Chef George Stella is joined by best-selling cookbook author Dana Carpender to prepare some of her favorite quick and easy, low carb gourmet meals. Together they make a heaping fresh spinach salad topped with toasted pecans; a feta-spinach salmon roast; a dish Dana calls "Little Mama's Side Dish" which uses chopped cauliflower as its base mixed with green pepper, chopped onion and sautéed bacon; and finally a simple dessert called strawberry cups topped with a pretty fanned strawberry and a dollop of homemade whipped cream.
Top 5 Tips
1. Cauliflower is a great stand-in for potatoes and rice, adding texture while picking up the flavor of whatever it is cooked with.
2. Low carb is about freshness, but not everyone has time to prepare a fresh meal everyday. Stay healthy by preparing things in large quantities and saving the leftovers. Protein-packed chilis and meat roasts are easy to make and can last for days in the fridge.
3. Watch out for unsuspecting veggies. Onions are what George calls a "borderline vegetable" since it contains so many natural sugars. Limit yourself by using one onion for up to four different meals.
4. Olives are a great salty snack alternative for low carb diet programs.
5. Berries are an excellent choice for low carb dieters. They are lower in sugar than their fruit counterparts and are packed with anti-oxidants.
When dinner is down to the wire or you're too tired to cook, a meal straight from the pantry is the way to go! Michael teaches us the essentials of a well stocked cupboard to make quick and impressive meals for impromptu guests. Who knew it was so easy?
Gameplan
Hour Before Dinner (made with guests):
Mash anchovies and capers for puttanesca sauce
Steam skins off of canned tomatoes for bruschetta
Put marinara sauce, clam juice, black pepper in sauce
Pit and chop olives and add to the sauce.
Add mashed anchovies and capers combination to the sauce. Add fresh oregano.
Chop steamed tomatoes for bruschetta.
Chop prosciutto and cook on stovetop to add as bits to salad.
Mix salad dressing: chopped tarragon, Dijon mustard, gray salt, sherry vinegar
Make poached eggs for salad. Prepare greens.
Make bruschetta on grill and then top with chopped tomatoes, basil & olive oil
Make pasta
Dinner Party:
Serve salad, pasta puttanesca with bruschetta
After dinner, make espresso
Make dessert: hazelnut gelato with steamed milk, biscotti and then add hot espresso
Wine Recommendation
Chiarello Vineyards Cabernet