Low Carb Picnic Favorites

Whatever the season, burgers remain America's favorite sandwich. When it is too cold to grill outdoors, broil the patties or use an indoor grill. In addition to the standard fixings-ketchup, salsa, onions and tomatoes-make your burgers more nutritious by adding dark greens, such as watercress or spinach.

1. Whisk mustard, maple syrup, 1 tablespoon oil, thyme, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat evenly. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours. 2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Set a wire rack on a large baking sheet.

Here's a fun way to serve oven-fried chicken for a picnic: put it on a stick. It's fabulous served with this homemade Vidalia onion and honey-mustard sauce, but it's also great with barbecue sauce or Frank's hot sauce. This is an easy recipe to double if you're serving a crowd.

1. Preheat grill to medium. (No grill? See Broiler Variation, below.) 2. To prepare dipping sauce, combine orange zest, orange juice, water, honey, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and coriander in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Whisk cornstarch and the remaining 1 teaspoon vinegar in a small bowl until smooth.

Jazz up simply grilled salmon and summer vegetables with a zesty sauce based on the classic Spanish romesco. Made with roasted red peppers, tomatoes and almonds, this sauce is a great match for any seafood, poultry or vegetables. Using smoked paprika brings out the flavors from the grill. Serve with: Grilled baguette.

A quick and efficient way to cook a whole bird on the grill is to butterfly it. This method is so popular, especially in Southern California, that large chains have thrived selling chile-rubbed butterflied chicken to happy patrons.

1. Preheat grill or broiler. 2. Whisk together orange-juice concentrate, chipotle pepper, vinegar, molasses and mustard in a small bowl. 3. Lightly oil the grill or broiler rack (see Tip). Season chicken with salt and grill or broil for 2 minutes. Turn, brush with the glaze and cook for 4 minutes, brushing occasionally with glaze.

These bite-size pimiento cheese balls from Jamie and Bobby Deen are a huge hit with kids (of all ages). They're the perfect appetizer to bring to a summer picnic. Jamie and Bobby share a passion for great home-cooked food with a Southern flair with their celebrity-chef mom, Paula Deen.

1. Mash blue cheese, oil, vinegar, tarragon and honey together in a medium bowl with a fork until well combined. For a creamier dressing, add yogurt 1 tablespoon at a time, if desired. Season with salt and pepper. Shopping tip: Thick and creamy Greek-style yogurt is made by removing the whey from cultured milk.

This sesame chicken and noodle salad couldn't be simpler to make. It's a refreshing dish to serve on a hot summer's night or bring it to your warm-weather potluck: just toss the salad with the dressing when you're ready to serve. Recipe adapted from Simply Ming One-Pot Meals by Ming Tsai and Arthur Boehm (Kyle Books, 2010).

Burris, Ken Caraway and cauliflower are a match that brings to mind wursts, kraut. Alas, not everyone loves that caraway flavor so leave out the caraway seeds if you prefer-the salad's wonderful either way. Ingredients Directions Nutrition Facts Nutrition Facts provided by: EatingWell * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Fresh wedges of tomato, thinly sliced onion and sliced cucumber dressed simply with vinegar and oil makes the most simple salad possible-think of it as the Southern counterpart to the classic Italian tomato-and-mozzarella salad. It is best enjoyed at the height of summer, when tomatoes and cucumbers are fresh from the garden.

Burris, Ken This slaw, a combination of cabbage, red bell pepper, scallions and bamboo shoots, is tossed with a dressing full of the classic flavors of Chinese hot-and-sour soup. Serve with grilled pork tenderloin and a glass of Riesling. Ingredients Directions 1.

These spicy pickled vegetables are like a Mexican version of Italian giardiniera and are delicious with tacos and as a condiment for any sandwich or burger. The recipe makes a large batch but it keeps well in the refrigerator. Packed into glass jars, it makes a nice gift.

Here's a way to make better-than-store-bought pickles in under an hour. The secret is pouring the hot vinegar mixture over slices of cold, crisp cucumber. These pickles have the perfect balance of sour and sweet-though closer to a "bread and butter" taste, they still satisfy the vinegar-loving pickle crowd.

1. Whisk flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt in a small bowl. 2. Beat sugar and butter in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add egg, honey, lemon zest, orange zest and lemon extract, and beat until blended.

1. Whisk white whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. 2. Beat sugar, oil and butter in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high until smooth, scraping down the sides. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides.

1. To prepare crust: Preheat oven to 325°F. 2. Coarsely chop walnuts in a food processor. Add graham cracker crumbs and process until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. 3. Whisk egg white in a medium bowl until frothy. Add the crumb mixture, butter, oil and salt; toss to combine.

It's quick and easy to mix together these slice-and-bake chocolate-chocolate chip cookies whenever you need something sweet. The recipe makes enough dough so you can bake half and put the other half in the freezer-ready to pull out and bake up a few fresh cookies anytime.

Here we balance the mildly grassy flavor and slightly astringent mouthfeel of green tea with honey and lemon. Oversteeped green tea can be bitter, so don't brew it any longer than 3 minutes. And be sure to steep in simmering water: water that looks like it's steaming, with little bubbles, but not boiling.