Autumn is such a great time of year. The days are cooling down and the leaves are such beautiful shades of red, orange, and gold. It’s really my favorite season of the year. And the various winter squashes are coming into season along with other winter produce such as pomegranates, quince, and cactus pears.
This lovely stew actually happened a bit by accident, but it tastes so great that I intend to keep it in my frequent meal file. It combines the delicious flavors of ham, cheddar cheese, cauliflower and butternut squash in a sauce thickened with pumpkin puree. That’s it, I’ve opened another can of pumpkin so I’ll be doing several pumpkin recipes over the next few weeks. I love pumpkin and it usually helps to thicken stews and sauces without adding flour or cornstarch.
Harvest Stew with Ham, Cauliflower, Butternut & Cheddar
2 cups Cauliflower, chopped
1/4 cup Pumpkin puree
1/2 cup Onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Garlic
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 cup Water
2 tablespoons Butter
1/4 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
2 cups lean Ham, diced
1cup Butternut Squash, cubed
1/4 cup Red Peppers, sliced
1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, cubed
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F.)
Chop cauliflower into small pieces and cut butternut squash into cubes. Cook in a microwave for 3 to 4 minutes or put in boiling water for about 4 minutes to partially cook. Cut ham into cubes.
In a saucepan, add butter and melt over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and cook until the onion begins to get tender. Add whipping cream and water and stir together. Add pumpkin and ricotta cheese and stir in. Then add the cheddar cheese and stir until it melts.
In a large pot or baking dish, add the vegetables and ham, then mix the sauce into the pot. Sprinkle the cheddar jack cheese over the top and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
Serve in bowls with a low carb biscuit or a side salad.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Nutrition Information per serving: (6 servings) Calories: 312.6 Fat: 22.9 g Net Carbs: 6.6 g Protein: 17.4 g
Nutrition Information per serving: (8 servings) Calories: 234.4 Fat: 17.1 g Net Carbs: 4.9 g Protein: 13.1 g
Chinese food, Thai food, Indian food– I love it all. The flavors are just so satisfying. I had just seen a post for Broccoli Beef on the Chinese Quest website the day before I made this and I thought, “Why not use the pork I had on hand instead of beef?” So, I did, This recipe isn’t exactly like the one at Chinese Quest, so be sure to check out that recipeas well.
I served this overCauli-rice, which is a simple to make and very tasty alternative to rice. It makes a great and satisfying meal.
Broccoli Pork Stir Fry
12 oz. Pork Ribs, country style 2 cups Broccoli, frozen or fresh 1 1/2 teaspoon Garlic, minced 1 teaspoons Ginger Paste 1/2 cup Mushrooms, sliced. 1/4 cup Onions, sliced or chopped 1/2 large Sweet peppers, sliced 1/4 cup Baby Corn, cut into pieces 1 teaspoon Chicken bullion or 1/2cup chicken broth 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce 1/2 tablespoon Sherry, dry 1 teaspoon Vinegar 1 tablespoon Cornstarch 2 tablespoons Oil
Cut pork into bite-sized cubes. Mix together soy sauce, sherry, and 1 teaspoon vinegar with one tablespoon oil Add the pork and mix it around. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the ‘fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
In a wok or slope-sided deep skillet, heat the oil, then add the minced garlic and onions and stir until they begin to brown. Remove from pan or slide it to one side and add the marinated pork. Brown the pork, then add the onions and garlic back in along with the ginger paste, broccoli, and sweet peppers.
Cook and stir until the broccoli is hot and still a little raw. Add the mushrooms and baby corn and stir them in. Mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and mix the chicken bullion with 1/4 cup hot water. Add the bullion and mix into the wok. Stir and cook the vegetables about three more minutes, then add the cornstarch mixture. This will thicken the sauce a little. Cook until the broccoli is just fork tender, then serve over cauli-rice.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition Info per serving (without cauli-rice): Calories: 308 Fat: 18.7 g Net Carbs: 6.9 g Protein: 23.9 g
Be sure to ask any questions you might have about this recipe or share your thoughts on it or if you’ve made other changes.
Pizza is one of those things that is just so satisfying that it is missed terribly when you change to a low carb lifestyle. But it doesn’t have to be. You need to adjust your thinking. What makes a great pizza? For some, it may be the bread crust and if that’s the case, low carb is a definite challenge. But if it’s the toppings that are the main attraction, then it’s possible to make a different style low carb pizza. In fact, there are several ways to do it.
If you must have bread, you can make a flax meal pizza crust like the one here. Or you can order the flour or a completely made and partially cooked pizza crust, that is very good, from LC Foods. See it here. CarbQuick has a recipe on their box for a pizza crust that is also good. For those who may not know, CarbQuick is a low carb baking mix from Tova Foods. The box looks a little like Bisquick, but it is not the same.
Cauliflower crust pizza is a popular way to make a sort of crisp pizza crust that you can pile the topping ingredients on. There are many recipes on the web for this pizza, but here’s one from Your Lighter Side that is pretty tasty. One of my favorites, also from Your Lighter Side, is thechicken crust pizza. Don’t roll your eyes! It really works and it’s delicious. Chicken breast is baked, reduced to tiny crumbles in a food processor with mozzarella cheese and seasonings and pressed into your baking pan or pizza pan. It’s baked, flipped, then toppings go on and you bake it long enough to melt and brown the cheese. Delicious!
Other ways to make mini-pizzas include using a low carb tortilla base, a portobello mushroom base, and aneggplant slice base. Recently, I was thinking on this and inspiration struck! So I tried two new ways to do this. One is cauliflower base, but not like the riced cauliflower version, and the other is using spaghetti squash and this is my new favorite pizza base. Here are a couple of recipes with these options. I won’t say that these haven’t been tried before, but I came up with them, so they are new to me and the recipes are mine.
Cauliflower Pizza Slices
The roasted flavor on this gives a little more of the cauliflower than some people might like. It forms a solid base, but you still need a knife and fork to eat it.
1/2 lb Italian sausage
1/2 cup Bell Pepper, sliced
1/2 cup Mushrooms, sliced
1 cup Pasta Sauce (about 4 carbs per 1/2 cup)
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon Dried Red Chiles (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F.) Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil and cooking spray.
Slice the cauliflower into 1/3-inch thick slices. Trim off any leaves, but you want the slices to be large and flat. This will be the pizza base. Brush melted butter on each slice, then sprinkle garlic and oregano on top. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top of that.
Roast in the oven for about 10 minutes until the cauliflower is lightly browned and a fork penetrates easily. Remove from the oven and let cool for about five minutes. Turn the slices over so the browned side is face down.
Pre-cook the sausage in a skillet until just browned. Add the peppers and mushrooms and sauté another few minutes. If you wish to add onions, add them at this time also.
Spread 1/4 cup of pasta sauce over each slice of cauliflower then spread 1/4 cup of the filling on each slice. Top with 1/4 of the mozzarella cheese and sprinkle on dried red chiles, if you wish.
Makes 4 slices of “pizza”.
Nutrition Info per slice: Calories; 435 Fat: 34.2 g Net Carbs: 7.8 g Protein: 20.6 g
Spaghetti Squash Sausage Pizza
Simply the best tasting pizza crust that isn’t bread with delicious toppings highlighted by Italian sausage. This is basically the same topping as the pizza above, but you can vary your toppings however you like. The important part here is the crust. I have used spaghetti squash to sub for spaghetti, to make a tamale pie instead of masa and for many other things, so I thought, “Why not a pizza crust?” It does have a lot of moisture and I used a little almond flour to absorb the moisture. You could also use flax meal to do this. Or you could omit it entirely and it will still work. Just try to get as much water as possible out of the spaghetti squash.
Toppings:
2 links Italian Sausage
1/4 cup Bell Pepper, diced or sliced
1/2 cup Mushrooms, broken into pieces
1/2 to 3/4 cup Pasta Sauce (Vodka sauce is around 4 nc per 1/2 cup)
2 to 4 slices Provolone Cheese
1/2 teaspoon crushed Chile Peppers
Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F.) Line a 6″ x 10″ pan with parchment paper.
Check the spaghetti squash to make sure all seeds have been removed. Squeeze as much excess liquid out of the squash as you can and pat with a paper towel to dry. In a large bowl, mix the spaghetti squash, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, garlic salt and 1 egg together. Use a serving glove or wash your hand thoroughly, then mix the ingredients together, breaking the squash into smaller pieces. (You could use a food processor if you want, but it isn’t necessary.)
If it is very moist, you can add 2 tablespoons of Almond flour to help absorb the moisture. When completely mixed, spread the squash mixture into the pan on top of the parchment paper and smooth evenly to the edges.
Bake for about 25 minutes until the crust is turning a golden brown. Remove and cool for a few minutes, then lift the paper and flip the crust in the pan. Remove the paper.
Spaghetti squash pizza crust. I started to spread sauce on before I remembered to take the photo. It’s about 1/3 inch thick.
While the crust is cooking, prepare your toppings. In a skillet, add a little Olive Oil and saute the mushrooms and bell peppers. Remove to a dish. Add the Italian sausage (remove from the skin) and use a spatula or wooden spoon to break it up into small pieces. Cook until lightly browned.
Spread the pasta sauce to your liking over the top of the crust. Use between 1/2 cup and 1 cup, but be cautious. Pasta sauce varies in carbs per half cup and the lowest I’ve found is Mario Battali’s Vodka Sauce. Or you can make your own sauce.
Next, distribute the sausage over the top of the crust, then add the mushroom and peppers, sprinkling evenly. Spread mozzarella cheese over the top, then place the Provolone cheese on top. Sprinkle with crushed chile peppers for a bit of spice, if you like.
Loaded with topping and ready to bake.
Bake for about 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Let set about 5 minutes then serve. Leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen.
Makes 4 slices.
Nutrition Info per slice: Calories: 467 Fat: 34.4 Net Carbs: 8.2 g Protein: 28.6 g
So there you have my options for low carb pizza. What have you tried and which do you like best?
For most of my life, I didn’t like beets finding their taste too unappealing. But a few years ago, I tried the Harvard Beets dish and was surprised to discover that my taste buds had changed again and the flavor was very nice. Then I tried a fresh golden beet, cooked it and just loved the taste. It isn’t as “earthy-tasting” as the red beet and can be used a variety of ways.
This recipe for a stuffed beet is adapted using the golden beet and made as low carb as I possibly can. The beet is one of the higher vegetables in natural sugar, so generally you don’t want to eat too much at one time. Add a nice green salad to this and you have a very tasty meal.
Stuffed Golden Beets
2 large golden beets 3 to 3 1/2 inches
2 slices crumbled bacon
1/2 Italian sausage link, crumbled and cooked to light brown
1/4 cup Gruyere or mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, fresh
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
2 sprigs parsley
Pre-cook the bacon until crisp. I like to put the slices on a rack in the oven at 400 degrees (f.) for about 15 to 20 minutes. Let them cool, then break the slices into small pieces.
Use 3 inch beets to make it easier to hollow out and fill. Trim the root and tops off the beets and put in enough water to completely cover the beets. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to low heat, cover the pot and cook until beets are fork tender. Some resistance is okay, but you want them soft enough to scoop out the middle with a spoon. Empty the water out of the pot and refill it with cold water. Let the beets cool until you can handle them easily – 15 to 20 minutes.
Peel the beets and trim the tops and bottom so they will stand easily. Cut off 1/3 of the top of each beet and put it away for use in a salad or elsewhere. This will give you about a 2″ beet for a meal course under 10 net carbs. Use a sharp knife to cut about the edge of the beet leaving a 1/4 inch shell. Scoop the meat out with a spoon and chop, then set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.) Prepare a small baking dish that can hold two beets.
In a skillet, cook the Italian sausage until light brown. Pour off an excess grease. Add garlic, black pepper and sour cream and stir and cook until mixed together well and hot. Add the sour cream and the chopped beets. Remove from the heat and mix in the cheese.
Spoon the meat mixture into the hollowed out beets. Mound any extra on top or alongside the beet. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Garnish with the parsley.
Makes two servings.
Nutrition info per serving: Calories: 433 Fat: 28.9 g Net Carbs: 8.6 g Protein: 25.8 g
On hot summer nights, you don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen cooking and you don’t want to turn on the oven. Here’s a quick stir fry recipe that just fits the bill. You can prep the meal in the morning or the night before and store in the ‘fridge until you’re ready to cook. It has a great sweet and spicy taste from low carb honey and brown sugar substitute combined with Chinese style chili sauce. Just enough bite to give it zing and not too sweet. Add cauli-rice to serve and a nice green or cucumber salad to complete the meal. By the way, this recipe also works great with the other white meat – chicken!
Sweet & Spicy Pork
1 tablespoon Brown Sugar Substitute
2 tablespoons Sugar-free honey
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Ginger Paste
2 teaspoons chopped Garlic
2 tablespoons Chinese Chili Sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound boneless Country Pork Ribs, cut into 1″ cubes
3 Green Onions, cut into 1/2 -inch pieces
1 tablespoon Oil (Olive or Coconut or Canola)
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar substitute (I use LC Foods), sugar-free honey, soy sauce, ginger paste, garlic and hot sauce. Cover with a plastic wrap until ready to use.
Lightly salt and pepper the pork cubes. Slice the onions, using most of the green sections as well as the bottoms.
Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over a medium high heat and add the onions. Cook and stir for about three minutes, then add the pork and brown the pieces on all sides. Takes about 4 to 5 minutes total. Pour the sauce over the pork and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Serve over 1/2 to 2/3 cup Cauli-rice for a fabulous meal. As an alternate to the cauli-rice, you can also serve over 1 cup stir-fried shredded cabbage or even mix the two for added flavor.
Nutrition Info per serving (pork dish only): Calories: 365 Fat: 25.5 g Net Carbs:1.6 g Protein: 28.3 g
Tip: If you can’t find sugar-free honey, you can use 1 tablespoon regular honey. It will increase the net carbs to 6.4 g and calories to 385 per serving.
