lo-carbin' it

the holidays are here and still more to come and alas i'm on a diet (atkins), but all is not lost, because with a creative mind and the right ingredients, you can indulge and still not over-do it on the carbs. i did some searching and some experimenting and came up with a variety of recipes all using pretty much the same ingredients in different amounts coming up with tasty treats for those on the atkins trail.

all desserts are crust-less. you can add a crumb crust of choice, but this will raise your carb-count per serving.

as an added bonus, i also made some low-carb deviled eggs. these are generally low-carb anyway, but mayo has a few carbs and is usually full of other junk i don't want, so i made some changes and made some mayo-free deviled eggs.

enjoy. i know we did.


chocolate cheese mousse

3 T heavy whipping cream
3 T honey
1/8 tsp stevia extract (white powder)
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 tsp vanilla
3 oz (squares) of unsweet chocolate (i used bakers)
1/4 tsp sea salt

mix all ingredients except chocolate in food processor until smooth. it will go better if the cheese is room temp before you begin. melt the chocolate. pour into food processor and blend until smooth (no streaks). add more stevia if necessary. pour into pie plate or bowl and chill. top with whipped cream (1/32 tsp stevia and 1 tsp vanilla per cup cream) and serve.

8 servings: approx. 9.4 carbs per serving



cinnamon-vanilla cheese mousse

this recipe is almost the same as above with no chocolate and less honey for lower carbs.

3 T heavy whipping cream
1 T honey
1/8 tsp stevia extract (white powder)
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cinnamon and/or nutmeg
1/4 tsp sea salt

mix all ingredients in food processor until smooth. it will go better if the cheese is room temp before you begin. add more stevia if necessary. pour into pie plate or bowl and chill. top with whipped cream (1/32 tsp stevia and 1 tsp vanilla per cup cream) and serve.

try variations using lemon extract, raspberry extract or orange/lemon rinds, etc. for a different splash of flavor.

8 servings: approx. 5.1 carbs per serving



baked ricotta custard

1 cup ricotta cheese
4 oz (1/2 block) cream cheese
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
cinnamon (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
1 T honey
1/8 tsp stevia extract (white powder)

preheat oven to 250^oF. in food processor, beat ricotta and cream cheese together until smooth. add honey and stevia and mix well. add remaining ingredients and mix until blended. pour into quiche pan, pie plate or custard ramekins. place baking dish(es) into larger baking dish. fill larger dish with hot water to about 1/2 the level of the smaller baking dish(es). baked until custard is set (about 45 minutes). remove from oven and cool. chill. top with whipped cream (1/32 tsp stevia and 1 tsp vanilla per cup cream) and serve.

8 servings: approx. 4.6 carbs per serving



raspberry ricotta cheesecake

1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
12 oz (1 1/2 bricks) cream cheese
4 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1.5 tsp vanilla
2-3 T raspberry extract (optional or replace with lemon or other flavors)
1.5 tsp white vinegar (or lemon juice)
2 T honey
1/8 tsp stevia

beat cream cheese and ricotta cheese in food processor until creamy and smooth. add all other ingredients and mix. scrape sides of processor bowl 2 to 3 times and remix making sure to incorporate all lumps and ingredients. pour into quiche dish, glass pie plate or springform pan.

i baked this at 350^oF for an hour according to instructions, but i got some overbrowning. you might want to use other cheesecake directions and cook slower at lower temps.

place in larger pan with water about 1 inch deep. bake for 60-90 minutes or until middle is set and soft or until knife inserted comes out clean.

remove from oven. chill (overnight is best.) serve with organic blueberries and/or whipped cream (1/32 tsp stevia and 1 tsp vanilla per cup cream) .

8 servings: approx. 9.75 carbs per serving w/o blueberries -- add approx 1 carb for every T blueberries added.



deviled eggs (mayo-free)

1 dozen eggs (boiled, peeled halved and emptied.)
2 T butter room temp
1-2 T mustard prepared
1 tsp onion powder
1 T parmesean cheese
heavy whipping cream
salt & pepper to taste
dash of tabasco or ground red pepper (optional)
paprika to sprinkle on top

add egg yolks, butter, mustard, onion powder, cheese, salt, pepper and tabasco to mixing bowl or food processor. blend until crumbly. add whipping cream 1-2 T at a time and blend again until desired consistancy. spoon egg filling into ziplock bag or icing bag. cut hole in corner of ziplock bag and squeeze filling into egg-white halves. sprinkle with paprika if desired. chill.

these are virtually carb-free. read your labels if you're not sure and enjoy!