Saturday, November 24, 2012

The Low-Carb Thanksgiving: REVIEW & RECIPES

We did it -- we had a completely low carb Thanksgiving. The only exception is that daughter wanted a sweet potato for the grandboy - so we baked one and served it plain just for him. 



Look for a round-two recipe using the leftover cranberry sauce on Monday!

Cranberry Sauce

4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup granulated sweetener (more or less to taste)

20-25 drops liquid Stevia
1-1/4 cups water
zest from 1 orange


Mix all ingredients in a 4 quart saucepan on the stove. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until all sweetener is dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook until skins burst, about 5 minutes. Serve warm or refrigerate. Makes 8 - 1/2 cup servings.

Calories: 25, Carbs: 6g, Fiber: 2g, Net Carbs: 4g

Creamed Onion Gratin

2 lb. pearl onions, fresh or frozen (frozen is the way to go – IF you can find them. I didn’t, lol)
5 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely minced
1-1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp freshly nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded Swiss Cheese
1/2 cup Flaxseed Meal
Paprika


If you are using fresh onions, here's what you have to do: Bring a saucepan half full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pearl onions and cook for 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the onions, rinse with cold water and drain. Reserve the water in the pot. Trim off the ends of each onion, then cut a shallow X into each trimmed end. Squeeze each onion gently to slip off the skin. Once done, bring the water back to a boil. Add the onions, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the onions are soft when pierced with a knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, transfer the onions to a bowl. If you are using frozen onions, which I highly recommend, just follow package directions, cook and drain. Position a rack in the upper third of an oven and preheat to 375°F. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 Tbsp of the butter. Add the minced shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the cream and cook until the sauce starts to boil and remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese, nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Add the pearl onions. Transfer the onion mixture to a 2-quart baking dish and sprinkle the flaxseed meal and the rest of the cheese evenly over the top. Add a dash of paprika. Cut the remaining 1 Tbs. butter into 6 equal pieces and dot the topping evenly with the butter. Bake until the topping is golden and small bubbles appear along the edges of the dish, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 8.

Each serving: Calories 252, Carbs 10.18g, Fiber 3.0g = Net Carbs 7.18g

The desserts were extra yummy and no carb-overload to deal with. Now on to using up the leftovers and planning a low-carb Christmas season.