Category Archives: Breads

Breads, Main Dish, Pork, Recipes

Pumpkin and Pizza equal yummy!

Do you like pumpkin? Do you like pizza? Are you game to try something a little different, but really good?  Then here’s a real trick for a Fall treat!  Combine pumpkin with pizza for a delicious dinner.

When I first saw this recipe, I wasn’t too sure about it, but I have eaten pumpkin and other winter squash in several savory dishes, so why not?  I made a few adaptations to it to add more flavor and, of course, a low carb crust.  For my base, I used LC Foods Pizza and Bagel flour mix for a small pizza crust.  You can use a cauliflower, chicken, or flax and almond crust or any other preferred crust.

For toppings, I used Italian sausage, onions, and spinach along with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. You can vary these however you like.  While this particular sauce doesn’t use tomatoes in it, I just found a jar of pumpkin chipotle pasta sauce made with tomatoes in it also, so it works if you want tomatoes in it also.

Savory Pumpkin Sausage Pizza

Small LC Foods Pizza Crust from Mix or 1/2 pre-made crust
1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree
3/4 cup Chicken, shredded or Italian Sausage, crumbled
1/2 sweet Onion, diced
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 tsp. Sugar Substitute
1/2 teaspoon dried Oregano
1/4 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
2 tablespoons Red Wine
1 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Shallot, sliced
1 tsp. fresh Thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cups freshly grated Havarti cheese or Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup Spinach, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh Basil, chopped

Prepare pizza dough and let rise.

In a small pot, add the pumpkin puree, turmeric, sugar substitute, oregano, chile powder, wine, thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic and heat on medium until it starts to bubble. Lower the heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a skillet, cook the sausage until it is just browned. Add the onions and cook until they are just softened. Set aside.

Chop or tear spinach leaves, shallot, and fresh basil.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F.).

Pizza with toppings before adding mozzarella cheese.

Roll out or press pizza dough into the pan. Spread the pumpkin sauce over the top and to the edges. Add sausage and onions, then spinach, shallots and basil. Sprinkle Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses over the top. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes until cheese is melted and browned to your preference.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information (without crust)- 1 serving
Calories:235 Fat:15.3 g Net Carbs: 4.5 g Protein: 15.9 g

LC Foods Pizza Crust – 1 serving
Calories: 125 Fat: 2.5 g Net Carbs: 2.5 g Protein: 11.2 g

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Pumpkin Muffin with a Twist

Pumpkin season is upon us, as if I actually wait for pumpkin season to enjoy one of my favorite flavors.  I usually buy extra canned pumpkin in the fall in case there’s a shortage by the beginning of summer.  Just recently, I read that the pumpkin in the can isn’t pumpkin, but a mixture of winter squashes.  That could be.  I do know that jack-o-lantern pumpkins aren’t like cooking pumpkins and there is a pie pumpkin that is a better flavor and texture for it.  But even if the pumpkin is really a mixture of various squashes, which could include pumpkin, the real flavor comes from the spice combination you add to it.  So butternut squash, acorn squash, kobacha, or pumpkin, you still get a delicious result.

I often miss the muffins that are big, moist, and loaded with carbohydrates. No matter how you cook it, the low carb muffin won’t be the same, but I have come up with a plan to make a big, tasty low carb muffin that is satisfying.  It uses a muffin-in-a-minute approach to get a big fluffy muffin, then you bake it for a short time to finish it off and it magically resembles a baked muffin in flavor and texture.  Try it and you might find it will become a favorite.

While I use a combination of flours to make my muffins, you can use all one type of low carb flour or baking mix.  I don’t recommend all coconut flour.

Pumpkin Pecan Magic Muffin

1 tablespoon Low Carb Flour
1 tablespoon Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
1 teaspoon Coconut Flour
1 Egg
2 tablespoon Pumpkin Puree
1 tablespoon Oil
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
2 tablespoons Sugar Substitute
Pinch salt
5 Pecan halves, broken into pieces (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.)

In a microwaveable bowl, break the egg and add the oil, then stir vigorously with a whisk or a thin spatula until the egg is well mixed. Add the seasonings, salt and sugar substitute and mix well. Then add the flours and stir in until completely mixed.

Microwave for one minute. Let cool and set a few minutes. Prepare a baking pan by spraying with cooking spray. Turn the partially cooled muffin onto the pan. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes until lightly browned.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar substitute or cinnamon and sugar substitute mix and serve warm or cooled.

Makes 1 muffin.

Nutrition information per muffin:
Calories: 346 Fat: 33 g Net Carbs: 4.2 g Protein: 17.6 g

If you give this a try, let me know how you like it.

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Jams

Magic Almond Flour Muffin and Apple Butter

One of the hardest things for a bread lover on a low carb lifestyle is to pass up the delicious artisan breads, the yummy muffins, and San Francisco sour dough.  All right, I make an exception for sour dough… and a few other too tempting breads, but you can’t do it often and it’s hard to limit your indulgence.

But you can whip up some delicious breads that are made with low carb flours and nut flours.  It just means stocking some of these flours in the house.  I especially like to make what I call “Magic Muffins” for breakfast.  They are a variation on the Atkins Muffin in a Minute in that I use low carb flours in them.  I also frequently use Vanilla Whey Protein Powder.  I use a brand that has less than one net carb in a tablespoon, so it’s easy to add without adding much to the carb count.

This recipe for a muffin made with almond flour and coconut flour is delicious and kind of resembles an English muffin.  The ingredients are mixed in a small bowl and cooked for one minute in the microwave, then I loosen it from the bowl, let it cool about 5 minutes and cut it across the middle to put in the toaster.  It’s sturdy enough to stand up to toasting and the flavor is really good.  Add some butter and jam or apple butter on top and it’s a real treat.  It’s also gluten-free.

Almond Flour Magic Muffin

2 tablespoons Almond Flour
1 teaspoon Coconut Flour
1 teaspoon Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (optional)
1 Egg
1 tablespoon Oil
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt
1 tablespoon Sugar Substitute

In a straight-sided microwavable bowl, stir the egg, oil, cinnamon and sugar substitute together until they are completely blended and no white strings of egg are visible. I use a rubber spatula with a small head for this. Stir in the almond and coconut flours and protein powder (if using) until they are thoroughly mixed in. Be sure to scrape the sides down.

Cook in the microwave for 1 minute. Take out, loosen the edges, and let cool for about 5 minutes to set up. Use a knife with a serrated edge to cut the muffin in half. Toast in a toaster or in the oven until browned to your liking. The longer you cook it, the crisper it gets.

Spread with butter and apple butter for a delicious breakfast or anytime treat.  Makes 1 muffin.

Nutrition Information (without protein powder)
Calories: 292 Fat: 26.2 g Net Carbs: 3.4 g Protein: 9.7 g

Nutrition Information (with protein powder)
Calories: 319.5 Fat: 26.2 g Net Carbs: 3.6 g Protein: 16 g

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

This is a recipe I found on at detoxinista’s web site for making no sugar added apple butter in a slow cooker. I followed her recipe almost exactly except I substituted in 1/4 cup diet cranberry juice for the water and I used Gala apples instead of Fuji, but the recipe works with almost any apple. It doesn’t use any additional sugar and the scent in the house is absolutely tantalizing while it cooks.

3 pounds Apples, cored and sliced or chopped
2 teaspoons ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
1/4 cup Oceanspray Diet Cranberry Juice

After you’ve cored and chopped the apples, put the in the slow cooker and add the seasonings and cranberry juice. You don’t need to peel the apples. The peels will cook down and blend in once they are pureed. Stir all the ingredients together, then turn the cooker on to low, cover and cook for five to six hours until the apples are falling apart soft. Use an immersion blender to puree the apples or put them into a food processor or blender to puree. I used a hand held drink blender and it worked beautifully.

Cover the pot loosely and cook another two to three hours until the mixture becomes a thick, spreadable butter. Turn off and let cool, then spoon into jars. I got 4 eight oz. jars from the 3 pounds, but you may get more or less, depending on how thick you want your butter.

Makes 3 to 4 cups of apple butter. A serving is 1 tablespoon

Nutrition Information per serving: (based on 48 servings)
Calories: 15.2 Fat: 0.1 g Net Carbs: 3.3 g Protein: 0.1 g

Breads, Italian Inspired Recipes, Main Dish, Recipes, Vegetarian

Creating a pizza like take and bake

All during the Olympics, I kept seeing an advertisement for a take and bake pizza with chicken, bacon, and artichoke hearts.  Man, did my taste buds scream for a piece of that.  Instead of giving in to the urge to buy a high carb pizza, I made a low carb one instead.  In fact, I made it two ways that are very similar, but both are filled with more meat and vegetables than the take and bake version.  Here’s how I made mine.

For the crust, I used LC Foods low carb pizza crust that you can purchase pre-made or buy the pizza flour mix and make your own.  You can also use a cauliflower pizza crust, a chicken pizza crust, or this flax meal flat bread crust.  I wouldn’t recommend the chicken crust since you’re putting chicken on top, but it would still work.

Pre-cook the crust as described in the previous links so it is partially cooked.

Made with zucchini and asparagus added.

Chicken, Bacon, Artichoke, Zucchini and Asparagus Pizza

For the toppings:
1 cup cooked Chicken Breast or Thighs, chopped or shredded
1/2 cup Artichoke Hearts, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 slices of thick-sliced Bacon, cooked and broken into pieces
1/2 cup Alfredo Sauce, such as Barilla (look for lowest carb one)
1 Zucchini, thinkly sliced
4 spears Aspargus, medium spears, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Crushed Red Chile Peppers, dried (optional)
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees (F.)

Put pizza crust on a pizza stone or pan, then spread with the Alfredo sauce, taking it as close to the edge as possible. Put the zucchini slices on top of the sauce, placing them evenly around the pizza. Distribute the chicken next, then the artichoke hearts, followed by the asparagus pieces. Sprinkle the crushed red peppers on, if you wish, then cover the top with mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle on a little Parmesan cheese now or add it after the pizza comes out of the oven.

Bake for about 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. I kind of like my cheese a little more crusty, so I cook it a little longer. Let cool for 5 minutes for the cheese to firm up, then cut and serve.

Makes eight slices or four servings.

Nutrition Information per serving (without crust):
Calories: 230 Fat: 15.2 g Net Carbs:4.2 g Protein: 16.5 g

Made with spinach added.

Chicken, Bacon, Artichoke and Spinach Pizza

Variation on the basic pizza:

1 cup cooked Chicken Breast or Thighs, chopped or shredded
1/2 cup Artichoke Hearts, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 slices of thick-sliced Bacon, cooked and broken into pieces
1/2 cup Alfredo Sauce, such as Barilla (look for lowest carb one)
1 cup Baby Spinach
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese to taste

Make the same way as above, but replace the zucchini layer with spinach leaves.

Makes eight slices or four servings.

Nutrition Information per serving(without crust):
Calories:222 Fat:5.2 Net Carbs: 2.7 g Protein: 16.1

Depending on the type of crust you use, the carb count will vary from about 1 net carb to 3 net carbs additional. The LC Foods pizza crust is 3 net carbs.

Want to go vegetarian? Leave off the bacon and the chicken and add more zucchini and asparagus or spinach to the pizza, along with a cup of the artichoke hearts.

Breads, Main Dish, Pork, Recipes

A touch of the tropics in a ham patty

Another recipe from Better Homes & Gardens “Dieting for One” that I’ve adapted for a low carb lifestyle. When I first read the recipe, I chuckled at the simplicity of it, but I thought I’d give it a try. It uses chunk-style canned ham, but if you’d rather avoid the canned taste, pick up a ham steak at the grocery instead or use leftovers to make it. This tasty little round goes well with a slaw or you can put it on a low carb bun and make a tasty sandwich.

Polynesian-style Ham Patty

2 spears of fresh Pineapple, each cut into six wedges
1 6-1/2 oz. can Chunk-style Ham or 7 oz. Ham
1-2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
2 tablespoon Soft Low Carb Bread Crumbs*
1 teaspoon Minced Onion Flakes, rehydrated
2 tablespoons Green Sweet Pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.)

Cut the ham into chunks or cubes, if it isn’t already, then put it into a food processor  and pulse two or three times to make it ground or flaky.

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients except the pineapple and mix well. Form two patties with your hands, each about 4 inches in diameter. If the mixture is too moist to hold the patty shape, use a baking-spray-coated muffin ring (or cut the bottom out of the ham can or a tuna can for this purpose) to hold the patty.

Spray a baking pan with cooking spray and place the patties in the pan. Press six wedges of pineapple into each ham patty.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the ham is lightly browned.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 161 Fat: 9.2 g Net Carbs: 5.8 g Protein: 12.0 g

* To make low carb bread crumbs, use a Muffin in a Minute recipe, using any low carb flour to replace one tablespoon of the flax meal. If you don’t like flax meal, use almond flour and low carb baking mix.

Muffin in a Minute Adapted

1 Egg
1 Tablespoon Oil
1 Tablespoon Low Carb Baking Mix
1 tablespoon Flax Meal or Almond Flour
Pinch Salt & pinch Pepper
1 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese, grated

In a coffee cup or small microwaveable bowl, add the egg and oil and beat with a skinny spatula or fork to blend the egg into the oil until it looks creamy. You want to ensure the egg is completely mixed in. Add the flour and seasonings and mix together well, making sure the flour is completely mixed in.

Microwave for one minute. Loosen the muffin with your fingers when you take it out, then let it cool a few minutes before crumbling up as much as you need for crumbs. It will not be a fine, dry crumble, but the soft little pieces work well for this recipe. If you’d like to dry it out more, slice it into rounds and put it in a 300 degree (F.) oven to toast for about five minutes.

Nutrition Information per muffin:
Calories:269 Fat:23.8 g Net Carbs: 1.7 g Protein: 11.4 g

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