By Kim Droze
eDietsManaging Editor
An estimated 10 million Americans are following some variation of a low-carb program, so it only makes sense that some of your nearest and dearest friends -- not to mention a family member or two -- are among these weight-loss winners. So what better way to spend some quality time with your loved ones than to throw a fun and flavorful Atkins-friendly dinner party?
Stuck for a theme? The sky's the limit. How about Caribbean, Hawaiian, Mexican or Chinese food? It seems only natural that low-carb dinner bashes would be completely en vogue, especially in the midst of a major obesity crisis. A low-carb dinner party couldn’t possibly be any more socially conscious. Your goal: to give your guests a meal that's every bit as tasty as it is healthy! It can be done… very easily, in fact.
And who better to give lessons on the etiquette of hosting a low-carb dinner party than Allison Fishman, Atkins Nutritionals senior food editor? Fishman, who once prepared dishes for televised cooking segments and catered events for Emeril Lagasse at Food TV Network, has thrown her share of dinner parties, including one "teaching party" where she showed guests how to cook low carb. But you don’t have to be a veteran recipe tester who’s worked with top-notch chefs to throw a world-class get-together.
It’s as easy said as done, Fishman vows. Even if your guests aren’t doing Atkins or another low-carb eating plan, it’s the perfect way to give them an exquisite taste of your healthy new lifestyle. There’s a good chance you’ll quickly see some converts. Sound the dinner bell, Fishman is in the house and sharing her vast culinary knowledge to get you started.
“When you think of a dinner party, start with your entree and play around with that,” she tells eDiets for this yummy exclusive. “The entree is usually your protein source, whether it’s chicken, fish, pork, lamb or whatever you want. Then go on to your sides. Instead of starchy sides, make two vegetable dishes. It’s an opportunity to try some interesting veggies you haven’t used before such as kale, asparagus or mustard greens.”
There are plenty of things to consider, including what courses you want to have, how to achieve proper portion control and the best way to ensure that your guests leave the table with full stomachs and satisfied palates. This can all be accomplished in low-carb fashion -- you’re only limited by your imagination.
Start the evening on a light note with drinks and appetizers. Your beverages of choice can range from low-carb beer to "white liquors" such as vodka, gin and rum (be sure to have some nonalcoholic beverages for any of your guests who are in the Induction phase of Atkins.) Kick it up a notch with sparklers, using mixers such as flavored no-carb sodas. When served up with marinated olives, a cheese plate, leaves of endive, shrimp cocktail or smoked salmon, you have a great beginning to your night to remember.
For a more informal party, prepare an antipasto salad with meats and cheese or sliced low-carb veggies (try jicama, celery, radishes) with a basic sour cream dip.
“As a rule of thumb, appetizers and hors d'oeuvres are something I like to have out,” Fishman says. “It’s an easy way to serve a first course while you’re standing around. I also like to have protein in the first course.
“I take the opportunity to use fish because the sooner you get protein in your system, the sooner you feel satisfied, so you’ll likely eat less in the rest of the meal. As opposed to a bread-heavy first course that leaves you filled up and feeling uncomfortable, protein tells the body to do the job and self-regulate.”
Because you can enjoy such a diversity of healthy fats on the Atkins Nutritional Approach, feel free to serve a cream sauce with a meat entree or saute shrimp in butter. Even gravy is a feasible option, so long as you make one that doesn’t require flour.
With the endless variety of controlled-carb products, you can use ThickenThin Not/Starch thickener, an all-natural thickener, to make gravy. While years ago, you might have had to go without dinner rolls or muffins, there is almost nothing you can’t duplicate today.
“Atkins doesn’t limit healthy fats," Fishman stresses. "Fat is very important. It leads to satiety and makes foods rich and flavorful. We’re not getting rid of the flavor. Fresh herbs and spices add even more flavor. Going low carb does not mean that isn’t still very high in flavor.”
For most low-carb meals, portion control is almost automatic. If you serve Cornish hens or filets of salmon, it’s one serving per person. If you prepare a 4-pound roast, you have between 8 to 12 servings. Sides are another story. While many people like to start off with a soup or salad, consider serving a creative salad as a side.
"I once threw a dinner party for clients who had two main vegetable sides,” says Fishman. “They wanted one side to be a salad passed around the table family style. They used the salad in place of the starch. You do want to have two sides along with the main dish. Just because you’re not having potatoes or rice,don’t leave an empty place on the table. Fill it in with a colorful, beautiful salad of roasted eggplant or something equally delicious.”
In general, use as much color as you can stomach. Have a leafy green such as creamed spinach and a salad with cucumbers, tomatoes and feta cheese. Enjoy a diverse array of acceptable veggies: alfalfa sprouts, mushrooms, radicchio, bok choy, romaine lettuce, fennel, artichoke, pumpkin, celery root, rhubarb, chard, snow peas, scallions, summer squash, kale, brussels, string beans, hearts of palm, beet greens, cauliflower, zucchini, onions, okra, cabbage, leeks, turnips and much more. When prepared in a mouthwatering manner, you’ll never miss those starchy high-carb foods when you’re feasting on with dishes like cauliflower-leek puree and Swiss chard gratin.
What is a dinner party without decadent desserts and after-dinner drinks? Even on a low-carb diet which eliminates unhealthy carbs and sugary processed foods, you can still enjoy gourmet sweet treats without having to ride the roller coaster of rising and falling blood sugar. It’s all the pleasure without the pain. Parfaits, flan, mini cheesecakes and fruit kabobs are excellent party favorites.
Don’t limit yourself to decaf coffee with cream and herbal teas, which are great accompaniments to desserts. Make the after-dinner drinks into a bit of an event. Stay away from the sugary liquors. Bring out a platter with some beautiful cheeses and nuts and serve up a scotch, whiskey or grappa, a potent drink made from grape residue.
"It’s almost intuitive to throw an Atkins dinner party," Fishman insists. "This is when you can splurge. This is when you can serve salmon with herbed butter, an avocado salad with Roquefort dressing, whipped cream with Irish coffee. It’s fun--and it’s a great way to introduce your friends to your healthy way of eating."
Maybe you don’t know the first place to start in planning a menu. Help is on the way. On the Atkins Nutritional Approach website, you’ll find over 700 low-carb dishes, over 100 desserts, 70 soups and 80 salads. It’s as if you have the greatest low-carb cookbook in the world at your fingertips.
But they don’t stop there. There are over 30 complete menus listed for almost every occasion from Mother’s Day brunch to a Father’s Day kabob party.
Here is a light spring menu that would be ideal for your first low-carb get-together. Your guests are sure to leave wanting more… Atkins dinner parties, that is.
