Low Carb Grilled Chicken Indian Style

This recipe takes the flavors of my Indian Butter Chicken and makes them into a grill rub.

I invited my toddler to make the marinade with me and she had a ton of fun smelling all the spices. It was nice to spend time making something healthy as opposed to the more traditional carb-laden baking our culture tends to do with kids.

This chicken is a nice change of pace from BBQ and all the usual summer grill flavors. This is deliciously different and low carb!


Ingredients:

• 4 Chicken breasts
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  
• 3 tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 jalapeno peppers, diced
• 1 tbsp. freshly grated ginger
• 2 tbsps. garam masala
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 2tsp. ground cardamom
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 2 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• ¼ cup oil

Instructions

1.Mix all the spices and herbs and oil in a dish.

2. Slice chicken breasts in half to reduce grilling time and add to the dish.

3.Stir and let marinate 6-8 hours (or overnight).

4.Grill until done.

5.Top with fresh cilantro.

Low Carb Asian Flank Steak

This is an unusual recipe because it uses no sugar. When was the last time you saw an Asian recipe that didn't list sugar??? I think this was the first time for me.

I had flank steak. I needed a recipe and ended up using this one as inspiration. I made some changes.

I always make changes. That's the Joy of Cooking. The ultimate in personalization.

Anyway, this Asian flank steak is succulent and would be delish in an Asian lettuce 'taco' or in a salad. Or, you could just eat it plain, like I did. Because it was too good to stop eating and make anything else.

I had it for lunch the next day as well. Yum!


Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 of a fresh lemon, juiced
• 4 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 flank steak, fat trimmed

Instructions

1.Combine the marinade ingredients. This is not the wettest marinade, there's not a lot of liquid, don't panic.

2.With your hands, slather the marinade on the steak and place in Tupperware (or other dish with lid). Seal container and marinate overnight.

3.Grill until done.

4.Slice very thinly across the grain to serve. Use the sharpest knife you have.

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.

Becoming a Slave

So basically, I've not been feeling so hot and, thus, haven't been cooking as much. Which, in turn, means not as many recipes here.

When I do cook?

I'm making those low carb cookies I posted a few weeks ago.

When I'm not making the cookies I'm taking pictures of them, trying to get used to my new camera. (As you can tell, this is going to take a while.)

And when I'm done taking pictures, I eat the cookies.

Because they are deeeelicious!

Rinse and repeat.

These cookies should come with a warning.

Low Carb Salads: Goat Cheese, Blueberries and Spinach

Here's a salad that will get your goat.

Okay, bad pun, but I couldn't resist.

This is an easy-peasy salad. It looks gourmet. It tastes gourmet.

But all you have to do to make this fabulous healthy salad?

Assemble it.

Yep, that's it. Just put Tab A into Slot B.

Nothing fancy about it other than its looks and taste. I swear.

The goat cheese melds well with the mild sweetness of the blueberries, and the salad gets a zing of contrast from Balsamic dressing. Top with grilled chicken to make a complete low carb meal.

This is a great salad to take to work for lunch. Or to pack on a picnic.

The next time you're grilling dinner? Throw on a couple extra chicken breasts, put this salad on the meal plan and get a head start on the next night's dinner.

Oh! And I know goat cheese is expensive. The best price is often at warehouse stores like Costco. You can also opt for other cheeses, such as gouda, or bleu cheese or even a nice parmesan. Don't let mere cheese hold you back, pick something on sale or that otherwise fits your budget (or, you know, join Costco).

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 plastic tub of organic spinach (gotta get organic, spinach is a heavy pesticide crop)
• 4 oz. goat cheese
• 12 Thinly sliced red onion rings (about 3 per person)
• 1/2 cup roasted nuts: walnuts, pecans or almonds, your choice
  
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• Balsamic dressing (store bought, look for the lowest carb count)

Instructions:

1.Put spinach in a bowl. (Or, to make individual servings, just divide all the ingredients in fourths on plates.)

2.Top with onion.

3.Sprinkle with nuts and berries.

4.Scatter goat cheese on top.

5.Add sliced grilled chicken.

6.Serve with balsamic vinaigrette.