Spicy Sesame "Noodles" with Vegetables This isn"t terribly low-carb, but it sure can pull you out of the hole when you"ve got vegetarians coming to dinner.
3 cups (675 g) cooked spaghetti squash, separated into strands cup (60 ml) water 3 tablespoons (45 ml) soy sauce 5 tablespoons (75 g) tahini 1 tablespoons (23 ml) rice vinegar teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon (9 g) sesame seeds 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) peanut oil or other bland oil 1 cups (105 g) mushrooms, thickly sliced [image]cup (100 g) diced green pepper cup (60 g) diced celery cup (80 g) chopped onion pound (115 g) snow peas, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) lengths 2 tablespoons (12 g) grated fresh ginger 2 cloves garlic, crushed cup (55 g) cooked shrimp or diced leftover chicken, pork, or ham per serving (optional) Place the spaghetti squash in a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine the water, soy sauce, tahini, rice vinegar, and pepper flakes, mixing well. Pour over the spaghetti squash and set aside.
Place the sesame seeds in a small, heavy skillet over high heat and shake the skillet constantly until the seeds start to make little popping sounds and jump in the skillet. When that happens, immediately turn off the heat and shake the seeds out onto a small plate to cool. Set aside.
Just before you"re ready to serve the dish, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the mushrooms, pepper, celery, onion, snow peas, ginger, and garlic and stir-fry over high heat for 7 to 10 minutes or until tender-crisp.
When the vegetables are done, add them to the large mixing bowl with the spaghetti squash mixture and toss until well combined.
Pile the squash mixture on serving plates. Top the meat-eaters" servings with the shrimp, chicken, pork, or ham (if using) and scatter sesame seeds over each serving.
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 19 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of fiber, for a total of 15 grams of usable carbs and 7 grams of protein. (a.n.a.lysis does not include optional meat.) This is a great dish to make for guests because so much of it can be done ahead of time: You can prepare the "noodles" and the sesame seeds before your company arrives and then just stir-fry the vegetables and garnish the plates when it"s time to eat.
Grilled Radicchio with Balsamic Vinaigrette The grilling mellows the bitter edge of the radicchio, and the balsamic vinegar complements and enhances its newfound sweetness. I really love this!
cup (60 ml) olive oil 2 tablespoons (30 ml) balsamic vinegar 1 clove garlic 1 dash salt 1 dash pepper 1 head radicchio Mix together everything but the radicchio. Now, trim just the very bottom of the radicchio"s stem and cut the whole thing in quarters from top to bottom (you want a bit of stem in each quarter, holding it together). Put the radicchio quarters on a plate and spoon some of the balsamic vinaigrette over them, letting it drizzle down between the leaves.
Now grill your radicchio, turning once or twice, until it"s going limp and starting to brown. Then serve, drizzling it with a little more vinaigrette if you like.
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each serving will have 1 gram of carbohydrate and a trace of fiber, and a trace of protein.
Apple Walnut Dressing This dressing has no grain of any kind in it, and it still tastes great. Serve with a simple poultry or pork dish.
4 tablespoons (56 g) b.u.t.ter 1 crisp, tart apple (I use a Granny Smith because I like the flavor, but one with a red skin would look prettier.) 2 large stalks celery 1 medium onion 1 cup (150 g) sh.e.l.led walnuts 8 ounces (225 g) sliced mushrooms teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal 1 teaspoons poultry seasoning Melt the b.u.t.ter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.
Quarter the apple and trim out the core, whack each quarter in half (making eighths), and drop them in your food processor with the S-blade in place. Whack each stalk of celery into 4 or 5 big chunks and throw them in too. Quarter the onion, peel it, and throw it in and then dump in the walnuts. Pulse the food processor until everything"s a medium consistency.
Dump this mixture, along with the mushrooms (which we"re a.s.suming you bought already sliced-if not, just chop them with everything else), into the b.u.t.ter in the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and saute everything for a minute or two, stirring. Then cover it and let it cook for 10 minutes, uncovering every 3 minutes or so to stir the whole thing again.
Stir in the salt and poultry seasoning, let it cook for another minute or two and serve.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings 6 to 8 servings a.s.suming 6 servings, each will have 9 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 6 grams of usable carbs and 6 grams of protein.
Hush Puppies I didn"t know how this would work out, but it turned out very well indeed! You"ll need a deep-fat fryer or at least a deep, heavy pot and a frying thermometer. My thanks to my Alabaman friend Kay for helping me get this recipe right. (She also tells me, a bit late, that hush puppies really go with fish fries, but hey, I got the idea from Southern Living magazine. I"m a Yankee, what do I know?) [image]cup (80 g) Atkins Cornbread Mix 2 tablespoons (15 g) Atkins Bake Mix cup (30 g) rice protein powder 1 teaspoon seasoned salt cup (120 ml) canola oil cup (120 ml) water 2 eggs cup (40 g) finely minced onion Preheat a deep-fat fryer to 370F (190C).
In a medium-size mixing bowl, stir the Atkins Cornbread Mix, Atkins Bake Mix, rice protein powder, and salt together. In a 2-cup (480-ml) gla.s.s measure, measure the oil, then the water (so that together the level is 1 cup). Break the eggs into the oil-and-water mixture and whisk the whole combination together. Stir the onion into the liquid ingredients. Then pour the oil mixture into the dry ingredients and stir the whole thing together with a few big strokes, just until everything"s wet-don"t overmix.
When your oil is up to temperature, drop the batter into the hot fat by the tablespoonful and fry until golden, just a few minutes. Drain on absorbent paper and serve hot.
Yield: 6 servings, at least! 6 servings, at least!
a.s.suming 6, each serving will have 12 grams of carbohydrate and 3 grams of fiber, for a usable carb count of 9 grams; 17 grams of protein. (By comparison, a 5-pup serving of restaurant hush puppies will generally contain about 35 grams of carbohydrate.) Low-Carb BBQ Baked Beans In many parts of the country, baked beans are an indispensable side dish with any barbecue. Sadly, most beans are way too high carbohydrate for us. However, there is one sort of bean that is low-enough carb for us: black soybeans. You"ll want to buy them canned, because soybeans take forever to cook soft-you can find them at the natural food store; a company called Eden cans them. They"re sort of bland by themselves, but add onions, celery, etc., and they"re fabulous.
These aren"t actually baked, I admit. I trust you"ll forgive me. This makes only 4 servings, but it"s very easy to double.
3 slices bacon cup (40 g) minced onion cup (30 g) minced celery cup (35 g) finely chopped green bell pepper 1 15-ounce (420-g) can black soybeans 3 tablespoons (45 ml) Dana"s No-Sugar Ketchup (page 463) 2 tablespoons (3 g) Splenda teaspoon blackstrap mola.s.ses 1 dash salt 1 dash pepper 1 dash hot pepper sauce Chop up the bacon or snip it right into a saucepan with kitchen shears. Start it cooking over medium heat. When some grease has cooked out of the bacon, add the onion, celery, and green pepper. Saute the vegetables in the bacon grease until soft.
Drain the canned black soybeans and dump them in with the vegetables. Stir in the ketchup, Splenda, mola.s.ses, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Turn the heat to low, cover, and let the whole thing simmer for 15 minutes or so and then serve.
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each serving will have 11 grams of carbohydrate and 6 grams of fiber, for a usable carb count of 5 grams; 11 grams protein. (Bush"s brand Barbecue Baked Beans have 32 grams of carbohydrate in a -cup (125 g) serving!) Chili Lime Pumpkin It"s such a shame fresh pumpkin is available for only a couple of months in the autumn; it"s so wonderful. This side dish is a tad high in carbs, but it"s so unusual and so good I had to include it. Don"t try sh.e.l.ling the seeds from the pumpkin you"re cooking to complete the recipe-it"s a tedious task! Just roast them and salt them as is and snack on them later.
1 little pumpkin, about 2 pounds (910 g) 2 tablespoons (28 g) b.u.t.ter 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil cup (120 g) sh.e.l.led pumpkin seeds (pepitas) 1 teaspoon chili garlic paste 2 teaspoons lime juice Whack your pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Peel off the hard rind and then cut the flesh into slices about -inch (6-mm) thick.
Put the b.u.t.ter and the oil in a big, heavy skillet over medium heat. Swirl them together as the b.u.t.ter melts. Now, lay the slices of pumpkin flat in the b.u.t.ter/oil mixture and saute until they"re lightly golden on both sides. They should be tender but still al dente. You"ll need to do this in more than one batch; keep the stuff that"s done warm on a plate under a pot lid.
While this is happening, toast your pepitas by stirring them in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until they swell a bit-about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat when they"re done.
When the pumpkin"s all cooked, put it all back in the skillet. Mix together the chili garlic paste and the lime juice and gently mix it in, coating all of the pumpkin slices.
Lay the pumpkin slices on serving plates, top each serving with a tablespoon of toasted pumpkin seeds, and serve.
Yield: 8 servings 8 servings Each with 2 g protein; 10 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber; 9 g usable carbs.
Cranberry-Peach Chutney This is seriously kicked-up from regular cranberry sauce! It"s a natural with curried poultry, but try it with any simple poultry or pork dish.
12 ounces (340 g) cranberries 1 cups (300 g) diced peaches (I use unsweetened frozen peach slices, diced.) 1 clove garlic, minced 3 inches (7.5 cm) ginger, sliced into paper-thin rounds 1 lime, sliced paper-thin 1 cups (30 g) Splenda 1 cinnamon stick 1 teaspoon mustard seed teaspoon salt teaspoon orange extract teaspoon baking soda Combine everything but the baking soda in a slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 3 hours, stirring once halfway through.
When the time"s up, stir in the baking soda and keep stirring until the fizzing subsides. Store in a tightly lidded container in the fridge. If you plan to keep it for long, freezing"s a good idea.
Yield: Makes about 2 cups, or 20 servings of 2 tablespoons Makes about 2 cups, or 20 servings of 2 tablespoons Each with trace protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 7 g usable carbs.
Why baking soda? Because by neutralizing some of the acid in the cranberries, it lets you get away with less Splenda-and fewer carbs.
9.
Fish and Seafood
Ceviche Most countries in Latin America have a version of this cla.s.sic dish, in which the fish is "cooked" in lime juice instead of by heat. This makes a posh appetizer or if you want to increase the serving sizes, a light main course. This is not only low-carb, it"s also very low-calorie-and except for squeezing all those limes, very simple.
1 pounds (680 g) fish fillets 8 limes 2 tomatoes 1 fresh jalapeno (optional) 1 black avocado red onion, diced cup (16 g) chopped fresh oregano cup (16 g) chopped fresh cilantro Salt and pepper to taste This dish lends itself to endless variation, but one thing remains constant: Everything must be perfectly fresh, especially the fish. Talk to the fish guy at your grocery store and tell him you"ll be using the fish for ceviche (that"s "seh-vee-chay"). Tell him you need fish that has never been frozen and choose from what he has, rather than going into the store with the idea of buying a particular kind of fish and ending up buying something that"s been thawed. You can use seafood as well as fish fillets-sh.e.l.led shrimp, scallops, baby squid, and chunks of lobster tail all lend themselves to this treatment. Or you can use fin fish like mackerel, red snapper, grouper, halibut, cod, or flounder. It is customary to use two to four kinds, rather than just one, but suit yourself.
Cut any fish fillets into serving-sized pieces. Put your fish or seafood in a gla.s.s or crockery dish. Squeeze 7 of your limes-you should have about 1 to 1 cups (300 to 360 ml) lime juice- and pour the lime juice over the fish. Turn the fish to make sure it"s completely coated. Cover the dish with piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours or overnight. If at all possible, it"s best to turn the fish at least a few times during the marinating time to make sure it "cooks" evenly. Drain the fish or seafood and put it in a fresh bowl.
Cut the tomatoes in half across the equator and squeeze them gently to get rid of the seeds. Dice them fairly fine. Seed the jalapeno, if you"re using it, and dice it fine, too. Cut the avocado in half, remove the seed, peel it, and cut it into dice as well. Put all of these vegetables and the diced red onion in the bowl with the fish. Throw in the fresh herbs, too. Squeeze the last lime over the whole thing, season with salt and pepper, toss gently, and serve.
Yield: 8 appetizer servings 8 appetizer servings Each with 16 g protein; 5 g carbohydrate; 2 g dietary fiber; 3 g usable carbs. This a.n.a.lysis a.s.sumes you discard all but about cup (60 ml) of the lime juice used to marinate the fish.
The Simplest Fish Not only is this simple, but it"s lightning-quick, too.
1 fillet (about 6 ounces, or 170 g) mild white fish 1 tablespoon (14 g) b.u.t.ter 1 tablespoon (3.8 g) minced fresh parsley Wedge of lemon Melt the b.u.t.ter in a heavy-bottomed skillet over low heat. Add the fish fillets and saute for 5 minutes on each side or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily, turning carefully.
Transfer to serving plates, top with the minced parsley, and serve with a wedge of lemon.
Yield: 1 serving 1 serving Trace of carbohydrates, no fiber, and 31 grams of protein.
Ginger Mustard Fish 4 (6 ounce, or 175 g) fish fillets, such as tilapia, cod, or orange roughy 4 tablespoons (56 g) b.u.t.ter 2 teaspoons minced garlic or 4 cloves garlic, crushed 2 teaspoons grated ginger 2 teaspoons spicy brown or Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water In a large, heavy skillet, start sauteing the fish in the b.u.t.ter over medium-low heat; 4 to 5 minutes per side should be plenty. Remove the fish to a plate.
Add the garlic, ginger, mustard, and water to the skillet and stir everything together well. Put the fish back in, turning it over once, carefully, to make sure both sides get acquainted with the sauce. Let it cook for another minute or so and then serve. Sc.r.a.pe the sauce out of the skillet over the fish.
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 1 gram of carbohydrates, a trace of fiber, and 31 grams of protein.
Aioli Fish Bake 1 fillet (about 6 ounces, or 170 g) of mild, white fish 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Aioli (page 479) 1 tablespoon (6.3 g) grated Parmesan cheese Preheat the oven to 350F (180C, or gas mark 4).
Spray a shallow baking pan (a jelly roll pan is ideal) with nonstick cooking spray. Working right on the baking pan, spread a fillet thickly with Aioli and sprinkle tablespoon of Parmesan over that. Turn the fillet over carefully and spread Aioli and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on other side. Bake for 20 minutes and serve.
Yield: 1 serving 1 serving 1 gram of carbohydrates, a trace of fiber, and 32 grams of protein.
Microwaved Fish and Asparagus with Tarragon Mustard Sauce Microwaving is a great way to cook vegetables and a great way to cook fish-so it"s a natural way to cook combinations of the two.
12 ounces (340 g) fish fillets-whiting, tilapia, sole, flounder, or any other mild white fish 10 asparagus spears 2 tablespoons (30 g) sour cream 1 tablespoon (15 g) mayonnaise teaspoon dried tarragon teaspoon Dijon or spicy brown mustard Snap the bottoms off the asparagus spears where they break naturally. Place the asparagus in a large gla.s.s pie plate, add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water, and cover by placing a plate on top. Microwave on high for 3 minutes.
While the asparagus is microwaving, stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, tarragon, and mustard.
Remove the asparagus from the microwave, take it out of the pie plate, and set it aside. Drain the water out of the pie plate. Place the fish fillets in the pie plate and spread 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the sour cream mixture over them. Re-cover the pie plate and microwave the fish for 3 to 4 minutes on high. Open the microwave, remove the plate from the top of the pie plate, and arrange the asparagus on top of the fish. Re-cover the pie plate and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes on high.
Remove the pie plate from the microwave and take the plate off. Place the fish and asparagus on serving plates. Sc.r.a.pe any sauce that"s cooked into the pie plate over the fish and asparagus. Top each serving with the reserved sauce and serve.
Yield: 2 servings 2 servings Each with 4 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 2 grams of usable carbs and 33 grams of protein.
This dish also packs in 949 mg of pota.s.sium!
Grilled Fish with Caper Sauce This is more of a method for grilling a wide variety of fish fillets and adding a simple but elegantly piquant sauce. The main element of this recipe is the sauce. Ingredient amounts are not important, so you can vary to taste. The resulting mixture should be something you spoon over the fish, not a pourable sauce. (Our tester said he used 2 tablespoons of each of the following for 1 pound [455 g] of fish fillets, and it worked very well.) This is a very piquant sauce, not for the timid of palate, but most delicious!
As for grilling the fish, some people prefer to do it in the Spanish style of first sprinkling salt on the fillets, letting them sit for 15 minutes or so, rinsing and drying them, brushing them with olive oil, and grilling them on a cast-iron griddle. Swordfish and sea ba.s.s are wonderful this way; so are tilapia fillets (which are much cheaper).
Grilled fish of your choice Garlic, finely chopped Parsley, flat-leaf preferable, finely chopped (or half parsley, half cilantro) Anchovies, finely chopped (if omitting, salt to taste) Capers, drained Fresh lemon juice Olive oil Mix the garlic, parsley, anchovies, capers, lemon juice, and olive oil, spoon over grilled fish, and serve.
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings If sauce is made with the suggested 2 tablespoons of each ingredient and 1 pound (455 g) fish, each serving will have 23 g protein; 2 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber; 2 g usable carbs.
Chinese Steamed Fish I made this with tilapia, and while it was quite tasty, it was also fragile. If you"re willing to pay the difference for a firmer fish like orange roughy or cod, it will be easier to handle.
12 ounces (340 g) fish fillets 2 tablespoons (30 ml) dry sherry 1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce 2 teaspoons grated ginger teaspoon minced garlic or 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 teaspoons toasted sesame oil 1 or 2 scallions, minced (optional) Lay the fish fillets on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and turn the edges of the foil up to form a lip.
Mix together the sherry, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil.
Fit a rack-a cake-cooling rack works nicely-into a large skillet. Pour about inch (6 mm) of water in the bottom of the skillet and turn the heat to high. Place the foil with the fish on it on the rack. Carefully pour the sherry mixture over the fish. Cover the pan tightly.
Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the fish flakes easily. Serve with minced scallions as a garnish, if desired.
Yield: 2 servings 2 servings Each with 2 grams of carbohydrates, no fiber, and 31 grams of protein.
Each serving has only 195 calories!
Baked Orange Roughy 1 pounds (680 g) orange roughy fillets, cut into serving-sized pieces 1 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal Pepper medium onion, very thinly sliced Juice of 1 lemon, or 2 tablespoons (30 ml) bottled lemon juice cup (56 g) b.u.t.ter, melted Paprika Minced fresh parsley (optional) Preheat the oven to 325F (170C, or gas mark 3). Spray a shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Arrange the fish in the prepared pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Scatter the onion over the fish.
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and b.u.t.ter and pour over the fish and onions. Sprinkle with paprika.
Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley (if using) and serve.
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 2 grams of carbohydrates, a trace of fiber, and 25 grams of protein.
Orange Roughy Bonne Femme This is my favorite fish recipe, and it"s very, very simple to make. Kids will probably like it, too.
1 pounds (680 g) orange roughy fillets cup (30 g) low-carb bake mix Pinch of salt or Vege-Sal 3 to 4 tablespoons (42 to 56 g) b.u.t.ter Mix the bake mix with the pinch of salt (about[image] teaspoon). Dip the fillets in the bake mix, covering them lightly all over. teaspoon). Dip the fillets in the bake mix, covering them lightly all over.
Melt the b.u.t.ter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute the "floured" fillets in the b.u.t.ter for 5 to 7 minutes per side or until golden brown. Serve just as it is or with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 1 gram of carbohydrates, no fiber, and 25 grams of protein.
Almond-Stuffed Flounder Rolls with Orange b.u.t.ter Sauce 1 pound (455 g) flounder fillets, 4 ounces (115 g) each 4 tablespoons (56 g) b.u.t.ter, divided 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice [image]teaspoon orange extract 1 teaspoon Splenda [image]cup (45 g) almonds cup (40 g) minced onion 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 teaspoons Dijon mustard teaspoon soy sauce cup (15.2 g) minced fresh parsley, divided Put 2 tablespoons (28 g) of the b.u.t.ter, the lemon juice, orange extract, and Splenda in a slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it heat while you fix your flounder rolls.
Put the almonds in a food processor with the S-blade in place and grind them to a cornmeal consistency. Melt 1 tablespoon (14 g) of b.u.t.ter in a medium-size heavy skillet and add the ground almonds. Stir the almonds over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until they smell toasty. Transfer them to a bowl.
Now melt the final tablespoon (14 g) of b.u.t.ter in the skillet and saute the onion and garlic over medium-low heat until the onion is just turning translucent. Add them to the almonds and stir them in. Now stir in the mustard, soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons (7.6 g) of the parsley.
Lay the flounder fillets on a big plate and divide the almond mixture between them. Spread it over the fillets and then roll each one up and fasten it with a toothpick.
Take the lid off the slow cooker and stir the sauce. Place the flounder rolls in the sauce and spoon the sauce over them. Re-cover the pot and let the rolls cook for 1 hour. When they"re done, spoon the sauce over the rolls and sprinkle the remaining parsley over them to serve.
Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 24 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 3 g usable carbs.
Baked Sole in Creamy Curry Sauce This is simple, and the curry makes it a pretty yellow color.
2 pounds (910 g) sole fillets 1 cup (230 g) plain yogurt cup (120 g) mayonnaise 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice 1 teaspoon curry powder Preheat oven to 350F (180C, or gas mark 4).
Mix together everything but the sole fillets to make a sauce. Pat your fish fillets dry. Spray an 8 8-inch (20 20-cm) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Now, spread each fillet with some of the sauce-you want to use up about half the sauce, total, in this process. As each fillet is spread with sauce, roll it up and place the roll, seam-side down, in the baking pan.
Spoon the rest of the sauce over and around the fish. Bake for 30 minutes and serve.
Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 30 g protein; 2 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber; 2 g usable carbs.
Sauteed Sole in White Wine This simple but elegant dish is very Italian.
1 pound (455 g) sole fillets Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons (28 g) b.u.t.ter 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil cup (60 ml) dry white wine 1 teaspoon dried oregano 3 tablespoons (15 g) shredded Parmesan cheese 3 lemon wedges Pat the sole fillets dry with a paper towel and sprinkle them on both sides with a little salt and pepper. Lay them on a plate while you spray a big skillet with nonstick cooking spray and set it over medium heat. Add the b.u.t.ter and the olive oil to the skillet and swirl them together as the b.u.t.ter melts. When the fat is hot, lay the fillets in the pan and saute them just a few minutes on each side, turning carefully.