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Hey, Gang -
So, what did you do this weekend? :-D
My heartfelt thanks to all who wrote to congratulate me on my appearance on The Today Show! I had a wonderful time. I'm happy to report that everyone at NBC was just as nice and friendly and warm as they could possibly be; they made me feel very comfortable. Their food stylist, Maria, made my dishes (not to mention a couple that were donated by readers for 500 Low-Carb Recipes -- Vicki Cash's Pumpkin Cheesecake and Ellen Radke's Noodleless Lasagne made the cut! Hey, guys, your food was on TV!) look far spiffier than they ever do in my kitchen, and the crew was gratifyingly enthusiastic about inhaling the "props"; as soon as the cameras stopped rolling.
Incidentally, after my rehearsal Saturday, I walked back to my hotel (the fabulous, elegant Essex House, on Central Park South -- and I'm usually a Super 8 kind of girl!) along 7th Avenue, which was closed for a street fair. Instead of eating dinner at the hotel, I bought food from the vendors at the fair -- a couple of kabobs and a chicken satay, giving me a wildly delicious dinner with no more than 2 or 3 grams of carb for a grand total of $7. What a bargain!
(I'll add here that it's always a joy to visit New York City. I grew up in New Jersey, just across the river, and New York will always have a very special place in my heart. And don't believe the nonsense you've heard about New Yorkers being hostile and unfriendly; I always meet lovely people when I go to New York. Love you, Big Apple!)
Nearly as exciting as my network television debut is the fact that for roughly 24 hours I was #1 at Amazon.com -- I was beating Harry Potter! And I'm still in the top 10.
All told, it's been an exciting week. But as always, it's good to be home, writing and cooking up a storm. So here's your ezine -- hope you enjoy it!
Read on!
Dana
All contents © Copyright 2002 Hold the Toast Press. All commercial reproduction is expressly prohibited. If you think your friends will enjoy Lowcarbezine!, please forward them the WHOLE ISSUE. Please, do not post articles or recipes elsewhere on the internet without permission. My attorney tells me that I'll have to come scold you and tell you to cut it out if you do.
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Ethnic Restaurants 101 Continued!
Okay, we've done Italian and Mexican; today we're going to look at one of my favorite kinds of food -- Middle Eastern! Here's our menu, from Byblos restaurant in Tempe, Arizona: http://www.amdest.com/az/tempe/br/dinner.html Call it up in a window so you can go back and forth between this article and the menu, and we'll get going.
As always, remember: Ask questions! A well-informed waiter is your best ally; if you're not sure from reading the menu what goes into a particular dish, ask. And don't be afraid to request things the way you want them, within reason. Remember, you're paying them; any good restaurant should be happy to accommodate your dietary restrictions.
To the menu!
First the appetizers. Homos, sometimes spelled hummus, is out for Atkins types and other strict low carbers; it's made from chick peas (garbanzo beans) and is quite carby. However, it is a low impact carb, so if you're simply trying to stick to the lower glycemic index stuff, this may be for you. Moutabal (Babaghannouji) is made from eggplant, a very low carb vegetable, so the dip itself should be fine. If you can get them to serve it with celery sticks or the like, instead of pita bread, this could be a good choice.
Falafel is again made from chickpeas, and it's stuffed into a pita -- it's sort of the Middle East's vegetarian answer to the taco. Carby; pass it up. The vegetarian Dolmas are bound to have rice in the filling, so skip them, too.
Next we have Labneh -- a seasoned yogurt -- and Tzatziki, a wonderful sour cream-garlic-cucumber dip. Since the folks who wrote the GO-Diet turned up the fact that plain yogurt is much lower carb than we thought -- just 4 grams per cup -- I'd consider both of these good choices, except for the pita they're likely to be served with. Again, I'd ask for some vegetables for dipping, instead. (And for those of you just watching glycemic index, even white flour pita has a relatively low impact. I'd go easy, but a little shouldn't hurt. This does not apply to true low carbers, like Atkins dieters, however!! A low glycemic index carb is still a carb.)
After this comes Foul Moudamas, which says it's made from "lava beans."; I suspect this is a misprint, and they mean "fava beans,"; but either way, just about all legumes are high carb.
Byblos Marinated Chicken Wings is next in line, and I just love chicken wings! I'd ask what they're marinated with -- assuming it's not something sugary, these are among your best choices of appetizers.
Homos with Meat and & Pine (nuts) is out, because Homos is high carb. Kebbe has cracked wheat, so we'll pass that by as well. Next we have Arayess. Everything about this ground beef dish sounds fine except for the pita it's stuffed into. You could ask for it without the pita and eat it with a fork, or you could ask for some lettuce leaves to wrap it in instead.
Loubieh Bil Zeit is simply described as "A green bean delicacy, cooked vegetarian style."; Green beans are low carb, so this may be okay, but you'd want to inquire as to just exactly what cooking the beans vegetarian style entails.
I'm afraid the Spinach Pie is out, and too bad, too; this is one of the most popular Middle Eastern dishes. The lamb version of kibbe, like the beef version above, has cracked wheat, so we're not getting this either. But look what's next! Shrimp cocktail. This is another perfect low carb choice.
Finally we have pita cheese crisps -- do I have to tell you these are high carb?
Okay, moving along to the salads, one of our favorite sections of the menu! Tabboule is out, since the main ingredient is wheat. But look what comes next -- Fattouch, a salad of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, radishes, onions, and parsley, marred only by some toasted bits of pita, which surely we can have them leave off. This would be a fabulous salad for us -- and would also make a great base for a meat dish that would otherwise be served in a pita, or over rice. The Yogurt Cucumber Salad would be fine, too; unusual and cooling with an order of shish kabab. And of course Greek Salad is a low carb classic -- and again, a wonderful base for a meat dish that would otherwise go in a pita or on a bed of rice.
Coming up: Seafood! There are some great selections here, though of course you'll ask for an extra salad instead of the potato or rice pilaf. My only complaint is that these fish selections are not notably Middle Eastern -- if you're looking for true ethnic flavor, I'd move on. Filet of Fish Meuniere is a classic, and wonderfully low carb, but it's actually French in origin. The Grilled Fish Fillet might have a more Middle Eastern flavor, depending on what the "special seasonings"; are. The Shrimp Provencal-Scampi would be lovely, but again is not notably Middle Eastern, and I'm pretty sure that the lemon-pepper on the Grilled Jumbo Shrimp is not authentically Middle Eastern, either. Still, all of these fish and seafood dishes will be fine for the diet.
The Vegetarian dishes are up next, and for the most part they're not for us. The only possible exception is the Vegetarian Moussaka. Look at the description: "Eggplant layered with a mixture of vegetables topped with a creamy cheese sauce and served with rice pilaf."; The rice pilaf is out, of course, but how about the rest? Eggplant is very low carb; we don't know what other vegetables are involved. I'd ask what goes in the cheese sauce, too -- if it's flour or cornstarch thickened, I probably wouldn't order this, but if there's no flour, and the vegetables involved are low carb, this might be okay.
Our Side Orders are up next. We have no clue whether the soup of the day is okay or not; you'll simply have to ask the waiter what's in it. But Feta and Olives is a killer low carb side dish, unbelievably flavorful, and very filling. The baked potato is out, no surprise there. But the garlic dip may or may not be okay, depending on what else is in it. If it has a yogurt or sour cream base, it's fine. If it's made from something like pureed chick peas, it's not. Assuming the dip itself is low carb, you'd certainly want to ask for vegetables to dip in it, instead of pita.
On to the Dinner Entrees! Again, they're all served with soup or salad, with a choice of potato or rice pilaf, with "garnish' and fresh baked bread. We'll be passing up the bread, and asking for extra salad in place of the potato or rice. But what shall our protein dish be?
Shish-Kebab! Now we're talking! I'd have it made with lamb, myself, but no reason not to have beef if you prefer it. Chunks of meat, broiled with vegetables -- you can't get a better low carb meal! Except maybe the Shish-Taouk, the next item on the menu -- cubes of marinated chicken breast, skewered and grilled with red peppers. This menu is really looking up!
Broiled Chicken sounds mighty plain, but almost everywhere in the Middle East the simple art of broiling a chicken has been raised to perfection. This would be one of my favorite picks.
Next comes the Byblos Mixed Grill, and again we're talking low carb heaven! A lamb kabob, a chicken kabob, and a "keufta"; kabob (sometimes spelled "kofta"; kabob.) What's a Keufta Kabob? Look down one item, and you'll see that it's a kabob made from ground meat -- most likely lamb, but possibly beef, or a combination -- mixed with onions, parsley, and spices, then formed on a skewer and broiled (not boiled!) One each of these delights sounds mighty good. (I may have to get up from this computer and get a snack; this menu is making me hungry!)
After the Keufta Kabob comes a sandwich version, the Keufta Khachkach -- it's the same Kabob, stuffed in a pita with tomato sauce, pine nuts, and mushrooms. Everything but the pita sounds good here; maybe you could order the whole thing on a salad?
I'm guessing the vast majority of you know what a gyros is -- a sandwich made from lamb that's been ground, mixed with seasonings, formed into a big cylinder, and roasted on a special machine made for the purpose, then cut off in long slices and stuffed into a pita with traditional toppings. I'm here to tell you that all of the innards of a gyros sandwich taste fabulous on top of a Greek Salad; this is my most common choice at a Greek restaurant, and it would be a good choice here, too.
Finally we come to Lamb Chops. I adore lamb chops, and they are, of course, carb-free. The mint jelly is not, however, and strikes me as a rather British touch. Still, lamb chops are very nice with no mint jelly at all. Go for it.
How about the House Specialties? The French Pepper Steak may not be Middle Eastern, but it is low carb. So are the Filet Mignon and the Sirloin. If steak is your pleasure, you'll have fun at Byblos. Me, I once again would be looking for something a little more exotic -- like maybe the Shawarma Chicken, which sounds great, and low carb. I'd skip the Beef Stroganoff; it's likely to have flour in the sauce, but the Escalope Cordon Bleu sounds fine.
Which brings us to the sandwiches. We're not going to be eating that pita, unless, again, you're simply trying to eat lower glycemic index carbs. And all of the fillings of these sandwiches are available elsewhere on the menu with no bread. Let's just skip the sandwiches.
Desserts? Yeah, right. Unless it's a very special occasion, deserving of an Indulgence, I trust you'll simply ignore these. With all the great meats and salads on this menu, plus a side of feta and olives, I'm betting you can get satisfactorily full before the end of this meal!
As with other restaurants, you'll want to drink water, coffee, tea (hot or iced), diet soda, or, if you want a drink, a light beer or dry wine. Beware of the Turkish Coffee and Mid-Eastern Tea; both are likely to be full of sugar.
And that's our Middle Eastern meal! Once again, we've found piles of delicious ethnic food that won't leave us sorry the next morning. We'll look at another menu next issue!
A Reader's Suggestion Re Mexican Restaurants
Last issue we looked through a Mexican restaurant menu to see what there was for the low carb dieter. I got this response to the article from reader Renee Cordrey:
Don't write off enchiladas. Last time I was out for Mexican food, I asked for the beef enchiladas without the tortilla. They were happy to accommodate, and I enjoyed a nice plate of beef, cheese, and sauce (which is generally low-carb).
Thanks, Renee! You're a woman after my own heart. Notice, folks, that Renee is following the first rule of getting a good, low carb restaurant meal: Ask for what you want!
15 Minute Low-Carb Recipes Being Rushed to Market!
Because of the big response to my appearance on the Today Show this past weekend, my publisher has decided to rush my new cookbook, 15 Minute Low-Carb Recipes to market, and bring it out in October, rather than November, as originally planned. To pre-order your copy today, visit Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/159233041X/lowcarbohysoluti
A reader identified only as Jennifer sends this:
Dana,
First of all, I can't write to you without telling you how much I absolutely love 500 Low Carb Recipes and how I have recommended it to at least 3 other people who've run out to Borders to buy it. At last! A comprehensive recipe book full of recipes for real people! I have been so disappointed that as more and more LC cookbooks come out, so many of them have ridiculous dishes full of ingredients that might make someone's mouth water (not mine) but are just not practical for family dinners. My husband (not a LC'er) and young son barely notice that dinner is diet friendly when I make recipes from your book - they are so family friendly and good that they don't realized they are eating low carb!
I am a 31 year old woman who has done the low carb thing several times, and who this time has finally really "got it". I am also diabetic (so I know carbs backwards and forwards) and have PCOS (so I know how insulin resistant I am), and after just three months eating this way I have not only lost three sizes, but my health has improved. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the
cookbook, the ezine...the information!
I am reading through your Lowcarbezine! past issues and I just finished your "rant" about the fast food restaurant law suits. (Here's a link to that issue: http://www.holdthetoast.com/archive/020809.html ) In it, you mention how frustrated you were with the blame being placed squarely on fat. That rang a huge and loud bell with me. I recently read an article in Redbook talking about how to raise your metabolism, and while I was thrilled to see increasing protein in there, I was a bit ticked when this was immediately followed up with "this doesn't mean you have to do the Atkins diet" or something of that nature.
I get so frustrated that so many people just don't get it. I see people in front of me at the grocery store with all the prepackaged low fat foods in their carts that probably give them the fictitious satisfaction that they are eating healthily. Then I look in mine and see all the vegetables, proteins, cheese, and I know that I truly am doing the right thing. I want to tap them on the back of their shoulders with a box of processed fat-free cookies and tell them that they're doing it all wrong! And then I see programs talking about food items being healthier because "It's leaner and much lower in fat than beef," etc. and my eyes roll so far back into my head that I have to smack myself so I can see again. (Not literally, of course! :) ) In short...blaming fat annoys me.
Why, why, why? There is so much information out there! Why do these people deprive themselves of all the luxuries we have? Excellent food, satisfying portions, outstanding health! I want to scream, "LC'ers don't eat six eggs and half a pound of bacon for breakfast every morning! We don't eschew vegetables! We don't eat sticks of butter with a spoon! We can have fruits! The media and health industry take the exaggerations and try to scare you away from this healthy high protein, high vitamin, nutritious lifestyle!"
I am alternately frustrated by the lack of understanding in mainstream people and encouraged by the amazing availability of low carb products now. I live in a medium sized city (65,000 population) and without paying a penny in shipping I can buy low carb bars, shakes, bake mixes, tortillas, chocolate, candies, etc. etc., at retail and discount stores. My dream? That someday we'll have Low Carb Restaurants and Food Network will have a low carb cooking show (any thought of this as a next step to promote your books? Hmmmm? Hint!) and doctors will begin widely prescribing the LC lifestyle as a way to improve...well...everything!!
Anyway, that is my rant...something about your writing and your passion for this lifestyle struck a chord in me and I wanted to write to you. Again, thank you so very much for what you are doing to educate anyone who wants to learn. I am very much looking forward to your new book, and will be one of the first in line to buy it.
Please keep up the outstanding work!
Jennifer
Thanks, Jennifer! Great rant! I know exactly how you feel about the carts full of fake low fat food. I always feel like the kid in The Emperor's New Clothes; I want to run up to people and cry, "NO! Don't do it, buddy! It's a lie, it's all a lie!";
But I generally don't. Which may explain why I'm still free to walk the streets... ;-D
Thanks again!
By the way, it's funny you should mention The Food Network. I actually have a television producer who is "shopping"; me to The Food Network for a low carb show. I was going to suggest that you email The Food Network and suggest that they do a low carb show, but their website makes it clear that they only take show suggestions from television producers and agents. So we'll just have to see what happens.
And if you'd like to see other reviews of 500 Low-Carb Recipes, visit Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1931412065/lowcarbohysoluti
You can also take a look at the new, revised and expanded How I Gave Up My Low Fat Diet and Lost 40 Pounds, go to Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1592330401/lowcarbohysoluti
Much as we love Amazon around here, you should be aware that you can also get these books from any brick-and-mortar bookstore. For that matter, your library might have them, and if they don't, they might get them if you request them!
The Issue of Fat and Breast Cancer Raises Its Head Once Again...
Don't know if you caught it, but a few weeks back a new medical study made the mainstream press, asserting that saturated fat is, indeed, associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Since the world at large assumes that we low carbers pretty much live on bunless bacon cheeseburgers with a side of sour cream, I've had a couple of inquiries as to what this study means for us.
Truth to tell, I don't really know. The news reports have been fairly sketchy on details, and I haven't been able to read the whole report yet, or even an abstract. Here's what I do know:
The study, which was done in Cambridge, England by the Medical Research Council's Dunn Human Nutrition Unit, looked at "food diaries"; kept by over 13,000 women from Norfolk. It concluded that women in the top 20% of saturated fat intake had roughly double the risk of breast cancer as the women in the lowest 20% saturated fat intake group. The researchers carefully matched the women for what the news reports simply called "other unhealthy lifestyles."; What those unhealthy lifestyles might be was not detailed.
Dr. Sheila Bingham, deputy director of the Human Nutrition Unit, was quoted as saying, "The study shows that there is an emerging link between eating too much fatty food and increasing the risk of breast cancer."; She went on to add, "The effect seems to be related particularly to saturated fat found mostly in high fat milk, butter, meat, and some cereals such as biscuits (Dana's note: That's "cookies"; here in the US) and cakes.";
So, should we all panic, and give up our low carb diets?
What, did you really think I was going to say yes? Look, I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on television. However, I have a few thoughts, regarding this study.
First of all, this is only one study, and it comes on the heels of several years of studies that turned up no positive correlation between fat intake and breast cancer. Indeed, more than one study -- including the truly immense and astoundingly long-term Harvard Nurses' Study -- found that the women with the lowest fat intake had a significantly increased risk of breast cancer. This one study, while provocative, and a good cause for further research, does not suddenly render all the previous studies meaningless.
Secondly, while we're still unclear on the causes of cancer, we are quite sure that cancer, once established, feeds on glucose -- blood sugar. There is also a strong correlation between high insulin levels and insulin resistance, and breast cancer. And, indeed, there are also studies that have shown that high intake of carbohydrate, and especially high impact carbohydrate, increases breast cancer risk.
Third, given the fact that we know that insulin levels are tied to breast cancer risk, it would be interesting to know what the effect is of eating saturated fat is in the absence of a high carbohydrate intake. We can gather from Dr. Bingham's statement that these women were, indeed, eating sugar and white flour -- biscuits and cakes -- (indeed, at the BBC site the illustration was a piece of chocolate cake: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3074561.stm ) and one assumes they also were eating bread, potatoes, pasta, and the like. Is it not possible that there is some interaction between saturated fat and dietary carbohydrate? Without a study of saturated fat and breast cancer risk in the context of a low carbohydrate diet, we simply don't know.
Another factor that I found myself wondering about was calcium intake. There are now several studies suggesting a protective effect against breast cancer -- and colon cancer, too -- from a high intake of calcium -- and while milk and cheese are high in saturated fat, they are also high in calcium. (Butter, cream, and sour cream are not good sources of calcium.)
Most importantly, there is nothing in this study that indicates that carbohydrates are good for you. Even if, indeed, we learn that saturated fat is a causal factor for breast cancer, that won't somehow make sugar less devastating to health, or make white flour less than a total nutritional wasteland. It won't change the fact that grains are not a part of the evolutionary diet of human kind, nor will it make carbohydrates less of a trigger of high triglycerides, diabetes, and polycystic ovarian syndrome.
I've said it before, and it bears repeating: We don't know exactly what balance of fats is safest yet. We do know that farm-raised, grass-fed meat has a different fatty acid profile than the game and grass-fed meats that our ancestors ate for millennia; it is unclear yet how big a problem this may be. We do know that some fats that come along with the saturates appear to be darned healthy -- most particularly CLA, found in beef and cheese, which decreases fat storage and reduces cancer risk, and stearic acid, a major component of beef fat, which has a similar LDL lowering, HDL raising influence to olive oil and other monounsaturated fats.
One thing is clear, and has been since long before this study hit the press: A low carb diet that consists of nothing but beef and cheese would be a bad idea -- both boring and nutritionally limited. There's every reason to eat not only beef, but pork (which, despite a bad image, is one of the most nutritious meats -- and which contains more monounsaturates than saturates) and lamb. There's even more reason to eat poultry -- not only chicken, but turkey, duck, Cornish hens, and even quail and the like if you can get them and afford them -- and overwhelming reasons to eat fish on a regular basis. All of these flesh foods are just as low carb as beef, of course.
There's also no reason not to use lean cuts of meat if you are concerned -- again, beef round and pork loin are just as low carb as fattier cuts like short ribs and pork shoulder, and they're almost as low in total fat as skinless chicken or turkey breast (not to mention higher in some nutritients.) If you choose to do this, you can add more fat calories -- since of course fat is where low carbers get most of their fuel -- by sauteing in olive oil, adding guacamole, topping salads with nuts or seeds -- or simply snacking on them -- in short, by adding more monounsaturates.
I, on the other hand, am unlikely to panic. I am unconvinced that this one study outweighs the many that show no danger from fat, and I am quite convinced that cheap, trashy, high impact carbs are the biggest dietary cancer risk.
But however
WOW !! WOW-WOW-WOW!
As all but my very newest subscribers are aware, last week I put out the call for stories of those of you who have successfully controlled or treated diabetes with a low carb diet. Within 48 hours, I had 92 posts, all but a couple of them truly wonderful and exciting success stories. The other few were from folks wanting to know if a low carb diet was helpful for diabetes. Well, folks, I'll start publishing the email I've gotten on the subject, and you tell me! Here's the first low carb diabetes success story:
Hi Dana! I've been getting your newsletter for a couple of years now, but this is the first time I've written you. Back in 1999, I was diagnosed with adult onset diabetes. At 5'11" I weighed in at 236 pounds and a size 20 or 22. My doctor suggested the Protein Power diet (he was on it!). My original thought was "moderation in all things". Ha!
I started on my low carb diet and have never looked back! 80 pounds later I'm at 156 pounds, a size 10 or 12 and have stabilized there for quite a while. I went for a blood test last month (July, 2003) and not only have I NOT been diabetic for a couple of years (my doctor and I have known that since I get blood tests on a regular basis for high cholesterol), but ALL of the blood test numbers test smack dab in the middle of normal! And I'm 56 years old! I'm no longer on medication of any kind and my blood pressure which had been in the hypertensive range in 1999 is now "low" (which is good).
My doctor is particularly interested in heart disease (it runs in his family and also in mine) and has recently discovered a direct correlation between adult onset diabetes and heart disease. By going on a low carb diet to initially lose weight and back away from the diabetes, I've also saved myself from heart disease! Go low carb dieting!!! (And by the way, if I read one more "expert" contending that low carb diets are unhealthy, my low blood pressure will be at serious threat of blowing!!).
Donna Hoff, Longmont Colorado
Too cool!! Donna, I'd love to have before-and-after photos. I'll continue to publish these diabetes success stories in upcoming issues. It's important that people realize just how effective low carb is for controlling this potentially devastating disease.
By the way, I'd love to have before-and-after photos from all of you. Don't make me send out a Special Notice! Send me your before-and-after photos, and let's show the world what low carb can do!
Here's a neat little side dish to serve with virtually anything grilled, especially something with a South American or Caribbean influence.
Sao Paolo "Rice";
3 slices bacon
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 head cauliflower
2 tablespoons raisins
1/2 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
First chop the bacon into small bits and start it frying over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet -- or better yet, just snip it straight into the skillet with a good kitchen shears. While the bacon starts frying, cut up your onion and pepper, and crush your garlic. When a little fat has cooked out of the bacon, add the cut up vegetables, stir them around, and let them start sauteing with the bacon.
Next, whack your cauliflower into chunks that will fit your food processor's feed chute -- don't bother to core it first, just trim off the leaves, and shred up the core. Run the cauliflower through the shredding blade. When the pepper and onion have been cooking for 5 or 6 minutes, add the shredded cauliflower to the skillet and stir it in.
Now, using your kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut each raisin in 2 pieces -- I know, this seems tedious, but the raisins are by far the highest carb ingredient, so I've kept the quantity quite small. To distribute them through the dish, you should really cut them up. Stir the raisins into the dish, add the butter, and continue to cook the whole thing, stirring every few minutes and covering between stirrings, for 7 or 8 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender-crisp. Don't let the cauliflower get mushy, or you'll lose all illusion of rice!
Salt and pepper to taste, stir in the parsley, and serve.
4-5 servings. Assuming 5, each serving will have 6 grams of carbohydrate and 1 gram of fiber, for a usable carb count of 5 grams. 2 grams of protein.
If you'd like to increase the raisins to 3 tablespoons, you'll add 2 grams of carb per serving, for a total of 7 grams of usable carb, assuming 5 servings.
Reader Review of 500 Low Carb Recipes
Kenneth Johnson, from In My Kitchen, writes:
I have several low-carb cookbooks on my shelf. This cookbook is the most comprehensive, varied and is the easiest to use. 1. There are many recipes for delicious meals, snacks and desserts that I'd never thought of. 2. The ingredients are not hard to find to make these dishes. It is important not to keep eating the same low carb foods over and over again, because it can lead to boredom, and that can lead to slipping. In this sense this recipe book can get the low-carber to think "outside of the box," when it comes to what we eat. For the number of recipes and the price, this can't be beat. Here are some examples of great tasting meals for you and your family that are in it: mouth-watering marinades, vegetable lasagna, pizza with without the crust, all-meat chili, cheesecakes, and even coffee cakes. Spaghetti squash to chicken wings, it's written in a friendly easy to read style set in the kitchen. Pick up the book, then head to the kitchen.
To read this and other reader reviews of 500 Low-Carb Recipes, visit Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1931412065/lowcarbohysoluti
Much as we love Amazon.com, you need to know that the book is available at bookstores everywhere!
Reader Review of How I Gave Up My Low Fat Diet and Lost 40 Pounds
Reviewer: A reader from Minnesota
I am a born sceptic. I also have been obsessed with food for my entire adult life. When I am going to eat, what I am going to eat, where I am going to eat, if there will be enough food left by the time I get to the front of the line... Not a very nice way to live. This book HAS CHANGED MY LIFE! So far, everything she has said has been true. Everything that she said would happen, has happened. And it's not hard to do at all! Sure, the initial adjustment to serving a meal with no potatoes or bread is a little odd, but you get over it pretty fast. Somehow, this diet just clicked with me. After reading her book, I have at least 6 more reasons to eat this way than just to lose weight. That's not even my focus any more! She explained all the different approaches of all these other authors and shows you how to pick and choose which aspects of which approaches will work best for you. It's remarkably easy to read, too!
I used this book along with Lauri's Lo-Carb Cookbook and the Greg Smithey "Easy Toning" tape, and I lost 10 pounds the first week and, I don't know if my initial measurement was wrong or what, but I lost and INCH off my waist! I have ordered the rest of Mr. Smithey's "Easy" videos now, and use Lauri's cookbook everyday. I have not yet found a recipe I or my husband didn't like.
I hope you find something that works for you. But for my money, this was the best that was out there for me.
To read this and other reader reviews of How I Gave Up My Low Fat Diet and Lost 40 Pounds, go to Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1592330401/lowcarbohysoluti
You can also get How I Gave Up My Low Fat Diet and Lost 40 Pounds through your local bookstore, though some may have to special order it.
That's it for this issue! See you next issue!
Dana
To request a full-text version of this issue by e-mail, just send a message to: htt030813@holdthetoast.com (Message and subject can be blank.)