300 15-Minute Low-Carb Recipes (8 page)

Beat the eggs with the chilies. Spray a large, heavy skillet with nonstick cooking spray and put it over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the butter or oil and slosh it around to coat the bottom of the skillet.

Pour in the beaten eggs with chilies and scramble them until they're about half-set. Add the chunks of Monterey Jack cheese, continue scrambling until set, and then serve.

Yield:
2 or 3 servings. Assuming 2 servings, each will have 4 grams of carbohydrates, a trace of fiber, and 31 grams of protein.

Hangtown Fry

This is a very famous dish originating, I believe, in the Gold Rush days of California.

8 large oysters

2 tablespoons (16 g) low-carb bake mix or 2 tablespoons (20 g) rice protein powder

4 tablespoons (55 g) butter

4 eggs

2 tablespoons (28 ml) cream

2 tablespoons (10 g) grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped fresh parsley

Coat the oysters with the bake mix or protein powder, either by putting the bake mix or protein powder in a shallow dish and rolling the oysters in it or by shaking them in a small brown paper bag with the mix in it.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet. Add the oysters and fry until golden all over, about 5 to 7 minutes.

While the oysters are frying, beat the eggs and the cream together. When the oysters are golden, pour the beaten eggs into the skillet and scramble until set. Divide between 2 serving plates, sprinkle a tablespoon (5 g) of Parmesan and a tablespoon (4 g) of parsley over each portion, and serve.

Yield:
2 servings, each with 5 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 4 grams of usable carbs and 21 grams of protein.

Cottage Egg Scramble

Eggs scrambled with cottage cheese are surprisingly good, and of course the cottage cheese adds nutrients the eggs lack—most notably calcium. With a salad on the side, this is a great simple supper for a tired night.

4 eggs

1/2 cup (115 g) small-curd cottage cheese

1/8 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 green pepper, finely chopped

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup (29 g) shredded cheddar cheese

Beat the eggs and cottage cheese together and stir in the basil. In a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the green pepper in the butter (you might want to give that skillet a shot of nonstick cooking spray first). When the pepper is getting a little soft, add the egg mixture and scramble. When the eggs are almost set, add the cheddar and continue scrambling until the eggs are completely set. Serve.

Yield:
2 servings, each with 5 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 4 grams of usable carbs and 23 grams of protein.

Chipotle Eggs

Smoky and complex, chipotle peppers—smoked jalapeños—are very special, and they make these eggs very special, too. Personally, I think a side of avocado slices with a little lime or lemon juice would be nice with this.

1/2 cup (80 g) finely chopped onion

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

1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil

2 small chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce, finely

minced—about 2 teaspoons

6 eggs

1/2 cup (58 g) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Spray a large, heavy skillet with nonstick cooking spray, place it over medium-high heat, and start sautéing the onion and garlic in the oil. When the onion is translucent, add the chopped chipotles, stir them in, and let the whole thing cook for another minute. (This is a good time to break and scramble the eggs.)

Pour the eggs into the skillet and scramble until nearly set. Scatter the cheese evenly over the top, turn the burner to low, cover the skillet, and let it keep cooking until the cheese is melted—just a minute or two. Serve.

Yield:
2 or 3 servings. Assuming 2 servings, each will have 5 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 4 grams of usable carbs and 24 grams of protein.

This also contains 285 milligrams of calcium and 248 milligrams of potassium. (There's even more potassium if you have those avocado slices!)

Houbyfest Eggs

“What the heck is ‘Houbyfest'?” I hear you cry. “Houby” is Czech for “mushroom,” and Houbyfest is an annual mushroom celebration in the heavily Bohemian Chicago suburb of Berwyn. This dish is so loaded with mushrooms—as much mushroom as egg—that the name seemed appropriate.

8 ounces (225 g) sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons (28 g) butter

1 teaspoon dried thyme

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

2 scallions, sliced

6 eggs

2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped fresh parsley (optional)

In a large, heavy skillet, sauté the mushrooms in the butter over medium-high heat. When the mushrooms have turned dark, stir in the thyme, garlic, and scallions and let them cook for a minute or two while you crack and scramble the eggs. Then pour the eggs into the skillet, scramble, and serve. A little fresh parsley scattered over this is nice but not essential.

Yield:
2 or 3 servings. Assuming 2 servings, each will have 9 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 7 grams of usable carbs and 19 grams of protein.

This dish has 633 milligrams potassium!

Insta-Quiche

As the name implies, this has a similar flavor to a classic Quiche Lorraine, but it cooks entirely within our 15 minute limit.

8 slices bacon

5 eggs

1/2 cup (120 ml) half and half

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon (28 ml) dry vermouth

1 tablespoon (14 g) butter

8 ounces (225 g) shredded Swiss cheese

Place a 10 inch (25 cm) nonstick skillet over medium heat. Let it heat.

Lay the bacon on a microwave bacon rack or in a Pyrex baking dish that fits in your microwave. Stick in it the microwave on high for 8 to 9 minutes. (The length of time will depend a bit on your microwave.)

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and vermouth.

Plunk your butter in your now-hot skillet and slosh it around as it melts, to coat the bottom. Now pour in your egg mixture. Use a spatula—preferably one for nonstick skillets—to gently stir the eggs around, pulling back the part that's setting and letting the liquid egg run underneath. It won't work like an omelet, where it sets up firm enough that you can lift the whole edge. Just scramble them gently until they're about half-set, half-liquid.

Spread the eggs out evenly in the skillet and sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top. Cover the skillet and turn the burner to low. (If you have an electric stove, you'll need to shift your pan to a low burner.) Turn on the broiler and set the rack four inches below it.

When the bacon is done, take it out, put it on a paper towel to drain if you used the Pyrex pan, and let it cool just a minute or two. Then crumble it, or easier, you can use your kitchen shears to snip it into bits. Uncover your Insta-Quiche and sprinkle the bacon bits evenly over the top.