FIGARO FABULOSA QUICK FAJITAS MARINADE
This is my favorite fajita marinade and I've been using it for many years. I think it's only available in the south though. Although the carbs are minimal, there is a little sugar in it. One of these days I'll try to make a copycat version using water, vinegar, liquid smoke, Splenda, lime juice and garlic. I'm sure it would be a lot cheaper to make from scratch too. I pay around $1.50 per bottle, which will make one or two batches of fajitas depending on how much meat you're making. It's good with beef and chicken, but I prefer chicken fajitas. Here's their website - Figaro
Ingredients: water, vinegar, liquid smoke, hydrolyzed soy protein, sugar, natural citrus flavor, caramel color, garlic, spices, herbs
1 Tablespoon = 0 carbs
Recipe: Fajita Salad
FISH SAUCE
I must admit that I haven't gotten up the nerve to try fish sauce in a recipe yet. Years ago I found a brand that didn't have any sugar in it but, when I opened the bottle and smelled it, I promptly threw it out! There wasn't anything wrong with it, but the smell was so pungent that I wasn't about to put any in my food. I've since gotten brave and bought another bottle to try sometime. Unfortunately, I haven't found a brand without sugar and I've checked a lot of labels. Since you use such a tiny amount in a recipe, I won't worry about it. It's really no different than using a little Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce for flavoring. I'll try to remember to post what I think of fish sauce after I get around to trying it. The recipe below calls for 1 teaspoon of fish sauce. I substituted soy sauce for it, but fish sauce would be more authentic. Here's a better description: fish sauce
Ingredients: anchovy extract, water, fructose, hydrolyzed soy protein
1 tablespoon = 1 carb
Recipe: Chicken Satay
FLAX MEAL
Flax meal is made from ground flax seeds. It's highly nutritious and almost 100% fiber so the carb count per serving is almost nothing. I've used both the regular kind and the golden kind and I highly recommend buying golden flax meal if you can find it. It has a slightly milder flavor and your baked goods won't have dark flecks in them. You can see the difference in these two recipe photos. These were made with regular flax meal - Flax Sandwich Buns, and these were made with golden flax meal - Banana Walnut Muffins. You can get information on the nutritional aspects of flax meal here or here
1 cup = 29g Carbohydrate; 27g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs
Recipe: Coconut Macaroon Muffins
FREEZE-DRIED CHIVES
Although I would love to have fresh chives growing in my backyard, it's not very practical in the Houston heat. So, I rely on freeze-dried chives which, to me, taste almost as good as fresh ones. I usually get them at Penzeys or order them from Spice Barn. Spice barn also sells freeze-dried green onions which are very good. They have a slightly stronger flavor than the chives. Chives are good sprinkled over salads or soups. They're also nice in things like chicken salad.
1/4 cup = trace Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; trace Net Carbs
Recipe: Smoked Salmon Quiche with Dill
2 ounces = 1 Net Carb
Ingredients (Hatch brand): Water, Green Chilies, Corn Starch, Dehydrated Onion, Wheat Flour, Salt, Chile Pepper, Cumin, Soybean Oil, Spices, Parsley Powder
1/4 cup = 3g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs (will vary by brand)
Ingredients: tomatillo, jalapeño pepper, onion, salt, cilantro, modified corn starch, spices, potassium sorbate
1 cup = 10g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 10g Net Carbs
1 cup = 9g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 9g Net Carbs
1 cup (75 grams) = 13g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 6g Net Carbs
1 cup = 7g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 7g Net Carbs
Ingredients: sweetened with Aspartame plus the usual soda ingredients
0 carbs per 12-ounce serving
UPDATE: If you can't find Heinz One Carb ketchup, don't dispair. Heinz is making the same product under the new name of Heinz Reduced Sugar Ketchup. The ingredients and carb count are still the same. I've seen it at Wal-Mart for $1.74 and at Kroger for $2.19. Also, I have finally had a chance to try this and it's great. The label on the bottle I bought at Wal-Mart still says "One Carb" with "Reduced Sugar" in smaller print. The label is actually a little different than either one of the pictures above. Just look for a blue label.
Ingredients: Tomato concentrate made from red ripe tomatoes, distilled vinegar, salt, onion powder spice, sucralose, natural flavoring
1 tablespoon = 1g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
Ingredients (Tropic of Strawberry): Hibiscus; rosehips; orange peel; chamomile; roasted chicory; blackberry leaves; natural flavors of strawberries, pineapples, coconuts, bananas and other natural flavors (contains soy lecithin); lemon verbena and bananas
Ingredients (Tasty Tangerine): apple, blackberry leaves, citric acid, hibiscus, natural tangerine flavor with other natural flavors (soy lecithin), roasted chicory root, tangerine and orange juices from concentrate, rose hips, orange peel.
Ingredients (Pink Grapefruit, Mandarin & Lime): hibiscus, rosehips, orange peel, apple pieces, blackberry leaves, grapefruit flavouring , mandarin flavouring, liquorice root, lime flavouring, lemon flavouring, lemon pieces, lime pieces, mandarin pieces
1 tea bag = zero carbs
Ingredients: maltodextrin, salt, monosodium glutamate, buttermilk solids, whey solids, dried garlic, dried onion, lactic acid, modified food starch, spices, citric acid, calcium lactate, casein, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, whole milk solids, artificial flavor, guar gum, calcium stearate
1 packet dry mix = 16g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 16g Net Carbs
ITALIAN SEASONING
Ingredients: California and French basil, Turkish oregano, minced garlic and thyme
1 tablespoon = 2g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
1 pepper = 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
UPDATE: I'm sad to say that the company has discontinued this product. However, I have come up with a homemade sauce that's at least as good and a lot cheaper to make: Smoky BBQ Sauce II.
Ingredients: tomato puree (water, tomato paste), water vinegar, salt, spices, natural flavors, modified food starch, dried garlic, dried onion, sodium benzoate, tortulla yeast, maltodextrin, xanthan gum, red 40, blue 1, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, caramel color, turmeric, paprika extracts
2 tablespoons = 2g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs
Ingredients White Cheddar: Cheddar Cheese (Blend of Cheddar Cheese, [Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes], Whey, Soybean Oil, Whey Protein Concentrate, Lactose, Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Yeast Extract, Lecithin), Salt, Whey, Butter Milk Solids, Dextrose, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Disodium Inosinate and Guanylate, Onion and Garlic Powder. Silicon Dioxide added to prevent caking
Ingredients Nacho Cheddar: Cheddar Cheese (Blend of Cheddar Cheese, [Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes], Whey, Soybean Oil, Whey Protein Concentrate, Lactose, Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid), Salt, Butter Milk Solids, Onion Powder, Paprika, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Parsley, Turmeric and Paprika Extractives, Tomato Powder, Disodium Inosinate and Guanylate, Spice. Silcon Dioxide added to prevent caking
1/4 teaspoon = .5 Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; .5g Net Carb
Ingredients (pink lemonade flavor): citric acid, calcium phosphate, maltodextrin, salt, natural flavor, lemon juice solids, ascorbic acid, artificial color, red 40, BHA
8 ounce glass = trace carbs
2 ounces = 1g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
Ingredients: nonfat milk, cocoa processed with alkali, modified whey, calcium carbonate, salt, carrageenan, artificial flavors, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, disodium phosphate
1 packet: 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs
Ingredients (French Onion flavor): Light cheddar, cheddar, Swiss and semisoft cheeses, whey, cream, sodium phosphate, onion, sodium citrate, salt, natural flavor
3/4 ounce wedge = 1 Net Carb
UPDATE: You can buy now order this bread from Netrition for $2.99.
Ingredients: water, wheat gluten, corn starch, flax, oat fiber, whole wheat flour, oat bran, isolated soy protein, soy flour, soy oil, sesame flour, salt, sodium acid pyrophosphate, dextrose, sodium bicarbonate, calcium propionate, fumaric acid, potassium sorbate, monodigycerides, sucralose, sodium metabisulfite, yeast
1 serving = 7g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs
I only have a couple of complaints. The main one is with the meat. I think that the textured soy protein gives the meat an odd texture. The chicken chili had six cubes of meat but there were only four pieces in the beef chili. I think that they should have just skipped the beef cubes and put in more ground beef instead. Also, both meals needed quite a bit of salt, especially the chicken chili. I don't generally use a lot of salt in my food so they will probably seem even more bland to people who aren't as sensitive to salt as I am. I don't have a problem with sodium, I just don't like my food really salty. Other than the salt, the chili was nicely seasoned.
You can order the chili from Netrition and the price is very reasonable. Each meal is just $2.69 which is probably less than many frozen dinners, such as Lean Cuisine.
Ingredients (Chicken Chili): Water, black soybeans, cooked chicken breast with rib meat (chicken, water, Modified rice starch, salt, soy protein isolate, sodium phosphate), tomatoes in juice (tomatoes, tomato juice, citric acid, calcium chloride), celery, green bell peppers, red peppers, soy protein concentrate, contains 2% or less of the following; onion, chili powder (chili pepper, spices, salt), garlic, isolated oat product, torula yeast), spices, guar gum
Per serving: 15g Carbohydrate; 10g Dietary Fiber; 5g Net Carbs
Ingredients (Beef Chili): Water, tomato puree (unpeeled ground tomatoes, extra heavy puree and salt), ground beef, diced beef (beef, salt), black soybeans, green pepper, textured vegetable(soy protein concentrate, caramel color), contains 2% or less of the following ingredients: chili powder (chili pepper, spices, salt), salt, natural flavor, isolated oat product, spice, guar gum, cayenne pepper
Per serving: 10g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs
NOTE: After making the mix into thumbprint cookies, I can see now that you would get at least twice as many spritz cookies from the dough. Spritz cookies are usually quite small.
Ingredients: Wheat protein isolates, resistant wheat starches, flax seed me al, vital wheat gluten, Inulin (chicory root) fiber, digestion resistant polydextrose fiber, baking powder, salt, sucralose, organic stevia rebaudiana leaf natural herbal extracts, natural luo han guo monk fruit and natural enzymes
Per Serving (dry mix): 85 Calories; 1g Fat; 9g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
UPDATE 1/21/13: You can also get this product at Netrition.
Ingredients: Wheat protein isolates, resistant wheat starches, flax seed meal, vital wheat gluten, Inulin (chicory root) fiber, digestion resistant polydextrose fiber, baking powder, salt, sucralose, organic stevia, natural luo han guo monk fruit, natural banana & brown sugar flavoring, natural caramel color & natural enzymes.
Per 1/12 Mix (unprepared): 73 Calories; 1g Fat; 8g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
Here are the counts for the prepared bread:
Per slice without nuts: 220 Calories; 16g Fat; 11g Protein; 8.5g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 1.5g Net Carbs
UPDATE 1/21/13: You can also get this product at Netrition.
Ingredients: Whey protein isolate, White milled chia seed (Salvia Hispanica L.), Inulin (chicory root) fiber, organic stevia extract, natural luo han guo monk fruit extract, natural banana flavoring, natural vegetable & tree gums, salt
1 cup prepared smoothie = 8g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 0g Net Carbs
Ingredients: Freeze dried broccoli, freeze dried cauliflower
Per 1/4 Cup Serving: 24 Calories; 0g Fat; 2g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs
UPDATE 1/21/13: You can also get this product at Netrition.
Ingredients: Contains a proprietary/patent pending blend of Inulin chicory root fibers, soluble dietary fibers, wheat protein isolates, resistant wheat starch, cocoa, flax meal, vital wheat gluten, resistant wheat starch, sucralose, organic stevia rebaudiana leaf, natural luo han guo, salt, baking powder, natural enzymes
Per Serving (mix only): 31 Calories; 0g Fat; 2g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
They come in very large pieces that you can break up into whatever size "crackers" you like. I kind of like that idea but I think they would look nicer if they were in little squares for serving them at a party. On the other hand, they're not really the sort of thing that I'd serve for company. I would treat them more like trail mix or granola bars and reserve them for times when I might need to take a little snack along with me. They taste more like "health food" than snacky junk food, if you know what I mean. I think that the cheese is what makes them more tasty than something like those hard dry Wasa crisps that I ate when I was on a low fat diet (cardboard comes to mind). These are more like a crispbread kind of thing though than true crackers. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods.
Ingredients: A proprietary blend of almond, coconut and tapioca flours, cheddar cheese, golden flax meal, egg whites, coconut oil, whey protein, salt and baking soda
Per Serving: 52 Calories; 8.3g Fat; 5.1g Protein; 4.7g Carbohydrate; 3.7g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
UPDATE 1/21/13: You can also get this product at Netrition.
Ingredients: Wheat protein isolates, resistant wheat starches, flax seed meal, vital wheat gluten, inulin (chicory root) fiber, digestion resistant polydextrose fiber, cocoa, baking powder, salt, sucralose, organic stevia rebaudiana leaf natural herbal extracts, natural luo han guo monk fruit and natural enzymes
1/11 prepared cake = 176 Calories; 11g Fat; 8g Protein; 11.5g Carbohydrate; 10g Dietary Fiber; 1.5g Net Carbs
Ingredients: Contains a proprietary/patent pending blend of milk protein isolates, whey protein isolates, natural unsweetened cocoa, Inulin (chicory root) fiber, sucralose, organic stevia rebaudiana leaf extract, natural luo han guo monk fruit extract
Per Serving (1/3 cup mix) = 6g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
Ingredients: Cabbage, onions, vinegar, red & green bell peppers, salt, garlic powder, celery seed, spices, natural organic stevia, natural lou han guo monk fruit, calcium chloride, citric acid, mustard seeds and turmeric
Per 2 tablespoons: 8 Calories; 0g Fat; 0g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carb
The method for preparing the dough for these is a little unusual, but it worked quite well. Rather than rolling out the entire batch of dough in one large rectangle, you roll out individual strips of dough. The dough was very easy to roll out as directed and easy to shape. However, it was a little tricky slicing the strips into three thinner strips, even with a really long bread knife. I found that the trick was to press down with the knife rather than to slide it through the dough which tended to stretch it.
I had to be careful spreading the cinnamon filling on the dough strips. Because the filling is so thick and sticky, it kept stretching the dough as I spread it. It did work out fine though and the unique method for rolling up the buns was very easy to do.
The buns rose quite a bit in the 40 minutes suggested in the directions (see the second photo above) but mine didn't puff up any more while baking. They came out a bit flat and they are denser than traditional cinnamon rolls. They're still good, just not light and airy. Although they're not quite like the real thing, many low carbers would be happy to have something this close to a real cinnamon roll. I frosted mine with one batch of the LC-Richer Glaze that's on the back of the LC-Confectionery Powder bag. If you're very sensitive to fiber, like I am, I suggest using strict portion control with these buns. One bun, with the glaze, has over 15 grams of fiber. The buns are small so it wouldn't be difficult to eat two of them for a whopping 31 grams of fiber. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods. Click the thumbnails to see close-ups. Here is one cinnamon bun:
Ingredients (LC-Cinnamon Bun Mix): Wheat protein isolates, resistant wheat starches, flax seed meal, vital wheat gluten, Inulin (chicory root) fiber, digestion resistant polydextrose fiber, baking powder, salt, sucralose, organic stevia rebaudiana leaf, natural luo han guo monk fruit, natural color titanium dioxide & natural enzymes
Ingredients (LC-Cinnamon & Brown Sugar Filling): Inulin (chicory root) fiber, digestion resistant polydextrose fiber, cinnamon & brown sugar spices, cocoa, sucralose, natural vegetable gum, organic
stevia rebaudiana leaf natural herbal extracts, natural luo han guo monk fruit
Per Prepared Bun (with glaze): 182 Calories; 9g Fat; 8g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 15.5g dietary Fiber; 1.5g Net Carbs
Ingredients: Non GMO coconut milk
Per 1/3 Cup Serving: 140 Calories; 22g Fat; 1.5g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; <1g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
Ingredients: Dehydrated unsulfured unsweetened coconut meat
Per 1/4 Cup Serving: 110 Calories; 10g Fat; 1g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs
UPDATE 11/5/11: I made the LC-Richer Glaze recipe on the package to frost the LC-Pumpkin Cookies and I think that the added butter helped keep the glaze a little softer and less chewy. I set the bowl in the freezer to firm it up enough to frost the cookies so that it wouldn't run off. I left it in there about 4 minutes and whisked it every minute. Next time I'll add less water so that it will thicken up more quickly.
UPDATE 1/21/13: You can also get this product at Netrition.
Ingredients: Contains a proprietary/patent pending blend of Inulin (chicory root)
fiber, soluble dietary fiber, gluten free resistant wheat starch, sucralose, organic
stevia rebaudiana leaf natural herbal extracts, natural luo han guo monk fruit
1 tablespoon = 7.7g Carbohydrate; 7.4g Dietary Fiber; .3g Net Carb
Ingredients: Contains a proprietary/patent pending blend of organic cracked flax seed, organic chopped flax seed meal, milled whole chia seed grain, chia seed meal, and natural dietary vegetable plant fiber
1/4 cup mix = 124 Calories; 8g Fat; 5g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 0g Net Carbs
Recipe: I made them according to the package directions (which calls for an egg white, a teaspoon of oil, some water and a little salt) but added 1/8 teaspoon each garlic and onion powder.
I followed my basic Chicken Salad with Grapes recipe but used the cranberries instead of grapes. I also added a little Claussen dill pickle juice and a little diced pickle. If you didn't want to sweeten them, I'm sure that they would soften up as they sat in the salad for a while. Bear in mind that they will probably turn the salad a little pink but that doesn't bother me.
I think if I were to add some to a batch of muffins, I would rehydrate them first. Here's what they look like (click the photo to see a close-up):
Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods.
Ingredients: Dehydrated cranberries
1/4 cup = 3.6g Carbohydrate; 1.2g Dietary Fiber; 2.4g Net Carbs
UPDATE 1/21/13: You can also get this product at Netrition.
Ingredients: Wheat protein isolates, resistant wheat starches, flax seed meal, vital wheat gluten, Inulin (chicory root) fiber, digestion resistant polydextrose fiber, baking powder, salt, sucralose, organic stevia rebaudiana leaf natural herbal extracts, natural luo han guo monk fruit, ginger, spices, cocoa, natural caramel color and natural enzymes
Per serving (dry mix): 85 Calories; 1g Fat; 9g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
Ingredients: Organic cracked flax seed, organic chopped flax seed meal, milled whole chia seed grain, chia seed meal, Inulin (chicory root) fiber, soluble dietary fiber, digestion resistant polydextrose fiber, sucralose, organic stevia rebaudiana leaf natural herbal extracts, and natural luo han guo monk fruit.
Per Serving Prepared: 363 Calories; 26g Fat; 8g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 23g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs
Just for fun, below are the ingredients and counts for Kellogg's Cracklin' Oat Bran for comparison:
Kellogg's Cracklin' Oat Bran: Whole grain oats, sugar, wheat bran, palm oil, oat bran, corn syrup, wheat starch, coconut, molasses, contains 2% or less of malt flavoring, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, natural and artificial flavor, soy lecithin, nutmeg
Per 3/4 Cup Serving: 200 Calories; 7g Fat; 4g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 29g Net Carbs
UPDATE 1/21/13: You can also get this product at Netrition.
Ingredients: Contains a proprietary/patent pending blend of milk protein isolates, whey protein isolates, Inulin (chicory root) fiber, salt, sucralose, organic stevia rebaudiana leaf extract, natural luo han guo monk fruit extract
Per 9 Fluid Ounce Serving: 192 Calories; 13g Fat; 18g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
For comparison, here are the counts for an equal amount of regular whole milk: 169 Calories; 9g Fat; 9g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 13g Net Carbs
Ingredients: wheat protein isolates, resistant wheat starches, flax seed meal, olive oil, vital wheat gluten, instant dry yeast, Inulin (chicory root) fiber, salt, calcium propionate (as a preservative), vinegar, organic stevia rebaudiana leaf natural herbal extracts, and natural luo han guo monk fruit
Per bagel: 86 Calories; 2.7g Fat; 8.4g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 5.5g Dietary Fiber; 1.5g Net Carbs
One thing that I had to adjust was the baking time. 8-11 minutes wasn't even close to long enough. I baked mine a little over 20 minutes and it could have used a little more time to get it a bit browner. I recommend checking the pizza after 20 minutes and add up to 5 more minutes if needed. The crust was actually quite crispy when it first came out of the oven but it softened up within minutes.
I made a double batch of pizza dough which, according to the label, should be 8 servings. I don't think that anyone would be satisfied with such a tiny piece of pizza. In my opinion, a double batch is closer to 4 generous servings than 8 but I cut mine into 6 pieces as a compromise. It is pretty filling but I was easily able to eat another half a piece. I baked mine in a quarter sheet pan that measures 8 1/2" x 12". The dough fit perfectly. If you wanted to make a round pizza, I think a 12-inch pizza pan would be about the right size for a double batch of dough (1 1/2 cups of the mix).
Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods. Click the photos to see close-ups.
UPDATE 1/21/13: You can also get this product at Netrition.
Ingredients: Wheat protein isolates, resistant wheat starches, flax seed meal, vital wheat gluten, Inulin (chicory root) fiber, sucralose, organic stevia rebaudiana leaf natural herbal extracts, and natural luo han guo monk fruit
These counts are based on 4 servings per batch of dough as listed on the package label:
Per serving dry mix (20.3 grams): 77 Calories; 1g Fat; 9g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
Recipe: LC-Pizza
When you order these read-to-bake crusts from LC Foods, you get three of them in the package. They suggest that you freeze any crusts that you're not going to use right away. Below you can see how the crust looks before baking and without any toppings and then a finished pizza.
Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods. Click the thumbnails to see close-ups.
Ingredients: Wheat protein isolates, resistant wheat starches, flax seed meal, olive oil, vital wheat gluten, instant dry yeast, Inulin (chicory root) fiber, salt, organic stevia rebaudiana leaf natural herbal extracts, and natural luo han guo monk fruit
1 slice (1/8 pizza, crust only) = 12g Carbohydrate; 10g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs
UPDATE 10/8/11: LC Foods recently added two new preserves flavors: peach and blueberry. Both are tasty but the peach flavor is a little weak compared to the others. It also has a different consistency than the others. It reminds me of applesauce and I think it would go very nicely as a condiment with roast pork. I used the blueberry to make an individual cobbler and it was very good.
UPDATE 1/21/13: You can also get this product at Netrition.
UPDATE 8/27/14: They now have LC-Raspberry Preserves. Although not quite a fresh raspberry flavor, the flavor is nice. I think it's a little too tart so I added 1/4 cup of sweetener to the whole jar and that seems to be perfect for my taste. The extra sweetener really perked up the flavor. The flavor now seems brighter but still slightly tart.
Also, when I first posted my reviews of the preserves, they were sweetened with sucralose. I see that they have now changed the sweeteners to luo han guo monk fruit and stevia for all of the flavors. I haven't checked to see if any of the nutritional counts have changed.
Ingredients (blackberry): Blackberries, water, pectin, lemon juice, sucralose, preservatives (potasssium sorbate, fumaric acid, calcium citrate, sodium benzoate), maltodextrin
1 tablespoon = 1g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb (strawberry and blackberry)
Recipe: 3 Minute Vanilla Cake (as seen in the photo above)
UPDATE 1/21/13: You can also get this product at Netrition.
Ingredients: Wheat protein isolates, resistant wheat starches, flax seed meal, vital wheat gluten, Inulin (chicory root) fiber, digestion resistant polydextrose fiber, baking powder, salt, sucralose, organic stevia rebaudiana leaf natural herbal extracts, natural luo han guo monk fruit, pumpkin spices and natural enzymes
1 serving dry mix (21.2 grams): 85 Calories; 1g Fat; 9g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
UPDATE 11/8/11: After trying a couple of the Snickerdoodles and the Pumpkin Cookies right after baking them, I promptly put the rest right into the freezer. I'm back to report that "aging" the cookies for a few days in the freezer improves them greatly. They were good fresh but they're even better later. I put a couple of cookies on a small plate and microwaved them on HIGH for about 6 seconds or just enough to soften them slightly. If your cookies have icing on them, watch them closely so that the icing doesn't melt too much. I mentioned this to the owner of the company and he said that the cookies will also improve by allowing them to "age" overnight without freezing them.
Ingredients: Dehydrated raspberries
Per 1/4 cup (6.3 grams): 24 Calories; 0g Fat; .7g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1.5g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs
LC-CHILI GINGER SAUCE & MARINADE
Ingredients (Chili Ginger Sauce): Water, apple cider vinegar, red jalapeno chili, sesame oil, tomato paste, natural stevia extract, erythritol, sea salt, contains less than 2%: spices, onion, citric acid, xanthan gum, chilies, red wine vinegar, garlic, orange juice, cilantro and lemon juice
Per 1 tablepoon Serving: 8 Calories; 0g Fat; 0g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 1g Sugar Alcohol; 1g Net Carbs
LC-TERIYAKI SAUCE & MARINADE
Ingredients (Teriyaki Sauce): Water, gluten free soy sauce, red onion, natural stevia extract, erythritol, sesame oil. Contains less than 2%: marin spices, green onion, xanthan gum, lime juice, citric acid and cultured dextrose
Per 1 tablepoon Serving: 10 Calories; 0g Fat; <1g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 1g Sugar Alcohol; 1g Net Carbs
I tried these two sauces on the same day to marinate some boneless chicken thighs for grilling. Normally I make my Seoul Chicken recipe and grill the chicken outside on our gas grill. It's one of our favorite recipes. Instead I marinated half of the chicken pieces in the Chili Ginger Sauce and half in the Teriyaki Sauce for about four hours or so. Except for the slightly saltier flavor of the Teriyaki marinated chicken, neither one had any flavor to speak of after grilling it other than the smoky taste from the fire. When I make Seoul Chicken, the marinade gives the chicken a wonderful flavor but neither of these marinades actually soaked in and flavored the meat. What I ended up doing was putting some of the bottled sauce on my plate and dipped the chicken in the sauces as I ate it. So, I think these are both fine as sauces but not really suitable for marinating. The Teriyaki sauce tasts mostly of soy sauce with a very salty finish. The Chili Ginger sauce has a more complex and interesting flavor. It's good but it could really use some sweetener to enhance the flavors. You expect a sauce like this to be a little sweet, or somewhat sweet and sour, but that sweetness is missing. What I did when I ate the leftover chicken the next day was mix a little of both sauces on my plate and sprinkled in some granular Splenda to taste. That made a very tasty dipping sauce. Click HERE to buy these products from LC-Foods.
UPDATE 1/21/13: You can also get this product at Netrition.
Ingredients: Wheat protein isolates, resistant wheat starches, flax seed meal, vital wheat gluten, Inulin (chicory root) fiber, digestion resistant polydextrose fiber, baking powder, salt, sucralose, organic stevia rebaudiana leaf natural herbal extracts, natural luo han guo monk fruit, cinnamon and natural enzymes
1 serving dry mix: 85 Calories; 1g Fat; 9g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carbs
UPDATE 11/8/11: After trying a couple of the Snickerdoodles and the Pumpkin Cookies right after baking them, I promptly put the rest right into the freezer. I'm back to report that "aging" the cookies for a few days in the freezer improves them greatly. They were good fresh but they're even better later. I put a couple of cookies on a small plate and microwaved them on HIGH for about 6 seconds or just enough to soften them slightly. If your cookies have icing on them, watch them closely so that the icing doesn't melt too much. I mentioned this to the owner of the company and he said that the cookies will also improve by allowing them to "age" overnight without freezing them.
1 drop = 1 teaspoon sugar
Ingredients: Contains a proprietary/patent pending blend of water, natural luo han guo monk fruit, sucralose, organic stevia rebaudiana leaf natural herbal extracts, sodium benzoate & lactic acid as natural preservatives
1 Drop = 0g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 0g Net Carbs
Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods. Click the photos to see close-ups.
Ingredients: Wheat protein isolates, resistant wheat starches, whole & chopped brown flax seed, vital wheat gluten, butter, coconut oil, Inulin chicory root fiber, salt, instant dry yeast, organic stevia rebaudiana leaf natural herbal extracts, natural luo han guo monk fruit, natural caramel color and natural enzymes
1 slice (1/25 loaf) = 9.5g Carbohydrate; 8.5g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods. Click the photos to see close-ups.
Ingredients: Wheat protein isolates, resistant wheat starches, flax seed meal, vital wheat gluten, butter, coconut oil, Inulin (chicory root fiber), salt, instant dry yeast, organic stevia rebaudiana leaf natural herbal extracts, natural luo han guo monk fruit and natural enzymes
1 slice (1/25 loaf) = 9g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
UPDATE 4/2/11: Lindt recently changed the formula for their chocolate bars. They all have more carbs than they used to. I've left the old ingredient lists and carb counts here so that you can compare them.
Old Formula: Chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla
New Formula: Chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin, Bourbon vanilla beans
Recipe: Chocolate Truffle Torte
UPDATE 4/2/11: Lindt recently changed the formula for their chocolate bars. They all have more carbs than they used to. I've left the old ingredient lists and carb counts here so that you can compare them.
Old Formula: Chocolate, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, sugar, vanilla
New Formula: Chocolate, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, demerara sugar, Bourbon vanilla beans
Recipe: Chocolate Coconut Bark
Ingredients: Onions, Salt, Corn Starch, Sugar, Corn Syrup Solids, Caramel Color, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Yeast Extract, Monosodium Glutamate, Natural Flavors, Disodium Inosinate And Disodium Guanylate
1 packet = 21g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 17g Net Carbs
Ingredients: Water, Natural Smoke Flavor, Vinegar, Molasses, Caramel Color and Salt
1 tablespoon = trace Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; trace Net Carb
LIQUID SPLENDA (see Splenda Liquid)
Here's a description that I found online: ""It is made from the cream of cow’s milk, but no cheese starter or rennet is used in its production. Rather than being churned like butter, mascarpone is made by draining the moisture from heavy cream using a small amount of citric acid and finely woven cloth. The result is an extremely smooth, slightly sweet fresh cheese that is similar to Devon Cream or Clotted Cream."
1/4 cup = 2g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs
UPDATE: Eat Well Be Well has gone out of business so the chips are no longer available.
8 ounce bag MiniCarb = 121g Carbohydrate; 90g Dietary Fiber; 31g Net Carbs
UPDATE: Now the Carb Counters Chocolate Chips have been discontinued but Netrition has a new kind called Nevada Manna Sugar Free Chocolate Chips that are similar to the old MiniCarb chips. I haven't tried them myself though. Here is the ingredient list:
Ingredients: Chocolate liquor, polydextrose (soluble fiber), cocoa butter, cocoa powder, soy lecithin, sodium bicarbonate, vanilla, acesulfame potassium, sucralose
2 tablespoons/15 grams = 8 Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carbs
Ingredients: soy protein isolate, oat bran, vital wheat gluten, baking soda, soy lecithin
1 cup = 9g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 7g Net Carbs
Ingredients: salt, spices (including black pepper and red pepper), garlic, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, natural flavor and extractives of paprika
1/4 teaspoon = 0 Net Carbs
Ingredients: Onion, spices (black pepper, chili pepper, parsley, celery seed, basil, bay, marjoram, oregano, savory, thyme, cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin, mustard, rosemary), garlic, orange peel, carrot, lemon juice powder, tomato, red bell pepper, citric acid, oil of lemon
Recipe: Cauliflower "Popcorn"
UPDATE: Kroger now has their own brand of sugar free sweet pickle relish that's good, but not quite as good as Mt. Olive's. I've also heard that Vlasic makes a sugar free relish but I've never seen it in my area.
Ingredients (Bread & Butter Pickles): cucumbers, water, vinegar, salt, mustard seed, onion flakes, calcium chloride, 0.1% sodium benzoate (preservative), sucralose (Splenda brand), xanthan gum, celery seeds, and FD&C Yellow #5
Ingredients (Sweet Relish): cucumbers, water, vinegar, red bell pepper, salt, calcium chloride, 0.1% sodium benzoate (preservative), xanthan gum, alum, sucralose (Splenda brand), natural and artificial flavors, polysorbate 80, and FD&C Yellow #5
1/4 cup bread & butter pickles = 1g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
1 pound = 28g Carbohydrate; 14g Dietary Fiber; 14g Net Carbs
2 tablespoons = 6g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs
Recipe: Crab Cakes
Ingredients: water, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, modified food starch, salt, hydrolyzed corn and soy protein, caramel color, oyster extract, sodium benzoate
1 tablespoon = 3-7g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 3-7 Net Carbs (depending on the brand)
Recipe: Truffle Cups
UPDATE 7/28/11: I just noticed that the price of Parmigiano Reggiano at Walmart is now a lot higher than when I originally posted this. It's now almost $9.00 for a 6-ounce wedge. However, I saw on Rachael Ray's show last week that there's a domestic brand of Parmesan that they said is just as good as the real thing but costs half the price. The brand is Bel Gioioso and they do sell it at Walmart. I paid $4.48 for an 8-ounce wedge. I haven't tried it yet but I will post back after I do.
UPDATE 8/20/11: I have to say that the Bel Gioioso is just as good as the real thing. It's still more expensive than using the stuff in the green can but a lot cheaper than the kind from Italy.
1 ounce = 1 Net Carb
1 cup = 4g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs
Ingredients: dehydrated garlic, parmesan cheese, salt, L-glutamic acid, dehydrated sweet red peppers, spices, parsley, silicone dioxide
1/4 teaspoon = less than 1 net carb
FRYING CHEESE
Frying cheese was very popular a while back and I bought my share of it. I used to find Wisconsin Farms brand at Wal-Mart but they've stopped selling it. It's just as well because I always ended up eating too much. Sure, you can fry up most any kind of cheese, but the results won't be the same. Frying cheese gets kind of crisp on the outside and remains soft on the inside. Instead of flattening into a cheese crisp, it holds its shape quite well. I've heard that there are Mexican brands of frying cheese available, but I've never seen them and I live in Texas where there are more Mexican products than you can shake a stick at.
Recipe: Deep-Fried Cheese Bites
GREEN ENCHILADA SAUCE
It's not easy to find a brand without sugar and/or starch added these days. All the brands that I've seen around here now at least have starch to thicken them. The carbs are still relatively low per serving, but you'll want to go easy on it or make your own from scratch.
Recipe: Creamy Spinach Enchiladas
GREEN MEXICAN SALSA
Although there are many brands of this type of sauce on the market, La Costeña brand is my absolute favorite. A while back I bought about 6 different brands and did a taste test. There were a few that weren't all that great and a few that were almost as good as La Costeña. By the time you add in other ingredients, just about any brand will work fine and you can also use green enchilada sauce in a pinch. Green salsa has a unique flavor that is quite different than red salsas. You can substitute red salsa in any of my recipes, but the dish won't taste the same. Unfortunately at some point in time they started adding modified corn starch to this but the carb count remained the same. I've found that just about all the brands of this type of sauce, as well as green enchilada sauce, contain starch and sometimes sugar. That didn't use to be the case.
Recipe: Green Enchilada Chicken
HALF & HALF
So called because it's a mixture of half milk and half cream with only 10-18% fat. Not as good carb-wise as heavy or whipping cream, but better calorie and fat-wise. It's not rich enough to whip.
HAZELNUT FLOUR
I found hazelnut flour (or meal) at the Central Market here in Houston for $9.49 pound (this is price is very outdated). They also sell it at Netrition for $10.99 for 14 ounces plus shipping. The only thing I've used it in so far is in a mock cornbread which is excellent. While the soy grits provide the right gritty texture, the hazelnut flour provides the "corn" flavor. I was amazed at how much it tasted like my old high carb cornbread recipe.
Recipe: Mock Cornbread
HEAVY CREAM OR WHIPPING CREAM OR HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM
Heavy cream must contain at least 36% fat. Whipping cream is basically the same as heavy cream but can contain as little as 30% fat. They can be used interchangeably. Most brands are ultra-pasteurized to make them keep almost forever. If you can find fresh cream, you'll find that it has more flavor and whips much better. The only brand of fresh cream I can get here is Schepps, which they sell at Wal-Mart.
Recipe: Raspberry Fool
H.E.B. DIET PINEAPPLE SODA
I'm not usually fond of fruity flavored soda but I found this one to be a nice treat. It's an unusual flavor that I haven't seen anywhere but H.E.B. stores. A 6-pack is $1.25. I don't care much for fruit-flavored sodas because they always taste kind of "flat" (I don't mean flat as in "not fizzy") and they're not sweet enough for my taste. I add a drop or two of liquid Splenda to a can of this and it tastes perfect.
HEINZ ONE CARB KETCHUP
Although I haven't tried this myself, everyone says it tastes just like regular Heinz ketchup. If you can't find this low carb ketchup in the store, I've got a very good and easy recipe for making your own. See the recipe link below. Some stores have stopped selling Heinz One, but I still see it at Wal-Mart. It is also available at Netrition and Ketchup World (see the discount offer below).
Recipe: Even Better "Heinz" Ketchup
HERBAL TEAS
Herbal teas make a wonderful low carb treat. What's great is that you can control the kind of sweetener that goes into them. They come in an amazing variety of flavors too. Unfortunately many stores are discontinuing most of their herbal teas in favor of the new green and white teas but the good flavors can still be found online. One thing I like about Bigelow's teas is that they come individually wrapped. Some of my favorite flavors are Twinings "Pink Grapefruit, Mandarin & Lime", Celestial Seasoning's "Tropic of Strawberry" and Bigelow's "Tasty Tangerine". I've probably got a stash of about 20 or more flavors in my cupboard.
Recipe: "Apple" Marinated Chicken Thighs
HIDDEN VALLEY RANCH DRESSING MIX
As you can see from the list of ingredients, this mix isn't really all that great for a low carb diet. However, the carbs per serving for the prepared mix are comparable to bottled ranch dressing. If you'd like to avoid all those questionable ingredients and chemicals, you can try my homemade ranch dressing recipe below. The Cajun smoked salmon dip was developed using the packaged mix and I haven't tried using my homemade ranch dressing in it.
Recipes: Cajun Smoked Salmon Dip - Ranch-Style Salad Dressing - Ranch-Style Salad Dressing Mix
I'm not fond of the flavor of the usual Italian seasoning blends that they sell, but I discovered Penzeys Pasta Sprinkle a few years ago and love it. It goes great in any recipe that calls for Italian seasoning or just sprinkled over a pizza. I think that the reason I prefer this over Italian seasoning is that the emphasis is on the basil rather than the oregano, which can be harsh and bitter.
Recipe: Italian Casserole
JALAPEÑO PEPPERS
These aren't the hottest chiles around, but they can have a fair amount of heat. Unfortunately there's no way to tell if the jalapeños you're buying will be hot or mild until you taste them. When I make homemade salsa, I usually use a combination of jalapeños and serrano chiles to make sure that my salsa will have some kick.
Recipe: Jalapeño Poppers - Mexican Hot Sauce
KC MASTERPIECE CLASSIC BLEND BARBECUE SAUCE
I'd been using Carb Options low carb barbecue sauce, which is very good, but it's no longer available. When someone at Low Carb Friends mentioned that KC Masterpiece had a sugar free sauce I gave it a try. I like it even better than Carb Options and it's much cheaper. I buy it at Wal-Mart for $1.44 bottle. They've changed the label recently so I'm not sure if it looks just like the photo. Just look for the one called "Classic Blend". Here's a link to it on the KC Masterpiece website: Classic Blend
Recipe: Creamy BBQ Sauce
KERNEL SEASON'S POPCORN SEASONING
I heard about this product on Low Carb Friends and really like the two flavors that I've tried: Nacho Cheddar and White Cheddar. The carbs are very low. The label states zero carbs per 1/4 teaspoon but with 2 calories, I'd count it as 1/2 carb per serving. It would be very easy to use more than one serving so the carbs could add up. I like to sprinkle some on my eggs and they make a nice coating for cheese crackers. This comes in an amazing variety of flavors but I'd avoid the sweet ones. The savory ones include Butter, Ranch, Parmesan & Garlic, Sour Cream & Onion, Jalapeno, Barbecue (1 carb), Cajun, Chili Lime and Salt & Vinegar. However, my Walmart only has the Nacho Cheddar, White Cheddar, Jalapeno, Ranch and I think the Chili Lime. They have the best price though. It's only $1.98 at Walmart vs. about $4.00 most other places. I would love to try the Sour Cream & Onion and the Parmesan & Garlic if I can find them anywhere. Amazon
Recipe: Nacho Cheese Crispy Cheese Crackers
KOOL-AID DRINK MIX
Not exactly health food but a little of the dry powder can be useful for flavoring things or for those who try to avoid using aspartame. Watch out for some of the "off" brands of drink mix. They sometimes have some sugar in them even if they don't call them pre-sweetened.
Recipe: No Carb Jello
KRAFT CHEESE CUBES
There's really nothing special about this cheese other than that it's in little bite-size cubes. I would never eat them as is because of the dry coating they put on them, but they work great for making little crisps. I've tried a couple of the flavors and the mild cheddar is my favorite. For some reason cheddar makes crisper crisps than cheeses like Monterey Jack. Kroger and Wal-Mart also sell their own brands of cheese cubes that are just as good. I did find that the sizes of the cubes weren't quite as consistent with the Great Value brand from Wal-Mart though.
Recipe: Cheese Crisps from Cheese Cubes
KROGER FAT FREE HOT COCOA MIX
This is almost identical to the Swiss Miss Diet Hot Cocoa Mix as far as ingredients and carb count. I haven't compared the flavor of the two side by side, but they're both good, if little bit too sweet. You can't tell from the label that this is sugar free. Just as with the Swiss Miss, Kroger also has one that's called sugar free but it has about 9 carbs per serving. Look for the one called Fat Free, not Sugar Free.
Recipe: Swiss Miss Mousse
LAUGHING COW CHEESE
I bought the French Onion and Garlic & Herb flavors. The French onion is very good but the garlic & herb has an odd flavor that I don't care for. The cheese is very creamy and spreadable and is great on low carb crackers. Click here to visit the Laughing Cow website.
LAVASH BREAD
I found this flat bread at Wal-Mart in the deli department. It's called Joseph's Lavash Bread and the price is $1.88 for four giant pieces, 9x11 inches, which would be great for making wraps or used as tortillas. A serving is half a piece. It tastes very good, as far as bread goes, with no off flavors like many low carb tortillas and breads sometimes have. I'm a little surprised that the net carbs are so low considering the ingredients so I'd use these with caution. However, when I ran the numbers from the package through the Hidden Carb Calculator, it said that there are really only 3 carbs per serving. It could be that the calories, fat or protein counts are off though. Joseph's Bakery
LC HOMESTYLES CHILI
I had the opportunity to try two low carb prepared meals from the LC Homestyles company. These are shelf-stable meals that you can take with you to work. All they need is 90 seconds in the microwave to be ready to eat. Each package contains a single serving and they are quite generous. In fact, I split them each into two smaller meals because they were so filling. The chili comes in two flavors: Beef Chili with Beans and Chicken Chili with Beans. I liked them both but they do taste very similar with maybe a slight difference in the seasonings. I haven't had a lot of experience with soy beans so I was pleasantly surprised to find that I liked them. They are a little firmer than regular chili beans but that didn't bother me. Both chili varieties contain a LOT of beans. It is probably all those beans that make the chili so filling.
LC-ALMOND SPRITZ COOKIE MIX
I had every intention of making spritz cookies but gave up in frustration because I couldn't get my cookie press to cooperate. After several failed attempts to extrude the dough in pretty shapes, I decided that I had to come up with an alternate plan. The package for the mix mentions that you can make almond cookies instead of spritz but there are no intructions for how to make them. So, I came up with my own idea: thumbprint cookies. I would have rolled the dough in chopped nuts but I didn't have any on hand. However, they turned out quite well without the nuts. I rolled the dough into balls and pressed the centers with my thumb to make an indentation. I filled each hole with about 1/2 teaspoon of LC-Blackberry Preserves before baking them. They came out quite nice and I got 12 good-size cookies. I think that the blackberry jam compliments the almond flavoring very well and I wish that I'd added a little more extract. I did bake my cookies a little bit longer than the instructions said because I wanted them to get nicely browned. I'm glad that I did because the more golden brown they get, the more flavor they have and the crunchier they become. I made the whole package of cookie mix and was able to get all 12 cookies on my baking sheet at one time. Only a couple of them stuck to each other and it was no trouble to split them apart. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods. Click the photo to see a close-up.
Per Cookie (prepared): 167 Calories; 9g Fat; 10g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
Per Thumbprint Cookie: 168 Calories; 9g Fat; 10g Protein; 10.5g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 1.5g Net Carbs
LC-BANANA BREAD
I really like this quick bread. The flavor is very close to real banana bread. The texture is similar but not quite as moist as the real thing. I baked it 5 minutes less than suggested in the recipe and I think that baking it only 25 minutes might have been long enough and made it even more moist. Not that it was dry but real banana bread is usually very dense and moist. I beat the wet ingredients using a fork rather than a spoon as suggested and it worked much more efficiently. I beat the wet ingredients into the dry with a wooden spoon. The bread came out of the loaf pan easily. If you cut the loaf into 12 slices as suggested, you'll get very generous servings. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods.
Per serving with nuts: 263 Calories; 20g Fat; 12g Protein; 9.5g Carbohydrate; 7.5g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs
LC-BANANA SMOOTHIE
I recently tried a new product from LC Foods. It's their LC-Banana Smoothie mix and it's quite good. It has a realistic banana flavor without the high sugar content of real bananas. The bag contains enough mix to make 10 smoothies for $8.98. They're not very large servings but they are pretty filling. I do tweak mine a little though. Even if I use chilled water, the smoothie doesn't come out as cold as I like. So, I add 3-4 ice cubes to the blender. I also like it sweeter so I add a drop of liquid Splenda. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods.
LC-BROCCOLI & CAULIFLOWER SNACK
This is a very unusual kind of snack food but it's surpringly kind of addicting. There's nothing but cauliflower and broccoli. No salt or seasonings of any kind added yet the taste is very sweet. That seems odd at first but I think that the sweetness keeps you from missing the salt you would normally have on a savory snack food. You can definitely tell that you're eating broccoli and cauliflower because the flavors have been concentrated by freeze-drying. Although there are a lot of crumbs in the bag, there seem to be plenty of pieces that are just the right size for picking up with your fingers. LC-Foods makes a lot of other snack mixtures and I think I'd like one like this with some added green bell peppers. I tried a few of the LC-Foods snack packs a while back and I loved the little pepper bits. Click the photo to see close-up. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods.
LC-BROWNIE MIX
I had to make two batches of the LC-Brownie Mix because I goofed on my first one. I made the mistake of using salted butter and they came out unbearably salty. Although the package doesn't mention it, the owner of the LC Foods Company said to always use unsalted butter with his mixes. This time I also added the optional ounce of chocolate. Instead of unsweetened chocolate, I used some Lindt 85% chocolate. It only adds 2 carbs more than unsweetened chocolate but has a much nicer flavor. This mix makes a very dense, fudgy brownie. I suggest chilling them well before eating. Chilling improves the flavor and texture greatly. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods. Click the thumbnail to see a close-up.
Per Serving (prepared without the extra chocolate): 89 Calories; 6g Fat; 2g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
Per Serving (prepared with Lindt 85% chocolate): 96 Calories; 7g Fat; 2g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
LC-CHEEZY CRACKERS - FRESH BAKED
I didn't think that I liked these when I first tried them. They have a somewhat hard, grainy texture with only a subtle flavor of cheese. They also don't have a lot of salt in them and really don't have much flavor at all. After eating them a few more times, I've decided that they actually make a great snack because they don't make you want to eat more and more of them like traditional high carb snacks do. Just a couple of small pieces make a satisfying snack.
LC-CHOCOLATE CAKE MIX
I made the extra moist version of the cake mix as directed on the package and it came out quite good. The cake is very moist and rose nice and high. The flavor is nice too but doesn't have a strong chocolate flavor. I baked mine in an 8x8" nonstick cake pan and it only took 20 minutes instead of the 23 minutes suggested on the bag. I also turned the oven down 5 degrees after about half the time when I realized that I should have set the oven about 5 degrees lower for my dark nonstick pan. The mix says that it makes 11 servings but it wouldn't be practical to cut a cake into 11 pieces. I cut mine into 16 small pieces. The counts below are based on either 11 or 16 servings of prepared cake. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods. Click the photos to see close-ups.
1/16 prepared cake = 121 Calories; 8g Fat; 5g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 1 net carb
LC-CHOCOLATE MILK & HOT COCOA MIX
I tried this as cold chocolate milk and it was pretty good. The directions say to add 1/3 cup of the mix to 1 cup of cold water and 2 tablespoons of cream. There was no artificial sweetener aftertaste or Splenda bitterness from the chocolate. I added some ice cubes to it because I like chocolate milk really cold. Chocolate milk isn't something I would normally drink so I may try adding some of the mix to a protein shake. I only buy vanilla whey protein and I think that the mix would make a nice chocolate shake. I would like to try the mix as hot cocoa but not at this time of the year when it's almost 100 degrees. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods.
LC-CHOW CHOW
I tried regular commercial chow chow once many years ago and remembered that I liked it. It's been too long to remember if this low carb version tastes the same as what I had before. It's hard to decribe this exactly but it's a sort of a cross between a relish and saurkraut. You can definitely taste the cabbage but it's not fermented like saurkraut. It has a slight sweet and sour flavor but more sour than sweet. I tried a little on my scrambled eggs and it was pretty good. I think it would be great with smoked sausages or hot dogs but it's also tasty eating it from a spoon right out of the jar! LC-Foods also makes a hot version but even the mild has a little kick to it. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods.
LC-CINNAMON BUNS MIX
I was excited to try the LC-Cinnamon Buns mix because I plan to make real cinnamon rolls for my family Christmas morning. I thought it would be nice to have a low carb alternative for myself.
LC-COCONUT CREAM
I tried this today in my Thai chicken curry recipe and it's very good. I can't say that it tasted or looked any different than other canned coconut milk I've used but I really like the ingredient list much better. Most brands of coconut milk are really thickened coconut flavored water. The LC-Foods brand is just pure coconut milk with nothing added. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods.
Recipe: Chicken with Peanut Curry Sauce
LC-COCONUT FLAKES UNSWEETENED
There's not a lot to say about coconut because it is what it is. What is a little unusual is that this comes in large flakes instead of fine little shreds. It's perfect for my Coconutty Crunch "granola" recipe. Although I like it just fine with regular shredded coconut, this is even better because the pieces are closer to the size of the nuts. It toasted up very nicely in the batch that I made this morning and got crunchy. Click the photos to see close-ups. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods.
LC-CONFECTIONERY POWDER
This is from the LC Foods Company. I used it to sweeten and stabilize some whipped cream and it worked very nicely. It has a sweetness very much like real powdered sugar without an artificial sweetener aftertaste. It also made the whipped cream very thick. I also made a glaze to drizzle over a coffee cake. I found that if I followed the recipe on the bag, it came out too thin but it did firm up shortly after drizzling it over the cake. I found that if I used more powder than called for, I only had a few seconds to drizzle on the glaze before it hardened on the spoon making it impossible to drizzle. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods.
Recipe: Low Carb Jello Poke Cake
Recipe: Raspberry-Almond Crumb Cake Variation
LC-CRACKER & CRUMBS MIX
This is a mix from the LC Foods Company. I really liked the whole-grain texture of the crackers. Although I added some seasonings to the basic recipe, I think that they could have used more than I put in. Don't be afraid to really spice them up or they will taste mostly like flax. The package says that you can grind up the crackers to use as breading but I haven't tried that. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods. Click the cracker photo above to see a close-up.
1 batch crackers (2-4 servings) = 242 Calories; 17g Fat; 11g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 12g Dietary Fiber; 0g Net Carbs
LC-CRANBERRIES
I'd been saving these for when I was going to make chicken salad because I love fruit in it. In my high carb days, I would have put red grapes in my chicken salad but dried cranberries are also good. Both are very carby and full of sugar. These dehydrated cranberries from LC Foods have not been sweetened so they're very tart right out of the bag. I wanted to sweeten them a little and plump them up so I soaked some in a little water that I sweetened with Splenda. I let them sit for an hour or so until I was ready to add them to my salad. The salad came out very good and my husband asked me if I'd put grapes in it.
Recipe: Chicken Salad with Grapes
LC-GINGERBREAD COOKIE MIX
Although the LC-Gingerbread Cookies are good, I like the LC-Snickerdoodles and the LC-Pumpkin Cookies better. They seem a little bit drier than the others and I like the spices in the other two better. My husband said he really liked the one that he tried before I put the glaze on them though. This time I made the Basic Glaze from the LC-Confectionery Powder label and I've decided that I prefer the Richer Glaze recipe. The glaze became a little too sticky and chewy after it set up. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods.
Per prepared cookie: 184 Calories; 11g Fat; 10g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
LC-GRANOLA MIX
This is another product from the LC Foods Company. Although I don't miss cold cereal, the granola that I made from the mix was a nice treat. For milk I used some of their LC-Milk Mix and that was also very good. I made the granola as directed on the package using coconut oil, water and vanilla extract. I added some optional ingredients: almonds, coconut and cinnamon. It tastes just like a cereal that I used to eat in my high carb days called Kellogg's Cracklin' Oat Bran. The counts below are based on getting two servings from a batch of granola made as directed on the package. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods. Click the photo to see a close-up of my granola.
Per Serving Prepared (without the optional ingredients): 214 Calories; 12g Fat; 4g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 21g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
Recipe: Low Carb Granola Cereal
LC-MILK MIX
This is another product from the LC Foods Company. I was very pleasantly surprised at the taste of the milk. It really tastes like milk, or at least how I remember that milk tastes. It's been almost 10 years since I last had real milk. I was expecting it to have that nasty powdered milk taste that I remember Carnation instant milk powder has but there is no off flavor whatsoever. I like that for not too many more calories than high carb milk, you get a bit more fat and twice the amount of protein of regular whole milk for only 1/13th of the carbs. I used some of this milk on the granola that I made from another LC Foods mix. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods.
LC-NY STYLE PLAIN BAGELS
Although these don't taste like the bagels that I remember eating many years ago, they're very good and very chewy. They taste like German sourdough rye bread in the shape of a bagel. You get three bagels per bag and they're huge. I could never eat a whole bagel as big as these, so I cut them each up into several smaller pieces. They make a nice snack with butter spread on them and I got about six snack-size servings from each bagel. You can order these from the LC Foods Market website HERE. They are freshly baked just before shipping. You can eat them right away or freeze them in package that they come in.
LC-PIZZA & CALZONE MIX
The pizza crust is amazingly good and no one would ever guess that it was low carb. My husband agreed with me but said that he prefers crisp pizza crust. I didn't make the crispy version this time but I don't care if my pizza crust is soft or crispy. This crust is actually kind of chewy which I liked. I made the pizza dough in my bread machine and found that I had to let it rise at least an hour longer than the recipe states. Don't expect this dough to raise as much as high carb pizza dough. When I make regular pizza dough it rises to the top of the pan. This dough never rose more than about an inch. I don't think that matters though. In fact, with my high carb pizza recipe, letting the dough rise is optional. You can mix up the dough, let it rest for 5 minutes and pat it into the pan. It doesn't puff up quite as much that way but it's still good. I might try that once with this dough and see how it turns out. I also want to try the crispy crust method once too.
Per serving prepared crust: 94 Calories; 3g Fat; 9g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
LC-PIZZA SHELLS - FRESH BAKED
Those who like their pizza crust very thick and crunchy will probably like this very much. My husband really liked it. I liked it too, but I prefer a very thin crust that allows the toppings to be the main feature. Although the pizza isn't large, one slice (an 1/8th of a pizza) is actually very filling. Even my husband was satisfied with just one piece. I'd be cautious about eating more than one slice because with two pieces you'd be eating at 20 grams of fiber just in the crust. The flavor is very bread-like but I think it could be a little less sweet and have a little more salt in it. The flavor seemed just a little bit flat.
LC-PRESERVES
These are two very nice products from the LC Foods Company. Although I like the strawberry the best, the blackberry is also very good. They both have a much better consistency than any other low carb jams that I've tried. Unlike Walden Farms, these aren't gelatinous and unlike Polaner, they actually taste like real fruit. The consistency isn't quite the same as regular jam made with sugar and they're a bit more tart. They're slightly thinner and a bit like a fruit topping but they are thick enough to spread like jam. So far I've tried both flavors on a 3 Minute Muffin/Cake and that made a very nice snack. I've got a couple of other ideas that I will try with the jam soon. I'd like to try them in a coffee cake recipe and also mixed into some yogurt. I think they'd both make a nice topping for low carb vanilla ice cream too. What's also nice is that they come in a large 16 ounce jar. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods. Click the photo of my muffin to see a closeup.
Ingredients (strawberry): Strawberries, water, pectin, lemon juice, sucralose, preservatives (potasssium sorbate, fumaric acid, calcium citrate, sodium benzoate), maltodextrin
Ingredients (blueberry): Blueberries, water, pectin, lemon juice, sucralose, preservatives (potasssium sorbate, fumaric acid, calcium citrate, sodium benzoate), maltodextrin
Ingredients (peach): Peaches, water, pectin, lemon juice, sucralose, preservatives (potasssium sorbate, fumaric acid, calcium citrate, sodium benzoate), maltodextrin
Ingredients (raspberry): Raspberries, water, pectin, natural organic stevia rebaudiana leaf herbal extract, natural luo han guo monk fruit, preservatives (potassium sorbate, fumaric acid, calcium citrate, sodium benzoate), maltodextrin
1 tablespoon = 1.4g Carbohydrate; .2g Dietary Fiber; 1.2g Net Carb (peach and blueberry)
1 tablespoon = 2g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb (raspberry)
Recipe: Raspberry-Almond Crumb Cake Variation
Recipe: Microwave Cobbler
Recipe: Peach Glazed Pork Roast
LC-PUMPKIN COOKIE MIX
This mix makes large soft, cake-like cookies. They have a nice spice flavor too. I baked mine on a Silpat liner and that worked fine instead of greasing the cookie sheet. You'll use about 1/4 cup of batter per cookie and flatten them a bit because the batter doesn't spread as it bakes. The cookies do puff up a little though. I made the whole package and thought I could fit all 12 cookies on one sheet but they wouldn't fit. It's best to do 6 at a time and keep the second pan ready in the fridge until the first sheet comes out of the oven. Don't forget to put your oven rack on the highest setting. I think that the bottoms would get too brown on a lower rack. I frosted mine with a glaze made with LC-Confectionery Powder. One batch of the Richer Glaze recipe on the back of the bag was enough to frost 6 cookies. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods. Click the photo of the glazed cookies to see a close-up.
Per Cookie: 188 Calories; 11g Fat; 10g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 9.5g Dietary Fiber; 1.5g Net Carbs
Per Cookie with Glaze:
219 Calories; 13g Fat; 10g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 14g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs
LC-RASPBERRIES
These are just plain, dehydrated raspberries with nothing added. They make a nice little snack and today I put a few in some of my Basic Almond Flour Muffins. Although I couldn't really taste the raspberry flavor in the muffins, they gave the muffins little bursts of tartness. I didn't rehydrate the berries before adding them to the muffin batter and they softened up during baking. When you eat them on their own, you can taste the raspberry flavor but it's a little more subtle than with fresh ones until they start to soften in your mouth. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods.
LC-SAUCES & MARINADES:
LC-SNICKERDOODLE COOKIE MIX
I like these very much even though they don't have the crisp texture of traditional Snickerdoodles. These are very buttery, soft and cake-like. I made the whole mix at one time and there was just enough of the cinnamon "sugar" mixture to completely coat all of the cookies. I rolled the chilled dough in large balls and rolled them in the cinnamon which I'd put in a small bowl. After placing the dough balls on a silicone lined baking sheet, I flattened them with the palm of my hand. For my oven the baking time suggested was just right. If you make the whole mix at once, be sure to chill two baking sheets. You will only fit 6 cookies on a sheet. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods. Click the photo to see a close-up.
1 prepared cookie: 194 Calories; 12g Fat; 10g Protein; 10.5g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 1.5g Net Carbs
LC-SWEET DROPS
This liquid sweetener from LC Foods Company has a nice sweetness with very little artificial sweetener aftertaste. I've used it in coffee and tea and found that I needed to use less than I use of liquid Splenda. Four drops was just right for my taste which is the equivalent of 2 packets of sugar. It comes in an 8ml size for use at home and a 3ml bottle for travel. The travel size is small enough to easily fit in your pocket or purse. Sweet Drops aren't as concentrated as most brands of liquid Splenda so they are more practical for using to sweeten beverages than for use in recipes. There are about 160 drops per larger bottle and 60 drops per travel size. Click HERE to buy this product from LC-Foods. Here's a handy conversion chart:
12 drops (1/4 teaspoon) = 1/4 cup sugar
24 drops (1/2 teaspoon) = 1/2 cup sugar
48 drops (1 teaspoon) = 1 cup sugar
LC-MULTI GRAIN SANDWICH BREAD
This bread has a more neutral flavor than their white loaf. I didn't care for the taste of the white bread toasted but I do like this one both toasted and untoasted. It toasts up very crisp, which makes my husband happy. The bread is a little chewy untoasted but I don't mind that. One thing that I did mind a little was that I ended up with flax seeds all over the place after slicing the loaf. They seemed to be everywhere! I got 29 slices out of the loaf. That's not quite as many as I got from the white bread but I sliced this loaf a little thicker. That's still more slices than the 25 that the label suggests though. Because the bread is so sturdy, you can easily slice it very thin if you like. They ship the bread in a special wrapper that keeps it fresh during shipping. Once it arrives, you'll need to slice it and store it in the freezer or keep a few slices on hand in the fridge.
LC-WHITE SANDWICH BREAD
I've been meaning to post this review for a while but time just got away from me. Imagine my surprise when this gigantic loaf of bread arrived in the mail. It's not cheap but the loaf weighs nearly 2 1/2 pounds! The label says it make 25 servings but I got 34 slices by slicing it super thin. I froze it in several bags and only kept a few slices at a time in the fridge. I'm not much of a bread eater but I do like this bread. It reminds of German sourdough bread in flavor and texture. I didn't care for it toasted though. On the other hand, my husband loved it toasted because it toasts up very crisp and crunchy but he didn't care much for it untoasted. He said it was a little too chewy untoasted but that's one of the things that I liked about it. Because I got so many slices out of the loaf, my husband enjoyed having peanut butter toast every morning for well over a month.
LINDT 70% COCOA CHOCOLATE BAR
This has a bit more sugar than the 85% cocoa Lindt bar but still not too bad if used in moderation. Since I can't tolerate sugar alcohols, this is the next best thing as far as chocolate goes. They sell them for $2.18 per bar at Wal-Mart.
Per 4 squares (40 grams) = 14g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 11g Net Carbs
Per 4 squares (40 grams) = 17g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 14g Net Carbs
LINDT 85% COCOA CHOCOLATE BAR
This chocolate is a carb bargain considering that it has real sugar in it. It's quite bitter but not impossible to eat as it is once you get used to it. Be careful trying to sweeten it with Splenda in recipes. You may end up making it even more bitter if you use too much Splenda. They sell them for $2.18 per bar at Wal-Mart.
Per 4 squares (40 grams) = 8g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 5g Net Carbs
Per 4 squares (40 grams) = 15g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 9g Net Carbs
LIPTON ONION SOUP MIX
As you can see from the ingredients and the carb count, this is not low carb food. However, it's pretty easy to make your own slightly better version from scratch. It does require a little instant bouillon powder though, which also has questionable ingredients. You can see from the numbers below that making your own is much better carb-wise.
Equivalent amount of homemade mix = 4g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs
Recipes: Onion Soup Mix - Nancy's French Onion Dip
LIQUID SMOKE
I have no idea how they make this, but a few drops can really give a dish a smoky grilled flavor. Use it very sparingly though or all you'll taste is smoke. It's not expensive to buy and a bottle should last a very long time. The brand I buy is Colgin.
Recipe: Laredo Barbecued Pot Roast
MASCARPONE
Mascarpone cheese is similar to cream cheese, but it much softer and creamier. Besides being much more expensive than cream cheese, it contains no added salt. Regular cream cheese can be quite salty when used in desserts. You can figure on paying around $3.00-4.00 for an 8 ounce tub and look for it near the gourmet cheeses or the deli department. I wouldn't substitute cream cheese in recipes that call for mascarpone. They will turn out too salty in most cases. Something that might make a good substitute is Yocheese, but I haven't tried it. Of course the yogurt will have a bit more tang than mascarpone.
Recipe: Lorraine's Tiramisu
McCORMICK "GRINDERS"
These handy little pepper and spice grinders are made by McCormick. The grinding mechanism is built right into the jar. The flavors I've used are Black Peppercorn, Garlic Pepper Seasoning, Pizza Seasoning and they're all very good. I think that the grinders on these work better than some of the fancy ones I've used.
MINICARB CHOCOLATE CHIPS
MiniCarb chocolate chips have been discontinued but the same chips are now being made by Eat Well Be Well. They've added more Polydextrose (fiber) to the new formula so the net carb count is lower than the old MiniCarb chocolate chips. I've heard that the new chips taste a little sweeter than the old ones, but more Polydextrose means that they'll cause me more gastric distress than the old ones so I doubt if I'll ever try them. Although the chocolate contains no sugar alcohols, Polydextrose can have the same affect as sugar alcohols if you're as sensitive to it as I am. Another intersting thing that I've heard about the new formula chips is that they are more like mini chocolate chips than the old ones.
8 ounce bag Eat Well Be Well = 121g Carbohydrate; 106g Dietary Fiber; 15g Net Carbs
Recipe: Impossibly Easy Brownie Pie
MINICARB BAKE MIX
This product is no longer being made and I'm not sure if a substitute exists. The package claimed that there were zero carbs in it but, based on the ingredients, I always counted it using the numbers below.
Recipe: Artisan Flat Bread
MONTREAL STEAK SEASONING
I bought this to use in a Rachael Ray recipe. She seems to use it in just about all of her recipes (only a slight exaggeration). I wasn't wild about the flavor of the seasoning but it was fine in her recipe. I'd describe the flavor as sort of like dill pickles with pepper. For more information, visit the McCormick site.
Recipe: Bacon Burgers with Smoked Cheese and Onions
MRS. DASH TABLE BLEND
This is the only Mrs. Dash seasoning that I've tried and I quite like it. It's a good all-purpose salt-free seasoning that's very nice on salads. To get more information and recipes, visit the Mrs. Dash website.
MT. OLIVE SUGAR FREE PICKLES
Although I'm not much of a pickle eater, I do like to use them in recipes occasionally. Every sugar free product of theirs that I've tried has been very good and you could never tell that they were artificially sweetened. Most of the stores in my area carry them and they have coupons in the Sunday paper for Mt. Olive products just about every week. I like their Bread & Butter Pickles and sweet pickle relish. Check out their website here. If you can't find Mt. Olive products in your area, check out my quick and easy sweet pickle recipe below.
1 tablespoon sweet relish = 1g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
Recipe: Microwave Bread & Butter Pickles
NAPA CABBAGE
For a description, visit Cook's Thesaurus
Recipe: Chicken Chow Mein with Almonds
NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER
Natural peanut butter should contain only ground peanuts and salt. Kroger makes a good one and the price is very reasonable.
Recipe: Drumstick Treat
OLD BAY SEASONING
A mixture that combines celery seed, black pepper, salt, paprika, mustard seed, red pepper, bay leaves, cloves, allspice, ginger, mace, cardamom, and cinnamon.
OYSTER SAUCE
Oyster sauce is thick and somewhat sweet. A little bit gives a nice flavor to stir-fried dishes, but it's not really a low carb food. It does have sugar and cornstarch in it so be very careful not to use too much. The ingredients below are from my bottle of KA*ME brand Oyster Flavored Sauce. It had the lowest carbs of any brand that I saw at the store. The label says 1 tablespoon has 3 carbs. As you can see, this is not something to eat every day. The label also states "No MSG added", but don't be misled. It's in there in the hydrolyzed corn and soy protein.
Recipe: Stir-Fried Beef & Peppers
PAPER CANDY CUPS
You can usually find these where they sell Wilton cake decorating supplies. I buy them at Michael's craft store.
PARMESAN CHEESE
If I don't specify either freshly grated or the kind in a green can, either kind will work fine. Most of the time I buy DiGiorno pre-shredded parmesan cheese. It comes in little tubs in the deli department near the gourmet cheeses. It's very good but I've recently fallen in love with the real Parmigiano Reggiano. Because it's so expensive, I reserve the real stuff for dishes where it will really stand out. Otherwise, DiGiorno is great. Although it's a very inferior product, I do use the kind in a green can for certain things. The best price I've seen on Parmigiano Reggiano is at Wal-Mart where it's $5.89 for a 7-ounce wedge. A 6-ounce container of DiGiorno is $3.99 at Kroger.
Recipe: Broiled Tilapia Parmesan
PARSLEY
Despite what I hear TV chefs say over and over, I don't think that there really is much difference between the flavor of curly and flat leaf, or Italian, parsley. Besides adding a nice flavor to dishes, curly parsley makes a pretty garnish. I find that flat leaf parsley is easier to chop because the leaves are more densely packed on the stems. Both kinds freeze very well and retain their fresh flavor. Wash and pat it very dry. Chop it and store it in a plastic container in the freezer. There's no need to thaw it before using. Just scoop out what you need. Frozen parsley works best in cooked dishes. Dried parsley is not a suitable substitute for fresh. I never use it because it tastes nothing at all like parsley and has an unpleasant flavor.
Recipe: Grandma's German "Potato" Salad
PASTA ELEGANCE SEASONING
I just happened to find Johnny's Pasta Elegance Parmesan Garlic Pasta Seasoning at Wal-Mart with the other spices and seasonings and was pleasantly surprised to find that it contained no sugar or starch. The best part is that it tastes very good and is wonderful sprinkled over so many things. Look for it in the baking aisle near the cheese sprinkles for making garlic bread. That's where I found it. It's not expensive either. A 3-ounce jar was only $1.68 so I grabbed a few. The last time I looked, they only had two jars left so it must be popular.
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