Monthly Archives: October 2021

Breads

Fall is Pumpkin Bread Time!

Photo: Pumpkin Bread

Halloween is almost upon us and I’m just now getting my Pumpkin Nut Bread recipe out. This is a moist and delicious breakfast or snack bread. My secret ingredient in this to make it really rich-tasting is sugar-free vanilla pudding mix.

I used a combination of flour types to make this. Almond flour alone isn’t sturdy enough, so I reinforced it with gluten flour, DCC All Purpose Flour, and Carbquick Baking Mix. You can use any low carb flour options with this.

If you decide to use coconut flour, remember it expands up to 3 times it’s size, so 1/3 cup of coconut flour can equal 1 cup of the others. You also need to add additional eggs or egg whites when using coconut flour as it will not rise without the help.

If you like your bread really spicy, double the amount in the recipe. I usually add more than it calls for since I like to taste the cinnamon and cloves.

Pumpkin Nut Bread

1/2 cup Almond Flour
2 tablespoons Gluten Flour
1/2 cup All Purpose Low Carb Flour
1/2 cup CarbQuick or similar
1/2 tablespoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 cup Sugar Substitute
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
2 Eggs, large
1 cup Pumpkin Puree
2 tablespoons Sugar-free Vanilla Pudding Mix
1/3 cup Water
2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice *
1/4 cup chopped Pecans or Walnuts

* If you don’t have Pumpkin Pie Spice, add 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.) Spray 4-1/2 x 8-1/2-inch loaf pan with baking spray or cut a piece of parchment to fit the bottom and spray.

Whisk sugar substitute and oil in a large bowl to combine. Whisk in eggs and pumpkin.

In a separate small bowl, combine all the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the seasoning.

Add 1/2 of the flour to the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine. Add 2 tablespoons water and stir. Add the rest of the flour and stir, then add the rest of the water and mix together. Stir in the nuts.

Pour the batter in pan to about 2/3rd full. If you have extra batter, bake in cupcake papers or a greased ramekin. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour until it is firm in the middle. (If you’re baking cupcakes or a ramekin, check them at 20 minutes, allow 5 minutes more if they aren’t done and check again.)

Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turnout on a rack to cool completely. Cooling is important or the cake might crumble easily.

Makes 10 servings, about 3/4-inch slices.

Nutrition: Pumpkin Nut Bread

Happy Halloween!

Try these other pumpkin recipes:

Image: Pumpkin Loaf     

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Loaf              Pumpkin French Toast

     

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcakes  Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe is a favorite. The only thing I would change is to use Swerve Brown Sugar.  Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

 

Beef, Main Dish, Recipes

Marvelous Moussaka

Photo - MoussakaFinishing off my Greek festival cooking, I made moussaka, a delicious eggplant, meat, tomato, and cream dish which is like a Greek version of lasagna. Traditionally made with ground lamb, you can also make it with beef or a combination. I used beef in mine. The casserole is topped with a creamy white sauce, a béchamel, and is baked with feta cheese.

I adapted the recipe from an old Betty Crocker cookbook to be a half-sized and lower carb’d casserole. Serve it with a low carb bread or low carb flatbread, like this one.

Here’s a couple of substitutions. If you don’t like feta cheese, use Parmesan or Romano. Not crazy about eggplant? User several large zucchini instead.

This photo shows the layers a little better. This is when it’s cold, but once it is heated, it tends to run together more.

Moussaka

1 large eggplant, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick slices
salt
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 tablespoon Butter
1 pound lean Ground Beef or Ground Lamb
Salt to taste
ground Black Pepper to taste
1 onions, chopped
1/2 clove Garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon ground Cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground Nutmeg
½ teaspoon Italian Herbs
2 tablespoons dried Parsley
1 (8 ounce) can Tomato sauce
½ cup Red Wine
1 Egg, beaten
1-1/2 cups Cream & 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose low carb flour
salt to taste
ground White Pepper, to taste
1 cups freshly crumbled Feta Cheese
¼ teaspoon ground Nutmeg

Preheat over to 350 degrees (F.)

Place the slices of eggplant on paper towels and sprinkle each lightly with salt. Let them rest 30 minutes to draw out moisture. Wipe each slice off with a paper towel.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high head. Fry the eggplant until lightly browned. Remove a paper-toweled covered plate to drain.

Using the same skillet, clean it of any remaining oil with a paper towel, then set it to medium high, melt the butter and add the ground beef or lamb, onions, and garlic. Add salt and pepper to your taste preference. When the meat is browned, sprinkle in cinnamon, nutmeg, Italian herbs, and parsley. Pour in the tomato sauce and wine, and mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes.  Let cool for about 20 minutes then stir in beaten egg.

In an 8×8-inch baking dish, arrange a layer of eggplant, using half of the eggplant. Cover the eggplant with all of the meat mixture, spreading it evenly, then crumble 1/3 cup of Feta cheese over the meat. Place the remaining eggplant slices over the top, and crumble another 1/3 cup of cheese on top. Let sit while you prepare the béchamel sauce.

Scald the cream and water in a saucepan and remove before it boils. Clean out the meat skillet and melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in low carb flour until smooth. Lower heat; gradually pour in the hot milk, stirring constantly until it thickens. Season with salt, and white pepper.

Pour the béchamel sauce over the top, and sprinkle with nutmeg. Crumble the remaining cheese over the top.

Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Makes 4 to 6 servings

nutrition information

Appetizers, Recipes

Greek Festival Tiropitas

Photo of Tiropitas

Tiropitas are a delightful combination of phyllo dough and feta cheese. They make a great snack or appetizer for parties. In Greek, the word means cheese pie. While their carb count is a little high for snacking on many of them, at 3.2 net carbs each, you can indulge in two or three depending on your total carb allotment for the day.

I’ve made tiropitas many times over the past decades, but I have to admit this last time really caused headaches. My preferred brand of Phyllo dough (Athena) wasn’t stocked by the market I usually buy it from, and the one they had turned out to be problematic. It broke when I unfolded the sheets and continued to break while I folded the dough into packets. The dough tends to dry out while you’re using it, so it becomes more difficult to work.

Ultimately, I developed plan B, which was to use phyllo cups instead. Not only did his work better, but the cups come out lower in carbs, but they also hold more of the cheese mixture. I have dubbed these tiropita cups, although they could be described as a mini Greek quiche.

Photo: Tiropita Cups

Tiropitas

1 pound feta cheese
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh or 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 package (16 ounces) frozen phyllo sheets (18×14 inches), thawed
1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted

Heat oven to 400°F. Prepare a cookie sheet by placing a sheet of parchments paper on it and spraying it with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, crumble the cheese and mash with a fork. Stir in eggs, basil, and white pepper until well mixed. Alternately, you can put the cheese into the food processor and pulse it a few times to break it into small bits, then add the eggs, basil, and pepper and pulse to mix together. You want it to be coarse rather than a paste.

On your large work surface, unroll the phyllo sheets carefully and cut them lengthwise into 2-inch strips. Cover with plastic wrap or wax paper, then with a damp towel to keep them from drying out.

Take one strip, and place 1 level teaspoon of the cheese mixture on the end. Fold the strip over the cheese, turn it, and bring the right side to the left edge to form a triangle. Turn the triangle up, then fold it from the left edge to the right side. This makes a triangular fold, like folding a flag. Repeat until you come to the end of the strip. Tuck the dough under and place on the cookie sheet. Repeat with each dough strip.

Once all the strips are done, brush the triangles lightly with butter.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm.

To make them in cups, place the cups on a parchment-covered sheet pan and fill each cup with a rounded teaspoon of the cheese mixture.

Once all the cups are filled, lightly brush with butter if you wish. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

These are best when baked just before serving. You can prepare them earlier and bake when needed or refrigerate or freeze them until you’re ready. If you freeze the packets, let them thaw before baking or add a little extra baking time.

The folded tiropitas make about 72 triangular cookies. Most packages have 18 to 20 sheets of dough.

The cups make about 60 appetizers. Each package has 15 cups in it.