I love palak paneer, an Indian dish that features spinach and cheese. When I need a quick microwave meal, I create this easy dish that approximates some of the flavors while only taking a minute or two.

Ingredients:

5oz fresh spinach leaves
1/4 onion
2 stalks cilantro
ginger root (about olive-sized piece)
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/8 tsp garlic powder
dash pepper
dash salt

Start by microwaving the spinach in a covered container for 2 minutes on high. That will reduce it down in volume by quite a lot.

While it microwaves, dice the onion, dice the cilantro, and dice the ginger root.

Now put the spinach into a blender along with all other ingredients and about 1/8th cup of water. Blend for 1-2 minutes, scraping the blender as you go, until it is fairly well blended. It's OK to leave pieces of onion and ginger if you enjoy those; the texture can go well with the overall creaminess of the dish.

When the mixture is thoroughly blended, put it onto a plate and microwave for about 30 seconds to bring it up to hot again.

This is great as a snack, or as a topping for chicken and other similar meats.

For carbs, you really only have the spinach and onion as ingredients here. So it's about 5g of carbs, with 3g of those being fiber. Also you get a ton of nutrition here - about 550% of your Vitamin A, 50% Vitamin C, 22% potassium, and much more. Plus 3g of protein!

There's all sorts of ways you can tweak this. You can use frozen spinach, dried cilantro, onion flakes, and so on. So that way you can make it no matter what, even if your fridge is completely bare. But I definitely recommend keeping some fresh ingredients on hand - it's impressive what a difference it can make in flavor!

Be sure to swing by our forums, to share your thoughts on delicious low carb meal ideas, and to get cheerleading on your progress to date!

Microwave Low Carb Recipes This cookbook contains tips, shopping lists, and delicious recipes for eating in a more healthy way. Every recipe requires only a microwave and a few minutes of your time. Invest in a healthier lifestyle for you and your family! Microwave Low Carb Recipes - Full Details

Lisa Shea's Library of Low Carb Books