Need some help with low carb side dish ideas

M

mimi

Well-known member
DH and I are on the French Diet (Montignac, Somersize et al). That means healthy carbs (whole grains) with zero fat for one meal, and protein and fat with zero carbs (veggies are OK) for two other meals. Breakfast is usually fruit then whole grain cereal with skim milk. Lunch is egg or tuna salad with crudites, or maybe an omlette.

The hard part is coming up with interesting zero carb side dishes. We can have any vegetable except potatoes, squash, carrots, corn and beets, and of course no rice, no pasta, no starch, flour or sugar. But all the cream and cheese we want. I have been grilling zucchini and asparagus in olive oil, fresh herbs and/or balsamic, or steaming veggies with cheese sauce (no flour), or just serving them steamed or raw with dip. But I'm getting bored with that (but then food is always boring when I'm on a diet, be it low-fat, Atkins, or what have you - there is nothing like the wonderful combination bad carbs and butter! Boredom is why I eventually quit them all *sigh*).

Does anyone have any intersting, yummy side-dishes that might fit the bill? Maybe a good creamed spinach?

 
I have a bunch at my site, Mimi...

Not preaching, but I'd really reconsider the "no" carb part. That will be almost impossible to follow. On the other hand, "low" carb" is generally less than about 12 grams of carbs (what you would find in a peice of bread - whole grain or otherwise).

It's at Yahoogroups.com I just a search for it, and it didn't come up! Hmmpphh!! Anyway, it's:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/GRS-Low-Carb/

I love the summer and falls because we get such a variety of good, fresh produce. I now really like any vegetable steamed or sauteed, with oil and/or butter on it, and salt and minimal spices.

Cauliflower au gratin?
Green beans vinaigrette?
Dilled carrots (oh, that's right, maybe not carrots?)
Can you eat beans? Lentil salad, 3-bean salad, hummus, kidney beans with ham, etc.
Marinated squash (with mustard)?
Orange-cranberry cinnamon compote?

If interested, I can post any of these if you want. (And yes, the GRS originally stood for Gail's Recipe Swap!)

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/GRS-Low-Carb/

 
Mashed Cauliflower???

This is a Zone Diet recipe, I like to use roasted Garlic instead of powder and regular half and half. Amazing how good it is!!!!!!



For those who crave garlic mashed potatoes as a "side" during the holidays, here is a wonderful substititute:

Ingredients:

1 medium head cauliflower, leaves and core removed
1/3 cup fat-free chicken broth
1/4 cup fat-free half & half
1 tsp garlic powder
freshly ground pepper, to taste


Directions:

Steam cauliflower in microwave safe steamer and microwave on high for about 10 minutes or until soft. Break into large pieces and put into a food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until the consistency is like smooth mashed potatoes. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition Facts per serving:
100 calories
19 grams carbohydrate
7 grams fiber
8 grams protein
0 grams fat

 
spinach fer sher - cream as you can find it

spinach of choice (mine is frozen chops cause it reminds me of my mom) cooked in the usual way.

bacon cooked till crisp.

moosh em together.

carbohydrate free milky stuff short of crud with no ingredients that you could speak before your mother without getting your mouth washed out with soap. MERCY ME!!!!!!!!!! you gotta bite the bullet and use whipping cream.

i even got it past the girls.

 
Rec: Sweet and Sour Asparagus

Serves 4

1 bunch asparagus
salt to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoons capers, drained
1 tsp Splenda

Prepare asparagus by holding bottoms and breaking at `tender' spot. Put in steamer basket and sprinkle asparagus with salt to taste.

Put 1 quart water in pot and bring to boil. Put steamer basket on pot and steam for 7 minutes. Remove asparagus and insert into small pot of ice water for about 2 minutes.

Remove asparagus to paper towels and roll in paper towel to remove excess water.

In the meantime, put balsamic vinegar in skillet over medium-high heat. Bring to simmer; insert asparagus. Sauté for about 2 minutes, turning asparagus frequently. Add capers and Splenda; sauté for another 2 -3 minutes until fork-tender.

Remove to serving platter and pour remaining balsamic mixture over asparagus. Serve hot.

 
Rec: Quelites (Spinach with Beans)

I guess you could omit the beans if you want

6 servings

3 T Onion, chopped
1 T Bacon drippings
1 1/2 c Prepared pinto beans
1/2 t Chili powder
1/4 t Salt
1 1/2 lb Cooked fresh spinach
1 hard-boiled egg, sliced

Saute onion in fat and add beans, chili, salt and spinach. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add egg slices as garnish, and serve.

 
Rec: Spinach and Roasted Garlic Salas

12 garlic cloves, unpeeled
4 T extra virgin olive oil
1 lb baby spinach
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
Juice of 1/2 lemon
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Place unpeeled garlic in a small roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat. Bake about 15 minutes.

Place the garlic (w/skins) in a salad bowl. Add the spinach, pine nuts, lemon juice, and remaining olive oil. Toss and season w/salt & pepper. Serve immediately, gently squeezing the softened garlic puree out of the skins.

Total carbs: 3.9g

 
Mimi, I've been on low carb diet for 4 months- here are a few ideas

The "famous" mashed cauliflower recipe is one of my favorites- take a whole head of cauliflower, cut it apart, steam it until very fork-tender (many would call it over-cooking but it makes an easier time of mashing), mash it, add chopped onion, Garlic if you like, light or regular butter, a few tablespoons of no-fat half and half and mix it all up. I add salt, pepper and sometimes even hot stuff- it is delicious and satisfying.

A green bean idea: steam or boil green beans, drain and stop the cooking with ice water. Chop finely some parsley, onion, a lot of garlic. Heat olive oil in a pan, add the parsley, onion, garlic and let it saute for a few minutes. Add the beans, finish them and sprinkle on some sea salt. Yummy. This idea came from Pat in TO.

I cook mounds of Swiss Chard- I start with just a little chicken broth or water, add chopped onions and cook the chard. I add a little light butter at the end.

Grilled veggies: I rely a lot on these. In a plastic bag I put hunks of zucchini, yellow squash, red sweet pepper, mushrooms, onions and garlic. I drizzle olive oil over all and add grinds of pepper. We grill on the BBQ. I put this on salad, eat it with grilled meat or fish, use it all the time.

Sometimes I just grill oil-marinated slices of eggplant- very tasty.

Good luck losing- I am at almost 50 lbs off- the low-carb, low-fat idea works!

 
One More. Rec: Stuffed Mozzarella SalaD

4 oz cheese, sliced
3/4 lb fresh spinach
1/2 jar roasted red peppers
2 cups mixed salad greens
2 sliced tomatoes
Italian dressing (or other low-carb vinaigrette-type dressing)
fresh basil

Place slice of cheese on plate and layer with spinach and red peppers. Roll up jelly-roll fashion; slice and serve over greens and tomatoes. Drizzle with your favorite dressing and garnish with basil leaves.

 
Roasted cauliflower and roasted brussels sprouts (halve the sprouts and place cut side down).

 
Wonderful, Cathy! It's really low carb and low fat? My doc says low carb and low fat...

but it sounds like it going to be an air and tofu diet for me, sigh, especially after the great meals I've made lately from recipes posted here. Aside from George Foreman and the broiler, I don't have a grill handly. I can see the low carbs, but wonder about the low fat...I hate the faux substitutions for fat and cream, though I use nonfat milk. Bread and cheese are my weakness, though.

 
REC: Cauliflower Shrimp Salad from Peggy/or at GRS

Hi Mimi,

Don't know if the mayo will work for your diet, but this is the first recipe that got me to like cauliflower. I use 1/2 pound of hand shredded surimi instead of shrimp. Once I tried adding garlic salt to my servings (once out of the big bowl), I always eat it with. I love this salad!

Enjoy! (if you can!)
Debbie




Cauliflower Shrimp Salad

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Fish, Shellfish & Seafood Low Carb

Vegetables & Side Dishes

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

1 head cauliflower washed and drained well
1 cup celery chopped (I use leaves too)
1/4 cup fresh coarsely chopped parsley
3/4 lb. salad shrimp -- (subst 1/2 lb shredded fake crab meat)
freshly cracked pepper to taste
garlic salt to taste -- (put on individual servings so salt doesn't make mayo runny)
mayonnaise (good quality) to moisten

Cut cauliflower into bitesize flowerettes, add celery, parsley, pepper and garlic salt. Moisten with mayonnaise, then fold in shrimp (at the last so they do not break up or become mushy).

Source:
"peggy/or"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


NOTES : This is sooooo simple and sooooo beautiful, and what an excellent summer salad. Fresh, crunchy cauliflower is soooo good...just imagine the colors of white, pink, dark green and light green together...and it's very very good!!!!

Sorry I don't have quantities too well, I've been making this salad for years and just kind of "wing it"...it should feed about 8 (?), depending on what else you serve with it.

 
Thinking, this might have better flavor with roasted cauliflower?? Also Josh's Cauliflower Popcorn??

 
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