Weekly Cooking Thread - Special Low Carb Edition

[Jamestown1630]

Last week, the Better Homes and Gardens email newsletter had some great pumpkin decorating ideas; I liked this one using mini-lights:

You could also do this using 'Funkins', the carve-able artificial pumpkins, for a more permanent decoration:

http://funkins.com

If you're somewhat artistically inclined, BHG also has a stencil for carving a pumpkin to represent your favorite Presidential candidate:

http://www.bhg.com/halloween/presidential-pumpkin-stencils/#page=2

(You do have to sign up, to get the stencil.)

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We've had a request to do a 'Low Carb' cooking thread, and I thought we'd start it early on this busy week.

One of my favorite - and easiest - lunches to take to work that's low-carb is a simple, or fancy, Chef Salad. The possibilities are endless: along with your chosen greens, you can add radishes, slices of bell pepper, a few cherry tomatoes; and scoops of egg salad or tuna salad. I sometimes use diced hard cheeses, and diced meats, like chicken, turkey or ham. I like adding something sour or pickled - dill pickle slices or marinated mushrooms.

You can make your own low-carb dressing; but for convenience I keep at work one of the refrigerated bottled dressings, like Marie's or Marzetti's - they generally have only 1 or 2 carbs per two tablespoons.

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Probably one of my favorites is the cauliflower-masquerading-as-mashed-potatoes, which we do with bacon, cream cheese, and cheddar:

http://lusciouslowcarb.blogspot.com/2011/02/cheesy-bacon-potato-bake.html

One of the Freepers' favorite websites for low carb recipes is Linda Genaw's site; I've made some of her vegetable casseroles, and they were great:

http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb

Lastly, something that has been a lifesaver for many on low-carb diets: The Eades Magic Rolls, a bread substitute that really tastes like bread! This is not for 'induction' or the beginning phases of low-carb diets, but can really help out in the later stages. The link is in post 18 of this previous thread - and the thread includes lots of other low-carb goodies, especially the stuffed mushrooms:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3343366/posts

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

We had a request for a low-carb thread, and since this and the coming few weeks will be busy, I thought I’d start it very early. Please post your favorite low-carb dishes.

(If you would like to be on or off of this weekly cooking thread, please send a private message.)

-JT

[manna]

Thanks!

[IamConservative]

I’ve done ketogenic / low carb eating for years. Below is my “gotta have something satisfying” change up dish. It really feels like you’re eating something you shouldn’t.

- 1lb of browned ground beef or pork.
- 1 small head of cabbage grated or fine shred.
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese.
- 1 squeeze bottle of low carb ketchup.
- 3-5 good squirts of Worcestershire sauce, or A1 if you want some more unxious.
- Salt / black pepper to taste

Mix all together in a prep bowl. Add enough water to get all the cabbage coated. Pour into greased casserole and bake uncovered on 350 for 50 minutes or so. You want it good and brown. Cooking time may vary depending on depth of dish. Serve with Franks Red Hot.

Finger looking good for this redneck.

[blueyon]

Oh that looks gooooooooood

[RoosterRedux]

Probably one of my favorites is the cauliflower-masquerading-as-mashed-potatoes, which we do with bacon, cream cheese, and cheddar:

Did that over the weekend and marveled at how delicious it was. Substituted Cabot Farms whole milk Greek yogurt for the cream cheese.

Absolutely delicious...perhaps even better than potatoes. Will add a bit of garlic and chives next time.

I have been on a low carb diet for over 2 years and have lost over 40 lbs...and feel great.

My favorite dish is chicken Francese served over a bed of delicious spaghetti squash noodles.

I do cheat a little by coating my chicken with Panko and tossing in just enough flour to thicken my Francese sauce. Do an extra long cardio workout the next day to burn off the cheats.

Also, did a Chicken Carbonaro over the weekend on a bed of spaghetti squash noodles again and using Cabot Farms whole milk Greek yogurt to thicken the sauce--no flour required.

So good I wept for joy.

[Jamestown1630]

Looks like a great ‘hamburger helper’, and my husband would like it a lot!

[Jamestown1630]

My husband refuses to flour or bread anything when he’s seriously dieting; but in my experience, after you get through the initial phase or two of this kind of diet, the carbs added by a little flour are negligible. I think you always have to have balance - and you’re not going to stay on any diet without having interesting things to eat. Once in a while, that tiny bit of flour or bread crumb makes a big difference to comfort.

[ConservaTeen]

Good on Thursday, I’m doing cooking for the family...

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Low carb?
How about some Chamomile and Cauliflower soup?
Chamomile Cauliflower Soup

7 chamomile tea bags
3 cups water
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 large shallot, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
olive oil, for garnish
Boil the water and tea bags in a large saucepan for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and squeeze the excess liquid into the pan. Add the cauliflower to the tea, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving the liquid.

In a small saucepan, saute the shallot and celery in the olive oil until the shallot is clear. Put in a blender with the cauliflower, plenty of salt and pepper to taste, and a cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Blend until smooth and add more liquid if necessary until desired thickness is reached. Pour into bowls, garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly chopped parsley, and enjoy!

This soup is very soothing to an upset tummy and a small bowl is a nice before bed snack that will send you off to dreamland.

[Jamestown1630]

Is your family ‘low-carbing’? The cauliflower mashed potatoes are enjoyed by folks who aren’t even dieting ;-)

[Jamestown1630]

I had never heard of anything like that! I will definitely save it.

[Twotone]

I do the same thing, only without the ketchup. I do add carmelized onions. Yum!

[Jamestown1630]

What kind of ‘low carb ketchup’ do you use?

[bgill]

You beat me to posting Linda's Low Carb site but it can't be posted enough - http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/recipes.html She has the best! I've printed out all her recipes and am in big binder number two.

Yes, the "mashed potato" cauliflower is great (if our crappy store would sell cauliflowers!). The whole family likes this. Just steam the cauliflower, season as you would potatoes and mash.

Have a story about mashed cauliflower. A co-worker made cauliflower often so I told her to make it like mashed potatoes. She frowned and asked if it was LC. I said it was and she went ballistic that I was horrible for trying to poison her children, blah, blah. OMG, it's the exact same as her serving cauliflower florets but mashed.

I invented a $0 cost mold for the Oopsie bread aka Revolution Rolls. Yes, again out of necessity since I can't find baking molds here. Use a plastic gallon milk jug for your material. Cut four strips of plastic 5" long X 1/2" wide. 1/2" from each of the eight ends, cut a 1/4" slit (half way through). Connect the four 5" strips through the slits (like Lincoln logs) and bend the corners to make a 4" square that is about the size of a slice of sandwich bread. Tape the corners to hold it together.

Lay the mold onto a baking sheet. Dollop the dough into it. Remove the mold and repeat for the remaining dough. Obviously, don't bake it! Bake the Oopsie/Revolution Rolls as directed.

There are several recipes for this but here's one from Susan's site - http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/improved_revolution_rolls.html In the pictures below, she uses a muffin top pan.

[RoosterRedux]

I agree. I didn't eat any flour for 2 years, but when I hit my desired weight I learned how I could cheat a wee bit and not gain weight.

As an aside, I am going to try to make a pita out of cauliflower and cheese for a pastrami sandwich.

Saw a video last week on a cauliflower pizza crust and I think it can be modified to create a pita.

I want a sandwich, but I don't want the guilt of eating bread.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I always am hungry before bed and if I don't eat I wake up in the middle of night starving.

So I have a small bowl of this soup, if I am extra hungry I toss in some shredded chicken.

I sleep the night through and my sugar does not spike and drop.

[Jamestown1630]

I had a similar experience with a co-worker who actually went through bariatric surgery to lose weight. She couldn’t stand the idea of ‘mashed cauliflower’, but after I made it for her, she loved it and wanted the recipe ;-)

(Your pic looks like a wonderful hamburger!)

[Twotone]

Calorie count is a bit high, but reduce portion & extend with thinly sliced steamed cabbage or cauliflower.

LOW CARB BEEF STROGANOFF

Servings: 4
Time of preparation: 40 minutes

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 onions
400 grams of beef cubes, no fat
half wine glass of white wine (I used Pinot Griggio)
2 garlic cloves
8 mushrooms
1 cup of cooking cream
2 tbs of Tamari soy sauce
1 dash curry powder
1 pepperoncino + 1/2 ts Tabasco
1 dash salt

Heat the olive oil. Chop onions and mushrooms, and cut garlic thinly. Stir-fry onions, then add beef cubes and stir-fry until the meat changes color into gray. Add wine and let it cook for a couple of minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms, let it cook until the wine is almost gone, then add cooking cream and spices. Cook for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

According to Fitday.com, 1 serving has:
- calories = 843
- fat = 80 grams
- carbs = 7 grams
- protein = 11 grams

[RoosterRedux]

That looks delicious. Does it pass for bread tastewise?