1001 Low-Carb Recipes: Hundreds of Delicious Recipes From Dinner to Dessert That Let You Live Your Low-Carb Lifestyle and Never Look Back (91 page)

1 package (10 ounces, or 280 g) frozen chopped spinach

1 medium onion, chopped

1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed

5 eggs

Salt and pepper

In a heavy skillet over medium heat, begin browning the ground beef.

While the beef is cooking, cook the spinach according to the package directions (or 5 to 7 minutes on high in the microwave should do it).

When the ground beef is half cooked, add the onion and garlic and cook until the beef is completely done. Pour off the extra fat.

Drain the spinach well—I put mine in a strainer and press it with the back of a spoon—and stir it into the ground beef.

Mix the eggs well with a fork and stir them in with the beef and spinach. Continue cooking and stirring over low heat for a few more minutes, until the eggs are set. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Yield:
6 servings

Each with 4 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 2 grams of usable carbs and 25 grams of protein.

My sister likes a little Parmesan cheese sprinkled over her Joe, and I surely wouldn’t argue about a little thing like that!

This is so easy it’s almost embarrassing, and the kids will probably like it. Different brands of salsa vary a lot in their carb contents, so read labels carefully.

1 pound (455 g) ground beef

1 cup (240 g) salsa (mild, medium, or hot, as you prefer)

1 cup (115 g) shredded Mexican-style cheese

In a large skillet, crumble and brown the ground beef and drain off the fat.

Stir in the salsa and cheese and heat until the cheese is melted.

Yield:
About 4 servings

Each with 4 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 3 grams of usable carbs and 27 grams of protein.

Variation: Mega Sloppy José. Try adding another ½ cup (120 ml) salsa and another ½ cup (60 g) cheese. Yield: 4 servings

Each with 6 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 4 grams of usable carbs and 30 grams of protein.

This is good with a salad or even on a salad. Of course, if you have carb-eaters around, they’ll love the stuff on some corn tortillas.

Some folks consider tomatoes in chili to be anathema, but I like it this way. Don’t look funny at that cocoa powder, by the way. It’s the secret ingredient!

2 pounds (910 g) ground beef

1 cup (160 g) chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 can (14½ ounces, or 410 g) tomatoes with green chilies

1 can (4 ounces, or 110 ml) plain tomato sauce

4 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon paprika

Brown and crumble the beef in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Pour off the grease and add the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.

Turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Uncover and simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes or until the chili thickens a bit. Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, chopped raw onion, or other low-carb toppings.

Yield:
6 servings

Each with 7 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 5 grams of usable carbs and 27 grams of protein. Analysis does not include toppings.

It’s easy to vary this recipe to the tastes of different family members. If some people like beans in their chili, just heat up a can of kidney or pinto beans and let them spoon their beans into their own serving. If you like beans in your chili, buy a can of black soybeans at a natural food store; there are only a couple of grams of usable carbs in a couple of tablespoons. And of course, if you like your chili hotter than this, just add crushed red pepper, cayenne, or hot pepper sauce to take things up a notch.

Here’s a crowd-pleaser! I served this on a rainy afternoon at our local campground and made a lot of friends! You could halve this, but you’d be left with a half a can of soybeans. You know you’ll eat it up, so why

2 pounds (910 g) ground chuck

1½ cups (240 g) chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, crushed

3 tablespoons (23 g) chili powder

3 teaspoons paprika

4 teaspoons ground cumin

¼ cup (60 ml) Dana’s No-Sugar Ketchup (page 463) or purchased low-carb ketchup

2 tablespoons (33 g) tomato paste

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

12 ounces (360 ml) light beer

1 teaspoon Splenda

2½ teaspoons salt

1 can (15 ounces, or 425 g) black soybeans

In a big, heavy skillet, brown and crumble the beef over medium-high heat. Drain it and place it in a slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir everything up. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 8 hours.

This is good with shredded cheese and sour cream. What chili isn’t? But it also stands on its own very well.

Yield:
10 servings

Each with 21 g protein, 12 g carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 8 g usable carbs. Analysis does not include toppings.

Okay, this isn’t really Spanish. It’s not even authentically Mexican. And of course it’s not rice. But it is passingly like the “Spanish Rice” my mom used to throw together to make a quick, one-dish meal out of hamburger! Feel free to used canned, diced tomatoes without the chilies if you don’t like spicy food, although this is really quite mild.

1 pound (455 g) ground round or other very lean ground beef

1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) oil

½ head cauliflower

½ green pepper, chopped

½ medium onion, chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 can (14½ ounces, or 410 g) diced tomatoes with green chilies

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup (60 ml) water

Salt and pepper

In a large skillet, start browning the beef in the oil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, run the cauliflower through the shredding blade of a food processor. Put the cauliflower in a microwavable casserole dish, add a tablespoon or two (15 to 30 ml) of water, cover, and microwave on high for just 5 minutes.

Go back to the beef and start breaking it up. When you’ve got just a little fat in the pan, add the pepper and onion and sauté them, too. When all the pink is gone from the meat, add the garlic, tomatoes, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, and water and bring the whole thing to a simmer. Stir in the cauliflower “rice,” cover, and let the whole thing simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Yield:
4 or 5 servings

Assuming 4 servings, each will have 7 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 6 grams of usable carbs and 23 grams of protein.

This was one of those recipes you just come up with out of what’s in the house at the time—and it turned out so well, I’d be willing to go buy the ingredients to make it!

1 pound (455 g) ground beef

½ cup (80 g) chopped onion

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 can (14½ ounces, or 410 g) tomatoes with green chilies, divided

1 egg

½ cup (120 ml) half-and-half

½ cup (70 g) pork rind crumbs

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal

½ teaspoon pepper

3 big, nicely shaped green peppers

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4)

In a large bowl combine the ground beef, onion, garlic, ½ cup (120 g) of the tomatoes with chilies, the egg, half-and-half, pork rind crumbs, and seasonings. Use clean hands to combine everything well. Cut the peppers in half from top to bottom and scoop out the seeds and core. Form the meat mixture into 6 equal balls and press each into a pepper half, mashing it down a little to fill the peppers. Arrange peppers in a baking pan as you stuff them. Spoon the remaining tomatoes over the top and bake for 75 to 90 minutes.

Yield:
This makes 6 servings from 1 pound (455 g) of ground beef, which is pretty impressive! It’s filling, too.

Each serving has 9 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; for a usable carb total of 7 g; 27 g protein.

This is fast to make, yet it’s interestingly exotic. And it’s fun to eat wrapped-up stuff, whether you use tortillas or lettuce leaves!

1 pound (455 g) ground round

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ cup (80 g) chopped onion

1 clove garlic

1 medium yellow pepper, diced (If you don’t have a yellow one, a green or red one will do!)

¼ cup (60 ml) lemon juice

2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint

1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules

½ head cauliflower, shredded

1 tablespoon (15 ml) fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla)

2 teaspoons soy sauce

½ cup (60 g) chopped peanuts

½ cucumber, diced small

16 lettuce leaves

In a big, heavy skillet, start browning and crumbling the ground round along with the red pepper flakes.

When the beef is browned, tilt the pan and spoon off any fat that’s accumulated.

Stir in the onion, garlic, pepper, lemon juice, mint, and beef bouillon granules. Stir until the bouillon dissolves. Turn the heat to low and let the whole thing

While that’s happening, put the cauliflower 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.

By the time the cauliflower’s done, the pepper and onion should be tender. Drain the cauli-rice and stir it into the beef mixture. Stir in the fish sauce and soy sauce, too.

Put the peanuts and the cucumber in small dishes. Arrange 4 good-sized lettuce leaves on each of 4 plates and spoon a mound of the meat mixture next to them.

To eat, spoon some of the meat mixture into a lettuce leaf and sprinkle with cucumber and peanuts. Wrap in the lettuce and eat as you would a burrito.

Yield:
4 servings

Each with 28 g protein; 12 g carbohydrate; 3 g dietary fiber; 9 g usable carbs.

Stuffed cabbage is a perennial favorite, but it’s time consuming! Here’s a recipe that gives you all the flavor of stuffed cabbage at breakneck speed. Do use very lean ground beef for this recipe—it saves you the time needed to drain off the grease.

1½ pounds (680 g) ground round or other very lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic or 2 cloves garlic, crushed

½ head cabbage, coarsely chopped

1 can (8 ounces, or 225 g) tomato sauce

2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon