300 15-Minute Low-Carb Recipes (17 page)

2 pounds (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 tablespoons (42 g) butter

1/2 cup (55 g) chopped pecans

1/4 cup (80 g) low-sugar apricot preserves

1/4 cup (60 ml) bourbon

2 tablespoons (31 g) plain tomato sauce

2 teaspoons spicy brown or Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic or 1 clove garlic, crushed

1/4 cup (40 g) minced onion

3 scallions, thinly sliced

First, pound the chicken breasts until they're 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) thick all over and cut into 6 portions. Brown them in 2 tablespoons (28 g) of butter in a large, heavy skillet over high heat.

While the breasts are browning, melt the last tablespoon (14 g) of butter in a small, heavy skillet and stir in the pecans. Stir them over medium-high heat for a few minutes until they begin to turn golden. Turn off the heat (and if yours is an electric stove, remove from the burner to prevent scorching) and reserve.

Stir together the preserves, bourbon, tomato sauce, mustard, garlic, and onion.

When the chicken is light golden on both sides, pour this mixture into the skillet. Turn the chicken over once or twice to coat both sides with the sauce. Cover with a tilted lid and let it simmer for about 5 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve with the sauce spooned over each portion and top each with the toasted pecans and sliced scallions.

Yield:
6 servings, each with 7 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 6 grams of usable carbs and 35 grams of protein.

Chicken Breasts L'Orange

Chicken combines so well with all sorts of fruit flavors, and this dish is sure to be a hit with the whole family.

1 1/2 pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/4 cup (60 ml) oil

1/3 cup (80 ml) orange juice

2 tablespoons (3 g) Splenda

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon blackstrap molasses

1 teaspoon spicy brown or Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon minced garlic or 2 cloves garlic, crushed

Salt and pepper

Cut the chicken breasts into 4 portions and brown them in the oil in a large, heavy skillet over high heat. While that's happening, mix together the orange juice, Splenda, vinegar, molasses, mustard, and garlic.

When the chicken is light golden on both sides, add the orange juice mixture to the skillet. Simmer the chicken for another 7 to 8 minutes, turning once. Salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Yield:
4 servings, each with 4 grams of carbohydrates, a trace of fiber, and 38 grams of protein.

Chicken with Asparagus and Gruyère

1 1/2 pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 tablespoon (14 g) butter

1 pound (455 g) asparagus

1 tablespoon (15 ml) dry white wine

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

Salt and pepper

4 ounces (115 g) gruyère cheese, thinly sliced

First, pound the chicken breasts until they're 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick all over. Cut into 4 portions.

Melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and start browning the chicken.

While that's happening, snap the ends off the asparagus where they break naturally. Put the asparagus in a microwaveable casserole or lay it in a glass pie plate. Add a couple of tablespoons (28 ml) of water and cover. (Use plastic wrap or a plate to cover if you're using a pie plate.) Microwave on High for 3 to 4 minutes.

When the chicken is golden on both sides, add the wine and the lemon juice to the skillet and turn the chicken breasts to coat both sides. Salt and pepper lightly. Turn the burner to medium-low heat and let the chicken continue to cook until the asparagus is done microwaving.

Remove the asparagus from the microwave and drain. Lay the asparagus spears over the chicken, dividing equally between the portions. Cover each with gruyère and cover the skillet with a tilted lid. Continue cooking a few minutes, just until the cheese is melted. Serve.

Yield:
4 servings, each with 3 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 2 grams of usable carbs and 38 grams of protein.

Creamy Chicken and Noodles in a Bowl

This is as good a make-it-in-the-bowl recipe as I've ever come up with, and it's quite filling. I had this cooked and eaten before the timer beeped for 15 minutes.

1 package tofu shirataki, fettuccini width

1/4 cup (45 g) jarred roasted red peppers, drained and diced

5 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

1 scallion, sliced, including the crisp part of the green shoot

1 tablespoon (4 g) minced fresh parsley

3 tablespoons (38 g) whipped cream cheese with chives and onions

3 ounces (85 g) precooked chicken breast strips—Mine had Southwestern seasoning.

salt and pepper to taste

Snip open the packet of shirataki, drain and rinse them, and throw them in a microwaveable bowl. Nuke them on high for 90 seconds.

While that's happening, drain and dice your roasted red peppers.

When the microwave beeps, drain the shirataki again. Put it back in for another 90 seconds.

Pit your kalamatas—just squish them with your thumb and pick the pits out—then chop them up. Slice your scallion and chop your parsely, too.

Drain your noodles one last time. Now add the cream cheese and chicken breast strips and nuke it for just 30 more seconds.

When it comes out, throw in the peppers, olives, scallions, and parsley. Stir it up until the cheese melts, salt and pepper to taste, and devour!

Yield:
1 serving with 285 calories, 22 grams fat, 16 grams protein, 5 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram dietary fiber, and 4 grams usable carb.

Parmesan Chicken Breasts

Those of you who bought my first cookbook,
500 Low-Carb Recipes
, will recognize this recipe as being quite similar to
Heroin Wings
. However,
Heroin Wings
take well over an hour, and this is quite quick.

1 1/2 pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 cup (100 g) grated Parmesan cheese*

4 teaspoons (8 g) dried oregano

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon pepper

2 eggs

4 tablespoons (55 g) butter

* Use the cheap stuff in the round, green shaker for this.

Pound the chicken breasts till they're 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick and cut into 6 portions. Set aside.

Combine the cheese with the oregano, garlic, paprika, and pepper on a plate. On another plate or in a shallow bowl, beat the eggs. Dip the chicken in the egg and then the cheese mixture, coating both sides well.

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat (higher heat will scorch the cheese) and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until cooked through.

Yield:
6 servings, each with 2 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 1 gram of usable carbs and 33 grams of protein.

Buffalo Chicken Breast

Wow! Pecan crusted chicken is cooked in butter, topped with Buffalo sauce, and served with the traditional blue cheese dressing. How could you not love it? You could throw in some celery sticks if you wanted to be really classical about it. You could also simplify by using bottled Buffalo sauce, but making it is a snap.

1 1/2 pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 cup (110 g) ground pecans

2 tablespoons (16 g) coconut flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 egg

1 tablespoon (15 ml) water

1 stick butter, divided

1/4 cup (60 ml) Louisiana-style hot sauce—Frank's Red Hot is the canonical sauce for this, but Tabasco or any other Louisiana-style sauce will do.

8 tablespoons (120 g) blue cheese salad dressing—to serve

Pound the chicken out 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick and cut into 4 servings.

Put your big, heavy skillet over medium heat.

I started with purchased pecan meal, but if you don't have any on hand, put 2/3 cup (67 g) shelled pecans in your food processor with the coconut flour and the salt and pepper and run until it's all finely ground. If you've got pecan meal, just mix it with the other stuff on a plate.

On another plate, mix up the egg with the water.

Throw 2 tablespoons (28 g) of the butter in the skillet to melt.

Dip the chicken in the egg, then in the seasoned pecan meal, then egg, and then pecan meal again, covering both sides. Throw it in the melted butter and cover with a tilted lid. Let it cook a few minutes until crusty on the bottom.

While that's happening, melt 4 tablespoons (55 g) of the butter with the hot sauce—you can do it in a saucepan or nuke it in a microwaveable bowl. This is your Buffalo sauce.

Flip the chicken, throwing the last 2 tablespoons (28 g) of butter in the skillet while you do. Put the tilted lid back on the skillet and cook until crusty on the other side. Plate, top with the Buffalo sauce, and serve with blue cheese dressing for dipping bites in.

Yield:
4 servings, each with 744 calories, 59 grams fat, 44 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams dietary fiber, and 7 grams usable carb.