24/7 Low Carb Diner: October 2017

Friday, October 27, 2017

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf

What a crazy week at my house. Between fall break, some unknown mystery flu, someone reporting my blog as a threat on Facebook (again), a trip to the ER, being admitted into the hospital and released within two hours... who has time to think about menu plans? Aaargh. Is your life like this too? Who could even think about eating healthy? (ok a couple of days in there, I could barely think about eating at all. I will spare you the details)

So, since I am now working double time on the November Diner News, the Thanksgiving edition, I am going to share a recipe from the October issue. This Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf lasted me many coffee breaks. I made it to take to bible study when the rest of the ladies were eating doughnuts and cinnamon rolls. No deprivation at all. It is moist and chocolaty. A few fall spices just add to the deliciousness.

Granted, you need my baking mix to make this loaf. You should have that all the time. It makes muffins and cakes so much faster to put together. The combo of ingredients is so good. I remember my early days low carbing. Trying to cover the flavor of flax. Trying not to eat too many calories with almond flour treats. Never knowing the outcome with coconut flour or protein powder recipes. This blend works every time for me. Get the recipe here.

Ready to make this delicious fall treat? Just a couple details. You can use my home made chocolate chips. Recipe here. Or you can use those expensive sugarfree chips. Or you can decide to live with the possible intestinal effects of maltitol in the readily available Hershey's Sugarfree Chocolate Chips. If you tolerate them, these are the cheapest and easiest. You do what is best for you. I left the bag on the counter and my son nibbled them out of the bag all evening. He never reported any tummy issues. But my husband and I have an embarrassing story to tell about the time we ate some sugarfree fudge at a Branson stageshow. Another story I will spare the details on.

On to the recipe:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

This bread is moist and gooey with the chocolate chips. We love the spice and chocolate combination!

4 eggs

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 cup Swerve or erythritol / stevia blend equal to sugar

1 cup Master Baking Mix (either blend)

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup sugarfree chocolate chips

Combine egg, pumpkin, coconut oil and sweetener. Stir in baking mix, baking powder and spice. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon into a parchment lined loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Test the center. When the center is set, remove from oven and let cool.

Cut into 12 slices. Each slice is 134 calories and 4 net g carb

I promise now that I am feeling healthy again, I am cooking up a storm. Here it is 11 o 'clock on a Friday night and my house smells like smoked turkey and sweet and sour red cabbage. Having lost so many days this week, I have to miss my bible study girls tomorrow. Since I have to take photos when I have good lighting, I told them I was going on a turkey shoot.

You guys stay happy and healthy. The hectic holidays are coming. We got this!

Get more great recipes at the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Cardamom Cream Chicken

My guys just will not even try to like Indian food. I was so pleased last summer, when away at a teacher training, I got to eat some fabulous food with my friend Ruthie. She knew all the best things to order, and we had a great time. It was especially wonderful since we knew the rest of our week included mandatory meals at the college cafeteria. The food had not improved in the thirty years since I ate there as a college freshman.

I happen to be on a prescription right now that restricts dairy in my diet. I must guiltily admit that I use dairy all the time. Mostly cheese. It can be tough for me to plan three meals a day, all low carb, without cheese. This one was a winner for me. It is a simple take off on the traditional Butter Chicken, with no butter. I fed it to my slightly more adventurous son when he came over for dinner last night. Afterall, I had seen him order a curry inspired nacho dish at a street food event one time...

So easy. Just let the crock pot to the cooking. Then let the ingredients deliver the flavor! The most appealing taste in the flavor profile to me was the addition of the cardamom. It is so hard to describe. Rather like fresh, but not mint. Definitely worth the purchase. The spice blend of cardamom, cumin and coriander pairs beautifully with the coconut milk and incredibly tender chicken. I added some oven roasted vegetables on the side. No dairy, no problem. Wonderful meal. My JP really liked it. He commented twice, in fact. All good things.

I think if I don't tell my hubby that this is Indian food, he won't know it and will like it too.

Cardamom Cream Chicken

1 1/2 lb fresh boneless skinless chicken breast
1 small onion
1 tsp sliced deydrated garlic (may sub powder)
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Knorr Cilantro cube
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 can full fat coconut milk
2 tbsp diced chives

Place chicken in a slow cooker. Dice onion. Toss diced onion with garlic, coriander, cumin, cardamom and cayenne. Place in cooker. Combine coconut milk and tomato paste. Crumble cilantro cube into this mixture. Pour over chicken and onions. Bake on low for 7-8 hours. Shred chicken with two forks. Let cool for about 7-10 minutes to thicken the sauce. Plate and top with chives.

Serves 4: 361 calories 6 net g carb

It is now fall break at school, so I will be testing lots of recipes for the Thanksgiving edition of the Diner News. So much to get done! The holidays will be here before we know it.

Get more great recipes at the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends

Order my original e-book or the latest version for couples and singles, A Table for Two here.

Sunday, October 1, 2017

Maple Street Cookies

I love the sweet flavors of fall. Pumpkin spice is a given, but don't forget caramel apple, maple and cranberry. This month's Diner News celebrates those kind of dishes that make us love this time of year. Comforting soups are back on the menu, along with hot sippers with fall flavors. Pumpkin recipes abound, but not necessarily sweet. Cranberries are perfect for salads. In my part of the world it is state fair time, so caramel apples are popular too. I have lots of recipes that will keep us low carbers from cheating or missing out on favorite fall treats.

These cookies are full of maple flavor. They are really easy to make too. One bite is really quite similar to that first taste of waffles topped in syrup. Yum. I wanted to make them pretty, but colored sugar sprinkles just won't do. I made a little tinted coconut milk powder mix to go on top. It worked well. Just enough seasonal prettiness.

Maple Street Cookies

2 cups almond flour

1/3 cup erythritol/stevia blend

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg

2 1/2 tbsp butter, melted

¾ tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp maple flavoring

1/8 tsp stevia extract

2 tbsp dried coconut milk powder

1 tsp powdered erythritol / stevia blend

Combine almond flour, sweetener, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in egg, butter, vanilla extract , maple flavoring and stevia extract until dough comes together. Use a small cookie scoop to measure out a ball of dough. Roll into a ball. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and flatten each ball. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. Remove to cooling rack. Combine coconut milk powder and powdered sweetener with a drop of yellow and drop or red food coloring. Sprinkle the top of each cookie with the tinted topping.

36 cookies. A serving of 3: 143 calories 2 net g carb