1001 Low-Carb Recipes: Hundreds of Delicious Recipes From Dinner to Dessert That Let You Live Your Low-Carb Lifestyle and Never Look Back (111 page)

1 cup (240 ml) olive oil, divided

5 cloves garlic, crushed, divided

3 tablespoons (45 ml) lemon juice

1 tablespoon (3.6 g) dried rosemary

1 tablespoon (5.4 g) dried oregano

Place the leg of lamb in a pan large enough to hold it.

Combine the wine, ½ cup (120 ml) of the olive oil, 3 cloves of the garlic, and the lemon juice, rosemary, and oregano. Pour this marinade over the lamb and let the lamb sit in it for at least 5 to 6 hours, turning it from time to time.

When the time comes to cook your lamb, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C, or gas mark 7). Remove the meat from the marinade and place it on a rack in a roasting pan. Leave the rosemary needles and bits of oregano clinging to it.

Combine the remaining olive oil and cloves of garlic and spoon this mixture over the lamb, coating the whole leg. Position the leg with the fat side up and insert a meat thermometer deep into the center of the thickest part of the meat, but don’t let it touch the bone.

When the oven is up to temperature, put the roast in and set the timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn the oven down to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4) and roast for about 30 minutes per pound of meat or until the meat thermometer registers 170 to 180°F (77 to 82°C). Remove the lamb from the oven and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

Yield:
3 servings per pound

Each with no carbohydrates or fiber to speak of, and about 21 grams of protein. (This sounds low, I know, but remember: Part of that weight is bone.)

Serve this with some Cauliflower Rice (page 212) and make Lamb Gravy to go with your roast lamb by combining the drippings from the lamb roast with 1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth, ¾ teaspoon guar or xanthan, and salt and pepper to taste.

First, skim the fat off of the drippings from the roast. Then pour ½ cup (120 ml) of the chicken broth into the roasting pan with the skimmed drippings and stir it around, scraping up the yummy browned bits from the rack and the bottom of the pan. When most of the stuck-on stuff is dissolved into the broth, put the roasting pan over medium-high heat. Put the rest of the chicken broth in a blender with the guar or xanthan and run the blender for a few seconds to dissolve all of the thickener. Pour the thickened broth into the roasting pan and stir until all the gravy is thickened. (If it gets too thick, add a little more chicken broth; if it’s not quite thick enough, let it simmer for a few minutes to cook down.) Season with salt and pepper to taste.

A whole leg of lamb will feed a crowd! If you don’t have a crowd, feel free to ask the nice meat guys to cut your leg of lamb in half. Keep the tapered shank end for your roast and make half the rub and glaze. Have the broader end sliced ½-inch (1.3-cm) thick for lamb steaks. I’ve never been charged for this service!

Leg of lamb, about 8 pounds (3.6 kg)

¼ cup (30 g) paprika

1 tablespoon (6.3 g) ground cumin

1 tablespoon (6.9 g) ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon (1.8 g) ground coriander

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal

1 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons (3 g) Splenda

Apricot-Chipotle Glaze (page 482)

Combine all the spices with the Splenda and stir well. Sprinkle liberally over the leg of lamb, coating the whole surface. Roast at 325°F (170°C, or gas mark 3) for 30 minutes per pound of lamb.

About 30 minutes before cooking time is up, start basting with the Apricot-Chipotle Glaze. Baste two or three times before the cooking time is through. Remove lamb from oven and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Serve with remaining Apricot-Chipotle Glaze.

Yield:
15 to 16 servings, so invite a crowd

Assuming 15, each will have 35 g protein; 6 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber; 5 g usable carbs.

Lamb and goat are very popular in the Caribbean, and this is my slow cooker interpretation of a Caribbean lamb dish. Look for tamarind concentrate in a grocery store with a good international section. I found it in a medium-size town in southern Indiana, so you may well find it near you! If you can’t find it, you could use a tablespoon (15 ml) of lemon juice and a teaspoon of Splenda instead. Your lamb will be less authentically Caribbean-tasting, but it’ll still be yummy.

2- to 3-pound section (910 g to 1.4 kg) of a leg of lamb

½ medium onion, chopped

½ teaspoon minced garlic or 1 clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate

1 tablespoon (15 ml) spicy brown mustard

1 cup (240 ml) canned diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (preferably Caribbean Scotch Bonnet sauce) or more or less to taste Guar or xanthan (optional)

Salt and pepper

Place the lamb in a slow cooker.

In a bowl, stir together the onion, garlic, tamarind, mustard, tomatoes, and hot pepper sauce. Pour the mixture over the lamb. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for a good 8 hours. When it’s done, remove the lamb to a serving platter, thicken the pot juices with the guar or xanthan if it seems necessary, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Yield:
6 servings

Each with 27 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 2 g usable carbs.

This is a hearty one-pot meal.

5 pounds (2.3 kg) lamb shank (4 shanks)

¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil

2 stalks celery, sliced

½ inch (1.3 cm) thick

2 carrots, sliced ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick

8 cloves garlic, crushed

½ onion, chunked

8 ounces (225 g) sliced mushrooms

1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth

1 cup (240 ml) dry red wine

1 teaspoon beef bouillon concentrate

2 teaspoons pepper

½ teaspoon ground rosemary

2 bay leaves

Guar or xanthan

In a big, heavy skillet, sear the lamb all over in the oil.

Place the celery, carrots, garlic, onion, and mushrooms in a slow cooker.

When the lamb is browned all over, transfer it to the slow cooker on top of the vegetables.

In a bowl, stir together the broth, wine, bouillon, pepper, and rosemary. Pour the mixture over the lamb. Add the bay leaves. (Make sure they land in the liquid!) Cover the slow cooker, turn it to low, and let it cook for 6 hours.

When the time’s up, remove the lamb to serving plates. Remove the bay leaves. Using guar or xanthan, thicken the liquid in the slow cooker to the consistency of heavy cream. Ladle the sauce and vegetables over the lamb.

Yield:
6 servings

Each with 59 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 6 g usable carbs.

Lemon brings out the best in lamb!

4 pounds (910 g) lamb shank

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

½ teaspoon dry mustard

½ cup (120 ml) chicken broth

1 teaspoon beef bouillon concentrate

½ teaspoon grated lemon peel

2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Guar or xanthan

Sear the lamb all over in the oil. Place the lamb in a slow cooker.

In a bowl, mix together the lemon pepper and dry mustard. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the lamb.

In the same bowl, mix together the broth, bouillon, lemon peel, lemon juice, rosemary, and garlic. Pour the mixture over the lamb. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 8 hours.

When the time’s up, remove the lamb and thicken up the liquid in the slow cooker a bit with guar or xanthan.

Serve this dish with a salad with plenty of cucumbers and tomatoes!

Yield:
6 servings

Each with 46 g protein, 1 g carbohydrate, trace dietary fiber, 1 g usable carbs. Analysis does not include side dishes.

Simple is good!

3 pounds (1.4 kg) lamb shank

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth

1 teaspoon beef bouillon concentrate

2 teaspoons paprika

5 cloves garlic, crushed

Guar or xanthan

Season the lamb all over with salt and pepper. In a big, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, sear the lamb in the oil until it’s brown all over. Transfer the lamb to a slow cooker.

In a bowl, mix together the broth and bouillon. Pour the mixture over the lamb. Sprinkle the paprika and garlic over the lamb. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 6 to 7 hours.

Remove the lamb with tongs and put it on a serving plate. Pour the liquid in the slow cooker into a 2-cup (480-ml) glass measuring cup and let the fat rise to the top. Skim the fat off and discard. Thicken up the remaining liquid using guar or xanthan. Serve the sauce with the shanks.

Either Cauliflower Rice (page 212) or Fauxtatoes (page 209) would be nice with this, but it’s fine with just a simple salad or vegetable side.

Yield:
4 servings

Each with 52 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, trace dietary fiber, 2 g usable carbs. Analysis does not include side dishes.

Everyone’s heard of lamb chops, but I prefer lamb steaks. I buy a whole leg of lamb and ask the nice meat guy behind the counter to cut two smallish roasts off either end (a perfect size for my two-person household) and slice the rest into steaks between ½ inch (1.3 cm) and ¾ inch (2 cm) thick. These are meatier than lamb chops and generally less expensive, as well. Here are some things to do with lamb steaks—but I suspect they’d all work with chops, too.

8 ounces (225 g) lamb leg steak

1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons (30 ml) dry sherry

1 teaspoon five-spice powder

½ teaspoon Splenda

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Slash the edges of the lamb steak to keep it from curling. In a big, heavy skillet over medium heat, start pan-frying the lamb steak in the oil. You’ll want to give them about 6 minutes per side.

While that’s happening, mix together everything else. When the lamb steak is cooked on both sides, pour this mixture into the skillet. Turn the steak over once or twice to coat and let it cook just another minute or two. Serve with the pan liquid scraped over it.

Yield:
1 to 2 servings

Assuming 1, each will have 33 g protein; 2 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber; 2 g usable carbs.

2 lamb steaks, 6 to 8 ounces (170 to 225 g) each, ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic or 2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 scallions, minced

2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce

1 teaspoon Splenda

6 drops or ¼ teaspoon blackstrap molasses*