The Low-Carb Diabetes Solution Cookbook (11 page)

You know that despite being “natural,” honey is pure sugar, right? Make this instead. For a creamy version, substitute mayonnaise for half of the olive oil.

1
/
2
cup (120 ml) light olive oil

1
/
4
cup (60 ml) cider vinegar

1
/
4
cup (45 g) brown mustard

1
/
8
teaspoon liquid stevia (plain)

1
/
4
teaspoon ground black pepper

1
/
4
teaspoon salt

YIELD:
12 servings or a generous 1 cup (235 ml) 6 calories; trace fat; trace protein; 1 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber per serving

Just assemble everything in a clean jar, lid it tightly, and shake like mad. Store in the fridge, right in the jar, and shake again before using.

Virtually all commercial coleslaw dressing is simply full of sugar, which is a shame, because cabbage is a very low-carb vegetable. I just love coleslaw, so I came up with a sugar-free dressing. You may, of course, vary these proportions to taste. Also, a teaspoon or so of celery seed can be nice in this for a little variety. I use this much dressing for a whole head of cabbage, shredded. Or take the easy route and use bag-ged coleslaw mix.

1
/
2
cup (115 g) mayonnaise

1
/
2
cup (115 g) sour cream

1 to 1
1
/
2
tablespoons (15 to 23 ml) cider vinegar

1 to 1
1
/
2
teaspoons prepared mustard

1
/
2
to 1 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal

12 drops liquid stevia (plain)

YIELD:
8 servings or a generous 1 cup (235 ml) 132 calories; 15 g fat; 1 g protein; 1 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber per serving

Combine all the ingredients well and toss with coleslaw mix.

Raspberry vinegar varies; some brands have sugar, and some do not, so be vigilant in reading labels. This is great on any salad that has a salty ingredient—feta, bacon, that sort of thing.

1
/
2
shallot

1
/
2
teaspoon Dijon mustard

1
/
4
cup (60 ml) raspberry vinegar—read the labels to find one with no sugar

6 drops liquid stevia (plain)

1
/
2
cup (120 ml) olive oil

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

YIELD:
8 servings or
3
/
4
cup (175 ml) 121 calories; 14 g fat; trace protein; 1 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber per serving

Put the shallot and mustard in your food processor, and turn it on. As the shallots are reaching the minced stage, add the raspberry vinegar and liquid stevia. Now slowly pour in the olive oil. When it's well incorporated, turn off the processor.

Taste, add salt and pepper, then pulse just another second or two to mix, and it's ready to use.

Even my slaw-hating husband likes this! It's got a very different texture and flavor than your standard slaw.

4 cups (280 g) finely shredded napa cabbage

1
/
4
cup (30 g) shredded carrot

1
/
4
cup (30 g) thinly sliced celery—the pale, inner part of the rib bunch

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1
/
4
cup (60 g) mayonnaise

2 tablespoons (28 ml) rice vinegar

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

1 teaspoon soy sauce

6 drops liquid stevia (plain)

YIELD:
8 servings 63 calories; 6 g fat; 1 g protein; 3 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber per serving

Combine the cabbage, carrot, celery, and scallions in a salad bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, ginger, soy sauce, and stevia. Beat together until smooth, pour over the vegetables, toss, and serve.

The light Asian-style dressing with the sweet plums is quite extraordinary. This would be nice with a simple chicken dish, or perhaps white fish of some kind.

12 cups (360 g) baby spinach

2 red plums

2 scallions, sliced

2 tablespoons (28 ml) peanut oil, light olive oil, or MCT oil

2 tablespoons (28 ml) rice vinegar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1
/
2
teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

3 drops liquid stevia (plain)

YIELD:
8 servings 51 calories; 4 g fat; 2 g protein; 4 g carbohydrate; 2 g dietary fiber per serving

Dump your baby spinach in your big salad bowl.

Halve the plums, remove the pits, and cut into
1
/
2
-inch (1 cm) dice. Slice your scallions, including the crisp part of the green.

In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and stevia. Pour this over the spinach and toss till it's coated with the dressing. Pile the spinach on 8 salad plates, top each serving with plum cubes and scallions, and serve.

The slightly bitter greens, the sweet dressing, the creamy goat cheese, and the crispy nuts make a heckuva combination!

4 cups (220 g) torn romaine lettuce

4 cups (220 g) torn leaf lettuce

2 cups (110 g) torn arugula

2 cups (110 g) torn radicchio

2 ounces (55 g) goat cheese

3 tablespoons (23 g) chopped walnuts

1
/
2
cup (120 ml)
Raspberry Vinaigrette

1
/
4
cup (30 g) fresh raspberries

YIELD:
5 servings 229 calories; 21 g fat; 6 g protein; 5 g carbohydrate; 2 g dietary fiber per serving

Assemble your lettuces, arugula, and radicchio in your salad bowl. Cut your goat cheese into little hunks. Chop your walnuts and have 'em standing by.

Now pour your dressing over the greens, and toss. Pile the salad onto 5 salad plates, and top each with a little goat cheese, some walnuts, and a few raspberries.

If you're looking for a standard tossed salad, this is as good as it gets. The combination of flavors is stunning. My husband and I have served this salad over and over, and we never tire of it. This dressing tastes a bit like a Caesar vinaigrette, but it's less trouble.

1 clove garlic

1
/
2
cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1 head romaine lettuce

1
/
2
cup (30 g) chopped fresh parsley

1
/
2
green bell pepper, diced

1
/
4
cucumber, quartered and sliced

1
/
4
sweet red onion, sliced paper-thin

2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) lemon juice

2 to 3 teaspoons (10 to 15 ml) Worcestershire sauce

1
/
4
cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese

1 medium ripe tomato, cut into thin wedges

YIELD:
8 servings 156 calories; 14 g fat; 3 g protein; 5 g carbohydrate; 2 g dietary fiber per serving

Crush the clove of garlic in a small bowl, cover it with the olive oil, and set it aside.

Wash and dry your romaine, break it up into a bowl, and add the parsley, pepper, cucumber, and onion. Pour the garlic-flavored oil over the salad and toss until every leaf is covered.

Sprinkle on the lemon juice to taste and toss again. Then sprinkle on the Worcestershire sauce as desired and toss again. Finally, sprinkle on the Parmesan and toss one last time. Top with the tomato wedges, and serve.

Y
ou're used to diets that tell you to eat tons of vegetables, aren't you? And to leave off the butter, oil, and sour cream, because they're—
gasp
—fat.

Prepare for a paradigm shift. If you have diabetes, or even prediabetes, you need to keep an eye on all carbs, even those from vegetables. Remember, a molecule of glucose is a molecule of glucose, regardless of the source.

Vegetables will be the source of most of your carbs. To stay at 20 grams or fewer per day, we're talking just a couple of cups of vegetables per day. Some of the higher carb vegetables have to be limited even more strictly, and the really starchy ones—peas, lima beans, corn, and the like—are out entirely.

You did not get sick from eating vegetables. But with a broken carbohydrate metabolism you have to watch all carbohydrates. The recipes here with 5 grams per serving can accompany plain protein courses—a grilled steak, a pan-broiled chop, roast chicken, and the like. As you heal, you may be able to increase vegetable portions—that will be between you, your glucometer, and your doctor.

All of that said, it's vegetables that are going to vary the meat, poultry, fish, and eggs that will be the core of your diet. I think you'll be surprised how much they—
ahem
—bring to the table. Feel free to serve your vegetables steamed with a little melted butter. Simple is good. But for those times when you want something a bit more interesting, here's a fine variety of pleasing vegetable dishes.

This is a wonderful substitute for mashed potatoes with any dish that has a gravy or sauce. Feel free to use frozen cauliflower; it works quite well here. You can steam your cauliflower on the stove top if you prefer.

Play with this! Stir in shredded cheese or a dollop of horseradish, or use chive cream cheese instead of plain.

1 head cauliflower (you need about 1
1
/
2
pounds, or 680 g, total, fresh or frozen)

2 ounces (55 g) cream cheese

1
/
4
cup (55 g) butter

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

YIELD:
6 servings (or more) 125 calories; 11 g fat; 3 g protein; 5 g carbohydrate; 2 g dietary fiber per serving

Trim the very bottom of the cauliflower stem, and remove the leaves. Cut the rest into chunks. Put the cauliflower in a microwavable casserole dish with a lid, or a microwave steamer, add a couple of tablespoons (28 ml) of water, and cover. Microwave it on high for 12 minutes, or until quite tender but not sulfury smelling. Drain it thoroughly. Now puree it—I use my stick blender, but you can put it in your food processor if you prefer. Work in the cream cheese and butter, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

With thanks to Fran McCullough! I got this idea from her book
Living Low-Carb
, and it's served me very well indeed. It makes a nice bed for a piece of chicken or fish with a tasty sauce, works as a base for great seasoned “rice” dishes, and even stands in for rice, couscous, or bulgur in salads.

1
/
2
head cauliflower

YIELD:
4 servings 18 calories; trace fat; 1 g protein; 4 g carbohydrate; 2 g dietary fiber per serving

Trim the leaves and the very bottom of the stem from your cauliflower. Cut it into chunks, and run them through the shredding blade of your food processor. Steam lightly—I add a little water and give mine 6 to 7 minutes on high in the microwave.

A fine side dish, but it can be easily converted into a skillet supper with the addition of a protein. How about shrimp, or diced leftover rotisserie chicken or pork roast?

1
/
2
head cauliflower

2 eggs

1 cup (75 g) fresh snow pea pods

2 tablespoons (28 g) butter

1
/
2
cup (80 g) diced onion

2 tablespoons (16 g) shredded carrot

3 tablespoons (45 ml) soy sauce

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

YIELD:
5 servings 91 calories; 6 g fat; 4 g protein; 5 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber per serving

Turn your cauliflower into
Cauli-Rice
according to the instructions.

While that's happening, whisk the eggs, pour them into a nonstick skillet (or one you've coated with nonstick cooking spray), and cook over medium-high heat. As you cook the eggs, use your spatula to break them up into pea-sized bits. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Remove the tips and strings from the snow peas and snip into
1
/
4
-inch (6 mm) lengths. (By now the microwave has beeped—take the lid off your cauliflower or it will turn into a mush that bears not the slightest resemblance to rice!)

Melt the butter in the skillet and sauté the pea pods, onion, and carrot for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cauliflower and stir everything together well. Stir in the soy sauce and cook the whole thing, stirring often, for another 5 to 6 minutes. Add a little salt and pepper, and serve.

This is great for fans of rice pilaf mixes—my brother dubbed it “Rice-a-Phony.” It's terrific with a simple rotisserie chicken.

1
/
2
head cauliflower

1
/
2
medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons (28 g) butter, divided

1
/
4
cup (60 ml) dry white wine

1 tablespoon (18 g) chicken bouillon concentrate

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1
/
4
cup (28 g) sliced or slivered almonds

YIELD:
5 servings 104 calories; 9 g fat; 2 g protein; 4 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber per serving

Turn your cauliflower into
Cauli-Rice
according to the instructions.

While that's cooking, sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon (14 g) of the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.

When the cauliflower is done, pull it out of the microwave, drain it, and add it to the skillet with the onion. Add the wine, chicken bouillon concentrate, and poultry seasoning, and stir. Turn the heat down to low.

Let that simmer for a minute or two while you sauté the almonds in the remaining tablespoon (14 g) of butter in a small, heavy skillet. When the almonds are golden, stir them into the “rice,” and serve.

A great side with a steak or burger. Or put this next to roast beef, and you've got a killer company dinner. Stir in slivered leftover roast beef, should you have any, and you have a skillet supper.

1
/
2
head cauliflower

4 strips bacon

1
/
2
medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons (30 g) tomato sauce

1 tablespoon (18 g) beef bouillon concentrate

2 tablespoons (18 g) toasted pine nuts

2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped fresh parsley

YIELD:
5 servings 72 calories; 4 g fat; 4 g protein; 5 g carbohydrate; 2 g dietary fiber per serving

Turn your cauliflower into
Cauli-Rice
according to the instructions.

While that's cooking, cut the bacon into little pieces—kitchen shears are good for this—and start the little bacon bits frying in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When a little grease has cooked out of the bacon, throw the onion into the skillet. Cook until the onion is translucent and the bacon is browned and getting crisp.

By now the cauliflower should be done. Drain it and throw it in the skillet with the bacon and onion. Add the tomato sauce and beef bouillon concentrate, and stir the whole thing up to combine everything—you can add a couple of tablespoons (28 ml) of water, if you like, to help the liquid flavorings spread.

Stir in the pine nuts and parsley (you can just snip it right into the skillet with clean kitchen shears), and serve.

Man, is this good! One of the best side dishes I've ever come up with. I made this with Wayne Brady when I was on his talk show!

1
/
2
head cauliflower

3 tablespoons (42 g) butter

1 cup (70 g) sliced mushrooms

1
/
2
medium onion, diced

1 teaspoon minced garlic or 2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons (28 ml) dry vermouth

1 tablespoon (18 g) chicken bouillon concentrate

3
/
4
cup (75 g) grated Parmesan cheese

Guar or xanthan, as needed

2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped fresh parsley

YIELD:
5 servings 139 calories; 11 g fat; 6 g protein; 4 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber per serving

Turn your cauliflower into
Cauli-Rice
according to the instructions.

While the cauliflower is cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic, and sauté them all together.

When the cauliflower is done, pull it out of the microwave and drain it. When the mushrooms have changed color and are looking done, add the cauliflower to the skillet and stir everything together. Stir in the vermouth and bouillon, add the cheese, and let the whole thing cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Sprinkle just a little guar or xanthan over the “risotto,” stirring all the while, to give it a creamy texture. Stir in the parsley just before serving.

This is just the thing with a simple dinner of broiled chops or a steak, and it's even good all by itself. It's beautiful to look at, too, what with all those colors, which is why I chose it to make on George Stella's Food Network show,
Low Carb and Lovin' It
. By the way, you can buy sliced stuffed olives in jars.

4 slices bacon

1
/
2
head cauliflower

1
/
2
green bell pepper

1
/
2
medium onion

1
/
4
cup (25 g) sliced stuffed olives

YIELD:
5 servings 49 calories; 4 g fat; 2 g protein; 3 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber per serving

Chop the bacon into small bits and start it frying in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. (Give the skillet a squirt of nonstick cooking spray first.)

Chop the cauliflower into
1
/
2
-inch (1 cm) bits. Chop up the stem, too; no need to waste it. Put the chopped cauliflower in a microwavable casserole dish with a lid—or a microwave steamer if you have one—add a couple of tablespoons (28 ml) of water, cover, and microwave for 8 minutes on high.

Give the bacon a stir, then go back to the chopping board. Dice the pepper and onion. By now some fat has cooked out of the bacon, and it is starting to brown around the edges. Add the pepper and onion to the skillet. Sauté until the onion is translucent and the pepper is starting to get soft.

By then, the cauliflower should be done. Add it to the skillet without draining and stir—the extra little bit of water is going to help dissolve the yummy bacon flavor from the bottom of the skillet and carry it through the dish.

Stir in the olives, let the whole thing cook another minute while stirring, then serve.

Reader Melissa Wright, who sent this recipe for
500 More Low-Carb Recipes
, says: “Here's a cauliflower recipe that I often make for family gatherings. I adapted it from a macaroni dish that I used to love and wanted to find a way to have again. Whenever I bring it to family functions, the dish is always empty by the time I go home, and someone always asks for the recipe. Since I'm the only low-carber in the family, I find that amusing.”

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (or 1
1
/
2
pounds [680 g] frozen cauliflower)

1 large egg

1 cup (225 g) small-curd whole-milk cottage cheese

1 cup (230 g) sour cream

1
/
2
teaspoon salt

1
/
8
teaspoon ground black pepper

8 ounces (225 g) sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped fresh parsley (optional)

YIELD:
8 servings 213 calories; 17 g fat; 13 g protein; 3 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber per serving

Preheat oven to 350°F (´°C, or gas mark 4). Lightly coat a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Put the cauliflower florets in a microwavable casserole dish, add 2 tablespoons of water (28 ml), and cover. Microwave it for 10 to 11 minutes, or until very tender

Stir 2 tablespoons (17 g) of poppy seeds into the cauliflower before baking. This gives it a kind of polka-dot look and adds a subtle sophistication to the flavor.

I grew up eating green beans with almonds at holiday dinners. As an adult, I've branched out a bit. Keep in mind that green beans are a bit higher in carbs than some veggies, and watch your portions.

1 pound (455 g) frozen green beans

1
/
4
cup (34 g) hazelnuts

2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil

2 tablespoons (28 ml) lemon juice

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

YIELD:
8 servings 77 calories; 6 g fat; 2 g protein; 5 g carbohydrate; 2 g dietary fiber per serving

Put your green beans in a microwaveable casserole dish with a lid, add a couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of water and nuke on high for 7 minutes.

In the meanwhile, chop your hazelnuts. Put your big, heavy skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, and sauté the hazelnuts till they're touched with gold and smell wonderful. Remove from the heat.