Cinnamon Ice Cream (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

I never realized until this morning how difficult it is to take pictures of ice cream in the summer. Seriously, it is nearly impossible. The picture above is the best picture I took, out of like fifty pictures. The ice cream was melting at a rapid pace and the glass cup I scooped it into was fogging up. It was a race against the green house effect taking place in my sun room. I should probably choose a different place to shoot, but the lighting there is so great.

Anyway! I received an ice cream maker for my birthday a few weeks ago, and last night I finally got a chance to use it. I spent a great deal of time mulling over what sort of ice cream I could make that was low-carb and not just vanilla or chocolate flavored. I also didn't want to add anything that would bump up the carb count too high. So, enter cinnamon; it's got only .5 grams of carbs per teaspoon, but it's so often associated with sweets that it pretty much acts as not only a flavoring, but also a sweetener for desserts. I love cinnamon's role in this recipe. The slight warmth it provides is a welcome contrast to the chilly sweetness of the base.

One serving of this recipe comes out to around 5 grams of carbs.

Thin-Crust Cheddar Ranch Pizza (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

This was my first try at a flax-based pizza crust, and it turned out a lot better than I thought it would. The original recipe called for baking powder, but I didn't want a thick pizza crust--I like my pizzas thin and crunchy. The modifications I made achieved a crunchy outer crust, and firm inner crust. This recipe could either make 4 very large slices or 8 medium sized slices. The pizza I made was actually shared between five people, with a slice left over.

A quarter serving of pizza is 4.5 grams of carbs.

Zucchini Pasta Salad (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

I made this pasta for my birthday lunch and received rave reviews. The idea for a pasta salad came to mind when I suddenly started craving my mothers macaroni salad. It's a summer staple, so I thought I'd make my own version of a cool and creamy side dish. As with most of my other recipes, the ingredients for this dish can be easily substituted, either with different cheeses, different cuts of meats, or even different salad dressings. The salad was paired with roasted chicken inasal and baked eggplant slices rolled with ricotta. My sister took a few quick shots of the tablescape. The pictures are down below the recipe. 

One serving of zucchini pasta salad is 6 grams of carbs.

The longer this dish sits, the better it tastes. Make a huge batch and pack it for work during the week for a quick and easy lunch. This would also be great to pack for trips to the beach and picnics just as long as it's kept chilled inside a cooler.

Matcha (aka Green Tea) Steamed Cake (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

This is a quick, easy, and delicious cake recipe you can make even when you're on the go. It's a knockoff of Japanese green tea steamed cakes often sold in convenience stores. The total time spent on prep and cooking comes out to 10 minutes, and if you cook it in a coffee filter or even wax paper, you can take it anywhere with you. I've seen variations of the steamed cake sold with different toppings, such as red beans in this case. I didn't have red beans, so instead I ate mine this morning with a spread of peanut butter and sugar-free strawberry preserves. I could also see the cake paring well with cream cheese and walnuts.

One serving comes to 3 grams of carbs.

Filipino Chicken Mami Noodle Soup (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

I've been pretty obsessed with zucchini noodles lately. I decided to try them out two weeks ago when I saw a 2 lb bag for $1.50 at my local produce. I tried this recipe out as soon as I got home and I was blown away. You see, the problem I had with all the other pasta substitutes I've tried (not including shirataki noodles) was how they lacked the neutrality of real pasta.
For example, when I tried spaghetti squash I found the sweetness to be too distracting. The same with tofu noodles tasting too much like tofu (I know, crazy right?). On the other hand, zucchini--when microwaved--tastes practically like nothing. And whatever flavor it does have doesn't seem to obscure the taste of meaty Bolognese or cheesy Alfredo, so it works perfectly as a vehicle for sauces or, in this case, soups.
This recipe is perfect for cold and rainy days, when the only thing to do is hide under a blanket and watch TV reruns, but even though the weather's been incredibly hot recently, it hasn't stopped me from enjoying this soup three times this week. It's a Filipino recipe, slightly tweaked so that it is keto-friendly. My mother made this for me all the time when I was a kid, and the other day was the first time I made it for her. Not only did she love it, she also suggested that I buy more zucchini to experiment with next time I go grocery shopping. Success.
This recipe has only 5 grams of carbs, and takes less than ten minutes to cook.

Chinese Steamed Pork Buns AKA Char Siu Bao (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

I think this may be my favorite recipe on the blog so far. I whipped it up on a random whim this morning and I can't believe how well it turned out. Usually the recipes I make take a lot of trial and error before I get the taste right. This was so good that I started eating before I even finished taking pictures. The filling is savory and sweet, and the sesame oil in the bread balances out the cinnamon. Overall, this makes for a very delightful and filling breakfast or lunch. You could of course try your own variation of filling and bread spices; the flavors I used are just what I had in my pantry.

The entire recipe is only 5 grams of carbs. On top of that, it takes less than 10 minutes to prep and cook.

Recipe Attempt: Stir Fried Tofu Noodles (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

I came across a package of shredded tofu last week when I was at the Asian food mart, and I thought it could be another alternative to noodles. The package (which serves 2.5) had 5 grams of carbs per 3 oz serving, a lot higher than Shirataki noodles, but still within a reasonable carb range. It was a little less than $2, and was able to feed myself and my sister.
So the thing about tofu noodles is--unsurprisingly--they taste like tofu. Apart from their appearance, there really isn't anything noodle-y about tofu noodles. They are really chewy and you can't really slurp them like noodles. But what I did like about them was their ability to soak up sauce really well. I could see this being a great side dish, but as a main entree, its chewiness made just one serving a bit of a chore to eat.
Maybe I am cooking them wrong, or using them incorrectly? I will detail the recipe I used below (essentially the Pad Thai recipe I posted a few weeks ago), but I basically just boiled the package for a minute then added it to a hot pan with sesame oil and stir fried the noodles until they were slightly browned.
As always, any comments and advice would be appreciated.