Yellow Squash

Yellow Squash

Yellow Squash · Olive Oil · Feta Cheese · Basil

Pan-fry — Medium-high

Cut ’em up into rounds, sticks, or strips. Shape doesn’t matter; flavor does. Pan-fry until golden in plenty of olive oil, season to taste with salt and pepper, finish with crumbled feta and basil leaves, and say hello to color and flavor. Speaking of flavor, don’t be surprised if it tastes like zucchini, okay? Because it tastes like zucchini. 

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

~ 4g net carbs per cup of raw yellow squash

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Sautéed Broccolini

Sautéed Broccolini

Broccolini · Butter · Pine Nuts

Sauté — Medium

Broccolini is the gangly adolescent version of broccoli, and this dish is as sweet and nutty as a teenage rom com. Rinse and trim thick ends of stalks. Sauté in butter over medium heat, stirring and flipping often, for about 5 minutes. Remove broccolini, season, and add more butter and a handful of pine nuts to pan. Keep the heat moderate and cook for just a few minutes, stirring to prevent burning. Top broccolini with pine nuts and butter sauce. Ah, young love. 

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

~ 4g net carbs per cup of raw broccolini

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Sautéed Okra

Sautéed Okra

Okra · Coconut Oil · Cumin · Paprika · Red Pepper Flakes

Sauté — High

Think no one likes okra? This spicy, slime-free, no-breading treat will make you think again. Rinse the pods and slice them in half, lengthwise. Use a high-heat tolerant oil (coconut, peanut, or ghee) and add a little to your pan. Sauté the okra over high heat, stirring all the while. As the okra cooks, sprinkle it with cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes. It’s done when the okra is dry, crispy, and browned in spots. Your family will think you’re amazing. 

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

~ 4g net carbs per cup of raw okra

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Pan-fried Tomatoes

Pan-fried Tomatoes

Tomatoes · Bacon Fat · Parmesan · Herbs

Pan-fry — Medium-High

Our grandmas would never toss out bacon fat. Thrifty, yes, plus pan drippings add something special to a simple dish like this. Rinse tomatoes and cut in half, through the equator. Warm bacon fat in non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes, cut side down, and pan-fry for ~5 minutes. Flip them, reduce heat, and cook a few minutes more. Serve cut-side up, with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, chopped herbs, and parmesan. Recycling at its tastiest. 

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

~ 4g net carbs per cup of raw tomatoes

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Creamed Spinach

Creamed Spinach

Spinach · Butter · Cream · Pine Nuts · Nutmeg

Sauté — Medium-High

For overachievers, start by planting spinach seeds in spring. For the rest of us, start with prewashed baby spinach. Melt some butter over medium heat and add the greens—lots. They cook down to almost nothing. Sauté, stirring, until spinach is totally wilted. Add a few glugs of heavy cream and simmer for another minute or so, until cream thickens. Remove from heat and top with toasted pine nuts and maybe a sprinkle of nutmeg. Popeye will be jealous. 

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

~ 0g net carbs per cup of raw spinach

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Endive Boats

Endive Boats

Endive · Boursin · Olives · Herbs

Cold Prep

However you pronounce it, that pale, crispy, bitter lettuce is a perfect way to enjoy Boursin—or your other favorite spreadable cheese—while eating your veggies. Rinse and trim the endive and separate the leaves. Pat dry, and place a generous dollop of Boursin in the hollow at the base of the leaf. Voilà. Now, get creative and add diced olives, chopped walnuts, or crumbled bacon. Whatever floats your (endive) boat. 

(When in doubt, add salt and/or pepper.)

~ 0g net carbs per cup of raw endive

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Baby Bell Peppers

Baby Bell Peppers

Peppers · Creamy Dip · Herbs

Cold Prep

We’re pretty sure these party favorites were invented as a dip delivery system. But why save them for parties when it’s this easy to get your veggie on? Just cut ‘em in half and remove stems and seeds. (They’re not as cute as the little ones, but full size peppers can be also be sliced into dippable strips.) Now just whip up one of our creamy dips and party on, dudes. 

(When in doubt, add salt and/or pepper.)

~ 5g net carbs per cup of raw bell peppers

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Buttered Radishes

Buttered Radishes

Radishes · Butter · Salt

Cold Prep

More “French” than French fries, these are a classic Gallic treat. Ignore the sideways glances from your family when they see raw radishes with a slab of butter on their plates. Yes, this is a thing. A very French thing. We think the complex radish-butter-salt combo will win them over. But if not, all the more for you. So you can’t lose. Mais oui. 

(When in doubt, add butter and/or salt.)

~ 2g net carbs per cup of raw radishes

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Snap Peas

Snap Peas

Snap peas · Creamy Dip · Herbs

Cold Prep

A trifecta of veggie perfection, these peas are tasty, easy, and crunchy. Plus, any veggie built for dipping is going to be a winner for dinner. Rinse the pods. Trim to remove ends and that stringy piece along the seam. Get fancy and slice them in half on the diagonal, or not. Pair them with something creamy and dip away. Boom. Another veggie side that’s a snap to make. 

(When in doubt, add salt and/or pepper.)

~ 5g net carbs per cup of raw snap peas

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Celery Sticks

Celery Sticks

Celery · Cream Cheese

Cold Prep

If you think of celery as “crunchy water,” you’ve forgotten that nature had endowed celery with a special gift: the structural ability to transport cream cheese—or your other favorite spreadable cheese—directly to your awaiting taste buds. Just rinse celery, chop into ~ three inch lengths, and fill with cream cheese, right out of the package. Crunchy creaminess? Creamy crunchiness? Either way, it couldn’t be easier. 

(When in doubt, add salt and/or pepper.)

~ 1g net carbs per cup of raw celery

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