:)Soups, Salads, and Sauces
Salads contain lots of fiber and vitamins, which keep our bodies healthy. They also add variety and color. Sauces are decorative, spicy, creamy, or soothing. Soups are a major comfort food for me, especially in cold weather or when I am sick.
Holiday Recipes
CRANBERRY SAUCE A LA MAGIC
1 PKGE FRESH OR FROZEN CRANBERRIES
1 CUP BOILING WATER
1/2 TSP ORANGE EXTRACT
1/4 TSP STEVIA OR ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER TO TASTE
COOK THE CRANBERRIES IN ABOUT 1/4 C OF WATER UNTIL POPPED. LIGHTLY MASH.
ADD STEVIA OR SWEETENER AND ORANGE EXTRACT. MAKE THE JELLO WITH 1 CUP OF BOILING WATER AND 3/4 CUP OF COLD WATER. STIR INTO THE CRANBERRY PULP. CHILL TO SET.
MAKES ONE PINT. This recipe from Rani Merens, the Culinary Queen
MAGIC'S MAGIC-CRANBERRY MOLD
2 boxes sugar-free cranberry Jell-o
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 oz cream cheese (half a brick)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup coarsely chopped cranberries (OPTIONAL)
Spray PAM
SPRAY A FESTIVE-LOOKING JELLO MOLD WITH PAM. MAKE THE FIRST BATCH OF JELLO, WITH ONE CUP OF BOILING WATER, AND THEN STIR IN THE CREAM CHEESE UNTIL DISSOLVED. WHIP THE CREAM TILL THICK, FOLD IT INTO THE BATCH THAT HAS THE CREAM CHEESE IN IT. STIR HALF THE NUTS AND CRANBERRIES INTO THE MIXTURE. POUR IT INTO THE MOLD AND PLACE IN FRIDGE. MIX UP THE SECOND BATCH OF THE JELLO, USING THE REGULAR PACKAGE DIRECTIONS. PLACE IN FRIDGE TO PARTIALLY SET. STIR IN THE REST OF THE NUTS AND CRANBERRIES. POUR OVER THE FIRST LAYER AND LET SET OVERNIGHT.
Cranberry Sauce
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1 1/2 cups water
1 package diet lemon or orange gelatin
8 packets of sugar substitute
2 tablespoons cranberry or orange liqueur
1 tablespoon Raspberry Atkins or Davinci's sugar free syrup
Pinch salt
Cook cranberries in water over low heat until they pop open. Drain and press through sieve, and add boiling water until there are 1 1/2 cups liquid. Dissolve gelatin, sugar substitute, liqueur, and syrup in hot liquid. Chill until firm. Add garnish for color, slice to serve. Serves 8 Total carbs 67.2 grams. Per serving 8.4 grams
Cranberry Treat
1 cup fresh cranberries (14g carb)
water to cover berries
1/4 teaspoon dried orange peel
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
4 packets Splenda (4g carb)
1/2 teaspoon NotSugar
1/2 cup walnuts chopped (6g carb, 6g fiber)
Put washed cranberries in a pan with enough water to cover; add the rest of the ingredients except the walnuts. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer until it is thick. Remove from heat and stir in the walnuts. Can be
served warm or cold. Total carbs with fiber removed is 18. 4 servings at 2.5 carbs per serving
Soups are one of my all time comfort foods in cold weather or when I am sick. Here are some that replicate my old favorites.
Baked Fauxtato Soup
1/2 head Cauliflower
Chicken Broth to cover
1 clove garlic, sliced
3 oz Cream Cheese
1 Tablespoon Butter
5 strips bacon, fried crisp
1/2 medium onion, chopped
dash hot sauce (optional)
2 ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Place the flowerets and sliced garlic in a medium saucepan - add chicken broth to cover. Boil until completely tender (15 minutes or so). While the cauliflower is cooking, fry the bacon crisp, and remove to a plate. In the bacon fat, saut� the onion until tender. Using a slotted spoon, put the cauliflower and garlic in the food processor, reserving the broth in the saucepan. Add the cream cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, and butter. Process until smooth. The mixture wlll be a light pumpkin color. Return this mixture to the saucepan with the cooking liquid. Add the onions (I capture some of the fat with the onions - that's just me) and stir over medium heat. You might need to add some more chicken stock to the pan, depending upon how much liquid cooked out during the cooking. I look for a
good soupy consistency but not thin. Crumble the bacon into the soup, and allow the soup to come to a simmer. Taste and add salt and pepper. I like a lot of fresh cracked pepper in this soup. The first time I tried this, I forgot I was eating Fauxtato Soup and it took me back to the days when I was eating comfort food that was killing me. Victor W. Lovejoy. alt.support.diet.low-carb newsgroup
Cream of Tomato Soup
3 cups fresh tomato juice (that means put a bunch of tomatoes in the blender and whirl them around. Pour through strainer if you want the seeds out)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cream
salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter in sauce pan. Add onions and saute for a few minutes. Add tomato juice. Bring to boil, then lower heat to simmer. Add the � teaspoon baking soda and stir until the soup stops foaming. (The soda acts as an agent to neutralize the acid in the tomato juice so the soup won't curdle when you add the cream.) Add the 1 cup cream and salt and pepper to taste.
Cabbage Soup
2 cups cabbage
1 whole radish, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 pound kabosa sausage
� cup onion, chopped
1 can green beans
3-1/2 cups water
1 can cream of celery soup
Put water and onions in pot and bring to a boil. Add cabbage and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the rest of the
ingredients except the soup. Cook for another 15 minutes until cabbage is the consistency you want. Add the soup and cook until you are ready to eat. I cooked it a while to get the flavor of the sausage. The portions are unimportant. I just put in what I wanted but if you do use A LOT of stuff, you might want to add more water and soup. It is up to you and your taste. Be sure to count the carbs in the soup, and anything else you add. Heidi Large.
Ham and Cabbage Soup
4 Smoked Pork Hocks
Water
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
Several dashes of Tobasco sauce
Salt to taste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1/2 to 1 cup of diced carrots
1/2 head of green cabbage, chopped into "spoon-sized" pieces.
Put all ingredients except cabbage into a 6 quart pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover, and then simmer for 2 hours. Remove pork hocks, let cool, retrieve the meat from them, and then put the meat back into the soup. Add the cabbage, bring back to a boil, cover, and simmer at least one more hour.
EASY BROCCOLI-CHEESE SOUP
3 c. chopped, cooked broccoli (frozen is fine)
4 oz. cream cheese
3/4 c. heavy (whipping) cream
3/4 c. water
2 packets instant chicken bouillon
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
4 oz. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
In a food processor, combine the broccoli, cream cheese, cream and 1/4 c. of the water. Process until smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Stir in the bouillon powder, pepper and the remaining 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the Cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Do not boil. Serves four at a little over 4 carbs/ serving. From NancyPete
Another variation on broccoli/cheese:
CREAM OF BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP
2 Cups (raw) Broccoli, cooked and chopped
2 T. Butter
1 Cup Mushrooms, chopped
3 T. green onion
1 T. soy flour
1 Cup Chicken Broth
4 T. Heavy Cream
2 oz. Cheese (Cheddar)
1/2 tsp. white pepper
salt to taste
Cook broccoli. Chop and set aside. Melt butter in a heavy pan, add mushrooms and onion. Saut� until tender. Add soy flour and stir. Gradually add the chicken broth and heavy cream stirring constantly. Add cheese and and stir until smooth. Add broccoli and heat thorough. From: "V. P. Smith"
Chicken Egg Drop Soup
1 can chicken broth
12 oz. fresh spinach
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp. garlic
1 oz. onion, chopped
2 eggs
Parmesan cheese
Fry spinach in olive oil with garlic and onion. Put into food processor til desired size. Beat two eggs. Add salt and pepper to taste, and graduay add parmesan cheese until very thick. Add as much as the eggs with absorb. Bring the broth to a boil. Add spinach mixture. Gradually add egg mixture. Stir all together and serve. Romano cheese may be substituted for parmesan. Add small meat balls if desired.
Cream of Chicken Soup
1 3/4 cup chicken broth (I used chicken breast and added just a little onion powder and garlic salt while cooking. I used the chicken breast for chicken salad)
2 egg yolks
1 1/4 cup of heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
dried parsley
In boiler mix egg yolks into broth. Cook over medium low heat (you don't want it too hot or your eggs will begin to "scramble") stirring often until mixture begins to thicken slightly and form a coating on a metal spoon. About 10 or 15 minutes.(would probably work better over a double boiler but my daughter has mine) Remove from heat and stir in cream, salt and pepper. Return back to stove and cook over low heat stirring occasionally until very hot (about 5 minutes) Pour into soup mugs and sprinkle with parsley. Makes 3 large servings or 4 small ones. A little over 2 carbs a mug
If you like chicken noodle soup, cook several pieces of chicken in your crockpot with your favorite seasonings. Skin and bone the chicken, and chop the meat into bite-sized pieces. Then add noodles, made from the following recipe:
Egg Noodles
2 eggs at room temp, separated
1/4 tsp Krazy Mixed Up Salt
3 Tablespoons butter
Melt butter in a cookie sheet that has sides. Beat whites with salt until very stiff. Beat yolks with a fork and fold into the whites. Spread egg mix on the cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10 minutes, or until slightly browned. When cool, slice in strips and use in soups. Total grams 1.2 Grams per serving .6. From the original Dr. Atkins book.
This next recipe is not exactly Texas chili, but many people like it.
HEALTHY CROCK POT CHILI
1 lb beef stew meat, trimmed
6 oz. tomato paste
1 cup chopped onions
2 medium bell peppers, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbl. chili powder
1 teasp. ground cumin
1/2 teasp. dried oregano, crushed
Trim the beef of all visible fat. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Place meat in crock pot and stir in tomato paste to completely coat meat. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to blend. DO NOT add any additional liquid. Cover and cook for 12 hours on LOW heat. When done, you can skim the fat from surface and discard. YIELD: 4 Servings. From Mmooky
Authentic Texas chili is more of a stew, with meat, onions, and chili peppers. Try venison, jack rabbit, or other wild game instead of the beef. Tomatoes, beans, oatmeal for thickening--these are all variations, mostly brought to us by emigrants from northern states, I suspect :)
BURPLESS CHILI
1 1/2 LB GROUND BEEF
1 1/2 LB GROUND PORK
2 tsp. GARLIC POWDER
3 tablespoon CHILI POWDER
1 tablespoon GROUND CUMIN
SALT TO TASTE
1/8 TSP CINNAMON
1/8 TSP NUTMEG
1/8 TSPCLOVES
Brown meat and onions. Add remaining ingredients.Simmer until thick. Optional: 1 large can tomatoes; or 8 oz. tomato sauce; or 1 cup tomato juice. Check the label. No sugar added. Remember, tomatoes have carbs, more than you think. Without the tomatoes, chili is a very low carb stew (the seasonings contain small amounts of carb). You may prefer to add some chopped jalapeno peppers, if you like a really hot chili. If you are cooking this in a crockpot, add a little extra water so it doesn't dry out and scorch. You want it to be thick, not soupy, when ready to serve, so don't add too much. If you are not from Texas, start with 1 tablespoon chili powder, and increase to your desired taste.
For Texas barbecue, you need a spicy, slightly sweet sauce.
Tangy BBQ Sauce
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup vinegar
1 cup tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire
1/2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. mustard
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. hickory liquid smoke
4 tsp. Sugar Twin or Splenda
Melt butter, add vinegar and then other ingredients. Stir until well blended. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and let simmer a few minutes. Brush meat with sauce during last fiften minutes of cooking. Adding it too soon may cause scorching. I like a spicier sauce, so I add a couple of tablespoons of Pace Thick 'N Chunky picante sauce (salsa). NOTE: This will increase the carb count.
You will discover that most commercial ketchups are far too high in sugar and carbs for our way of eating, so you will want to make your own, if you like ketchup. Here's an easy one to start with.
Ketchup--Low Carb
3 cups canned tomatoes (pureed in blender)
2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup white vinegar
Put everything in a sauce pan and simmer slowly 1 1/2 hours stirring often. Take off heat and stir in 2 pkg sweetener. Cool and pour in a jar. Keeps 4 months in the fridge. Makes 24 oz at 0.83 carbs per Tbsp. If you plan to cook with this, use Splenda or another heat-stable sweetener. Aspartame (Equal) is *not* heat stable.
Home-made Vinaigrette Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon of prepared mustard
1-2 tsp salt, sprinkle of black pepper
1 clove minced garlic (if I have time--if not, garlic powder, or use garlic vinegar)
1/4-1/2 tsp of dried tarragon (or other spice if you like)
Shake it vigorously in a small container and taste it--add anything you think it needs (you may want to experiment a little.) When you get it the way you like it, re-shake and pour it over your salad. Add bleu cheese crumbles if you really want decadence. You can also add feta cheese, bacon, olives, avocado, egg slices, chicken cubes, or all of the above. This dressing keeps in the fridge for a couple of weeks--and my husband and I now love it more than any kind from a bottle. The olive oil rises and solidifies in fridge, but is fine when it warms to room
temp or when I nuke it a few seconds. It takes 5 minutes to make, not counting the garlic mincing--though sometimes I cheat and use a garlic press. This also makes an excellent marinade for meats and portobello mushrooms. Patricia Yeargin
My great-grandmother loved wilted lettuce with hot bacon grease poured over it. She said it was so good, she "could eat it with both hands." I think of her when I think of this recipe:
Mixed Greens with Warm Bacon Dressing
1 1/2 ounce sliced slab bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 leek (white part only) halved lengthwise, washed will and thinly sliced crosswise
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
5 cups torn assorted lettuce leaves (such as Boston, romaine, and red leaf, washed and spun dry)
1 medium yellow pepper sliced
1 medium red pepper sliced
Saute the bacon in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring for about 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown. Add the leeks to the skillet and saute, stirring, for about 4 minutes. Turn the heat to medium low, add the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Place the lettuce in a large bowl with sliced pepper. Pour the bacon dressing over them and toss gently. Serve immediately. Serves 2 total carbs 12.2 grams. Carbs per serving 6.1 grams
Cucumber Sour Cream Salad
3 cucumbers, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 cup sour cream
9 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
pepper to taste
Place the cucumbers in a bowl. Mix chives, sour cream, and pepper together and pour over cucumber slices. DO NOT SALT! Refrigerate several hours. Just before serving, add salt to taste. Pile cucumber mixture on torn lettuce leaves and sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Serves 6 @ approximately 2.6 grams of carbohydrate per serving.
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