1001 Low-Carb Recipes: Hundreds of Delicious Recipes From Dinner to Dessert That Let You Live Your Low-Carb Lifestyle and Never Look Back (76 page)

When cooled, remove the chicken from the broth (big tongs work well for this), put it on a platter, and set it aside. Skim the excess fat from the broth and skim out the vegetables that were in the marinade—I used a Chinese skimmer for this, but you could just pour it through a sieve if you like. Be sure to press any broth out of the vegetables and back into the pot before you discard them!

Put the pot of skimmed broth back on the stove and turn the heat beneath it to medium-high. Stir in the carrot, rutabaga, pumpkin, and turnip and let the whole thing simmer for a half an hour. While that’s cooking, remove the skin from the chicken and discard it. Then remove the meat from the bones, discard the bones, and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. About 20 minutes before serving time, stir the chicken, the cauliflower, and the cabbage into the pot, along with the hot pepper sauce. Add water if needed, so that the broth is level with the top of the meat and vegetables. Simmer for 20 minutes and serve.

Yield:
8 servings

Each with 41 g protein; 13 g carbohydrate; 3 g dietary fiber; 10 g usable carbs—but that figure is actually a tad high, since you discard some of the vegetables. I’d call it 8 g per serving. There’s lots of beta carotene and calcium, too.

This takes 10 minutes to put together and only another 15 to cook. It’s hot and spicy—quasi-Thai.

2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) olive or peanut oil for sautéing (I think peanut is better here.)

½ smallish onion, thinly sliced

1 can (14½ ounces, 410 g) diced tomatoes, undrained

2 tablespoons (32 g) natural peanut butter

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, crushed Fresh jalapeño, cut in half and seeded

On a saucer or plate, stir the cumin and cinnamon together and then rub into both sides of chicken breasts.

Put the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat and add the chicken and sliced onion. Brown the chicken a bit on both sides.

While that’s happening, put all the liquid and half the tomatoes from the can of tomatoes in a blender or food processor along with the peanut butter, lemon juice, garlic, and jalapeño. (Wash your hands after handling that hot pepper or you’ll be sorry the next time you touch your eyes!) Blend or process until smooth.

Pour this rather thick sauce over the chicken (which you’ve turned at least once by now, right?), add the rest of the canned tomatoes, cover, turn the heat to low, and let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Yield:
About 3 servings

Each with 14 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 13 grams of usable carbs and 26 grams of protein.

Some like it hot, and some like it a little bit less so. So when you’re buying your ingredients, choose a little jalapeño or a big one, depending on how hot you like your food. I use a big one, and it definitely makes this dish hot. And don’t forget, there’s no law against using only half a jalapeño.

Since cashews are a relatively high-carb nut, this is just a light coating—but it’s very flavorful. You can find raw cashews at most natural food stores.

½ pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast

cup (90 g) raw cashew pieces

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon paprika

1 egg

2 to 3 tablespoons (28 to 42 g) butter

First, put the cashew pieces in a food processor with the S-blade in place and grind them to a fine texture. Dump them out onto a plate and add the salt, pepper, and paprika, mixing the whole thing well. Set aside.

Pound the chicken breasts until they’re ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick all over. Cut into 4 servings if necessary.

Break the egg into another plate with a rim around it. (A pie plate would work well.) Now, dip each chicken breast piece into the egg and then into the cashew mixture, coating both sides.

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat and add the chicken. Sauté until it’s golden on both sides and cooked through about 5 minutes per side.

Yield:
4 servings

Each with 6 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 5 grams of usable carbs and 33 grams of protein.

Chicken mole is the national dish of Mexico, and I’m crazy about it. On my honeymoon in Mexico, I bought a container of chicken mole at the deli at the local grocery store and kept it in the hotel room fridge to heat up in the microwave! Here’s a slow cooker version.

3 pounds (1.4 kg) skinless chicken thighs

1 can (14½ ounces, or 411 g) tomatoes with green chiles

½ cup (80 g) chopped onion

¼ cup (30 g) slivered almonds, toasted

3 cloves garlic, crushed

3 tablespoons (17 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons (18 g) raisins

1 tablespoon (9 g) sesame seeds

1 tablespoon (1.5 g) Splenda

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon salt

Guar or xanthan

2 tablespoons (15 g) slivered almonds, toasted

Put the tomatoes, onion, ¼ cup (30 g) almonds, garlic, cocoa powder, raisins, sesame seeds, Splenda, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, and salt in a blender or food processor and purée coarsely.

Place the chicken in a slow cooker. Pour the sauce over it. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 9 to 10 hours.

Remove the chicken from the slow cooker with tongs. Thicken the sauce to taste with guar or xanthan. Serve the sauce over the chicken. Top with the 2 tablespoons (15 g) almonds.

Yield:
8 servings

Each with 37 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 6 g usable carbs.

How simple is this? Yet you know the whole family will like it. Just remember to read the labels to get the lowest-carb salsa.

1½ pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil

4 ounces (115 g) Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, or shredded Mexican cheese blend

½ cup (130 g) mild, medium, or hot salsa, as you prefer

Pound the chicken breasts to ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick and divide into portions, if needed.

Place a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil, and sauté the chicken breasts for about 5 minutes or until the bottom is golden. Turn and sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes. Top the chicken with the cheese, turn the heat down to medium-low, cover the skillet, and let the whole thing cook for another 3 to 4 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

While the cheese is melting, put the salsa in a microwaveable dish and cook it for a minute at 50 percent power.

Remove the chicken to serving plates, top with the salsa, and serve. You could add a dollop of sour cream if you like or maybe some chopped fresh cilantro, but it’s not really necessary.

Yield:
4 or 5 servings

Assuming 4 servings, each will have 2 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 1 gram of usable carbs and 45 grams of protein. Analysis does not include sour cream.

Oh my—this is wonderful. My only regret about this recipe is that the Raspberry-Chipotle Sauce loses its brilliant ruby color during the long, slow cooking. But the flavor definitely remains.

Consider using this simple sauce uncooked as a condiment on roasted poultry or pork. If you can’t find raspberry syrup at a local coffee shop, you can order it online.

3 pounds (1.4 kg) chicken

6 teaspoons adobo seasoning

2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil

1 cup (110 g) raspberries

¼ cup (60 ml) raspberry-flavored sugar-free coffee flavoring syrup (I used Atkins brand, but Da Vinci would be fine, too.)

1 chipotle chile canned in adobo sauce

1 tablespoon (15 ml) white wine vinegar

¼ cup (16 g) chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Sprinkle the chicken all over with the adobo seasoning.

In a big, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and then brown the chicken all over. Transfer the chicken to a slow cooker.

In a blender or food processor with the S-blade in place, combine the raspberries, raspberry-flavored coffee syrup, chipotle, and vinegar. Process until smooth. Pour the mixture evenly over the chicken. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 6 hours.

Stir the sauce before serving it over the chicken. Sprinkle a little cilantro over each piece of chicken, if desired.

Yield:
5 servings

Each with 35 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 3 g usable carbs.

Add some slaw made from bagged coleslaw mix, and supper is served.

1½ pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast

Sprinkle-on barbecue dry rub or “soul” seasoning

½ cup (40 g) crushed barbecue-flavor pork rinds

2 tablespoons (30 ml)

One at a time, pound the chicken breasts until they’re about ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick all over. If necessary, cut the breasts into 4 servings. Sprinkle both sides of each piece liberally with the seasoning. Then sprinkle each side of each serving with 1 tablespoon of the pork rind crumbs and press them onto the surface with a clean palm.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes per side or until crispy and cooked through. Serve. This is great with any sort of salad or coleslaw as a side.

Yield:
4 servings

This has no carbs to speak of (maybe a tiny trace from the seasoning), no fiber, and 44 grams of protein per serving. Analysis does not include side dishes.

This isn’t authentically anything, but it borrows its flavors from the Creole cooking of the Caribbean.

1 cut-up broiler-fryer chicken, about

3½ pounds (1.5 to 2 kg), or whatever chicken parts you prefer

½ medium onion, chopped

2 teaspoons ground allspice

1 teaspoon dried thyme

¼ cup (60 ml) lemon juice; bottled is fine 1 can (14 ounces, or 400 g) diced tomatoes with chilies

1 shot (3 tablespoons, or 45 ml) dark rum

Guar or xanthan

Salt and pepper

Just throw the chicken, onion, allspice, thyme, lemon juice, chilies, and rum in a slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 5 to 6 hours. Fish out the chicken carefully—it’ll be sliding from the bone! Thicken up the stuff in the pot with the guar or xanthan, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve over the chicken.