Williamsburg Queen's Cake

Recently my husband and I visited Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. We both agree that it is one of our favorite places on the planet! It is so easy to be swept into the bygone era when our nation was being born by walking the streets, eating the delicious colonial fare and engaging in conversation with the costumed interpreters. If you've ever been there, you're sure to know of the Bake Shop hidden away behind the Raleigh Tavern filled with authentically reproduced cookies, cakes, ham biscuits and other delights. My favorite is the Queen's Cake, which is a modernized version adapted from a colonial recipe found in The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy that was published in 1760. It is a rich pound cake, studded with plump currants and infused with bold citrus flavor that is baked in a loaf pan then served in thin slices. It is heavenly, but extremely too high in carbohydrates and fat for me to have much more than a small bite.

I came home from my trip determined to recreate this moist cake. I'm happy to say this reduced-carb version looks and tastes every bit like the original with only 1/3 the carbs and only 1/2 the amount of saturated fat and calories! I took this dessert to a luncheon and my friends raved. One in particular, who visits Williamsburg regularly, couldn't believe it was anything but the traditional recipe!

If you bake these in small loaf pans and reduce the baking time to about 20-25 minutes, they make wonderful holiday gift cakes when wrapped in silver foil or colorful plastic wrap and tied with a pretty ribbon. Also, feel free to bake it in an 8" x 8" cake pan (reduce the cooking time by 10 minutes) and serve it as a coffee cake. Anyway you bake it, this flavorful cake will be a hit with your family and friends this holiday season.

Williamsburg Queen's Cake
(Makes 16 servings)

½ cup all-purpose flour
1¼ cup almond flour (or finely ground blanched almonds)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
¼ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup Splenda granular (not baking blend)
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
1 teaspoon pure orange extract
¼ cup almond milk (plain or original)
½ cup currants

1. Before you begin, have all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Prepare an 8½" x 4½" loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir with a fork to break up any lumps in the almond flour. Measure the currants into a small bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons of the flour mixture; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl and using a handheld or standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add ¼ cup of the Splenda and continue beating until incorporated. Add one egg and beat well. Add another ¼ cup Splenda and continue beating until incorporated. Repeat with second egg and the remaining ¼ cup Splenda, beating well after each addition. Add the final egg and extracts and beat well. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the almond milk in three parts, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating well after each addition. Fold the currants into the batter and pour into prepared pan.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Test at 45 minutes and bake longer if additional time is needed. Do not overbake to avoid drying out.

5. Remove from oven to a wire rack. Allow bread to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and continue to cool on wire rack for another hour. This bread can be left at room temperature for 1 day or overnight, or wrap well and store in refrigerator.

Nutritional Information per serving (½" slice): 147 calories, 13 g carbohydrate, 9.4 g total fat, 3.2 g saturated fat, 1.3 g fiber, 3.6 g protein

Original recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2009

How does this compare to the version adapted from the Colonial recipe? Traditional Queen's Cake calls for 2 sticks of butter, 1 cup of sugar, 5 eggs, 2 cups of flour and 2 cups currants! This results is a very high carb, high saturated fat dessert. (No wonder the Colonials didn't live very long!) For comparison, the nutritional information for the same size slice made from the traditional recipe is 282.5 calories, 38.8 g carbohydrate, 12.75 g total fat, 7.5 g saturated fat, 1.4 g fiber, 4 g protein.

Sugar-free Cranberry Orange Sauce

I love cranberry sauce with my turkey, but traditional cranberry sauce is off the charts! Even a small portion of only 1/4 cup is loaded with 22 grams of sugar and a high 27 grams of carbs. Add that to the other carbohydrates in a Thanksgiving meal and cranberry sauce, even a spoonful, is off limits for me. Instead of dwelling on the things I can't have because of my diabetes, on this Thanksgiving Day I smile and am thankful I live in an age when there are so many wonderful alternatives that make it easy to manage this complicated disease.

It's simple to make a sugar-free sauce by substituting Splenda for the sugar called for in the recipe found on the back of a bag of fresh cranberries, plus it cooks up quick on the stovetop. In the past, I've found this recipe a bit too sour for my tastes and a little runny. I tweaked the recipe just a bit to create this delicious variation. The fresh-squeezed orange juice and zest adds a subtle citrus flavor and natural sweetness, and the hint of vanilla balances out the tartness. The tiny amount of cornstarch helps to thicken the sauce (if necessary, substitute a gluten-free brand to meet your dietary needs). This cranberry sauce is so delicious, you can even top it with whipped cream and have it for dessert. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Sugar-free Cranberry Orange Sauce
(Makes eight ¼-cup servings)

One 12 ounce bag of cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 cup Splenda granular
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch salt
¼ teaspoon cornstarch mixed with ½ teaspoon cold water
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Zest the orange into a large saucepan. Squeeze the juice of the orange into a measuring cup. Fill with water to the 1 cup mark and add to the saucepan. Add the Splenda, nutmeg, salt and cranberries and bring to a boil.

2. Boil for 8 minutes (skins will split). Add the cornstarch mixed with water and boil for another minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Allow to cool in pan until mixture reaches room temperature. Store in the refrigerator until time to serve.

Nutritional Information per ¼ cup serving: 39.8 calories, 9.4 g carbohydrate, 0 g fat, 1.5 g fiber, 0 g protein.

Original recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2009

Baked & Stuffed Acorn Squash

Winter squash abound at the grocery and farmer's market these days. They are delicious roasted in the oven and make an excellent side or main dish. They are considered a starchy vegetable but are much more glycemic-friendly than potatoes or rice, plus they are rich in beta-carotene, high in fiber and are a good source of other vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, vitamins C & B and magnesium.

Acorn squash is typically green in color, but other colorful varieties are now available and worth sampling. Some others to look for are carnival, delicata (or sweet potato squash) and golden acorn. In this recipe, I used carnival squash which is a small, multi-colored member of the acorn family. The flesh is golden and mildly sweet when roasted. Because of it's colorful exterior and heart shape, it makes a spectacular presentation on the plate. The combination of smoky sausage, seasoned spinach and creamy fresh mozzarella is a wonderful and satisfying meal on a cold night. So, celebrate the late autumn harvest and eat a squash!

Baked & Stuffed Carnival Squash
(Makes 2 servings)

1 small carnival or acorn squash
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup frozen chopped spinach
1 clove garlic, minced
1 sausage patty, cooked and chopped (meat or vegetarian)
Salt & pepper to taste
1 ounce fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Cut squash in half. Scoop out and discard seeds. Drizzle olive oil onto baking sheet and place squash, cut side down, onto baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork.

2. Meanwhile, place chopped spinach in small sauce pan and add about ½ cup water. Bring to a boil and cook for 4 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking for another 3 minutes. Drain any remaining water and season with salt and pepper. Add sausage and stir to combine.

3. When tender, remove squash from oven and turn over. Season each half with a little salt & pepper. Add cubed mozzarella to spinach mixture and stir. Divide spinach mixture equally and fill each squash cavity to overflowing. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon Parmesan over each portion and serve immediately.

Nutritional Information per serving: 207 calories, 28.2 g carbohydrate, 4.7 g total fat, 1.3 g saturated fat, 8.6 g fiber, 12.3 g protein.

Original recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2009

Pumpkin Pie in a Cup

Thanksgiving! My favorite meal of the year. I read somewhere that when you're a PWD (person with diabetes), you never get a holiday and that's true. Just because it's Thanksgiving doesn't mean your blood sugar gets to take a holiday and go off the charts. You need to plan ahead, make choices or substitutions and measure portions just like every other day of the year. I know for me, giving up my favorite holiday foods, especially dessert, would leave me feeling unsatisfied and left out of the festivities. The experts will tell you "don't make it about the food" but, let's be honest here, Thanksgiving is very much about the food! Are those experts giving up their slice of pumpkin pie? (I doubt it.) Well, neither am I!

This excellent recipe has been perfected after many trials. I tried making a low carb crust with almond flour in various combinations with white or wheat flour, but they all turned out to be duds. Either they were too soggy, too tough, too high in carbs, or were too far from the REAL pumpkin pie taste that they failed the test. I almost gave up on the idea of crust altogether and thought I'd have to settle on pumpkin custard (which is good but doesn't have that same pie taste without the crust), then a light bulb went on over my head! The crust doesn't have to be on the bottom, I can have a little bit of real, white flour crust on the top while keeping the carbs down with other minor adjustments to the filling recipe -- I can have it all and so can you! Have a happy and sweet Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin Pie in a Cup
(Makes 6 or 8* servings)

3 eggs
One 15 oz. canned pumpkin (2 cups)
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
¾ cup Splenda granular
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
1¼ cups original almond milk or soy milk (not vanilla flavor)
¼ purchased roll out pie crust
1 egg + 1 tablespoon water
Whipped topping (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. In a large mixing bowl or 5 cup measure, beat eggs and add canned pumpkin. Whisk in brown sugar, Splenda, spices (2½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice can be substituted), salt and almond milk; set aside.

2. Place six* (7-ounce size) custard cups into a 9" x 13" baking dish. Measure 2/3 cup of pumpkin mixture into each cup. Pour very hot water into pan until it reaches about half way up the side of the custard cups and carefully transfer to oven. (Tip: To avoid spilling water, place pan on oven rack before pouring in hot water.)

3. Bake for 60-70 minutes until set and a knife comes out clean when inserted in center of custard. Remove from oven and transfer custard cups to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. While custard is cooling, preheat oven to 375-degrees. Using only ¼ of one roll-out pie crust, cut out 18 small leaf shapes with tiny cookie or pie crust cutters. Place on a cookie sheet that has been covered with a piece of parchment paper (or lightly grease with butter). Combine the egg with water and beat with a fork. Brush egg wash on pie crust cutouts and bake for 15 minutes or until browned. Remove to wire rack to cool. Store in a sealed plastic bag until serving time. To serve, place three cutouts on each pumpkin custard as garnish.

Nutritional Information per serving with 3 crust cutouts (topping not included in calculations): 140 calories, 19.4 g carbohydrate, 5.1 g total fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 2.5 g fiber, 4.3 g protein.

*NOTE: If you desire smaller portions with fewer carbs, use small custard cups and fill each with ½ cup pumpkin mixture. Cooking time will be reduced to 45-55 minutes. This measurement will yield eight servings with the following nutritional information per serving: 105 calories, 14.5 g carbohydrate, 3.8 g total fat, 1.1 g saturated fat, 1.9 g fiber, 3.2 g protein.

Original recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2009

How does this recipe compare with traditional Pumpkin Pie? It is much lower in calories, fat and carbohydrates, plus, with this recipe, you actually get more pumpkin filling than you would if you had a slice of pie! For comparision, the nutritional information for 1/8th of a 9" traditional pumpkin pie is 375 calories, 52.5 g carbohydrate, 16.2 g total fat, 7.5 g saturated fat, 2.5 g fiber, 5 g protein.

Carb-Friendly Vegetable Lo Mein

I love eating at a Chinese restaurant and one of my favorite dishes is Vegetable Lo Mein, which is chinese noodles with the most heavenly sauce. One might think because it's a vegetarian dish with the word "vegetable" in the name that it would be a good choice. Sadly, it is high calorie, carb dense and contains a lot more noodles than vegetables. So, what's a diabetic to do? Give it up completely? Not when you can make it at home with this quick and easy recipe that tastes every bit as good! The trick is to swap out the high carb noodles for a lesser amount of a high quality, low-carb pasta and fill in with a mountain of delicious, stir fried vegetables. You can make your own sauce or use a teriyaki bottled sauce. My favorite is Stonewall Kitchen's Garlic Teriyaki Sauce which contains about the same nutritional totals as my homemade version and, when I'm in a hurry to get dinner on the table, that's what I use.

The best thing about this recipe is the amount of food per serving! This is not a skimpy portion size; you'll get a plateful of incredible, tender-crisp vegetables with a satisfying amount of pasta glazed with a delectable sauce. Feel free to add whatever vegetables your family likes best. It is out-of-this-world delicious! So, if you miss having your favorite Chinese noodle dishes, give this one a try and I think it will become one of your best loved recipes, too.

Carb-Friendly Vegetable Lo Mein
(Makes 2 servings)

1½ cups Carba-Nada Lemon & Pepper Pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 cups broccoli florets
2 carrots, sliced thin and cut into 2” pieces
1 small zucchini, sliced thin and cut into 2” pieces
½ small onion, cut into 1” chunks
4 stalks bok choy (white part) or 2 celery stalks, cut on the bias into ½” pieces

Sauce ingredients: (or use ¼ cup bottled teriyaki sauce*)
1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1½ tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon rice wine (mirin) or sherry
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon cornstarch

1. Prepare low carb pasta according to the package directions. If not using a bottled teriyaki sauce, mix together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil on medium-high in a large non-stick skillet. Add carrots and celery and saute for 2-3 minutes until beginning to soften. Add remaining vegetables and continue to stir fry until tender crisp. Add sauce to pan and stir constantly until mixture has thickened slightly. Remove from heat. Drain cooked pasta and add to vegetable mixture and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information per serving (½ of recipe): 234.5 calories, 39.1 g carbohydrate, 4.8 g total fat, 0.62 g saturated fat, 4.8 g fiber, 10.6 g protein

*I recommend Stonewall Kitchen Garlic Teriyaki Sauce. It has exceptional flavor and about the same nutritional information per ¼ cup as the recipe provided.

Original recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2009

How does this recipe compare with traditional Vegetable Lo Mein? This recipe is about half the calories and significantly lower in carbohydrates and fat. For comparison, the nutritional information for the same amount of traditional lo mein is 411 calories, 64 g carbohydrate, 11 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 4 g fiber and 5 g protein.

Breakfast Smoothies

Occasionally I'm asked to suggest breakfast recipes. This is difficult for me to do because I don't eat breakfast in the traditional sense. Instead, I start every day with a high-fiber, protein smoothie that often incorporates fruit or chocolate (cocoa powder) that satisfies and keeps me going for hours! About a year and a half ago, I gave up cereal, toast, eggs, bacon, oatmeal, bagels, muffins or anything else many people turn to for breakfast because these items just don't contain the same nutritional density that my smoothie does and some are downright "carb-age" and would do my body more harm than good. I give my morning smoothies a lot of credit for my initial weight loss and I continue to drink them to maintain my weight. I want to be clear: I don't have a smoothie with breakfast, the smoothie IS my breakfast. But it doesn't need to be used only as a replacement for the morning meal, it can be used anytime of the day as a meal replacement.

Most of the products I use in my smoothies are easily found in your grocery store, such as frozen fruit, fresh fruit, cocoa powder, creamy peanut butter and almond milk. There are other ingredients that may need to be ordered on the Internet. For example, to boost the fiber content, I add PaleoFiber powder which contains 10 grams of fiber per tablespoon! (If you don't have a fiber powder, substitute Ground Flaxseed Meal, which is a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids.) Also, for flavoring, I often add DaVinci Sugar Free Syrups. My favorites are strawberry, cherry, caramel and peppermint paddy. For my protein powder, I have used almost exclusively the Light Living Premeal Beverage and highly recommend it for this purpose, although your local health food store will most likely carry something similar. If you're in the weight loss phase, I suggest purchasing a low-carb, protein powder made especially for weight loss which will help you accomplish this goal.

Green Smoothies are the craze these days. My mother has one every morning and she swears by them. If you're lucky enough to own a Vitamix high-power blender or another brand with a 2-hp motor or higher, try one soon. Green Smoothies are a mixture of fresh or frozen fruit, leafy greens (such as spinach, kale and collards) and water that has been liquefied into a smooth, vitamin-packed drink. The fruit adds sweetness and disguises the taste of the greens. It's a great way to get two or more servings of vegetables in one sitting. Here's a link to a video that will show you how easy it is to make one: Green Smoothie Video. If you want to learn more, search youtube.com for other excellent demonstrations and testimonials about green smoothies.

Finally, before I post a couple of my own recipes for smoothies, I would like to recommend a few low-carb smoothie recipe books that I use for flavor ideas:

1. Meal in a Glass: Low Calorie, Low-carb Protein Smoothie Recipes by Valerie Renee Campbell.

2. Low-Carb Smoothies by Dana Carpender. (This one is out of print, but very good if you can find it.)

3. Low-Carb Smoothies: More Than 135 Recipes to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth Without Guilt by Donna Pliner Rodnitzky.

My Breakfast Smoothie Recipes

Strawberry Banana Smoothie
(Makes 1 serving, pictured above)

In a blender, blend on high until well mixed together:

1 cup almond milk, unsweetened
½ cup Hood Calorie Countdown Dairy Beverage (or skim milk)
2 packets Splenda
½ small banana
2 tablespoons DaVinci Strawberry Sugar Free Syrup
1 teaspoon Jello Sugar-free Vanilla Pudding Singles powder (or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract)
1 tablespoon PaleoFiber powder (or ground flaxseed meal)
1 scoop Light Living Premeal Beverage (or Vanilla protein powder of your choice)

Nutritional Information per serving: 276 calories, 44.7 g carbohydrate, 2.6 g total fat, 14.3 g fiber, 16.7 g protein.


Snickers Smoothie
(Makes 1 serving)

In a blender, blend on high until well mixed together:

1 cup almond milk, unsweetened
½ cup Hood Calorie Countdown Dairy Beverage (or skim milk)
2 packets Splenda
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon DaVinci Caramel Sugar Free Syrup
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon PaleoFiber powder (or ground flaxseed meal)
¾ scoop Light Living Premeal Beverage (or Vanilla protein powder of your choice)

Nutritional Information per serving: 309 calories, 35.2 g carbohydrate, 11.2 g total fat, 14.8 g fiber, 18.4 g protein.

Original recipes by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2009

Game Day Munchies!

My large extended family are dedicated fans of college football. Although we may cheer for different teams on any given Saturday, we all enjoy the weekly watching parties that accompany the games. It's too easy to overeat when your attention is on the TV screen, so it's a good idea to plan ahead and provide finger foods that are nutritious and fun to eat. Put out some sliced apples or pears sprinkled with cinnamon and you'll see the fans gobble them up! Here are a couple of my favorite healthy party appetizers that are easy to prepare and delicious. They're perfect for any occasion, so keep them in mind for the upcoming holiday season. Go team!

Spinach Pepper Jack Dip
(Makes ten ¼ cup servings)

1 can condensed Cream of Celery Soup
¼ teaspoon pepper
One 10 oz. frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese (or Mexican Blend with spices)
½ cup light sour cream
¼ teaspoon cayenne (ground red pepper)
2-3 dashes of Tabasco sauce or to taste

1. In a medium sauce pan, heat soup, pepper, and spinach on medium-high heat to a boil. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add cheese, stir until melted. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

2. Add sour cream and cayenne, stir to combine. Sample mixture to check spice level. If you like it hotter, add Tabasco sauce to taste. Serve with a variety of raw vegetables, such as celery, carrots, broccoli florets, and cauliflower. This also is a great dip for my Oven Fried Spicy Chicken Nuggets (see recipe below).

Nutritional Information per ¼ cup dip (vegetables not included in calculations): 104.8 calories, 6.1 g carbohydrate, 6.7 g total fat, 2.9 g saturated fat, 1.1 g fiber, 4.1 g protein

Original recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2009


Oven Fried Spicy Chicken Nuggets
(Makes eight appetizer servings of 3 nuggets each)

12 chicken tenders (cut each in half)
½ cup whole wheat style Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon onion salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Dash of cayenne (ground red pepper)
½ teaspoon smoked Paprika
1½ tablespoon olive oil (or use oil in a Misto pump sprayer)

1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Drizzle ¾ tablespoon olive oil onto a baking sheet and place in oven until hot.

2. Meanwhile, place panko, cheese, onion salt, pepper, cayenne and paprika into a large food storage bag and shake to combine. Remove baking pan from oven and tilt to coat pan with hot oil. Add a few pieces of chicken to the breadcrumb mixture at a time and shake until chicken is lightly coated. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces. Carefully arrange them on the hot baking sheet in a single layer without pieces touching. Drizzle remaining ¾ tablespoon oil over chicken and bake for 10 minutes. (If you have a Misto pump, spray oil to coat top of chicken.)

3. After 10 minutes, remove pan from oven and turn chicken over to brown second side. Bake for another 8 minutes until chicken is cooked through and crispy. If necessary, remove chicken to paper towels to drain briefly before serving.

Nutritional Information per serving (3 nuggets): 94.7 calories, 3.5 g carbohydrate, 3.2 g total fat, 0.3 g saturated fat, 0.5 g fiber, 12.2 g protein

Original recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2009