Hi everyone! I'm new to the forum and new to the Atkins diet so I am still learning. I need help with side dishes. Do you guys any recommendations, I am running out of ideas, right now I am kinda just switching back and forth from green salads to green beans to broccoli but those are going to get old pretty quick so if you guys have any ideas that would be awesome!

Thanks!

Hi, and welcome to LCE! We have alot of good recipes here. Just click on recipes and/or cooking at the top of the page. Also, the official Atkins site is a good source of recipes.

Tonight, I steamed some cauliflower, carefully avoiding letting it get into the water. Then I made "fauxtato salad". Basically, you replace the potatoes with cauliflower and add the fixins! It tastes so much like potatoes, I was shocked! Some people run the steamed cauli thru a food processor and eat it like mashed potatoes.

Since we are supposed to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and/or veggies per day, sometimes I eat the salad, green beans, and broccoli all in one day!

Spahetti squash is something I'm going to try soon. Scope out the recipes...I'm sure you'll find something there.

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Here is one I really like using Cauliflower. Found it recently on Allrecipes.com

Cheesy Baked Cauliflower
A delicious cheesy cauliflower dish. Prep Time: approx. 30 Minutes. Cook
Time: approx. 30 Minutes. Ready in: approx. 1 Hour . Makes 5 servings.

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1 head cauliflower
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Directions
1 Steam whole head of cauliflower for 30 minutes. Drain and place on a pie plate.
2 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
3 In a mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise and mustard; spread the mixture over cauliflower and dot
with pats of butter. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese.
4 Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) uncovered, for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is brown.

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196/135-135

Here's my version of cauli-mash...



Recipe is here...

http://www.lowcarbeating.com/article...s%20and%20Tips

__________________
It is always necessary to leave some part
of cooking to improvisation. - Paul Bocuse
Member since 2001

Just to add to Marcie's post above, her method of cooking the cauli in the microwave is excellent! Far better than boiling, which makes the cauli a soggy mess to my way of thinking.

Also, try this:

I use two heads of cauli and refreigerate leftovers . . .

2 heads cauliflower, prepared as per Marcie's recipe above, in the micro

Put the florets and a bit of the stems in a large bowl.

ADD:
8 oz. softened cream cheese
3 slices crisp bacon, crumbled
3-4 green onions, chopped
8 oz. shredded cheddar

Mush all the above together. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Put in a casserole and bake at 350 for 20-40 minutes until browned and bubbly OR microwave, loosely covered, for about 40 minutes on 50% power, turning dish after 20 minutes.

At 8 servings: 250 calories and 3.4 net carbs per serving.

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Alida
5'1" ~ 59 years old
Highest weight: 165
Atkins 7/10/2004
160/126/125
RE-DO, January 2008:
167/162/135

Will move this to the cooking forum, where you most likely will get lots of replies!
There are many many good cooks here at LCE

Shelley

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Shelley
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Visit Kassie's Korner



Life deserves a treat now and again, but life also deserves being healthy[with required disipline] to make it worth living!

Just wanted to add....I do what KCTinter does but a tad easier.

I use 2 bags frozen cauliflower...cooked and mashed. Add precooked bacon, (crumbled), bag of cheddar cheese, handful of pepperjack cheese, 8 oz. container chive/onion cream cheese, green onions/chopped with salt and pepper to taste. Throw in casserole dish, top with Paprika for color and bake until bubbly.

We can't get enough of this and I'm making it tonight in fact LOL. Makes great leftovers for lunches with a salad!

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LC Since January 04
Highest Weight: 340
Rededicated 1/1/07: 295/ /240

“Self-delusion is pulling in your stomach when you step on the scales”

Sauteed squash; sauteed fresh spinach; asparagus; fried cabbage; LC cole slaw.

As for your green beans, try dressing them up a bit. I heat bacon drippings in a skillet, drain liquid from beans and then toss them in the skillet. Stirfry with some garlic and you can even add mushrooms. They are really good fixed like this with steak.

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Ozzie's Place

Try a panful of oven-roasted veggies - so sweet and so good! Preheat your oven to 425*. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil to make cleaning up easier.

Then clean your veggies. You can use any or all of the following:

asparagus
eggplant
red or any color bell peppers
any mushrooms
broccoli, cut into florets
cauliflower, ditto
Brussels sprouts which have been halved and nuked or steamed til BARELY tender
and my personal fave - green beans!

Cut the veggies into appropriate pieces, i.e., slice eggplant into rounds, cut bell peppers into quarters or eighths if very large.

Shake in a bag with some extra-virgin olive oil. Arrange on baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle lightly with garlic salt. Roast til browning. It will take various times for the veggies - eggplant takes maybe 10 minutes total (turning once) while the green beans and Brussels sprouts will take closer to 20.

I do a whole pan of green beans this way and DH and I will eat nearly the whole thing! They're so dang good!

Another fave is creamed spinach. Use a 10 oz. or larger bag of chopped spinach. Nuke til defrosted; squeeze out as much water as you can. Nuke til hot. Meanwhile, mix some sour cream (about 1/2 a cup, more or less) with a little beef stock paste or granules, or smash a beef bouillon cube. Mix it really well to blend, then add about 1/2 a teaspoon, or to taste, onion powder. Nuke the spinach til hot, then stir in the sour cream and nuke just a tad longer - if you do it too long, the sour cream will separate. Still tastes good, just doesn't look so pretty!

Char

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Veni, vidi, velcro. I came, I saw, I stuck around.

Save the Earth - it's the only planet with CHOCOLATE!

As recently discussed (see link following) spaghetti squash makes a great sidedish. Link to spaghetti squash discussions

I also like to use zucchini or summer squash "noodles" as a side dish. There are a couple of different kitchen gadgets that make turning vegetables into noodle threads very easy: Benringer spiral slicer, Spirooli, juilenne peeler, etc. (see prior rotary slicer discussions ).

PS... I see that Amazon has a great price on the Spirooli - only $9.99 Amazon Spirooli offer

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~~~Teelbee
Back to GOAL!!!
start weight: 176/goal range: 137-134/now: 138
Reached goal in Aug. 2003 - 4rd year of maintenance.

i have been makeing a cream style spinich didnt think i would like it but i did.. i make it cheesey and full of spices..

i also make friedd cauliflower (in nonstick pan w/ a light drizel of butter or spray,for browning) i will usualy add a few bits of diced red onion here too.

low carb coleslaw

depending on where you are in your weight loss, the other night w/ a steak i had cheesey spinich, and sliced strawberrys. it made for a very intresting dinner and out of the ordinary sides w/ a wonderfull steak!

i had to get an attitude where i thought out side the "box" meaning no longer useing pasta as a side, or potato. there are TONS of recipes out there just take a look im sure you will find TONS of ideas.

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01/02/04-248{ 4/29/04- 218} 6/30/04- 204
7-05-04 198 8/30/04 - 190 (got lost after that-)
4/03/08- 261 -
Goal-140-145

KD, I like that chive/onion cream cheese idea for the cauliflower bake. I'll have to try that next time! I've never tried the pre-cooked bacon.

__________________
Alida
5'1" ~ 59 years old
Highest weight: 165
Atkins 7/10/2004
160/126/125
RE-DO, January 2008:
167/162/135

Gilley, how did you make your cheesy spinach?
I went to a chinese buffet where they had a spinach bake that was full of cheese and garlic. It was soooo good but I'm not even sure where to start making it. Any ideas?

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Melissa

Fried/sauteed cauliflower or cabbage is wonderful when you cook it in bacon grease and add chopped, crispy bacon at the end. Delish!

__________________
It is always necessary to leave some part
of cooking to improvisation. - Paul Bocuse
Member since 2001

These are some of my favorite sides.

TEXAS SWEET ONION PIE
By Linda Sue

2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, sliced thin, 5 1/2 ounces*
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder (regular and chipotle are both good)
8 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded
3 eggs

Saut? the onion in butter until tender and slightly caramelized. Place the cheese in a greased pie plate; top with onions. Beat eggs, cream and seasonings. Pour over all. Bake at 350? for 35-40 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Makes 6-8 servings
Can be frozen

Per 1/6 Recipe: 359 Calories; 33g Fat; 14g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs
Per 1/8 Recipe: 269 Calories; 24g Fat; 10g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs

* Any yellow onion will do because it's cooked long enough to caramelize it and make it sweet, but a Vidalia or Texas 1015 onion would be wonderful.

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Squash Casserole
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
(Low Carbed)

Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

6 cups large diced yellow squash and zucchini
Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon House seasoning, recipe follows
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
(1 C. Carbquik + 1/2 C. almond flour – season with onion and garlic powder – toss with 4 tablespoons melted butter.) This is a substitute for butter cracker crumbs.

Preheat oven to 375?.

Saute the squash in a little olive oil over medium-low heat until it has completely broken down, about 15 to 20 minutes. Line a colander with a clean tea towel. Place the cooked squash in the lined colander. Squeeze excess moisture from the squash. Set aside.

In a medium size skillet, saute the onion in butter for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and mix all ingredients together except cracker crumbs. Pour mixture into a buttered casserole dish and top with cracker crumbs. Bake for 25 minutes.


House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

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Pumpkin Custard
52.2g carbs for the whole recipe
16 – 1/2 cup servings – 3.2g carbs per serving

1 cup Splenda-24
1 tablespoon SteviaPlus-0
2 teaspoons cinnamon-1.2
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg-0.3
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten-2
1 can solid pack pumpkin-14
1/2 teaspoon salt-0
3/4 cup cream-6
3/4 cup SF Davinci vanilla syrup-0
4 eggs - separate and save the whites for later-2.7
1 tablespoon vanilla-2

Preheat oven to 350?

Mix all dry ingredients together and stir very well until well combined.

Add the pumpkin and the egg yolks and vanilla, mix well.

Slowly mix in the cream and water until well blended.

Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the pumpkin mixture.

Pour into a 2 quart casserole dish and bake at 350? for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted half way between the center and the edge of the casserole comes out clean.

There should be a small jiggle left in the middle, it will set up as it cools.
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CAULIFLOWER SALAD

Recipe By : Bruce

20 ounces frozen cauliflower
1/4 cup celery -- chopped
1/4 cup onion -- chopped
6 egg -- boiled and chopped
1 cup MAYONNAISE / MIRACLE WHIP
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cheddar cheese -- shredded
2 teaspoons yellow mustard

Bake frozen cauliflower uncovered at 325 for one hour to dry.

Let cauliflower cool and roughly chop.

Mix all ingredients together, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Count is for entire recipe: 3512 Calories; 348g Fat (87.5% calories from fat); 69g Protein; 43g Carbohydrate; 15g Dietary Fiber; 1420mg Cholesterol; 1248mg Sodium.

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Faux Sweet Potato Casserole

1 can pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tablespoon Splenda, granular
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 pinch salt

Streusel topping:
1/2 cup crushed almonds (I used pecans and tripled all the topping ingredients)
2 Tbs. butter, softened
pinch of cinnamon
2 Tbs. Splenda

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CAULIFLOWER BISQUE
By Linda Sue

1 small cauliflower, cut into small chunks, about 20 ounces after trimming
1 small onion, diced or leeks, chopped, 2 1/2 ounces
2 tablespoons celery, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups chicken broth (homemade recommended)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped (dried not recommended)

In a 3-quart saucepan, saut? onion or leek and celery in the butter until tender. Add chopped cauliflower, a bit of salt and pepper and broth; bring to boil. Turn down heat to low; cover and simmer until cauliflower is very tender, about 20-25 minutes. Use a stick blender to puree the soup until completely smooth and thick. Add cream; mix well. Add salt and pepper, if needed. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Makes about 6 cups soup, or 6 big servings
Can be frozen

Per Serving: 150 Calories; 12g Fat; 5g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs

This reminded me of the Leek and Potato Soup that I'd eaten several times while in England and is one of my favorite soups. You could also add some cooked shrimp or crab for a seafood bisque.
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Tequila Berry Salad

2 cups mayo
1/2 cup sugar (substitute 1/4 cup Splenda)
1 cup Parmesan cheese (shredded; not grated)
2 TBSP white vinegar
Mix and chill the night before

Salad:
1 bag romaine lettuce; torn into bite size pieces
1 bag coleslaw mix
1 head cauliflower; chopped small
1 pound bacon, fried & drained well.

Mix all ingredients. together and enjoy. Makes a huge bowl -- usually feeds about 15 people.

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Shrimp Slaw
By ELIZABETH PUDWILL
April 19, 2004 Houston Chronicle, Food Section

We have run this recipe before, but it has been about eight years, and I think it's worthy of running again. I got several responses to Sandra Ponders' request for Shrimp Slaw. This version sent in by Marjorie Day is from Hillmans Seafood and Fish House in Dickinson, Texas.

SHRIMP SLAW
1 medium head green cabbage, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cups shelled cooked bay shrimp
3/4 cup mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
1/3 cup bottled Italian salad dressing
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

? In large bowl, place cabbage, onion and shrimp.


? In small bowl, combine mayonnaise, Italian dressing, salts and pepper. Add to cabbage and shrimp.

? Refrigerate one hour to blend flavors, but it's best if left overnight.

? Makes 8-10 servings.

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Olive Garden Salad Mix

Ingredients:
1 bag American Blend Dole Salad
4-5 slices Red Onion
4-6 Black Olives
2-4 Banana Peppers
1 small Tomato Quartered
Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese


Preparation:
Chill one salad bowl in freezer for at least 30 minutes. Place bag of salad in bowl. Place on top of lettuce but red onion, black olives, banana peppers and tomatoes. Add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese if you like, and add plenty of Olive Garden Salad Dressing on top.

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Olive Garden Salad Dressing

Ingredients:
1/2 C. Mayonnaise
1/3 C. White Vinegar
1 tsp. Vegetable Oil
2 pkt. Splenda
2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbsp. Romano Cheese
1/4 tsp. Garlic Salt - or one clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp. Parsley Flakes
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
Olive Garden Salad Mix


Preparation:
Mix all ingredients in a blender until well mixed. If this is a little to tart for your own personal tastes add a little extra Splenda.

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ANTIPASTO SALAD

Salad greens (I used romaine), torn
Ripe olives, whole or sliced
Cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Sliced salad peppers
Hard salami, diced or julienned
Ham, diced or julienned
Mozzarella or provolone, cubed or in small sticks
Olive Garden salad dressing
Freshly ground pepper

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl; serve. Number of servings and carb counts will vary depending on the ingredients used, but estimate about 6 net carbs per serving.