Sesame chicken tenders

My husband has been "forcing" himself to eat pie leftovers since Thanksgiving. I made pumpkin pie and company brought apple pie. What torture for my spouse to eat all that pie since I cannot eat any of it. I think he will soon go through pie withdrawal after the supply ends.

Most traditional Thanksgiving foods are not candida-diet friendly for those of us eating low-glycemic diets. I love turkey but what happens when the supply dwindles. I turn to low-carb sesame chicken tenders. We gobbled them up greedily. Fortunately, I snatched a couple aside to snap a photo.

Low-Carb Sesame Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
2. 4 T. sesame seeds
3. 1 -2 tsp. Chinese Five-Spice
4. 1 T. olive oil
5. Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray and oil baking sheet or pan and preheat in oven to distribute the oil.
2. In a shallow bowl or dish, combine sesame seeds and five spice.
3. Rinse chicken tenders in water.
4. Roll chicken tenders in seed/spice blend to coat.
5. Make additional seed/spice coating if needed.
6. Place coated tenders in preheated, oiled cooking pan.
7. Bake in oven for approximately 15 minutes. Then turn tenders and bake another 15 minutes until crispy.

Serve with a hot, spicy dipping sauce. Saute 2 T. chopped onion in 1 tsp. oil in a small skillet. Add can of tomato sauce (purchase the kind with no additives); 1 tsp. each Bragg's Amino Acids and hot sauce of your choice. Continue cooking until heated through.

Spaghetti squash stew

I keep looking for ways to use up my store of spaghetti squash from last summer's garden. Spaghetti squash chicken stew tops my list as my favorite spaghetti squash recipe. My son, who is not a squash lover, even enjoys it.

Spaghetti Squash Chicken Stew
(serves 6)

Ingredients:

1. 1 T. grapeseed oil or other oil of your choice
2. 6 boned, skinless chicken thighs
3. 1 medium onion, chopped
4. 1 red pepper, cut into one-inch pieces
5. 2 garlic cloves, minced
6. 8 ounces chicken broth, gluten-free, sugar-free
7. 6 chopped roma tomatoes or 14 1/2-ounce can of diced tomatoes
8. 1 T. paprika
9. 1/2 tsp. sea salt
10. 1 baked spaghetti squash
11. 8-12 ounces of frozen or fresh green beans
12. 1/4 cup unsweetened sunbutter

Directions:

1. Bake the spaghetti squash until fork tender; allow to cool and scoop out the squash and cut into bite-sized pieces; set aside
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and saute until browned; remove to a plate.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, onions, pepper and saute until softened.
4. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, paprika and salt. Bring to a boil and add the chicken and green beans. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the chicken and veggies are tender.
5. Add the sunbutter and stir until well-blended.
6. Add the squash and cook until mixture is hot and thickened.
7. Serve in bowls or as an option, ladle over additional spaghetti squash as pictured above.
   

Cocoa Spice Tea

I've been enjoying looking out my window from my kitchen because I have a view of this precious baby llama and her mama. These two reside in my neighbors' pasture, and I've been able to watch the twosome since the baby was born in September.

It's cheap entertainment watching the two from my window and enjoying a cup of cocoa spice tea. One of my favorite teas has always been Yogi Cocoa Spice but I go through it so fast I decided to try to duplicate the tea with my own recipe.

Sheree's Cocoa Spice Tea Recipe
(makes three big cups)


Ingredients:

1. 6 cups of water
2. 3 bags Yogi Chai Rooibos tea or red tea
3. 3 cinnamon sticks
4. 6 whole cloves
5. 6 whole cardamon seeds
6. 1 T. cocoa powder
7. liquid stevia

Directions:

1. Place the water and spices in a large saucepan.
2. Once the water boils, add the tea bags and cocoa powder.
3. Turn off, cover the pan and allow to set on the burner for five minutes or longer.
4. Serve with Tempt hemp milk or other alternative beverages. Add stevia to taste.
5. For a real chocolate spice treat, add unsweetened chocolate almond milk.
   

Low-carb chocolate pudding

Fall hasn't really been fall where I live until the last few days. Snuggling under a blanket is what my pal, Pumpkin, (pictured above) likes to do on a cold, rainy day, like we're having today. His idea could be catching but then I wouldn't get anything done.

Instead, how about mixing up a batch of low-carb chocolate or carob pudding? It's unbelievably simple and quick, and gives you a dessert fix with minimal carbs and calories (less than 60 depending on what you add).

Low-Carb Chocolate (Carob) Pudding (1 serving)

Ingredients:

1. 3/4 cup chocolate, unsweetened almond milk
2. 1 T. cocoa or carob powder
3. 1/2 tsp. guar gum
4. Alcohol-free stevia for sweetener
5. Optional: 1 tsp. espresso powder

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until thickened.
2. Note: the mixture will continue to thicken if allowed to set for a few minutes.