3 Course Low-Carb Vegetarian Meal: Farmers’ Market Bounty

3 Course Low-Carb Vegetarian Meal: Low-Carb Farmers’ Market Bounty

The promise of summertime harvests, and lure of the Farmers’ Market and local farm stands, gets me thinking about deliciously easy, budget-friendly, summer veggie dishes. And, for 12g of net carbohydrate or less per serving, these dishes are also low-carb and Paleo friendly, too. I even dare to suggest Dad will approve of these hearty salads and side dishes – even the ratatouille which I promised you last month.

In less than thirty minutes, you can have a complete family meal on the table with very little clean-up or trouble, leaving you extra time to get outdoors and do something fun with the fam—enjoy the summer weather while you can!

Low-Carb Watermelon Feta Salad

Low-Carb Ratatouille Recipe

12 Servings: $14.40
4 Servings: $4.80
Per Serving: $1.20

Recipe By: Susie T. Gibbs
Serving Size: ¼ of Recipe
Yield: 4 Servings
Preparation Time: 15 Minutes
Start to Finish: 15 Minutes

Categories: Veggie Side Dishes

Description:
A classic peasant veggie stew from Nice, France. You’ll wonder why you haven’t made this before.

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/2″ planks
4 large zucchini, sliced into 1/2″ planks
⅓ cup olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
2 large red bell peppers, chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
3 tablespoons parsley, freeze-dried, divided
3 tablespoons basil, divided
⅛ teaspoon rosemary, chopped
¼ teaspoon thyme, dried
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes https://amzn.to/3oCR7OO
salt and pepper
2 bay leaves, whole
¼ cup dry vermouth
28 ounces diced tomatoes, canned
1 cup kalamata olives, pitted, or Niçoise olives

Slice eggplant and zucchini and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive. Rub oil into veggies. Combine parsley, basil, rosemary, and thyme with salt and pepper and sprinkle 1/3 of seasoning mix over zucchini and eggplant slices. Grill veggies in a grill pan or on your outdoor grill over direct heat, about 3-4 minutes per side. Make sure the fire is very hot, you want color but you don’t want to cook the veggies throughout. You want them underdone. Remove from fire and cool enough to handle them.

In a heavy Dutch oven, add remaining olive oil along with onions and diced red bell pepper. Sauté over medium high heat until tender and veggies have begun to take on color around the edges. Add sliced garlic and sauté another minute.

Cut zucchini and eggplant into 3/4 inch chunks and add to onions and pepper mixture. Add remaining spice mixture, bay leaves, vermouth, canned diced tomatoes with their juice and kalamata olives. Bring up to a boil then reduce to simmer. Cover pot and cook on low for 45 minutes to an hour or until vegetables are tender and sauce has thickened. It should now look like a stew.

Serve immediately garnished with extra lashes of olive oil and maybe a bit of Parmesan cheese (although that’s completely unnecessary and not listed in the ingredients).

Per Serving: 157 Calories; 12g Fat (64.5% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 417mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Fat.

Serving Ideas: Serve with grilled or pan roasted fish, shrimp, chicken or lamb.

NOTES: Okay, so this dish makes 3 dinners, serving 4 people. It’s so easy to make and can be cut in half, but honestly, it’s so delicious leftover–cold or hot, that you should make the entire recipe and serve it at multiple meals.

Ratatouille is one of the things for which we must give thanks to France, Nice specifically (the south of France). It originated as a peasant stew and it’s said that every Nice mama has her own recipe. I could be burned at the stakes for daring to grill my veggies for this, but grilling the zucchini and eggplant along with partially caramelizing the onions and peppers, really add to depth of flavor.

It makes incredible use of bountiful summer veggies. In fact, I actually use fresh tomatoes in place of canned tomatoes. While convenient, canned tomatoes never taste as great. And it’s so easy to toss them with olive oil and throw them in the oven at 450° for 30 minutes. The skins slip right off! And then a rough chop and into the pan. Voila!

The only thing you need with this dish is a simple grilled or pan seared protein. We love lamb, fish, shrimp or chicken with this ratatouille! I think you will too. But I’ll tell you a little secret, it’s just as great with grilled cheeseburgers!

Low-Carb Yellow Squash Fritters

4 Servings: $6.04
Per Serving: $1.51

Recipe By: Susie T. Gibbs
Serving Size: ¼ of Recipe
Yield: 4 Servings
Preparation Time: 30 Minutes
Start to Finish: 45 Minutes to 1 Hour

Categories: Veggie Side Dishes

Description:
Yellow squash fritters make great appetizers or a fun side dish for any simply prepared meat or seafood.

Ingredients:
1½ pounds yellow squash, grated
¼ teaspoon sea salt, divided
¼ cup onion, minced
½ poblano pepper, seeded and minced
⅛ cup cilantro, chopped
¼ teaspoon thyme, fresh
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
2 tablespoons coconut flour https://amzn.to/3JejSLe
1 tablespoon oat fiber https://amzn.to/3oB0Zbz
2 tablespoons pork rind crumbs https://amzn.to/3zC53P3
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
2 large eggs
½ cup olive oil, or your preferred oil for pan sautéing

For Garnish:
½ cup sour cream
chopped cilantro or fresh parsley

Grate squash and place in a strainer over a bowl. Sprinkle squash with sea salt (about 1/4 teaspoon) and let it drain to pull moisture out for 30-45 minutes. While squash drains, finely mince onion and poblano (I use the food processor). Chop cilantro and fresh thyme. Grate cheddar cheese.

In a separate bowl, combine parmesan cheese, coconut flour, oat fiber, pork rind crumbs, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt, granulated garlic, cumin, black pepper, baking powder and cream of tartar.

Lightly beat eggs.

When squash is through draining, dump into a clean kitchen towel. Roll the towel up, twist and squeeze to remove remaining moisture.

Mix squash with vegetable mixture and beaten eggs. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir to combine thoroughly. Let mixture sit while pan preheats.

Preheat oven to 300. Get a baking sheet out and place a cookie or cooling rack into it. You will keep the fritters warm in the oven while you finish cooking all of them.

Heat heavy cast iron skillet over medium high heat until good and hot. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to hot pan, when oil starts to “shimmer’ and move it’s hot. Scoop about 1/8 to 1/4 cup of fritter mixture into hot pan. Cook about 3-4 at a time. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, turning once. Remove when golden and heated the outside and squash and veggies are completely cooked throughout. Place cooked fritters on a rack and keep warm as you cook the remaining fritter and serve hot with a dollop of sour cream or your favorite dipping sauce.

Per Serving: 545 Calories; 48g Fat (76.4% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 10g Net Carbs.

Serving Ideas: Serve squash fritters with my recipe for Great Steak or your favorite grilled meat or seafood.

NOTES: These are a delicious alternative to your standard veggie side dish. The key is serving these while hot. The kids will even love them because they don’t translate to “veggies”. They make a great potato replacement. We love them with blooming onion sauce and a sprinkle of cayenne.

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