Low Carb Cookbook – Tasty Recipes And Unique Ideas

Anyone on a low-carbohydrate diet or comtemplating going on one might want to check out Linda Gassenheimer's latest cookbook. "More Low-Carb Meals in Minutes: A Three-Stage Plan for Keeping It Off" (Bay Books, $18.95, paperback) not only offers an approach to dieting that readers will find sensible, it provides easy-to-prepare, good tasting recipes for everyday eating and for entertaining.

The 221-page bookcontains many free low carb recipes and opens with a foreward from Dr. Cheryle R. Hart, author of "The Insulin Resistance Diet," who discusses how eating excess starchy and sugary foods leads to high insulin levels in the body. The high insulin levels promote increased fat storing, she writes.

But, she says, you can't just completely cut carbohydrates from your diet. Besides being unrealistic, it's not good for you. The key is knowing which kinds of carbohydrates and how much.

That's where Gassenheimer's book comes in. A sequel to Gassenheimer's best-selling "Low-Carb Meals in Minutes," it provides a resource for people trying to eat a more balanced diet, Hart says.

Gassenheimer, a syndicated food columnist with the Knight-Ridder/Tribune wire service and host of a National Public Radio food show for south Florida, writes that both of her low-carb cookbooks are the result of a cardiologist suggesting seven years ago that her husband go on a low-carbohydrate diet to lower his triglycerides and help him lose weight.

The author divides her book into a three-step program. The first, Quick Start, provides a two-week menu that she says jump-starts quick weight loss. Next comes the two-week "Which Carbs" for gradually reintroducing the right carbohydrates into the diet. The final step is "Right Carbs," which offers a balanced two-week menu for showing how to keep the weight off.

Gassenheimer also provides recipes in the Super Speed Suppers section for busy weeknights, a Weekends section for meals that are a little special and take a little more time, and another section with ideas for entertaining. Among the recipes are Sausage and Artichoke Frittata, Chicken Burgers with Warm Mushroom Salad, Veal Piccata with Garlic Zucchini and Tomato Orzo, Jamaican Jerk Pork with Hearts of Palm Salad, Lentil and Rice Salad and String Beans with Crumbled Gorgonzola.

What I particularly like about the book is that Gassenheimer has structured her recipes as complete meals with balanced carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Each recipe also includes helpful hints, a shopping list and a nutritional breakdown. Also, she opens the book with a discussion about what food items to avoid and to keep available, how to shop and how to judge a proper serving size.

The book is illustrated with both full-color and black-and-white photographs.

I tried the book's Ginger-Cranberry Smoothie, which Gassenheimer suggests as part of a breakfast in the Which Carbs section, and I thought the amount of ground ginger produced too sharp a taste. I decided that Gassenheimer must favor intense or acidic flavors after trying her coleslaw recipe. I liked the slaw, but I will cut back on the amount of vinegar the next time I make it.

Also, when making the Crab Cakes, be sure your skillet has a good nonstick surface.

For more information, see delicious Atkins diet recipes.

About The Author:

Mark Harris is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.atkins-diet-plan-n-recipes.com. Information about the Atkins diet plan and low carb cooking for long term weight loss.