Lemon Ricotta Pie

I found this recipe HERE. I couldn't pin it in Pinterest so I decided to put it on this blog so I can use it later.

This is a low-carb, low-calorie version of a lemon ricotta Italian Easter pie. This is a crustless "pie", but is very similar in flavor and texture (minus the crust). Whole milk ricotta is preferred for this recipe. Part-skim can be used, but the pie comes out grainier and more crumbly.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb whole milk ricotta cheese (a 15-oz container works fine)
• 3 eggs
• Juice and grated zest of one medium lemon
• Sugar substitute to equal 2/3 cup of sugar - liquid preferred (see link below)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Dash of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Separate the eggs, and beat the whites until soft peaks form.

2. Combine the egg yolks and the rest of the ingredients. Taste to see if it's lemony enough, as some lemons are "dryer" and have less juice (average is about 3 tablespoons of juice for a medium lemon). You can add half a teaspoon of lemon extract, or more lemon juice to taste.

3. Fold egg whites into the mixture and spread in a well-buttered pie pan.

Bake until barely set in the middle (a toothpick will come out clean or almost so) about 25 minutes. Chill completely before serving; about 90 minutes.

Serve plain, or with a berry topping such as this strawberry topping or this berry syrup. Sugar-Free Lemon Curd also makes a good topping.

Nutritional Information: Each of 8 servings has 2 grams effective carbohydrate plus 8 grams protein, and 123 calories.

Maria's Popeye Cake

This recipe was published on the HCG Difference Facebook page. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm excited to give it a go!

Ingredients:

• 1 Box Chopped Spinach ~ squeezed dry
• 8 eggs (can substitute more egg whites if egg yolks cause stall)
• 3 Tbls Fat Free Cocoa
• 2/3 cup Almond Flour or ~ Coconut or Quinoa Flour for Phase 2 (VLCD)
• Stevia to taste
• Peppermint oil/extract, or other flavoring (optional)

Instructions:

1. Mix spinach and eggs in bowl.
2. Mix Cocoa powder and Flour in separate bowl.
3. Combine dry ingredients with spinach and eggs mixture.
4. Add Stevia and Peppermint oil/extract (or other flavoring)
5. Bake in a 9x13 non-stick baking dish. (Lightly greased if Phase 3- Maintenance)
6. Bake at 300 degrees until firm to touch.
7. Cool and cut into small squares and refrigerate.

Phase 2 ~Approx 1/4th of a 9x13 pan is equivalent to 1 protein and a vegetable.
Phase 3 ~ can be used as breakfast bars or snacks. Great for traveling!

Grandma Sullivan's Pound Cake

This is how Grandma made the cake while we were young.

1 cup margarine

1 cup crisco

4 cups sugar

1 cup milk (She used 1/2 cup evaporated milk 1/2 cup water)

6 large eggs

3 1/2 cups All Purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

This is how she has been making it as of late.

2 sticks butter (= 1 cup butter)

1 cup buttered flavored crisco

4 cups sugar

1 cup milk (2% milk)

6 large eggs

3 1/2 cups All Purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

These directions are just as she wrote them.

Combine butter, crisco and sugar. Cream together until a silvery look. (Whatever Silvery look means? I just creamed them together.) Add eggs. Beat well. Add milk. Beat well. Add half of the flour. Work in. Add the rest of the flour. Mix and beat 3 min. (When I made this I didn't beat for three min. I just mixed until combined. In the past when I had problems with the recipe, I think it is because I over mixed the batter)

Pour into tube cake pan. (Grease the pans WELL.)  I prefer to divide this mixture into two cake pans. The reason I do this is I like a thinner pound cake rather than a thick one. I like more brown crust.

Bake 300 to 350 till golden brown about a hour or until done.

I just baked this last night. I followed the second recipe with the exception of the milk. I used the can of evaporated milk and water as she has in the first recipe. I baked it at 325 for one hour. It came out great!

Peppermint Bark

Makes 2 1/4 pounds or one 11x17 in sheet

2 Pounds White Chocolate(Not white chocolate chips. I buy Merckens white or dark chocolate which is designed for candy making. They have a much better flavor than the Wiltons chocolate wafers.)

12 Large Candy Canes (6 oz crushed candy)

1/2 teaspoon peppermint Oil (Not extract)

Directions:

1. Line an 11x17 in. baking sheet with parchment, and set aside.

2. In a double boiler, melt white chocolate, stirring constantly.

3. With a chef knife or meat tenderizer, pound candy canes in 1/4 in pieces. Don't crush too much so that you have peppermint powder.

4. Stir pieces of candy canes (reserve a little to sprinkle on top) and peppermint oil into melted chocolate. Remove from heat, and pour evenly. Sprinkle remaining peppermint pieces on top. Chill until firm, 25 to 30 min. Break into pieces, and serve. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator.

Yogurt Cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 Quarts low-fat plain yogurt, dairy or soy based.

Method for yogurt cheese:

1. Place 4 layers of damp cheesecloth in a fine mesh sieve or colander. Place the colander over a bowl.

2. Add yogurt and let it drain overnight in the refrigerator.

3. Discard the water from the bowl.

What Next?

The result of the draining process will leave you with a soft, creamy cheese-like product. In fact, it is lower in calories than cream cheese but can be used in its place. It is also lower in lactose, highter in protein, and lower in sodium than cream cheese. The best part is that it is all nautral.

You now have a wonderful base into which you can mix just about anything, since yogurt cheese readily takes on the flavors of whatever you choose to mix it with. It is sinfully rich and makes you think you are eating something naughty – but you aren’t.