Low-Carb Cooking

For low sugar, this is pretty darn good! I really love pecan pie - but it's got way too much sugar for me to have it unless I can figure out a way to lower that sugar. So I experimented and adapted, and came up with this. I used Mrs. Butterworth's Sugar-Free Syrup, though I'm sure any brand will do. The filling wasn't as transluscent as regular pecan pie, but hey, the flavor was there!

Low-Sugar Pecan Pie

3 eggs
2 teaspoons Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
5 teaspoons Splenda granular
1 cup light or sugar-free pancake syrup
⅓ cup butter, melted
1 cup pecan halves
Pastry for 9" pie

Preheat oven to 350 degrees˚.
Mix eggs and sugar. Stir in the breakfast syrup and melted butter. Stir in the pecan halves. Line a 9-inch pie pan with the pie dough and pour in the pecan pie filling mixture. Bake for 25 minutes with edges covered with foil or pie crust protectors.
Remove foil from the edges and bake for another 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Dinner was a recipe from Martha Green (a local bakery owner with her own cooking spot on the NPR ratio station). I didn't like it at all. But Don did, so it must just be a matter of personal taste. I think I've decided I don't like hoisin. I'm not sure what it was about the sauce, but I bet the sauce I make with Chicken Satay would go with this chicken - or even some sweet and sour sauce.

Sesame Chicken with Spicy Peanut Sauce

6 tablespoons warm water
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup hoisin sauce
1 clove, garlic minced
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, or 1 tsp. dried
¾ cups sesame seeds
1-½ lbs chicken tenderloins
6 tablespoons vegetable oil

Whisk water, peanut butter, hoisin, garlic, pepper flakes and cilantro in bowl. Place sesame seeds in shallow dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper and roll in sesame seeds, pressing to adhere.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over med-high heat until just smoking. Cook half of chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to large plate lined with paper towels, wipe out skillet, and repeat with remaining oil and chicken. Serve with dipping sauce. Serves 4.

To go with the chicken I made one of my favorite salads, one that you see a lot a potlucks. I like the combination of flavors, and have made this relatively low carb by using Splenda instead of sugar.

Oriental Cole Slaw
Dressing: 1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons Splenda granular
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Salad:
1/2 medium cabbage, shredded
4-5 green onions, thinly sliced (with tops)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 package dry ramen noodles, crushed

In a jar with a tight lid, shake together dressing ingredients. Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl, and pour dressing over. Mix well. Serve immediately so the ramen doesn't get soft.



Surgery Update: T had to have a transfusion due to low hemoglobin, but is now getting up out of bed and sitting in a chair to eat her meals. She still has the catheter in (WHY?) and hopes to lose that tomorrow. They stopped the intravenous pain meds, and switched her to oral ones. I hope that when I go see her tomorrow I can join her on some walks around the 4th floor. Still no word on when she'll be coming home.