All Low Carb Recipes and More!

Low Carb Lunches and Side Dish Recipes...

With any eating style, there's no set rules as to what is "appropriate" food for lunch, or as a side dish with your dinner. And low carb eating is no exception. So this page features excellent recipes that go well as either lunch or a side dish. Some of them even make really nice light main meals too!

All Purpose Soup Broth and Stock

Throw leftover bones and skins from chicken carcasses into a large saucepan or stockpot, add 5 to 6 cups of water, and add some veggies along with some salt and pepper. Set the pot to a low simmer. Once simmered, remove possible scum accumulated on the top, cover, and cook for several hours. Cool the stock and strain it. Place in the fridge. Remove fat from the cooled stock, unless it was made with a natural, free-range chicken that is free from antibiotics, pesticides, and hormones. Freeze stock if you don’t plan on using it for a few days.

Delicious Browned Asparagus and Poached Eggs

Ingredients:
2 lbs. medium-sized asparagus
sea salt
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
4 large, free-range eggs
white vinegar
4 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Start by bringing large pot of water to a boil. While waiting for the water, snap the woody ends from the asparagus. Gently tie the asparagus into two bundles, in two places with string. When the water boils, add the asparagus bundles and half a handful of salt. Cook until the asparagus is just tender and bright green, about 4 minutes. Remove the asparagus bundles from the pot and immediately plunge into a bowl of cold water. Continue running cold water over the asparagus until completely cool. Drain well.

Remove the string and lay the asparagus out on a towel. You can do this several hours in advance. Just roll up the towel and place on a plate in the fridge. Fifteen minutes or so before serving, bring a deep frying pan with 4-inches (10-cm) of water to a simmer. Add a splash of vinegar. Crack and egg into a small bowl and then slip the egg into the water. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Poach the eggs for 4 minutes, or until the whites are firm.

In another frying pan heat the butter over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally until the butter is a deep brown. Immediately add the asparagus and toss in the butter until heated through. Add the lemon and a dash of salt to taste. Transfer to four heated plates and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Top each serving with a poached egg and grinds a little black pepper over the plate. Serve with a wedge of lemon on the side.

Serves: 4, Total Carbohydrates: 44, Carbs per Serving: 11. NOTE: If you don’t feel comfortable with poaching eggs, you can fry them instead, or you can omit them completely.

Open-Faced Asparagus Omelet (fritto)

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 medium tomato, seeded and diced
12 cooked asparagus stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
8 large eggs
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Heat 1 Tbsp. (15 ml) of the olive oil over medium heat in a 9 to 10-inch, preferably nonstick, ovenproof frying pan. Add the onion, garlic and thyme. Sauté until the onion is caramelized. Add the asparagus and cook for a minute longer. Add half of the tomato and give a few stirs. Remove the vegetables and wipe out the pan.

Turn on the broiler. While it is heating, beat the eggs, salt, pepper and cheese together. In the same frying pan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Pour in the eggs and scatter the vegetables on top of the eggs. Turn the heat to low and cook until the frittata is golden brown on the bottom, 5-8 minutes. Place the frittata under the broiler and cook until firm. Slide onto a plate and garnish with the remaining chopped tomato.

Serves 4 . Total Carbohydrates:20 ,Carbohydrates per Serving: 5 Note: Can be good as an easy dinner with a salad or a hand held snack. They are adaptable too - you can add a spoonful of pesto or a few chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the egg mixture for instance.

Taco Salad

Ingredients:
12 oz ground beef
4 cups lettuce
2 tsp. taco seasoning mix
4 oz cheddar, shredded
4 tbsp salsa
2 tbsp sour cream

Instructions:
Brown beef and stir in spices. Divide lettuce onto two plates. Top with half ground beef mixture, sprinkle with cheese, top with salsa and sour cream.

Serves 2 @ 8 carb.

Fabulous Cheese Spinach

Ingredients:
1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese
2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
1 large egg yolk
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 10 oz. packages of fresh spinach, coarsely chopped.

Instructions:
Preheat the broiler to medium. Lightly butter 11-by 7-by 2-inch baking dish. Mix the cheeses, dill and egg yolk in a large bowl. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, and then add the garlic. Stir for a minute until fragrant. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Add the spinach to the pot and sauté until wilted. Transfer spinach to strainer; drain well. Pour over the garlic in the baking dish. Toss to coat with the oil and spread out evenly. Sprinkle with cheese mixture. Broil until cheese is golden on top, and the spinach is heated through.

Note: Makes 4 servings. Total Carbohydrates: 24, Carbohydrates per Serving: 6

Heavenly Creamy Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups chicken stock
1 Tablesp butter (optional)
2 Tablesps olive oil (optional)
1 cup raw, chopped broccoli
½ cup raw, chopped cauliflower (about 1-inch pieces)
½ cup chopped sweet green pepper
½ cup chopped zucchini
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup diced, skinless chicken
½ cup heavy cream

Instructions:
Put stock in a medium saucepan. Add optional butter and/or olive oil. Add vegetables. Add salt and freshly ground pepper. Simmer until vegetables are tender. This is a clear soup. If you want the soup to be slightly thicker, you can mash some veggies (right in the pot) with a potato masher or put half of the veggies (or as many as you like) in a blender or food processor and puree briefly, then return to soup. Add the diced chicken and heavy cream last. Reheat if needed. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Based on a ¼ cup serving, heavy cream adds 1.6 grams of carb per serving.

Portabello Mushroom Salad

Ingredients:
4 oz. Gorgonzola or other blue cheese, crumbled
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 salt and pepper
4 portabella mushrooms, 3-4 oz. each extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 romaine hearts
1 roasted red pepper, peeled, seeded and cut into 4 pieces

Instructions:
Mash the cheese to a paste. Stir in the sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar and garlic. Season to taste. Remove the stem from the mushroom and scrape out the gills with a small spoon. Score the tops in a cross-hatch pattern. Season the mushrooms with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill or broil, 2-3 minutes on each side until cooked through. Cut the romaine hearts in half and place on 4 plates. Drizzle with the dressing. Top with a mushroom and a piece of red pepper.

Note: Serves 4, Total Carbohydrates: 56