Monthly Archives: November 2020

Desserts, Recipes

Rich and Delicious, Pecan Pie

As promised, albeit a little late, here is the recipe for low carb pecan pie. This is one of my favorite desserts. I love pecans, but I am picky about my filling. I’ve had some with a pale filling that is too sweet. This one is a nice caramel color. In this instance, I did not cook my crust long enough, so it got soggy while the pie was cooking. The dough is only on the bottom or slightly up the sides. Make sure your crust is lightly browned in the middle. I used sugar-free maple pancake syrup to add a little more flavor. I’ve used this same recipe to make individual tartlets. They cook in about 15 minutes and are lovely individual-sized pies.

Photo: Pecan Pie slice

Southern Pecan Pie

Crumble Dough

3/4 cup Almond Flour or other Low Carb Flour
1 tablespoon Butter
3 tablespoons Sugar Substitute

Filling:
3 Eggs
2 tablespoons Butter, melted
1/2 cup Sugar-free Maple Syrup
2/3 cup Sugar Substitute
1 cup Pecans, broken into pieces
1-1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
Pinch Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8″ pie pan by spraying with baking spray.

Mix flour, sugar, and butter together with a fork, cutting through to make a crumbly dough. Press dough into the bottom of the pie pan. Bake in the oven for 7 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.

Combine all filling ingredients. Spoon the filling over the dough. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Check to see if the pie is fully set and done.

Let cool for about 10 minutes. Use a pie server to get the pieces out easily. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Nutrition Info: Pecan Pie

Breads, Desserts, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Thanksgiving is Upon Us

Amazingly, we have arrived at Thanksgiving in the USA. Canada celebrated a month ago. For everyone else, think of it as a prelude to the end of the current season. Here, in Reno, Nevada, our non-evergreen trees have dropped the last of their leaves signaling that Winter is coming. Snow is already on the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I can recall more than one snowy Thanksgiving here, so it could be a possibility.

Hope all of you are well. This has been a particularly tough year for everyone, but we are still surviving and are so thankful for it. For me and the friends I cherish, this is the one thing I am so grateful to say. Our hopes are to have a resolution to the pandemic soon, but until then, to continue to stay safe and healthy.

This message is a little late getting out, but if you are looking to keep your carbohydrates down over Thanksgiving, here are a few recipes I’ve published to help you do that:

 Happy Thanksgiving 2013 – Pumpkin Panna Cotta – has links to Smashed Turnips with Leeks, Irish Style Celery and Kohlrabi, and Butternut Turnip Mash.

 

Easy Low Carb Stuffing Bread

Use it in your favorite stuffing.

 

Traditional Pumpkin Pie 

Includes crust recipe.

 

 

 

 No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

 

 

 

 

Got leftovers?

Try this Turkey and Stuffing Pie

 

 

Use the search feature to find even more recipes for vegetables and desserts to compliment your feast.

I don’t have a new recipe for today because I’m scurrying to get everything prepped for Thanksgiving and doing NaNoWriMo (for those who don’t know, that is National Novel Writing Month, so I am writing as many words on a new novel as I can). I will have a recipe on Friday for low carb Pecan Pie. You won’t miss those carbs at all. Trust me.

Until then, have a very good Thanksgiving and stay safe.

Rene

Beef, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Pork, Recipes, Soups and Stews

Hot Chile for Cold Days

Photo: Rene's Beef and Chorizo Chile

With a snowstorm arriving in Reno last weekend, my thoughts turned to warm comfort food. Weather like this calls for at least stew, soup, or chile. I went with the latter. Usually, I make my Tex-Mex chile, the variety that uses all meat chunks and carries a ton of heat. But I decided to try something a little different, so here’s my take on a meat and bean chile done low carb.

First, I added medium-hot chorizo in for a zap of spice and a different flavor, then mixed in ground beef. I chose black beans because they are a bit lower in carbohydrates than either pinto or red beans. The result is fabulous, tasty, and warming. Like many stews, soups, and curries, the longer the pot sits, the more flavorful it becomes. So if you want to make it a day ahead, you can cover it and put it in the ‘fridge for a day or so. Nonetheless, it is delicious on the first day.

Rene’s Beef and Chorizo Chile

1 Onion, diced
1 teaspoon Vegetable Oil
1 tablespoon Garlic, minced
2 pounds Ground Beef
1 pound Chorizo Sausage
1 can diced Green Peppers
1 packet Taco Seasoning or 2 tablespoons Spicy Seasoning
1 15-oz can Stewed Tomatoes, chopped
1 15-oz can Tomatoes with Chiles
1 can Black Beans, with juice
1 cup Pumpkin puree

In a 10 to 12 cup heavy pot, heat a teaspoon oil and add onions and garlic. Stir and cook for about five minutes until the onions are sweating. Add ground beef and chorizo, breaking it up as you stir it around. Cook until the meat is lightly browned.

Add green peppers, seasoning, and both cans of tomatoes. Add about a half-cup to each tomato can and swish them around to get the rest of the juice in the can, then add to the chile pot. Stir it together, then reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook for an hour.

Taste the sauce to check the seasoning and adjust it if you want it spicier. Add the black beans and pumpkin puree. Stir well and cook for another 30 to 40 minutes until the chile thickens.

Serve in bowls with cheddar jack or Mexican cheese and sour cream if you wish.

Makes 8 to 10 servings, about 1 cup each.

Tip: You can make an excellent chile cheese omelet with this chile. Just add 1 cup of warmed chile in the middle of the partially cooked omelet and top with cheese. Fold the omelet over or cook the top in a broiler until the cheese is melted.

Recipes, Seafood

Put this spicy shrimp dish on the table quickly

Photo: Shrimp Creole

This is a simple to make and delicious version of Shrimp Creole. I started with frozen shrimp, thawed it in a colander under cool running water. Then popped it in the microwave for one minute to partially cook it. From there, the rest of the recipe is quick to put together. I served it over cooked riced cauliflower. You can start with fresh or use a prepackaged frozen one. Easy peasy.

Shrimp Creole

8 oz Shrimp, cleaned and peeled
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
1/4 cup Onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1/4 cup Bell Peppers, chopped
3/4 cup canned Tomatoes, chopped
1/4 teaspoon Hot Pepper Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning
2 tablespoons Water

In a medium skillet, cook the riced cauliflower in 1/4 cup of water and a tablespoon of Butter for about 10 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed and the cauliflower is done. Keep warm on the stove. Or microwave a prepacked riced cauliflower according to the direction on the package. Add a little butter before serving.

Boil 2 cups of water in a medium skillet and add the shrimp. Lower the heat to simmer and cook for 2 minutes until the shrimp turns pink. Drain, place on a paper towel on a plate and set aside.

In the same skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat then add the onion, garlic, and chopped bell peppers. Cook for about 2 minutes until they are fragrant. Add 1 tablespoon of water, lower the heat to simmer and cook for 2 or 3 minutes until the vegetables are just fork tender.

Add the remaining ingredients and the other tablespoon of water. Stir together and cook over medium heat until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Add the shrimp and cook for 2 more minutes.

Serve over one-half of the cauliflower. Makes two servings.

Nutrition information: Shrimp Creole