Dave and I are on a low-carb diet together. Before you freak out, let me say that I'm mostly doing it for moral support, but also because I want to see how it makes me feel. Aaand to learn that type of discipline - it's my first time.
It's not that bad though - I was actually getting over cereal because I'm a wear a t-shirt and eat cereal all day type of girl and I ate too much of it, I love protein drinks/bars, cream, meat and cheese, and I looove snacking all day. And that's basically the diet, at least in the beginning. Dave loses weight FAST, but I've actually dropped a few numbers in just one week as well.
Anyway, it's a smart diet, but since carbs are the main filler in the food you eat, I'm hungry ALL THE TIME.
Mostly for sweets, so when Valentine's Day rolled around I thought what is more romantic or more delicious than fondue? And the answer to that is nothing.
So I looked at some recipes and from those I made my own low carb version of both chocolate and cheese fondue.
In this picture you see a bottled beverage. That, my friends, is seltzer water. It doesn't have any sugar, it's just carbonated water and natural flavors. Cranberry lime, grapefruit, vanilla, black cherry, etc. It doesn't taste like much on a regular diet, but on the atkins, it is deeeelicious. Another note - I do not have fondue pots and these saucepans worked just fine! Just put on the table right before eating.
Now, where were we?
Cheese Fondue
INGREDIENTS
1 8oz. package of cream cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Stir cream cheese, cream and water in sauce pan over med-low heat until melted. Add parmesan cheese and garlic salt. Stir until cheese melts. It will be thick and stringy, but not rubbery. Keep at low heat.
SERVE WITH
Options are broccoli, shrimp, chicken, steak, or what I have on my plate which are my homemade tortilla chips (made with low carb tortillas), or anything else you think of. This recipe is delicious on any diet so you can eat it with bread if you want!
Now onto my favorite part...
Chocolate Fondue
INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup heavy cream divided in 1/2
4 oz cream cheese in cubes
3 tbsp sugar substitute (we usually use Splenda but the next ingredient I use more often in other recipes now)
1 tsp coconut sugar*
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine cocoa and 1/2 cup cream in smaller saucepan and whisk to mix. It doesn't blend right away and if it gets thick like whipped yogurt don't fret, the heat will melt it down. When hot and soupy, add remaining cream and cream cheese. Stir and cook until smooth. Add sugars and vanilla, and stir. Keep at very low heat.
SERVE WITH: We used raspberries because they are one of the lowest carb fruits, and strawberries because they're not that high either and they're so good. Blackberries are very low carb as well. But again, you can use whatever you want. This is THE BEST chocolate dessert I can remember tasting (no bias...). The saltiness from the cream cheese is what really makes it irresistible.
*I did not buy coconut palm sugar from the store. I had just heard about it so I took some of my coconut shavings and threw them in a blender and made my own version like a boss.
It's a little thicker and stickier like brown sugar, which I like. It also looks like crack, so be careful...
It's so good and sweet you could probably just use it for the sugar substitute as well (I didn't because my husband thinks it's too bitter).
So there ya go. Lots of ideas. Go experiment.
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