1001 Low-Carb Recipes: Hundreds of Delicious Recipes From Dinner to Dessert That Let You Live Your Low-Carb Lifestyle and Never Look Back (70 page)

Add the shrimp and simmer for another 5 minutes or so—just long enough to cook the shrimp. Add salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce to taste and serve.

Yield:
6 servings

Each with 12 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of fiber, for a total of 8 grams of usable carbs and 32 grams of protein.

I threw this together when my husband brought a friend home for a quick lunch. This takes no more than 10 minutes, and it was a big hit.

2 cups (260 g) shelled, deveined shrimp (cooked or uncooked)

3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 small onion, sliced

½ green pepper

½ yellow pepper

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. If your shrimp are uncooked, throw them in now along with the garlic, onion, and peppers and stir-fry them all together until the shrimp are pink all the way through and the vegetables are just tender-crisp. If you’re using cooked shrimp, sauté the vegetables first and then add the shrimp and cook just long enough to heat them through. (I threw mine in still frozen, and they were thawed and hot in just 4 to 5 minutes.)

Sprinkle the Cajun seasoning over everything. Stir it in and serve.

Yield:
2 servings

Each with 11 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 9 grams of usable carbs and 28 grams of protein.

This is so exotic!

1 pound (455 g) large shrimp, shelled (31/35 count)

14 ounces (425 ml) coconut milk

1½ tablespoons (9 g) curry powder

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon chili garlic paste

1 tablespoon (15 ml) fish sauce

2 teaspoons Splenda

3 scallions, sliced thin

¼ cup (16 g) chopped cilantro

In a large, shallow pan, combine the coconut milk, curry powder, garlic, and chili garlic paste. Heat over medium-low and let simmer 7 to 10 minutes.

Add shrimp, fish sauce, and Splenda. Stir and let simmer for 5 to 7 more minutes or until shrimp are pink all the way through.

Stir in the scallions, let simmer for another minute, and serve—spoon over Cauliflower Rice (page 212) if desired or eat as is. Top each serving with chopped cilantro.

Yield:
3 servings

Each with 29 g protein; 12 g carbohydrate; 4 g dietary fiber; 8 g usable carbs.

I invented this for my Alfredo-obsessed husband, and he loves it.

2 cups (260 g) thawed small, frozen shrimp, cooked, shelled, and deveined

2 cups (500 g) frozen broccoli “cuts”

3 tablespoons (42 g) butter

3 cloves garlic, crushed

¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream

¼ teaspoon guar or xanthan

1 cup (100 g) grated Parmesan cheese

Steam or microwave the broccoli until tender-crisp.

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat and stir in the garlic. Drain the broccoli and add it to the skillet with the shrimp; stir to coat with garlic butter.

While the shrimp is heating through, put the cream in the blender, turn it to a low speed, and add the guar. Turn the blender off quickly so you don’t make butter.

Pour the cream into the skillet and stir in the Parmesan. Heat to a simmer and serve.

Yield:
3 servings

Each with 11 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of fiber, for a total of 7 grams of usable carbs and 30 grams of protein.

This seems too easy! You may use full-fat garlic and herb cheese—such as Boursin or Alouette—if you prefer. Your calorie count will go up but not your carb count.

1 pound (455 g) large shrimp, shelled (31/35 count)

2 tablespoons (28 g) butter

½ cup (115 g) light garlic and herb spreadable cheese

¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream

4 tablespoons (15.2 g) chopped fresh parsley

Make sure your shrimp are shelled and ready to go. Melt the butter in a big skillet over medium heat and throw in the shrimp. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until pink. Add the cheese and stir until it melts. Your sauce will look like a gloppy mess. Do not panic. Stir in the cream, and the whole thing will smooth out beautifully as you stir. Transfer to serving plates, top with parsley, and serve.

Yield:
3 servings

Each with 29 g protein; 3 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber; 2 g usable carbs.

Brining shrimp makes them plumper and firmer— some say the texture resembles lobster. It adds flavor, too! I mean, what is sea water but a kind of brine? If you want to be terribly authentic, use sea salt!

FOR THE BRINE:

2 tablespoons (40 g) kosher salt or large-crystal sea salt

1 quart (960 ml) cold water

2 tablespoons (3 g) Splenda

¼ teaspoon blackstrap molasses

1 pound (455 g) shrimp in the shell—whatever size you like

FOR THE SEASONING:

2 cloves garlic

¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil

2 tablespoons (12 g) lemon pepper

To brine the shrimp: Dissolve the salt in the water. Stir in the Splenda and molasses. Now pour this mixture over the shrimp you’ve placed in a bowl or in a large resealable plastic bag. If you’re using a bag, press out the air and seal it. Either way, make sure the shrimp are submerged. Let them sit in the brine for 30 to 45 minutes for medium-size shrimp or as much as an hour for really huge ones.

To cook: While your shrimp are brining, crush the garlic and pour the olive oil over it. That way, you’ll have garlic-flavored olive oil by the time the shrimp are ready to cook.

Drain the brine off of the shrimp and pat them dry with a paper towel. Put the shrimp in a bowl, pour the garlic olive oil over them, and toss. Now sprinkle the lemon pepper over them and toss again.

You’ll need a small-holed grill rack or a grill wok—I like to use a grill wok for this. Lift the shrimp out of the olive oil with a fork to let the excess oil drip off and put over a medium-hot fire. Grill quickly, turning two or three times, until pink all the way through—the timing will depend on the size of your shrimp, but it shouldn’t take more than 6 or 7 minutes. If the olive oil causes flare-ups, keep them down with a squirt bottle.

Yield:
3 to 4 servings

Assuming 3, each serving would have 6 grams of carb—if you drank the brine (but you won’t, of course). So figure no more than 4 grams per serving, a trace of fiber, and 31 grams of protein. (You’ll actually get a little more protein if you cook big shrimp than if you cook little ones, because of the better shrimp-to-shell ratio.).

Variation: Brined Old Bay Shrimp. For the seasoning, use ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil and 2 tablespoons (13 g) Old Bay Seasoning (look for this in the spice aisle). Drain the brined shrimp and pat them dry. Put them in a bowl, pour the olive oil over them, and toss. Sprinkle the Old Bay Seasoning over the shrimp and toss again. Finish as directed above.

Yield:
3 to 4 servings.

Assuming 3, figure about 2 grams carbohydrate per serving, with no fiber, and 31 grams of protein.

This is a bit of trouble, and it’s not cheap, so you’ll probably only want to make it for company—but wow.

1 bag (14 ounces, or 400 g) frozen, cooked, shelled shrimp (small shrimp—51/60 count)

2 packages (10 ounces, or 280 g each) frozen chopped spinach

3 tablespoons (42 g) butter

1 pound (455 g) mushrooms, sliced

1 small onion, diced

2 teaspoons liquid beef bouillon concentrate

1½ cups (360 ml) heavy cream

1 cup (230 g) sour cream

1 cup (100 g) grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup (70 g) unsweetened flaked coconut

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).

Cook the spinach; I put mine in a glass casserole dish, cover it, and microwave it on high for 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat and start sautéing the mushrooms and onions. When they’re starting to get limp, break up the frozen shrimp a bit and add them to the skillet.

When the shrimp are thawed and the onions are quite limp and translucent, scoop out the vegetables and shrimp with a slotted spoon and put them aside in a bowl. Turn up the heat to medium-high. A fair amount of liquid will have accumulated in the bottom of the skillet; add the beef bouillon concentrate to it and boil the liquid until it’s reduced to about one-third of its original volume.

Turn the heat back down to low, stir in the heavy cream, sour cream, and Parmesan and just heat it through (don’t let it boil). Stir the shrimp and vegetables back into this sauce.

Rescue your spinach from the microwave and drain it well by putting it in a strainer and pressing it with the back of a spoon to make sure all the liquid is removed.

Spray a 10-cup (2.4-L) casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and spread half of the spinach in the bottom of it. Put half of the shrimp mixture over that. Repeat the layers with the rest of the spinach and the rest of the sauce.

Top with the coconut and bake for 1½ hours.

Yield:
6 servings

Each with 15 grams of carbohydrates and 5 grams of fiber, for a total of 10 grams of usable carbs and 26 grams of protein. (Not to mention outrageous amounts of fat, but that doesn’t bother us!)

1 pound (455 g) large shrimp, shelled

¼ cup (60 ml) oil

4 teaspoons paprika

4 teaspoons chili garlic paste

4 cloves garlic, crushed

Just sauté the shrimp in the oil for about 5 minutes until it’s pink. Sprinkle the paprika over it and stir in the chili garlic paste and garlic. Cook for another minute or so and serve.

Yield:
2 to 3 servings

Assuming 3, each will have 26 g protein; 4 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber; 3 g usable carbs.

This dish is vietnamese style—hot and a little sweet.

1 pound (455 g) large shrimp, shelled and deveined (31/35 count)

Scant ½ teaspoon salt

Scant ½ teaspoon pepper

1½ teaspoons Splenda

3 scallions

¼ cup (60 ml) peanut or canola oil

1½ teaspoons chili garlic paste

2 teaspoons minced garlic

Mix together the salt, pepper, and Splenda in a small dish or cup. Slice the scallions thinly and set them aside. Gather all the ingredients except the scallions together—the actual cooking of this dish is lightning-fast!

In a wok or heavy skillet over highest heat, heat the oil. Add the shrimp and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until they’re about two-thirds pink. Add the chili garlic paste and garlic and keep stir-frying. When the shrimp are pink all over and all the way through, sprinkle the salt, pepper, and Splenda mixture over them and stir for just another 10 seconds or so. Turn off the heat and divide the shrimp between 3 serving plates. Top each serving with a scattering of sliced scallion and serve.

Yield:
3 servings

Each with 2 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 1 gram of usable carbs and 25 grams of protein.

This dish comes in at a low 288 calories a serving.