1001 Low-Carb Recipes Part 31

In a big, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Place the chicken skin side down and cook it until the skin is browned. (You'll need to do this in batches, unless your skillet is a lot bigger than mine!) Don't bother browning the other side of the chicken.

Transfer the chicken back to the slow cooker with the marinade. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 5 to 6 hours.

Remove the chicken from the slow cooker with tongs. Put the chicken on a platter, cover it with foil, and put it in a warm place.

Ladle the onions and liquid out of the slow cooker into the skillet and turn the heat to high. Boil this hard, stirring often, until most of the liquid has evaporated. (You want the volume reduced by more than half.) Serve the chicken, onions, and sauce over the Cauliflower Rice.

Yield: 8 servings 8 servings Each with 45 g protein, 11 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 8 g usable carbs.

Chicken and Dumplings This takes some work, but boy, is it comfort food. You could make this with leftover turkey instead if you prefer. If you do that, put the cubed, cooked turkey in about 5 to 6 hours into the initial cooking time.

1 pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1' cubes 2 medium carrots, sliced 1 medium onion, chunked 2 medium turnips, cut into -inch (1.3-cm) cubes 1 cups (225 g) frozen green beans, cross-cut 8 ounces (225 g) sliced mushrooms 1 cups (360 ml) chicken broth 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning 3 teaspoons chicken bouillon concentrate cup (120 ml) heavy cream Guar or xanthan Dumplings (page 343) In a slow cooker, combine the carrots, onion, turnips, green beans, mushrooms, and chicken.

In a bowl, mix together the broth, poultry seasoning, and bouillon. Pour the mixture over the chicken and vegetables. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 6 to 7 hours.

When the time's up, stir in the cream and thicken the gravy to a nice consistency with guar or xanthan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Recover the slow cooker and turn it to high.

While the slow cooker is heating up (it'll take at least 30 minutes), make the Dumplings, stopping before you add the liquid. Wait until the gravy in the slow cooker is boiling. Then stir in the b.u.t.termilk to the Dumpling dough and drop it by spoonfuls over the surface of the chicken and gravy. Re-cover the slow cooker and let it cook for another 25 to 30 minutes.

Yield: 8 servings 8 servings Each with 36 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 10 g usable carbs (calculations include the dumplings).

Dumplings Feel free to use this with other meat-and-gravy dishes if you like! (These instructions require gravy to boil the Dumplings in.) cup (90 g) ground almonds, or "almond meal"

cup (65 g) rice protein powder cup (25 g) wheat gluten 2 tablespoons (28 g) b.u.t.ter 2 tablespoons (30 ml) coconut oil teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder teaspoon baking soda cup (180 ml) b.u.t.termilk Put everything but the b.u.t.termilk into a food processor with the S-blade in place. Pulse the food processor to cut in the b.u.t.ter. (You want it evenly distributed in the dry ingredients.) Dump this mixture into a mixing bowl.

Check to make sure your gravy is boiling. (If it isn't, have a quick cup of tea until it is.) Now pour the b.u.t.termilk into the dry ingredients and stir it in with a few swift strokes. (Don't over-mix; you just want to make sure everything's evenly damp.) This will make a soft dough. Drop by spoonfuls over the boiling gravy, cover the pot, and let it cook for 25 to 30 minutes.

Yield: 12 servings 12 servings Each with 14 g protein, 4 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 3 g usable carbs.

Chunky Chicken Pie This is a fair amount of work, but it's certainly comfort food for a cold winter night!

1 pounds (680 g) dark meat chicken, no skin, but on the bone 1 quart (960 ml) water 1 tablespoon (15 ml) chicken bouillon concentrate 1 pound (455 g) frozen California-blend vegetables 1 cup (70 g) sliced mushrooms 1 cup (240 ml) Carb Countdown dairy beverage or half-and-half teaspoon poultry seasoning Guar or xanthan Salt and pepper 1 batch b.u.t.termilk Drop Biscuits (page 120) Plunk chicken in a big saucepan and add the water and chicken bouillon concentrate. Cover it, turn the heat to low, and let the whole thing simmer for 60 to 90 minutes.

Fish the chicken out with a fork or tongs and set it on a plate until cool enough to handle. In the meantime, add the California-blend vegetables and the sliced mushrooms to the broth-I actually cut mine up a little more, but you can leave everything in really big chunks if you prefer. Let this simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but not mushy.

While that's happening, strip the chicken off the bones. Discard the bones and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Reserve.

Okay, your vegetables are cooked. Stir in the Carb Countdown dairy beverage and poultry seasoning. Thicken with guar or xanthan to make a rich gravy consistency. Now add salt and pepper to taste and stir in the chicken. Turn off the heat.

Preheat the oven to 475F (240C, or gas mark 9) and then make a batch of b.u.t.termilk Drop Biscuit dough, stopping right before you add the b.u.t.termilk to the dry ingredients.

Spray a 2-quart (1.9-L) ca.s.serole dish with nonstick cooking spray. When the oven is up to temperature, turn the heat back on under the chicken and vegetable mixture and bring it back to a boil. While that's heating, stir the b.u.t.termilk into the biscuit dough. Now, pour the boiling chicken mixture into the ca.s.serole dish and spoon the dough over the top. Don't worry about covering every single millimeter of the gravy with the dough; it'll spread a bit. Just spoon it on pretty evenly, and it'll be fine. Put it in the oven immediately and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden and then serve.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 48 g protein; 13 g carbohydrate; 5 g dietary fiber; 8 g usable carbs.

Mom's 1960s Chicken, Redux Back in the 1960s my mom would make a dish for company with chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s, wrapped in bacon, laid on a layer of chipped beef, topped with a sauce made of sour cream and cream of mushroom soup. It tasted far more sophisticated than it sounds and never failed to draw raves from dinner party guests. This is my attempt to de-carb and slow-cooker-ize the same dish- without the carb-filled cream of mushroom soup.

2 pounds (910 g) boneless, skinless chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s 2 ounces (62 g) dried beef slices (aka "chipped beef") 6 slices bacon 1 cup (70 g) sliced mushrooms 1 tablespoon (14 g) b.u.t.ter 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream 1 teaspoon beef bouillon concentrate 1 pinch onion powder 1 pinch celery salt teaspoon pepper Guar or xanthan 1 cup (230 g) sour cream Paprika Line the bottom of a slow cooker with the dried beef.

Place the bacon in a gla.s.s pie plate or on a microwave bacon rack and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes on high. Drain the bacon and reserve. (What you're doing here is cooking some of the grease off of the bacon without cooking it crisp.) Cut the chicken into 6 servings. Wrap each piece of chicken in a slice of bacon and place it in the slow cooker on top of the dried beef.

In a big, heavy skillet, saute the mushrooms in the b.u.t.ter until they're soft. Add the cream and bouillon and stir until the bouillon dissolves. Stir in the onion powder, celery salt, and pepper and then thicken with guar or xanthan until the mixture reaches a gravy consistency. Stir in the sour cream.

Spoon this mixture over the chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s and sprinkle with a little paprika. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 5 to 6 hours.

To serve, scoop up some of the dried beef and sauce with each bacon-wrapped piece of chicken.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 41 g protein, 4 g carbohydrate, trace dietary fiber, 4 g usable carbs.

Chicken Liver Saute The worst possible thing you can do to liver of any kind is overcook it, which makes chicken livers an ideal candidate for a super-fast gourmet supper. The cauliflower rice is optional with this, but it takes very little extra time, adds only 1 gram of extra carbs to a serving, and makes this seem more like a meal.

8 ounces (225 g) chicken livers head cauliflower (optional) 4 ounces (115 g) sliced mushrooms medium onion 1 tablespoon (14 g) b.u.t.ter teaspoon minced garlic or 1 clove garlic, crushed teaspoon ground rosemary*

cup (60 ml) dry sherry teaspoon lemon juice Salt and pepper Guar or xanthan If you want cauliflower rice to serve the chicken livers on, make that first. Run the cauliflower through the shredding blade of your food processor, put it in a microwaveable ca.s.serole dish with a lid, add a couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of water, cover it, and microwave it on high for 7 minutes. If the cauliflower is done cooking before you're quite done with your livers, remove the lid. This will let the steam out and stop the cooking. Otherwise you'll get a white mush that bears little resemblance to rice or even cauliflower.

Okay, you're ready to deal with the livers. Cut each liver into 3 or 4 chunks. I'm a.s.suming you bought presliced mushrooms, but if you didn't, slice them now. Take the onion quarter, cut it in half again (making two eighths), and then slice it as thin as you can. Melt the b.u.t.ter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the livers, mushrooms, onions, and garlic, and stir-fry until the mushrooms are starting to change color and most of the pink is gone from the livers. Add the rosemary, sherry, lemon juice, and a little salt and pepper and let it all simmer for just 1 to 2 minutes. Thicken the pan liquid slightly with guar or xanthan and serve, with or without cauliflower rice.

Yield: 2 servings 2 servings Without the cauliflower rice, each serving will have 8 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 7 grams of usable carbs and 22 grams of protein. If you serve it with the cauliflower rice, each serving will have 10 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 8 grams of usable carbs and 22 grams of protein.

*You can use a teaspoon of dried rosemary needles instead, and it will taste good, but you'll have little tough needles in your food.

Chicken Liver and "Rice" Ca.s.serole I'm a big fan of chicken livers, and they're highly nutritious. No, the liver does not contain every toxin eaten by the animal during its life. The liver processes and removes this stuff. It doesn't just hold on to it forever.

1 pound (455 g) chicken livers, cut into bite-sized pieces 1 stick b.u.t.ter 1 small onion, chopped 1 rib celery, including leaves, diced 1 bay leaf, crumbled fine teaspoon dried thyme teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal teaspoon seasoned salt 4 cups Cauliflower Rice Deluxe (page 212) cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 375F (190C, or gas mark 5).

Melt the b.u.t.ter in a heavy skillet over medium heat and saute the onion, celery, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and seasoned salt.

When the onion is golden, add the chicken livers and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Toss the vegetables and livers together with the Cauliflower Rice Deluxe.

Spray a good-sized ca.s.serole dish (10 cups [2.4 L] or so) with nonstick cooking spray and dump the liver and "rice" mixture into the role dish. Sprinkle the top with the Parmesan cheese and bake the whole thing uncovered for 15 minutes.

Yield: 5 servings 5 servings Each with 16 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 13 grams usable carbs and 21 grams of protein.

Curried Chicken "Pilau"

Back in my low-fat, high-carb day, I made a three-grain curried chicken pilau that was our very favorite supper. I hadn't had it since the day I went low carb-but this is a really convincing decarbed version and far faster to cook. Don't omit the garnishes: chutney, chopped peanuts, and crumbled bacon. They're what make the dis.h.!.+

1 pound (455 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in -inch (1.3-cm) cubes cup (80 g) chopped onion 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tablespoons (12 g) curry powder 1 tablespoon (14 g) b.u.t.ter cup (40 g) fresh snow pea pods (measure them after you cut them up!) head cauliflower 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon concentrate cup (60 ml) hot water In a big, heavy skillet over medium heat, start the onion, garlic, curry powder, and chicken sauteing in the b.u.t.ter. Remember to stir it once in a while during the sauteing process.

While that's happening, pinch the ends off of your snow peas, pull off any strings, and cut them into -inch (1.3-cm) pieces. Run the cauliflower through the shredding blade of your food processor-but this time, you're not going to microwave your cauli-rice. Just hang on to it. In a cup or small bowl, dissolve the bouillon in the water.

When the chicken is white all over and the onion is translucent, stir in the cauli-rice and the dissolved bouillon, making sure everything is well combined-you want the chicken and curry flavors throughout the whole dish. Cover, turn the heat to low, and let it cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Uncover, add the snow peas, and stir again. Re-cover and let cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. Then check to see how your cauli-rice is-you want it just barely tender, but not mushy. When it reaches that state, serve with Major Grey's Chutney (page 496), crumbled bacon, and chopped salted peanuts.

Yield: 3 to 4 servings 3 to 4 servings a.s.suming 3, each will have 36 g protein; 8 g carbohydrate; 3 g dietary fiber; 5 g usable carbs. a.n.a.lysis does not include garnishes.

Chicken "Risotto" alla Milanese This is my decarbed version of a very famous Italian dish-and it's quick and easy enough for a weeknight supper. My husband loved this-but then, any food with b.u.t.ter, cream, and cheese, especially all three, is pretty much his 1 pound (455 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast head cauliflower 3 tablespoons (42 g) b.u.t.ter cup (120 g) chopped onion 4 cup (60 ml) dry white wine 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon concentrate teaspoon saffron threads 1 clove garlic, crushed cup (60 ml) heavy cream Guar or xanthan Salt and pepper cup (40 g) shredded Parmesan cheese First, run the cauliflower through the shredding blade of your food processor. Put it in a microwaveable ca.s.serole dish with a lid, add a couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of water, cover, and microwave on high for 5 or 6 minutes. Uncover as soon as the microwave beeps!

Cut the chicken breast in -inch (1.3-cm) cubes. Melt the b.u.t.ter in a big, heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat and start sauteing the chicken and onion.

When the chicken is white all over and the onion is softened, stir in the wine, bouillon concentrate, saffron threads, and garlic. Stir it around until the bouillon concentrate dissolves.

Drain the cauli-rice and throw it in the skillet. Stir it around to blend all the flavors and let the whole thing cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and cook for another minute. If you want the whole thing a little creamier, use just a little guar or xanthan, but I didn't bother. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon onto plates or into bowls, top each serving with 3 tablespoons (15 g) Parmesan, and serve.

Yield: 3 servings 3 servings Each with 30 g protein; 5 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber; 4 g usable carbs.

Lettuce Wraps These are currently a hot appetizer at Asian restaurants, and they're delicious-but the restaurant version usually contains an unacceptable amount of sugar. Serve these as an appetizer if you like, but I like them as a light supper. Even if you have to make the Asian Dipping Sauce too, this will take you all of 15 minutes.

1 pound (455 g) ground chicken 1 can (8 ounces, or 225 g) water chestnuts, drained 1 cup (70 g) sliced mushrooms 5 scallions, roots and limp shoot removed, cut into 2 or 3 pieces each 3 tablespoons (45 ml) soy sauce 2 tablespoons (3 g) Splenda teaspoon blackstrap mola.s.ses 1 teaspoons minced garlic or 3 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 teaspoons rice vinegar 3 tablespoons (45 ml) oil Guar or xanthan Iceberg or leaf lettuce Asian Dipping Sauce (page 478) Place the water chestnuts, mushrooms, and scallions in a food processor with the S-blade in place. Pulse just enough to chop everything to a medium consistency.

Combine the soy sauce, Splenda, blackstrap mola.s.ses, garlic, and rice vinegar. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over highest heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry, breaking it up as it cooks. When about half of the pink is gone from the chicken, add the chopped vegetables and stir-fry everything together for a few more minutes. When the chicken is cooked through, stir in the soy sauce mixture and let everything cook together for just another minute or so. Thicken the pan juices just a little with guar or xanthan and serve.

To eat this, you wrap spoonfuls of the meat mixture in lettuce leaves, dip the rolls in the Asian Dipping Sauce, and then eat them by hand. The tidiest way to do this is to take a whole, firm head of iceberg lettuce and slice a good 2-inch (5-cm) thick slab off the side, making lettuce "cups"-you can do this all over the head, leaving the inside of the head for salad. However, there's no reason not to use leaf lettuce if you prefer it.

Yield: Figure this is 6 servings as an appetizer Figure this is 6 servings as an appetizer Each with 10 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 8 grams of usable carbs (exclusive of the dipping sauce) and 25 grams of protein, which is a pretty filling appetizer!

If you figure this is 4 servings as a main course, each with 15 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 12 grams of usable carbs (again, exclusive of the dipping sauce) and 37 grams of protein.

Chicken Burritos Wow-This is easy, delicious, low-carb, low-calorie, and reheats easily. What more do you want from a recipe?

2 pounds (1.1 kg) boneless, skinless chicken thighs 5 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tablespoons (15.6 g) chili powder 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lime juice 1 teaspoon salt 1 large jalapeno, minced, or 2 teaspoons canned jalapenos 12 6-inch (15-cm) low-carb tortillas 1 cup (20 g) shredded lettuce 1 cup (115 g) shredded cheddar cheese [image]cup (180 g) light sour cream cup (195 g) salsa cup (32 g) chopped fresh cilantro (optional) Place the chicken in a slow cooker.

In a bowl, mix the garlic, chili powder, oil, lime juice, salt, and jalapeno together. Pour over the chicken and stir to coat. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 10 hours. (Or cook on high for 5 hours.) When the time's up, stir the mixture with a fork to reduce the chicken to a big pot of tasty chicken shreds. Fill each tortilla with[image] cup chicken (75 g) and top with lettuce, cheese, 1 tablespoon (15 g) sour cream, a generous tablespoon salsa, and a sprinkling of cilantro, if desired. Wrap and devour! cup chicken (75 g) and top with lettuce, cheese, 1 tablespoon (15 g) sour cream, a generous tablespoon salsa, and a sprinkling of cilantro, if desired. Wrap and devour!

This is a great meal for a family that has some low-carbers and some nonlow-carbers- just give them regular or (preferably) whole wheat flour tortillas. The chicken keeps well in the fridge, and it reheats quickly in the microwave for a fast snack. (I find that 45 seconds on 70 percent power is about right for a[image] -cup serving.) -cup serving.) Yield: 12 servings 12 servings Each with 22 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 9 g dietary fiber, 5 g usable carbs.

Seriously Simple Chicken Chili The name says it all!

2 pounds (910 g) boneless, skinless chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s 1 jar (16 ounces, or 455 g) prepared salsa 1 tablespoon (7.8 g) chili powder 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon concentrate 3 ounces (85 g) shredded Monterey Jack cheese 6 tablespoons (90 g) light sour cream Put the chicken in a slow cooker.

In a bowl, stir together the salsa, chili powder, and bouillon, making sure the bouillon dissolves. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 7 to 8 hours.

When the time's up, shred the chicken with a fork. Serve topped with the cheese and sour cream.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 39 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 4 g usable carbs.

Turkey Tetrazzini You'll thank me for this recipe the weekend after Thanksgiving!

3 cups (330 g) diced leftover turkey 2 tablespoons (28 g) b.u.t.ter 1 small onion, diced 2 4-ounce (115 g) cans mushrooms, drained 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream 1 cup (240 ml) half-and-half 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon concentrate 2 tablespoons (30 ml) dry sherry 1 teaspoon guar or xanthan (It's optional, but it makes the sauce thicker.) cup (75 g) grated Parmesan cheese 3 cups (675 g) cooked spaghetti squash, sc.r.a.ped into strings Over medium heat, melt the b.u.t.ter in a heavy skillet and start the onions and the mushrooms sauteing in it. While that's cooking, combine the cream, half-and-half, bouillon concentrate, sherry, and guar, if you're using it, in a blender and blend it for just ten seconds or so to combine. Go back and stir the vegetables! When the onion is limp and translucent, transfer half of the vegetables into the blender, add the Parmesan cheese, and blend for another 20 seconds or so to puree the vegetables. Combine this cream sauce with the spaghetti squash, the rest of the vegetables, and the turkey and mix everything well. Put in a 10-cup (2.4-L) ca.s.serole dish that you've sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake uncovered at 400F (200C, or gas mark 6) for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings 6 to 8 servings a.s.suming 6, each will have 7 g carbohydrate; trace fiber; 24 g protein; 7 g usable This tetrazzini is wonderful; everyone who tries it loves it. However, if you have some folks in your family who are going to be unhappy about spaghetti squash, here's what you do: use half spaghetti squash and half spaghetti. Mix half of the sauce with the turkey. Divide the other half of the sauce and the un-pureed mushrooms and onions between 1 cups (340 g) spaghetti squash and 1 cups (105 g) cooked spaghetti. Put the spaghetti squash at one end of your ca.s.serole dish and the spaghetti at the other end (it helps to use a rectangular ca.s.serole dis.h.!.+). Then make a groove down the middle of the whole thing, lengthwise and pour the turkey mixture into the groove. Bake according to the instructions above.

Low-Carb Microwave Pasticcio This has become my sister's standby recipe for potlucks and other ca.s.serole occasions.

FOR THE PASTICCIO:.

1 pound (455 g) ground turkey medium onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed teaspoon ground cinnamon [image]teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 cup (250 g) ricotta cheese cup (15.2 g) chopped fresh parsley teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal [image]teaspoon pepper FOR THE SAUCE:.

2 tablespoons (28 g) b.u.t.ter teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal 1 cups (360 ml) heavy cream cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese 2 cups (450 g) cooked spaghetti squash To make the pasticcio: In a microwave-safe ca.s.serole dish, combine the onion and garlic; place the turkey on top. Microwave this uncovered for 5 minutes at full power. Stir it up a bit, breaking up the ground turkey in the process. Microwave the turkey and onion mixture for another 3 minutes or until the turkey is cooked through.

Break up the turkey some more-you want it well crumbled-and drain off the fat. Stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg and microwave it for just another minute to blend the flavors. Transfer the turkey mixture to a bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, parsley, and salt and pepper; set aside.

To make the sauce: In yet another bowl or a measuring cup (okay, you need both a microwave and a dishwasher for this to be a convenient recipe!) combine the b.u.t.ter, salt, cream, and cheese to make the sauce.

Spray a microwave-safe ca.s.serole dish with nonstick cooking spray. In the dish, layer half of the spaghetti squash, then half the turkey mixture, then half the ricotta mixture, and then half the sauce. Repeat the layers, ending with the sauce.

Microwave the pasticcio at full power for 6 to 8 minutes or until it's bubbly and hot all the way through. Let it sit for 5 minutes or so and serve.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 7 grams of carbohydrates, a trace of fiber, and 22 grams of protein.

Homestyle Turkey Loaf If you haven't eaten a lot of ground turkey, you may find it's a nice change from meat loaf made from ground beef.

1 pound (455 g) ground turkey cup (40 g) crushed pork rinds 1 rib celery, finely chopped 1 small onion, finely chopped cup (45 g) finely chopped apple 1 tablespoons (23 ml) Worcesters.h.i.+re sauce 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning 1 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal 1 egg Preheat the oven to 350F (180C, or gas mark 4).

Combine all the ingredients in a big bowl and with clean hands squeeze it together until it's very well combined.

Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and pack the turkey mixture into the pan. Bake for 50 minutes.

Yield: 5 servings 5 servings Each with 5 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 4 grams of usable carbs and 32 grams of protein.

Turkey Loaf with Thai Flavors Ground turkey is cheap, low-carb, and low-calorie-and by itself just plain boring. So jazz it up by adding some Thai flavors.

2 pounds (910 g) ground turkey 1 medium onion, chopped 1 can (4 ounces, or 130 g) mushroom slices, drained 4 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice 4 tablespoons (60 ml) lime juice, divided 4 teaspoons chili paste 3 tablespoons (18 g) grated ginger 1 tablespoons (30 ml) fish sauce 1 tablespoons (23 ml) soy sauce 1 teaspoons pepper cup (40 g) pork rind crumbs (Run some pork rinds through your food processor.) cup (32 g) chopped fresh cilantro cup (115 g) mayonnaise Place the turkey in a big mixing bowl.

Place the onion, mushrooms, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until everything is chopped medium-fine. Add it to the turkey.

Add the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the lime juice, the chili paste, ginger, fish sauce, soy sauce, pepper, pork rind crumbs, and cilantro to the bowl. Mix it around with clean hands until it is well blended.

Spray a rack or a collapsible-basket-type steamer with nonstick cooking spray and place it in your slow cooker. Add 1 cup (240 ml) of water under the rack. If the holes in are pretty large, cover it with a sheet of foil and pierce it all over with a fork. Take two 18-inch (45-cm) squares of foil, fold them into strips about 2 inches (5 cm) wide, and criss-cross them across the rack or steamer, running the ends up the sides of the slow cooker. (You're making a sling to help lift the meat loaf out of the slow cooker.) Place the meat mixture on the rack or steamer and form it into an evenly-domed loaf. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 6 hours.

When the time's up, use the strips of foil to gently lift the loaf out of the slow cooker and place it on a platter.

In a bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lime juice. Cut the loaf into wedges and serve it with the lime mayonnaise.

Yield: 8 servings 8 servings Each with 25 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 4 g usable carbs.

Turkey Feta Burgers 1 pound (455 g) ground turkey 2 tablespoons (20 g) minced red onion 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 clove garlic, crushed cup (90 g) crumbled feta cheese cup (25 g) chopped kalamata olives 2 tablespoons (20 g) sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, chopped Plunk everything in a mixing bowl and with clean hands smoosh it all together until it's very well blended. Form into four burgers-the mixture will be pretty soft, so you may want to chill them for a while before cooking.

Preheat an electric tabletop grill. When it's hot, add the burgers and cook for 6 minutes. That's it!

Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 24 g protein; 4 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber; 3 g usable carbs.

Thai Turkey Burgers 1 pound (455 g) ground turkey 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lime juice cup (60 g) grated carrot 2 teaspoons chili paste 4 scallions, minced 2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped cilantro 1 teaspoon fish sauce 1 batch Chili Lime Mayo (page 479) This is very straightforward. Preheat an electric tabletop grill. Then dump everything except the Chili Lime Mayo in a bowl, smoosh it all together really well with clean hands, and make three burgers-the mixture will be pretty soft. When the grill is hot, slap the burgers in it and cook for 5 minutes. Top with Chili Lime Mayo and serve.