Looking for summer to come around the corner any time now and my thoughts are turning to fresh, tasty salads. Actually, we had a hint of the warmer season this week in Reno before it turned chilly again. In celebration of those two days of bright sunshine and heat, I made this yummy tuna and cauliflower salad. It’s packed with delicious vegetables and enhanced with a light lemony mayonnaise dressing. If you like tuna, you should love it. If you don’t like tuna, here’s a tip… you can substitute in chopped chicken or turkey.
Tuna and Cauliflower Salad
2 cups Cauliflower flowerets
9 ounces White Tuna, water packed
3 tablespoons Lemon Juice, divided
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup Jicama, cubed
12 oz. jar Artichoke Hearts, drained and quartered
2 tablespoons fresh Parsley, chopped
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Cheddar Jack or Swiss Cheese
1 teaspoon Sugar Substitute
2 cups Mixed Lettuce, (Spring Mix)
8 Cherry Tomatoes (optional)*
Bring a pan of water to a boil and cook the cauliflower for about 15 minutes until fork tender. Drain thoroughly.
Drain tuna and place in a large salad bowl. Use a fork to flake it apart. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and gently toss.
Add artichoke hearts, cauliflower, cheese, jicama, and eggs and toss together gently.
In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise with remaining lemon juice, sugar substitute, and parsley to make a creamy lemon dressing. About 30 minutes before serving, add dressing to the salad, toss gently and chill for about 15 to 30 minutes, then serve over a 1/2 cup mixed lettuce in each bowl.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: (without tomatoes) Calories: 430 Fat: 32.8 g Net Carbs: 4.5 g Protein: 26.1 g
* With tomatoes, add 0.5 net carbs per tomato.
TIP: Use foil packaged tuna packed in water instead of canned tuna. It’s a little dryer so it doesn’t need to be drained, and it doesn’t carry the tinny taste of canned tuna.
Without the tomatoes, this recipe is suitable for Induction on the Atkins Low Carb Diet.
It’s summer and it’s hot around my neck of the woods. But not as hot as some of my friends are suffering. Nonetheless, it’s a great time for cool salads that require no cooking.
Crab, shrimp, and lobster can all be purchased already cooked and in nice packages that require little or no effort to get them ready for a salad. This recipe is based on Atkins version with only a few minor adjustments to it. It is good for all levels of the eating plan, including Induction, so enjoy it. It is made with crab, but feel free to substitute in shrimp or lobster, or even chopped or shredded chicken.
The recipe makes four servings, although I got five out of it… and it could have been six if I hadn’t pigged out to eat it before it went bad. You can also make a crab salad sandwich if you put it on a low carb bun.
Crab Salad with Avocado
3 tablespoons Mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
1 teaspoon Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
8 ounces Crab, cleaned and picked free of shells
2 stalks medium (7-1/2″ – 8″ long) Celery or
1/2 cup Daikon Radish (diced)
1 Haas Avocado
4 leaves Romaine Lettuce leaves
Remove avocado from the skins, saving the skin for a bowl. Cut the avocado into small cubes. Put in a bowl with a 1/4 teaspoon of the lime juice and cover with plastic wrap.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix mayonnaise, cumin, lime juice, paprika, and cayenne pepper until it’s well-blended. Add the crab meat and celery or daikon radish. Mix together until completely coated wth the sauce. Add salt and pepper to your preference.
Stir in the avocado cubes. Chill for an hour before serving, if you wish. If you’re only serving two servings, put the crab mixture back in the avocado skins for display, then place on a lettuce leaf on the plate.
If you are serving four, then dispense with the avocado skins and serve on top of the lettuce.
Makes four servings.
Nutrition Information per serving: Calories: 203 Fat: 15.2 g Net Carbs: 1.9 g Protein: 12.6 g
One of the questions that’s often come up on the Atkins support list on Facebook is what can I eat while I’m on Induction? People want menu ideas and recipes. Believe it or not, many delicious and satisfying meals come in at under 5 to 8 net carbs.
Recently, I decided to go back to Induction to try to get the weight loss kick started after gaining back about 25 lbs of my loss. Many factors contributed to this over the past year, such as eating out frequently, experimenting with new recipes, and some stress eating in the OMG, I have to try that! category. Now I have about 20 lbs more than I want on my body. So I’m going back to phase 1 to get back on track and I decided to document everything I eat for the next two weeks.
Even better, I am going to post my meals each day and give your the recipes or links to the recipes. I’ll even tell you which brands I use on some low carb items.
Day 1
To start this off, yesterday, June 6, 2017, this is what I had for each meal.
Breakfast:
Cream cheese pancakes, with butter and zero carb maple syrup (Mrs. Butterworth’s) and 2 strips of bacon. I also had a cup of coffee with 1 teaspoon creamer and liquid sweetener.
Total net carbs: 4
You can find the Cream Cheese Pancakes recipe here. I did make an adjustment or two to it, but I’ll post those changes in a couple of days when I make them again.
Lunch:
I had a quesadilla made with 1 slice of 1/4″ thick ham, 1 slice Swiss cheese, and a low carb whole wheat tortilla cooked in 1 tablespoon butter.
Total net carbs: 4 g
Super simple recipe and here’s how you do it. Sorry, I didn’t take a photo so next time, I’ll do that and post it here.
In a heavy skillet, warm the tortilla so it is pliable, then remove and melt the 1/2 of the butter. Put the ham and cheese slice alongside the middle of the tortilla and fold it over to form a pocket, like a turnover. Cook in the butter for about three to four minutes until the cheese begins to melt and the tortilla is lightly browned. Turn the pocket over and add the rest of the butter, sliding the tortilla around in the skillet to get the butter on it. (Alternately, you can butter the tortilla top while it is cooking, then just flip it over.)
Cook another three to four minutes until the bottom side is browned. Remove to a serving plate.
Makes 1 serving
Nutrition Information: Calories: 150 Fat: 9.0 g Net Carbs: 3.0 g Protein: 15 g
Dinner:
I had Roasted Chicken Thigh with Spicy Seasoning, 1/2 cup Broccoli spears with butter, and 1 cup Green Salad with Romaine lettuce, spinach, chopped zucchini, chopped cucumber, and 1/4 of an avocado chopped and 2 tablespoons Walden Farms Chipotle Ranch Dressing (0 carbs). Total net carbs: 6.1 g
For a night time sweet, I had two pieces of Russell Stovers Miniatures Chocolate Candy – 0 net carbs. Total for the day: 17.1 net carbs
That included the 1 nc for my chewable Vitamin B12. Must look for sugar free next time I buy.
Simple Roast Chicken
(Pictured at the top of the page)
2 large Chicken Thighs or Breasts, skin on
1/2 tablespoon Spicy Rub (0 net carbs) *
Butter-flavored Cooking Spray or 1 tablespoon Melted Butter
Preheat oven to 385 degrees (F.) Put a sheet of aluminum foil over a deep-sided pan, such as a jelly roll pan or a pie dish.
Wash the chicken pieces and dry with a paper towel. Place on the aluminum foil and spray the pieces on top or brush melted butter over them. If any of the skin is tucked under the chicken piece, pull it out and spread it on the sheet so that it will crisp. Pat the seasoning into each piece of chicken.
Put in oven and cook for 50 minutes. Check that the chicken is done and the skin is crisp. Remove from the oven and let sit about 5 minutes before serving.
Makes 2 servings.
Nutrition information per serving (thigh): Calories: 92.1 Fat: 7.1 g Net Carbs: 0.0 Protein: 6.8 g
Nutrition information per serving (breast): Calories: 300.4 Fat: 19.2 g Net Carbs: 0.0 g Protein: 30.3 g
The chicken breast is actually 2 half breasts, which is how they are usually sold. If you find small chicken thighs rather than the bigger, plump ones, then count two thighs as one serving.
* I use Blazin’ Blends Zesty Seasoned Salt, 0 calories and 0 carbohydrates
Close up of the green salad.
Green Salad with Zucchini & Avocado
1 1/2 cups shredded Romaine lettuce
1/2 cup chopped Spinach leaves
1/4 cup Zucchini, chopped
1/2 medium-sized Cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/4 Haas Avocado, peeled
1/2 teaspoon Lemon Juice
2 to 4 tablespoons Walden Farms Chipotle Ranch Dressing
In a large bowl, preferably with a lid, combine the lettuce, spinach, cucumber, and zucchini. Cut the avocado into small pieces and place in a small bowl, then add the lemon juice. This will help to prevent it from going brown. Put the rest of the avocado in a plastic baggie with a little lemon juice.
Put the lid on the bowl and toss the salad to mix the vegetables in. Serve on the plate or in a salad bowl, then top with the avocado. Pour chipotle ranch dressing over the top.
Makes two 1 servings.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 53.9 g Fat: 3.4 g Net Carbs: 1.6 g Protein: 1.5 g
When I was younger, and heavier, carrot salad was a favorite of mine, especially the kind with pineapple and raisins in it. Sadly, two of those three items are a little high on the carbs to endulge that salad. In fact, when I first started on Atkins, carrots were not part of phase 1 or phase 2 of the eating plan even though they aren’t that high in carbs. I still eat them sparingly, but have incorporated them into a few recipes.
I came up with this combination of vegetables and fruits to create a slaw that is similar to the carrot salad. It is really good and has quickly moved into my list of favorites. This would be a really great salad with your holiday dinner.
The challenge in ingredients may be to get fresh kohlrabi. It is a cold weather crop so it may be available now, but it is not a common one in the markets in my area. I have convinced one of my local stores to carry it and I buy it whenever I see it. It keeps very well in the refrigerator for a month or two. It can also be peeled, sliced and frozen easily. If you can’t find kohlrabi, you may try substituting broccoli stems, but while the flavor is similar, it is stronger.
Cranberry, Carrot and Kohlrabi Slaw
1/2 cup Carrots, grated
1/2 cup Kohlrabi, peeled and grated
1/2 cup Daikon Radish, peeled and grated
1/4 cup Broccoli, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Cranberries, finely chopped
1 tablespoon sugar substitute (liquid preferred)
2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
In a medium bowl, combine the chopped and grated vegetables and mix together. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise and sugar substitute together.
Add the mayonnaise mix to the vegetables and mix well. Chill and serve. Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition info per serving: Calories: 64.5 Fat: 5.1 g Net Carbs: 2.1 g Protein: 0.6 g
If you make this with one tablespoon of sugar rather than sugar substitute, then it changes the nutrition info to: Calories: 73.3 Fat: 5.1 g Net Carbs: 5.1 g Protein: 0.6 g
