Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each serving will have 9 grams of carbohydrate and 2 grams of fiber, for a usable carb count of 7 grams; 6 grams of protein.
Mushrooms with Bacon, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Cheese Just looking at the ingredients in the t.i.tle, you know you"ll love this!
4 slices bacon 8 ounces (225 g) sliced mushrooms teaspoon minced garlic or 1 clove fresh garlic cup (15 g) diced sun-dried tomatoes-about 10 pieces before dicing 2 tablespoons (30 ml) heavy cream [image]cup (26.7 g) shredded Parmesan cheese Chop up the bacon or snip it up with kitchen shears. Start cooking it in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. As some grease starts to cook out of the bacon, stir in the mushrooms.
Let the mushrooms cook until they start to change color and get soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for 4 to 5 more minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cream and cook until the cream is absorbed.
Scatter the cheese over the whole thing, stir it in, let it cook for just another minute, and serve.
Yield: 3 or 4 servings 3 or 4 servings a.s.suming 4 servings, each will have 5 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 4 grams of usable carbs and 6 grams of protein.
Zucchini-Mushroom Skillet 1 large or 2 medium zucchini 8 ounces (225 g) mushrooms 1 medium onion cup (120 ml) olive oil 2 cloves garlic, crushed teaspoon oregano Salt Halve the zucchini lengthways and then cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) sections. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth and quarter them vertically. Halve the onion and cut it into slices about inch (6 mm) thick.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, mushrooms, onion, and garlic and stir-fry until the zucchini and mushrooms are just barely tender and the onion is tender-crisp (about 10 minutes).
Stir in the oregano, add salt to taste, and serve.
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 7 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 5 grams of usable carbs and 2 grams of protein.
Snow Peas, Mushrooms, and Bean Sprouts The combination of flavors here is magical, somehow; these three vegetables seem to be made for each other.
3 tablespoons (45 ml) peanut oil 4 ounces (115 g) fresh snow peas 4 ounces (115 g) fresh mushrooms, sliced 4 ounces (115 g) fresh bean sprouts 1 teaspoon soy sauce Heat the oil in a wok or heavy skillet over high heat. Add the snow peas and mushrooms and stir-fry until the snow peas are almost tender-crisp (3 to 4 minutes).
Add the bean sprouts and stir-fry for just another 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Stir in the soy sauce and serve.
Yield: 3 servings 3 servings Each with 7 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 5 grams of usable carbs and 3 grams of protein.
Lemon-Parmesan Mushrooms 8 ounces (225 g) mushrooms cup (120 ml) chicken broth cup (60 ml) lemon juice cup (40 g) shredded Parmesan cheese cup (15.2 g) chopped fresh parsley Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth or paper towel and put them in a slow cooker. Pour the broth and lemon juice over them. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 6 to 8 hours.
Remove the mushrooms from the slow cooker with a slotted spoon and put them on serving plates. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and parsley.
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 6 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 4 g usable carbs.
Kolokythia Krokettes These are rapidly becoming one of our favorite side dishes. They"re Greek and very, very tasty. They make a terrific side dish with roast lamb or Greek roasted chicken.
3 medium zucchini, grated 1 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal 3 eggs 1 cup (150 g) crumbled feta 1 teaspoon dried oregano medium onion, finely diced [image]teaspoon pepper 3 tablespoons (15 g) soy powder or (32 g) rice protein powder b.u.t.ter Mix the grated zucchini with the salt in a bowl and let it sit for an hour or so. Squeeze out and drain the liquid.
Mix in the eggs, feta, oregano, onion, pepper, and soy powder and combine well.
Spray a heavy skillet with nonstick cooking spray, add 1 tablespoon (14 g) of b.u.t.ter, and melt over medium heat. Fry the zucchini batter by the tablespoonful, turning patties once during cooking. Add more b.u.t.ter between batches, as needed, and keep the cooked krokettes warm. The trick to these is to let them get quite brown on the bottom before trying to turn them, or they tend to fall apart. If a few do fall apart, don"t sweat it; the pieces will still taste incredible.
Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 6 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 4 grams usable carbs and 8 grams of protein.
Shave some time preparing the ingredients for this dish by running the zucchini and the onion through a food processor.
Zucchini-Crusted Pizza This is like a somewhat-more-substantial quiche on the bottom and pizza on top.
3 cups (440 g) shredded zucchini 3 eggs [image]cup (40 g) rice protein powder or (35 g) soy powder 1 cups (175 g) shredded mozzarella, divided cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese A pinch or two of dried basil teaspoon salt teaspoon pepper Oil 1 cup (240 ml) sugar-free pizza sauce Toppings as desired (sausage, pepperoni, peppers, mushrooms, or whatever you like) Preheat the oven to 350F (180C, or gas mark 4).
Sprinkle the zucchini with a little salt and let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes. Put it in a strainer and press out the excess moisture.
Beat together the strained zucchini, eggs, protein powder, cup (60 g) of mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, salt, and pepper.
Spray a 9 13-inch (23 33-cm) baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and spread the zucchini mixture in it.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until firm. Brush the zucchini crust with a little oil and broil it for about 5 minutes until it"s golden.
Next, spread on the pizza sauce and add the remaining 1 cup (120 g) of mozzarella and other toppings. (If you"re using vegetables as toppings, you may want to saute them a bit first.) Bake for another 25 minutes and then cut into squares and serve.
Yield: 4 generous servings 4 generous servings Each with 14 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 12 grams of usable carbs and 22 grams of protein. (a.n.a.lysis does not include toppings.) Lemon-Garlic Grilled Zucchini This recipe has a sunny summer flavor!
6 smallish zucchinis cup (120 ml) olive oil cup (60 ml) lemon juice 2 cloves garlic, crushed Salt and pepper Split your zucchinis in half lengthwise and cut off the stems. Put them in a large resealable plastic bag. Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic and pour the mixture into the bag. Press out the air, seal the bag, turn it a few times to coat the zucchini, and throw it in the fridge until you need it.
When grilling time comes, pull out the bag, pour off the marinade into a bowl, and throw the zucchini on the grill. Baste them with the lemon dressing and grill them until they get soft and have brown grill marks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.
Yield: 6 servings 6 servings With the marinade, this comes to 7 grams of carbohydrate per serving, and 2 grams of fiber, but you"ll discard much of that. I"d say 4 grams of carbohydrate, with those 2 grams of fiber, for a usable carb count of 2 grams; 2 grams protein.
Ratatouille You p.r.o.nounce this oh-so-French dish "rat-a-TOO-ee."
cup (180 ml) olive oil 3 cups (450 g) chopped eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes 3 cups (350 g) sliced zucchini 1 medium onion, sliced 2 green peppers, cut into strips 3 cloves garlic 1 can (14 ounces, or 410 g) sliced tomatoes, undrained 1 can (4 ounces, or 115 g) sliced black olives, drained 1 teaspoons dried oregano teaspoon salt teaspoon pepper Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the eggplant, zucchini, onion, peppers, and garlic.
Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, turning with a spatula from time to time so all the vegetables come in contact with the olive oil. Once the vegetables are all starting to look about half-cooked, add the tomatoes (including the liquid), olives, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Stir it all together, cover, turn the heat to low, and let the whole thing simmer for 40 minutes or so.
Yield: 8 servings 8 servings Each with 11 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 8 grams of usable carbs and 2 grams of protein.
You want to use your largest skillet for this dish- possibly even your wok, if you have one. This amount of veggies will cause even a 10-inch (25-cm) skillet to nearly overflow. And don"t be afraid to toss in a little more olive oil if you need it while sauteing.
Eggplant Parmesan Squared When you use Parmesan cheese instead of bread crumbs to "bread" the eggplant slices, it becomes Eggplant Parmesan Squared! This takes a little doing, but it"s delicious, and it"s easily filling enough for a main dish.
cup (60 g) low-carb bake mix or unflavored protein powder 2 or 3 eggs 1 to 1 cups (125 to 175 g) grated Parmesan cheese 1 large eggplant, sliced no more than -inch(6 mm) thick Olive oil for frying 1 clove garlic, cut in half 1 cups (360 ml) sugar-free spaghetti sauce 8 ounces (225 g) shredded mozzarella Preheat the oven to 350F (180C, or gas mark 4).
Put the bake mix on a plate, break the eggs into a shallow bowl and beat well, and put 1 to 1 cups (100 to 150 g) of Parmesan cheese on another plate.
Dip each eggplant slice in the bake mix so each side is well dusted.
Dip each "floured" slice of eggplant in the beaten egg and then in the Parmesan so that each slice has a good coating of the cheese. Refrigerate the "breaded" slices of eggplant for at least half an hour or up to an hour or two.
Pour[image] inch (3 mm) of olive oil in the bottom of a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, letting it sizzle for a minute or two before removing. Now fry the refrigerated eggplant slices until they"re golden brown on both sides (you"ll have to add more olive oil as you go along.) inch (3 mm) of olive oil in the bottom of a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, letting it sizzle for a minute or two before removing. Now fry the refrigerated eggplant slices until they"re golden brown on both sides (you"ll have to add more olive oil as you go along.) Spread cup (120 ml) of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9 11-inch (23 28-cm) roasting pan. Arrange half of the eggplant slices to cover bottom of pan. Cover with the mozzarella and top with the remaining eggplant. Pour on the rest of the spaghetti sauce and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes.
Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 13 grams of carbohydrates and 4.5 grams of fiber, for a total of 8.5 usable carbs and 24 grams of protein.
How many eggs and how much cheese you will need depends on how big your eggplant is.
Lemon Pepper Beans I think this makes a particularly good side dish with chicken or fish.
1 bag (1 pound, or 455 g) frozen green beans, French cut or crosscut, thawed cup (60 ml) olive oil 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice teaspoon pepper Over high heat, stir-fry the beans in the olive oil until they"re tender-crisp. Stir in the garlic, lemon juice, and pepper. Cook just another minute and serve.
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 9 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 6 grams of usable carbs and 2 grams of protein.
Country-Style Green Beans Okay, truly country-style green beans are cooked for a billion hours with bacon or a ham hock, but these are much quicker. And this version tastes very good and down-home.
1 pound (455 g) frozen "cut" green beans 3 slices bacon 4 ounces (115 g) sliced mushrooms tablespoon b.u.t.ter 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice Put the beans in a microwaveable ca.s.serole dish with a lid, add a couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of water, cover, and microwave on high for 7 minutes.
Cut the bacon into little pieces and put it in a large, heavy skillet-I use kitchen shears to snip t right into the pan-and start cooking it over medium-high heat. When a little grease starts to cook out of the bacon, add the mushrooms and b.u.t.ter and cook it all together, stirring frequently, until the bacon is starting to get crispy and the mushrooms have softened and changed color.
Somewhere during this process, your microwave is going to go "ding!" When it does, go check the beans. Chances are they"ll still be underdone in the center, so stir them up and give them another 4 to 5 minutes.
When the beans are tender-crisp, pull them out of the microwave, drain them, and stir them into the bacon and mushrooms. Stir in the lemon juice, let the whole thing cook together for just another minute or two to combine the flavors, and then serve.
Yield: 4 or 5 servings 4 or 5 servings a.s.suming 4 servings, each will have 10 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of fiber, for a total of 6 grams of usable carbs and 4 grams of protein.
Barbecue Green Beans These are fab!
4 cups (600 g) cross-cut frozen green beans, unthawed cup (40 g) chopped onion 4 slices cooked bacon, drained and crumbled [image]cup (80 ml) low-carb barbecue sauce (see Chapter 13 Chapter 13 or use purchased sauce) or use purchased sauce) Put the green beans in a slow cooker. Add the onion and bacon and then stir in the barbecue sauce. Cover the slow cooker, set it to high, and let it cook for 3 hours. (If you prefer, set it to low and let it cook for 5 to 6 hours.) Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 3 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 6 g usable carbs.
Herbed Green Beans 3 tablespoons (42 g) b.u.t.ter 1 bag (1 pound, or 455 g) frozen, crosscut green beans, thawed cup (30 g) finely diced celery cup (40 g) finely diced onion 1 clove garlic, crushed teaspoon dried rosemary, slightly crushed teaspoon dried basil, slightly crushed Salt Melt the b.u.t.ter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the beans, celery, onion, and garlic to the skillet and saute until the beans are tender-crisp.
Stir in the rosemary and basil and saute another minute or so. Add salt to taste and serve.
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 10 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of fiber, for a total of 6 grams of usable carbs and 2 grams of protein.
Stir-Fried Green Beans and Water Chestnuts 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil 2 cups (300 g) frozen green beans, thawed cup (100 g) canned water chestnuts, sliced or diced, drained 1 clove garlic, crushed cup (60 ml) chicken broth 1 teaspoons soy sauce Guar or xanthan Heat the oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Add the green beans and water chestnuts and stir-fry until the green beans are tender-crisp. Stir in the garlic, chicken broth, and soy sauce and let simmer for a couple of minutes; thicken the pan juices just a little with guar or xanthan and serve.
Yield: 3 servings 3 servings Each with 2 g protein; 10 g carbohydrate; 3 g dietary fiber; 7 g usable carbs.
Southern Beans Southerners will be shocked to know that I never tasted green beans slowly cooked with bacon until I moved to southern Indiana, but I liked them right off. Around our house, this recipe is jokingly referred to as The Sacred Masonic Vegetable, because my husband"s never been to a Masonic banquet that didn"t feature beans cooked this way!
4 cups (600 g) frozen green beans, unthawed [image]cup (50 g) diced onion cup (30 g) diced celery 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled 1 tablespoon (15 ml) bacon grease cup (120 ml) water Place the beans in the slow cooker and stir in everything else. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 4 hours.
Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 3 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 4 g usable carbs.
Italian Bean Bake If you"re having a roast, simplify your life by serving this dish-it can cook right alongside the meat.
1 bag (1 pound, or 455 g) frozen Italian green beans, thawed 2 cans (8 ounces, or 225 g each) tomato sauce small onion, minced 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 teaspoon spicy brown or Dijon mustard Pepper cup (60 g) shredded mozzarella Preheat the oven to 350F (180C, or gas mark 4).
Put the beans in an 8-cup (1.9-L) ca.s.serole dish.
Combine the tomato sauce, onion, garlic, mustard, and a dash of pepper in a mixing bowl; stir into the beans.
Bake for 1 hour or until the beans are tender. Then top with mozzarella and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve.
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 12 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of fiber, for a total of 8 grams of usable carbs and 6 grams of protein.
If you"re not serving a roast and you"d like to slice a half-hour off the baking time for this dish, microwave the beans until they"re tender-crisp before you combine them with the sauce.
Tangy Beans 4 cups (600 g) frozen green beans, unthawed cup (40 g) chopped onion cup (30 g) chopped green bell pepper cup (60 ml) cider vinegar 2 tablespoons (3 g) Splenda [image]teaspoon black pepper Combine everything in your slow cooker. Stir to distribute evenly. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 5 hours.
Serve with a pat of b.u.t.ter and a little salt.
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 2 g protein, 12 g carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 8 g usable carbs.
Greek Beans 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil small onion, finely minced 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 bag (1 pound, or 455 g) frozen, cut green beans, thawed cup (120 ml) diced canned tomatoes cup (60 ml) beef broth or bouillon cup (60 ml) dry white wine Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for a minute or two.
Drain the beans and add them to the skillet, stirring to coat. Saute the beans for 6 to 7 minutes, adding another tablespoon (15 ml) of oil if the skillet starts to get dry.
Stir in the tomatoes, broth, and wine. Turn up the heat to medium-high and let everything simmer until the beans are just tender-crisp and most of the liquid has cooked off (about 5 minutes).
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 11 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 8 grams of usable carbs and 3 grams of protein.
Holiday Green Bean Ca.s.serole You know that green bean ca.s.serole that mom serves every holiday? The one with the mushroom soup and the onion rings? It"s pretty high carb. I"d rather have beans amandine, myself. But for you green bean ca.s.serole diehards-and I know that there are more than a few of you out there!- here"s the new, decarbed version.
1 medium onion cup (30 g) low-carb bake mix or rice protein powder teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal teaspoon paprika Oil for frying 4 cups (600 g) frozen green beans, cut style 1 can (4 ounces, or 115 g) mushrooms 2 tablespoons (20 g) minced onion 1 tablespoon (14 g) b.u.t.ter 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream teaspoon Worcestershire sauce teaspoon chicken or beef bouillon concentrate 1 teaspoon soy sauce Salt and pepper to taste teaspoon guar or xanthan gum Slice the onion thinly and separate into rings. Mix together the bake mix or protein powder, salt or Vege-Sal, and paprika. "Flour" the onion rings-the easiest way is to put the "flouring" mixture in a small paper sack and shake a few onion rings in it at a time. Heat about inch (6 mm) of oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat and fry the "floured" onion rings, turning once, until golden brown and crisp. Drain on absorbent paper. You can do this part well in advance, if you like.
When you"re ready to make your ca.s.serole, preheat oven to 350F (180C, or gas mark 4) and start your green beans cooking-I like to microwave mine on high for about 7 or 8 minutes, but you can steam them if you prefer. While that"s happening, drain the liquid off the mushrooms and reserve it. Saute the mushrooms and the minced onion in the b.u.t.ter until the onion is limp and translucent. Now add the cream, the reserved mushroom liquid, the Worcestershire sauce, the bouillon concentrate, and the soy sauce and stir. Then add salt and pepper to taste.
Now you have a choice: you can either pour this mixture into a blender or use a hand blender. Either way, sprinkle the guar or xanthan over the top and run the blender just long enough to blend in the thickener and to chop the mushrooms a bit-but not to totally puree them; you want some bits of mushroom.
Okay, we"re on the home stretch. Drain your cooked green beans, and put them in a 1 -quart (1.4 L) ca.s.serole dish that you"ve sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Stir in the mushroom mixture and half of those fried onions. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes and then top it with the rest of the fried onions and bake for another 5 minutes.
Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 11 g carbohydrate and 4 g of fiber, for a usable carb count of 7 g; 6 g protein. For the record, this comes to just over half of the carb content of the original recipe-and just about the same calorie count.
Green Bean Ca.s.serole 28 ounces (785 g) frozen green beans, unthawed 1 cup (100 g) chopped mushrooms cup (35 g) roasted red pepper, diced cup (40 g) chopped onion 2 teaspoons dried sage 1 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal 1 teaspoon pepper teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 cup (240 ml) beef broth 1 teaspoon beef bouillon concentrate cup (120 ml) heavy cream Guar or xanthan cup (95 g) slivered almonds 1 tablespoon (14 g) b.u.t.ter Combine the green beans, mushrooms, red pepper, and onion in a slow cooker.
In a bowl, mix together the sage, salt or Vege-Sal, pepper, nutmeg, broth, and bouillon. Pour the mixture over the vegetables. Stir the whole thing up. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 5 to 6 hours.
When the time"s up, stir in the cream and thicken the sauce a bit with guar or xanthan. Re-cover the slow cooker and let it stay hot while you saute the almonds in the b.u.t.ter until golden. Stir them into the beans.
Yield: 8 servings 8 servings Each with 7 g protein, 12 g carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 8 g usable carbs.
Green Beans a la Carbonara Bacon, cheese, and garlic-if these three things won"t get your family to eat green beans, nothing will. Another great recipe from the Low Carb Success Calendar Low Carb Success Calendar by Vicki Cash, this has enough protein to be a main dish. by Vicki Cash, this has enough protein to be a main dish.
7 to 10 thick strips of bacon 1 teaspoon olive oil small onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 bag (1 pound, or 455 g) frozen green beans 6 eggs 3 tablespoons (45 ml) cream teaspoon red pepper flakes teaspoon nutmeg Salt and pepper cup (75 g) grated Parmesan cheese Fry the bacon slices in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat until they"re not quite crisp. Drain on paper towels. Saute the onion and garlic in the remaining bacon grease until brown.
Place the green beans in a 2-quart (1.9-L) microwave-safe bowl with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water. Cover and microwave on high for 10 minutes, turning bowl halfway through cooking.
While the beans are cooking, dice the bacon and add it to the onion and garlic in the skillet. Keep the skillet over low heat. Beat together the eggs, cream, pepper flakes, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste as if you were preparing scrambled eggs.
Turn the heat under the skillet up to medium. Add the egg mixture, hot green beans, and Parmesan to the skillet, stirring until the eggs are thoroughly cooked. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 12 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 9 grams of usable carbs and 27 grams of protein.
Fried Brussels Sprouts We"ve served these to company many times, and they"re always a hit, even with people who think they don"t like brussels sprouts. We didn"t think we liked brussels sprouts, either, until our dear friends John and Judy Horwitz served them to us this way-and suddenly we were addicted.
1 pound (455 g) brussels sprouts (Fresh is best, but frozen will do.) Olive oil 3 or 4 cloves garlic, crushed If you"re using fresh brussels sprouts, remove any bruised, wilted, or discolored outer leaves and trim the stems. If you"re using frozen brussels sprouts, just thaw them.