The Low-Carb Diabetes Solution Cookbook (13 page)

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

YIELD:
6 servings 90 calories; 7 g fat; 3 g protein; 5 g carbohydrate; 2 g dietary fiber per serving

Slice your pepperoni into teeny strips. Heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the olive oil in your large, heavy skillet, add the pepperoni, and sauté it until it's crisp. Lift out with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil to the skillet, and let it heat over a medium-high burner. Add the mushrooms, and sauté them until they're softened and starting to brown. Add the sliced scallions and sauté for another few minutes, until they're starting to brown, too. Stir in the garlic, then add the spinach. Turn the whole thing over and over, just until the spinach wilts. Stir in the pepperoni bits, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Do you have any idea how low in carbs zucchini is? And it takes up flavors beautifully.

2 medium zucchini

2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil

2 tablespoons (28 ml) lemon juice

1
/
2
teaspoon ground coriander

1
/
4
teaspoon dried thyme

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped fresh parsley

YIELD:
4 servings 78 calories; 7 g fat; 1 g protein; 4 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber per serving

Cut your zukes in half lengthwise, then slice them
1
/
4
inch (6 mm) thick.

Coat your large, heavy skillet with nonstick cooking spray, and put over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. When it's hot, add your sliced zucchini, and sauté, stirring frequently, till it's just softening.

Add the lemon juice, coriander, thyme, and garlic. Stir everything together, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let it simmer for another few minutes.

Stir in the parsley just before serving.

My erstwhile cyber-pal, Trish Z., kindly gave permission for this recipe, remarkably similar to cornbread dressing, to appear in
500 More Low-Carb Recipes
. Though it is not so much a vegetable dish, I include it here as a great choice for holiday meals, and for all you hard-core Stove Top Stuffing fans.

1 cup (100 g) chopped celery

1
/
4
cup (40 g) chopped onion

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Poultry seasoning, to taste

2 teaspoons Splenda

2 tablespoons (28 g) butter

1
/
4
cup (60 ml) heavy cream

1
/
2
cup (120 ml) chicken broth

10 ounces (280 g) plain pork rinds or skins (about 3 average bags), broken into small pieces —about
1
/
2
to 1 inch

4 eggs

YIELD:
8 servings 276 calories; 18 g fat; 25 g protein; 2 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber per serving

Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C or gas mark 3).

Sauté the celery, onion, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, sweetener, and butter in a frying pan until transparent and tender. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together until the pork rinds are coated and moist.

Put into a baking dish and bake for 35 to 50 minutes, until set like regular bread stuffing.

Feel free to add more eggs or cream to get the texture you are used to. Some people also add mushrooms, sage, sausage, or oysters.

F
orget the hamburger; chicken is America's favorite meat. But owing to thirty years of fat-phobia, a sad thing has happened: Many people equate “chicken” with “boneless, skinless chicken breast.” It's a shame. Boneless, skinless breast is bland, and often dry, requiring considerable doctoring to taste like much. It's also pricey. Really, the best thing to be said about boneless, skinless breast is that it's quick to cook.

Not only is chicken skin delicious, but it's also a great source of gelatin—healthful stuff. I recommend you enjoy it often. And bones? Save them to make broth far tastier and more nutritious than anything you can buy at the grocery store.

You'll find some new ways to cook chicken here, both on the bone and off, with skin and without. You'll also fine some turkey recipes you'll thank me for the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

This recipe appeared in
500 Low-Carb Recipes
. I repeat it here because few things are simpler or more satisfying than a plain roasted chicken, which is inexpensive, too! Whole chickens frequently go on sale; I stock up when they hit 99 cents per pound. And now that most people buy their chicken cut up, there's something sort of festive about a whole roasted chicken.

1 whole chicken, about 5 pounds (2.3 kg)

1 heaping tablespoon (18 g) mayonnaise

Salt and ground black pepper

Paprika

Onion powder

YIELD:
6 servings 600 calories; 44 g fat; 48 g protein; 1 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber per serving (However, those calorie and fat counts are high, because MasterCook does not calculate the fat that cooks off.)

Preheat oven to 375°C (190°C, or gas mark 5).

If your chicken was frozen, make sure it's completely thawed—if it's still a bit icy in the middle, run some hot water inside it until it's not icy anymore. Take out the giblets; if you've never cooked a whole chicken before, you'll find them in the body cavity. (I usually feed them to my dogs.)

Dry your chicken with paper towels and put it on a plate. Scoop your mayonnaise out of the jar and into a small dish, being careful not to contaminate the jar. Using clean hands, give your chicken a nice mayo massage. That's right, rub that chicken all over with the mayonnaise, coating every inch of skin. Sprinkle the chicken liberally with salt, pepper, paprika, and onion powder, all four equally, on all sides. Put the chicken on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, and put in the oven. Leave the bird there for 1
1
/
2
hours, or until the juices run clear when you stick a fork in where the thigh joins the body. Remove from the oven, and let the chicken sit for 10 to 15 minutes before carving, to let the juices settle.

The turmeric turns this Asian-inspired chicken a pretty color, and it tastes great, too. Did you know that turmeric has been studied for its tumor-fighting properties? Good stuff.

1
1
/
2
pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 tablespoons (28 ml) lemon juice

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lime juice

1 shallot, minced

5 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon (8 g) grated fresh ginger root

2 tablespoons (28 ml) soy sauce

3 drops liquid stevia (plain)
*

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

*
Alternative Sweetener

1
/
2
teaspoon Splenda or Stevia in the Raw

YIELD:
4 servings 210 calories; 3 g fat; 40 g protein; 3 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber per serving

Cut your chicken into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes. This is easier if it's somewhat frozen.

Put your chicken cubes in a resealable plastic bag, then stir together everything else and pour it in. Seal the bag, pressing out the air as you go. Stash the bag in the fridge for at least several hours (24 hours is brilliant). If you're going to be using bamboo skewers, you might put them in water to soak now.

When dinnertime rolls around, preheat your broiler, or fire up your barbecue. Pull the bag out of the fridge, pour off the marinade into a small bowl, and reserve. Thread your chicken cubes onto 4 skewers.

Start your skewers grilling or broiling, giving them about 5 minutes. Baste both sides of your kabobs with that reserved marinade (discard the rest of the marinade to avoid germs), turn them over, and give them another 5 minutes, or till done through.

Italian-style chicken kabobs. How about serving this with sautéed zucchini and mushrooms?

2 pounds (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1
/
4
cup (60 ml) olive oil

1
/
4
cup (60 ml) lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons (7 g) red pepper flakes

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Fresh parsley, for garnish, if desired

1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges

YIELD:
6 servings 246 calories; 17 g fat; 22 g protein; 2 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber per serving

Cut your chicken into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes. Put them in a big resealable plastic bag. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper, and pour over the chicken. Seal the bag, pressing out the air as you go. Turn to coat, then throw the bag in the fridge, and let the chicken marinate for at least 4 to 5 hours, and all day won't hurt a bit.

If you're going to use bamboo skewers, put them in water to soak 30 minutes before cooking time.

When cooking time comes, preheat your grill or broiler and pour off the marinade into a dish and reserve. Thread the chicken chunks onto 6 skewers. You can now grill them or broil them for about 8 minutes, or until done through (cut into a chunk to see), basting often with the reserved marinade —but stop basting with at least a couple of minutes cooking time to go, to be sure all the raw chicken germs are killed.

Garnish each skewer with a little minced parsley, if using, and serve with a lemon wedge to squeeze over it.

Sunny bright flavor; truly wonderful made with fresh herbs. You could use ground turkey, if you prefer.

1 pound (455 g) ground chicken

2 tablespoons (7 g) chopped dry-pack sun-dried tomatoes, chopped fine

2 tablespoons (20 g) minced onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon (2.5 g) minced fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried)

1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano (or
1
/
4
teaspoon dried)

1 teaspoon paprika

1
/
2
teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal

1
/
4
teaspoon ground black pepper

1
/
4
teaspoon cayenne

YIELD:
3 servings 345 calories; 14 g fat; 47 g protein; 5 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber per serving

Just combine everything in a mixing bowl and use clean hands to mix it all together until it's well blended. Form into 3 patties. If you've got a little time, put them on a plate, and chill them for 30 minutes before cooking.

I like to pan-broil these in my big, heavy skillet for about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Try topping them with mayonnaise with a little lemon juice and chopped basil stirred in.

Okay, without an Indian tandoor oven this isn't truly authentic, but oh, my gosh, it's good. Feel free to use white meat chicken if you prefer, or a cut-up whole chicken, but do use chicken on the bone. And if you skin your own chicken, see the recipe for
Chicken Chips
, for what to do with the skin.

5 pounds (2.5 kg) bone-in chicken thighs without skin

1
1
/
2
cups (345 g) plain yogurt

1
/
4
cup (60 ml) olive oil

2 tablespoons (16 g) grated fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1
/
2
teaspoon ground cumin

1
/
2
teaspoon ground cinnamon

1
/
2
teaspoon ground cloves

4 cloves garlic

2 bay leaves, whole

YIELD:
6 servings 387 calories; 20 g fat; 45 g protein; 5 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber per serving

Skin the chicken if you didn't buy it that way. Put it in a nonreactive baking pan—glass or enamel are ideal, but stainless steel will do. Don't use aluminum or iron.

Put everything else in your blender, and run it until you have a smooth sauce.

Pour the sauce over the chicken, and use tongs to turn each piece to coat. Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap, slide it into the fridge, and let it sit for a minimum of 4 hours; a whole day is ideal.

Pull your chicken out of the fridge, and let it come to room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).

When the oven is hot, pull the plastic wrap off the baking pan and slide it in to cook. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning the chicken occasionally with your tongs.

In the Yucatán they marinate chicken in the juice of bitter oranges. Well, I've got to tell you, those bitter oranges are mighty thin on the ground here in southern Indiana. So I've used lemon and lime juice with orange extract to get a similar flavor here.

1 tablespoon (6 g) ground black pepper

1 tablespoon (6 g) ground allspice

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1
/
2
teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3 drops orange extract

2 pounds (900 g) chicken thighs

YIELD:
4 servings 389 calories; 28 g fat; 31 g protein; 3 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber per serving

Mix together everything but the chicken. Rub this mixture all over your chicken thighs, and even up under the skin. Refrigerate for several hours.

When cooking time comes, preheat your broiler, arrange the chicken on your broiler rack, skin-side down, and broil about 6 inches from the heat for 15 minutes or so. Turn, and give it another 10. Turn again, and give it at least another 5 minutes. Now turn a piece skin-side up, and pierce it to the bone. If the juice runs clear, it's done. If it runs pink, you need to give it a little longer.

You can also cook this on your barbecue grill if you like. Indeed, if you want to take something along to the park or the beach to grill while you're there, do the flavoring step early in the day, marinating the chicken in a big resealable plastic bag. Then grab the bag of chicken, throw it in your cooler, and go.

Serve with a big green salad.

Delicious and filling, this is an impressive dish that's great for dinner parties.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, total 1
1
/
2
pounds (680 g)

1 jar (6 ounces, or 170 g) marinated artichoke hearts, drained

3 ounces (85 g) Boursin cheese (or similar spreadable garlic-herb cheese)

1
/
4
teaspoon ground black pepper

1
/
2
tablespoon (7 g) butter

YIELD:
4 servings 298 calories; 12 g fat; 41 g protein; 4 g carbohydrate; 2 g dietary fiber per serving

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C, or gas mark 5).

One by one, place each chicken breast in a big, heavy resealable plastic bag, and seal it, pressing out the air as you go. Then use any heavy, blunt implement that's handy—I use a 3-pound (1.3 kg) dumbbell—to pound the chicken till it's
1
/
4
inch (6 mm) thick all across. Repeat with all your chicken breasts.

Throw your drained artichoke hearts and your cheese in your food processor, with the S-blade in place. Add the pepper, too. Pulse until the artichokes are chopped fine, but not puréed.

Spread one-quarter of the cheese mixture on each breast, and roll up jelly-roll fashion. Hold closed with toothpicks.

Coat your large, heavy skillet with nonstick cooking spray, and put it over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the butter, and swirl it around to cover the bottom of the skillet. Now add your chicken rolls, and sauté till they're lightly golden, about 3 minutes per side.

If your skillet's handle isn't ovenproof, wrap it in foil. Slide the whole thing into the oven, and let it bake for 15 minutes, or until done through, and serve.

Don't think that just because this has horseradish it's really strong—the sauce is mellow, subtle, and family friendly. Serve over
Fauxtatoes
to soak up every drop.

4 pounds (1.8 kg) cut-up chicken pieces

1 tablespoon (14 g) butter

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

3
/
4
cup (175 ml) chicken broth

1
1
/
2
teaspoons chicken bouillon concentrate

1 tablespoon (15 g) prepared horseradish

4 ounces (115 g) cream cheese

1
/
4
cup (60 ml) heavy cream

Guar or xanthan (optional)

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

YIELD:
8 servings 442 calories; 34 g fat; 30 g protein; 1 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber per serving

In your big, heavy skillet, over medium-high heat, brown the chicken in the butter and olive oil. Transfer to slow cooker.

Stir together the chicken broth, bouillon concentrate, and horseradish. Pour over the chicken. Cover the pot, set the slow cooker to low, and let cook for 6 hours.