DIY Copy Cat Low Carb Brown Sugar Recipe - using Erythritol

Make your own EASY LOW CARB BROWN SUGAR 
(with 2 varitions)

There are some brown sugar imitations on the market, but maybe you are like me and want the convenience of being able to quickly make your own. Making your own saves you money too, always a good thing. Most Of the "brown sugar" replacements on the market use artificial sweeteners in them too. I don't know about you but I avoid artificial chemical sweeteners. I think sugar is better for me than those, but that's my own opinion...

Anyway, erythritol is the base I have chosen for this healthy, low carb brown sugar replacement. You could also use part xylitol if you want to. Xylitol is a lot sweeter that erythritol (about 90% as sweet as sugar) but isn't quite as low carb as erythritol. Another thing to note is that when you combine sweeteners, they are synergistic with each other, enhancing each others sweetness. SWEET!

You may also want to put in the tiniest amount of a high quality white stevioside powder (a high intensity natural sweetener) to up the sweetness of your blend. Just add the stevia very slowly and mix it together VERY well. Write down your formula so you can easily remake more.



LOW CARB BROWN SUGAR Recipe:

Difficulty level: Easy Peasy

1 to 2 c. Erythritol, granular
1 t. Blackstrap molasses


Method:

In a bowl of a food processor, thoroughly mix the blackstrap molasses into the granular erythritol.

Use immediately or store in an airtight container in your pantry for future use.

If you want a lighter brown sugar, just mix in more erythritol.

Remember to write down your proportions for future reference.


Lower Carb Variation:

2 c. Erythritol
2 t. Yacon syrup
A pinch stevioside powder, to taste



NOTES:

Traditional brown sugar has 276 calories per 1/2 cup (71.1 g carbs).
The Lower Carb Variation with yakon syrup has only 7 calories per 1/2 cup (2.8g carbs).

Blackstrap molasses is darker and more flavorful than regular molasses, so you need only half as much, which lowers the carb count of this sweetening blend even more.

Use a natural high intensity sweetener, or a blend of two (like stevia and luo han guo) to increase the sweetness level, if desired.

Erythritol has only 6% of the calories of regular sugar.

Erythritol has about 60 to 70% of the sweetness of regular sugar.

Erythritol is best used as a bulk sweetener in part of a sweetening blend.

Erythritol is not quite as soluble as sugar, it takes a little more heat to dissolve it.

Erythritol has a much higher gastric tolerance than any other sugar alcohol, up to 3.5% is safely used in beverages, for example.

Erythritol will not activate yeast in baking applications. Use a little additional fructose to activate and feed the yeast, and then your dough will rise normally.



Note: You could use Lakanto's golden granular zero-calorie sweetener instead of the plain erythritol for best flavor.



Future Project: I want to make a brown sugar blend that is as sweet as regular brown sugar using a combination of:

erythritol (bulking sugar)
oligosaccharides (inulin chicory root fiber) (bulking fiber)
stevia extract (high intensity sweetener)
luo han guo (monk fruit) (high intensity sweetener)
natural color (carob or cocoa powder)
natural flavor


I'm thinking about 70% erythritol, 20% inulin, and just a kiss of everything else.

I'm just thinking out loud... on paper, er, computer screen.



Have a great day,

Leila.

An easy refreshing tropical meal: Coconut Black Beans & Rice with Fried Bananas

Leila's Coconut Rice with Black Beans & Caramelized bananas (vegetarian or vegan, and gluten-free)

This is a quick and tasty dinner to make. We love it at our house. My daughter will even eat the leftovers cold in her school lunch (her doing, not mine). It is a nice family meal for when you don't feel like eating meat. You can easily make it vegan by using all coconut oil instead of butter. This meal is also naturally gluten-free (just check your salsa ingredients).

I adore caramelized bananas! My mom would make them for me as I was growing up. At the time, she always used real butter, and we ALWAYS salted them. They are like nature's version of salted caramels. The trick with the bananas is not to use too high of heat, or you will scorch them instead of caramelize them. Being patient is worth it. Make the bananas as the rice is cooking. Also prepare all the garnishes as the rice and beans finish up.

Bananas this ripe and even riper, are used.

Lay the bananas cut side down in the prepared pan.

They are looking caramely on the edges and are ready to turn.

Leila's Coconut Rice with Black Beans & Caramelized bananas
Serves 4.

Ingredients:

The Rice:
2 c. basmati rice (white or brown) with 1/2 t. sea salt or Leila's BioSalt, cooked in a rice cooker according to rice cooker directions
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained (can use 2 cans to up the protein and fiber)
2 T. raw agave nectar, optional *

The Caramelized Bananas:
1 T. coconut oil (deodorized or virgin)
1 T. real butter, or ghee (clarified butter)
4 to 6 very ripe bananas (or as many bananas as you can cram in the pan!)
Sea salt, or Leila's BioSalt, to taste (my BioSalt recipe is in my first blog post)

Garnish with:
the Caramelized Bananas (above)
raw baby spinach leaves
diced pineapple, fresh or canned
golden raisins, optional (or chopped dates)
scallions, minced
shredded jicama
red bell pepper, chopped, optional
sugar snap pea pods, optional
fruit salsa (like peach-mango salsa)
cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Method:

The Rice: 
Cook the rice, 1/2 t. salt and water amount called for in your rice cooker until done.
Leave the rice cooker on the keep warm setting.
Fluff the rice and stir in the can of coconut milk. Toss gently to blend.
After the coconut milk has been absorbed by the rice, add the canned black beans and toss.
Let the rice cooker's keep warm feature warm the beans and rice mixture.

The Caramelized Bananas:
Melt the butter and coconut oil in a large non-stick frying pan, over med-high heat.
Peel and cut in half lengthwise 4 to 6 very ripe bananas.
Place banana halves, cut side down into the melted fats in the pan.
Let the bananas start sizzling before you turn the heat down to medium heat.
When the underneath sides look golden brown and caramelized, sprinkle salt over them and turn them over. Caramelize the other side and lightly salt. Turn heat to very low to keep warm, until use.

Putting it all together:
On individual serving plates, first put a bed of baby spinach, then portion the rice & bean mixture over top. Top with caramelized bananas, pineapple, and other desired fruit and vegetable garnishes.
Finish off by topping with the fruit salsa and cilantro.

At our house we load up on the fruit and vegetable toppings and we like a generous amount of fruit salsa.


* Note: You may omit the agave and use Lakanto's Golden zero-cal granular sweetener instead. I would add it to the cooking water so that it will fully dissolve.


Enjoy!

Author: Leila Wood.

Successful sugar-free caramel experiments today!

Sugar Free Caramel experiments in the Kitchen Cheetah Test Kitchens

Imagine a dab of rich, buttery, creamy smooth caramel on your finger tips, just waiting to be tasted...

That's what I got to do today. CARAMEL.

We have been working on formulating a delicious sugar free caramel, not an easy task. Today, great progress was made towards our goal!

Years ago, when my husband and I owned a gourmet candy manufacturing business, I experimented with sugar-free caramel and toffee. At the time, maltitol and maltitol syrup (sugar alcohols) were pretty new to the market and I experimented with those. I was only somewhat satisfied. I had to add some other natural ingredients to create caramelization (also known as the maillard reaction). Sugar alcohols do not caramelize on their own, which is a problem for sugar-free candy manufacturers. Artificial flavors and colors are used to achieve a caramel-like look and taste - but they don't really fool you.

Maltitol causes gastric distress in most people, but was an improvement over mannitol. Sugar alcohols cause gastric distress in general. Xylitol is generally better tolerated than maltitol, plus xylitol has many health benefits. Still, you only want to eat it in small doses.

Erythritol is generally tolerated the best out of all the sugar alcohols. However, erythritol recrystallizes much quicker than regular sugar does, leading to grainy caramel, grainy marshmallows, grainy fudge - yuk. Erythritol also does not brown, so you can't make caramel with just erythritol.

There are some newer, healthy sugar alternatives on the market now, which we are experimenting with. We are very close to reaching our goal of a delicious, natural sugar-free, chemical-free caramel that is firm enough to wrap in caramel wrappers, or dip in our sugar free chocolate. SO EXCITING.

I just had to share!

Freshly made sugar-free caramel.

This caramel has a nice rich color and caramel taste!

Sugar-free caramel experiment - after the cold water test. Nice texture :)

Stay tuned!

Author, Leila.

Super Easy & Delicious Fried Egg Sandwich

Quick Egg Sandwich

Sometimes you just need something FAST. This sandwich fits the bill nicely. You can use gluten-free bread if you like. The bread toasted with butter (or coconut oil) on the griddle is the way to do it. I like to cook the egg over easy, so that you can spread the yummy yolk around (spread the joy).

Fresh minced onion sprinkled over the cooking egg makes the sandwich. Dried onion will do in a pinch. Top with fresh ground pepper and sea salt or bioSalt to taste. you're good to go!





Quick Egg Sandwich Recipe:

1 extra large organic egg
butter and/or coconut oil
2 sliced whole grain bread or gluten free bread (1 slice for open face)
2 t. minced raw onion
fresh ground pepper, to taste
BioSalt or sea salt, to taste (recipe on this blog)


Method:

Heat a cast iron skillet.
Butter the outsides of 2 slices of bread and place on one side of the skillet.
Add a dab of butter on the opposite side of the skillet and crack the egg on top.
Sprinkle egg with onion and fresh ground pepper.
Cook the egg over easy. Don't burn your bread!
Lay the finished egg on top of 1 slice of toasted bread. Spread yolk around and then salt to taste.
Top with the other piece of toasted bread and chow.


Note: Salting eggs after they are cooked keeps the eggs tender.

Enjoy, 

Leila

Home Made Spicy Indian Tamarind Chutney - To go with my Butter Chicken Recipe (Copy Cat)

Tangy-Sweet Indian Tamarind Chutney (Restaurant Copy Cat Recipe)

Homemade Spicy Tamarind Chutney

I love the tamarind chutney that Indian restaurants serve. The tangy-sweet contrast it gives to Indian food really appeals to me. Sometimes it is too sweet at the restaurants, or it isn't served with the meal at all . Sad. Anyway, I wanted to recreate it at home, since it is not readily available. 

Tamarind is sour on it's own and has a wonderful fruity complexity. It is used in refreshing beverages and also in many sauces like Worcestershire sauce. It is high in pectin so it thickens naturally as it simmers. Tamarind chutney is a wonderful way to discover tamarind, if you haven't already.

You can find tamarind paste at ethnic food markets. You can also make your own tamarind paste from tamarind concentrate or even from whole dried tamarind pods. Just simmer the tamarind in water until soft. Dilute with enough water so that you can strain it through a metal strainer, pressing the liquid from the seeds and pulp. I dilute the pulp a couple more times, straining and pressing the pulp to remove all the usable juices. Simmer gently to concentrate into a thick sauce, or paste.

I love serving this chutney drizzled over my Indian Butter chicken recipe posted on this blog, or on Vegetable curry (recipe coming soon)!



Tamarind Chutney Recipe:

1 c. tamarind paste
1/2 c. erythritol (or Lakanto's zero-cal sweetener)
1/2 c. xylitol
2 to 4 T. vegetable glycerine, to adjust sweetness
1/2 to 1 c. purified water, or more as needed
2 to 3 t. coriander seed powder, to taste
1 to 2 t. cumin powder, to taste
1 t. ancho chili powder
1 t. fennel seed powder
1 t. black pepper powder
1/2 t. cinnamon powder
1/4 to 1/2 t. cardamom powder, to taste
1/2 t. bioSalt or sea salt (recipe on this blog)


Method:

Grind the spices together in a seed mill until very fine.

Mix everything together in a small saucepan and gently simmer a few minutes to blend the flavors.

Thin with water if necessary to achieve the desired consistency.

Taste for sweetness and adjust the vegetable glycerine to taste.

Keep refrigerated. It thickens when cooled.

Serve with Indian food. YUM.



Note: The erythritol, xylitol, and vegetable glycerine replace 1 cup of regular sugar in this recipe.

Tip: Kitchen Cheetahs now has an original recipe for a Faux Tamarind Paste here.

An example of tamarind paste. This time I made my own paste however.

Simmer the chutney to thicken up a bit.

The Simmered chutney. You can see that the spices could be ground up finer, which I will do next time.

Finished Tamarind Chutney

Enjoy!

Leila

Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins using a new Gluten-Free Grain called Canahua (Recipe with Variations)

Canahua (Kaniwa), a little known powerhouse of a grain... 

And a recipe for Glazed Lemon Canahua Muffins

Canahua from Bolivia is a little known gluten-free grain that is related to quinoa. It is high in protein (15 to 19%) and has a complete amino acid profile. This grain is claimed to be allergen-free as well.

Unlike quinoa, canahua does not have a protective saponin layer. That's the bitter, soapy-tasting saponins that can give off-flavors to your gluten free baked goods. This means you do not need to prewash canahua to remove the bitterness. You do need to prewash quinoa to remove the saponins, in case you didn't know that already.

Often canahua is first toasted (creating a desirable and tasty Maillard Reaction - think of caramelization...yum) and then ground into a flour. Canahua is a very useful, protein-packed nutritional additive. Use it to enhance the nutrition of baked goods, hot cereals, soups, desserts, smoothies, yogurts, energy bars and other neutraceuticals.

PREPARATION - The most common preparation is to clean, lightly roast the beans and then grind the beans to give a kind of flour commonly called "Pito". Is consumed by mixing with cold or hot drinks, over 15 different ways to prepare whole grain and the "Pito" are known. 
In the same way in baking excellent results have been obtained mixtures incorporating 20% "WHISTLE ".  (Source: http://ccbolgroup.com/amaranto.html)

Cañahua / Cañihua

Relationship of quinoa and other grains Cañahua

Pra 100% Cañahua Wheat Quinoa Rice Barley Proteins 16.2 11.5 13.8 8.7 10.6 Lipids 8.04 2.0 5.0 2.2 2.1 Carbohydrates 58.6 59.4 59.7 74.6 57.7 Calcium mg. 157.0 41.0 85.0 39.6 26.0 Magnesium mg. 210.0 91.0 204.0 119.6 57.0 Iron 13.6 3.3 7.0 2.0 2.0

(Source: http://ccbolgroup.com/amaranto.html)

Below are instructions for cooking the canahua. You can even cook it with quinoa, since they are so similar. For the muffin recipe below, use just cooked canahua.

The following muffin recipe is gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegan. I have yet to remake the recipe into a lower carb gluten-free formula, but I wanted to give you an example of how you could incorporate this new grain. I want to try this muffin recipe with our "kitchen Cheetahs healthy 4-Flour Blend" (recipe found on this blog). If you beat me to it, message me and let me know how it worked for you.

To Cook Canahua:

Cook 1 part canahua in 2 parts boiling water.

The cooking method is the same as for cooking quinoa. add canahua to the boiling water, cover and turn heat down to a simmer until all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Glazed Lemon Canahua Muffins: 

• 1 1/4 cup superfine brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup  sweet white rice flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch
• 1/4 c. potato starch (not potato flour)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon BioSalt or sea salt (recipe on this blog)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 c. erythritol plus 1/4 c. xylitol (equivalent of 3/4 cup granulated sugar) *
• 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk or almond milk
• 1/2 cup warmed coconut oil
• 1/4 cup cream cheese, neufchatel, or vegan cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia glycerite (recipe on our blog) or NOW brand stevia glycerite, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh organic lemon zest
• 3/4 cup cooked canahua

Method: 

Preheat oven to 350 °F, with a rack  positioned in the middle of the oven. Line 12 cupcake tins with paper liners.

Whisk together the dry ingredients, including the granular sweetener and salt, in a large mixing bowl.

In small bowl, Mix together the lime juice and milk and set aside until curdled.

In a separate medium bowl, cream the cream cheese until fluffy with a hand mixer.

Add the curdled milk to the cream cheese and mix together well.

Add the liquid coconut oil and stevia glycerite to the cream cheese mixture and mix well.

Taste for sweetness and adjust as desired, adding more stevia glycerite if needed.

Stir in the flour mixture along with the lime zest, then fold in the cooked canahua.

Divide the batter evenly among the 12 lined cupcake compartments and let rest 30 minutes before baking.

Bake 32 to 35 minutes, or until slightly golden on top and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. 

Let muffins cool completely and then cover with glaze.

* Note: You may use 1/2 c. Lakanto's zero-cal sweetener instead of the 1/2 c. plain erythritol.

Muffin Variations:

You can add 1 T. poppy seeds and 1-2 t. almond extract for a lemon poppy seed variation.

You can replace the lemon juice and zest for lime juice and zest, and add 1 -2 t. almond or vanilla extract.

Smooth Sugar-Free Glaze:

• 1/2 to 3/4 cup powdered erythritol or Lakanto's white zero-cal sweetener, finely powdered.
• 3 teaspoons egg white protein powder (plain)
• 1 teaspoon Cal/Mag (calcium magnesium powder, to make glaze whiter and more nutritious)
• 2 teaspoons vegetable glycerine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, to taste
• water, coconut milk, or almond milk to thin to desired consistency

Glaze Variations:

Add 2 T. marmalade along with 1 t. fresh lemon juice (omit vanilla extract).

Add 2 T. sour cherry preserves along with 1 t. almond extract and 1 t. lime juice (use lime juice in the muffins).

Add 2 T. sour cherry preserves along with 1 t. lemon juice, omit vanilla extract. 

Add 2 T. lime juice in place of the lemon juice (also use lime juice in the muffins), flavor both with almond ext.

Method:

To make the glaze, mix all the powders together and stir into the 2 T. glycerine. Whisk together until smooth. 

Add lemon or lime juice and vanilla or almond extract to taste. Thin with desired liquid, if needed.

Enjoy experimenting,

Leila.

How to make canned re-fried beans taste GOOD!

Super Speedy Re-fried Beans




Refried beans from a can are yucky. Admit it, you only use them because you don't have time to make a good batch by scratch. I find that most Mexican restaurants refried beans aren't the greatest either. It's a shame because they can be SO good.

My favorite refried beans are served at La Casita Mexican restaurant in Springville, Utah. They most certainly have copious amounts of lard in them. They are so creamy and yummy... Well, since they won't deliver to my house at the drop of a hat, I have to make my own, often at the drop of a hat. If I would actually plan ahead, I'd make my favorite made-from-scratch refried bean recipe  It's my copycat version of La Casita's refried beans. I need to remember to post that recipe too.

Anyway, I created this easy recipe and it has been the best solution for a quick compromise, that our family really enjoys. A trick is to thin the beans with water, so they don't have such a gacky texture. Then I re-fry the "refried" beans in coconut oil, adding some seasonings. Big improvement.

Note about coconut oil: We eat it in our home for it's health benefits. Some health experts recommend consuming 2 T coconut oil per day. No problem, I use it in my cooking all the time.





Easy Re-fried Beans recipe:

2 T. virgin or deodorized coconut oil
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 pinch hot red chili pepper flakes
1 can refried beans of choice
1/4 c. plus 2 T. purified water, divided
1/2 t. onion powder
1 pinch cumin powder


Method:

Saute the garlic and red pepper flakes in coconut oil until very fragrant and sizzling.

Add the can of beans and stir to mix together.

Add 1/4 c. water to thin the beans, mixing in well.

Add the onion powder and a pinch of cumin. mix in well.

Brown the beans, turning occasionally, until they thicken up and have areas that are browned nicely. This gives a great flavor to the re-fried beans.

Add a touch more water (about 2 T.) to thin the beans to a nice consistency.

Taste for seasonings and adjust if needed. If you used unsalted beans, add salt to taste.

Serve hot.



Note: You can use half bacon fat and half coconut oil for even more flavor!



Photos of the cooking process:

Get out all your ingredients first.

Coconut oil, garlic, and red chili pepper flakes go into a frying pan.

Saute the spices until they become very fragrant and sizzling.

Add the boring canned refried beans and stir.

Add 1/4 c. purified water to thin.

Add onion powder and cumin.

Brown, with occasional stirring.

The beans are done browning. Add a couple more T. water to thin again to desired consistency.

Serve the now delicious refried beans with your meal of choice (in this case, fajitas).

Enjoy,

Leila.