Tag Archives: pumpkin

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Biscuit Based Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

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Interior at Tian Sing Restaurant in San Francisco.

I missed posting last week, although I did pop a recipe in over the previous weekend. I went to San Francisco for a few days to see the incredible Josh Groban in concert at the Masonic Theater. It was the first time I’ve had the pleasure of hearing him sing in live performance and it was a wonderful evening. Getting a cab back to the hotel was not so great, but that’s the city for you. While my roomie and I were there we went to a really good Chinese Restaurant near the hotel. Wonderful food and if you’re in San Francisco I highly recommend Tian Sing. In fact, I wrote a review about the experience for the Chinese Quest blog. You can read it here.

It’s November and I’m still on a pumpkin kick because it’s that time of year and pumpkin is really more versatile than you might have imagined. A couple of months ago I posted reviews for a couple of low carb cinnamon roll mixes and I said then that I was going to try making one from scratch. As I was making low carb biscuits the other day, I figured out how I would make the biscuit version of cinnamon rolls and since it is pumpkin season, I added some puree to the dough. They are delicious. This recipe is entirely my own concoction so do let me know how you like it if you try it.

Pumpkin Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls

1 cup Low Carb Flour
2 tablespoons Shortening
1 tablespoon Sugar Substitute
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 tablespoon Ricotta Cheese
3 tablespoons Pumpkin Puree
2 tablespoons Vanilla Whey Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

2 tablespoon Butter, softened
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar Substitute
1 tablespoon Sugar-Free Maple Syrup
1/4 cup Pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F.)

Prepare topping:   In a bowl, place butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar substitute and maple syrup and mix together to form a paste.

Mix the biscuit dough: Put flour, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar in a bowl and cut in the shortening until tiny crumbs form. Add the vanilla extract, ricotta cheese, pumpkin and cinnamon. Add 1 tablespoon cold water and mix until the mixture forms a stiff dough. If necessary, add more water a little at a time. The dough should be stiff and not too sticky.

Roll out biscuit dough into a rectangle about 6″ x 8″.

Spray a sheet of waxed paper with baking spray and turn the dough onto the paper. Pat into a rectangle about 6″x 8″ and about 1/2 inch thick. Spread the topping over the rolls evenly, going to the edge on all sides except for about 1/2 inch on one short side. Sprinkle the pecans on top evenly.

Spread filling almost to the edge on all sides, leaving 1/2″ on the short side.

 

Using the wax paper to lift, roll the dough from the short side with toppings and finish with the opposite side with no topping. Seal the dough where it meets and place the roll seam side down. Cut the roll into 6 rolls. Place on a sprayed baking pan and bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

Rolls in oiled pan and ready to bake.

While dough bakes, make an icing with 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar Substitute, 1 tablespoon softened Butter and enough water to make a spreadable icing.

Let rolls cool for a few minutes, then spread with the icing and serve. Makes 6 rolls.

Nutrition Information per roll:
Calories:176 Fat: 15.2 g Net Carbs: 2.5 g Protein: 6.3 g

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Condiments and Sauces, Pork, Recipes

Brunch with Biscuits and Pumpkin Chorizo Sausage Gravy

Halloween is almost upon us and I am still celebrating pumpkin. If you’d like to make a special breakfast or brunch meal for Halloween or Thanksgiving or Christmas or traditionally for New Year’s Day, you can’t go wrong with biscuits and gravy. And yes, they can be made low carb.  In fact, this dish, using one biscuit, is less than 4 net carbs when made with CarbQuick.  It may be a little higher with other low carb flours.

Boy-oh-boy, this is a favorite dish of mine, so I have been working to get a really good recipe for them. I use CarbQuick for my low carb flour baking mix choice, but you can also use Bob’s Red Mill Baking Mix or Dixie Carb Counters or LC Foods. It might work okay with almond flour, but it’s best to try to mix another flour in with it. This recipe for biscuits is the tastiest one I’ve come up with so far. The gravy has a fall twist to it and also a bit of a spicy touch as I add pumpkin puree and chorizo sausage along with the regular sausage. It is a great flavor combination. Be bold. Give these a try.

Best Savory Biscuits

1 cup Low Carb Flour
2 tablespoons Shortening
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Sugar Substitute
1/3 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
Pinch Salt
Pinch ground Thyme
1 to 2 tablespoons Cold Water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F.) Spray a baking pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, garlic powder, salt, thyme and sugar substitute and mix together. Add the shortening and cut into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles crumbles. Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix it into the dough. If it doesn’t pull together easily, add a little more water. You want the dough stiff but completely mixed.

Mix in the cheddar cheese until distributed. Divide the dough into quarters. Shape each quarter into a 3-inch round about 1/2-inch thick and place on the baking pan.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Makes 4 biscuits.

Nutrition Info per biscuit:
   Calories: 152.5 Fat: 12.8 g Net Carbs: 2.3 g Protein: 6.4 g

Pumpkin Chorizo Sausage Gravy

1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
2 tablespoons Low Carb Flour
4 oz. Pork Sausage
2 oz. Basque Style Chorizo Sausage
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 tablespoon Pumpkin Puree

In a medium skillet, brown the sausage and chorizo, breaking it into smaller pieces as you cook it. When lightly browned remove to a paper towel on a plate to drain. Stir the low carb flour into the grease in the pan to make a paste. If there isn’t enough, add a little oil to the pan.

Stir in the heavy whipping cream and 1 cup of water, the Worcestershire sauce and the cayenne pepper and mix well. Then stir in the pumpkin puree and the cooked sausage. The sauce will thicken as it cooks.

Split the biscuits in half and pour 1/4 of the sausage gravy over each biscuit.

Makes 4 servings or 2 hungry-man (or woman) servings.

Nutrition Information for both biscuit and gravy per serving:
   Calories: 327.4 Fat: 23.9 g Net Carbs: 3.9 g Protein: 12.4 g

Main Dish, Pork, Recipes, Soups and Stews

Autumn Harvest Stew with Ham, Cauliflower and Butternut

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