Reducing carbs can be an adventure in creative dining

There are many options out there for people who are limiting the amount of carbohydrates (carbs) in their diet, even for those who love sandwiches. There are also choices for both the adventurous and the picky eaters.

For those who don't want to give up bread, there are low-carb breads available. Using half as much bread, open-faced sandwiches are an easy way to cut back on carbs, without trying something different; but, they can be messy.

Wrapping sandwich fixings like veggies, meat and/or cheese in tortillas also helps with carb control, although not as well as wrapping them in lettuce and eliminating bread products altogether.

Another option is rolling cheese and lunch meat with the lettuce in the middle and the meat on the outside if the lettuce leaves aren't big enough for the job.

For the adventurous eater, slices of other vegetables and fruit can replace bread for the outside of a sandwich as with the following two recipes, both from Bob Blumer's Surreal Gourmet Bites (Chronicle Books). These appetizers can work for lunch too when served with fruit or a green salad on the side.

Inside-Out BLTs

Yield: 12 bites

Ingredients:

• 8 strips premium bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/8-inch strips
• 8 firm Roma tomatoes or green (unripe) tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 cup flour
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups bread (or panko) crumbs
• 3 or more tablespoons olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (4-ounce) log goat cheese, approximately 11 slices, 2 inches in diameter, 1/8-inch-thick
• 24 arugula leaves, lower stems discarded

1. Cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Drain on a paper towel.
2. Select the 24 most uniform tomato slices and save the rest for tomorrow's lunch. Dredge slices in flour, then in eggs, then pat down in bread crumbs. Reserve on plates, but do not stack.
3. In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add 3 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot, add as many breaded tomato slices as the pan can accommodate without them touching. Fry for approximately 2 minutes per side, or until browned and crispy. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Add more oil if necessary for subsequent batches.
4. To assemble, line up 12 fried tomato slices. Season with salt and pepper, then top each with 1 cheese slice, a mound of bacon shrapnel, and 2 arugula leaves. Cover with a second fried tomato slice. Secure with a toothpick. Let cool for a minute before serving. (Tomatoes have a surprising ability to hold the heat.)

Cowboy Cookies

Yield: 12 bites

Chipotle Aioli

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or 1 tablespoon puréed canned chipotle in adobo sauce

Ingredients:

• 6 skinny yams or sweet potatoes, about 2 inches in diameter, or thicker ones if available
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons New Mexican or any other pure chili powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 (6-ounce) filet mignons, 2 inches thick, or a whole 1-pound pork tenderloin
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup favorite barbecue sauce
• 1/4 cup Chipotle Aioli (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325 F°
2. Add the garlic, egg yolk, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to a blender or mini food processor and purée until smooth. *Alternatively, whisk the ingredients together in a medium bowl.
3. Very slowly drizzle in the oil with the motor running and purée until aioli thickens (should take between 2 and 3 minutes). If you are using a whisk, keep whisking while slowly drizzling in the oil until the aioli is thick. Stir in chipotle. Reserve.
4. Place yams on their sides. With a sharp knife, cut into 3/8-inch-thick slices. If yams are more than 2 inches or so in diameter, use a 2-inch round cookie cutter or a paring knife to trim to desired size.
5. In a medium bowl, add olive oil. Toss yam slices until they are lightly coated with oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Spread on a nonstick baking sheet or on any parchment paper-lined sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes. Turn yams over and bake for 30 more minutes, or until yams are browned, slightly condensed, and begging to be eaten. Reserve in aluminum foil to keep warm.
6. Preheat grill to high heat.
7. While yams are baking, in a medium bowl, combine chili powder, sugar and pepper. Generously rub down the filets with this dry rub. *Wrap filets in wax paper or plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
8. Just before grilling, pat down filets with remaining 3 teaspoons salt.
9. Over direct heat, sear meat for 2 minutes per side on all 6 sides. Transfer to indirect heat, cover grill, and cook for approximately 6 more minutes for medium-rare, or until filets have reached the desired degree of doneness. Alternatively, filets can be broiled for approximately 10 minutes per side.
10. Place meat on a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Set each filet on its side and cut into 1/4-inch thick round slices.
11. To assemble, set out 2 rows of 12 yam slices each. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon barbecue sauce over each slice in the front row and 1/2 teaspoon chipotle aioli over each in the back row (if one doesn't make the aioli, replace with barbecue sauce).
12. Top each yam in the first row with a slice of steak and cover with an aioli-slathered yam slice.