The Low Carb Luxury Online Magazine: Volume IV / Number 12: June 20, 2003

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News & Product of the Month

Just Say Cheese!

Great Cheesecakes!

Jo Cordi's Lifestyle Series

Brenda's Low Carb Good Life

When Only Cheese Will Do

More Cheesey Recipes!

ISSUE ARCHIVES

Cheesemaking began with the ancient Sumerians, Egyptians and Greeks, and today cheese continues to play a significant role around the world.

Cheese is hot!

In 2002, it was named Bon Appetite's "Restaurant Trend of the Year;" a few months later, cheese graced the cover of Wine Spectator magazine. With more than 300 varieties of American cow's milk cheeses alone, there's a cheese to complement any dish and please every palate.

Whether it's grated, sliced, grilled or cubed, cheese is always a recipe for low carb delight, so let's get cookin'!!

Sirloin Steak with Blue Cheese Walnut Dressing

Rich blue cheese flavor with the crunch of walnuts atop a sizzling steak!

Blue Cheese Walnut Dressing:

8 ounces blue cheese, at room temperature, crumbled
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted *

Steak:

1 sirloin steak, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 inches thick (bone-in, 3 to 3-1/2 pounds; boneless, 2-1/2 to 3 pounds)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus extra for garnish

Make the Blue Cheese Walnut Dressing:

Place the butter and blue cheese in a small bowl. Mash into a smooth paste using a fork. Add pepper and walnuts and mix well. Place the mixture on a sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap. Roll up the butter in the paper or plastic and shape it into a cylinder about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Twist the ends of the paper or plastic together to close it and smooth the roll with your hands. Refrigerate until firm.

Prepare Steak:

Preheat a gas grill to high or build a fire with hardwood charcoal, charcoal briquettes, or wood and allow it to burn until the coals are covered in gray ash. Adjust the rack so that it is 3 to 4 inches from the heat source.

Season the steak liberally with salt and pepper. Place the steak on the grill and baste it with the oil, using 1 of the rosemary sprigs as a brush. Throw 3 rosemary sprigs onto the coals in an area not directly under the steak. Cook the steak on the first side for about 6 to 8 minutes. Turn the steak over and cook, continuing to baste with oil, for an additional 6 minutes or until medium-rare.

Remove the steak from the heat and place it on a heated platter.

Cut the blue cheese butter into 1/4-inch rounds and place on top of the hot steak - the butter will melt over the meat. Allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes.

Just before serving, cut the steak against the grain into slices about 3/4 inch thick. Garnish with sprigs of rosemary.

Makes 4 servings. 1 gram carbohydrate per serving.

* To toast walnuts, spread nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350F for 7 minutes. Cool.

Three-Cheese Chili with Cheddar Crust

2 large onions, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cumin seed
2 ribs celery, sliced
3 small jalapeo peppers, seeded and minced
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 cups canned Eden Black Soy Beans, rinsed
6-12 ounces dark beer or tomato juice
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Saut onions in butter over medium high heat in large saucepan until translucent, about three minutes. Add tomato paste, chili powder, cocoa powder, and cumin, and cook until mixture caramelizes to a dark brown, about ten minutes.

Stir in celery and jalapeos and stir to coat. Add crushed tomatoes and black soy beans. Stir in beer to your preferred consistency.

Simmer for at least an hour, up to two hours. Preheat broiler. Stir Mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheese into chili and top with shredded Cheddar. Broil until cheese is bubbly, about four minutes.

Makes about 12 2/3-cup servings. 9.7 carbs per serving.

Southwest Frittata with Sausage & Cheese

Frittata are Italian omelets that combine many ingredients, from cheeses to herbs and meats. They differ from American omelets, which are stuffed and folded over to form a half-moon shape. Frittata ingredients are incorporated into the eggs before cooking. When served, the frittata is left round and cut into wedges like a pie.

1/2 pound mild or hot sausage
6 jumbo eggs
1/2 tsp ground cumin
4 pickled green chilies, cut into thin rings (about 2 tablespoons)
2 Tbl pimiento-stuffed green olives, minced
3 Tbl fresh cilantro, minced
2 cups shredded Italian-style cheese blend
(i.e. mozzarella, provolone and Parmesan blend)
Olive oil (if necessary)

Optional garnishes:

tomato slices
fresh salsa
sour cream

Place a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add sausage, breaking into clumps.

While cooking, stir until the clumps just start to brown; it is not necessary to cook the sausage through at this point. Remove pan from heat and reserve.

Break the eggs into a large bowl. Beat well. Add the cumin, green chilies, olives and cilantro. Stir well. Add 1-1/2 cups of the cheese and blend well.

Return the pan with the browned sausage meat to the stove over medium-low heat. There should be about 2 teaspoons of fat in the pan, which the sausage meat has rendered. (Remove excess fat if theres more; if theres less fat, add enough olive oil to bring the amount of fat up to 2 teaspoons.)

Pour in the egg-chile-cheese mixture over sausage. As the eggs starts to cook, pierce the mixture and pull in the edges with a rubber spatula to allow the uncooked egg on top to move through to the bottom.

When the frittata is almost set (firm but still somewhat liquid on top), transfer the pan to the oven, and allow the frittata to cook 10 minutes, or until golden on top. Add remaing shredded cheese to the frittata and leave in oven another 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and begins to bubble and brown.

Serve frittata wedges directly from the skillet with a pie server, or slide the frittata onto a cutting board and cut into wedges. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves 8. 2.6 carbs per serving.

Mascarpone Walnut Torte

Mascarpone Cream:

8 tablespoons Splenda
3 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon not/Starch
1/2 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 8-oz packages mascarpone cheese, chilled
1 3-oz package cream cheese

Walnut Torte:

6 eggs, separated
1-1/2 cups Splenda, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2-1/4 cups very finely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten

For Walnut Torte:

Line the bottoms of two greased 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper; grease paper and flour pans lightly (use soy or oat flour in pans.)

Beat egg yolks at high speed in large bowl for 2 minutes. Gradually beat 1 cup Splenda into egg yolks, beating until very thick and lemon colored, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in salt and vanilla.

Using clean beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl to soft peaks. Add remaining 1/2 cup Splenda gradually, beating to stiff peaks.

Toss walnuts with wheat gluten. Fold 1/2 the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites. Then, fold in 1/2 the walnut mixture. Repeat with remaining egg yolk and walnut mixtures. Spread batter in prepared pans.

Bake at 350F until cakes are firm to touch and are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pans, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pans, upside down, on wire racks until pans are cool, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove cakes from pans, loosening sides of cakes with sharp knife, if necessary. Remove parchment paper and cool completely.

For Mascarpone Cream:

Whisk Splenda into egg yolks in small bowl; whisk in not/Starch. Heat cream almost to boiling in medium saucepan. Gradually whisk 1/2 the cream into the yolk mixture; whisk yolk mixture into remaining cream in saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour into bowl and cool. Refrigerate covered until chilled.

Let mascarpone and cream cheeses stand at room temperature in medium bowl until soft enough to stir, 10 to 15 minutes. Whisk egg yolk mixture into cheese until smooth.

To assemble, place 1 cake layer on serving plate and spread with 1 cup Mascarpone Cream. Top with second cake layer and spread top of cake with remaining Mascarpone Cream. Refrigerate cake; let stand at room temperature 15 to 30 minutes before serving.

Serves 12. 6.7 carbs per serving.

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