Eggplant...Again!

I am always experimenting with eggplant, my favorite vegetable. Eggplant's extremely low-carb count and mild flavor makes it an ideal vegetable to work into any dish. In this case, I just used what I had: a tiny bit of mozzarella cheese, fresh basil from a friend's garden and a couple cherry tomatoes. Roasted until soft, eggplant has a sweet flavor; no need to soak in salt water.


1 large eggplant, peeled and diced
2-3 tbsp olive oil
2-3 tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
1 -2 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400. In a glass or ceramic baking dish, toss eggplant with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add tomatoes and basil, then cook for another 20 minutes. 5 minutes before serving, top with mozzarella and turn on the broiler. Once cheese slightly browns, take out and serve immediately.

Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata is one of Mike's favorite meals. I used to make it with about half a stick of butter and an abundance of linguine pasta. Piccata, however, makes an easy and delicious transfer into a low-carb diet. Yes, there is still butter in this dish, but don't panic, three tablespoons will not kill you. Besides, you need your fats, right?

2-3 chicken breasts

1 lemon

3 tbsp butter

2 tbsp capers

½ cup chicken broth

salt and pepper

4 oz mushrooms (optional)

Pound chicken breasts with meat mallet (or a FatMax hammer!) to tenderize, then season with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet to medium high with a little olive oil. Sauté mushrooms, season with salt and pepper. When tender, remove from pan, but save the brown bits on the bottom (flavor country).

Heat 2 tbsps of butter in pan, then add chicken breasts. Cook on both sides for approx. 5 – 8 minutes or until golden brown. Squeeze the lemon over the chicken (use half or whole depending on your lemon preferences), then add chicken stock and capers. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the last tbsp of butter and put mushrooms back in the pan. Cook until the butter is fully melted and incorporated in the sauce. Serve with a salad and a side of eggplant.

Brussels Sprouts

Brussel sprouts are a vegetable feared by children and heavily avoided by most adults. Historically, sprouts were overcooked by the British, a tradition that continues today. However, when sauteed until tender (not mushy), sprouts are a flavorful addition to the low-carb diet.


2-3 cups brussels sprouts
2-3 tbsp olive oil or butter
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
salt

Rinse sprouts well, then cut off the bottom most tip of the sprout. Slice in half, removing the top layer of leaves if necessary (think about preparing a cabbage). Heat a large skillet to medium-high, adding butter or oil. Add the red pepper flakes once the butter is melted or the oil is hot. Let the pepper flakes cook for just a minute (be careful, they will burn), then add sprouts. Toss in the pan constantly to avoid burning and to ensure carmelization on every sprout. Season with salt, cook 8-10 minutes or until the cut side of the sprout looks golden brown. Serve immediately.

Artichoke Soup

Artichokes are a great versatile, low-carb vegetable to cook with. The pesto gives this soup an extra kick while the artichokes make it rich. This soup is based on a recipe from Epicurious.com

Artichoke Soup

2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 150z can artichoke hearts, drained
1 small onion, sliced
2 cups vegetable broth

Pesto
1 cup (packed) fresh basil
1/8 cup toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Place all pesto ingredients in food processor, mixing thoroughly. Heat a large skillet to medium high, add olive oil, then onions. Cook until onions are translucent, approximately 5-10 minutes. Add artichokes, saute 2-3 minutes, then add veggie broth. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, cook 15-20 minutes.
Using an immersion blender or a blender, blend soup until almost smooth. Place in a bowl, drizzle with pesto.

Mmm ... Pizza

I love pizza. When I was at work last week someone ordered a great deal of it from Momo's. It sat there on the table, trying to entice me into have just one slice. I considered...did some high-level calculus to figure out if I could justify one slice by running my ass off later. However, after some serious guilt-tripping, I decided to give in to my craving... and make my own.


Rotisserie or grilled chicken, sliced
Part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh basil
4oz sliced mushrooms
1-2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Make the flax meal pizza crust, let it sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Turn on broiler. Saute mushrooms in a pan with olive oil, salt and pepper. Top pizza crust with chicken, tomatoes, mushrooms, basil and mozzarella. Place pizza under broiler for approx. 5-10 minutes or until mozzarella is just starting to brown.

Asparagus, Mushroom and Tomato Salad

When you eat healthy you can sometimes find yourself eating the same vegetables nearly every week. By roasting different combinations of vegetables you find that when certain veggies are cooked together, their taste and texture can change and become something innovative and new. The asparagus becomes sweet in the tomato juice and the mushroom remain tender. This dish can be eaten immediately while hot or refrigerated for a cold salad.

12-20 Asparagus stalks (approx.)

1 pint cherry tomatoes

8oz sliced baby portabellas

5 tbsp olive oil, split

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tbsp finely chopped tarragon

salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400º. Wash and trim asparagus, then cut into 2 inch pieces. Place (well-rinsed) tomatoes, mushrooms and asparagus in a large baking dish and toss with 2-3 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook for 25-35 minutes or until the tomatoes start to burst. Halfway through cooking, drain some of the excess liquid from the baking dish.

In a small bowl, whisk remaining 2-3 tbsp olive oil, white wine vinegar, tarragon, salt and pepper. When veggies are finished, remove from oven and again, drain the liquid from the dish. Drizzle the tarragon vinaigrette over the veggies.

Red Wine Beef and Mushrooms

Red Wine Beef and Mushrooms

1 lb lean beef, diced bite-sized

1 large onion, diced

8oz portabella mushrooms, sliced

1 cup beef broth

1 cup red wine

Italian seasoning

salt and pepper

olive oil

Heat a large skillet, add olive, then add in onions and mushrooms. Saute approx. 5-8 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper, until tender. Remove from heat.

Toss cubed beef in Italian seasoning and salt until the beef is pretty much coated. Add to skillet, browning the meat, then add the onions and mushrooms back in. Add beef broth and wine, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover for 25 minutes.

Take off lid, reduce liquid for about 5 minutes, then serve.

Lamb Salad

I love gyros, but this is a great way to enjoy those flavors without all the carbs. A lot of people are afraid of lamb, but there is nothing to fear! The shoulder cut of the lamb is cheap and when marinated in red wine, is delicious and rich. Like most red meats, the fat content is higher, but when trimmed and eaten, like everything, in moderation, lamb is an awesome source of protein.

Lamb Salad

1 lb lamb shoulder

fresh spinach

½ bell pepper, sliced

½ onion, sliced

1 large tomato, diced

¼ cup katamala olives, halved

1 cup homemade hummus (see previous post for recipe)

Marinade

½ cup red wine

¼ cup olive oil

salt and pepper

Salad Dressing

2 tbsp Dijon mustard (Grey Poupon)

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

3-4 tbsp olive oil

Whisk marinade ingredients in a bowl, pour over lamb, let sit 12-24 hours. After the marinade, place on the grill 4-7 minutes per side, then let rest. Slice into bit-sized pieces.

In a large skillet, heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil, then add onions and peppers. Saute 5-8 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper.

To assemble salad: Top spinach with homemade hummus, then cover with sauted veggies and tomatoes. Cover with lamb, amount according to your zone protein intake, and chopped olives, then drizzle with salad dressing.

Creamed Spinach and Artichoke

2-3 cups chopped fresh spinach

1can artichoke hearts, quartered and drained

1/3 cup chopped bell pepper

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 cup fat-free plain yogurt

1-2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

parmesan cheese

Heat oil to medium in a large skillet, add onions and peppers, then sauté approx. 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add artichokes. Cook for 3-4 minutes, remove pan from heat, then add yogurt and spinach. Mix until creamy, then serve with a sprinkle of parmesan.

French Onion Soup

French Onion soup is usually a restaurant favorite; not something you would make at your home. I had to reconsider the cheese/bread topping; the part that makes this soup so delicious. The cheese will brown regardless of the bread, so simply use a large slice of cheese on top and forgo the bread altogether.

French Onion Soup

2 cups beef broth

1 large onion, sliced thin

1-2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

½ cup sherry or white wine

large slice of Jarlsberg or mozzarella cheese

In a medium pot, heat oil to med-high, then add onion. Saute until translucent, approx 8-10 minutes, season with salt and pepper. After the onions are finished, add beef broth and wine, then simmer 20-25 minutes.

Turn on broiler to high. Once soup is finished, spoon into an oven-safe cooking vessel, then place sliced cheese on top. Place bowls on a cookie sheet and broil in oven for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Hamburgers Done Right

I love hamburgers and refuse to give them up. The key to eating a healthy burger is to reduce the high carb items, like buns or other breads, and to replace them with low-carb veggies. There are no precise measurements in this recipe because the amount of veggies you eat is completely up to you.

ground beef, turkey or chicken

spinach

sliced onion

sliced bell pepper

mushrooms

bean sprouts

1 slice cheese

Pat hamburger meat into small patties (I eat 4.5oz ground beef and have Mike make two 2.25oz patties. Season with salt and pepper, then cook on a hot grill or in a pan for approx. 5 minutes per side. Add a slice of cheese to the burgers approx. 1-2 minutes before you take off the grill. Meanwhile, sauté onions, peppers and mushrooms in a pan with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook until onions and peppers are caramelized and the mushrooms are tender.

Assemble salad: Pile as much spinach or other dark leafy green on your plate as you like, then add bean sprouts. Place burgers on top of veggies, then add the onion, pepper and mushroom mix. Continue to top with veggies as you like (avocados would be great here), you won’t even miss the bread.

Roasted Green Beans

These beans really can replace french fries. I have never really enjoyed eating green beans because of their sometimes waxy texture. Roasting the beans makes them tender and delicious.

Roasted Green Beans

2-3 cups green beans, ends cut off
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400. Toss beans, oil, salt and pepper, then place on an baking pan. Roast for 20-25 minutes.