Pumpkin Spice Muffins, Low Carb, Gluten Free

These Pumpkin Muffins are Low Carb and Gluten Free.  I am so excited by the way they turned out.  They are moist and delicious.  The secret is psyllium husks!

After losing 40 lbs on Medifast, I have migrated to a Low Carb Diet in the last month. I am committed to this life style change and to making yummy recipes to keep me on track.

These two books have been a big influence on my change to low carb.  Please read them.  They will change your life and the lives of your family and friends.
Grain Brain by David Perlmutter
Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism by Maria Emmerich

Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Preheat oven to 350  Makes 12 muffins.
1/3 Cup Plus 2 TBL. Coconut Flour
1/4 Cup Whey Protein Powder or Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
5 TBL. Softened Butter
3 TBL. Powdered Organic Psyllium Husk (do not substitute, this gives the muffin a chewy texture) You can grind the husk yourself if you can't find the powdered kind.
2/3 Cup Ricotta Cheese (full fat)
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup of Coconut Milk or Almond Milk
1/3 Cup of Heavy Cream
1 Cup of Swerve Sweetener
1 Cup of Canned Pumpkin (drain on a paper towel before measuring)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. of salt
1 TBL. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 Cup of Walnut Oil (or melted coconut oil or macadamia nut oil)

Using a mixer, cream Butter and Swerve together, add eggs, ricotta cheese, coconut milk, cream, vanilla and pumpkin, mix well.

In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients, coconut flour, whey protein powder, psyllium husk, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice.

Add dry ingredients to wet keeping the mixer on med. Mix well.  Add Walnut oil a little at a time.  Mix till the walnut oil is incorporated. Batter will be thick.

Divide evenly into 12 muffin cups (they will be full)  Bake at 350 for approx. 30 to 40 minutes.  Top will be slightly springy and slightly brown.  Let cool and enjoy! 
For an extra treat top with Cream cheese frosting below.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 8oz Block of Cream Cheese
2 TBL Swerve
1 tsp Vanilla

Beat softened cream cheese till smooth add Swerve and vanilla and beat till incorporated.

Low Carb Cheesecake

 

 

One of my favorite desserts, Cheesecake is pretty easy to make as a low carb treat.  I took my favorite Cheesecake recipe and replaced the crust and the sugar and the result turned out to be wonderful.  Smooth, creamy and tastes so great!

 

Here is a picture of my masterpiece.

 

Here is the recipe

 

Preheat oven to 350

 

Crust:

2 Cups Pecans (chopped fine)

1/3 Cup Melted Butter

1/4 Cup Swerve or any sweetener that can be baked and measures like sugar.

1/4 tsp. Salt

 

Mix Pecans, butter, swerve and salt till well combined.  Press mixture into the bottom of a Spring-form pan.

 

Filling:

3 8oz packages of Cream Cheese  - Softened - (I prefer Philadelphia brand but you can use anything you wish)

1 Cup Swerve Sweetener or any sweetener that can be baked and measures like sugar.

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 Tb. Vanilla

4 Eggs

 

Mix Cream Cheese, Salt and Vanilla till smooth.  (a mixer works best for this) Add Swerve and then add eggs one at a time.  Beat till smooth, 3 minutes. Pour mixture into pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until center only jiggles slightly when moved.  Remove from oven and let stand 10 min. Make the Sour Cream Topping (below) while your cheesecake is standing. 

 

Turn up oven to 400 and  spoon Sour Cream topping onto top of the cheesecake.  Bake for 5 minutes at 400 and remove from oven.  Let cool and refrigerate overnight.

 

Sour Cream Topping:

2 Cups Sour Cream

2 Tb. Swerve Sweetener or any sweetener that can be baked and measures like sugar.

1 tsp. Vanilla

Mix sour cream with sweetener and vanilla. 

 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





Low Carb Chile Rellano Casserole

Down 38 Pounds!   I have blended my Medifast diet with a low carb diet with good success.  I am still eating 5 Medifast meals a day, but for my daily meal I eat what ever I want as long as it is low in carbs.  I recently decided to make my favorite Chile Rellano but tweaked it to make it low carb.  Here is the recipe.

Preheat oven to 400

Ingredients:
1 Large Can of Whole Ortega Chiles
2 Small 5oz. Cans of Tomato Sauce
2 Lbs. Shredded Jack Cheese
2 Lbs. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
4 Eggs
10 oz. Heavy Cream
1 Tablespoon of Flour
Cayenne Pepper or diced canned Jalapenos (optional to add heat)

Open Ortega chilies and rinse and lay flat on a paper towel
Grease a 9" x 13" pan
Place a layer of chilies on the bottom of the pan. Top with 1/2 of the Cheddar Cheese
Place another layer of chilies and top with the remaining Cheddar Cheese. Sprinkle Cayenne Pepper or diced Jalapenos over the top to get desired heat.

In a blender add Heavy Cream, 4 Eggs and Flour.  Blend till well mixed.  Pour over the chilies and cheese.  Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and add all the jack cheese.  Pour tomato sauce over the cheese. Bank an additional 15 minutes till cheese is bubbly.  Remove from oven and let sit about 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

Enjoy