Tag Archives: Atkins friendly recipes

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Fall Harvest Means Cranberry Pumpkin Nut Muffins

In the northern hemisphere, the weather has begun cooling as we move into Fall.  Places further to the north and at higher elevations are starting to see the first signs of fall with the trees beginning to change colors.  Around here, all it takes is a cold snap at night and our trees begin the transition.  I had one turn orange in spring one year when a false spring had lured it out, then a cold snap came in and the tree went into fall mode.  It never got green through the whole summer, but the leaves stayed on until late fall.

This is truly the beginning of fall and for me that means cranberries and pumpkins and other winter squash.  So I’m offering up my first fall recipe for this time of year– a delicious and wonderful low carb pumpkin muffin enhanced with chopped cranberries and pecans.  I also have a secret ingredient to help keep them moist.  So let’s just keep it between us, ok?

Cranberry Pumpkin Nut Muffins

I call these my deluxe muffins with everything good in them and less than 3.5 carbs!  Yes, it looks like a lot of ingredients, but it mixes together quickly and with little fuss.

1/2 cup Low Carb Baking Mix
2 tablespoons Almond Flour
1/4 cup Vanilla Whey Protein Powder(optional)
1 tablespoon Sugar-Free Pudding mix (Vanilla, Butterscotch or Cheesecake)
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 cup Sugar Substitute
2 tablespoons Butter or Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree
1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 oz Sugar-free Pumpkin Pie Spice Syrup (optional)
2 tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream
2 tablespoons Water
2 large Eggs
3 tablespoons Liquid Egg Whites
1/3 cup Cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup Pecans or Walnuts, chopped

For the optional vanilla whey powder, use the equivalent amount of either baking mix or the almond flour if you prefer.  For the pumpkin pie spice syrup, use just a little more sugar substitute and 2 tablespoons of water.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.) Prepare 8 cupcake molds by spraying with baking spray or putting cupcake papers in them.

Chop the cranberries in a food processor so that they are small pieces but not too tiny. Chop the pecans into small pieces or break with your fingers.

In a medium bowl, add the flours, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and baking powder and mix together. Add the remaining ingredients, except the cranberries and nuts and mix until all the ingredients are moistened. Stir in the pecans and cranberries and mix into the batter well.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, about two tablespoons to each cup until they are about 2/3rds full. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, depending on your oven. Check with a toothpick inserted in the middle. If it comes out mostly clean, they are done.

Makes 8 cupcakes.

Nutrition Info per cupcake:
Calories:130.6 Fat: 10.2 g Net Carbs: 3.2 g Protein:5.9 g

Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Poultry, Recipes

Quick Chicken Quesadillas

Lots going on this month, the new cookbook on the way and some last minute baking for that for photographs and I’m running behind, then throw in a computer problem or two and my month is kaput.  So, let’s end this month with an easy to put together recipe.  Don’t forget “Sweets by the Season” will be out in October!

Got a little leftover chicken and some cheddar cheese? Add a tortilla and some salsa and you have a quick and simple lunch or dinner.

Chicken Quesadillas

2/3 cup Cooked Chicken, diced or cut into slices
1/2 cup Cheddar or Cheddar Jack Cheese
4 tablespoons Tomato Salsa (about 2 nc per serving)
2 Low Carb Tortillas
2 tablespoon Butter
4 or 6 slices of Haas Avocado (optional)
2 tablespoons Sour Cream (optional)

Warm the tortilla over a hot burner or for about 5 seconds in a microwave. Put the 1/2 the chicken down the middle, slightly to one side, top with half the cheese and salsa. Fold the tortilla over the filling to make a turnover shape.

Heat the butter over medium heat in a skillet until it is melted, then put the stuffed tortilla into the pan and cook it until it is browned on one side, about three to five minutes depending on how high the heat is. Use a spatula to turn the tortilla to the other side and brown it also. This should be enough to heat the chicken and melt the cheese.

Put on a plate and garnish with sour cream and 2 or 3 avocado slices.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition Info per serving:
Calories: 347.6 Fat: 23.9 g Net Carbs: 3.5 g Protein: 28.2 g

Nutrition Info per serving (with avocado and sour cream):
Calories: 445.5 Fat: 33 g Net Carbs: 4.7 g Protein: 29.5 g

Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Poultry, Recipes

Spicy Chicken with Cauli-rice Casserole

Spanish rice was a staple when I was growing up and no one made it as wonderfully as my grandmother.  It wasn’t like the pale, barely a taste of tomato Spanish rice you find at Mexican restaurants.  Grandmother’s featured whole tomatoes, onions and peppers in the dish. This made it easy for it to become a casserole dish with a little meat or chicken added.

This is my low carb adaptation of the Chicken with Spanish Rice dish made with low carb cauliflower rice (cauli-rice) instead of the high starch grain.  I also use riced Daikon radish it which rounds out the flavor a little more.

Spanish Chicken with Cauli-Rice

2 cups Cauliflower pieces
1 cup Daikon Radish, riced (Optional)
1/2 Onion, chopped
1 tablespoon Butter
1 teaspoon Better than Bullion chicken
1/2 cup Sweet Peppers, riced
2 cups Chicken, cooked and cubed
1 cup canned Tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1 teaspoon Cayenne or Red Pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried Cilantro
1/4 cup chopped Baby Corn
1 cup cheddar cheese

If you’re not using Daikon radish, then use an extra cup of cauliflower rice.

Rice cauliflower and daikon in a food processor or use a grater or ricer. In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon butter and add the onions. Cook over medium heat until they glisten, then add the riced cauliflower. Stir. Mix 1 teaspoon bullion with 1/2 cup hot water and stir to melt. Add to the pan and mix in. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. Check the liquid level every few minutes and add water if needed.

Add the tomatoes, peppers, seasonings, chicken and baby corn. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 360 degrees (F.) Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Spoon or pour the contents of the skillet into the casserole dish. Sprinkle cheese over the top.

Bake for about 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.
Serves 6.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories:172 Fat: 7.3 Net Carbs: 3.9 g Protein: 20.9 g

With 1 cup of riced Daikon Radish
Calories: 158 Fat: 7.2 g Net Carbs:4.6 g Protein: 31.3

Note:  I’ve noticed that with many spiced dishes, they gain more flavor when they’ve been refrigerated for a day or two, so this recipe will store well and get more flavorful on the second serving.

Is this anything like a dish your mother or grandmother prepared?  I think this is more Tex-Mex than traditional Mexican.

Breakfast & Brunch, Main Dish, Recipes

Bacon & Ricotta Cheese Pie for Brunch

bacon-cheese-pie-04951-sgb

Great for a brunch or breakfast or even a light dinner, this pie goes together quickly and takes about 30 minutes to bake.

The base recipe for this came from the Tova Foods website, who got it from Linda’s Low Carb Recipes. I made a few adjustments, but the recipe is basically the same for any quick pie based on Bisquick’s Impossible Pies. I find that the pie crust doesn’t separate to the bottom as consistently as it does with Bisquick, so it may end up on top, rather than on the bottom.

I used 1/2 cup CarbQuick and 1/4 cup Almond Flour for my crust, but most any baking mix or low carb flour will work with this recipe.  I would not recommend coconut flour for it.

Easy Bacon & Ricotta Cheese Pie

1 egg
3/4 cup Low Carb Baking Mix
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 cup Heavy Cream mixed
2 tablespoon Ricotta Cheese
1/4 cup Baby Spinach, fresh (optional)
1/2 cup Water
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
2 slices Bacon, fried
4 slices tomato

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (F.) Prepare a pie tin with cooking spray.

Break the bacon into pieces or use 1/4 cup Bacon Pieces.

Put the cream into a large cup, add the water and mix together. Put baking mix, egg, salt, pepper and 1/2 the cream mixture into a small bowl and mix together with a whisk. Add the rest of the milk and ricotta cheese and beat well.  There may still be a few little lumps of the baking mix.

Tear the spinach (if using) into pieces and add to the batter, then stir in half the cheese and pour into the prepared pie pan. Make sure the cheese is evenly distributed.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle the other 1/2 cup of cheese on the top, distribute the tomato slices in each quarter. and bake for another 4 to 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Nutrition Info per serving:
Calories; 364.2 g Fat; 31.2 g Net Carbs: 4.2 g Protein: 16.2 g

Asian Recipes, Pork, Recipes

Taste of the Orient in Broccoli Pork Stir Fry

1 Comment

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 recipe as well.

I served this over Cauli-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.