Smoky Ancho Squash Puree

Tonight I present the third and last element to the restaurant quality meal that I promised you that has less than 17 grams of net carbohydrates in the entire meal. This vegetable dish is the perfect accompaniment to the Blackened Colorado River Salmon and the Cheddar and Jalapeno Light Corn Muffins. All of these dishes are simple to prepare and elegant enough for any company you may be expecting or perfect for a lovely family dinner that everyone can enjoy together. My Smoky Ancho Squash Puree uses my special technique of combining lower carb vegetables with the higher carb, starchy ones. It retains the wonderful flavor of the butternut squash and gives it depth of flavor with ancho chili and liquid smoke. A must with this meal and again so simple to prepare. I hope you enjoy.

Smoky Ancho Squash Puree

Ingredients:

2 cups butternut squash, cubed

1 cup carrots, sliced

2 cups cauliflower, cut into pieces

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. ancho chili powder

1 ancho chile, hydrated with seeds and stem removed (reserve water)

2 tsp. liquid hickory smoke

Preheat oven to 400'

Cut all of the vegetables about the same size. Lightly coat a sheet pan with vegetable spray and toss the vegetables together. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Lightly coat the vegetables with the spray. Roast for about 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and caramelized.

While the vegetables are roasting place a dried ancho chile into a small pot and cover with water. Bring to a slow boil on high heat, reduce heat and simmer until the chile is soft. Remove chile and cool. When cool enough to handle, split it open to remove the seeds and stem. Rough chop the chile and set aside. Reserve the cooking water for the next step.

Transfer the vegetables to the bowl of food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients. Pulse to puree until smooth, adding the reserved ancho water by the tablespoon as needed until desired consistency.

Nutrition Facts

6 - 1/2 Cup Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 164.1

Total Fat 11.9 g

Saturated Fat 7.0 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8 g

Monounsaturated Fat 3.3 g

Cholesterol 37.5 mg

Sodium 42.5 mg

Potassium 524.4 g

Total Carbohydrate 14.6 g

Dietary Fiber 4.8 g

Sugars 1.0 g

Protein 2.6 g

Blackened Colorado River Salmon

This one, my friends, is a real "no brainer" and cannot be any easier to cook. It is something that your entire family will enjoy and is wonderful enough for company. Though the recipe is called Blackened Colorado River Salmon, I did use Atlantic salmon for it. You can use whatever your favorite is, as long as it is the freshest salmon of the day at the fish store. My simple spice rub can also be adjusted to the taste of your family and be made spicier or milder. The blackened idea comes from using a very hot grill pan or other cast iron pan that would have been a common part of the equipment used by the pioneers of the west. The rub is definitely western in style and the combination works very well. This salmon is the perfect entree to serve the Cheddar and Jalapeno Light Corn Muffins with and tomorrow I will add the vegetable puree that you see under the salmon for the complete meal. This truly is a wonderful, restaurant style dinner that you can fix for your family in no time. I hope you enjoy.

Blackened Colorado River Salmon

Ingredients:

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. ancho chili powder (or your favorite chili powder)

dash cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp. salt (optional)

1 Tbsp. dark agave nectar

4 - 4 ounce salmon fillets

vegetable spray

Blend all of the dry spices in a small bowl. Add the agave nectar and work in well with a fork until a paste like consistency. Coat each piece of salmon with paste and rub gently to coat.

This step is best done in a well ventilated room as the blackening causes a great deal of smoke. Preheat a large cast iron pan on high heat. Lightly coat with vegetable spray. Place salmon fillets in pan, skin side down if still on, and cook for about 5 minutes until well blackened, based on the thickness of the salmon. Turn gently with a spatula and blacken. In general, as a guide fish should cook for about 10 minutes total per inch of thickness.

Nutrition Facts

4 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 177.4

Total Fat 7.3 g

Saturated Fat 1.1 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2.9 g

Monounsaturated Fat 2.4 g

Cholesterol 60.4 mg

Sodium 200.9 mg

Potassium 582.9 mg

Total Carbohydrate 5.3 g

Dietary Fiber 1.0 g

Sugars 0.2 g

Protein 22.0 g

Cheddar Cheese and Jalapeno Light Corn Muffins

Before you turn away and say you can't eat corn because it causes a blood sugar spike, I say wait. These wonderful, savory little muffins are only 2.6 grams net carbohydrate each and make the perfect accompaniment to dinner or for a snack. They have just the right balance between almond flour and yellow cornmeal to give you the flavor without the carbs. With the added cheddar cheese, jalapeno and sour cream they are moist and very flavorful. If you don't like jalapeno feel free to substitute chopped scallion or green onion. That will work just fine in this recipe. This recipe is the first part of a delicious, family friendly restaurant quality meal that has three items for the plate but it is great on its own with soups, chili or whatever you like. I hope you enjoy.

Cheddar Cheese and Jalapeno Light Corn Muffins

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups almond flour

1/2 cup yellow corn meal

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt (optional)

1/4 cup jalapeno, finely diced (about 1 large pepper)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup milk (any kind is fine)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/3 cup canola or corn oil

1 Tbsp. Splenda

3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (either white or yellow)

vegetable spray

Preheat oven to 375'

Mix the dry ingredients, up to and including the jalapeno pepper, in a large bowl until well combined. In a smaller bowl beat the egg and add the milk, sour cream, oil and Splenda. Mix until well combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. Fold in the cheddar cheese. The mixture will be very wet. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes to thicken slightly. In the meantime, coat a mini-muffin pan with vegetable spray. After mixture has thickened a bit, stir well and pour about 2 tablespoons into each compartment of the muffin pan. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until muffins are golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. This recipe will make 3 dozen muffins and they store well in the refrigerator or freezer.

Nutrition Facts

36 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 86.6

Total Fat 7.4 g

Saturated Fat 1.5 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g

Monounsaturated Fat 1.7 g

Cholesterol 10.5 mg

Sodium 82.1 mg

Potassium 19.7 mg

Total Carbohydrate 3.5 g

Dietary Fiber 0.9 g

Sugars 0.6 g

Protein 2.7 g

Almond All-Butter Pound Cake

Sometimes I miss a nice, mildly sweet piece of cake to enjoy with a good cup of coffee. I've been experimenting with all kinds of ingredients and various techniques to try and produce good, moist baked products. This recipe is spot on. Considering it is gluten-free and uses half the butter of a regular pound cake recipe as well as Splenda, you are not going to believe just how good it really is. The fat is still a bit high and it still has plenty of calories, after all, it is cake, and it is meant as a special treat and not an everyday indulgence. The final carbohydrate count is along the lines of low to moderate and should be reasonable enough for you to plan this with your meal as a pleasant dessert. I hope you enjoy.

Almond All-Butter Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour

3/4 cup coconut flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup Splenda

4 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk (any)

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

vegetable spray

Preheat oven to 350'

Spray a 9" by 5" loaf pan with vegetable spray. Cut a piece of parchment paper long enough to line the bottom and the two narrow sides. Arrange the paper in the loaf pan and spray it with vegetable spray.

Whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.

Beat the butter in a large bowl with a hand or electric mixer until smooth. Add the Splenda gradually while beating to blend. This will not look the same as creaming butter with granulated sugar and will be less light and lemony in color. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the milk, sour cream and both extracts and continue beating for about 2 or 3 minutes. During this process the mixture may look lumpy or even curdled but it will work itself out when it is combined with the dry ingredients.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and blend to moisten. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Gently tap pan to release any air bubbles in the batter.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. The top will be golden brown and an inserted toothpick will come out clean. Place the loaf pan on a rack and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes or longer. To remove cake from the pan slide a small knife along the edges without parchment paper to release the cake. Gently lift the cake out with both ends of the parchment paper. Place the cake, parchment paper and all, back on the rack to finish cooling. The cake is somewhat fragile when warm so be gentle and take your time. When the cake has cooled completely remove parchment paper and discard.

Nutrition Facts

12 - 3/4" Thick Slices

Amount Per Serving

Calories 220.9

Total Fat 18.9 g

Saturated Fat 8.7 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g

Monounsaturated Fat 4.0 g

Cholesterol 100.4 mg

Sodium 164.0 mg

Potassium 50.9 mg

Total Carbohydrate 10.9 g

Dietary Fiber 4.0 g

Sugars 0.6 g

Protein 5.9 g

Luscious Lemon-Poppy Mini-Muffins

I have been experimenting over the past few months with the various nut flours that are available. If you are not familiar with the common nut flours available in your local specialty or health food stores, please find them and check them out. They are also available on the Internet. I have been using a combination of almond flour and coconut flour in most of my baked products. I find that just the right combination produces a light and moist muffin or cake and is very close to one made with glutenous flour like all purpose or cake flour. Because it is a gluten-free flour it also has an added benefit of not producing a tough texture if you should over-mix a bit. The biggest drawback I found is that if the baked goods are not going to be consumed within about the first three or four days they should be stored in the refrigerator to prevent spoilage. They also freeze very well. This recipe was among the top five favorite muffin recipes that I tested. It delivers a wonderful lemony flavor with just enough of the classic poppy seed taste. These muffins are light, tender and moist. If you cannot eat the seeds then just omit them and enjoy it as is. I hoe you enjoy.

Luscious Lemon-Poppy Mini-Muffins

Ingredients:

3/4 cup almond flour

2/3 cup coconut flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt (optional)

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon zest

2 large eggs

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup Splenda

1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

vegetable spray

Preheat oven to 375'

Combine the dry ingredients along with the lemon zest in a large bowl. Whisk together well to evenly distribute the ingredients. In another bowl beat the eggs lightly and add the rest of the wet ingredients including the Splenda but not the poppy seeds. Whisk until well combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and blend well. Fold in the poppy seeds. Fill each compartment of a 24 count mini-muffin pan that has been coated with vegetable spray. Each compartment will hold about 2 tablespoons or so. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes depending on oven, though at 18 minutes they should be done, lighty golden and puffy. Remove muffin pan to a rack and let muffins cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before removing. Run a butter knife or small spatula around the edges of each muffin to loosen and finish cooling on rack.

Nutrition Facts

24 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 73.1

Total Fat 5.8 g

Saturated Fat 2.4 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g

Monounsaturated Fat 1.1 g

Cholesterol 25.5 mg

Sodium 101.3 mg

Potassium 26.6 mg

Total Carbohydrate 5.2 g

Dietary Fiber 1.8 g

Sugars 0.5 g

Protein 2.1 g