Part 22 (1/2)

Grilled Sesame Asparagus This is good with any of the Asian-influenced main courses in this book-or with anything else, for that matter.

1 pound (455 grams) asparagus 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce 2 tablespoons (30 ml) rice vinegar 1 tablespoon (15 ml) toasted sesame oil 1 jalapeno, finely minced 1 tablespoon sesame seeds Have your charcoal or gas grill ready; the prep on this recipe doesn't take much time.

Snap the bottom off of each stalk of asparagus where it breaks naturally. Mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and minced jalapeno in a bowl. (Now wash your hands! You must always wash your hands after handling hot peppers, or the next time you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, you'll be sorry.) Put the sesame seeds in a small, dry skillet, and shake them over medium-high heat until they start to make little popping sounds. Remove the pan from the heat.

Okay, throw your asparagus on the grill, over a medium fire-it's a good idea to have a small-holed grill for this. Baste the asparagus with the soy sauce mixture as it grills and turn the asparagus a few times. Grill until the asparagus has brown spots and then remove to serving plates. Drizzle with the remaining soy sauce mixture, garnish with the toasted sesame seeds, and serve.

Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each serving will have 4 grams of carbohydrate and 2 grams of fiber, for a usable carb count of 2 grams; 2 grams protein.

Asparagus with Sun-Dried Tomatoes 1 pound (455 g) asparagus 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil 2 tablespoons (28 g) b.u.t.ter 2 tablespoons (20 g) minced red onion clove garlic, crushed 2 tablespoons (10 g) sun-dried tomato halves, minced 2 teaspoons lemon juice Snap the ends off of the asparagus where they want to break naturally. Put them in a microwaveable ca.s.serole dish with a lid, add a couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of water, and cover-but don't cook it yet. Make your sauce first.

In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil and the b.u.t.ter, swirling them together as the b.u.t.ter melts. Add the onion, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes to the oil and b.u.t.ter and saute until the onion is soft, being careful not to brown the onions or garlic. Stir in the lemon juice. Turn off the heat.

Okay, back to your asparagus. Microwave it on high for just 5 minutes. Uncover it the second it's done! Divide it between 3 or 4 serving plates, spoon the sauce over it, and serve.

Yield: 3 to 4 servings 3 to 4 servings a.s.suming 3 servings, each will have 3 g protein; 10 g carbohydrate; 3 g dietary fiber; 7 g usable carbs.

Basic Artichokes 2 artichokes cup (60 ml) lemon juice Using kitchen shears, snip the pointy tips off the artichoke leaves. Split the artichokes down the middle, top to bottom, and sc.r.a.pe out the chokes.

Fill a slow cooker with water, add the lemon juice, and put in the artichokes. Cover the slow cooker, set it to high, and let it cook for 3 to 4 hours. Drain the artichokes.

Serve the artichokes with the dipping sauce of your choice, such as lemon b.u.t.ter, mayonnaise, aioli, chipotle mayonnaise, or whatever you've got. If you have a big slow cooker, feel free to cook more artichokes!

Yield: 2 servings 2 servings Each with 4 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 7 g dietary fiber, 9 g usable carbs. a.n.a.lysis does not include dipping sauces.

Fried Artichokes This is one of the fastest ways I know to cook artichokes.

1 large artichoke Olive oil Lemon wedges Salt Cut about 1 inch (2.5 cm) off the top of your artichoke, trim the stem, and pull off the bottom few rows of leaves. Now slice it vertically down the center. You'll see the ”choke”-the fuzzy, inedible part at the center. Using the tip of a spoon, sc.r.a.pe every last bit of this out (it pulls off of the yummy bottom part of the artichoke quite easily).

In a large, heavy skillet, heat 1 inch (2.5 cm) of olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add your cleaned artichoke, flat side down. Fry for about 10 minutes, turning over halfway through. It should be tender and just starting to brown a bit. Drain on paper towels or a brown paper bag.

Serve the artichoke halves with lemon wedges to squeeze over them and salt to sprinkle on them to taste.

Yield: 1 serving 1 serving 13 grams of carbohydrates and a whopping 7 grams f fiber, for a total of 6 grams of usable carbs (a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice add just 1 more gram) and 4 grams of protein.

If you've never encountered a fresh artichoke, you'll probably be surprised to find that they're sort of fun to eat: You peel off the leaves, one by one, and drag the base of each one between your teeth, sc.r.a.ping off the little bit of edible stuff and the bottom of each leaf. When you've finished doing that and you have a big pile of artichoke leaves on your plate, use a fork and knife to eat the delectable heart.

Stir-Fried Spinach Spinach originated in Asia, so stir-frying is a very traditional way of preparing it.

cup (60 ml) peanut oil 2 pounds (910 g) fresh spinach, washed and dried 2 cloves garlic, crushed Heat the oil in a heavy skillet or wok over high heat. Add the spinach and garlic, stir-fry for only a minute or two, and then serve.

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

Sicilian Spinach 3 tablespoons (42 g) b.u.t.ter 2 pounds (910 g) fresh spinach, washed and dried 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 or 2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped Heat the b.u.t.ter in a heavy skillet. Add the spinach and garlic and saute until the spinach is just limp. Stir in the anchovies and serve.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 5 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of fiber, for a total of just 1 gram of usable carbs and 5 grams of protein.

Not everyone likes anchovies, and if you're among those who don't, just leave them out.

Creamed Spinach 1 package (10 ounces, or 280 g) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed cup (60 ml) heavy cream cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese 1 clove garlic, crushed Put all the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes.

Yield: 3 servings 3 servings Each with 5 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 2 grams of usable carbs and 6 grams of protein.

Easy Garlic Creamed Spinach This is about the easiest creamed spinach ever, and it's quite good too.

Two 10-ounce (280 g) boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed, or two 10-ounce (280 g) bags triple-washed fresh spinach 1 tablespoon (14 g) b.u.t.ter 5.2-ounce (145 g) package creamy garlic-herb cheese (such as Boursin or Alouette) If you're using fresh spinach, you might coa.r.s.ely chop it. Melt the b.u.t.ter in a large, heavy skillet, and add the spinach. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes-you want fresh spinach just barely wilted and frozen spinach just well-heated through.

Cut the cheese into a few chunks and add it to the skillet. Stir until the cheese is completely melted and then serve.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 4 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 1 gram of usable carbs and 4 grams of protein.

Greek Spinach 1 tablespoon (14 g) b.u.t.ter small onion, minced 1 package (10 ounces, or 280 g) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed cup (40 g) crumbled feta cheese cup (55 g) cottage cheese Melt the b.u.t.ter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and let it sizzle for just a minute. Add the spinach and saute, stirring now and then, for 5 to 7 minutes.

Add in the cheeses and stir until they start to melt. Let the spinach cook for another minute or so and then serve.

Yield: 3 servings 3 servings Each with 6 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 3 grams of usable carbs and 7 grams of protein.

Sour Cream Spinach My husband liked this so much, he ate the whole batch.

10-ounce (280-g) package frozen chopped spinach medium onion 2 tablespoons (28 g) b.u.t.ter [image]cup (75 g) sour cream 1 teaspoon cider vinegar Unwrap the spinach and put it in a microwaveable ca.s.serole dish with a lid. Add a couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of water, cover, and cook it on high for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, start sauteing the onion in the b.u.t.ter over medium-high heat.

When the microwave goes ”ding,” check to see if the spinach is done-you want it good and hot all the way through but not cooked to death. If there's still a cold spot in the middle, stir it and put it back for another 2 minutes on high.

When the spinach is cooked and the onion is translucent, drain the spinach and stir it into the onion in the skillet, combining well. Stir in the sour cream and the vinegar, heat it through without letting it simmer, and then serve.

Yield: 3 servings 3 servings Each with 6 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 3 grams of usable carbs and 4 grams of protein.

Sag Paneer With the cottage cheese, this isn't totally authentic, but it's mighty tasty.

2 tablespoons (28 g) b.u.t.ter 1 teaspoon curry powder 1 package (10 ounces, 280 g) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed 1 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal [image]cup (75 g) small-curd cottage cheese 2 teaspoons sour cream Melt the b.u.t.ter in a heavy skillet over low heat and stir in the curry powder. Let the curry powder cook in the b.u.t.ter for 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in the spinach and the salt. Cover the skillet and let the spinach cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until heated through.

Stir in the cottage cheese and sour cream and cook, stirring, until the cheese has completely melted.

Yield: 3 servings 3 servings Each with 5 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 2 grams of usable carbs and 6 grams of protein.

Spinach Mushroom Kugel I came up with this for a Pa.s.sover column I wrote, but it's a great side dish for anyone, any time of year!

8 ounces (225 g) sliced mushrooms 1 medium onion, chopped 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil 3 10-ounce (280 g) boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained 2 eggs cup (180 g) mayonnaise 1 teaspoon beef bouillon concentrate 2 tablespoons (20 g) almond meal teaspoon guar or xanthan Preheat oven to 350F (180C, or gas mark 4).

Saute mushrooms and onion in the oil until the onion is translucent and the mushrooms soften. Transfer to a mixing bowl, reserving 9 mushroom slices for garnish, and add the spinach; mix well.

Stir together the eggs, mayonnaise, and bouillon concentrate until the concentrate dissolves. Stir into vegetables. Stir in the almond meal. Sprinkle half the guar or xanthan over the mixture and stir in well; repeat with the second half.

Spread evenly in a greased 8 8-inch (20 20-cm) baking dish. Decorate with reserved mushrooms. Bake for 1 hour. Cut in squares to serve.

Yield: 9 servings 9 servings Each with 6 g protein; 7 g carbohydrate; 3 g dietary fiber; 4 g usable carbs.