Summertime cookouts are an ideal way to celebrate the hot weather and low carb living. Juicy meats, chicken and seafood grilled to glorious low carb perfection, tasty vegetable side dishes, luscious desserts and low carb cocktails are the makings of many mouthwatering summer get togethers. Here are a few of our favorite low carb summer party recipes that are not only lip-smacking good, these tasty dishes will even satisfy your carb-craving guests.
Low carb summer party recipes
Low carb appetizers
Start your party with a tasty array of low carb appetizers. Keep it simple so you have the opportunity to stay outdoors and mingle with your guests.
Low carb appetizer ideas:
- Bowls of different kinds of olives
- Marinated cubes of cheese (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, herbs and cheese)
- Roasted nuts
- Cheese plate with smoked salmon or prosciutto and cucumber slices (instead of crackers)
- Skewered meatballs or chicken satay with a creamy dip or low carb sauce
- Olive tapenade with low carb party toasts
Planked Salmon Burger
Serves 8
A delectable low carb adaptation inspired by award-winning chef and food entertainer Ted Reader’s elaborate rendition in Napolean’s Everyday Gourmet Grilling (Key Porter, April 2009), this planked salmon burger is served with a cucumber pickle and lemon-dill mayo, no bun needed.
Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh salmon fillet, skinned and deboned, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup low carb bread crumbs
2 teaspoons seafood seasoning
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 egg white
1 tablespoon fresh dill
1 large Napolean cedar plank, soaked for 2 to 24 hours
Olive oil
Lemon Dill Mayo (recipe below)
Cucumber Pickle (recipe below)
Directions:
1. Place salmon in food processor and pulse until it just begins to bind together. Add garlic, onions, mustard, bread crumbs, seasoning, lemon juice, egg white, and dill. Pulse until well combined. Form into 8 patties and refrigerate, covered, for 2 hours.
2. Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush burgers with oil and arrange on cedar plank. Place on grill and close lid. Grill for 15 to 18 minutes or until medium-well done. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with lemon dill mayo and cucumber pickle.
Lemon-Dill Mayo: Whisk together 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon fresh dill, and the zest and juice of 1 lemon.
Cucumber Pickle
Serves 8
A tangy low carb condiment that is more akin to a salad, this pickle is the perfect complement for the salmon burgers. You can make this recipe the day before or when you place the salmon burgers in the fridge to set before grilling.
Ingredients:
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
1 bunch radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Splenda
Coarsely ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Place cucumber, radishes and onion in a large stainless steel or glass bowl.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine vinegar, salt, Splenda and a few twists black pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Pour over cucumber mixture and toss to combine.
3. Cover bowl and set aside to cool.
Low carb clementine cheesecake
Serves 12
Clementines are a refreshing addition to a traditional-style low carb cheesecake, offering a sunny color and refreshing flavor.
Ingredients:
1 cup almond flour or meal
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon granular sugar substitute or more to taste
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened at room temperature
8 ounces ricotta cheese, room temperature
5 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Zest (minced) and juice from 2 clementines
1 cup granular sugar substitute or equivalent liquid sweetener
Clementine segments for garnish
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine almond meal, butter and 1 tablespoons sugar substitute. Pour into the bottom of a 9- or 10-inch springform pan, and use your fingers or the bottom of a glass to press evenly. Bake for 10 minutes or until just lightly browned. Set aside to cool while you prepare filling.
2. Put cream cheese in the bowl of a standup mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until fluffy. Add ricotta and beat until well-combined. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat after each addition. Use a spatula to scrape down bowl.
3. Add vanilla, clementine zest and juice and beat to incorporate. Add sugar substitute and beat until well-combined, scraping down bowl as needed. Wrap bottom and sides of springform pan with foil. Pour batter into springform pan and smooth top with a spatula.
4. Place springform pan in a large, deep baking dish and pour boiling water into baking dish until it is half full. Bake for 1 hour. Check cheesecake – if it is just set and no longer liquidy, remove from oven. If it is still jiggly with liquid, bake for 15 minutes or until the top sets. Do not overcook to the point that the cheesecake dries out and cracks (if it does, top it with low carb preserves).
5. Remove cheesecake from water bath and cool on a wire rack. Remove foil and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight to allow filling to set. When you are ready to serve, run a dull knife or thin spatula in between the cake and the sides of the pan. Loosen and remove sides of pan. Slice and serve with clementine segments. You can also warm low carb orange marmalade and drizzle on slices of cheesecake before serving.
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