low carb dinner

I am trying to make dinner for some people who are on a low carb diet. No rice, pasta, nor bread. I would prefer to not make a salad with greens because I already did that last time. Any suggestions are appreciated.

You might find something to all of your likings in the recipe archives at Diabetic Gourmet Magazine.

The low carb and low glycemic index approaches are central to those on Atkin's-type diets and people coping with diabetes.

http://diabeticgourmet.com/

Assuming they aren't vegetarians, why not some animal-based protein, a great salad, & roasted asparagus dusted w/ parmesan.

If they are vegetarians- a nice roasted/pan-seared vegetable protein, same great salad, & asparagus.

Vegetarian or not, there's always stir-fried proteins & vegetables.

When I was doing LC, dinner was usually a protein and two veggies. I tried a few recipes for the veggies which replicated at least the texture of a starch-- pureed cauliflower w/ parm cheese, cubed and sauteed daikon radish, yellow squash latkes, etc.

You can serve two vegetables. One can be mashed cauliflower. There are many recipes for it on the internet. Low carbers use it as an alternative to mashed potatoes. Its delicious. You can put cream and cheese in it.

toria wrote:You can serve two vegetables. One can be mashed cauliflower. There are many recipes for it on the internet. Low carbers use it as an alternative to mashed potatoes. Its delicious. You can put cream and cheese in it.

I like the idea of this pseudo mashed potato. I think dinner would seem salty without something like this.

My girlfriend usually avoids carbs. One of the things she enjoys greatly is zucchini noodle "pasta". They're easy to make with a vegetable peeler, and you can sauce them as you would normal pasta. In fact, I often enjoy having them in place of normal pasta because they're a nice change.

I like sauteed zucchini - you can do it sliced into small matchsticks, or just wheels. Cook a little garlic in a pan with oil, I like to put in a little sliced hot red pepper for contrast color too - you could use red bell pepper if you don't like hot. Depending on how low carb, you could also use some carrots for color. It looks cooler if you do it as matchsticks, and the carrots take a little longer to cook. Salt and pepper to taste.

How low are we talking?

We did low carb for 4-5 months while my wife was dealing with gestational diabetes. I ended up making a 30-40 item "menu" that she could choose from. Favorites included:

• Braised chicken dishes -- thyme-smothered Southern style, Mexican escabeche, etc. etc.
• Steaks, steaks, steaks -- one with caramelized cauliflower and a vinaigrette made from pan drippings, olive oil, mint and just a splash of balsamic was one of our weekly go-to dinners
• Stir-fries -- meats and plenty of low-carb vegetables, eschewing rice
• Assorted Frittatas
• All kinds of pan-seared fish with butter sauces, brown butter sauces, spice rubs, etc.
• Meat-topped salads of just about every ethnicity
• Anything with cauliflower

Low-carb, unless you're talking about really low carb, is extremely easy.

Dmnkly wrote:How low are we talking?

We did low carb for 4-5 months while my wife was dealing with gestational diabetes. I ended up making a 30-40 item "menu" that she could choose from. Favorites included:

• Braised chicken dishes -- thyme-smothered Southern style, Mexican escabeche, etc. etc.
• Steaks, steaks, steaks -- one with caramelized cauliflower and a vinaigrette made from pan drippings, olive oil, mint and just a splash of balsamic was one of our weekly go-to dinners
• Stir-fries -- meats and plenty of low-carb vegetables, eschewing rice
• Assorted Frittatas
• All kinds of pan-seared fish with butter sauces, brown butter sauces, spice rubs, etc.
• Meat-topped salads of just about every ethnicity
• Anything with cauliflower

Low-carb, unless you're talking about really low carb, is extremely easy.

I know what you are talking about. I also had gestational diabetes before. Thanks for the ideas. I have a question. Is a frittata basically a crustless quiche? I don't see much of a difference.

shorty wrote:I know what you are talking about. I also had gestational diabetes before. Thanks for the ideas. I have a question. Is a frittata basically a crustless quiche? I don't see much of a difference.

No crust is a start. A quiche generally involves milk and/or cream while a frittata generally doesn't, which makes for a pretty significant textural difference. Also, while it's a broad generalization and I'm sure there are plenty of variations, a quiche is generally baked while a frittata is generally done in a pan and flipped or broiled, isn't it?

Dmnkly wrote:...it's a broad generalization and I'm sure there are plenty of variations, a quiche is generally baked while a frittata is generally done in a pan and flipped or broiled, isn't it?

I think the oven is more traditional for frittate, but I've certainly seen 'em cooked almost fully on the stovetop, followed by a brief stint under the broiler to fully set the top. I've never flipped a frittata or seen anyone else try that.

Contrary to popular American recipe magazines/ books, I don't believe in browning a frittata. Browned eggs are often dry, and their flavor interferes with the goal of highlighting the freshness/ tastiness of the eggs and ingredients that fill the frittata. Stovetop or oven, slow cooking and no browning are the keys to a good frittata, imo.

Kennyz wrote:

Dmnkly wrote:...it's a broad generalization and I'm sure there are plenty of variations, a quiche is generally baked while a frittata is generally done in a pan and flipped or broiled, isn't it?

I think the oven is more traditional for frittate, but I've certainly seen 'em cooked almost fully on the stovetop, followed by a brief stint under the broiler to fully set the top. I've never flipped a frittata or seen anyone else try that.

I was sort of thinking along the lines of a tortilla española, which are generally flipped, I think. But then, I suppose that's not technically a frittata, no matter how similar they may be