Cooking with stevia cookbook

I checked out a great cookbook from the library this week and thought I'd give it a recommendation here.  It's called Low-Carb Cooking with Stevia by James Kirkland. 


You're sure to get a lot of your stevia questions answered here--from all the various forms it comes in to how to use this sweetener as a sugar substitute in baking and cooking.  Having checked a number of other stevia cookbooks before, I'd have to say this is one I'd like for my kitchen.  Kirkland not only takes the guesswork out of substitutions, but uses some ingredients I wouldn't have thought of to bring the carb counts down on favorite dishes.


He has authored another, more basic, cookbook called Sugar-Free Cooking with Stevia which I'd also recommend.

Eggplant French toast

This is a great substitute for the real thing (desperation drives one to new creativity in the kitchen!).  It's gluten-free, milk-free, and great for a low-carb candida diet and can be sugar-free.  I've been discovering some different ways to cook and eat eggplant, not one of my favorite veggies, and this is one of the better ones.


This first step can be done ahead of time and frozen or just before you make the recipe.   I freeze individual portions in freezer bags and just do a quick thaw in the microwave when I want to use one.


Peel and slice an eggplant 1/2 inch thick, then bake them on a stovetop griddle or frypan on a lightly oiled surface, several minutes on both sides until golden and tender when pierced with a fork.  (Or, peel, cube, and saute in coconut or olive oil in skillet until tender.)


Arrange baked eggplant slices in a non-stick, oiled skillet.  Heat skillet on medium.


Beat together 2 or more eggs (your choice) with 1/2 tsp. vanilla, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, dash salt, and 1/4 tsp. (or more to taste) stevia OR 1 tsp. sugar.


Pour carefully over eggplant, lifting each piece to allow egg mixture to run a bit underneath.   Cover and cook for a few minutes, then turn whole thing like an omelet.  Cover again and cook until done.


Serve hot with butter and syrup or your favorite topping.  (I use a bit of liquid vegetable glycerine mixed with maple flavoring as a sweet, non-sugar substitute--tastes just like maple syrup!)


M-m-m-m!  Yummy.

Marinated summer salad

I threw this together the other night as an alternative for a regular tossed salad--and we all liked it!   Very colorful and appealing, as well as delicious.  Thought I'd pass it along.
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Use the amounts of each vegetable you want, and vary the seasoning according to taste.

Toss together in a bowl:

• sliced, diced raw zucchini (could also add yellow summer squash)
• diced mixed peppers:  green, red, orange, yellow
• thinly sliced red onion
• sliced hearts of palm
• minced fresh garlic

Mix and pour this marinade over veggies:

• 1/3 c. apple cider vinegar (I like Braggs)
• 1/3 c. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp. mixed Italian herbs
• sea salt, a shake of pepper

Blend and chill well before serving.

Homemade Ranch dressing

This quick and yummy dressing can be used as a salad dressing, dip, or sandwich spread.  Tastes amazingly like the commercial variety but without the chemicals and additives.
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In a bowl, blend with a whisk:

• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 1/2 c. plain yogurt, buttermilk, OR kefir
• 1 T. dried parsley flakes
• 1 tsp. each garlic powder & onion powder
• 1/2 - 1 tsp. salt

Adjust seasonings to taste.  Chill and enjoy!

My aunt's simple and yummy hamburgers

These are great!  What I like is that they are very moist and not tough as hamburgers can often be.  And it's a good way to get some more veggies into your diet.


These are the proportions I used tonight:

• 1 1/2 lbs. hamburger
• 2 grated zucchini
• 1/2 onion, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (we like garlic)

Mix well and form into thin patties.  You can either fry them up or freeze them for future use.  I like to serve them with mayo, sliced tomato, and very thin slices of onion.


Enjoy!