Hi.  My name is Mark and this is my cooking blog.

I get asked a lot for my recipes, so I decided to start this cooking blog.  What you’ll find here will be my recipes and my variations on others’ recipes, my cooking tips and who knows what else. 

I should say up front that I’m lactose intolerant (check out my lactose intolerance site www.nowhey.org) and I also try to live a low-carb lifestyle.  So the recipes you’ll find here will generally be devoid of milk and milk products and try, wherever possible, to be low in carbs.

I hope you enjoy the site and the recipes.

Mark

Here’s a simple recipe for the Blendtec Total Home Blender. This might work in other blenders too, but consider getting a Blendtec.   This makes a nice, sugar-free, zero carb, chilled mocha smoothie.  It makes enough for two smoothies in normal tall water glasses.

Ingredients
1/2 cup French Vanilla non-dairy, sugar-free liquid creamer (see note)
1 cup water
1 tbs Torrani Sugar-free chocolate syrup
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp instant coffee
1 cup ice cubes

Pour the creamer into the blender container to the 4 oz mark.  Add water to the 12 oz mark.  (One of the many things I like about the Blendtec is the easy-to-read markings on the container – saves cleaning an extra measuring cup.)  Add the chocolate syrup and the instant coffee.  Gently sprinkle the xanthan gum over the surface of the liquid.  Add the ice.  Blend on the “smoothie” setting.  Pour into glasses and enjoy!

Notes:  This will make a drink that is medium thick – it will have some body but won’t be frozen.  If you want it thicker and frozen, then reduce the water to 1/2 cup (fill the water to the 8 oz mark instead of the 12 oz mark) and add 1/2 cup more of ice.  This recipe is designed for ice cubes – the crescent shaped kind from automatic ice-makers.  If you use other forms of ice, you’ll have to play around to get the amount of ice and liquid correct.  Crushed ice requires less ice and more liquid. 

I’ve used non-dairy, sugar free creamers from Coffeemate and International Delights.  Both seem to work and taste the same.  You’ll find them in the milk section of the market.  If you don’t care about sugar or dairy, feel free to substitute the creamer of your choice.

The Blendtec has a “smoothie” setting that runs the blender through a program of speeds – something other blenders don’t have.  If you don’t have a Blendtec then follow the smoothie directions that came with your blender.

The xanthan gum is there to provide body and mouthfeel.  It also helps to keep the drink “together” which is technically known as stabilizing.  It might sound like a weird ingredient but it’s a natural ingredient derived from fermented corn.  You can find it at most high end supermarkets, Whole Foods and health food stores.  Look in the baking section or if they have a “gluten free” section it will be there.  Bob’s Red Mill brand is the easiest to find.  If you can’t be bothered to seek out the xanthan gum, then you can likely substitute instant pudding mix (vanilla or chocolate) – use about 1/2 tbs – but xanthan gum is way cheaper in the long run.  Pudding mix will also add sugar and carbs.