Valerie Azinge writes,  “I got into a motorcycle accident that left me in the hospital for over 3 months. I had to learn how to walk again and I’m still in recovery. I came up with the concept of low carb 30-minute recipes because I found that when I was bedridden in the hospital, I lost a ton of muscle mass. My metabolism slowed down, my diet was restricted to carbs, and I had very limited nutrition. Since I was still rehabilitating, I didn’t have the energy or capacity to exercise the way that I used to or also spend as much time in the kitchen. So, I started cooking and eating my way back to health with 30-minute low carb dinners.”

Her new book is 30-Minute Low-Carb Dinners, and we're pleased to excerpt her recipe for Summer Steak Salad with Gorgonzola.

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Steak

4 (1-lb [454-g]) New York strip steaks

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

3 tbsp (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup (57 g) unsalted grass-fed butter

Salad

12 cups (360 g) baby arugula

⅔ cup (80 g) crumbled Gorgonzola

2 cups (400 g) cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tbsp (30 ml) balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil

1. Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Coat a 12-inch (30-cm) cast-iron skillet

with the oil and heat it over high heat. Quickly add the steaks to the hot pan and

cook for 3 minutes. Flip the steaks, add the butter, then swirl the butter around

the steaks and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the steaks from the pan and let

them rest for 10 minutes while you make your salad.

2. To make the salad: In a large bowl, toss the arugula, Gorgonzola, tomatoes,

vinegar and oil until combined.

3. Cut the steaks diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Serve the salad with the

steak on top.

Reprinted with permission from 30-Minute Low-Carb Dinners, by Valerie Azinge, Page Street Publishing Co. 2020. Photo credit: Valerie Azinge.

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About 30-Minute Low-Carb Dinners:

Completely redefine what it means to cook low-carb meals with these 75 tasty dinner recipes that are ready to eat in under 30 minutes. Valerie Azinge, founder of My Digital Kitchen, takes all the stress out of cooking healthy weeknight meals by drastically cutting prep times-using sheet pans, one-pot methods and batch cooking-so you can spend less time in the kitchen.

These delicious dishes find new and creative ways to cut carbs from your plate without sacrificing on flavor. Utilize yummy veggie substitutions like cauliflower mash and zucchini noodles. Discover lighter side pairings like blistered cherry tomatoes and garlicky broccolini. Learn to cook with genius low-calorie swap outs like palmini and coconut aminos.

And the best part? Find mouthwatering favorites, with recipes like: -Zesty Mint Lettuce Lamb Burgers -Apple-Onion Pork Tenderloin -Red Curry Turkey Meatballs with Thai Peanut Sauce -30-Minute Butter Chicken -Cilantro-Lime Shrimp and "Grits" -Seared Snapper with Summer Basil Salsa -Zucchini Ramen Noodle Soup -Pumpkin Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

These inspired dishes are bursting with such decadent flavors, you and your family will quickly fall in love with a healthier diet and happier lifestyle.