Low Carb Vanilla CheeseCake (w/ a nut free crust!)

Make this...just do it. I've perfected it by making it at least 10 times and it never lasts long. With my ingredients, I calculate 50 net grams of carbs for the whole cheese cake...that's less than than one piece at the cheesecake factory, and we typically get 12 GENEROUS slices out of this recipe. For an extra special treat, serve topped with a raspberry puree or a small portion of melted dark chocolate. (No one will know this is low carb...promise!)


Crust:
1/2 c pork rind flour (food processed until finely ground)
1 c. coconut flakes
2 Tbsp coconut flour
3 Tbsp coconut oil or melted butter
1 dropper full (approximately 20 drops) vanilla stevia


Add coconut flakes to a food processor or high powered blender first. Allow to run until coconut is ground finely, but not until it's coconut butter. Add remaining ingredients and process until well combined.  Press into the bottom of a springform pan (I use a 12 inch) and set aside.


Heat the oven to 425 and put about 1 inch of water in a pan that can hold your springform in the oven to preheat as well. (This is a water bath, for those of you who don't often make cheesecake. You can omit this step, but your cheesecake will crack on the top...it will still taste delicious, but may not look like it came from the Cheesecake Factory. Your call :) Prepare your filling as described below.


If your springform is not waterproof, or you aren't sure, wrap foil around it, going up over the top edge. It might take 2 pieces.


Filling:
1 cup full fat ricotta (read labels...mine has 2 g carb per 1/4 c serving)
24 oz full fat cream cheese (buy name brand...1 g carb per 1 oz serving)
4 large eggs
1/2 c + 2 Tbsp erythritol, or 1/2 c birch xylitol
5 droppers full (100 drops) English Toffee Stevia (NO SUBS...gives it the perfect carmel-ly flavor)
3 Tbsp canned, full fat coconut milk or heavy whipping cream
1/4 c vanilla extract*


Blend all ingredients in a high powered blender or food processor until well combined. Pour into prepared pan and drop a couple inches on the counter a couple times to get all the air bubbles out.


Place your cheesecake in your prepared water bath (or just in the oven) and turn the oven (which should be at 425) down to 325 and bake your cheesecake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow your cheesecake to remain in the warm oven for an hour or so. Remove and chill.


DON'T TAKE THE EDGE OFF OF YOUR PAN UNTIL IT'S COOL!!! It will collapse. I tell you this from experience. It's not pretty folks...but it sure does taste good! Waiting is hard, I know. If you must...just take a spoonful from the piece that will be yours. Don't ruin the whole cake because of your impatience :)


Second note...when you place this in the fridge make sure it's stable, preferably not balancing on a head of cabbage and a pyrex dish, because (again, from experience) if you accidently hit said head of cabbage and your cheesecake loses it's balance, it will come flying out of the fridge and land top side down on the floor. You will look slightly pathetic scooping it off the floor and then getting up the remainder with a spoon, however, I won't judge you...because I've been there...


Third note...this freezes beautifully, and will also keep in the fridge for about a week.


*I make my own vanilla by purchasing vanilla beans in bulk, cutting them in half lengthwise and sticking them in a cheap bottle of vodka or bourbon. Let them hang out for about a month, or longer and you have super affordable vanilla extract with no fillers :) I also made homemade vanilla as gifts one Christmas by buying airplane liquor bottles and putting one bean in each bottle - HUGE HIT!


(Lindsey Slattery is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This costs you nothing, but if you purchase items that I recommend, I will receive a small percentage of the item's cost.)

Protein Blueberry Bread (nut free, low carb, sugar free)

Alright my friends...I have found something crazy. Pork rinds, ground up, create a pretty amazing flour substitute. (Be careful that your pork rinds don't have a lot of crap in them...you want them to have 2 ingredients...pork skin and salt. Nothing else. Nothing would ruin a blueberry bread like a BBQ flavored flour. Gross.)

I have been having a  blast playing with the ZERO carb flour...seriously, it's like a match made in heaven. It's tricky though...to much pork rind without another flour makes for a chewy (not in a good way), rubbery texture that is nothing to write home about. However, used in addition to other ingredients, it's pretty awesome. We really enjoyed this bread/cake. The batter can also be used to make "muffin tops", on a cookie sheet without a muffin top pan. Double score, right?


(Notes - if you use sugar and not a sugar substitute, this will no longer be low carb...)

Double Protein (Pork Rind) Blueberry Bread

1/2 c butter, softened

3/4 c erythritol (or 1/2 c. birch xylitol or white sugar)

1/2 tsp powdered stevia (or 1/2 c. brown sugar)

2 eggs

2 tsp baking powder (or 1 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp cream of tarter)

1 cup pork rind flour (simply food process or use a high speed blender until it's finely ground)

1/2 c. unflavored whey or egg white protein powder (I use NOW Whey - off Amazon) 

1/2 c. coconut flour

3/4 c. milk of choice (almond, coconut, dairy)

1 Tbsp unflavored gelatin

2.5 c. frozen blueberries (Wild Maine work best, because they are small)

Beat butter, sweeteners and eggs until well combined. Add milk, baking powder and gelatin & beat well.  Add flours and mix until just combined. Fold in frozen blueberries and pour into a parchment lined loaf pan (8x4)

Bake at 350 for approximately 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool, store in the fridge. For an extra special breakfast, toast in a frying pan that has been coated in melted butter...yum!

(Lindsey Slattery is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This costs you nothing, but if you purchase items that I recommend, I will receive a small percentage of the item's cost.)

Pumpkin Bread Balls (low carb, no gluten, grains, or nuts)

These are so freakin good...and since it's fall and that means it's pumpkin season...GAME ON!

I love pumpkin...pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins...you name it, I love it...sooo, since my old recipe had almond flour as a main ingredient, I needed to make some modifications. I'm so glad I did. These trump anything pumpkin-y that I've ever made. They are kind of like a cross between an old fashioned doughnut, pumpkin bread and a snickerdoodle cookie. They are delicious, and have only about 2 net carbs per "ball". They're pretty too, with the cinnamon/erythritol coating...


1 1/4 c coconut flour
1/4 c vanilla whey protein (Jay Robb)
1/4 c chia seeds
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp coarse kosher salt
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 c erythritol

2/3 c coconut milk
2/3 c + 3 Tbsp virgin coconut oil - melted
1 tsp stevia glycerite
6 eggs
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

Coating -
6 Tbsp erythritol
2 Tbsp cinnamon

Whisk all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Ensure that everything is well mixed before you begin adding the wet ingredients.

Add all wet ingredients and use a hand mixer to get everything all mixed. Blend for 2-3 minutes or until well combined.

Preheat oven to 350 and allow dough to sit for 10 minutes or so to thicken up, while your oven heats up.

Mix erythritol and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Roll dough into balls, approximately 1 1/2 inches. Roll dough in cinnamon/erythritol mixture and place on parchment lined baking sheet. (They don't spread, so you can put them pretty close together). This amount of dough should make approximately 45-50 balls.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.


Update - I ran out of Jay Robb protein powder and couldn't justify it's cost. I now use an unflavored whey and/or egg white protein powder that I order via Subscribe and Save on Amazon. To compensate for the additional sweetness, I add about 1/4 tsp of liquid stevia (2 droppers) and a tsp of vanilla, while using the same amount of protein powder.


(Lindsey Slattery is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This costs you nothing, but if you purchase items that I recommend, I will receive a small percentage of the item's cost.)

Gluten Free | Low Carb Pizza 2.0 (nut free, grain free)

Well, I didn't think my previous pizza crust could be improved on...but then I realized that I had a nut intolerance and even the 3 Tbsp of almond meal in my previous recipe could set off cramps and inflammation throughout my body! Soo...back to the drawing board and so glad that I did.  Today's concoction is gluten and grain free and only has about 15 carbs in the whole pizza crust...size x-large, I think I use a 15 inch pizza round pan. You could also make 2 smaller pizzas. Regardless, this makes a lot of pizza...at least 4 servings, maybe 6 if you aren't that hungry.  I use a no sugar added pizza sauce (Publix or Kroger brand) and shred my own mozzarella so it doesn't have added starches to keep the strands separate. But, you don't have to...if you have shredded mozzarella, be my guest!

Without further ado - a gluten free, grain free, nut free, primal (not paleo because of the parmesan) pizza crust -

1/3 c pork rind flour (pork rinds, ground up in the food processor, measured after ground)
1/3 c coconut flour
1/3 c grated parmesan cheese
1/2 Tbsp yeast (like the kind you use to make bread...optional)
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
4 eggs
5 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded + more for topping
1/4 c olive oil

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine all dry ingredients (except xanthan gum) in a food processor or high powered blender. Add xanthan gum while processor is running to ensure that it doesn't clump.  Add cheese and turn on motor. Add eggs one at a time while processor is running.  Once mixture is thoroughly combined, turn off processor and line your pan with parchment paper. I use a 15 inch round pizza pan.

Scrape dough out onto parchment lined pan. Flatten out into a disk, with your hands (it will be sticky.) Once it's about 6 inches across, pour the olive oil on the top and then use your hands to continue to push the dough out and flatten it into the pan. Dough should be about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, if you like.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove and add sauce, toppings and cheese.

Crust has approximately 15 net carbs...don't load it down with sugary sauce and you have an excellent, extremely low carb pizza!