Tag / Low carb desserts

by susanb181

New Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken and vegetables cooking in delicious tomato sauce

Chicken and vegetables cooking in delicious tomato sauce

cooking the vegetable and chicken in the sauce

cooking the vegetables and chicken in the sauce

The weather has been very cold and dreary even here in Santa Cruz; (although nothing as cold and dreary as in the MidWest and East Coast)–I am very sorry for those who’ve experienced such cruel temperatures and conditions. When an old friend we hadn’t seen for a few years told us that he was coming for a visit I was looking forward to sharing a meal with him. I know he has a reputation as a “foodie”–someone who knows and enjoys good food. He has a pretty sophisticated palette, but also appreciates good home cooking. I wanted to make something delicious and very tasty, “comfort food” for this weather, as well as a recipe that can be made in advance so I can spend as much time as possible with our friend. This Chicken Cacciatore fits the bill!  Not only is it very delicious and satisfying, it can be made in advance. This recipe even makes enough sauce to freeze for future use. What’s new about this Chicken Cacciatore is the addition of extra vegetables, including zucchini, carrots, and mushrooms as well, of course, the traditional tomatoes, onions and garlic.

Be the way, after dinner, our friend told his wife (who was unable to come) that it was so delicious and asked for this recipe. Now you, too, can please your  family and foodie friends!

 

New Chicken Cacciatore

 

Ingredients (Serves 3-4)

  • 1 3-4 lb. chicken, cut up, or 3-4 whole legs (cut apart drumsticks and thighs)
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1-2 carrots, sliced in 1/2″ rounds
  • 1 lb zucchini, sliced in 1/2″ rounds
  • 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms (I usually use Cremini but have a new find–Pompioni, an Italian type I sometimes get from my organic market)
  • 1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes, cut up and juice reserved
  • 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
  • 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
  • 1 cup dry red wine or water (I use only the wine–but up to you of course)
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (or Xylitol)
  • Hot cooked pasta
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
    • TO DO:
    • Dust chicken with flour. Season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, brown chicken on all sides in oil and butter over medium-high heat. Remove chicken to platter.
    • In the same skillet, cook and stir the onion, carrots, zucchini and mushrooms for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, wine, herbs, garlic and sugar/Xylitol.
    • Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
    • Return chicken to skillet. Cover and simmer for 45-60 minutes or until chicken is tender. Serve over pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
      Freeze option: Cool chicken mixture. Freeze in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight.
    • Heat through slowly in a covered skillet until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 165°, stirring occasionally.
    • Or just freeze the excess sauce to use for future delicious meals–also good with pork chops or sausages.
      • Serve with whole grain pasta, grated cheese and a green salad, with a vinagrette dressing, as I often recommend. (Check out the delicious salads on my blog; such as the link here:
        • ENJOY!
          • Nutrition Facts: 4-1/2 ounce-weight: 517 calories, 25g fat (8g saturated fat), 112mg cholesterol, 790mg sodium, 28g carbohydrate (13g sugars, 6g fiber), 39g protein.

 

 

 

beautiful fruit salad with oranges, raspberries, kiwi and blueberries
by susanb181

Video #2! Beautiful Fruit Salad with no-sugar Raspberry Sauce

Here’s the link to make beautiful, low carb fruit salad with raspberry sauce– follow the step-by-step video!Make this beautiful fruit salad!

Follow the video link to make beautiful fruit salad with a no-sugar, low carb raspberry sauce. I’ve made this with all kinds of fruit–and it’s always been a big hit at my dinner parties or when I’ve brought it to others. One thing that makes it look so beautiful is to make sure that you add a variety of colors, using fruits such as kiwi, for green, peaches/nectarines in summer for orange/yellow, oranges/tangerines for the same in winter, blueberries and raspberries, etc. The raspberry sauce is made with frozen berries, so the season doesn’t matter. It’s so good and a great dessert for those who want a delicious, sweet, yet low carb treat.

My brother Dan Mainzer, a professional photographer/videographer, (Mainzerphotography.com) was here in Santa Cruz last winter, and we collaborated on a series of three recipe videos. Hope you’ve seen the first one, how to roast Delicata Squash, now followed by How to Create a Fruit Salad with No-Sugar Raspberry Sauce, and coming soon, a Making a Scrumptious Cheesy Appetizer.

I hope you like them! Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Enjoy!

Susan

by susanb181

Low Carb Clafoutis–Fun Fruit Dessert!

No-sugar fruit dessert made with peaches

Summer fruits beg to be eaten and one delicious way is a low carb, no-sugar version of the French fruit dessert, clafoutis.

I make it with Xylitol*, a low carb sweetener that my readers will recognize- it has no weird aftertaste and allows folks with carb restrictions to enjoy at least some sweet tasting desserts to their low carb diet.

Clafoutis! Just the name makes me smile- such a cute word for such a tasty dish! I made this version mainly with peaches, (and a nectarine), but I’ve made it with plums with just as delicious results; (if you read my previous recent blog posts, you’ll know we had a bumper crop of plums last year).

Clafoutis is originally from France, made with dark cherries that traditionally aren’t pitted. There’s a chemical, amygdalin, in the pits which gives a unique flavor. However, I’ve never made it that way. In any case, I’ve been a clafoutis fan this summer especially, and have made it almost every time we’ve had dinner guests. I can’t have it too often!

In winter or fall, it can be made with apples and/or pears. I look forward to trying it then too, but now I am reveling in the summer fruit version.

INGREDIENTS (serves 2-3)

  • 4-6 fruits sliced, – peaches, plums, nectarines (depending on size), in any combination; peeled if you like, (I usually don’t peel them). The main thing is to cover the bottom of the pie plate.
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1 1/3 cup milk (or milk substitute- I’ve used almond milk, for instance)
  • 2/3 cup flour- I use King Arthur whole wheat white flour
  • 2 Tbsp. Almond meal (Trader Joe’s has this–I keep a bag in my freezer–lasts a long time)
  • grated peel of one small lemon
  • 1 Tsp. Vanilla
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tsp. Cinnamon
  • 6 Tbsp. Xylitol
  • butter for greasing pan

TO DO: preheat oven 375 degrees F

1. Butter a 10″ pie pan (I use a glass one) and sprinkle 1 Tbsp. of the Xylitol  over the bottom.

2. Arrange the fruit slices so that they cover the entire bottom of the pan. Sprinkle 2 more Tbsps. of Xylitol over the fruit.

3. Combine the remaining Xylitol, eggs, milk, flour, lemon zest, almond meal, vanilla and salt (remember, just a pinch- about 1/4 tsp.); blend in a blender or use an immersion blender.

4. Pour this liquid over the fruit in the pan.

5. Bake for 50-60 minutes until “toothpick” firm and the top is lightly brown. Remove from the oven and place on a rack.

6. Let stand at least 30 minutes before slicing. (if you have no restrictions, vanilla ice cream is great with this.)

That’s it! A real treat!

* https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylitol

Enjoy! www.type2delicious.com

by susanb181

Grandma’s Fresh Applesauce with Cinnamon

<img alt=" Fresh no sugar applesauce with cinnamon"

Fresh Applesauce with Cinnamon!

IMG_1378

It’s fresh fruit season! Our apple tree is full of fruit and apples are dropping all over our yard. So naturally it’s applesauce time! I realize that usually apples are an autumn crop but somehow ours are ripe now.

My grandma made the best applesauce –kinda chunky yet tender and very flavorful. Her secret was use mainly white wine, lemon juice, cinnamon and a very little water, if any. And yes, sugar. It was always a special treat. And now there’s a way to make Gran’s applesauce without sugar or weird tasting substitutes.

One legitimate lament of diabetics and other carb conscious folks is the lack of sweets and desserts in the diet. One solution I’ve found is making desserts with fruit and using a sugar substitute called Xylitol to add sweet flavor with limited carbs; (the label states that it is “75% fewer carbs than sugar” with “40% fewer calories”). There are 4 gms of carbs per tsp. and 10 calories. (Note: I have no relationship with any Xylitol manufacturers or distributors.)

I use it sparingly in any case, but it definitely makes desserts such as this tasty cinnamon applesauce very satisfying without sacrificing flavor. It’s also easy to make (and smells divine while cooking). I’m sure it will become a staple in your household as it is in mine!

I also make a delicious fresh plum jam using Xylitol and no sugar; recipe to come.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4-6)

  • 2-3 lbs. fresh apples (best from a tree or farmer’s market)
  • 1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup white wine (I like to use any Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough area of New Zealand); you may add more if the apples are too dry.
  • 1/3 cup Xylitol
  • 1-2 tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1/4-1/3 cup water as desired or needed
  • 1/2 cup blueberries (optional; you can add blueberries if you like–I like it “straight” best but sometimes add them for a variation, especially if there are an abundance at the local farmer’s market.)

TO DO

  1. Rinse, peel and chop the apples; you can leave some skin on; chop roughly into about 1″ pieces.
  2. Add apple pieces into a large cast iron or dutch oven, on the stovetop with medium high heat.
  3. Add white wine and Xylitol, and cinnamon stick.
  4. Stir constantly, until the apples are bubbling.
  5. Cover and turn down the heat to low, and cook for approximately 1/2 hr., stirring every so often, until the apples are tender. Add additional liquid in small amounts as needed (apples should be moist).
  6. Add lemon juice and ground cinnamon to taste.

 

Enjoy!

www.type2delicious.com

by susanb181

Fruit Dessert with low carb Raspberry Sauce

Fruit Salad Ingredients
Delicious fresh fruit salad with no-sugar raspberry sauce

One legitimate lament of diabetics and other carb conscious folks is the lack of sweets and desserts in the diet. One solution I’ve found is making desserts with fruit and using a sugar substitute called Xylotol to add sweet flavor with limited carbs; (the label states that it is “75% fewer carbs than sugar” with “40% fewer calories”). There are 4 gms of carbs per tsp. and 10 calories. (Note: I have no relationship with any Xylotol manufacturers or distributors.)

I use it sparingly in any case, but it definitely makes desserts such as this delicious fruit plate with raspberry sauce taste wonderfully satisfying. It’s also so pretty- a real party pleaser! *

I also use Xylotol in my fresh applesauce; recipe to come.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4-6) (you can use almost any fruit of your choice- this is a winter version featuring local, fresh ripe citrus)

  • 3-4 oranges, your choice (for maximum color, I like to use a combination of Cara Cara, blood oranges and sometimes a Navel.)
  • 1-2 tangerines
  • 1-2 Kiwis
  • 1/2 cup blueberries
  • 1/3-1/2 cup raspberries
  • SAUCE:
  • 1 bag frozen raspberries
  • 1 Tbsp. Lemon juice
  • 1-2 Tbsp. Xylotol
  • 1-2 Tbsp. Rum or Cognac or water

TO DO

  1. Make the sauce first so the flavors can meld.
  2. Pour the frozen raspberries into a deep sided mixing bowl. Let sit for 1/2 hr. to thaw slightly or thaw 3-4 minutes in a microwave. They should still be somewhat frozen.
  3. Add rum, cognac or water and Xylotol.
  4. Using a hand mixer or stick immersion Mini pimmer, mix til the consistency is thick but liquid enough to pour; somewhat the consistency of Hollandaise sauce. Add lemon juice and additional liquid in small amounts if needed.
  5. Peel and slice fruit into rounds. (Obviously not the berries (<*)
  6. Lay fruit in a circular pattern on a large round, preferably glass, plate or platter. Start with larger pieces, then smaller on top, (I like the Kiwii rounds on the top of the orange pieces), with edges overlapping. Finish with berries as a garnish.
  7. Serve with sauce; I add a bit over the plate and offer the rest of the sauce in a gravy dish with a small ladle.

* I’ve produced a video demonstrating making this dessert; to be featured soon on the blog. Stay tuned!

This has been the hit of any parties I’ve brought it too. Hopefully you have the same experience!

Enjoy!

www.type2delicious.com