Part 13 (1/2)

2 cups (150 g) snow peas 4 slices bacon [image]cup (50 g) roasted, salted cashews 1 cup (160 g) diced celery 1 cup (150 g) diced cauliflower (about -inch [1.3-cm] chunks) cup (120 ml) ranch salad dressing cup (120 g) plain yogurt 1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard You'll want to pinch off the ends of your snow peas first and pull off any tough strings. Cut them into -inch (1.3-cm) pieces. Put your bits of snow peas in a microwavable bowl, add a tablespoon (15 ml) or so of water, and cover with a saucer or with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for just 1 to 2 minutes and then remove from the microwave and uncover to stop the cooking.

Put the bacon on a microwave bacon rack or in a gla.s.s pie plate, microwave 4 minutes on high or until crisp, and then drain.

While the bacon's cooking, coa.r.s.ely chop your cashews. Combine all the vegetables, including the snow peas, in a mixing bowl. Combine the ranch dressing, yogurt, and mustard; pour over the vegetables and toss. Crumble in the bacon, add the cashews, and toss again. Chill before serving.

Yield: 4 to 5 servings 4 to 5 servings a.s.suming 4, each will have 8 grams of carbohydrate and 2 grams of fiber, for a usable carb count of 6 grams; 5 grams of protein.

Parmesan Bean Salad This salad is filling enough to make a nice light lunch.

1 pound (455 g) bag frozen, crosscut green beans cup (80 g) minced red onion cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil 5 tablespoons (75 ml) cider vinegar teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal teaspoon paprika teaspoon dried ginger cup (75 g) grated Parmesan cheese Steam or microwave the green beans until they're tender-crisp.

Let the beans cool a bit and then stir in the onion, oil, vinegar, salt, paprika, ginger, and Parmesan cheese. Chill well and serve.

Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 12 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of fiber, for a total of 8 grams of usable carbs and 9 grams of protein.

Sauerkraut Salad This salad has the advantage of using mostly stuff that keeps well-so you just might have the ingredients hanging around the house when you discover that the head of lettuce you bought last week has gone south.

2 cups (280 g) sauerkraut, rinsed green bell pepper 1 large rib celery medium red onion cup (6 g) Splenda 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cider vinegar 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil Rinse your sauerkraut and put it in a bowl. Slice your pepper into matchstick strips and thinly slice your celery and onion; add all the vegetables to the sauerkraut. Now, add the Splenda, cider vinegar, and oil, toss, and stick the bowl in the fridge. Let the whole thing marinate for a few hours before serving.

Yield: 4 to 5 servings 4 to 5 servings a.s.suming 5, each will have 7 grams of carbohydrate and 3 grams of fiber, for a usable carb count of 4 grams; 1 gram protein.

Low-Carb Rosy Radish Salad This looks very pretty and tastes surprisingly mild.

1 pound (455 g) bag frozen crosscut green beans 4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, and crumbled 1 small onion, chopped 1 cup (100 g) sliced radishes 3 tablespoons (45 ml) cider vinegar 1 tablespoons (2.3 g) Splenda teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal teaspoon pepper Steam or microwave the beans until they're tender-crisp.

Combine the beans, bacon, onion, and radishes in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the vinegar, Splenda, salt, and pepper.

Pour the mixture over the salad, toss, and serve.

Yield: 5 servings 5 servings Each with 10 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 7 grams of usable carbs and 4 grams of protein.

Nicer Nicoise Salad nicoise is traditionally made with green beans and cold, boiled potatoes, but of course, we're not going to be eating those potatoes. I thought I'd try it with cauliflower, and sure enough, it worked great!

[image]head cauliflower 1 pound (455 g) bag frozen, crosscut green beans, thawed but not cooked 1 clove garlic, crushed to cup (15 to 30 g) fresh parsley, minced medium, red onion, diced 8 to 10 olives, sliced (I used stuffed olives, but use whatever you like best.) to cup (120 to 180 ml) vinaigrette dressing (homemade or bottled) Lettuce (to line plate) 3 cans (6 ounces, or 170 g each) tuna, drained 6 hard-boiled eggs, sliced 3 tomatoes, sliced Slice your cauliflower quite thin. Put it in a microwave-safe bowl with about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water, cover, and cook it for 4 to 5 minutes (we're looking for it to be just tender).

Combine the green beans, garlic, parsley, onion, and olives in a good-size bowl. When the cauliflower is done, add that as well, and pour cup (120 ml) of dressing over the whole thing. Stir well and stick it in the fridge. Let it marinate for several hours to a day, stirring now and then when you think of it.

When you're ready to eat the salad, put a few nice lettuce leaves on each plate and spoon a mound of the marinated mixture on top. Put the tuna on top and in the middle-use as much as you like-and surround it with slices of hardboiled egg and tomato. Garnish it with more olives, drizzle more dressing on top, if you like, and serve.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 12 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 9 grams of usable carbs and 30 grams of protein.

UnPotato Salad You are going to be so surprised; this is amazingly like potato salad.

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into small chunks 2 cups (240 g) diced celery 1 cup (160 g) diced red onion 2 cups (450 g) mayonnaise cup (60 ml) cider vinegar 2 teaspoons salt or Vege-Sal 2 teaspoons Splenda teaspoon pepper 4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped Put the cauliflower in a microwave-safe ca.s.serole dish, add just a tablespoon (15 ml) or so of water, and cover. Cook it on high for 7 minutes and let it sit, covered, for another 3 to 5 minutes. You want your cauliflower tender, but not mushy. (And you may steam it, if you prefer.) Drain the cooked cauliflower and combine it with the celery and onions. (You'll need a big bowl.) In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, Splenda, and pepper. Pour the mixture over the vegetables and mix well. Mix in the chopped eggs last and stir lightly to preserve some small hunks of yolk. Chill and serve.

Yield: 12 servings 12 servings Each with 3 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 2 grams of usable carbs and 3 grams of protein.

Use the time while the cauliflower cooks to dice your celery and onions.

Southwestern UnPotato Salad Of all the unpotato salads I've come up with, this one is my favorite!

head cauliflower cup (120 g) mayonnaise 2 tablespoons (30 ml) spicy mustard 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lime juice 1 small jalapeno cup (30 g) chopped cilantro 1 clove garlic, crushed cup (40 g) diced red onion 1 small tomato First, cut your cauliflower into -inch (1.3-cm) chunks-don't bother coring it first, just trim the bottom of the stem and cut up the core with the rest of it. Put your cauliflower chunks in a microwavable ca.s.serole dish with a lid, add a few tablespoons of water, and cook it on high for 7 minutes.

When your cauliflower is done, drain it and put it in a large mixing bowl. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the mayo, mustard, and lime juice; then pour it over the cauliflower and mix well.

Cut the jalapeno in half, remove the seeds, and mince it fine. Add it to the salad along with the cilantro, garlic, and diced red onion (don't forget to wash your hands!); mix again.

Finally, cut the stem out of the tomato and cut the tomato into smallish dice. Then carefully stir it in. Chill the salad for a few hours before serving.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each serving will have 3 grams of carbohydrate and 1 gram of fiber, for a usable carb count of 2 grams; 1 gram protein.

Curried Cauliflower Salad I think this would be great with grilled or barbecued lamb, myself.

head cauliflower 5 scallions 4 hard-boiled eggs cup (120 g) mayonnaise 1 tablespoon (15 ml) spicy brown mustard 1 teaspoon curry powder 1 dash salt 1 dash pepper Chop your cauliflower, including the trimmed stem, into -inch (1.3-cm) bits. Put it in a microwavable ca.s.serole dish with a lid, add a couple of tablespoons of water, cover, and cook it on high for 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice your scallions, including the crisp part of the green, and chop up your hardboiled eggs. Next, measure the mayonnaise, mustard, curry powder, salt, and pepper into a bowl and whisk them together.

Okay, the cauliflower is done now! Drain it, put it in a mixing bowl, and pour the dressing over it. Stir it up well so the cauliflower is coated with the dressing. When it's had a chance to cool a little, add the scallions and eggs and stir it up again. Refrigerate until a half hour before dinner. Remove from the fridge and let it warm up a little before serving-this is good at room temperature.

Yield: 4 to 5 servings 4 to 5 servings a.s.suming 4, each will have 3 grams of carbohydrate, with 1 gram of fiber, for a usable carb count of 2 grams; 8 grams protein.

Bacon, Tomato, and Cauliflower Salad This recipe originally called for cooked rice, so I thought I'd try it with cauliflower ”rice.” I liked it so much, I made it again the very next day.

head cauliflower pound (225 g) bacon, cooked until crisp, and crumbled 2 medium tomatoes, chopped 10 to 12 scallions, sliced, including all the crisp part of the green cup (115 g) mayonnaise Salt and pepper Lettuce (optional) Put the cauliflower through a food processor with the shredding disk. Steam or microwave it until it's tender-crisp (about 5 minutes on high in a microwave).

Combine the cooked cauliflower with the bacon, tomatoes, onions, and mayonnaise in a big bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix.

This salad holds a molded shape really well, so pack it into a custard cup and unmold it on a plate lined with lettuce; it looks quite pretty served this way.

Yield: 5 servings 5 servings Each with 6 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 4 grams of usable carbs and 15 grams of protein.

Cauliflower-Mozzarella Salad Basilico Just like the Bacon, Tomato, and Cauliflower Salad, this originally called for rice, but it works great with cauliflower. Make your own pesto or use store-bought, whichever you prefer.

head cauliflower, run through the shredding blade of a food processor 15 cherry tomatoes, halved 15 strong black olives, pitted and coa.r.s.ely chopped [image]pound (150 g) mozzarella, cut in -inch (1.3-cm) cubes 1 tablespoon (10 g) finely minced sweet red onion 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil cup homemade or purchased pesto 1 tablespoon (15 ml) wine vinegar teaspoon salt teaspoon pepper Cook the cauliflower ”rice” until tender-crisp (about 5 minutes on high in a microwave). Let it cool.

When the ”rice” is cool, add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, and onion and toss well.

Whisk together the olive oil, pesto, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture over the salad and toss.

Let the salad sit for at least a half an hour for the flavors to blend; overnight wouldn't hurt.

Yield: 5 servings 5 servings Each with 6 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 5 grams of usable carbs and 9 grams of protein.

Mozzarella Salad This is rich and filling. The texture is quite different depending on whether you use shredded or cubed cheese, but they're both good.

1 cups (175 g) shredded or diced mozzarella cup (25 g) sliced scallions cup (60 g) diced celery cup (60 g) mayonnaise 2 tablespoons (30 ml) wine vinegar teaspoon oregano teaspoon basil Combine the mozzarella, scallions, and celery in a mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, oregano, and basil. Pour the mixture over the salad, stir to combine, and serve.

Yield: 2 servings 2 servings Each with 6 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 4 grams of usable carbs and 20 grams of protein.