The New Atkins Made Easy (36 page)

1
¹
/
₂
pounds beef strips for stir-fry

2 teaspoons orange zest (or
¹
/
₄
teaspoon orange extract)

1 tablespoon coconut-flax flour blend

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil

4 cups broccoli florets

1 red bell pepper, seeded, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (optional)

1 cup beef broth

2 tablespoons tamari

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Place beef on a plate and sprinkle with orange zest and coconut-flax flour blend. Heat a large, deep skillet over high heat. Add the canola oil and beef. Cook 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until the beef starts to brown. Transfer to a plate.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add the sesame oil, broccoli, bell pepper, garlic, and ginger, if using. Cook 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until vegetables begin to soften. Return beef to the skillet along with broth and tamari. Cook 1 minute more, until the beef is cooked through. Season with black pepper and serve immediately.

PER SERVING: Net Carbs: 6 grams; Total Carbs: 10 grams; Fiber: 4 grams; Protein: 42 grams; Fat: 22 grams; Calories: 408; Foundation Vegetables Net Carbs: 5 grams

• Omit the coconut-flax flour blend, but do not use all flaxseed.

• Replace the broccoli with snow peas or sliced asparagus. Or add canned water chestnuts or hearts of palm.

• Phases 3–4: Serve over brown rice.

Crockpot Pork and Salsa Verde

With 6 servings, this recipe is ideal for planned leftovers. Instead of wrapping the pork and sauce in lettuce leaf “tacos,” you can also ladle it over the lettuce. Make up to 3 days ahead, cool completely, and refregerate in an airtight container.

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 pounds boneless pork loin end roast

¹
/
₂
teaspoon mild chili powder

1
¹
/
₂
cups jarred no-sugar-added salsa verde

1 lime, zested and juiced (or 2 tablespoons bottled lime juice)

18 butter or Bibb lettuce leaves

1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped

1 cup finely shredded red cabbage

18 cilantro sprigs (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat a large, deep skillet over high heat. Add oil and pork and sear for 3–4 minutes, without moving, until golden brown. Sprinkle with chili powder and turn over. Cook another 3–4 minutes, until the other side is golden brown.

2. Transfer to a crockpot and set to high. Add salsa verde and lime zest and juice. Cover and cook for 4 hours on high. Remove pork from crockpot and let it rest for about 5 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Shred with your fingers or two forks; return the meat to the crockpot.

3. Place about 2 tablespoons shredded meat and sauce into a lettuce leaf and top with 1 tablespoon tomatoes and 1 tablespoon cabbage. Roll up the package, top with a cilantro sprig, if using, and serve immediately.

PER SERVING: Net Carbs: 6 grams; Total Carbs: 8 grams; Fiber: 1 gram; Protein: 32 grams; Fat: 9 grams; Calories: 250; Foundation Vegetables Net Carbs: 6 grams

• Replace the pork with an equal amount of chicken breast on the bone; decrease cooking time by an hour. Remove the bones and shred.

• Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

• Phases 2–4: Roll in a small low-carb tortilla.

Tilapia Patties on Baby Spinach

Love crab cakes but not the cost? Here's an inexpensive alternative. Mild tilapia takes well to seasoning and is palatable to those who aren't big fish fans. These patties can be made up to 5 hours ahead. Just form and coat the patties, then refrigerate—you can do the actual cooking when family or guests arrive. If you use frozen tilapia; just defrost in the fridge overnight before cooking.

6 cups baby spinach

3 tablespoon virgin olive oil, divided

1
¹
/
₂
pounds fresh tilapia fillet

¹
/
₂
cup canola mayonnaise

2 tablespoons scallions, white and green tops, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

2 teaspoons prepared Dijon mustard

¹
/
₂
teaspoon salt

¹
/
₄
cup coconut-flax flour blend

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 lemon, quartered

1. Divide the spinach among four plates.

2. Heat a large, deep skillet over high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Reduce heat to medium and add the tilapia. Cover and cook
6–7 minutes, turning once or twice, until cooked through. Transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly.

3. Add the mayonnaise, scallions, parsley, mustard, and salt to the bowl. Fold all the ingredients together with a spatula until the mixture comes together in a sticky mass.

4. Shape the tilapia mixture into eight 4-inch-diameter patties. Place the coconut-flax flour blend and Parmesan on a plate or piece of wax paper. Mix with your fingertips. Coat the patties in the Parmesan–coconut-flax mixture and place on another piece of wax paper.

5. Wipe the skillet clean and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the patties and cook 3–4 minutes. Turn and cook an additional 4 minutes. Transfer 2 patties to each plate beside the spinach and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.

PER SERVING: Net Carbs: 4 grams; Total Carbs: 9 grams; Fiber: 5 grams; Protein: 37 grams; Fat: 38 grams; Calories: 517; Foundation Vegetables Net Carbs: 2 grams

• In place of the coconut-flax flour blend, use
¹
/
₄
cup finely ground flaxseed.

• Swap salmon (including canned salmon), Pacific cod, or Artic char for the tilapia.

• Omit the baby spinach and serve over creamed spinach (see
page 268
).

• Serve with Lemon Tartar Sauce (
page 265
) instead of lemon wedges.

I
.   To rice cauliflower, cut into florets and steam 5–6 minutes over boiling water until fork tender. You'll need 1
¹
/
₄
cups florets to make 1 cup of riced cauliflower. Mash with a potato ricer or fork, or transfer to a food processor in batches and pulse to roughly chop. Cool completely before using in recipes. Riced cauliflower stores in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 4 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.

Lemon Tartar Sauce

Use this versatile sauce with chicken, fish, or pork. It also makes a tangy dip for crudités. Try it as a dressing drizzled on cooked or raw leafy greens, as well as cooked broccoli, green beans, or asparagus. Or use it instead of mayo in tuna or salmon salad.

1 dill pickle spear, quartered

³
/
₄
cup canola mayonnaise

¹
/
₄
cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 lemon, zested and juiced (or 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice)

2 tablespoons heavy cream

¹
/
₂
teaspoon acceptable sweetener (optional)

1. Place the pickle in a food processor and pulse 10–15 times, until finely chopped. Add the mayonnaise, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, cream, and sweetener, if using; process until smooth.

2. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 1 week.

PER SERVING: Net Carbs: 1 gram; Total Carbs: 1 gram; Fiber: 0 grams; Protein: 1 gram; Fat: 19 grams; Calories: 175; Foundation Vegetables Net Carbs: 0 grams

• Kick it up with 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeño or 1 teaspoon hot sauce.

Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Store-bought versions of this American favorite are usually packed with sugar in one form or another. This tempting, easy-to-make version uses sassy chipotle chile to jazz up chicken, pork, or beef.

1 tablespoon butter

¹
/
₄
small red onion, chopped

¹
/
₄
teaspoon salt

1 cup diced canned tomatoes

1 tablespoon canned or jarred chipotle in adobo (see
page 270
), chopped

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon acceptable sweetener

1 teaspoon prepared Dijon mustard

1. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add the butter. Add the onion and salt and cook 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion has browned. Add the diced tomatoes, chipotle in adobo, vinegar, sweetener, and mustard. Cook 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens.

2. Transfer to a blender and process until smooth. Serve immediately. Or store in an airtight container for a week in the fridge or in the freezer for up to 3 months,

PER SERVING: Net Carbs: 3 grams; Total Carbs: 4 grams; Fiber: 1 gram; Protein: 1 gram; Fat: 3 grams; Calories: 46; Foundation Vegetables Net Carbs: 2 grams

• Use apple cider vinegar in place of red wine vinegar.

• Replace the red onion with 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced.

Creamy Sweet Soy Sauce