We would all love to eat less carbohydrates and switch to a low-carb diet, but many of us think we just do not have the time. We believe that low-carb cooking and baking are time consuming, because you have to start from scratch, and it involves specialised ingredients which may be expensive or hard to find. In Low-carb Express, you plan your meals around your available time. Whether you have five minutes to whip up a nutritionally dense egg scramble or immune-boosting smoothie, or half an hour to make a delicious low-carb bobotie or the best-ever low-carb cupcakes, Vickie proves that there is no such thing as too little time to make healthy food choices. With recipes that take between five and thirty minutes to prepare, there really are no more excuses!
Grilled Fish with lemon and caper butter
WHY LOW-CARB?
The really simple answer: We were never meant to eat such a large amount of refined carbohydrate!
The nutritional triangle (or food pyramid) as we know it was originally adopted by the US Department of Agriculture in the 1990s. Carbohydrates (such as grains) and starches (such as rice, potatoes, bread and pasta) were placed at the bottom of the triangle, meaning they should be consumed more than any other food. Fats were placed right at the top as the food that should be consumed in the smallest quantities.
Fat (and, to a lesser degree, protein) was ostracised as the cause of heart disease and cardiovascular disease. Low-fat products flooded the market, and in order to give them substance and flavour, they were filled with even more starches and sugars. We were deprived of all the good fats that we need for energy, brain function and mental clarity, as well as all the good cholesterol (HDL) that protects us against heart and cardiovascular diseases.
“Low-fat products flooded the market, and in order to give them substance and flavour, they were filled with even more starches and sugars.”
To make matters worse, processed foods and drinks containing hidden starches, thickeners, sodium and sugars became a staple in many time-pressed households.
Together with the increased production of genetically modified grains, the over processing of food and other environmental factors, the high-sugar, high carbohydrate diet promoted by the nutritional triangle has led to worldwide obesity, a type-2 diabetes pandemic, and an increase in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
WHAT LOW-CARB EATING MEANS
- normalising blood sugars and supporting weight loss
- potentially reversing type-2 diabetes and reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia
- reducing sugar cravings and inflammation in the body
- mental clarity and improved memory
- more energy and endurance
- fewer digestive problems and less heartburn
- a stronger immune system
- significantly reducing the amount of starches, sugars, grains and legumes you consume
- including good, healthy fats such as essential fatty acids like omega 3 found in avocados and salmon
- including saturated (animal) fats such as bacon and lard, as well as adding good-quality organic and grass-fed protein and eggs back into your diet
- including full-fat, creamy dairy
- replacing all starches and grains with green fibrous vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, green beans and asparagus, as well as other low-carb vegetables such as cauliflower and pumpkin
- cooking from scratch with fresh ingredients, and flavouring food with whole spices and fresh herbs
- knowing what goes into your food
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Know what’s for dinner tonight? Why not try one of Vickie’s delicious low-carb recipes?
Fabulous egg muffins
“These egg muffins are delicious and so quick to prepare. This makes a big batch to enjoy for breakfast, but they are also perfect for lunchboxes. They will keep in the fridge for up to three days. Experiment with flavour combinations, starting with the suggestions in the short cuts below.”
Makes: 12
30 ml olive oil
1 red onion, quartered
1 red pepper, quartered
and deseeded
½ jalapeño chilli
100 g chorizo, sliced
50 g baby spinach
6 eggs
5 ml smoked paprika
125 ml cream
salt to taste
100 g Cheddar cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 210 °C and grease a muffin pan.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium to high heat.
Place the onion, red pepper and chilli in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to chop roughly.
Fry the chopped vegetables for 2–3 minutes until fragrant. Add the chorizo and fry for a further
2 minutes.
Add the spinach and remove from the heat (the spinach will wilt).
Whisk the eggs, paprika and cream in a jug and season with salt.
Half-fill the muffin cups with the egg mixture. Divide the chorizo mixture and grated Cheddar evenly between the cups and mix through using a teaspoon. Top with a bit more of the egg mixture if there is any left.
Bake for 12–15 minutes or until set in the middle and golden on top.
SHORT CUTS
Using the basic egg mixture of 6 eggs with 125 ml cream, seasoned with a pinch of salt, add:
• 100 g chopped smoked salmon, 100 g cubed feta cheese, 50 g baby spinach and a small handful
of chopped fresh dill; or
• 100 g crispy fried bacon bits, 100 g cooked sliced mushrooms, 50 g baby spinach and
100 g mozzarella cheese; or
• 100 g halved cocktail tomatoes, a small handful of shredded fresh basil, 100 g sliced Parma ham,
50 g baby spinach and a mixture of 50 g mozzarella and 50 g Cheddar cheese.
SPEEDY STIR-FRY
"You can use any combination of vegetables. I sometimes buy a packet of pre-cut stir-fry veggies to save time. A few carrots here and there will not push the carb count up too significantly, so it is a great solution for a quick dinner."
Serves: 4
1 red onion
1 small cabbage
2 small leeks
1 large zucchini
30 ml olive oil
500 g pork neck steaks, thinly sliced
salt to taste
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 red chillies, finely chopped
8 cm fresh ginger root, finely chopped
30 ml sesame seeds, plus extra for serving
60 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
30 ml soy sauce
5 ml erythritol
a small handful of fresh coriander
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Shred the vegetables with the shredding attachment of a food processor or slice thinly using a mandoline. Set aside until needed.
Heat the oil in a large pan or wok over medium heat.
Lightly season the pork with salt and fry for 3–4 minutes until golden. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon.
Add the garlic, chillies and ginger to the same pan and cook for 1 minute.
Add the chopped vegetables and sesame seeds and stirfry for 5–7 minutes.
Combine the orange juice, soy sauce and erythritol in a small bowl.
Return the pork to the pan and add the orange sauce. Toss well and fry until just heated through.
Serve the stir-fry topped with the fresh coriander, scallions and extra sesame seeds.
SHORT CUTS
• Buy stir-fry pork strips to save time.
• You can substitute beef or chicken for the pork.
Grilled Fish
with lemon and caper butter
"Flavoured butters are one of the quickest ways to add flavour to dishes. You can even make them in advance and keep them in the fridge in little rolls."
Serves: 4
100 g butter
2 garlic cloves
a small handful of fresh parsley
a small handful of fresh dill
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
30 ml capers, plus extra for serving
4 x 150 g white fish fillets such as kingklip or hake
a pinch of salt
100 g fine green beans
100 g asparagus
Place a medium frying pan over medium heat and a medium saucepan of salted warm water over high heat.
Combine the butter, garlic, herbs, lemon zest, lemon juice and capers in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.
Place half the caper butter in the frying pan and add the fish fillets. Season with the salt and fry the fillets for 2 minutes on each side.
As soon as the water in the saucepan is boiling, add the beans and asparagus and simmer for 1 minute. Drain and add to the pan with the fish along with the remaining caper butter. Toss gently and serve.
SHORT CUTS
• Thai-flavoured butter: combine 100 g butter with 1 green chilli, 1 garlic clove, 6 cm ginger root, the soft inside of 1 lemongrass stalk and a small handful of fresh coriander. Process until smooth.
• Mexican-flavoured butter: combine 100 g butter with 1 jalapeño chilli, 1 garlic clove, 10 ml smoked paprika, 5 ml cumin seeds and a small handful of fresh coriander. Process until smooth.
Pan Pizza
"We love eating low-carb pizza, but to roll out so many pizzas takes a lot of time. Enter the pan pizza: one large pizza for the whole family! When it comes to toppings, let your imagination run wild. You can even distribute the toppings in such a way that each person gets the topping they prefer. We are particularly partial to this combination."
Serves: 4
BASE
500 g skinless and boneless chicken thighs, quartered
40 g Parmesan cheese, grated
60 g mozzarella cheese, grated
1 garlic clove
5 ml salt
SAUCE
30 ml olive oil
1 red chilli, finely chopped
150 ml Italian passata
TOPPINGS
100 g spicy salami, sliced
100 g black olives, pitted
2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced
a small handful of fresh basil
150 g mozzarella cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 200 °C. You will need a 40 x 30 cm oven pan.
Combine the chicken, Parmesan, mozzarella, garlic and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.
Spoon the chicken mixture onto a large sheet of baking paper, top with another sheet of baking paper and roll into a rectangle to fit your tray. Remove the top sheet of baking paper and lift the pizza onto the oven pan using the bottom sheet. Use your fingers to evenly spread the chicken mixture over the baking paper and into the corners.
Bake for 10 minutes until firm and golden on the edges.
In the meantime, heat the olive oil for the tomato sauce in a large saucepan over medium heat. Fry the chilli for 1 minute and add the passata. Heat through.
Spread the tomato sauce over the pizza base and top with all the toppings, ending with the mozzarella. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, then switch on the grill and grill for 2 minutes. Serve warm, sliced into squares.
Recipes taken from Low-Carb Express by Vickie de Beer, out now.
YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY
Jamie's back with new achievable, exciting and tasty recipes.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________