The Low Carb Luxury Online Magazine: Volume IV / Number 23: December 5, 2003


December 5, 2003 PAGE 6 > About LCL Magazine > Cover Page > Inside Cover Feature Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Light The Lights!

Breaking Bread

Managing Christmas Stress

Jo Cordi's Lifestyle Series

Holiday Wishes

An English Christmas

The Leaves of Wrath

Confessions of a Gift Giver

Holiday Cookies!

Travel: Wading Thru Venice

Cooking with Jarret Hughes

Holiday Treats or Traps?

ISSUE ARCHIVES

"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree:
the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other."
Burton Hillis

I love to entertain. It's as simple as that. Every chance I get; I invite people over for dinner. I don't know why, but most everyone seems delighted at the invitation. People just don't get together at someone's house anymore. It is always a restaurant. I love to eat out, but you just can't always let your hair down at a business establishment. Our friends with children think our house is great, because our basement is one big playroom. The kids roam, play on the computers, or come hang out with the adults. It doesn't matter, as long as we all have fun. In that spirit, here are some recipes so you can serve a few of your friends this holiday season.

Prime Rib Roast

No, it's not cheap, but compared to buying it in a restaurant, it's a bargain. Be sure to ask the butcher for a "top choice" roast cut from the small loin end, the best being ribs 10 through 12. Have the butcher cut off the chine bone (backbone) to make carving easiest. The rib bones look best when they are shortened and frenched; a good butcher will be happy to do this for you. Talk about the "wow" factor!

1 3-rib prime rib beef roast,
about 6 lbs.
5 cloves of smashed garlic (press down with the flat edge of the knife)
1/4 cup prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup coarse salt
2 Tablespoons Montreal Steak Seasoning
or fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350F. Lay the beef in a large roasting pan, bone side down (the ribs actually form their own "rack".) In a small bowl, mash together all the other ingredients, making a paste. Massage this all over the roast.

Roast the beef about 1 1/2 to 2 hours (20 minutes a pound for medium-rare.) The internal temperature should be about 125F.

Remove the roast to a wooden cutting board and let it "rest" for about 20 minutes. Pour off the pan juices into a small bowl you'll use this for the Yorkshire pudding, and the brown gravy.

Makes 6 to 8 servings trace of effective carbohydrate per serving.

Yorkshire Pudding

This isn't a sweet American pudding, this is a British classic. Every Sunday, a typical English family might have a roast of beef and Yorkshire pudding. This one is made low carb, and both gluten-free and wheat-free, so I can serve it to one of our friends who has celiac. She hasn't had this in years!

2 Tablespoons of the beef drippings from the above roast (fat & brown juice)
1 cup low-carb bake mix
1/2 cup rice protein powder
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
(or rosemary or thyme)
4 Eggs
2 cups half & half

Preheat oven to 450F.
Spoon drippings into a 9x13 pan and brush all over the bottom & sides of the pan. Set pan in oven to get hot before adding batter. In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs and half & half. Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and bake 20-25 minutes until done.

DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN WHILE BAKING; the pudding will not rise as well as it should. Immediately cut into squares to serve.

1.5 net carbs per serving (12 servings)

Brown Gravy from Drippings

Traditional with the roast and pudding!

Remaining drippings from roast, fat removed;
add beef broth to equal 1 cup
2 Tablespoons dry red wine
(I used a Cabernet Sauvignon
we had open)
2 Tablespoons minced onion
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon guar or xanthan
1/3 cup heavy cream
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a heavy saucepan, combine drippings, wine, onion & garlic and bring up to a boil over medium heat. Let boil until reduced, and then add guar gum or xanthan to thicken. Whisk well over heat to completely blend. Salt and pepper to taste and serve.

1.0 net carbs per serving (8 servings)

Mashed Turnips

A new one for me, hope you enjoy them!

2 lbs turnips, peeled & cut into 2-inch chunks
5 cloves of garlic, peeled but whole
1 stick (1/4 lb) unsalted butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Splenda
Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil garlic with the turnips over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until very tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Drain well, blot and place in a mixing bowl. Beat garlic and turnips with an electric mixer, add butter, sour cream and heavy cream and continue beating until the mixture is fluffy. Add the Splenda, salt, and pepper.

These can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature before being reheating at 350F for about 20 minutes. Serve hot.

2.5 per 1/2 cup serving (8 Servings)

Roasted Asparagus

One of my husband's favorite dishes!

2 lbs of asparagus,
tough ends trimmed
4 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Place trimmed asparagus in a Ziploc bag; add olive oil, salt and pepper. Zip tightly shut. Shake until all of the asparagus is coated.

Place in a roasting pan or cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

2.6 net carbs per 6 spear serving

Chocolate Cloud Cake

I first saw this luscious cake done by British sensation, Nigella Lawson. I've since turned it into
a true low carb luxury!

Chocolate Cloud Cake Base:

4.5 oz of unsweetened baking chocolate
9 Tablespoons granular Splenda
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
6 eggs, 2 whole, 4 separated
1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon Splenda

Cream Topping:

2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup Splenda

Preheat the over to 350F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch spring-form pan with parchment paper. Melt the chocolate in either a double boiler or in the microwave, and then let the butter and Splenda melt in the warm chocolate.

Beat the two whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with 1/3 cup of the Splenda. Gently add the chocolate mixture.

In another bowl, whisk the 4 egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the remaining Splenda and whisk until the whites hold their shape, but aren't too stiff.

Lighten the chocolate mixture with a dollop of the egg whites, and then fold in the rest of the whites. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes until center is no longer wobbly.

Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack. The middle will sink as it cools.

When you are ready to eat, place the still pan-bound cake on a cake plate for serving. Don't worry about cracks or the sunken center this crater look is what you want.

Whip the cream until it's soft; then add vanilla and Splenda and continue whisking until the cream is firm but not stiff. Fill the crater of the cake with the whipped cream, gently pushing it out towards the edges. You can dust this with a 1/2 teaspoon of cocoa power pushed thru a strainer.

5.5 net carbs without topping
8.0 Net carbs per serving with topping (8 servings)

Wine for our Dinner:

Jepson, 1999 Merlot

Hey, if you're going to go all out, let's make it an all-out event!
I asked our good friend Andrew, a true wine connoisseur, to recommend the perfect red wine to accompany our dinner.

He recommends: Jepson, 1999 Merlot. This was an excellent wine, good body, not too dry. Absolutely perfect with beef. Also, this wine is very reasonable, as the winery is trying to clear out some bottles to make room for an outstanding 2003 vintage.

Low Carb Connoisseur
has New Atkins Cereals & Pasta Sides!!

Atkins Morning Start Breakfast Cereals is a hearty and healthful way to enjoy a satisfying breakfast or crunchy snack! Now you can still control your carbs and sugar intake with a variety of tasty choices: Crunchy Almond Crisp, Blueberry Bounty and Banana Nut Harvest!

With New Atkins Quick Quisine Pasta Sides, you can enjoy pasta as a delicious accent to any of your favorite controlled carb meals. Paired with your favorite vegetable, grilled or broiled chicken, steak or fish, Atkins Quick Quisine Pasta Sides are a convenient way to compliment your meal and are perfect for the entire family. Three delicious varieties to choose from: Elbows & Cheese, Pesto Cream and Fettuccini.

Low Carb Connoisseur we put the Dash in Low-Carb.com!