RECIPE: Low Carb Pumpkin Clafoutis

Well, my pumpkin craving extends through all parts of the day and I vowed to only make the muffins for breakfast, so it was time to once again make a Pumpkin Clafoutis! I have altered my Paleo version just a little. I used butter rather than coconut oil to reduce the calories ... I used almond milk and pecans rather than coconut milk and walnuts, due to availability ... And, I used Splenda and a little water rather than honey to reduce the calories, and most importantly ... The Carbs. 

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup  butter
1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree
1/3 cup Splenda
4 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup almond flour
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons grated unsweetened coconut
(I prefer to use Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Spices, so I just put 2+ teaspoons rather than the individual spices. You may prefer less spices, but I prefer experiencing their flavors mixed with the pumpkin!)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt butter in the microwave.
3. Blend together all ingredients with the exception of the walnuts and coconut. I use my blender to make sure everything blends well. Taste for sweetness and add more Splenda, if you feel it needs it. I also added 2 tablespoons of water to offset the moisture loss from using Splenda instead of honey. Add the chopped walnuts and coconut then pulse a few times to mix.

4. Pour into a well greased 9" deep dish pie plate and bake for roughly 45 minutes - until center is set. 

5. Allow clafoutis to cool before placing it in the refrigerator. It's tasty warm, but it is AMAZING cold!

I mentioned above that this recipe is altered from my original posted recipe from some time ago. (The differences per serving ... Calories: 186 vs 219 and the net carbs: 2 vs 14!!)
Below you will find the nutritional data as per MyFitnessPal:

The Low Carb Version ...

The Paleo Version ...

RECIPE: Carol's Low Carb Pumpkin Nut Muffin

The leaves show the slightest hint of color change and I start craving pumpkin! I've been sticking to low carb lifestyle for a while now, and so I've been working on some low carb (net 4 carbs!) pumpkin recipes to help pacify my cravings. 

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons pumpkin purée
1 egg
1/4 cup almond meal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2+ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons Splenda
A handful of chopped pecans (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
In a coffee mug stir the egg and the pumpkin purée together. Add almond flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and Splenda then stir well. Add pecan pieces, if desired. 

Place coffee mug in microwave and cook on high for a minimum of one minute. Because of the extra moistness of the pumpkin purée it takes about two minutes in my microwave. (The muffin in the photo has been cut in half and put in a toaster for a crunchier texture.)

I altered the basic recipe to include pumpkin. If you want to delete the pumpkin add 1 tablespoon of butter instead. This recipe can also be made as a savory muffin by eliminating the Pumpkin, nuts and Splenda and adding herbs of your choosing.

Here's the breakdown from the recipe I added on MyFitness Pal ...

RECIPE: Pumpkin Pie Clafoutis with Walnuts and Coconut

Okay, so I'm cheating a little. Not in what I'm using in this recipe, but because I'm repeating one ... Sort of. As I have mentioned before, I LOVE Pumpkin pie so naturally I love pumpkin pie clafoutis. This time I wanted to venture out and make a few changes. I added walnuts and ground unsweetened coconut. It was FANTASTIC!!
Pumpkin Pie Clafoutis with Walnuts and Coconut

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup coconut oil (or 1/2 cup butter or ghee)
1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup honey
4 eggs
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup almond flour
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup chopped Walnuts
2 tablespoons grated unsweetened Coconut
(You may prefer less spices, but I prefer experiencing their flavors mixed with the pumpkin!)

 DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt butter, ghee, or coconut oil (whichever you use) in a small pot over low heat or in the microwave.
3. Blend together all ingredients with the exception of the walnuts and coconut. This time I use my blender to make sure everything is well blended. Taste for sweetness and add more honey, if you feel it needs it. Add the chopped walnuts and coconut then pulse a few times to mix.

 4. Pour into a well greased 9" deep dish pie plate and bake for roughly 45 minutes - until center is set. 

 5. Allow clafoutis to cool before placing it in the refrigerator. It's tasty warm, but it is AMAZING cold!

RECIPE: Pumpkin Coconut and ... Spinach Smoothie?

I have to admit I was skeptical about adding such things as spinach or avocado to smoothies. After all, I think of fruit, yogurt, milk, and ice as the main components of smoothies. Man, was I wrong! There are literally millions of options and combinations of ingredients for making smoothies! Here's one that sure to blow your mind, but trust me ... It's delicious!!
PUMPKIN COCONUT SPINACH SMOOTHIE

It's GREEN!!!
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Coconut Milk
1/2 cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt (I just discovered ZOI brand, and I LOVE it!)
1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened Coconut
6 Ice Cubes
1 teaspoon Agave (not pictured)
2 - 4 cups organic Baby Spinach

DIRECTIONS:
1. Add all ingredients to blender - adding spinach last. The amount of spinach used will vary on how tightly you add it. 
2. Blend until smooth and creamy. (Yes, it will turn BRIGHT GREEN!!)

 3. Pour. Serve. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Since it's the time of year for Pumpkin pie, I decided to transform my mother's      recipe to fit my more Paleo-friendly lifestyle would be my first challenge. 

The original recipe my mother has always used is as follows:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 (15 ounce) can of organic pumpkin purée
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 unbanked 9 inch (4 cup volume) deep-dish pie shell

What is okay: 
Sea salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, eggs, and pumpkin purée.

What must be replaced:
Sugar, evaporated milk and pie crust.

My Revised Version:
3/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spices
2 tablespoons almond flour
3 large eggs
1 (15 ounce) can of organic pumpkin purée
1 1/2 cups vanilla almond milk

Crust:
2 cups finely ground pecans
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spices

9 inch (4 cup volume) deep-dish pie pan

My mother is 80+ years old and is pretty set in her ways. She didn't want me to 
tamper with a recipe that's tried and true, but if I was going to spend hours in 
the kitchen preparing the family dinner I was certainly going to make my 
favorite dessert with foods I eat. Mom wanted a traditional flour pie crust, but 
she always eats the filling and leaves the crust anyway, so why should she 
really mind? Besides, one of her favorite desserts is a dish I make that has a 
nut crust. To me, this is a match made in heaven ... Or in my kitchen! 

The Paleo Pumpkin Pie turned out perfectly and there were NO leftovers!            Everyone raved over how good it was, so I just smiled and thanked them for their 
compliments. I will make another one and include photos later.