedazzledjewels, Dec 7, 9:59pm
Sounds good Uli.
Is almond flour the same thing as ground almonds? I know this has been answered before! Sorry!

Doesn't surprise that you do your own ham! Good on you!
uli, Dec 7, 10:36pm
Ground almonds are just that - almonds that have been ground. So great in cookies, rum balls etc.

Almond meal is what is left over from pressing almond oil, so is much more dry and much better suited to replace flour in "breads".

The same goes for shredded coconut and coconut flour.
cloudberry, Dec 7, 11:44pm
This is a great idea, thanks for posting it, Buzzy. It will make an ideal Christmas Day breakfast. Or any day breakfast for that matter. (Rushes out to buy some asparagus. )
uli, Dec 8, 1:33am
TARA'S SPICED SEEDS

25g pumpkin seeds
30g sliced almonds
150g sunflower seeds

Mix together, and add one of the spice mixtures below.
Drizzle 1 tbs olive oil over the seeds and mix well.

Spread evenly over an oven tray and bake for 20 minutes at 165 C. Cool, and enjoy :)

Hot Spicy -
3/4 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder (I used fresh garlic minced)
1/2 tsp onion powder (I left that out)
salt & pepper
3 splenda tablets, crushed (optional - I left it out)

OR
Savoury Spicy -
1 tsp chicken salt (I used chilli and lime crushed together and added salt)
1/2 tsp onion powder (I left this out)
1/4 tsp mixed herbs (I used thyme, oregano and rosemary)
1/2 tsp parmesan cheese
salt & pepper
3 splenda tablets, crushed (optional)

100g of mixed spiced seeds works out to approximately
580 calories, 50g fat, 12. 5g protein and 10. 5g carbs (after fibre subtracted).
bedazzledjewels, Dec 14, 12:47am
Baked Mushrooms -
I'm doing these as part of Christmas breakfast but would be good for any meal.

12 large Portobello mushrooms
2 cloves garlic diced
2T balsamic vinegar
4 sage leaves
1 large sprig rosemary
½ cup oilive oil
sprigs of thyme
sea salt

Set oven to 160.
Lay mushrooms on baking tray.
Mix garlic, vinegar, sage, rosemary and oil together and brush over the mushrooms.
Place sprigs of thyme on top and sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake 20 minutes.
buzzy110, Dec 14, 5:09am
Is this a low enough carb recipe do you think?

This was posted by lavender in another thread titled - "Came Across A Good Finger Food Idea"

Cherry tomatoes cut in half & scooped out. Fill with mixture of cream cheese (or any cheese) & salmon & chopped chives or parsley.

I thought they would be nice presented on a bed of lettuce to stop them rolling about and interspersing them with stuffed boiled egg halves.
uli, Dec 14, 7:50pm
Sounds very low carb and colourful :)
buzzy110, Dec 14, 9:41pm
I got to thinking about the stuffed baby tomatoes and it occurred to me that they could also be stuffed with chicken liver pate or any pate for that matter, as well.

One of the problems I have with pate is that they usually go best on a slice of bread or a cracker or similar, making them not very low carb friendly.
buzzy110, Dec 14, 9:57pm
Chicken Liver Pate:
1Kg Chicken Livers - Remove connective tissue
(You can put each liver into a bowl with a bit of brandy/ginger wine or any other alcohol for flavouring to soak as they are prepared. )
2 med or 1&1/2 large Onions - Slice Thick
2 or 3 Cloves Garlic - Peeled and halved
Butter - Just under 1/2 block
4 rashers of bacon - de-rind but leave on fat as it helps pate to set
1/4 cup, or thereabouts, of Water
Seasoning - S & P
Gelatine and Cayenne and Dill or something for decoration
Depending on whether you are going to leave your pate in the mold or invert it onto a serving dish, you put the gelatine either on top or on the bottom of the mold before putting in the pate mixture.
Method:
First make up a mixture of gelatine, hot water, Dill & Cayenne (or whatever herb or spice you want) and let it cool while you are making the pate.
Cook Butter, Onions, Garlic and Bacon slowly till onions are soft (approx 5mins)
Add Chicken Livers and soaking liquid (if any). Add Water and seasonings.
Cook till livers are pink inside
Cool.
Blend and put into mold with the gelatine either on the bottom (if you are going to tip it out) or on top, if you are going to leave it in the mold.

This is an amazingly rich pate and beats anything you can buy hands down.
rose36, Mar 24, 12:41am
yum!
bedazzledjewels, Oct 12, 3:34am
Well, it's getting near that time of year again.
Over on the Dark Site we're running a low carb Christmas truffle competition.
Looking forward to making them and trialling them - they'll be judged at the Auckland Christmas picnic (and maybe we'll get some input from Christchurch people too!).
uli, May 24, 10:42am
Wonder if post#62 above would qualify for the truffle comp? I would have to make some again to check out if they are still good :)