Low Carb Lunch: No Cooking!

I don't know about you, but the last thing I want to do in warm weather is slave over a hot stove.

So this lunch really hit the spot. No cooking and minimal clean up yet still full of yumminess.

What's in the picture?

Left over brat reheated in the microwave served with brie and sliced pickling cucumbers with a pinch of sea salt.

Took less than five minutes to pull together.

Remember, whenever you are cooking, especially in the summer months where there's a lot more fun stuff to do than cook, throw a few extra whatever on the grill for a quick no cook dinner/lunch later in the week.

Low Carb Meal Plan: 7 Days of Low Carb Grillin'

Here are seven simple ways to grill dinner. No muss, no fuss. One for every day of the week. All you need are some spices, meat and a grill.

Note: Chicken and brats are ideal for making extra to use for lunch the next day or for whipping up a super quick dinner later in the week.

Also, recipes below make four servings.


1.Italian marinated chicken. (Pictured above with green beans and a plate of crudites in the background.)

Recipe:
4 chicken breasts
1 bottle Italian salad dressing (cheap off brand is fine).

Instructions:The morning of, dump dressing in a bag, add chicken, seal and marinate.

2.Kielbasa or brats.

Instructions: Open package and grill. This is a great meal for the busiest day of your week as it couldn't be simpler. You can even grill these a day or two in advance so all that needs to be done is reheat and plate 'em up.


3.Bunless cheese burgers.

Instructions:Form patties and grill, topping with cheese in the last 30-45 seconds of cooking. ( Cajun burger alternative: use1 tbsp of cajun seasoning per burger along with 2 tbsps of bleu cheese--mix into meat and form patties.)


4. Cajun chicken.

Recipe:
4 chicken breasts
4 tbsps. cajun spice mix,
4 tbsps. Splenda brown sugar blend.

Instructions: Mix spices and Splenda, rub on chicken and grill.

5. Paprika pork chops.

Recipe:
4 pork chops
2 tbsps hot paprika
2tbsps sweet paprika
2 tbsps Splenda brown sugar blend
2 tbsps garlic powder,
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp caraway seed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
3-4 tbsps olive oil.

Instructions:Combine spices and olive oil, rub mix on meat and grill.

6. Tex-Mex flank steak.

Mustard is fantastic in a marinade and is what makes this grilling recipe smokin' awesome.

Recipe:
1 flank steak
1 cup mustard--you want Stadium or Dijon mustard.
1 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Instructions:

Mix mustard and spices, slather on meat and let marinate either overnight or for 6 to 8 hours.

7.Chicken marinated in garlic.

Don't let this simple recipe fool you, the marinade yields succulent, flavorful chicken.

Recipe:
4 chicken breasts
1 to 1 1/2 cup olive oil
10 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Instruction:
Combine olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, add chicken and marinate overnight. Grill on foil (to keep the oil from smoking).

And voila! There you have it, a week of low carb summer grilling. I hope this makes your summer meal planning a little less painful.

Not sure what to serve on the side? We do a lot of simple salads. Just buy a big tub of organic spinach from the local warehouse club (i.e. Costco) and it will last you about 4 days. To keep it interesting we vary the cheese we use, the veggies (carrots, cucumbers, peppers) and the salad dressing (ranch, ceasar, bleu cheese etc...).

Low Carb Appetizers: Brie and Fruit

Brie is usually served with grapes, which are sweet little sugar bombs. Not for the low carb set.

So I thought I would try brie with strawberries instead. It was good.

This would make a nice summer appetizer.