Grilled Sesame Asparagus This is good with any of the Asian-influenced main courses in this book-or with anything else, for that matter.
1 pound (455 grams) asparagus 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce 2 tablespoons (30 ml) rice vinegar 1 tablespoon (15 ml) toasted sesame oil 1 jalapeno, finely minced 1 tablespoon sesame seeds Have your charcoal or gas grill ready; the prep on this recipe doesn"t take much time.
Snap the bottom off of each stalk of asparagus where it breaks naturally. Mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and minced jalapeno in a bowl. (Now wash your hands! You must always wash your hands after handling hot peppers, or the next time you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, you"ll be sorry.) Put the sesame seeds in a small, dry skillet, and shake them over medium-high heat until they start to make little popping sounds. Remove the pan from the heat.
Okay, throw your asparagus on the grill, over a medium fire-it"s a good idea to have a small-holed grill for this. Baste the asparagus with the soy sauce mixture as it grills and turn the asparagus a few times. Grill until the asparagus has brown spots and then remove to serving plates. Drizzle with the remaining soy sauce mixture, garnish with the toasted sesame seeds, and serve.
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each serving will have 4 grams of carbohydrate and 2 grams of fiber, for a usable carb count of 2 grams; 2 grams protein.
Asparagus with Sun-Dried Tomatoes 1 pound (455 g) asparagus 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil 2 tablespoons (28 g) b.u.t.ter 2 tablespoons (20 g) minced red onion clove garlic, crushed 2 tablespoons (10 g) sun-dried tomato halves, minced 2 teaspoons lemon juice Snap the ends off of the asparagus where they want to break naturally. Put them in a microwaveable ca.s.serole dish with a lid, add a couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of water, and cover-but don"t cook it yet. Make your sauce first.
In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil and the b.u.t.ter, swirling them together as the b.u.t.ter melts. Add the onion, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes to the oil and b.u.t.ter and saute until the onion is soft, being careful not to brown the onions or garlic. Stir in the lemon juice. Turn off the heat.
Okay, back to your asparagus. Microwave it on high for just 5 minutes. Uncover it the second it"s done! Divide it between 3 or 4 serving plates, spoon the sauce over it, and serve.
Yield: 3 to 4 servings 3 to 4 servings a.s.suming 3 servings, each will have 3 g protein; 10 g carbohydrate; 3 g dietary fiber; 7 g usable carbs.
Basic Artichokes 2 artichokes cup (60 ml) lemon juice Using kitchen shears, snip the pointy tips off the artichoke leaves. Split the artichokes down the middle, top to bottom, and sc.r.a.pe out the chokes.
Fill a slow cooker with water, add the lemon juice, and put in the artichokes. Cover the slow cooker, set it to high, and let it cook for 3 to 4 hours. Drain the artichokes.
Serve the artichokes with the dipping sauce of your choice, such as lemon b.u.t.ter, mayonnaise, aioli, chipotle mayonnaise, or whatever you"ve got. If you have a big slow cooker, feel free to cook more artichokes!
Yield: 2 servings 2 servings Each with 4 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 7 g dietary fiber, 9 g usable carbs. a.n.a.lysis does not include dipping sauces.
Fried Artichokes This is one of the fastest ways I know to cook artichokes.
1 large artichoke Olive oil Lemon wedges Salt Cut about 1 inch (2.5 cm) off the top of your artichoke, trim the stem, and pull off the bottom few rows of leaves. Now slice it vertically down the center. You"ll see the "choke"-the fuzzy, inedible part at the center. Using the tip of a spoon, sc.r.a.pe every last bit of this out (it pulls off of the yummy bottom part of the artichoke quite easily).
In a large, heavy skillet, heat 1 inch (2.5 cm) of olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add your cleaned artichoke, flat side down. Fry for about 10 minutes, turning over halfway through. It should be tender and just starting to brown a bit. Drain on paper towels or a brown paper bag.
Serve the artichoke halves with lemon wedges to squeeze over them and salt to sprinkle on them to taste.
Yield: 1 serving 1 serving 13 grams of carbohydrates and a whopping 7 grams f fiber, for a total of 6 grams of usable carbs (a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice add just 1 more gram) and 4 grams of protein.
If you"ve never encountered a fresh artichoke, you"ll probably be surprised to find that they"re sort of fun to eat: You peel off the leaves, one by one, and drag the base of each one between your teeth, sc.r.a.ping off the little bit of edible stuff and the bottom of each leaf. When you"ve finished doing that and you have a big pile of artichoke leaves on your plate, use a fork and knife to eat the delectable heart.
Stir-Fried Spinach Spinach originated in Asia, so stir-frying is a very traditional way of preparing it.
cup (60 ml) peanut oil 2 pounds (910 g) fresh spinach, washed and dried 2 cloves garlic, crushed Heat the oil in a heavy skillet or wok over high heat. Add the spinach and garlic, stir-fry for only a minute or two, and then serve.
Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 6 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of fiber, for a total of 2 grams of usable carbs and 4 grams of protein.
Sicilian Spinach 3 tablespoons (42 g) b.u.t.ter 2 pounds (910 g) fresh spinach, washed and dried 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 or 2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped Heat the b.u.t.ter in a heavy skillet. Add the spinach and garlic and saute until the spinach is just limp. Stir in the anchovies and serve.
Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 5 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of fiber, for a total of just 1 gram of usable carbs and 5 grams of protein.
Not everyone likes anchovies, and if you"re among those who don"t, just leave them out.
Creamed Spinach 1 package (10 ounces, or 280 g) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed cup (60 ml) heavy cream cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese 1 clove garlic, crushed Put all the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes.
Yield: 3 servings 3 servings Each with 5 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 2 grams of usable carbs and 6 grams of protein.
Easy Garlic Creamed Spinach This is about the easiest creamed spinach ever, and it"s quite good too.
Two 10-ounce (280 g) boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed, or two 10-ounce (280 g) bags triple-washed fresh spinach 1 tablespoon (14 g) b.u.t.ter 5.2-ounce (145 g) package creamy garlic-herb cheese (such as Boursin or Alouette) If you"re using fresh spinach, you might coa.r.s.ely chop it. Melt the b.u.t.ter in a large, heavy skillet, and add the spinach. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes-you want fresh spinach just barely wilted and frozen spinach just well-heated through.
Cut the cheese into a few chunks and add it to the skillet. Stir until the cheese is completely melted and then serve.
Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 4 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 1 gram of usable carbs and 4 grams of protein.
Greek Spinach 1 tablespoon (14 g) b.u.t.ter small onion, minced 1 package (10 ounces, or 280 g) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed cup (40 g) crumbled feta cheese cup (55 g) cottage cheese Melt the b.u.t.ter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and let it sizzle for just a minute. Add the spinach and saute, stirring now and then, for 5 to 7 minutes.
Add in the cheeses and stir until they start to melt. Let the spinach cook for another minute or so and then serve.
Yield: 3 servings 3 servings Each with 6 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 3 grams of usable carbs and 7 grams of protein.
Sour Cream Spinach My husband liked this so much, he ate the whole batch.
10-ounce (280-g) package frozen chopped spinach medium onion 2 tablespoons (28 g) b.u.t.ter [image]cup (75 g) sour cream 1 teaspoon cider vinegar Unwrap the spinach and put it in a microwaveable ca.s.serole dish with a lid. Add a couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of water, cover, and cook it on high for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, start sauteing the onion in the b.u.t.ter over medium-high heat.
When the microwave goes "ding," check to see if the spinach is done-you want it good and hot all the way through but not cooked to death. If there"s still a cold spot in the middle, stir it and put it back for another 2 minutes on high.
When the spinach is cooked and the onion is translucent, drain the spinach and stir it into the onion in the skillet, combining well. Stir in the sour cream and the vinegar, heat it through without letting it simmer, and then serve.
Yield: 3 servings 3 servings Each with 6 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 3 grams of usable carbs and 4 grams of protein.
Sag Paneer With the cottage cheese, this isn"t totally authentic, but it"s mighty tasty.
2 tablespoons (28 g) b.u.t.ter 1 teaspoon curry powder 1 package (10 ounces, 280 g) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed 1 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal [image]cup (75 g) small-curd cottage cheese 2 teaspoons sour cream Melt the b.u.t.ter in a heavy skillet over low heat and stir in the curry powder. Let the curry powder cook in the b.u.t.ter for 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in the spinach and the salt. Cover the skillet and let the spinach cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until heated through.
Stir in the cottage cheese and sour cream and cook, stirring, until the cheese has completely melted.
Yield: 3 servings 3 servings Each with 5 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 2 grams of usable carbs and 6 grams of protein.
Spinach Mushroom Kugel I came up with this for a Pa.s.sover column I wrote, but it"s a great side dish for anyone, any time of year!
8 ounces (225 g) sliced mushrooms 1 medium onion, chopped 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil 3 10-ounce (280 g) boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained 2 eggs cup (180 g) mayonnaise 1 teaspoon beef bouillon concentrate 2 tablespoons (20 g) almond meal teaspoon guar or xanthan Preheat oven to 350F (180C, or gas mark 4).
Saute mushrooms and onion in the oil until the onion is translucent and the mushrooms soften. Transfer to a mixing bowl, reserving 9 mushroom slices for garnish, and add the spinach; mix well.
Stir together the eggs, mayonnaise, and bouillon concentrate until the concentrate dissolves. Stir into vegetables. Stir in the almond meal. Sprinkle half the guar or xanthan over the mixture and stir in well; repeat with the second half.
Spread evenly in a greased 8 8-inch (20 20-cm) baking dish. Decorate with reserved mushrooms. Bake for 1 hour. Cut in squares to serve.
Yield: 9 servings 9 servings Each with 6 g protein; 7 g carbohydrate; 3 g dietary fiber; 4 g usable carbs.
Soy Grilled Vidalias I"m always so torn about onions. On the one hand, they"re higher-carb than most vegetables. On the other hand, they"re extremely nutritious and taste incredibly good-and they certainly aren"t as high-carb as, say, a potato. So I grill onions, but I watch my portions.
2 large Vidalia onions cup (60 ml) soy sauce 1 clove garlic, crushed 2 teaspoons Splenda Peel your onions and slice them pretty thickly- about inch (1.3 cm) or a little thicker. Mix together everything else. Lay the onion slices in a grill basket or on a small-holed grill rack over a medium fire. Baste them with the soy sauce mixture and grill them until they"re limp with brown spots; then serve.
Yield: 6 servings 6 servings If you can bring yourself to share these between 6 people, each of you will get 4 grams of carbohydrate and 1 gram of fiber, for a usable carb count of 3 grams; 1 gram protein.
You may well find that your slices fall apart into individual rings when you turn them. This doesn"t bother me, but if it bothers you, here"s a trick: before slicing your onions, pierce them with wooden or bamboo skewers (soak them in water for at least a half hour first) inch (1.3 cm) apart and then slice between the skewers. Your slices will come out neatly skewered across the rings for easy turning.
Unbelievable Onion Rings The thing you"ll find hard to believe is that these are far lower-carb than the high-carb onion rings you get at restaurants! They"re not dirt-low in carbs, but to me, onion rings are crack in food form, so being able to have a really good, reasonably low-carb onion ring now and then is a very big deal.
3 medium Vidalia onions 1 cup (115 g) Atkins Bake Mix 2 tablespoons Atkins Cornbread Mix cup (30 g) oat flour 1 teaspoon seasoned salt 2 eggs 12 ounces (360 ml) light beer (Michelob Ultra, Miller Lite, or Milwaukee"s Best Light are lowest carb.) Salt Preheat a deep-fat fryer to 375F (190C).
Peel the onions and slice them fairly thick. Separate them into rings and set aside.
In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the Atkins Bake Mix, Atkins Cornbread Mix, oat flour, and seasoned salt, stirring them together well. Add the eggs and the beer and whisk them in.
When the fat is up to temperature, dip the onion rings into the batter and then drop them (carefully!) into the hot fat. (Note: If you"re using a deep-fat fryer, have your fry basket already submerged. If you put the batter-coated rings in the basket and then lower it, your onion rings will weld themselves to your fry basket and create a royal mess.) Fry until golden (you may have to turn them over to get both sides browned), drain on absorbent paper, sprinkle with salt, and devour!
Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 14 grams of carbohydrate and 4 grams of fiber, for a usable carb count of 10 grams; 16 grams of protein. (By comparison, a serving of 8 to 9 restaurant onion rings averages about 30 grams of carbohydrate.) Broccoli with Lemon b.u.t.ter I"m always bemused when I see frozen broccoli with lemon b.u.t.ter at the grocery store. I mean, how hard is it to add b.u.t.ter and lemon juice to your broccoli?
1 pound (455 g) frozen broccoli or 1 large head fresh broccoli 4 tablespoons (56 g) b.u.t.ter 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice Steam or microwave the broccoli. When it"s cooked, drain off the water and toss the broccoli with the b.u.t.ter and lemon juice until the b.u.t.ter is melted. That"s it!
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 6 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 3 grams of usable carbs and 3 grams of protein.
Broccoli Piquant This is a country-style dish that"s good with pork chops.
1 bag (1 pound, or 455 g) frozen broccoli "cuts"
4 slices bacon 1 clove garlic, crushed 3 tablespoons (45 ml) cider vinegar Steam or microwave the broccoli until just tender-crisp.
While the broccoli is cooking, fry the bacon until crisp, remove from the pan, and drain. Pour off all but a couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of the fat.
When the broccoli is cooked, drain and add it to the bacon fat in the skillet. Add the garlic and vinegar and stir over medium heat for a minute or two.
Crumble the bacon over the broccoli, stir for another minute or so, and serve.
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 7 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 4 grams of usable carbs and 5 grams of protein.
Grilled Broccoli Salad Before I made this salad, I"d never had grilled broccoli. It"s wonderful!
1 head broccoli 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil cup (60 ml) rice wine vinegar cup (60 ml) soy sauce 2 tablespoons (30 ml) toasted sesame oil cup (30 g) sesame seeds Start a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill.
Trim the bottom of the broccoli stem and cut into spears. Brush with a little of the olive oil and grill over a medium to medium-low fire until flecked with brown spots. Remove from the fire.
Put the grilled broccoli in a bowl and add the rest of the oil, the vinegar, the soy sauce, and the sesame oil. Stir to coat the broccoli and let the whole thing sit for at least a half hour or so.
Before serving, put the sesame seeds in a small, dry skillet and shake them over medium-high heat until they start to make little popping sounds. Add to your salad, toss, and serve at room temperature.
Yield: 4 to 5 servings 4 to 5 servings a.s.suming 4, each will have 12 grams of carbohydrate and 6 grams of fiber, for a usable carb count of 6 grams; 7 grams protein.
Broccoli Dijon For the work involved-practically none-this is really great.
1 pound (455 g) frozen broccoli cuts or spears cup (60 ml) vinaigrette dressing (I use Paul Newman"s Olive Oil and Vinegar.) 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Dijon mustard 3 scallions, sliced thin I like to use broccoli cuts for this, but use spears or florets if that"s what you have on hand; it"ll be fine. If your broccoli is frozen in a clump, throw the bag on the floor, hard, a few times to break it up, or if it"s a box, slam all sides of it against the counter. This will make sure it"s separated and cooks evenly. Put your smashed-apart broccoli, still frozen, in a microwaveable ca.s.serole dish with a lid. Add a couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of water, cover, and cook on high for 7 minutes. It should be tender-crisp by then, but if there are still cold spots, stir it and give it another minute or two. Don"t overcook!
While the broccoli is cooking, measure the dressing and the mustard into a bowl and whisk together.
Okay, the broccoli"s done! Drain it and then pour the dressing over it and toss. Add the scallions, toss again, and serve immediately.
Yield: 3 to 4 servings 3 to 4 servings a.s.suming 3 servings, each will have 5 g protein; 9 g carbohydrate; 5 g dietary fiber; 4 g usable carbs.
Ginger Stir-Fry Broccoli 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) peanut oil or other bland oil 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 bag (1 pound, or 455 g) frozen broccoli "cuts," thawed 1 tablespoon (6 g) grated fresh ginger 1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce Heat the peanut oil in a wok or heavy skillet over high heat. Add the garlic and the broccoli and stir-fry for 7 to 10 minutes or until the broccoli is tender-crisp.
Stir in the ginger and soy sauce, stir-fry for just another minute, and serve.
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 7 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 4 grams of usable carbs and 4 grams of protein.
Broccoli with Bacon and Pine Nuts This is quite special. Don"t cook your broccoli any longer than 2 hours!
1 pound (455 g) frozen broccoli, unthawed 1 clove garlic, crushed 3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled 1 tablespoon (14 g) b.u.t.ter 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil 2 tablespoons (30 g) pine nuts (pignolia), toasted Place the broccoli in a slow cooker. Stir in the garlic and crumble in the bacon. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 2 hours.
Before serving, stir in the b.u.t.ter and oil and top with the pine nuts.
Yield: 3 servings 3 servings Each with 8 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 5 g dietary fiber, 3 g usable carbs.
About Cooking Spaghetti Squash If you"ve never cooked a spaghetti squash, you may be puzzled as to how to go about it, but it"s really easy: Just stab it several times (to keep it from exploding) and put it in your microwave on high for 12 to 15 minutes. Then slice it open and scoop out and discard the seeds. Now take a fork and start sc.r.a.ping at the "meat" of the squash. You will be surprised and charmed to discover that it separates into strands very much like spaghetti, only yellow-orange in color.
Spaghetti squash is not a terribly low-carb vegetable, but it"s much lower-carb than spaghetti, so it"s a useful subst.i.tute in many recipes-especially ca.s.seroles. If you only need half of your cooked spaghetti squash right away, the rest will live happily in a resealable plastic bag in your fridge for 3 to 4 days until you do something else with it.
Spaghetti Squash Alfredo We love this! My husband is an Alfredo fiend, so by using spaghetti squash instead of pasta, he gets his fix without all those additional carbs.
2 cups (450 g) cooked spaghetti squash, separated into strands 3 tablespoons (42 g) b.u.t.ter 3 tablespoons (45 ml) heavy cream 1 clove garlic, crushed cup (25 g) grated or shredded Parmesan cheese Simply heat up your squash and stir in everything else. Stir until the b.u.t.ter is melted and serve!
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 4 grams of carbohydrates, a trace of fiber, and 3 grams of protein.
This makes a very nice side dish with some chicken sauteed in olive oil and garlic.
Spaghetti Squash Carbonara This makes a very filling side dish.
8 slices bacon 4 eggs cup (75 g) grated Parmesan cheese 3 cups (675 g) cooked spaghetti squash, separated into strands 1 clove garlic, crushed Fry the bacon until it"s crisp. Remove it from the pan and pour off all but a couple tablespoons (30 ml) of grease.
Beat the eggs with the cheese and toss with the spaghetti squash. Pour the squash mixture into the hot fat in the skillet and add the garlic. Toss for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat.
Crumble in the bacon, toss, and serve.
Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 6 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 5 grams of usable carbs and 11 grams of protein.
You can make this dish higher in protein by using a cup or two of diced leftover ham in place of the bacon. Brown the ham in olive oil, remove from the pan, cook the squash mixture in the oil, and then toss in the ham just before serving.