FIGARO FABULOSA QUICK FAJITAS MARINADE
This is my favorite fajita marinade and I've been using it for many years. I think it's only available in the south though. Although the carbs are minimal, there is a little sugar in it. One of these days I'll try to make a copycat version using water, vinegar, liquid smoke, Splenda, lime juice and garlic. I'm sure it would be a lot cheaper to make from scratch too. I pay around $1.50 per bottle, which will make one or two batches of fajitas depending on how much meat you're making. It's good with beef and chicken, but I prefer chicken fajitas. Here's their website - Figaro
Ingredients: water, vinegar, liquid smoke, hydrolyzed soy protein, sugar, natural citrus flavor, caramel color, garlic, spices, herbs
1 Tablespoon = 0 carbs
Recipe: Fajita Salad
FISH SAUCE
I must admit that I haven't gotten up the nerve to try fish sauce in a recipe yet. Years ago I found a brand that didn't have any sugar in it but, when I opened the bottle and smelled it, I promptly threw it out! There wasn't anything wrong with it, but the smell was so pungent that I wasn't about to put any in my food. I've since gotten brave and bought another bottle to try sometime. Unfortunately, I haven't found a brand without sugar and I've checked a lot of labels. Since you use such a tiny amount in a recipe, I won't worry about it. It's really no different than using a little Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce for flavoring. I'll try to remember to post what I think of fish sauce after I get around to trying it. The recipe below calls for 1 teaspoon of fish sauce. I substituted soy sauce for it, but fish sauce would be more authentic. Here's a better description: fish sauce
Ingredients: anchovy extract, water, fructose, hydrolyzed soy protein
1 tablespoon = 1 carb
Recipe: Chicken Satay
FLAX MEAL
Flax meal is made from ground flax seeds. It's highly nutritious and almost 100% fiber so the carb count per serving is almost nothing. I've used both the regular kind and the golden kind and I highly recommend buying golden flax meal if you can find it. It has a slightly milder flavor and your baked goods won't have dark flecks in them. You can see the difference in these two recipe photos. These were made with regular flax meal - Flax Sandwich Buns, and these were made with golden flax meal - Banana Walnut Muffins. You can get information on the nutritional aspects of flax meal here or here
1 cup = 29g Carbohydrate; 27g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs
Recipe: Coconut Macaroon Muffins
FREEZE-DRIED CHIVES
Although I would love to have fresh chives growing in my backyard, it's not very practical in the Houston heat. So, I rely on freeze-dried chives which, to me, taste almost as good as fresh ones. I usually get them at Penzeys or order them from Spice Barn. Spice barn also sells freeze-dried green onions which are very good. They have a slightly stronger flavor than the chives. Chives are good sprinkled over salads or soups. They're also nice in things like chicken salad.
1/4 cup = trace Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; trace Net Carbs
Recipe: Smoked Salmon Quiche with Dill
2 ounces = 1 Net Carb
Ingredients (Hatch brand): Water, Green Chilies, Corn Starch, Dehydrated Onion, Wheat Flour, Salt, Chile Pepper, Cumin, Soybean Oil, Spices, Parsley Powder
1/4 cup = 3g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs (will vary by brand)
Ingredients: tomatillo, jalapeño pepper, onion, salt, cilantro, modified corn starch, spices, potassium sorbate
1 cup = 10g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 10g Net Carbs
1 cup = 9g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 9g Net Carbs
1 cup (75 grams) = 13g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 6g Net Carbs
1 cup = 7g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 7g Net Carbs
UPDATE: If you can't find Heinz One Carb ketchup, don't dispair. Heinz is making the same product under the new name of Heinz Reduced Sugar Ketchup. The ingredients and carb count are still the same. I've seen it at Wal-Mart for $1.74 and at Kroger for $2.19. Also, I have finally had a chance to try this and it's great. The label on the bottle I bought at Wal-Mart still says "One Carb" with "Reduced Sugar" in smaller print. The label is actually a little different than either one of the pictures above. Just look for a blue label.
Ingredients: Tomato concentrate made from red ripe tomatoes, distilled vinegar, salt, onion powder spice, sucralose, natural flavoring
1 tablespoon = 1g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
Ingredients (Tropic of Strawberry): Hibiscus; rosehips; orange peel; chamomile; roasted chicory; blackberry leaves; natural flavors of strawberries, pineapples, coconuts, bananas and other natural flavors (contains soy lecithin); lemon verbena and bananas
Ingredients (Tasty Tangerine): apple, blackberry leaves, citric acid, hibiscus, natural tangerine flavor with other natural flavors (soy lecithin), roasted chicory root, tangerine and orange juices from concentrate, rose hips, orange peel.
Ingredients (Pink Grapefruit, Mandarin & Lime): hibiscus, rosehips, orange peel, apple pieces, blackberry leaves, grapefruit flavouring , mandarin flavouring, liquorice root, lime flavouring, lemon flavouring, lemon pieces, lime pieces, mandarin pieces
1 tea bag = zero carbs
Ingredients: maltodextrin, salt, monosodium glutamate, buttermilk solids, whey solids, dried garlic, dried onion, lactic acid, modified food starch, spices, citric acid, calcium lactate, casein, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, whole milk solids, artificial flavor, guar gum, calcium stearate
1 packet dry mix = 16g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 16g Net Carbs
ITALIAN SEASONING
Ingredients: California and French basil, Turkish oregano, minced garlic and thyme
1 tablespoon = 2g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
1 pepper = 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
UPDATE: I'm sad to say that it looks like Wal-Mart has stopped selling this product. If you live in Texas, you might find it at HEB and I've heard that Super Target still carries it. I found it at my local HEB for $1.59 per bottle.
Ingredients: tomato puree (water, tomato paste), water vinegar, salt, spices, natural flavors, modified food starch, dried garlic, dried onion, sodium benzoate, tortulla yeast, maltodextrin, xanthan gum, red 40, blue 1, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, caramel color, turmeric, paprika extracts
2 tablespoons = 2g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs
Ingredients (pink lemonade flavor): citric acid, calcium phosphate, maltodextrin, salt, natural flavor, lemon juice solids, ascorbic acid, artificial color, red 40, BHA
8 ounce glass = trace carbs
2 ounces = 1g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
Ingredients: nonfat milk, cocoa processed with alkali, modified whey, calcium carbonate, salt, carrageenan, artificial flavors, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, disodium phosphate
1 packet: 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs
Ingredients (French Onion flavor): Light cheddar, cheddar, Swiss and semisoft cheeses, whey, cream, sodium phosphate, onion, sodium citrate, salt, natural flavor
3/4 ounce wedge = 1 Net Carb
UPDATE: You can buy now order this bread from Netrition for $2.99.
Ingredients: water, wheat gluten, corn starch, flax, oat fiber, whole wheat flour, oat bran, isolated soy protein, soy flour, soy oil, sesame flour, salt, sodium acid pyrophosphate, dextrose, sodium bicarbonate, calcium propionate, fumaric acid, potassium sorbate, monodigycerides, sucralose, sodium metabisulfite, yeast
1 serving = 7g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs
Ingredients: Chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla
Per 4 squares (40 grams) = 14g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 12g Net Carbs
Ingredients: Chocolate, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, sugar, vanilla
Per 4 squares (40 grams) = 8g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 5g Net Carbs
Ingredients: Onions, Salt, Corn Starch, Sugar, Corn Syrup Solids, Caramel Color, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Yeast Extract, Monosodium Glutamate, Natural Flavors, Disodium Inosinate And Disodium Guanylate
1 packet = 21g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 17g Net Carbs
Ingredients: Water, Natural Smoke Flavor, Vinegar, Molasses, Caramel Color and Salt
1 tablespoon = trace Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; trace Net Carb
LIQUID SPLENDA (see Splenda Liquid)
Here's a description that I found online: ""It is made from the cream of cow’s milk, but no cheese starter or rennet is used in its production. Rather than being churned like butter, mascarpone is made by draining the moisture from heavy cream using a small amount of citric acid and finely woven cloth. The result is an extremely smooth, slightly sweet fresh cheese that is similar to Devon Cream or Clotted Cream."
1/4 cup = 2g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs
UPDATE: Eat Well Be Well has gone out of business so the chips are no longer available. Netrition sells another brand that is very similar but the chips are much larger and a bit irregular in shape. Click here to order Carb Counters Chocolate Chips
8 ounce bag MiniCarb = 121g Carbohydrate; 90g Dietary Fiber; 31g Net Carbs
Ingredients: soy protein isolate, oat bran, vital wheat gluten, baking soda, soy lecithin
1 cup = 9g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 7g Net Carbs
Ingredients: salt, spices (including black pepper and red pepper), garlic, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, natural flavor and extractives of paprika
1/4 teaspoon = 0 Net Carbs
Ingredients: Onion, spices (black pepper, chili pepper, parsley, celery seed, basil, bay, marjoram, oregano, savory, thyme, cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin, mustard, rosemary), garlic, orange peel, carrot, lemon juice powder, tomato, red bell pepper, citric acid, oil of lemon
Recipe: Cauliflower "Popcorn"
Ingredients (Bread & Butter Pickles): cucumbers, water, vinegar, salt, mustard seed, onion flakes, calcium chloride, 0.1% sodium benzoate (preservative), sucralose (Splenda brand), xanthan gum, celery seeds, and FD&C Yellow #5
Ingredients (Sweet Relish): cucumbers, water, vinegar, red bell pepper, salt, calcium chloride, 0.1% sodium benzoate (preservative), xanthan gum, alum, sucralose (Splenda brand), natural and artificial flavors, polysorbate 80, and FD&C Yellow #5
1/4 cup bread & butter pickles = 1g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
1 pound = 28g Carbohydrate; 14g Dietary Fiber; 14g Net Carbs
2 tablespoons = 6g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs
Recipe: Crab Cakes
Ingredients: water, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, modified food starch, salt, hydrolyzed corn and soy protein, caramel color, oyster extract, sodium benzoate
1 tablespoon = 3-7g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 3-7 Net Carbs (depending on the brand)
Recipe: Truffle Cups
1 ounce = 1 Net Carb
1 cup = 4g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs
Ingredients: dehydrated garlic, parmesan cheese, salt, L-glutamic acid, dehydrated sweet red peppers, spices, parsley, silicone dioxide
1/4 teaspoon = less than 1 net carb
FRYING CHEESE
Frying cheese was very popular a while back and I bought my share of it. I used to find Wisconsin Farms brand at Wal-Mart but they've stopped selling it. It's just as well because I always ended up eating too much. Sure, you can fry up most any kind of cheese, but the results won't be the same. Frying cheese gets kind of crisp on the outside and remains soft on the inside. Instead of flattening into a cheese crisp, it holds its shape quite well. I've heard that there are Mexican brands of frying cheese available, but I've never seen them and I live in Texas where there are more Mexican products than you can shake a stick at.
Recipe: Deep-Fried Cheese Bites
GREEN ENCHILADA SAUCE
It's not easy to find a brand without sugar and/or starch added these days. All the brands that I've seen around here now at least have starch to thicken them. The carbs are still relatively low per serving, but you'll want to go easy on it or make your own from scratch.
Recipe: Creamy Spinach Enchiladas
GREEN MEXICAN SALSA
Although there are many brands of this type of sauce on the market, La Costeña brand is my absolute favorite. A while back I bought about 6 different brands and did a taste test. There were a few that weren't all that great and a few that were almost as good as La Costeña. By the time you add in other ingredients, just about any brand will work fine and you can also use green enchilada sauce in a pinch. Green salsa has a unique flavor that is quite different than red salsas. You can substitute red salsa in any of my recipes, but the dish won't taste the same. Unfortunately at some point in time they started adding modified corn starch to this but the carb count remained the same. I've found that just about all the brands of this type of sauce, as well as green enchilada sauce, contain starch and sometimes sugar. That didn't use to be the case.
Recipe: Green Enchilada Chicken
HALF & HALF
So called because it's a mixture of half milk and half cream with only 10-18% fat. Not as good carb-wise as heavy or whipping cream, but better calorie and fat-wise. It's not rich enough to whip.
HAZELNUT FLOUR
I found hazelnut flour (or meal) at the Central Market here in Houston for $9.49 pound. They also sell it at Netrition for $9.13 pound plus shipping. The only thing I've used it in so far is in a mock cornbread which is excellent. While the soy grits provide the right gritty texture, the hazelnut flour provides the "corn" flavor. I was amazed at how much it tasted like my old high carb cornbread recipe.
Recipe: Mock Cornbread
HEAVY CREAM OR WHIPPING CREAM OR HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM
Heavy cream must contain at least 36% fat. Whipping cream is basically the same as heavy cream but can contain as little as 30% fat. They can be used interchangeably. Most brands are ultra-pasteurized to make them keep almost forever. If you can find fresh cream, you'll find that it has more flavor and whips much better. The only brand of fresh cream I can get here is Schepps, which they sell at Wal-Mart.
Recipe: Raspberry Fool
HEINZ ONE CARB KETCHUP
Although I haven't tried this myself, everyone says it tastes just like regular Heinz ketchup. If you can't find this low carb ketchup in the store, I've got a very good and easy recipe for making your own. See the recipe link below. Some stores have stopped selling Heinz One, but I still see it at Wal-Mart.
Recipe: Even Better "Heinz" Ketchup
HERBAL TEAS
Herbal teas make a wonderful low carb treat. What's great is that you can control the kind of sweetener that goes into them. They come in an amazing variety of flavors too. Unfortunately many stores are discontinuing most of their herbal teas in favor of the new green and white teas but the good flavors can still be found online. One thing I like about Bigelow's teas is that they come individually wrapped. Some of my favorite flavors are Twinings "Pink Grapefruit, Mandarin & Lime", Celestial Seasoning's "Tropic of Strawberry" and Bigelow's "Tasty Tangerine". I've probably got a stash of about 20 or more flavors in my cupboard.
Recipe: "Apple" Marinated Chicken Thighs
HIDDEN VALLEY RANCH DRESSING MIX
As you can see from the list of ingredients, this mix isn't really all that great for a low carb diet. However, the carbs per serving for the prepared mix are comparable to bottled ranch dressing. If you'd like to avoid all those questionable ingredients and chemicals, you can try my homemade ranch dressing recipe below. The Cajun smoked salmon dip was developed using the packaged mix and I haven't tried using my homemade ranch dressing in it.
Recipe: Cajun Smoked Salmon Dip
Recipe: Ranch-Style Salad Dressing
I'm not fond of the flavor of the usual Italian seasoning blends that they sell, but I discovered Penzeys Pasta Sprinkle a few years ago and love it. It goes great in any recipe that calls for Italian seasoning or just sprinkled over a pizza. I think that the reason I prefer this over Italian seasoning is that the emphasis is on the basil rather than the oregano, which can be harsh and bitter.
Recipe: Italian Casserole
JALAPEÑO PEPPERS
These aren't the hottest chiles around, but they can have a fair amount of heat. Unfortunately there's no way to tell if the jalapeños you're buying will be hot or mild until you taste them. When I make homemade salsa, I usually use a combination of jalapeños and serrano chiles to make sure that my salsa will have some kick.
Recipe: Jalapeño Poppers
Recipe: Mexican Hot Sauce
KC MASTERPIECE CLASSIC BLEND BARBECUE SAUCE
I'd been using Carb Options low carb barbecue sauce, which is very good, but it's no longer available. When someone at Low Carb Friends mentioned that KC Masterpiece had a sugar free sauce I gave it a try. I like it even better than Carb Options and it's much cheaper. I buy it at Wal-Mart for $1.44 bottle. They've changed the label recently so I'm not sure if it looks just like the photo. Just look for the one called "Classic Blend". Here's a link to it on the KC Masterpiece website: Classic Blend
Recipe: Creamy BBQ Sauce
KOOL-AID DRINK MIX
Not exactly health food but a little of the dry powder can be useful for flavoring things or for those who try to avoid using aspartame. Watch out for some of the "off" brands of drink mix. They sometimes have some sugar in them even if they don't call them pre-sweetened.
Recipe: No Carb Jello
KRAFT CHEESE CUBES
There's really nothing special about this cheese other than that it's in little bite-size cubes. I would never eat them as is because of the dry coating they put on them, but they work great for making little crisps. I've tried a couple of the flavors and the mild cheddar is my favorite. For some reason cheddar makes crisper crisps than cheeses like Monterey Jack. Kroger and Wal-Mart also sell their own brands of cheese cubes that are just as good. I did find that the sizes of the cubes weren't quite as consistent with the Great Value brand from Wal-Mart though.
Recipe: Cheese Crisps from Cheese Cubes
KROGER FAT FREE HOT COCOA MIX
This is almost identical to the Swiss Miss Diet Hot Cocoa Mix as far as ingredients and carb count. I haven't compared the flavor of the two side by side, but they're both good, if little bit too sweet. You can't tell from the label that this is sugar free. Just as with the Swiss Miss, Kroger also has one that's called sugar free but it has about 9 carbs per serving. Look for the one called Fat Free, not Sugar Free.
Recipe: Swiss Miss Mousse
LAUGHING COW CHEESE
I bought the French Onion and Garlic & Herb flavors. The French onion is very good but the garlic & herb has an odd flavor that I don't care for. The cheese is very creamy and spreadable and is great on low carb crackers. Click here to visit the Laughing Cow website.
LAVASH BREAD
I found this flat bread at Wal-Mart in the deli department. It's called Joseph's Lavash Bread and the price is $1.88 for four giant pieces, 9x11 inches, which would be great for making wraps or used as tortillas. A serving is half a piece. It tastes very good, as far as bread goes, with no off flavors like many low carb tortillas and breads sometimes have. I'm a little surprised that the net carbs are so low considering the ingredients so I'd use these with caution. However, when I ran the numbers from the package through the Hidden Carb Calculator, it said that there are really only 3 carbs per serving. It could be that the calories, fat or protein counts are off though. I couldn't find anything online about these and the company doesn't appear to have a website.
LINDT 70% COCOA CHOCOLATE BAR
This has a bit more sugar than the 85% cocoa Lindt bar but still not too bad if used in moderation. Since I can't tolerate sugar alcohols, this is the next best thing as far as chocolate goes. You can order the Lindt bars from Netrition. They're $2.59 each or 12 for $27.95. They also sell them for $1.68 per bar at Wal-Mart.
Recipe: Chocolate Truffle Torte
LINDT 85% COCOA CHOCOLATE BAR
This chocolate is a carb bargain considering that it has real sugar in it. It's quite bitter but not impossible to eat as it is once you get used to it. Be careful trying to sweeten it with Splenda in recipes. You may end up making it even more bitter if you use too much Splenda. This is available from Netrition. They're $2.59 each or 12 for $27.95. They also sell them for $1.68 per bar at Wal-Mart.
Recipe: Chocolate Coconut Bark
LIPTON ONION SOUP MIX
As you can see from the ingredients and the carb count, this is not low carb food. However, it's pretty easy to make your own slightly better version from scratch. It does require a little instant bouillon powder though, which also has questionable ingredients. You can see from the numbers below that making your own is much better carb-wise.
Equivalent amount of homemade mix = 4g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs
Recipe: Onion Soup Mix
Recipe: Nancy's French Onion Dip
LIQUID SMOKE
I have no idea how they make this, but a few drops can really give a dish a smoky grilled flavor. Use it very sparingly though or all you'll taste is smoke. It's not expensive to buy and a bottle should last a very long time. The brand I buy is Colgin.
Recipe: Laredo Barbecued Pot Roast
MASCARPONE
Mascarpone cheese is similar to cream cheese, but it much softer and creamier. Besides being much more expensive than cream cheese, it contains no added salt. Regular cream cheese can be quite salty when used in desserts. You can figure on paying around $3.00-4.00 for an 8 ounce tub and look for it near the gourmet cheeses or the deli department. I wouldn't substitute cream cheese in recipes that call for mascarpone. They will turn out too salty in most cases. Something that might make a good substitute is Yocheese, but I haven't tried it. Of course the yogurt will have a bit more tang than mascarpone.
Recipe: Lorraine's Tiramisu
McCORMICK "GRINDERS"
These handy little pepper and spice grinders are made by McCormick. The grinding mechanism is built right into the jar. The flavors I've used are Black Peppercorn, Garlic Pepper Seasoning, Pizza Seasoning and they're all very good. I think that the grinders on these work better than some of the fancy ones I've used.
MINICARB CHOCOLATE CHIPS
MiniCarb chocolate chips have been discontinued but the same chips are now being made by Eat Well Be Well. They've added more Polydextrose (fiber) to the new formula so the net carb count is lower than the old MiniCarb chocolate chips. I've heard that the new chips taste a little sweeter than the old ones, but more Polydextrose means that they'll cause me more gastric distress than the old ones so I doubt if I'll ever try them. Although the chocolate contains no sugar alcohols, Polydextrose can have the same affect as sugar alcohols if you're as sensitive to it as I am. Another intersting thing that I've heard about the new formula chips is that they are more like mini chocolate chips than the old ones.
8 ounce bag Eat Well Be Well = 121g Carbohydrate; 106g Dietary Fiber; 15g Net Carbs
Recipe: Impossibly Easy Brownie Pie
MINICARB BAKE MIX
This product is no longer being made and I'm not sure if a substitute exists. The package claimed that there were zero carbs in it but, based on the ingredients, I always counted it using the numbers below.
Recipe: Artisan Flat Bread
MONTREAL STEAK SEASONING
I bought this to use in a Rachael Ray recipe. She seems to use it in just about all of her recipes (only a slight exaggeration). I wasn't wild about the flavor of the seasoning but it was fine in her recipe. I'd describe the flavor as sort of like dill pickles with pepper. For more information, visit the McCormick site.
Recipe: Bacon Burgers with Smoked Cheese and Onions
MRS. DASH TABLE BLEND
This is the only Mrs. Dash seasoning that I've tried and I quite like it. It's a good all-purpose salt-free seasoning that's very nice on salads. To get more information and recipes, visit the Mrs. Dash website.
MT. OLIVE SUGAR FREE PICKLES
Although I'm not much of a pickle eater, I do like to use them in recipes occasionally. Every sugar free product of theirs that I've tried has been very good and you could never tell that they were artificially sweetened. Most of the stores in my area carry them and they have coupons in the Sunday paper for Mt. Olive products just about every week. I like their Bread & Butter Pickles and sweet pickle relish. Check out their website here. If you can't find Mt. Olive products in your area, check out my quick and easy sweet pickle recipe below.
1 tablespoon sweet relish = 1g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
Recipe: Microwave Bread & Butter Pickles
NAPA CABBAGE
For a description, visit Cook's Thesaurus
Recipe: Chicken Chow Mein with Almonds
NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER
Natural peanut butter should contain only ground peanuts and salt. Kroger makes a good one and the price is very reasonable.
Recipe: Drumstick Treat
OLD BAY SEASONING
A mixture that combines celery seed, black pepper, salt, paprika, mustard seed, red pepper, bay leaves, cloves, allspice, ginger, mace, cardamom, and cinnamon.
OYSTER SAUCE
Oyster sauce is thick and somewhat sweet. A little bit gives a nice flavor to stir-fried dishes, but it's not really a low carb food. It does have sugar and cornstarch in it so be very careful not to use too much. The ingredients below are from my bottle of KA*ME brand Oyster Flavored Sauce. It had the lowest carbs of any brand that I saw at the store. The label says 1 tablespoon has 3 carbs. As you can see, this is not something to eat every day. The label also states "No MSG added", but don't be misled. It's in there in the hydrolyzed corn and soy protein.
Recipe: Stir-Fried Beef & Peppers
PAPER CANDY CUPS
You can usually find these where they sell Wilton cake decorating supplies. I buy them at Michael's craft store.
PARMESAN CHEESE
If I don't specify either freshly grated or the kind in a green can, either kind will work fine. Most of the time I buy DiGiorno pre-shredded parmesan cheese. It comes in little tubs in the deli department near the gourmet cheeses. It's very good but I've recently fallen in love with the real Parmigiano Reggiano. Because it's so expensive, I reserve the real stuff for dishes where it will really stand out. Otherwise, DiGiorno is great. Although it's a very inferior product, I do use the kind in a green can for certain things. The best price I've seen on Parmigiano Reggiano is at Wal-Mart where it's $5.89 for a 7-ounce wedge. A 6-ounce container of DiGiorno is $3.99 at Kroger.
Recipe: Broiled Tilapia Parmesan
PARSLEY
Despite what I hear TV chefs say over and over, I don't think that there really is much difference between the flavor of curly and flat leaf, or Italian, parsley. Besides adding a nice flavor to dishes, curly parsley makes a pretty garnish. I find that flat leaf parsley is easier to chop because the leaves are more densely packed on the stems. Both kinds freeze very well and retain their fresh flavor. Wash and pat it very dry. Chop it and store it in a plastic container in the freezer. There's no need to thaw it before using. Just scoop out what you need. Frozen parsley works best in cooked dishes. Dried parsley is not a suitable substitute for fresh. I never use it because it tastes nothing at all like parsley and has an unpleasant flavor.
Recipe: Grandma's German "Potato" Salad
PASTA ELEGANCE SEASONING
I just happened to find Johnny's Pasta Elegance Parmesan Garlic Pasta Seasoning at Wal-Mart with the other spices and seasonings and was pleasantly surprised to find that it contained no sugar or starch. The best part is that it tastes very good and is wonderful sprinkled over so many things. Look for it in the baking aisle near the cheese sprinkles for making garlic bread. That's where I found it. It's not expensive either. A 3-ounce jar was only $1.68 so I grabbed a few. The last time I looked, they only had two jars left so it must be popular.
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