1001 Low-Carb Recipes: Hundreds of Delicious Recipes From Dinner to Dessert That Let You Live Your Low-Carb Lifestyle and Never Look Back (73 page)

Yield:
4 servings

If you consumed all the marinade, you’d get 15 grams of carb per serving, not counting the polyols in the pancake syrup, but you’re not going to. I’d give a generous estimate of 5 grams of carbohydrate per serving; 28 grams protein.

If you ever manage to get tired of lobster with lemon butter or lobster with curried mayonnaise, try this.

4 lobster tails, split down the back of the shell

2 tablespoons (28 g) butter

1½ teaspoons chili garlic paste

¼ teaspoon orange extract

½ teaspoon Splenda

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preheat the broiler.

The lobster tails should have their shells split along the back. Put them on a broiler rack.

Melt the butter and then stir in everything else. Baste the lobster tails with this mixture, being sure to get some down into the shell. Place the tails 5 to 6 inches (13 to 15 cm) under the broiler, set on high.

Broil for 7 to 8 minutes. Baste every couple of minutes with the butter mixture, using a clean utensil each time. End the basting about 2 minutes before the end of cooking time. Serve.

Yield:
4 servings

Each with 53 g protein; 2 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber; 2 g usable carbs.

Oysters are an oddity in the world of animal protein because they actually contain a few carbs of their own. Still, they’re quite nutritious (loaded with zinc), and many people love them. This makes an elegant appetizer or a very light supper.

16 large oysters

6 slices bacon

24 mushrooms

Butter (optional)

Lemon wedges (optional)

Preheat the broiler.

You’ll either need metal skewers for this or you’ll need to think far enough ahead to put 6 bamboo skewers in water to soak for a few hours before you begin cooking.

Either way, simply skewer a slice of bacon near the end and then skewer a mushroom. Fold the strip of bacon back over, skewering it again, add an oyster, and fold and skewer the bacon again—you’re weaving the bacon in and out of the alternating mushrooms and oysters, see?

Lay the skewers on a broiler pan and broil them close to the heat with the broiler on low for about 10 minutes. Turn once or twice until the oysters are done and the bacon’s getting crisp. You can baste these with butter while they’re broiling if you like, but it’s not strictly necessary. Serve one skewer per person as a first course, with lemon wedges if you like.

Yield:
3 servings

Each with 8 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 6 grams of usable carbs and 10 grams of protein.

Two Variations: My husband, who refers to mushrooms as “slime,” likes these without the mushrooms. This cuts the carb count down to just 2 grams per serving.

If you’d like to impress the guests at your next party, you can cut strips of bacon in half and wrap each half-strip around an oyster, piercing with a toothpick to hold. Broil as directed above until the bacon gets crispy and serve hot. These are called Angels on Horseback—I have no idea why—and they’re a classic hot appetizer. These will have just a trace of carbohydrates per piece.

I’d call these Chinese-inspired except for the bourbon, which is all-American. How about calling it East-Meets-West?

20 whole chicken wings, or 40 drummettes

1 tablespoon (15 ml) fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla)

1 tablespoon (6 g) grated ginger

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon chili garlic paste

¼ cup (6 g) Splenda

2 tablespoons (30 ml) sugar-free imitation honey

¼ cup (60 ml) bourbon

Throw your wings into a large resealable plastic bag. Mix together everything else. Reserve some of the marinade for basting and pour the rest over the wings. Press out the air, seal the bag, and toss it in the fridge. Let your wings live it up for at least a few hours.

When it’s time to cook, light your grill; you’ll want it medium-high. When the fire is ready pour off the marinade and arrange the wings on the grill. Grill for 7 to 10 minutes per side, basting often with the reserved marinade. Make sure you use clean utensils each time you baste to avoid cross-contamination. Serve.

Yield:
You will, of course, have 20 wings or 40 drummettes—how many servings will depend on whether you’re serving these as a main dish or an appetizer.

Whichever, each whole wing will have well under 1 gram of usable carbohydrate, and 9 grams of protein. Halve those figures for drummettes. Carb count does not include polyol in sugar-free honey.

This has wonderfully crunchy skin and a sweet-and-tangy sauce to dip bites of chicken in.

1 cut up broiler-fryer

Bay leaves

Salt or Vege-Sal

Pepper

3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60 ml) olive oil

3 to 4 tablespoons (42 to 56 g) butter

½ cup (60 ml) dry white wine

3 tablespoons (45 ml) balsamic vinegar

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

Tuck a bay leaf or two under the skin of each piece of chicken. Sprinkle each piece with salt and pepper and arrange them in a roasting pan.

Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and dot them with the same amount of butter. Roast in the oven for 1½ hours, turning each piece every 20 to 30 minutes. (This makes for gloriously crunchy, tasty skin.)

When the chicken is done, put it on a platter and pour off the fat from the pan. Put the pan over medium heat and pour in the wine and balsamic vinegar. Stir this around, dissolving the tasty brown stuff stuck to the pan to make a sauce. Boil this for just a minute or two, pour into a sauceboat or a pitcher, and serve with the chicken. Discard the bay leaves before serving.

Yield:
4 servings

Each with 2 grams of carbohydrates, a trace of fiber, and 44 grams of protein.

This is my way of combining my love of Chinese food with the current trend toward citrus flavors. It’s good, too!

3 pounds (1.4 kg) chicken thighs

¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce

2 tablespoons (30 ml) canola or peanut oil

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

1 tablespoon (15 ml) white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon (1.5 g) Splenda

2 tablespoons (40 g) low-sugar orange marmalade

2 teaspoons five-spice powder

Place the chicken in a big resealable plastic bag. Mix together everything else. Reserve some of the marinade for basting and pour the rest into the bag. Seal the bag, pressing out the air as you go. Turn the bag to coat the chicken and throw it in the fridge. Let it sit for at least a couple of hours, and longer is fine.

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C, or gas mark 5). Haul the chicken out of the fridge, pour off the marinade, and arrange the chicken in a baking pan. Roast your chicken for 1 hour and baste 2 or 3 times with the reserved marinade, making sure to use a clean utensil each time you baste to avoid cross-contamination.

Yield:
5 to 6 servings

Assuming 6, each will have 32 g protein; 3 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber; 3 g usable carbs—and that’s assuming you end up consuming all of the marinade.

Many carry-out places do a brisk business in chickens roasted Greek-style, and it’s no wonder why—they’re terrific. But the best-kept secret about those roasters is that they’re as easy as can be to make at home.

3 to 4 pounds (1.4 to 1.8 kg) of chicken (whole, split in half, cut-up broiler-fryer, or cut-up parts of your choice)

¼ cup (60 ml) lemon juice

½ cup (120 ml) olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Wash the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels.

Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and stir them together well. If you’re using a whole chicken, rub it all over with some of this mixture, making sure to rub plenty inside the body cavity as well. If you’re using cut-up chicken, put it in a large resealable plastic bag, pour the marinade over it, and seal the bag.

Let the chicken marinate for at least an hour or as long as a day.

At least 1 hour before you want to serve the chicken, pull it out of the bag. You can either grill your chicken or you can roast it in a 375°F (190°C, or gas mark 5) oven for about 1 hour. Either way, cook it until the juices run clear when it’s pierced to the bone.

Yield:
5 servings

Each with less than 1 gram of carbohydrates, a bare trace of fiber, and 52 grams of protein.

If you have a rotisserie, this is a terrific dish to cook in it. Follow the instructions that come with your unit for cooking times.

You’ll notice that this is remarkably similar to the Absolutely Classic Barbecued Ribs (page 435), the only difference being that it’s chicken!

3 pounds (1.4 kg) cut-up chicken (on the bone, skin on—choose light or dark meat, as you prefer)

cup (40 g) Classic Barbecue Rub (page 486)

½ cup (120 ml) chicken broth

½ cup (120 ml) oil

½ cup (120 ml) Kansas City Barbecue Sauce (page 467)

Wood chips or chunks, soaked for at least 30 min

Get your grill going, setting it up for indirect smoking.

While the grill’s heating, sprinkle the chicken with all but a tablespoon of the rub. Combine the reserved rub with the chicken broth and oil to make a mop.

When your fire is ready, place the chicken over a drip pan, add the wood chips or chunks, and close the grill. Let it smoke for half an hour before you start to baste it with the mop. Then mop it every time you add more chips or chunks, using a clean utensil each time you baste. Smoke the chicken for about 90 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 180°F (85°C). When the chicken is just about done, baste the skin side with the Kansas City Barbecue Sauce and move it over the fire, skin-side down, for 5 minutes or so. Baste the other side with the sauce using a clean utensil, turn it over, and give it another 5 minutes over the fire. Boil the remainder of the sauce and serve with the chicken.

Feel free to use this same basic method with any rub and any sauce!

Yield:
5 servings

Each serving will have 9 grams of carbohydrate and 1 gram of fiber, for a usable carb count of 8 grams; 35 grams protein.

Hot, spicy, garlicky, and a little sweet—this chicken is truly wonderful. And unlike classic American barbecued chicken, this is actually grilled, so it cooks faster than the slow-smoked variety.

2 pounds (910 g) chicken pieces