Pumpkin "Pie"- Low Carb, Low Fat

This weekend, we were at Target and they were giving samples of Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses. My husband decided to give them a try! I couldn't believe it...I have to say he has been more brave about food lately and I am SO proud! Well turns out, he LIKED them! I did too. They tasted like a creamy yummy pumpkin pie. I got inspired to then try to make him a homemade pumpkin pie. The dilemma, we needed it to be low carb for him and low fat for me. Also, I had NO evaporated milk...so we had a substitution. Yummy. Still waiting for him to try it.
This is basically the recipe on the back of Libby's pumpkin can, with a few change ups.

Pumpkin "Pie"

1 15 oz can Libby's Pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs (I used 1 egg and 1 egg white)
3/4 cup Splenda
1/4 cup Vanilla (or any flavor you might venture to try) coffee creamer (I used low sugar)
1/2 cup Skim Milk (Or you could substitute 1 12 oz can evaporated milk or 12 oz cream)

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Beat eggs. Add in spice, Splenda, pumpkin and mix well until combined.
3. Add in milk and creamer and mix well until combined.
4. Pour mixture into pie plate and bake at 425 for 15 minutes.
5. Turn oven heat down to 350 and bake for 30 minutes.
6. Allow to cool and serve!

I made this crustless because the crust is full of butter and sugar (aka fat and carbs). It is so yummy you won't need it!

Twice Baked Sweet Potato

I LOVE sweet potato pie. Obviously, though, it doesn't make the most healthy side dish. I have tried my hand at eating a baked sweet potato plain...blah. I tried baking it, cutting it open and putting butter, cinnamon, marshmallow, etc. This makes it yummy, but only on the cut edges. When you get to the middle, it is plain again. I had this problem....until.....Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes were born. So yummy! Its like a healthy sweet potato pie that you can eat as a pretty healthy side dish.

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

2 medium sweet potatoes
2 tsp butter/margarine- I used honey butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2-4 Tbsp milk
Salt to taste
Mini marshmallows

1. Bake sweet potatoes until tender (I made mine in the microwave)
2. Cut sweet potato in half and scoop out flesh. Be sure to leave skin intact and reserve. Put flesh into a bowl and mash.
3. Add butter, cinnamon, salt and milk (use enough milk so it is the consistency of moist mashed potatoes). Put mixture back into skin.
4. Top with mini marshmallows.
5. Place back in oven and bake until warmed through and the marshmallows are toasty.

Mini Turkey Meatloaf

This is a quick and very tasty dinner.

Mini Turkey Meatloaf

1lb ground turkey
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1 Tbsp ketchup
1 egg
1 tsp granulated garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cheese stick cut into pieces

1. Combine all ingredients above except for cheese. Make 6 meatballs and place in muffin pan.
2. Push 1 piece of cheese into center of each meatball and cover with meat.
3. Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy. So tasty, so simple!

Potato Salad

I used to always make my grandmother's potato salad recipe. It was always my favorite. Then one day, we went to a neighbor's house and she has a potato salad with some herbs mixed in. It was so delicious. So I thought to combine the two and YUM! A great potato salad was born.

Ingredients

3 lbs red creamer potatos boiled, cooled, and peeled (I boil mine then remove the peels when they cool)
1/2 cup mayo
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 bunch parsley
4 green onions (scallions or you could use chives)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut potatos into large pieces (so they won't break apart when mixing, otherwise you will wind up with mashed potato salad)
2. Finely chop green onions and parsley (I use my food processor) and add to the potatoes
3. Add mayo, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and fold together.

Thats it. It is that easy

Chicken Enchiladas

My mom used to make this for us all the time. I used to love the recipe so much that I would ask her to make it for me on my birthdays. She got the recipe from the back of a Campbells Cream of something soup (either chicken or celery) and adapted it a little bit. The recipe below is the adaptation as I cannot seem to find the original that was close to hers.

Chicken Enchiladas

1 can cream of chicken soup (I use the low fat)
1.5 cups sour cream (I use the low fat)
1 pound cooked chicken breast cubed
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 onion diced
1 can chopped green chiles
Tortillas (you can use low carb to make this a low carb meal)
Shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F

1. Combine soup and sour cream in medium sized bowl
2. Saute diced onions until translucent and soft.
3. Add chili powder to chopped onions and cook for a few seconds until fragrant.
4. Add chopped chiles, chicken and half of the soup/sour cream mixture. Stir to combine and allow to heat through, then remove from heat.
5. Fill tortillas with mixture and place in baking sheet seam side down. Spread the rest of the soup/sour cream mixture over the top. Sprinkle with cheese.
6. Cover pan with tin foil and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until cheese is melty.

Coconut "Cream Pie" Pudding Parfait

We had the in-laws over for dinner last night. Just like my hubby, they are a family of picky eaters. I had to take this, the fact that my husband is on a low carb diet, and the fact that I didn't have many ingredients in the house into consideration when deciding what to make for a dessert. I checked the pantry and I had a box of Sugar Free Cook and Serve Vanilla Pudding. I had a half bag of coconut, cool whip and graham crackers....and viola...coconut "cream pie" pudding parfaits were born. They were SO delicious. The MIL brought over a cake from Publix and I tasted both and actually preferred the parfait.

Coconut "Cream Pie" Pudding Parfait

1 box cook and serve vanilla pudding
2 cups milk
1/2 bag of sweetened coconut flakes
3 graham crackers smashed into crumbs
Cool whip

1. Combine vanilla pudding and milk in saucepan and prepare per directions on the box
2. When finished heating, add coconut to pudding and stir to combine. Allow to cool
3. In dessert glasses (I used wine glasses, so any pretty glasses you have will be fine) layer ingredients....graham cracker crumbs then pudding, then cool whip, more graham cracker, pudding, cool whip and top with leftover coconut flakes.

Mahi Mahi Tacos

I love tacos and seafood. I have had some pretty good fish tacos at certain restaurants and some not so good ones at others. While I was at my mom's house watching my brothers I thought it would be perfect time to try to make them myself. My brothers love seafood and are not picky eaters at all (unlike my hubby), so I got to make some recipes that I don't usually make at home. These tacos turned out so good. I made a whole bag of Mahi Mahi (frozen from Sams Club) and the entire bag was gone (only 3 people eating). You could certainly substitute your favorite fish, but I prefer a firm white fish like Mahi (yum grouper would be great too). If you are on a low carb diet, you could also use low carb tortillas to make this fit.

Mahi Mahi Tacos

2 lbs Mahi Mahi
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
Tortillas
Shredded cabbage (you can use lettuce instead, the cabbage is a little crunchier)
Shredded cheese (we used cheddar)
Salsa (or you could use tomatoes)
Any other of your favorite taco toppings

1. Preheat oven to 350 (or go by directions on bag). Place Mahi Mahi on baking sheet.
2. Combine spices and olive oil in small bowl. Brush on Mahi Mahi filets
3. Bake Mahi Mahi filets until flaky. Use package instructions for timing.
4. Put Mahi Mahi in tortilla and top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!