Low Carb Hot Flax Cereal (for when you miss oatmeal)

Our home is slowly but surely gearing up to detox our bodies of sugar and gummy, white, refined flours. Since 2002 we've been doing low carb and sugar free 2-3 times a year for about 2 months at a time.  Although I'd love to say we eat a healthy sugar free, low carb way of life all the time, we don't.  Yet.  My husband and I would like to, and we probably will within another year or so (as soon as the last child is off to college), but for the past 12 years we've been doing a 'detox' two or three times a year.

After a December full of holiday baking, carby comfort foods and traditional Christmas foods, we are feeling the need to get back to basics.   This means getting my binders of tried- and true recipes together, cleaning out the pantry of sugary or carb foods and purchasing or ordering a few items that I'm low on (like Xylitol and Erythritol).  I'm also going to be posting a few of my favorite low carb recipes that I always make during these detox months.

This one is a hot cereal I've been making since 2002.  It's one of the first recipes I made and tweaked all those years ago and it's still a favorite of our family so much so, that it is always on hand - even when not low carbing.  Oatmeal pales in comparison both in flavor and health benefits as flax is jam packed with healthy goodness. I also use this mix when I make my Flax Muffins.


Hot Flax Cereal

2 c ground flax seed
2 c wheat bran
4 heaping scoops vanilla protein powder
1/2 t salt
sliced toasted almonds
*powdered vanilla if you have it - 1/2 t
Cinnamon to taste


This is a dry mix. To store, keep in an air tight container in the freezer. To use, mix about 1/2 cup of dry mix in a bowl with enough water to make a soupy mixture. Microwave for 40 seconds. Remove and add heavy cream and sugar substitute to taste, similar to how you would a traditional bowl of oatmeal.

The dry mix

Moisten with water until 'soup' like

After microwaving, add cream or half and half and Splenda to your own tastes

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Streusel Coffee Cake - I made it into Cup Cakes this time and Yum!

I don't typically purchase boxed cake mixes unless I have a specific craving or recipe in mind.  I currently had two yellow cake mixes on hand to use in this recipe and a cheesecake bar recipe that is next on the list within the next month.  This is a recipe I've posted before, but made again this week.  This time I made them into cupcakes!  Perfect for an indulgence of coffee cake and coffee on a cold, winter morning.



Streusel Coffee Cake 

1/3 c graham cracker crumbs
3/4 c brown sugar
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
2/3 c butter, melted

1 regular sized package yellow cake mix
1 c water
1/4 c canola oil
3 eggs

1 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 t vanilla
water


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a tube or bundt pan.  Make the streusal by combining the crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and butter.  Sprinkle half in the bottom of the pan.  Set the other half to the side.

Mix the cake mix with the water, oil and eggs.  Beat on low with 1 minute, beat on medium for 2 minutes.  Spread half the batter in the pan, sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the batter and then pour the rest of the batter on the over streusel.  Bake for about an hour but watch as all pans and ovens are different.  Test for doneness when the center is done.  Let it cool for about an hour, loosen and turn out of the pan.  Make the powdered sugar glaze with the vanilla and just enough drops of water to make it a drizzle consistency.  Drizzle over the cake.  Serve warm, room temperature or cold.  This is excellent and very moist!

Tamales

With the start of a new year, I decided to look back on some of the recipes I had in 'draft' mode on my blog that I had found, made up, saved or copied in some way to my files to use as a meal for our family.

Perhaps 2013 should be the year for me to finally get around to using all the draft recipes in my files!  Some don't have photos since I haven't made them yet, but I think I may get them posted anyway as I will be more apt to get them made if they are on the blog.

This one is for homemade Tamales.  A food I love, but rarely make.  I believe I've only made them completely from scratch only twice before and it was many years ago - and I know I didn't use a recipe this long or detailed.  I added this one to my collection back in 2007 (???).  It's about time I got around to posting it, don't ya think?


Tamales

* 1 (6-oz.) package dried corn husks
* Cornmeal Dough
* Meat Filling
* 2 (15-oz.) cans tomato sauce
* 2 t chili powder
* 2 t ground cumin
* Toppings: diced red onion, sliced jalapeño peppers

* 1 1/4 c shortening
* 4 c instant corn masa mix or yellow cornmeal
* 1 3/4 c warm chicken broth
* 1 Tn salt
* 2 t paprika


Beat shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 to 3 minutes or until creamy. Stir together corn masa mix and next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended. Gradually add corn masa mixture to shortening, beating at medium speed just until blended after each addition. Cover dough with plastic wrap until ready to use.


* 1 (17-oz.) package fully cooked pork roast
* 1 (10-oz.) can mild diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained
* 3/4 c barbecue sauce
* 1 t garlic powder
* 1 t onion powder
* 1 t chili powder
* 1/2 t ground red pepper
* 1/4 t salt

Soak corn husks in hot water 1 hour or until softened. Drain husks, and pat dry.
Shred and chop pork. Stir together pork and remaining ingredients until blended.  Spread 3 T cornmeal dough into a 3- x 3 1/2-inch rectangle in center of 1 husk. Spoon 1 heaping Tbsp. meat filling down center of cornmeal dough rectangle.

Fold long sides of husk over, enclosing filling completely with cornmeal dough; fold bottom of husk over folded sides (leave top end open). Repeat procedure using remaining husks, cornmeal dough, and meat filling.

Place a 1-cup ovenproof glass measuring cup upside down in center of a Dutch oven. Stir together tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, and 4 cups water. Pour tomato sauce mixture around measuring cup in Dutch oven.

Stand tamales, open end up, around measuring cup. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 3 hours. Using tongs, remove tamales to a serving plate. Remove measuring cup. Cook tomato mixture over medium-high heat 10 minutes or until thickened. Serve tamales with sauce and desired toppings.

Note: After cooking, the tamales with the sauce can be frozen up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Microwave thawed tamales in sauce in a single layer at HIGH in 45-second intervals until hot.

Homemade Stuffed Pizza Bites

Over the years I've made pizza pockets but I guess by the time our family was full of teenagers it was just easier to make pizza into... pizza. 

This time, instead of large rectangles, they were made into smaller 2-bite rounds.  I used mozzarella sticks because they are easier to slice and fill the bites, whereas grated or shredded mozzarella tends to go all over and want to poke out the edges.  You can use smaller Hormel style pepperoni which will fit perfectly, but I use deli pepperoni, which is large so I had to quarter mine. 

Homemade Stuffed Pizza Bites

1 can refrigerated pizza dough or homemade dough for 1 crust
6 mozzarella sticks, string cheese or about 1 1/2 cups of grated or shredded
Pepperoni pizza slices (or your choice of filling; sausage, etc.)
2 T butter
1 garlic clove, minced (or 1 scant teaspoon of minced garlic)
1/2 t dried Italian Spice mix
3 T grated Parmesan cheese

Roll out the crust to a rectangle on parchment paper or a lightly floured surface.  Cut it in half, then each half in half, and again.  This gives you even columns.  Now slice into 3 rows.  You should have 24 pieces roughly square shaped.  Top each with a couple slices pepperoni or a little bit of your favorite filling and about 2 or 3 pieces of mozzarella cheese, depending on how small you sliced them.  Fold the corners together and pinch the edges to form a ball.  Make sure they are sealed so the cheese doesn't leak out when cooking.  Place seam side down in a greased or sprayed 9X9 ish sized baking pan.  I used a round deep dish pizza stone.  Now melt the butter, garlic and seasoning in a small cup or dish in the microwave and spoon or brush over the balls of dough in the pan.  Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake in a pre-heated oven at 425 for about 16 minutes or until golden brown and done.  Serve with pizza sauce for dipping.

Filling each dough square/rectangle with pepperoni and mozzarella

Sealed into little balls, in a baking dish, topped with butter and ready to bake!

Le Creuset 9x9-in. Stoneware Square Baking Dish, Cherry

Black-Eyed Peas - Hoppin' John

New Year... Time for Prosperity and Black-Eyed Peas!

In many parts of the world and primarily in the Southern states of the USA, it's a tradition to eat black-eyed peas on January 1st for good luck and prosperity in the new year.

Some people can call this Hoppin' John... I just think of it as a delicious ham and bean dish.


Hoppin John


1 pound dried black-eyed peas
2 small smoked ham hocks or meaty ham bone
2 medium onions, divided
3 large cloves garlic, halved
1 bay leaf
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 can (10 to 14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with chile peppers, juices reserved
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, minced
2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 green onions, sliced


In a large Dutch oven or kettle, combine the black-eyed peas, ham bone or ham hocks, and 6 cups water. Cut 1 of the onions in half and add it to the pot along with the garlic and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until the beans are tender but not mushy, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the ham bone or hocks, cut off the meat; dice and set aside. Drain the peas and set aside. Remove and discard the bay leaf, onion pieces, and garlic.

Add 2 1/2 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the rice, cover, and simmer until the rice is almost tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Mince the remaining onion then add to the rice along with the peas, tomatoes, and their juices, red and green bell pepper, celery, jalapeno pepper, Creole seasoning, thyme, cumin, and salt. Cook until the rice is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the sliced green onions and the reserved diced ham. Serve with hot sauce and freshly baked cornbread.