Carb free

[julesapple]

We've had Chicken Korma this evening. The YPs had rice, but BH and I had the cauliflower rice. I don't think I've ever been able to leave a recipe as it stands, so I tweaked this recipe too;

Once you've got your minced cauliflower, melt a good knob of butter in a frying pan with about 2 tbsp of coconut oil. To this add 1tsp of Turmeric and half tsp Black Onion seeds. Then add one small finely minced onion. Cook until the onion is translucent. Stir in the cauliflower. Keep stirring until the cauli is well mixed in and yellow. Then turn down the heat and cover. Leave to cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

We were talking about it over dinner and we think you could tweak to suit the meal; stir in some chopped coriander and some cumin to serve with chilli, or some basil/oregano, garlic or pesto for a good pasta sub. I bet you could do a brilliant version to go with chinese with a bit of five spice etc.

[julesapple]

Low Carb Chocolate Mousse

Low Carb Chocolate Mousse
serves 4 to 6

85g unsweetened chocolate (at least 70% cocoa mass - the higher the % the fewer carbs)
3 large egg yolks
5 large egg whites
2 - 3 tbsp Candarel (or similar)*
200ml double cream
1 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 1tbsp hot water and cooled (optional)

Break the chocolate into pieces into a bowl with 1 tbsp of water. Melt in a double boiler over low heat. Or place chocolate pieces and 1 tbsp water in a microwaveable bowl and zap for thirty seconds or until melted. Do not over heat. Stir with a spatula. This will turn into a thick paste. If you're using the coffee add it at this point.

In a mixing bowl, beat egg yolks and half of the Candarel until thick and creamy. Gradually add the melted chocolate, beating continuously, and set aside.

In a seperate bowl, beat cream with the rest of the Candarel until cream is thick.

Go back to the chocolate paste bowl and stir in a good dollop of the cream. You want a nice folding action here, so as not to take any fluffiness out of the finished mousse. Keep adding big dollops until all of the cream is folded into the chocolate.

In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks have formed, set aside. Make sure the bowl is grease free or your whites won't whip to stiff peaks.

Take a good dollop of the egg whites and fold this into the chocolate cream mixture. Then add the whole of the chocolate cream to the egg whites bowl and fold together until completely mixed. Remember to fold in gently to preserve the mousse's texture.

Transfer to 4 - 6 individual serving bowls (or one large one) and refrigerate for about three hours before serving......if you can wait that long!

You can add a little of your favourite tipple if you prefer that to coffee for extra flavour.

*Note: I used half the listed amount of sweetener as it was too sweet for my taste. Also, the higher the percentage of cocoa solids in your chocolate, the fewer carbs there are in the finished dish!

[zazen999]

Oh - nearly forgot. Celeriac, swede, carrot and broccoli mash is lovely.

[mothhawk]

I've been following this thread with interest, and I've given up bread and spuds for a week to see if I feel different - I do - more energetic and less lethargic (perhaps 'cos I'm eating more protein instead?).

Anyway, a question: are there a lot of carbs in rolled oats? I can happily live without bread, potatoes, and pasta, but I eat oats every day and don't think I could give them up, they are just about my favourite basic foodstuff.

[zazen999]

Carbs in Oats

Make of that what you will. I WILL be having porridge tomorrow morning. I really miss it.

[mothhawk]

Thanks for the link, Zaz. Had to go and measure and weigh and convert (bowlful/cups/ounces blah blah blah)

So, I eat 2 ounces of uncooked oats for breakfast, which is half a cup, which is 8.6g of carbs. That's not too bad per day, is it?

[julesapple]

Food Item: Oats, regular, made w/water
Food Quantity: 1 cup
Carbs: 25.3g
Dietary Fiber: 8g
Net Carbs: 17.3g

As I understand it, the dietary fibre cancels out 8g of the carbohydrates because oats take much longer to digest than, say, sugar. So your carbs for 1 cup (or 100g) of rolled oats would be the 17.3g.

You can pour cream on your porridge and still be low carb....

[zazen999]

Love you Jules for that.

I am now making a square version of your choc cake - with chopped almonds added [I got Mr Z to buy some ground almonds today] to make brownies. In oven as I type.

[julesapple]

We had Spaghetti Bolognese tonight with zucchini pasta. Knew I'd find a use for that Julienne peeler eventually....it wasn't bad considering I hate courgette. Next time I'll drain it before stirring in the pesto....

Sweet potatoes are on offer in Lidl....18g carbs in 100g baked sweet potato.

[Hilary B]

Beans do contain carbs (not a lot, but some) so if you are going down the beany-route, remember to calculate them in, I can second the idea of lightly steamed shredded cabbage as a rice/pasta substitute, and in the Atkins book there is a recipe for making a nearly-zero carb bread from a soya flour (can't remember exactly how, but I think it is mainly soya and beaten egg).
Not a veggie (just not my thing) but I can, and do, cook veggie (and occasionally vegan) meals, and it's none of my business what you choose not to eat (I avoid beetroot, that is MY business!).
I do tend to ask WHY people have taken the veggie option, but that is simply curiosity about reasons for decisions, not a criticism!

[julesapple]

Low Carb 'Porridge' (about 3g Carbs per serving)

2 tablespoons milled flax seed
2 tablespoons ground almonds
Sweetener to taste
Dollop of double cream

Mix the flax seed and almonds together with water until you have a thin paste. Nuke in the micro for about one minute to one minute twenty seconds. Add sweetener to taste and stir in the dollop (excuse the tech specifications) of cream. You can add a couple of tablespoons of mixed seeds, nuts or unsweetened dessicated coconut - all of these things will help lower the total carb and GI of the porridge.

This looks like a very small serving but it's very filling.

[Urban]

Guys try oat bran porridge, I did dukan diet last year and I lost 36lb in about 3 months, I've since put most of it back on, but I'll admit I did feel a lot healthier on the low carb diet

The thing about the oat bran, it actually reduces the amount of carbs you can absorb, plus it keeps you regular

Will have to try it again soon I think

[Urban]

Oh damn, one of the things that got me through the hard times on that diet was a chocolate cake made in the micro, with no sugar and no flour, I just used oat bran blended into a flour consistency
And tesco reduced fat cocoa, (right bargain that)

Was tasty aswell, my girlfriend loved it, she lost 4.5 stone, think I wrote the recipe down somewhere, I guess I invented it, stuff I threw together when I was craving cake, and it seemed to work
Will post it tommoz if I can find it

[piskieinboots]

BLT for us low carbers

[Hilary B]

Oooooooooooooh piskie!!! Looks delish!