Pumpkin Mousse (Low Carb/Low Fat)

With all the delicious flavors of Fall, pumpkin mousse is such a quick and delicious dessert for the Holidays.

Yum.

Pumpkin Mousse:
Makes 6 (1/2 cup) servings

1 (1 oz.) package sugar free instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup fat free milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 1/4 cups light whipped topping, divided
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Whisk the instant pudding and milk together and let it set for 2 minutes until it thickens up. Add in the pumpkin puree and spices and mix well. Gently fold in 1 1/2 cups whipped topping until well combined. Divide into 6 dishes (about 1/2 cup per serving). Refrigerate until ready to serve. Before serving, top each dessert with 2 tablespoons of light whipped topping and sprinkle with ground nutmeg.

For 1/2 cup of mousse: 98 calories, 3g fat, .02g saturated fat, 237mg sodium, 13g carbohydrates,

1g fiber, 2g protein

I hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving this week!!

Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Pomegranate Sauce (Low Carb/Low Fat)

This cheesecake is so tasty. It's light and refreshing, oppose to other rich and heavy cheesecakes. And the pomegranate sauce makes it so pretty and festive for the holiday season. It's a great option to add to the dessert table on Thanksgiving or Christmas.

And for heaven's sake, it's just so good!

Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Pomegranate Sauce:
Makes 12 Servings

1 cup finely ground walnuts
1 TBS splenda brown sugar
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1 TBS coconut oil, melted
3 (8 oz. packages) fat-free cream cheese
1 1/2 cups plain non-fat greek yogurt
1/4 cup + 2 TBS light sugar (sugar/stevia blend)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 TBS cold water
1/2 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice
2 TBS light sugar
seed of 1/2 pomegranate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 10-inch cheesecake pan with removable sides. Cut out a circle of parchment paper to fit on the bottom, and set in the pan after it has been sprayed.
In a food processor, process the walnuts, brown sugar, ginger and melted coconut oil together. Press evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust for about 10-15 minutes or until it begins turning a light golden brown. Remove and let cool.
In a small heat proof bowl, mix the gelatin and cold water together and set aside to let gelatin get soft. Wash the food processor and then blend the cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla together until smooth.
Heat about 1/2 inch of water in a small pan over medium heat. Place the bowl with the gelatin in the water and whisk until the gelatin has dissolved, when it is clear (about 3-4 minutes). With the food processor turned on, pour in the warm gelatin mixture and mix well. Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 5-6 hours.
In a small sauce pan, add the juice and remaining sugar. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.Refrigerate until ready to serve. Then add pomegranate seeds and drizzle over cheesecake slices.

For 1/12 the pie: 159 calories, 6g fat, 2g saturated fat, 318mg sodium, 17g carbohydrates, 

.5g fiber, 12g protein

Low Carb Pumpkin Pie (link to updated recipe)

Last Thanksgiving I posted this pumpkin pie recipe. And I still love it.

But I made a few small changes to make it even lower in carbs and fat, but still just as delicious!

Click on THIS link to see the original recipes with the new updates!

French Apple Tart (Low Carb/Low Fat)

This dessert looks impressive and tastes amazing, but is so simple, which I love. This would be a perfect fall dessert and a great ending to a large Thanksgiving meal.

When you choose naturally sweet apples, opposed to a tart apple, you won't need as much sugar, making it so much lower in carbs.

French Apple Tart:
Makes 12 slices

1/2 cup almond meal/flour
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup + 2 TBS coconut oil, divided
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp white vinegar
1 TBS water
3 honey crisp apples, or choice of other sweet apple
2 TBS light sugar (sugar/stevia blend)
1 TBS sugar free apricot preserves, optional

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch tart pan.
In a medium bowl, add the almond flour, flour and salt, then with a pastry blender/cutter, cut in 1/3 cup of coconut oil until well incorporated. Then add in the vinegar and water and mix well.
Press the dough into the tart pan with your fingers until it is even. Place in the refrigerator to harden while you prepare your apples.
Peel, core and thinly slice your apples. Layer the apples as desired over the chilled dough in the tart pan.
Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the apples and then dot with the remaining coconut oil. Bake 50-60 minutes until the crust is golden and the apples are cooked through.
If desired, melt the apricot preserves in the microwave and then brush on top of the tart to give it a nice glazed look.

For 1/12 the tart: 139 calories, 11g fat, .2g saturated fat, 51mg sodium, 12g carbohydrates, 

1g fiber, 1g protein

Sauteed Brussel Sprouts (Low Carb/Low Fat)

Looking for another healthy and delicious side dish for Thanksgiving? How about some brussel sprouts? I absolutely despised these as a child, but I am in love with them now.

Sometimes it's good to have something healthy on the holiday table. Cooked with garlic and shallots and topped with parmesan and bacon, they still taste good enough to place among the other stars of Thanksgiving.

Sauteed Brussel Sprouts:
Makes 8 Servings

2 lbs. brussel sprouts, trimmed
2 TBS olive oil
3 TBS minced shallots
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBS white cooking wine
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 slices turkey bacon, cooked and chopped or crumbled
3 TBS fresh shaved parmesan

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute shallots and garlic until shallots are transparent, about 1/2 minutes. Add brussel sprouts and saute 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add cooking wine and broth and scrape the bottom of the pan. When liquid begins to boil, reduce heat to low. Season with salt and pepper and cover. Let simmer 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
When brussel sprouts are tender, transfer to a serving dish. Top with turkey bacon and Parmesan shavings.

For 1/8 the recipe: 100 calories, 4g fat, 1g saturated fat, 192mg sodium, 11g carbohydrates,

4g fiber, 5g protein

Fresh Cranberry Salad (Low Carb/Low Fat)

This recipe is a tradition at my Thanksgiving table. It's a recipe my great grandmother used to make every Thanksgiving, and the tradition passed on to my family. And now it's an absolute must!

I've altered the recipe to be more Diabetic friendly, but it tastes just like the original recipe. And is still just as loved by me. Seriously, I could eat the whole pan for dessert, that's how much I love it.

The thing that may seem strange in this recipe is the fact that there is celery in it. Don't let that scare you away. The celery with the pineapple and fresh cranberries is so refreshing and delicious. The flavor is absolutely amazing. Give it a try!

Fresh Cranberry Salad:
Makes 9 Servings

1 large package sugar free raspberry jello
2 cups boiling water
1 cup cold water
1 cup fresh whole cranberries
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup canned crushed pineapple in 100% pineapple juice, undrained
1/3 cup chopped celery
1 tsp light sugar (sugar/stevia blend)
1 cup plus 1 TBS light whipped topping

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. When dissolved, add the cold water. Pour in a 8x8 baking dish and place in refrigerator to start setting.
In a food processor, blend the cranberries, pecans, celery and sugar into small chunks. Measure out 1/2 cup of the pineapple with juice and mix together with the cranberry mixture.
When jello is slightly set, stir in the cranberry mixture and refrigerate until firm, 4-6 hours.
When ready to serve, cut into 9 squares and top each with 2 TBS light whipped topping.

For 1/9 the recipe: 85 calories, 5g fat, 0g saturated fat, 56mg sodium, 6g carbohydrates, 

1g fiber, 1g protein

Green Bean Casserole (Low Carb/Low Fat)

Continuing with the low carb Thanksgiving recipes, here is an alternative to the traditional Campbell's green bean casserole. Much lower in carbs and in fat. I was very excited about how delicious this turned out. As sad as it was to omit the fried onions on top, it was fantastic with the caramelized onions!

Green Bean Casserole:
Makes 8 Servings

1 1/2 lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup reduced sodium cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup half & half
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 medium white onion, sliced
2 TBS olive oil, divided
Mrs. Dash seasoning to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a small casserole dish and set aside.
Boil the green beans in lightly salted water and boil until bright green softened.
Meanwhile, mix the soup, yogurt, half & half and pepper in a medium bowl.
When green beans are done, drain and add to the yogurt mixture.
Heat 1 TBS olive oil in a small skillet and cook the mushrooms until browned. Remove from heat and add to the green beans. In the same skillet, heat the remaining TBS of olive oil and cook the onions over low heat until caramelized.  Remove from heat and set aside.
Pour the green beans into the casserole dish and top with the cooked onions. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook another 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and top with desired amount of Mrs. Dash seasoning.

For 1/8 the recipe: 84 calories, 4g fat, 1g saturated fat, 89mg sodium, 9g carbohydrates,

4g fiber, 3g protein