Easy Low Carb Recipe Conversions Part 2

Judith van den Broek March 20, 2001 Advice, Recipes Leave a comment 1,046 Views

Crock Pot Recipes: Round 2

Greetings! I’m back with a couple more crockpot/slowcook recipes, and am going to run them through the ‘low carb converter’ for you.

Revisiting “The Big Three”

Do you remember “The Big Three” recipe conversion guidelines? They are:

If “IT” (an ingredient) isn’t leafy and green, or meat, oil, and/or fats, look up and write down the carb count.
If “IT” is a filler, simply delete it. (It’s a filler if it’s not providing flavour or texture, or is often eaten as a side-dish. For example, dried beans, unless mashed, get their flavour from other ingredients in the recipe and don’t thicken anything very much. Rice, potatoes, and noodles also have very little flavour of their own. Watch for
catch phrases such as “serve with” or “pour over.” That’s the cheap filler.
Consider substituting low carb versions of high-carb flavourings and thickeners ONLY if you can’t just delete them from the recipe without changing the recipe drastically. This is where things get a little trickier. It may require you to change some of your traditional culinary assumptions. For example, what part of a quiche is the tasty and nutrient-dense part: the pastry (NOT) or the yummy vegetable-laden egg and cheese filling? Which part of a quiche is there merely as a “holder” and can be easily replaced by a plate?

Ah, I see your hand waving there in the back row. Yes! The crust of a quiche is the holder, and it’s entirely dispensable. Very good. You get an A+.

More Crock Pot/Slow Cooker Recipes

It is so lovely to come home to a dinner already prepared and ready to eat. Crock pot/slow cooker recipes are also wonderful for busy weekends when you are too busy (or having too much fun) to cook during the afternoon. You and your family will love the wonderful odours wafting through the house all day, too. They’ll certainly whet your appetite!

Below are two more tasty slow-cook recipes to add to your low carb crock pot/slow cooker repertoire. Since we’ve already done beef, are recipes for a zesty, flavourful pork stew and a lovely chicken and wine stew.

These recipes can also be made on the stove top, if you don’t happen to have a crockpot or slow cooker appliance. The stovetop instructions are at the end of the article and apply to all the recipes.

First up is the original recipe with instructions and nutritional information, followed by the conversion notes, and then the low carb version of the same recipe.

Original Zesty Lemon Pork Stew

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds (1 kg) boneless pork sirloin, cubed
2 medium onions, chopped (2 cups)
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (2 cups)
2 stalks celery, sliced
3 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup water
1 14-ounce (398 mL) artichoke hearts, drained
2 cups frozen green beans

Serves 6 @ 372 calories, 12 grams fat, 38 grams protein, 28 grams carbohydrates, w/ 6 grams fibre per serving.

Sodium per serving is 1,483 mg.; potassium per serving is 1,037 mg.

Conversion Notes:

The filler is the sweet potatoes. With 65 grams of carbohydrates and only 7 grams of fibre, they are not appropriate for most low carbohydrate diets, particularly for diabetics or during the weight loss phases of the various
diets. One of the sweet potatoes can be replaced with turnips (for it’s sweetness and potato-like texture). The other sweet potato can be replaced with additional celery (to compensate for the missing bulk of the sweet potato).
Colour and flavor are provided by the onions, artichoke hearts, and green beans. The amount of onions and artichoke hearts can be reduced. It is not necessary to reduce the amount of green beans, since they are lower in carbohydrates. Colour and flavor are provided by the onions, artichoke hearts and green beans and provide healthy fiber.
The texture of the dish is definitely effected by the flour which is used as a thickener in the original recipe. You can eliminate it entirely. If you like your stew thick, you can replace it with Expert Foods ThickenThin not/Starch, which is what I did. I also eliminated the water, since it’s not necessary and merely thins the broth.

Low Carb Zesty Lemon Pork Stew

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds (1 kg) boneless pork sirloin, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small turnip, peeled and cubed (1 cup)
6 stalks celery, sliced
3 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (250 mL) artichoke hearts, drained
2 cups frozen green beans
1 tablespoon Expert Foods ThickenThin not/Starch

Serves 6 @ 302 calories, 12 grams fat, 35 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrates, w/ 5 grams fibre per serving.

Sodium per serving is 1,496 mg; potassium per serving is 957 mg.

Instructions:
In a large, non-stick skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Brown meat in batches until browned on all sides. Transfer the meat to an 18 to 24-cup (4.5 to 6 L) slow-cooker or crockpot.

Combine all the remaining ingredients except the not/Starch in a large bowl and stir to combine them. Pour them over the meat.

Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the meat and vegetables are tender.

Remove a small amount of the broth from the crock pot. Whisk the not/Starch into 1 small amount of the chicken broth. Combine the not/Starch/chicken broth mixture with the stew and stir to combine. Let stand a few minutes while the broth thickens.

Serves 6.

Original Chicken with Wine Stew

This recipe is relatively low carb to begin with, but it can still be improved upon.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds (1 kg) skinless chicken thighs
4 strips bacon, chopped
2 medium onions, quartered
2 whole garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon oregano, and 2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup water
3 cups sliced mushrooms
2 green onions (scallions), sliced

Serves 6 @ 273 calories, 10 grams fat, 30 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrates, w/ 3 grams fibre per serving.

Sodium per serving is 802 mg.; potassium per serving is 671 mg.

Conversion Notes:

There really isn’t any filler in this recipe, which makes it easier to convert. I increased the celery for added bulk, though.
Flavor is primarily provided by the onions, which contribute 15 grams of carbohydrates to the prepared stew. I didn’t reduce the amount of onions, but you could lower the carbohydrate count of the recipe by eliminating them entirely. I increased the amount of bacon to intensify the flavour (and it’s such a great flavour).
The texture of the dish is definitely effected by the flour which is used as a thickener in the original recipe. You can eliminate it entirely. If you like your stew thick, you can replace it with Expert Foods ThickenThin not/Starch,
which is what I did. I also eliminated the water, since it’s not necessary and merely thins the broth. I also added some cream both for improved smoothness and because it goes so well with the mushrooms and bacon.

Low Carb Chicken with Wine Stew

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds (1 kg) skinless chicken thighs
6 strips bacon, chopped
2 medium onions, quartered
2 whole garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon oregano, and 2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Expert Foods ThickenThin not/Starch
3 cups sliced mushrooms
2 green onions (scallions), sliced
1/4 cup heavy or whipping cream

Serves 6 @ 298 calories, 14 grams fat, 30 grams protein, 11 grams carbohydrates, w/ 4 grams fibre per serving.

Sodium per serving is 842 mg.; potassium per serving is 681 mg.

Instructions:

In a large, non-stick skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken thighs and bacon in until the chicken is browned on all sides and the bacon is cooked. Transfer the meat to an 18 to 24-cup (4.5 to 6 L) slow-cooker or crockpot.

Combine all the remaining ingredients except the not/Starch and in a large bowl and stir to combine them. Pour them over the meat. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the meat and vegetables are tender.

Remove a small amount of the broth from the crock pot. Whisk the not/Starch into a small amount of the broth. Combine the not/Starch/chicken broth mixture with the stew and stir to combine. Let stand a few minutes while the broth thickens.

Serves 6.

Stovetop Instructions For All Slow-Cook Suppers

Brown the meat or chicken in a Dutch oven as is directed for the crock pot versions above.

Combine all the remaining ingredients except the not/Starch in a large bowl and stir to combine them. Pour them over the meat in the Dutch oven.

Cover and simmer over medium low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender.

Serves 6.

Slow-Cook Suppers (CrockPot OR StoveTop)

Original recipes courtesy of Canadian Living Test Kitchen, February 2000

LC Conversions courtesy of LowCarb FoodExperts Canada, February 2001

(Nutritional Information as provided by MasterCook software).