1001 Low-Carb Recipes: Hundreds of Delicious Recipes From Dinner to Dessert That Let You Live Your Low-Carb Lifestyle and Never Look Back (81 page)

When the breasts are cooked through, serve. If there’s any apricot glaze remaining, you can heat it thoroughly in the microwave—make sure it boils hard!—and spoon it over the breasts before serving.

Yield:
4 servings

Each serving will have 4 grams of carbohydrate and a trace of fiber. Assuming 1½ pounds (680 g) of chicken, each serving will have 38 grams of protein.

Serve this tasty stir-fry over brown rice for the carb-eaters in your family and enjoy yours straight.

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch (1.3-cm) cubes

2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce

¼ cup (60 ml) dry sherry

1 clove garlic, smashed

1 inch (2.5 cm) or so fresh ginger, grated

¼ teaspoon guar (optional)

Peanut oil (Canola or coconut oil would work, too.)

cup (40 g) slivered almonds

1½ cups (110 g) snow peas, cut in half

1½ cups (105 g) mushrooms, sliced

15 scallions, cut into pieces about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long

¼ cup (50 g) sliced water chestnuts (optional; They increase the carb count, but they’re tasty.)

There’s one hard-and-fast rule with stir-fries: Make sure all your ingredients are chopped, sliced, and grated before you begin cooking. Once your ingredients are ready, stir together the soy sauce, sherry, garlic, and ginger. (If you’re using the guar, put these seasonings through the blender with the guar.)

Heat a couple of teaspoons of the peanut oil in a wok or large, heavy skillet over high heat. Add the almonds and stir-fry them until they’re light golden. Remove and set aside.

Heat another couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of oil in the pan and add the snow peas, mushrooms, scallions, and water chestnuts (if using) to the pan. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes or until just barely tender-crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Heat another couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of oil in the pan and add the chicken. Stir-fry for 5 to 7 minutes or until done; there should be no pink left.

Return the vegetables to the skillet and add the soy sauce/sherry mixture. Toss everything together well. Cover and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Top with the almonds and serve.

Yield:
3 servings

Each with 18 grams of carbohydrates and 6 grams of fiber, for a total of 12 grams of usable carbs and 36 grams of protein.

If all you’ve had are Chinese stir-fries, you’ll find this an interesting change.

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into ½-inch (1.3-cm) cubes

2 tablespoons (30 ml) Thai fish sauce

2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce

1 teaspoon Splenda

¼ teaspoon guar or xanthan

2 teaspoons dried basil

1½ teaspoons red pepper flakes

Peanut, canola, or coconut oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 small onion, sliced

1½ cups (225 g) frozen, crosscut green beans, thawed

Combine the fish sauce, soy sauce, Splenda, and guar or xanthan in a blender. Blend for several seconds, then turn off the blender and add the basil and red pepper flakes, and set aside.

Heat a few tablespoons (30 ml) of oil in a wok or heavy skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, chicken, and onion and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the green beans and continue to stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through.

Stir the fish sauce mixture into the stir-fry, turn the heat to medium, cover, and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes (the beans should be tender-crisp).

Yield:
3 servings

Each with 13 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 10 grams of usable carbs and 31 grams of protein.

This was a big hit with Maria’s family!

8 boneless, skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cubed (a little over 2¼ lbs/1 kg)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

½ cup (80 g) chopped onion

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 teaspoons grated ginger

1 teaspoon five-spice powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)

28 ounces (850 ml) chicken broth

1 head cauliflower

Guar or xanthan

6 tablespoons (35 g) sliced scallions

6 tablespoons (24 g) chopped cilantro

Place the chicken in a slow cooker. Top with the garlic, onion, celery, ginger, five-spice powder, salt, and lemon juice.

In a bowl, combine the hot pepper sauce, if using, with the broth and pour it into the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 5 to 6 hours.

Okay, it’s almost supper time. Run the cauliflower through the shredding blade of your food processor to make cauli-rice. Put the cauli-rice in a microwaveable casserole dish with a lid, add a couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of water, cover, and microwave on high for 6 minutes.

Thicken up the sauce in the slow cooker with a little guar or xanthan to about the texture of heavy cream.

Okay, the cauli-rice is done! Uncover it immediately, drain, and divide it into 6 bowls. Divide the chicken mixture, ladling it over the cauli-rice. Top with the scallions and cilantro.

Yield:
6 servings

Each with 20 g protein, 4 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 3 g usable carbs.

The day I first made this my cleaning crew was here, and they couldn’t stop talking about how great it smelled. It tastes even better! find
coconut milk in the Asian section of big grocery stores or at Asian markets. It comes in regular or light, and they generally have the same carb count, so choose whichever you prefer.

3 pounds (1.4 kg) skinless chicken thighs

½ cup (80 g) chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1½ tablespoons (8 g) curry powder

1 cup (240 ml) coconut milk

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon concentrate

Guar or xanthan

Put the chicken in a slow cooker. Place the onion and garlic over it.

In a bowl, mix together the curry powder, coconut milk, and bouillon. Pour the mixture over the chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 6 hours.

When the time’s up, remove the chicken and put it on a platter. Thicken the sauce to a gravy consistency with guar or xanthan.

You’ll want to serve this with Cauliflower Rice (page 212) to soak up the extra curry sauce. It’s too good to miss!

Yield:
5 servings

Each with 32 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 4 g usable carbs.

1½ pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast

¼ cup (60 ml) coconut milk (You can find this in cans at Asian markets or in grocery stores with a good international section.)

2 tablespoons (30 ml) fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla)

2 tablespoons (30 ml) lime juice

2 teaspoons Splenda

2 cloves garlic

½ teaspoon turmeric

Combine everything but the chicken and stir well. Pour it over the chicken in a large resealable plastic bag. Press out the air, seal the bag, and toss it in the fridge for 1 or 2 hours, and all day won’t hurt.

When dinnertime rolls around, light a grill. When the grill is hot, cook the chicken for about 7 minutes per side or until cooked through. Serve with Thai Peanut Sauce (below).

Yield:
5 servings

Each serving will have no more than 3 grams of carbohydrate before adding the peanut sauce—and once again, actually a bit less because of the marinade that gets thrown away—31 grams of protein. Analysis does not include the Thai Peanut Sauce.

½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1 tablespoon (6 g) grated ginger

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 scallions, sliced, including the crisp part of the green

cup (80 g) natural peanut butter

cup (80 ml) coconut milk

2 tablespoons (30 ml) fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam)

1½ tablespoons (23 ml) lime juice

2 teaspoons Splenda

Put everything in a blender or a food processor with the S-blade in place and process until smooth.

Yield:
Makes roughly 1 cup (240 ml), or 8 servings of 2 tablespoons each.

4 grams of carbohydrate per serving, and 1 gram of fiber, for a usable carb count of 3 grams; 3 grams of protein.

This was a big hit at our annual Toastmasters Bash at the Lake.