Part 26 (1/2)

Yield: 3 servings 3 servings Each with 29 g protein; 12 g carbohydrate; 4 g dietary fiber; 8 g usable carbs.

Shrimp Alfredo I invented this for my Alfredo-obsessed husband, and he loves it.

2 cups (260 g) thawed small, frozen shrimp, cooked, sh.e.l.led, and deveined 2 cups (500 g) frozen broccoli ”cuts”

3 tablespoons (42 g) b.u.t.ter 3 cloves garlic, crushed cup (180 ml) heavy cream teaspoon guar or xanthan 1 cup (100 g) grated Parmesan cheese Steam or microwave the broccoli until tender-crisp.

Melt the b.u.t.ter in a heavy skillet over medium heat and stir in the garlic. Drain the broccoli and add it to the skillet with the shrimp; stir to coat with garlic b.u.t.ter.

While the shrimp is heating through, put the cream in the blender, turn it to a low speed, and add the guar. Turn the blender off quickly so you don't make b.u.t.ter.

Pour the cream into the skillet and stir in the Parmesan. Heat to a simmer and serve.

Yield: 3 servings 3 servings Each with 11 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of fiber, for a total of 7 grams of usable carbs and 30 grams of protein.

Easy Shrimp in Garlic Herb Cream Sauce This seems too easy! You may use full-fat garlic and herb cheese-such as Boursin or Alouette-if you prefer. Your calorie count will go up but not your carb count.

1 pound (455 g) large shrimp, sh.e.l.led (31/35 count) 2 tablespoons (28 g) b.u.t.ter cup (115 g) light garlic and herb spreadable cheese cup (60 ml) heavy cream 4 tablespoons (15.2 g) chopped fresh parsley Make sure your shrimp are sh.e.l.led and ready to go. Melt the b.u.t.ter in a big skillet over medium heat and throw in the shrimp. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until pink. Add the cheese and stir until it melts. Your sauce will look like a gloppy mess. Do not panic. Stir in the cream, and the whole thing will smooth out beautifully as you stir. Transfer to serving plates, top with parsley, and serve.

Yield: 3 servings 3 servings Each with 29 g protein; 3 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber; 2 g usable carbs.

Brined Lemon Pepper Shrimp Brining shrimp makes them plumper and firmer- some say the texture resembles lobster. It adds flavor, too! I mean, what is sea water but a kind of brine? If you want to be terribly authentic, use sea salt!

FOR THE BRINE:.

2 tablespoons (40 g) kosher salt or large-crystal sea salt 1 quart (960 ml) cold water 2 tablespoons (3 g) Splenda teaspoon blackstrap mola.s.ses 1 pound (455 g) shrimp in the sh.e.l.l-whatever size you like FOR THE SEASONING:.

2 cloves garlic cup (60 ml) olive oil 2 tablespoons (12 g) lemon pepper To brine the shrimp: Dissolve the salt in the water. Stir in the Splenda and mola.s.ses. Now pour this mixture over the shrimp you've placed in a bowl or in a large resealable plastic bag. If you're using a bag, press out the air and seal it. Either way, make sure the shrimp are submerged. Let them sit in the brine for 30 to 45 minutes for medium-size shrimp or as much as an hour for really huge ones.

To cook: While your shrimp are brining, crush the garlic and pour the olive oil over it. That way, you'll have garlic-flavored olive oil by the time the shrimp are ready to cook.

Drain the brine off of the shrimp and pat them dry with a paper towel. Put the shrimp in a bowl, pour the garlic olive oil over them, and toss. Now sprinkle the lemon pepper over them and toss again.

You'll need a small-holed grill rack or a grill wok-I like to use a grill wok for this. Lift the shrimp out of the olive oil with a fork to let the excess oil drip off and put over a medium-hot fire. Grill quickly, turning two or three times, until pink all the way through-the timing will depend on the size of your shrimp, but it shouldn't take more than 6 or 7 minutes. If the olive oil causes flare-ups, keep them down with a squirt bottle.

Yield: 3 to 4 servings 3 to 4 servings a.s.suming 3, each serving would have 6 grams of carb-if you drank the brine (but you won't, of course). So figure no more than 4 grams per serving, a trace of fiber, and 31 grams of protein. (You'll actually get a little more protein if you cook big shrimp than if you cook little ones, because of the better shrimp-to-sh.e.l.l ratio.).

Variation: Brined Old Bay Shrimp. For the seasoning, use cup (60 ml) olive oil and 2 tablespoons (13 g) Old Bay Seasoning (look for this in the spice aisle). Drain the brined shrimp and pat them dry. Put them in a bowl, pour the olive oil over them, and toss. Sprinkle the Old Bay Seasoning over the shrimp and toss again. Finish as directed above.

Yield: 3 to 4 servings. 3 to 4 servings.

a.s.suming 3, figure about 2 grams carbohydrate per serving, with no fiber, and 31 grams of protein.

Obscenely Rich Shrimp This is a bit of trouble, and it's not cheap, so you'll probably only want to make it for company-but wow.

1 bag (14 ounces, or 400 g) frozen, cooked, sh.e.l.led shrimp (small shrimp-51/60 count) 2 packages (10 ounces, or 280 g each) frozen chopped spinach 3 tablespoons (42 g) b.u.t.ter 1 pound (455 g) mushrooms, sliced 1 small onion, diced 2 teaspoons liquid beef bouillon concentrate 1 cups (360 ml) heavy cream 1 cup (230 g) sour cream 1 cup (100 g) grated Parmesan cheese 1 cup (70 g) unsweetened flaked coconut Preheat the oven to 350F (180C, or gas mark 4).

Cook the spinach; I put mine in a gla.s.s ca.s.serole dish, cover it, and microwave it on high for 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the b.u.t.ter in a heavy skillet over medium heat and start sauteing the mushrooms and onions. When they're starting to get limp, break up the frozen shrimp a bit and add them to the skillet.

When the shrimp are thawed and the onions are quite limp and translucent, scoop out the vegetables and shrimp with a slotted spoon and put them aside in a bowl. Turn up the heat to medium-high. A fair amount of liquid will have acc.u.mulated in the bottom of the skillet; add the beef bouillon concentrate to it and boil the liquid until it's reduced to about one-third of its original volume.

Turn the heat back down to low, stir in the heavy cream, sour cream, and Parmesan and just heat it through (don't let it boil). Stir the shrimp and vegetables back into this sauce.

Rescue your spinach from the microwave and drain it well by putting it in a strainer and pressing it with the back of a spoon to make sure all the liquid is removed.

Spray a 10-cup (2.4-L) ca.s.serole dish with nonstick cooking spray and spread half of the spinach in the bottom of it. Put half of the shrimp mixture over that. Repeat the layers with the rest of the spinach and the rest of the sauce.

Top with the coconut and bake for 1 hours.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 15 grams of carbohydrates and 5 grams of fiber, for a total of 10 grams of usable carbs and 26 grams of protein. (Not to mention outrageous amounts of fat, but that doesn't bother us!) Hot Paprika Shrimp 1 pound (455 g) large shrimp, sh.e.l.led cup (60 ml) oil 4 teaspoons paprika 4 teaspoons chili garlic paste 4 cloves garlic, crushed Just saute the shrimp in the oil for about 5 minutes until it's pink. Sprinkle the paprika over it and stir in the chili garlic paste and garlic. Cook for another minute or so and serve.

Yield: 2 to 3 servings 2 to 3 servings a.s.suming 3, each will have 26 g protein; 4 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber; 3 g usable carbs.

Saigon Shrimp This dish is vietnamese style-hot and a little sweet.

1 pound (455 g) large shrimp, sh.e.l.led and deveined (31/35 count) Scant teaspoon salt Scant teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoons Splenda 3 scallions cup (60 ml) peanut or canola oil 1 teaspoons chili garlic paste 2 teaspoons minced garlic Mix together the salt, pepper, and Splenda in a small dish or cup. Slice the scallions thinly and set them aside. Gather all the ingredients except the scallions together-the actual cooking of this dish is lightning-fast!

In a wok or heavy skillet over highest heat, heat the oil. Add the shrimp and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until they're about two-thirds pink. Add the chili garlic paste and garlic and keep stir-frying. When the shrimp are pink all over and all the way through, sprinkle the salt, pepper, and Splenda mixture over them and stir for just another 10 seconds or so. Turn off the heat and divide the shrimp between 3 serving plates. Top each serving with a scattering of sliced scallion and serve.

Yield: 3 servings 3 servings Each with 2 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 1 gram of usable carbs and 25 grams of protein.

This dish comes in at a low 288 calories a serving.

Shrimp and Artichoke ”Risotto”

Not only is it lower carb and lower calorie to use cauli-rice to make ”risotto,” but it's tremendously quicker and easier, too. I adapted this recipe from one of Emeril's, and it's fabulous. You can use precooked or raw shrimp in this-since you're using the tiniest shrimp you can find, the cooking time is next to nothing anyway. Just make sure your shrimp are pink before you serve this-which should take approximately a minute and a half.

pound (225 g) extra small shrimp (61/70 count) head cauliflower, shredded cup (80 g) chopped onion 4 cloves garlic 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil 1 tablespoon (4.5 g) dried basil, or cup (10.6 g) chopped fresh basil 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal teaspoon pepper 1 can (14 ounces, or 400 g) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 1 teaspoon Creole Seasoning (page 485 or purchased) cup (120 ml) heavy cream cup (75 g) grated Parmesan cheese 4 scallions, sliced, including the crisp part of the green shoot Guar or xanthan Put the cauliflower in a microwaveable ca.s.serole dish with a lid. Add a couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of water, cover, and microwave on high for 6 minutes.

While that's happening, throw the onion and garlic in a big, heavy skillet along with the olive oil. Saute over medium-low heat until the microwave beeps-you want the onion to be turning translucent.

Okay, cauliflower's done. Pull it out, drain it, and add it to the onions and garlic. Stir in the basil, lemon juice, salt or Vege-Sal, pepper, chopped artichoke hearts, Creole Seasoning, shrimp, and cream. Let the whole thing simmer for a minute or two to blend the flavors. Stir in the Parmesan and scallions, thicken just until good and creamy with guar or xanthan, and serve.

Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 22 g protein; 14 g carbohydrate; 2 g dietary fiber; 12 g usable carbs.

Noodleless Shrimp Pad Thai This isn't terribly low in carbs-it's a maintenance dish, really-but I know that there are a lot of Thai food fans out there. So this is a lot lower-carb than Pad Thai with noodles, plus it's fast and incredibly tasty.

12 cooked, peeled shrimp 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Thai fish sauce 1 tablespoon (1.5 g) Splenda 2 tablespoons (30 ml) peanut oil or other bland oil 2 cloves garlic, smashed 2 eggs, beaten slightly 3 cups (675 g) cooked spaghetti squash, shredded 1 cups (75 g) bean sprouts 2 tablespoons (16 g) dry-roasted peanuts, chopped 4 scallions, sliced 2 tablespoons (8 g) cilantro, chopped 1 lime, cut into wedges Mix the fish sauce and Splenda and set the mixture aside.

Put the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and saute the garlic for a minute. Add the shrimp and saute for another minute. Add the fish sauce mixture.

Pour the beaten eggs into the skillet, let them set for 15 to 30 seconds, and then scramble. Stir in the spaghetti squash and bean sprouts, mixing with the shrimp and egg mixture. Cook until just heated through.

Place on serving plates. Top each serving with chopped peanuts, scallions, and cilantro and serve with a wedge of lime on the side.

Yield: 3 servings 3 servings Each with 19 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 17 grams of usable carbs and 13 grams of protein.

If this carb count sounds way too high to you, keep in mind that regular Pad Thai usually has over 60 grams of carbohydrates per serving.