More Dukan Diet Recipes and Tips

One of the most difficult things about the Dukan Diet or other low carb diets is not surprisingly the lack of carbs as so many of our meals are normally based around bread, rice, potatoes or pasta.

So this hub is going to help you find ways to overcome this problem and make following the Dukan Diet just that little bit easier. You may also like to read my other hubs on the Dukan Diet

• Dukan Diet Recipes where I list all the recipes in one capstone hub and then provide you with a link to one of the four other hubs in which the recipes can be found.
• Dukan Diet Recipes - Poultry
• Dukan Diet Recipes - Meat
• Dukan Diet Recipes - Fish and Seafood
• Dukan Diet Recipes - Starters and Desserts
• Tips and Recipes for the Dukan Diet
• The Pros and Cons of the Dukan Diet

• The Dukan Diet by Dr Pierre Dukan

Cauliflower is a truly excellent low carb rice substitute. I've provided a video demonstration and a recipe to help you on your way.

Cauliflower Rice

Equipment

• A food processor,
• a paring knife and
• Ceramic or glass bowl

Ingredients

• A clean white cauliflower with tight florets

Instructions

1.  Wash the cauliflower removing and discarding the outer leaves and cut into 1/2" squares.

2.  Select the shredder option for your food processor and shred the cauliflower into the bowl

Note: Shred too finely and you'll get mush. Shred too coarsely and you'll get strips not "rice"!

3.  Place in the microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Remove from the microwave stir gently and replace in the microwave for a further minute cooking

4.  Stir gently again and serve.

Note: No additional water is needed when microwaving the cauliflower.

One of the best known low carb "pasta" alternatives is spaghetti squash and as its name implies it provides an alternative to real spaghetti as when cooked the flesh of this vegetable turns into spaghetti-like ribbons. There are many methods of preparing spaghetti squash but my favorite is steaming.

Steamed Spaghetti Squash

Equipment

• Steamer
• Sharp knife
• Fork

Ingredients

• Spaghetti squash

Instructions

1. Wash the squash and cut it in half.
2. Clean out all the seeds and fibers.
3. Cut the squash into 8 to 10 pieces and place in the steamer skin side facing up.
4. Steam until tender and a knife cuts into the flesh easily (10 to 15 minutes).
5. Remove from the steam and allow to cool for few minutes.
6. Using a fork, scoop out the flesh which will come out in strands and can then be used in your favorite recipe.

Other substitutes you can use are zucchini (courgettes) which can be spiralled with a food processor into tasty low-carb, low-calorie "spaghetti", to be lightly steamed or fried or carrots grated or cut into long strips to use as "taggliatelle" or "fettucine".

There are many vegetables that can be used as a potato substitute.

• Potato chips (crisps) can be achieved by deep frying a number of different vegetables. Carrots, beetroots and parsnips make particularly colorful chips.
• Caulflower or celeriac or celery root make very acceptable replacements for creamed or mashed potatoes.
• Low carb replacements for french fries (chips) can be achieved by oven roasting celeriac or celery root in olive oil. See the video to the right.

The video to the side shows how to cook and use flat portbello mushrooms as burger buns when eating your turkey or beef burgers.

Another bread subsitute is of course the Dukan pancake which can be used as a wrap for many different fillings.

Sweet pancakes can also be made.  See my recipe in Dukan Diet Recipes - Starters and Desserts.