Category Archives: Recipes

Recipes

For variety, try a curried chicken and pumpkin pizza!

Continuing my celebration of Fall and the delicious foods that reflect the season, I decided to expand on my pizza-making skills and create a pizza that combines Asian flavor in curried pumpkin and chicken with a delicious crust to create an Asian style pizza. Don’t scoff! It’s really good. I used mozzarella cheese on top, but I think other light white cheeses might be equally good with it.

Pumpkin is variable in the recipe. I actually used Butternut squash although you can also use Kobacha, acorn squash, Hubbard, or any other orange winter squash in it. They are all in the same family as pumpkin. In fact, the Kobacha is the squash usually used in Asian cooking when they refer to pumpkin. My preferred curry mix is S&B Golden Curry in cake form because it seems to impart the most flavor to my cooking and it thickens easily. You can mix your own curry together or use a curry powder from the store.

Curried Chicken and Pumpkin Pizza

1 cup cooked Chicken, chopped or shredded
1/2 cup Sweet Pumpkin or Butternut Squash, cubed
1/4 cup Onions, chopped or sliced
2 tablespoons Pico de Gallo or chopped onions, tomatoes, green chili and cilantro
1 cake S&B Golden Curry Sauce Mix (1/5 pkg)
1 cup Chicken Broth or Chicken Bullion
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 Apple, cut into pieces (optional)
1/2 large Pizza Crust or 1 small 8″ crust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F.)

Cook the cubed pumpkin or squash in a microwave safe bowl for about 2 minutes to soften to fork-tender. You can also parboil them until a fork penetrates easily. This may vary with the size of the cubes, so the smaller they are, the faster they will cook.

In a medium pan, add chicken broth, onion, and curry mix, Add additional curry powder if you like a stronger curry. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken. Add chicken and pico de gallo. Stir and cook for about five minutes. You want it fairly thick so that it spreads easily and stays put on the crust.

Pizza with all toppings except apples and cheese.

Put foil over the bottom of a baking pan or use a pizza stone. Spray the foil with cooking spray and put the pizza crust on top. Spread the chicken curry mixture over the top evenly. Top with pumpkin cubes and apple pieces. Spread mozzarella cheese over the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes, then cut and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information for topping only (including apple) per serving:
Calories: 202.7 Fat: 8.9 g Net Carbs: 6.8 g Protein: 21.7 g

Depending on the type of pizza crust you use, it can vary from 1 net carb per slice to 2 net carbs. LC Foods Pizza Crusts are about 2 net carbs for one slice while the homemade one that makes 4 servings is about 1.5 net carbs. Cauliflower and other vegetable crusts vary in carbs, but if you figure on 2 net carbs, you’ll be safe with most low carb crusts.

LC Foods Pizza Crust

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Chicken Pizza Crust

Flax Meal Pizza Crust

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

Desserts, Recipes

A Lovely Fall Flavor: Persimmon

For a short time each Fall, persimmons are available in some markets throughout the country. Many people ignore this seasonal fruit, but you should embrace it. It has a unique flavor and can be used in many ways. You can peel it, cut it into slices, and add it to a salad with cranberries and a light sweet dressing to top it off wonderfully. You need to use a fully ripened persimmon to make jams and breads so that you have the fruit’s natural sweetness. If you eat them too soon, they are tart. I latched onto a twenty-five pound box of these and spent almost a full day scooping the interior of each out with a spoon. Instructions on doing this are on the internet here.

I froze several bags of the pulp to use for other times of the year when they aren’t available. Then I made this lovely Persimmon Panna Cotta, or pudding. It is light and delicious while being somewhat low carb. It is a little higher than I usually like, but I eat it on a day when I have plenty of carbs left to spend after dinner. You can divide the mixed panna cotta batter into 1/2 cup glasses, parfait glasses, or souffle dishes. Or you can do what I did and put it into a three cup bowl, then scoop it into serving dishes after it is fully set.

Try the Persimmon Bread recipe. Or you can try Persimmon Cookies  

Persimmon Panna Cotta

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup sugar substitute
2 cups unsweetened Almond Milk
1/2 cup Persimmon Puree
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves

Optional toppings:
2 tablespoons Persimmon Jam or 6 Persimmon Slices (optional)
whipped cream (optional)

Put whipping cream in a 3 to 4 cup bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top to soften. Meanwhile, bring the almond milk to a simmer and remove from the heat.

Whisk in the cream and gelatin mixture carefully. Then add the persimmon puree, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves and stir in until well-mixed. Let cool about ten minutes, then use a measuring cup to full the serving dishes or leave in the bowl. Put plastic wrap over the top of each dish and put in the refrigerator until the pudding is firm, 4 to 5 hours.

Serve with optional persimmon jam or a persimmon slice or top with a tablespoon of whipped cream. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Information per servings (without toppings)
Calories: 172 Fat: 15.6 g Net Carbs: 5.5 g Protein: 2.7 g

Questions, comments?  Let me know what you think!

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