Low-Carb Lesson #19: Low-Carb Chicken & Spinach

Written by Di Bauer June 15, 2002, Updated by Andrew DiMino July 18, 2016

Low Carb Cooking 101: Low Carb Lesson #19: Low-Carb Chicken & Spinach

Tonight’s meal has a special advantage: all the preparation work can be done the evening before. This makes it perfect for those nights when you know you’re going to be getting home from work late, or when you know tomorrow is going to be incredibly hectic (are there any days that aren’t hectic? If you have a calm, peaceful day occasionally, please let me know your secret).

There is no recipe for the sugar-free popsicle. I know I could make them, but heaven’s to Betsy! Life’s too short. At 1 gram of carbohydrates per “stick,” I’m perfectly content to buy the sugar-free Fla-vor-ice.

Sugar-free popsicles are something that I can eat one of and enjoy, but they don’t “call” to me. One is always enough. That certainly can’t be said of the sugar-free ice cream sandwiches and sugar-free ice cream bars I buy for my husband and kids. I don’t dare eat one because one leads to two, and sometimes to three.

I keep my sugar-free popsicles in the kitchen freezer and the sugar-free ice cream bars and sandwiches in the freezer in the garage where I don’t have to look at them every time I go to get ice for my water. That said, because they are low in both carbs and calories, I can always indulge in an extra pop if the mood strikes.

Here’s This Evening’s Low-Carb Recipes

• Chicken Oregano Recipe
• Creamed Spinach Recipe

Here’s The Gameplan

You can do the preparation work either the night or morning before you serve the meal.

Prepare the marinade and pour it over the chicken, then cover and place in the refrigerator.

Completely prepare the Creamed Spinach, put it in a 2-quart casserole, and put it in the refrigerator alongside the Chicken Oregano.

About 45 minutes before you want to serve dinner, turn the oven on and preheat it to 350° F.

At the same time, take the Chicken Oregano and the Creamed Spinach out of the refrigerator and put them on the counter to come to room temperature.

When the oven is preheated, uncover the Chicken Oregano and the Creamed Spinach and place them in the oven. Set the timer for 30 minutes.

While the food is cooking, set the table. Since that won’t take you 30 minutes, sit down and relax until the buzzer goes off. You did remember to set the timer, didn’t you? I forget to about a third of the time. This drives my long-suffering husband nuts. He doesn’t like to ask me when dinner will be ready and hear, “When it smells done.”

When everything’s ready, serve the meal and sit down and enjoy a well-deserved, relaxing meal.

Personally, I don’t like a dessert immediately after eating dinner. But about three hours later I usually do want something. Have the sugar free popsicles at the dinner table if you want, but I’m saving mine for bedtime!