Gin Rickey This old-fashioned c.o.c.ktail is one of my new favorites!
1 tablespoon lime juice 1 shot (1 ounces, or 42 ml) gin Club soda to fill Put the lime juice and gin in the bottom of a tall gla.s.s. Fill with ice and then add club soda to the top.
Yield: 1 serving 1 serving 1 gram of carbohydrate, a trace of fiber, and a trace of protein.
Daiquiri Forget all those strawberry daiquiris and banana daiquiris-this is the original, and it"s remarkably refreshing.
1 shot (1 ounces, or 42 ml) lime juice 2 shots (3 ounces, or 85 ml) white rum 1 tablespoon (1.5 g) Splenda You can make this two ways: on the rocks or frozen. For a daiquiri on the rocks, simply mix all the ingredients well and pour over ice. For a frozen daiquiri, plunk all the ingredients plus 3 to 4 ice cubes in your blender and blend until the ice is pulverized.
Yield: 1 serving 1 serving 4 grams of carbohydrate, no fiber, no protein (hah!).
Dana Ma.s.sey"s Low-Carb Strawberry Daiquiris This is a sweet indulgence, so have fun!
3 to 4 cups (330 to 440 g) fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed if using frozen to cup (120 to 180 ml) light rum cup (60 ml) lime juice (Don"t use Rose"s bottled lime juice-it has sugar added.) to[image] cup (6 to 8 g) Splenda (you may use a different sugar subst.i.tute; adjust measurements accordingly) cup (6 to 8 g) Splenda (you may use a different sugar subst.i.tute; adjust measurements accordingly) Crushed ice Place strawberries, rum, lime juice, and sugar subst.i.tute in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add ice; continue to blend until well combined.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings 4 to 6 servings a.s.suming 4, each will have 1 g protein; 11 g carbohydrate; 3 g dietary fiber; 8 g usable carbs.
To make Low-Carb Strawberry Margaritas, replace the rum with tequila.
Dana Ma.s.sey"s note: We use erythritol in this recipe.
Dana Carpender"s note: I"d probably use Splenda, myself.
Margarita Fizz 1 shot (1 ounces, or 42 ml) tequila 1 shot (1 ounces, or 42 ml) lime juice 1 teaspoons Splenda 8 ounces (240 ml) unsweetened orange-flavored sparkling water Put the tequila, lime juice, and Splenda in the bottom of a tall gla.s.s and stir. Fill with ice and pour in orange-flavored sparkling water to fill.
Yield: 1 serving 1 serving 4 grams of carbohydrate, a trace of fiber, and a trace of protein.
Seabreeze Sunrise If you like fruity drinks, try this!
1 shot (1 ounces, or 42 ml) tequila 1 shot (1 ounces, or 42 ml) low-sugar cranberry juice c.o.c.ktail (Ocean Spray makes one.) 8 ounces (240 ml) pink grapefruitflavored Crystal Light (or any no-sugar grapefruit-flavored drink mix), prepared Combine the tequila and cranberry juice c.o.c.ktail in a tall gla.s.s, fill with ice, and pour in the grapefruit-flavored drink.
Yield: 1 serving 1 serving 3 grams of carbohydrate, 0 grams fiber, and 0 grams protein.
Hard Lemonade Commercially made hard lemonade is actually a malt beverage-in the same cla.s.s as beer. That makes it high carb right there, plus it has sugar. But how hard can it be to make your own?
1 shot (1 ounces, or 42 ml) vodka Sugar-free lemonade (Both Country Time and Wyler"s make a sugar-free lemonade mix.) Just fill a tall gla.s.s with ice, pour in the vodka, and fill with sugar-free lemonade. Garnish with a lemon slice, if you like!
Yield: 1 serving 1 serving 1 gram carbohydrate, 0 grams fiber, and 0 grams protein.
Mojito I"m tragically unhip. I discovered the Mojito while writing this book and fell in love with it-only to learn it had been the hot drink for at least a year!
If you haven"t tried this cla.s.sic Cuban drink, you must. (Don"t have fresh mint? There"s nothing easier to grow-indeed, plant mint and it will threaten to take over your yard!) 1 shot (1 ounces, or 42 ml) white rum 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lime juice 1 sprig fresh mint 1 teaspoon Splenda Club soda to fill Combine the rum, lime juice, mint, and Splenda in the bottom of a tall gla.s.s. Using the back of a spoon, press the mint well to release the flavor and stir everything together. Now fill the gla.s.s with ice, then with club soda.
Yield: 1 serving 1 serving 2 grams carbohydrate, a trace of fiber, and a trace of protein.
Wine Spritzer This is a great drink if you want something mild that you can sip on for a while without getting incapacitated. (A good thing to bear in mind if you have to play around with the grill rack and manipulate hot coals!) 3 ounces (90 ml) dry red wine Unsweetened berry-flavored sparkling water to fill.
Pour the wine over ice in a tall gla.s.s and pour in berry-flavored sparkling water to fill Yield: 1 serving 1 serving 1 gram carbohydrate, 0 grams fiber, a trace of protein.
Wine Cooler You have a lot of leeway here! Basically, you"re combining wine and diet soda. Experiment to find your favorite combinations.
3 to 5 ounces (90 to 150 ml) dry wine-red or white, whichever you prefer Diet soda-consider trying lemon-lime, red raspberry, tangerine or orange, or grapefruit (Fresca) Pour the wine over ice in a tall gla.s.s and fill with the soda of your choice.
Yield: 1 serving 1 serving a.s.suming you use 3 ounces (90 ml) of wine, this will have about 1 gram of carbohydrate, 0 grams fiber, and a trace of protein.
Salty Dog This old summer favorite is usually made with grapefruit juice-at 22 grams of carbohydrate per cup. We"d better use the pink grapefruitflavored Crystal Light!
Coa.r.s.e salt 1 shot (1 ounces, or 42 ml) gin Crystal Light pink grapefruitflavored sugar-free drink mix (or any no-sugar grapefruit-flavored drink mix), prepared Rim a tall gla.s.s with salt. Fill it with ice and add the gin and Crystal Light grapefruit-flavored drink.
Yield: 1 serving 1 serving 1 gram carbohydrate, 0 grams fiber, 0 grams protein.
Dark and Stormy A cla.s.sic Dark and Stormy is made with ginger beer, not ginger ale, but there is no such thing as low-carb ginger beer, at least that I know of. So, I tried it with diet ginger ale and got a very tasty drink!
1 shot (1 ounces, or 42 ml) dark rum 1 shot (1 ounces, or 42 ml) lime juice Vernor"s Diet Ginger Ale (I like to use Vernor"s because it"s particularly crisp, but if you can"t find it, use any diet ginger ale you can get.) Put the rum and lime juice in a tall gla.s.s, add ice, and fill with ginger ale.
Yield: 1 serving 1 serving 3 grams of carbohydrate, a trace of fiber, and a trace of protein.
Shandy This is a cla.s.sic British summer cooler. If you make two, you"ll use up all the beer and all the ginger ale!
6 ounces (180 ml) chilled light beer 6 ounces (180 ml) chilled diet ginger ale Simply combine the two in a tall beer gla.s.s.
Yield: 1 serving 1 serving Using the lowest-carb light beer, this will have less than 2 grams of carbohydrate per serving, with no fiber, and a trace of protein.
Cuba Libre I bet most of you thought of this on your own, but here"s for those of you who didn"t.
1 shot (1 ounces, or 42 ml) white rum Diet cola Wedge of lime Put the shot of rum in a tall gla.s.s, fill with ice, and pour diet cola to the top. Squeeze in a wedge of lime.
Yield: 1 serving 1 serving 2 grams of carbohydrate, a trace of fiber, and a trace of protein.
Sangria This is a refreshing summer favorite!
1-liter bottle of dry red wine-burgundy, merlot, or the like (You can use the cheap stuff!) [image]cup (16 g) Splenda teaspoon orange extract teaspoon lemon extract 1 orange 1 lemon 1 lime Orange-or lemon-flavored unsweetened sparkling water Pour the wine into a nonreactive bowl. Stir in the Splenda and the extracts.
Now, you have to decide if you"re going to serve your sangria from a punch bowl or put it into a clean old jug. Me, I put it in an old 1-gallon (3.8 L) vinegar jug, but I was taking my sangria camping.
If you"re going to put your sangria in a punch bowl, simply scrub your fruit and slice it as thin as humanly possible. Put it in the punch bowl with the wine/Splenda mixture and let the whole thing macerate for an hour or so before serving.
If you"re using a jug, you"ll need to cut your fruit into small chunks that will fit through the neck. Force the fruit into the jug and then pour the wine/Splenda mixture over it. Again, let it macerate for at least an hour.
When the time comes to serve your sangria, fill a tall gla.s.s with ice, pour in 4 ounces (120 ml) of the wine mixture, and fill to the top with lemon-or orange-flavored sparkling water.
Yield: 12 servings 12 servings Each with 6 grams of carbohydrate (a.s.suming you actually eat all the fruit, which you won"t-I"m figuring it"s really between 4 and 5 grams), a trace of fiber, and a trace of protein.
3.
Appetizers and Snacks
Wicked Wings Once you try these, you"ll understand the name- they"re "wicked good"! These are a bit messy and time-consuming to make, but they"re worth every minute. They"ll impress the heck out of your friends too, and you"ll wish you"d made more of them. They also taste great the next day.
4 pounds (1.8 kg) chicken wings 1 cup (100 g) grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons (2.6 g) dried parsley 1 tablespoon (5.4 g) dried oregano 2 teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon salt teaspoon pepper cup b.u.t.ter Preheat the oven to 350F (180C, or gas mark 4). Line a shallow baking pan with foil. (Do not omit this step, or you"ll still be scrubbing the pan a week later.) Cut the wings into "drummettes," saving the pointy tips. (Not sure what to do with those wing tips? Freeze them for soup-they make great broth.) Combine the Parmesan cheese and the parsley, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Melt the b.u.t.ter in a shallow bowl or pan.
Dip each drumstick in b.u.t.ter, roll in the cheese and seasoning mixture, and arrange in the foil-lined pan.
Bake for 1 hour-and then kick yourself for not having made a double recipe!
Yield: About 50 pieces About 50 pieces Each with only a trace of carbohydrates, a trace of fiber, and 4 grams of protein.
Chinese Peanut Wings If you love Chinese barbecued spareribs, try making these.
cup (60 ml) soy sauce 3 tablespoons (4.5 g) Splenda 3 tablespoons (48 g) natural peanut b.u.t.ter 2 tablespoons (30 ml) dry sherry 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil 1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar 2 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice powder teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more, if you want them hotter) 1 clove garlic, crushed 12 chicken wings or 24 drumettes Preheat the oven to 325F (170C, or gas mark 3).
Put the soy sauce, Splenda, peanut b.u.t.ter, sherry, oil, vinegar, spice powder, pepper flakes, and garlic in a blender or food processor and blend well.
If you have whole chicken wings and want to cut them into "drummettes," do it now. (This is a matter of preference and is not essential.) Arrange the wings in a large baking pan, pour the blended sauce over them, and then turn them over to coat on all sides. Let them sit for at least half an hour (an hour is even better).
Bake the wings for an hour, turning every 20 minutes during baking.
When the wings are done, put them on a serving platter and sc.r.a.pe the sauce from the pan back into the blender or food processor. Blend again for just a moment to make it smooth and serve with the wings.
Yield: 24 pieces 24 pieces Each with 1 gram of carbohydrates, a trace of fiber, and 5 grams of protein.
Chili Lime Wings 1 tablespoon (7 g) paprika 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled teaspoon salt teaspoon pepper teaspoon garlic powder 1 pounds (680 g) chicken wings 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil 1 lime, cut in wedges Preheat oven to 375F (190C, or gas mark 5).
In a small bowl, combine the paprika and the next 5 ingredients (through garlic powder).
If you like individual "drummettes," cut your wings up (or you can buy them that way!). Arrange them in a pan and brush them with the olive oil. Now sprinkle the paprika mixture evenly over your wings.
Roast for at least 45 minutes, and an hour isn"t likely to hurt. You want them crispy! If you have a rotisserie with a basket, that"s a great way to cook these as well.
Serve hot, with wedges of lime to squeeze over the wings.
Yield: About 14 pieces About 14 pieces Each with 5 g protein; 1 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber; 1 g usable carb.
Chinese Sticky Wings Mmmmm-everyone loves Chinese chicken wings.
3 pounds (1.4 kg) chicken wings cup (60 ml) dry sherry cup (60 ml) soy sauce cup (60 ml) sugar-free imitation honey 1 tablespoon (6 g) grated ginger root 1 clove garlic teaspoon chili garlic paste Cut your wings into "drummettes" if they are whole. Put your wings in a big resealable plastic bag.
Mix together everything else, reserving some marinade for basting, and pour the rest into the bag. Seal the bag, pressing out the air as you go. Turn the bag a few times to coat the wings and throw it in the fridge for a few hours (a whole day is brilliant).
Preheat oven to 375F (190C, or gas mark 5). Pull out the bag, pour off the marinade, and arrange the wings in a shallow baking pan. Give them a good hour in the oven, basting every 15 minutes with the reserved marinade. Use a clean utensil each time you baste.
Serve with plenty of napkins!
Yield: About 28 pieces About 28 pieces Each with 5 g protein; trace carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber; 0 usable carb. Carb count does not include polyols in the sugar-free imitation honey.
Lemon Soy Chicken Wings These are Chinese-y too, just in a different sort of a way.
8 whole chicken wings 3 cloves garlic 1 tablespoon (6 g) grated ginger root 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice 3 tablespoons (45 ml) soy sauce 1 tablespoon (15 ml) sugar-free imitation honey 1 tablespoon (1.5 g) Splenda teaspoon chili powder If you like your wings cut into "drummettes," do that first. This keeps being repeated. Put wings in a resealable plastic bag.
Combine everything else. Reserve some liquid for basting and pour the rest over the wings. Seal the bag, pressing out the air as you go, and turn it a few times to coat. Let wings marinate for at least an hour, and all day won"t hurt a bit.
Preheat oven to 375F (190C, or gas mark 5). While the oven"s heating, drain the marinade off of the wings. Arrange wings in a shallow baking pan and roast for 1 hour, basting two or three times with the reserved marinade and using a clean utensil each time.
Yield: 16 pieces 16 pieces Each with 5 g protein; 1 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber; 1 g usable carb. Carb count does not include polyol in sugar-free honey.
Lemon-Mustard Chicken Wings 10 chicken wings 3 tablespoons (45 ml) brown mustard 2 tablespoons (3 g) Splenda 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice teaspoon chili paste teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal Preheat your oven to 400F (200C, or gas mark 6). Cut wings into drummettes. Arrange the wings in a baking pan.
Mix together everything else. Brush half of the mixture over the wings and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the wings, brush with the rest of the mustard mixture using a clean utensil, and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes. Serve.
Yield: 20 pieces 20 pieces Each with 5 g protein; trace carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber; no usable carb.
Stuffed Eggs Don"t save these recipes for parties: If you"re a low-carb eater, a refrigerator full of stuffed eggs is a beautiful thing. Here are six varieties. Feel free to double or triple any of these recipes-you know they"ll disappear.
Southwestern Stuffed Eggs These spicy eggs were a huge hit at the party I took them to!
6 hard-boiled eggs 2 tablespoons (28 g) mayonnaise 1 tablespoon (15 g) plain yogurt 1 tablespoon (10 g) minced onion teaspoon chili powder 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cider vinegar [image]teaspoon garlic, finely minced Peel the eggs and slice the eggs in half. Carefully remove the yolks to a mixing bowl and arrange the whites on a platter.
Mash the yolks well with a fork and then mash in the mayonnaise and yogurt. When the mixture is smooth, stir in the remaining ingredients.
Spoon the mixture back into the hollows in the egg whites. You may sprinkle a tiny bit of chili powder or paprika on top to make them look festive.
Yield: 12 pieces 12 pieces Each with 3 g protein; 1 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber; 1 g usable carb.
Onion Eggs 6 hard-boiled eggs 5 tablespoons (70 g) mayonnaise 1 teaspoon spicy brown or Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons very finely minced sweet red onion 5 drops hot pepper sauce teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal Peel the eggs and slice the eggs in half.
Carefully remove the yolks into a mixing bowl and arrange the whites on a platter.
Mash the yolks with a fork. Stir in the mayonnaise, mustard, onion, hot pepper sauce, and salt and mix until creamy.
Spoon the mixture back into the hollows in the egg whites.
Yield: 12 halves 12 halves Each with a trace of carbohydrates, a trace of fiber, and 3 grams of protein.
Fish Eggs That"s eggs with fish, not eggs from fish. If you thought stuffed eggs couldn"t go to an upscale party, these will change your mind.
6 hard-boiled eggs 2 tablespoons (28 g) mayonnaise 2 tablespoons (30 g) sour cream cup (50 g) moist smoked salmon, mashed fine 1 tablespoon (15 g) jarred, grated horseradish 2 teaspoons finely minced sweet red onion [image]teaspoon salt Peel the eggs and slice the eggs in half.
Carefully remove the yolks into a mixing bowl and arrange the whites on a platter.