New Low Carb Diet "Eco-Atkins"

Study on a new trend in low carb diets, "Eco-Atkins" (which refers to a diet that is low-calorie, low-carbohydrate and high in plant-based proteins) shows great weight loss as well as additional cardiovascular benefits. This is basically a vegetarian low carb diet and is considered to be more heart healthy than traditional low carb diets.

Read the article HERE

Low Carb Italian Stuffed Tomatoes

6 large firm tomatoes 8 ounces spicy or mild Italian sausage (which ever is your favorite)2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium white onion, finely chopped 2 ribs celery, finely chopped 1 red or green bell pepper, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons chopped basil leaves 1/2 cup grounded pork rinds (acts as a low carb bread crumb)
½ tablespoon chopped thyme and oregano leaves1 cup shredded cheese ( I like to use Italian 5 blend mix)1/4 cup grated Parmesan
½ cup sun dried tomatoes in oil (optional- instead of the top or half sun dried and fresh tomatoes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Cut a third of the top off each tomatoes. Dice the tops up and set aside.
Scoop out seeds, pulp and juice to hollow out the tomatoes.

In medium nonstick skillet, sauté sausage in olive oil, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. When browned all over, add onion to skillet and cook until soft, stirring frequently. Add garlic, celery, and pepper and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring to combine well. Add reserved chopped tomato tops, or sun dried tomatoes, salt, and pepper and stir for another minute.

Remove skillet from heat. Mix in 2 tablespoons basil, ½ tablespoon each thyme and oregano, grounded pork rinds, and Italian 5 blend cheese. Using a large spoon, stuff low carb mixture into tomatoes, packing down firmly. Top with Parmesan and place tomatoes in oiled baking dish. Bake until heated through and cheese turns golden, approximately 20 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

Low Carb Lemon Butter Spinach

Reduce in sauté pan on medium heat:

1/2 cup of chicken broth (if using packaged check the label for carbs)
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup white wine

When low carb sauce is reduced by half and starts to thicken add two handfuls of spinach. Mix spinach with sauce for twenty seconds, remove from heat and serve.

Low Carb Szechuan Pepper Fish

Serving Size: 4

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Low Carb Ingredients:
1 tsp peppercorns
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 med garlic clove, peeled through a garlic press
1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 1/3 lb cod, cut into 4 pieces
1 dash salt
4 lemon or lime wedges for garnish

Directions:
Crush the peppercorns coarsely in a mortar and pestle. (If you do not have a mortar and pestle you can wrap peppercorns in a small piece of plastic wrap and crush with a heavy pan.). Mix together the hoisin sauce, garlic, vinegar, and sesame oil.

Place the fish on a broiling pan and spread with about 1/2 of the low carb sauce. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the peppercorns; sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake in a preheated 450°F-230°F oven 7 minutes.

Remove the fish from the oven. Raise the oven rack to the highest position and turn the heat to broil. Spread the fish with the remaining low carb sauce and sprinkle with the remaining peppercorns. Broil 3 minutes, or until the fish tests done, and is slightly crusty.... Serve with lemon or lime wedges.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items):
157 Calories; 2g Fat (14.5% calories from fat); 27g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 65mg Cholesterol; 278mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

More delicious low carb Chinese recipes are available in Nicholas Zhou's cookbook "Real & Healthy Chinese Cooking".

Low Carb Dry Rub

Here is a yummy low carb dry rub for a pork tenderloin for the BBQ or oven:

1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon coriander seed
1 tablespoon cumin seed
1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons Spanish paprika
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 (1 1/2 pound) pork tenderloin

Combine all low carb ingredients (except the tenderloin) and grind in a spice grinder. Apply low carb dry rub directly on pork or coat in a plastic storage bag, making sure pork is dry before applying.

Low Carb Summer

With the temperature rising quickly here in South Florida, the BBQ grills are getting fired up more often and my thoughts turn to picnic style low carb food! I started getting out my low carb BBQ recipes; low carb dry rub, deviled eggs, cole slaw and so much more!!

LOW CARB DEVILED EGGS

7 HARD BOILED EGGS PEELED
¼ CUP MAYONNAISE
1 TO 3 TEASPOON OF MUSTARD TO YOUR TASTE
½ TEASPOON OF VINEGAR (WHITE, APPLE CIDER)
SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE
PAPRIKA FOR GARNISHING

HALF 7 EGGS LENGHTWISE. REMOVE YOLKS AND PLACE IN SMALL BOWL.
MASH YOLKS WITH FORK AND STIR IN MAYO, MUSTARD, VINEGAR, SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE.

FILL EGG WHITES WITH YOLK MIXTURE. GARNISH WITH PAPRIKA. STORE COVERED IN REFRIGERATOR.

NOTE: PLAY AROUND WITH THIS BASIC LOW CARB RECIPE. TRY ADDING HOT SAUCE, TRY DIFFERENT MUSTARD (DIJON, STONE GROUND MUSTARD ETC.), CHIVES, CRAB MEAT OR ANY LOW CARB INGREDIENT.

LOW CARB EGG DROP SOUP

Living in South Florida I am definitely not used to it being cold in April but a weird cold snap has got me making low carb egg drop soup!

LOW CARB INGREDIENTS:

4 CUPS CHICKEN STOCK (ALWAYS CHECK THE CARB COUNT IF BUYING PACKAGED)
3 LG EGG WHITES, BEATEN
2 LG. SLICES OF FRESH GINGER
2 LG. CLOVES OF GARLIC, SMASHED AND PEELED
3 GREEN ONIONS (SCALLION), TRIMMED AND FINELY SLICED
2 TABLESPOONS OF CHOPPED FRESH CILANTRO
1 TEASPOON SALT
1/8 TEASPOON PEPPER

IN A LARGE SAUCEPAN COMBINE LOW CARB STOCK, GINGER, AND GARLIC SIMMER, PARTIALLY COVERED FOR 15 MINUTES. REMOVE GINGER AND GARLIC AND DISCARD. BRING THE SOUP TO A SIMMER AND POUR THE EGG MIXTURE IN LARGE CIRCLE ON THE SURFACE OF THE SOUP. ONCE EGGS SET, STIR GENTLY AND ADD GREEN ONIONS, SALT, PEPPER AND CILANTRO. BEST SERVED IN WARM BOWLS.

MAKE THIS SOUP YOUR OWN BY ADDING YOUR FAVORITE LOW CARB VEGGIES INTO THE SOUP LIKE MUSHROOMS, SPINACH OR DICE TOMATOES.


TIP: TO HELP FRESH GINGER STAY FRESH AND LAST LONGER KEEP IN AIR TIGHT CONTANIER OR ZIPLOCK BAGGIE IN THE FREEZER. ALSO WHEN FROZEN IT IS EASIER TO PEEL AND CUT.

Low Carb Cocktails

I just got back from a vacation in Key West and being able to have a lower carb cocktail or a no carb rum and diet coke meant staying on the diet or not!! Being on a low carb diet is more than just low carb foods, it has a lot to do with low carb drinks too! I mean how can you go to a drinking party town like that and drink?? Check out this low carb cocktail book, a friend was mixing drinks out of here at St. Patty's Day!

Low Carb Chili

Low-carb chili ingredients:

1lb. ground beef
1 med. onion
1 14.5oz can of dice tomatoes (watch the carbs on the label)
1 14.5oz can of tomatoes sauce
½ a cup of banana peppers with juice or 1 med green pepper or hot pepper of your choice
Chili power to taste
Salt and pepper to taste


Dice the onion and saute it until tender, place aside. Cook ground meat and drain off all fat,
adding the meat to the onions. Dice peppers up and add to onion and meat mixture. Return the pepper, onion, meat mixture back to the heat and add 3 tablespoons of chili power and cook. (If using banana peppers pour the juice into the meat mix) Add both cans of tomatoes and add more chili power to suit your taste. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook over med-low heat for 30 minutes or until desired taste and thickness is reached.

Enjoy this low carb chili by itself with just a spoon of sour cream or add it to other low carb foods like a hot dog or hamburger with your favorite cheese!!

Low Carb - Creamy Cauliflower with Chipotle Recipe

Low Carb Creamy Cauliflower with Chipotle

1 small whole garlic bulb
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 head cauliflower cut into florets
8 oz cream cheese
3 Tbsp cream
1 Tsp minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce


Preheat oven to 425

Cut off pointed end of garlic bulb. Place garlic on heavy duty foil and drizzle with olive oil. Bake 30 minutes and cool. Squeeze pulp from garlic into large bowl and set aside.

Meanwhile, arrange florets in steamer basket inside Dutch oven with 1 to 11/2 cups water (do not immerse steamer in water). Steam cauliflower, covered over high for 15 minutes or until very tender.

Place cauliflower in bowl with garlic; stir in cream cheese, cream and peppers until combined. Process with hand blender until smooth, season the low carb cauliflower with salt and pepper to taste and serve!

I love living low carb!

ADA Approves Low Carb Diet

Well, it is about time!

The ADA revises it viewpoint on low carb diets in 2008 stating “low carbohydrate diets might seem to be a logical approach to lowering postprandial glucose”. Last year the American Diabetes Association stated that low carb diets were not recommended in the management of diabetes.


View the ADA “Nutrition Recommendations and Interventions for Diabetes” HERE

Low Carb Shrimp Appetizer

This is a low carb appetizer, but also sounds good as a low carb snack!

Makes approximately 3 dozen low carb appetizers

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c packed watercress leaves
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 green onion slices
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c mayo
1 1/2 lb. cleaned medium shrimp, cooked till barely pink
1/2 lb Chinese pea pods, blanched

Directions:
Place all ingredients except shrimp and pea pods in food processor or blender. Process until well blended. Chill.Wrap shrimp with pea pod and secure with a toothpick (or a thin strip of leek or red pepper tied in a knot). Serve with watercress sauce.

More delicious low carb Chinese recipes are available in Nicholas Zhou's cookbook "Real & Healthy Chinese Cooking".