Low-Carbs recipes

Carbohydrates turn into glucose as they enter the bloodstream. So if you consume excess amounts of carbohydrates, your blood sugarlevels increase and in turn your pancreas release insulin.Excess carbohydrates are stored as body fat. By limiting the amount of carbohydrates you consume your body is forced to use it's stored fat as fuel. Since this is a simple process and easy to follow, most people are successful with this diet.The diet is not very hard to follow. If you can count to 20 you can handle a Low Carbohydrate diet. It's mostly just a matter of reading nutritional labels and keeping track of the amount of carbohydrates that you have allowed yourself on the diet.The beauty of this diet is that you decide when and how often you eat. You should try to have at least 3 healthy meals a day, but with today's schedules that is not always practical. Many find good results with eating small low carbohydrate meals throughout the day and staying away from large meals in the later evening.In a low carb diet the only thing that is forbidden are products containing white flour or sugar. Lack of carbohydrates can lead to decreased energy and weakness, so one has to ensure that while you are are on a low carb diet, you boy is still receiving all the nutrients.

Salad Bowl Ingredients: 200 gm sliced lotus stem 1 tbsp corn flour oil for deep frying 3 tbsp grated raw mango 2 tbsp grated carrot 1 tbsp raisins 3 shredded pineapple slices 2 tbsp chopped mint 2 chopped green chillies Dressing 2 tbsp oil 1 tbsp lemon juice
Grilled cottage cheese with Orange Marinade

Ingredients: 1/2 kg cubed cottage cheese Marinade1 orange grated rind and juice 3 tbsp olive/salad oil 2 tbsp white wine/extra orange juice 2 tbsp vinegar 1 tbsp snipped spring onion tops 1 tbsp chopped basilor parsley Method: For the marinade, combine all ingredients and pour over the cottage cheese. Set aside for half an hour.

Chicken Salad

Ingredients: 1 kg chicken-boneless, cooked and diced1/4 cup mayonnaise sauce2 tbsp cream1/4 cup cabbage-chopped2 tbsp tomato ketchup1 tsp chilli sauce lettuce leaves spring onions-for garnish Method: When the chicken is cold, mix together with the rest of the ingredients, except the lettuce. Arrange the lettuce on a serving dish, and arrange the chicken on top, garnishing with the spring onions. Chill and serve.

Palak Paneer

Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups pureed spinach 500 gm paneer-cubed and lightly fried 1/4 cup oil1 tsp cumin seeds1 bay leaf1 tsp finely chopped ginger1 tsp finely chopped garlic1/2 cup onions-grated1 cup tomatoes-chopped fine2 tsp salt1/4 tsp garam masala1/2 tsp powdered red pepper1 tsp powdered coriander seeds Method: Heat oil and add cumin, when it splutters, add bay leaf, ginger and the garlic, and saute till a light brown. Add onions and saute till a golden brown, then add tomatoes and stir fry over medium heat. When fat separates, add the salt, garam masala and the red pepper and stir till well mixed. Add spinach and saute for 2-3 minutes and add paneer. Turn around a few times and serve hot.

Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients: 1 kg Chicken broiler-skinned and cut into 8-10 pieces1 tsp ginger paste 1 tsp garlic paste 1 tbsp salt1 cup yogurt-placed in a colander to drain out excess water2 cloves1/2 tsp cinnamon-broken1/2 tsp black cumin-roasted and powdereda large pinch of saffron2 tbsp sour lime juice 1/4 cup refined flour1 egg slightly beaten1 large onion sliced into rings1 tbsp chopped mint for garnish1 lemon cut into wedges Method: Wash the chicken, wipe dry, prick in 2-3 places and mix all the ingredients, except those for garnishing, and let marinate for 2-3 hours.Just before serving, place on a drip tray and grill till light brown, or bake in a hot oven for 15-20 minutes. Of course if you can cook it in a clay oven, it is even better. A drip-tray is essential, because the drippings should have a means of escape, other wise the chicken will be soggy.Serve, garnished with onion rings, mint and lemon wedges.

Grilled Chicken

Ingredients: 220 gm chicken breast with skin 2gm crushed black pepper 4gm salt 15gm grated onion 3gm mustard paste 30ml olive oil 7pieces black olive, stoned and choppedSauce20 gm butter30 gm shallot gratedsalt and black pepper to season60 ml red wineMethod: In a bowl, mix olive, grated onion, ginger, pepper and salt. Whip into a thick mixture.Pour over chicken and allow it to stand for 1-2 hours. Grill.For the sauce, heat the butter in a pan, add shallots and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.Add red wine and cook over slow heat until the wine is reduced to half.Season with salt and pepper.