low carb people...inspire me please

[SparklyUnicorn]

with some interesting recipes, food ideas, convenience products you love, etc...

 

I found mashed cauliflower in the frozen aisle.  I haven't tried it yet, but I was excited about that find.

 

I'm kinda in a rut here.  I need some new ideas.

 

 

 

 

[freesia]

Me, too. I was just sitting here thinking how the only thing I could think of to eat was peanuts and I am SO sick of peanuts.  I am tired of everything I cook for dinner, too. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

yeah me too...I made a lot of my favorites lately and I feel "blah" about all of them.

 

And I have the oddest cravings lately.  I'm dying for some hot chocolate even though I don't really like chocolate and I never drink hot chocolate!  I am pretty sure I can find some sugar free stuff or concoct something myself. 

 

Vegetables...I love vegetables, but it feels like I'm eating the same three things over and over and over again.  I'm majorly burnt out on cabbage.  It's so versatile, but ugh...

 

 

[zoobie]

We've been eating roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted cauliflower, and sautéed kale. For that, I sauté a shallot then add in a ton of de-stemmed kale, toss it to coat with oil and shallots, then add a spoonful of chicken base and about 1/2 cup of water. Toss and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Finish with some fresh lemon juice.

 

Creamed spinach with different cheeses. I have a recipe with smoked Gouda to try.

[Guest]

Zucchini shredded with potatoes for hash browns

Spaghetti squash instead of noodles

Edited November 10, 2016 by Heigh Ho

[amsunshine]

Oh, I'm glad you started this thread and I hope others have some good ideas!  I'm actually making mashed cauliflower tonight, using Trader Joe's riced cauliflower, and hoping it turns out well.

 

Here are two things that my family and I really enjoyed lately:

 

Shrimp-Fried Rice (but instead of rice, use riced cauliflower).  This was really yummy.  We all loved it.  Will definitely make again.  The only things I would probably change next time is add the thawed peas and carrots and the sliced scallions last, after the cauliflower has absorbed the liquid for a bit.  My kids wanted a little more firmness in the veggies and I think this would do the trick.

 

Fathead Pizza.  This was really good, too.  The toppings we used were crumbled sausage and bell pepper.  

Everyone loved it.  It's filling, so you can have one or two small pieces max and be full.  I served it with a side salad.

 

I have been seriously looking for a good faux pasta recipe but haven't found anything yet....I do have a spiralizer but my kids really don't like the zucchini "pasta".

[SparklyUnicorn]

We've been eating roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted cauliflower, and sautéed kale. For that, I sauté a shallot then add in a ton of de-stemmed kale, toss it to coat with oil and shallots, then add a spoonful of chicken base and about 1/2 cup of water. Toss and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Finish with some fresh lemon juice.

 

Creamed spinach with different cheeses. I have a recipe with smoked Gouda to try.

 

kale...I do love kale

 

I have some in the freezer from the garden.  I bet I could do a creamed kale...with a smoked cheese..ooooooo yeah that sounds good.  Thank you.

[freesia]

Oh, I'm glad you started this thread and I hope others have some good ideas!  I'm actually making mashed cauliflower tonight, using Trader Joe's riced cauliflower, and hoping it turns out well.

 

Here are two things that my family and I really enjoyed lately:

 

Shrimp-Fried Rice (but instead of rice, use riced cauliflower).  This was really yummy.  We all loved it.  Will definitely make again.  The only things I would probably change next time is add the thawed peas and carrots and the sliced scallions last, after the cauliflower has absorbed the liquid for a bit.  My kids wanted a little more firmness in the veggies and I think this would do the trick.

 

Fathead Pizza.  This was really good, too.  The toppings we used were crumbled sausage and bell pepper.  

Everyone loved it.  It's filling, so you can have one or two small pieces max and be full.  I served it with a side salad.

 

I have been seriously looking for a good faux pasta recipe but haven't found anything yet....I do have a spiralizer but my kids really don't like the zucchini "pasta".

 

Yum, these are right up our ally.

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Oh, I'm glad you started this thread and I hope others have some good ideas!  I'm actually making mashed cauliflower tonight, using Trader Joe's riced cauliflower, and hoping it turns out well.

 

Here are two things that my family and I really enjoyed lately:

 

Shrimp-Fried Rice (but instead of rice, use riced cauliflower).  This was really yummy.  We all loved it.  Will definitely make again.  The only things I would probably change next time is add the thawed peas and carrots and the sliced scallions last, after the cauliflower has absorbed the liquid for a bit.  My kids wanted a little more firmness in the veggies and I think this would do the trick.

 

Fathead Pizza.  This was really good, too.  The toppings we used were crumbled sausage and bell pepper.  

Everyone loved it.  It's filling, so you can have one or two small pieces max and be full.  I served it with a side salad.

 

I have been seriously looking for a good faux pasta recipe but haven't found anything yet....I do have a spiralizer but my kids really don't like the zucchini "pasta".

 

I made the shrimp one before.  That IS really good.

 

I just printed out that fathead pizza the other day.  I need to try that one. 

 

I eat Dreamfields usually, but at the moment I'm being strict so I'll hold off for awhile.  Otherwise yeah the substitutes aren't so hot.  I don't like spaghetti squash at all.  The zucchini noodles are "ok". 

[Guest]

For dinner tonight. Bacon, butter, sour cream, cheddar, frozen cauliflower, all mixed together and baked.

[kiana]

kale...I do love kale

 

I have some in the freezer from the garden.  I bet I could do a creamed kale...with a smoked cheese..ooooooo yeah that sounds good.  Thank you.

 

A lot of times I take frozen greens, cook them just enough to wilt them, and then stir in grated cheese and let it melt. So lazy. So yummy. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

For dinner tonight. Bacon, butter, sour cream, cheddar, frozen cauliflower, all mixed together and baked.

 

YUM!  Like a loaded baked potato.

[SparklyUnicorn]

A lot of times I take frozen greens, cook them just enough to wilt them, and then stir in grated cheese and let it melt. So lazy. So yummy. 

 

I love lazy.  LC doesn't have a lot of lazy recipes.  Although the Instant Pot is a life saver at the moment.

[zoobie]

The pasta subs suck. I have started roasting cauliflower for everything. Even riced cauliflower tastes better roasted. I want to try kale lasagna, but I haven't gotten off my lazy butt to make any yet.

Edited November 10, 2016 by zoobie

[jak of in]

I made this Curried Butternut Squash Soup in the crockpot tonight: http://littlespicejar.com/curried-butternut-squash-soup-slow-cooker/ . I'm not on a low-carb diet, but I think this would be low-carb. It is delicious! I left off the heavy cream and added a can of coconut milk. You could also make grilled chicken and salad to round out the meal. 

 

 

Edited November 10, 2016 by jak of in

[amsunshine]

Hmm...that soup looks good.  I bet I could make something similar without curry (I personally can't stand curry).  Thanks for the recipe!  A good starting point!

 

eta:  oh, darn. It is fairly high carb....

Edited November 10, 2016 by amsunshinetemp

[SparklyUnicorn]

I made this Curried Butternut Squash Soup in the crockpot tonight: http://littlespicejar.com/curried-butternut-squash-soup-slow-cooker/ . I'm not on a low-carb diet, but I think this would be low-carb. It is delicious! I left off the heavy cream and added a can of coconut milk. You could also make grilled chicken and salad to round out the meal. 

 

Looks good, but it is very high in carbs for most on LC.  If I weren't trying to lose weight I'd go for it.

[kiana]

Oh, I'm the mistress of lazy. 

 

Just so I'm not duplicating, what are your 3 veg that you're bored with?

[SparklyUnicorn]

Oh, I'm the mistress of lazy. 

 

Just so I'm not duplicating, what are your 3 veg that you're bored with?

 

cabbage, green beans, broccoli

 

I like them...but I dunno.....zzzzzz

[kiana]

cabbage, green beans, broccoli

 

I like them...but I dunno.....zzzzzz

 

Yeah ok.

 

I like broccoli and I have it a lot. Idk how you cook it but I oven-bake it so it gets crispy around the edges, then again I stir grated cheese into it and let it melt. I might or might not drizzle it with oil depending on how fatty the meat it goes with is. This is nice because I just stick it in the oven and set a timer so I don't forget and burn dinner. 

 

Cauliflower is also good oven-baked and um cheese just goes with everything doesn't it? Add cheese if you like.

 

If you like cabbage you might swap it out with brussels sprouts sometimes although of course cabbage is so much cheaper (so cheap lately on sales).

 

Sometimes I do soup-ish things with greens and mushrooms and some crushed tomatoes and I find them pretty good. I spice the heck out of those too. I also do creamed greens and mushrooms together. 

 

Another way to do these if you like eggs is to do a frittata with greens + mushrooms, or with broccoli. If you've never had a frittata, think of a crustless quiche, usually with cheese on top. 

[Liz CA]

yeah me too...I made a lot of my favorites lately and I feel "blah" about all of them.

 

And I have the oddest cravings lately.  I'm dying for some hot chocolate even though I don't really like chocolate and I never drink hot chocolate!  I am pretty sure I can find some sugar free stuff or concoct something myself. 

 

Vegetables...I love vegetables, but it feels like I'm eating the same three things over and over and over again.  I'm majorly burnt out on cabbage.  It's so versatile, but ugh...

 

Start with more variety perhaps on the veggies: turnip (can also be mashed like potatoes), rutabaga, daikon, parsnips, beets, celeriac, zucchini, eggplants...

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Start with more variety perhaps on the veggies: turnip (can also be mashed like potatoes), rutabaga, daikon, parsnips, beets, celeriac, zucchini, eggplants...

 

 

rutabaga..I like that one

 

forgot about daikon..those things are huge

[amsunshine]

Oh!  I just remembered another one:  

 

Stuffed Peppers

 

4 bell peppers, halved through stem, cored and seeded

8 oz ground pork

8 oz sweet italian sausage (removed from casing)

1 small onion, diced (you can maybe do 1/2 onion if you want less carbs)

3 garlic cloves, diced (I use the frozen garlic cubes)

8 oz pkg Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (I substitute cauliflower rice)

3 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

1/4 c chopped fresh parsley

veg oil

salt and pepper

 

1.  Adjust oven rack to upper middle and heat broiler.  Place peppers in micro safe dish, cover and nuke on high until just tender -- 3-6 minutes.

 

2.  Heat 1 tbsp oil in large skillet over med-hi heat.  Add pork and pork sausage and cook until no longer pink, about 5 mins.  Add onion and cook until softened, about 4 mins.  Add garlic and cook about 30 secs (if using frozen, wait until they thaw first).  Stir in rice and cook until heated through, about 1-2 mins.  Off heat, stir in 2 cups cheese and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper.

 

3.  Pat peppers dry and place on baking sheet (I cover with foil, but you can brush baking sheet with a little oil).  Fill peppers with meat filling and top with remaining cheese.  Broil until cheese is spotty brown, about 3-5 mins.  Serve.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 11, 2016 by amsunshinetemp

[KrissiK]

I've been making puréed veggie soup for lunches lately. Puréed broccoli with chicken broth and half&half and plenty of seasoning and cheddar cheese and bacon crumbles on top. That was pretty yummy. Did the same thing with roasted cauliflower, though I liked the broccoli soup better. Although anything is good with enough cheddar and bacon crumbles on it.

[Sarah CB]

I know this isn't rocket science, but I roasted veggies the other day and they were amazing. I cut up cauliflower, potatoes (not for me, but for the other people in the house), and brussell sprouts and tossed them all in olive oil, oregano, basil and salt. Then I put them on a cookie sheet and roasted them for 40 minutes. I couldn't believe how different brussell sprouts tasted roasted - I like them to begin with but they were so very good. 

 

Last weekend I had a BBQ'd steak and ate it with blue cheese on top. So good. 

 

Another favourite lately is chicken taco salad. 

 

Have you tried sautéed zucchini for breakfast? My favourite breakfast is just zucchini and scrambled eggs. Zucchini is also good baked with parmesan cheese and butter. 

[marbel]

I did something a little different tonight.  I had some frozen spinach I bought for another recipe but then decided I didn't want that after all.

 

So, I sauteed some thinly-sliced red onion and poblano pepper in olive oil. After that was soft, I added some mushrooms, then the spinach.  Just before serving, I put in some shredded cheese - I used cheddar and parmesan.  It was very good.  But it might not be a new thing for you.  

[amsunshine]

I second the taco salad idea.  When we make taco meat, I always chop up some romaine, tomatoes and avocado and put the taco meat over that, while the rest of the family uses tortillas.  Sometimes I use a cilantro dressing, and sometimes, I just use salsa fresca on the salad in place of a dressing.

[SparklyUnicorn]

 

 

Have you tried sautéed zucchini for breakfast? My favourite breakfast is just zucchini and scrambled eggs. Zucchini is also good baked with parmesan cheese and butter. 

 

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/zucchini-bacon-and-gruyere-quiche-233259

 

Made me think of that one which I have made before and loved.  I just make it without the crust. 

[ScoutTN]

Best LC things I've made lately:

 

Reuben casserole -  pastrami form the deli, swiss cheese, kraut, LC 1000 island dressing, and carraway seeds.

Mix the dressing with the kraut, then layer: kraut, meat, cheese, repeat. I do three thin layers in an oval casserole dish. Bake til bubbly. Serve rye toast on the side for non- LC people.

 

Brussells sprouts greens gratin made with fontina and asigao. Cauliflower greens are yummy too. I wilted the greens in a pan first, then mixed with a cream and butter based cheese sauce and baked til golden on top.

 

Chipotle chx soup. Homemade chx stock, tomato cocktail (V8), rotisserie chx, onion, garlic, poblano peppers. Chipotle chili powder, cumin, oregano. Saute the aromatics, add chx and seasoning, then the stock and cocktail. Simmer till hot through. I take some out for me, then add black beans and corn for my family. Serve with sour cream and cilantro. I usually pair this with a green salad.

 

 

[ScoutTN]

Another one:

I make Eggplant parmesan instead of lasagna.

I use cheap parmesan cheese (in the jar) for the breading. Dip eggplant slices in beaten egg thn in the parm with some Italian seasoning. Bake til golden.

 

Make a sauce with or without meat. I use Italian sausage and add lots of veggies. Mush, onion, tons of garlic, peppers, even spinach. Layer sauce, eggplant, mozzarella , 2 or 3x to fill your pan.  Top with Mozz and some good parmesan.

 

Sometimes I use ricotta or the Italian cheese blend from Trader Joes.

 

[Sarah CB]

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/zucchini-bacon-and-gruyere-quiche-233259

 

Made me think of that one which I have made before and loved.  I just make it without the crust. 

 

Yum. I think I have to add that into my meal plan.

[amsunshine]

Sparkly, how was the frozen mashed cauliflower you found?  And if you liked it, what was the brand?

 

The recipe I used last night was ok -- really good in terms of flavor but lacking in terms of body/texture -- we all felt it was too thin/soft.  I think I will either try fiddling with the ratios of ingredients in the same recipe or try a different recipe that uses cream cheese instead of sour cream. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Sparkly, how was the frozen mashed cauliflower you found?  And if you liked it, what was the brand?

 

The recipe I used last night was ok -- really good in terms of flavor but lacking in terms of body/texture -- we all felt it was too thin/soft.  I think I will either try fiddling with the ratios of ingredients in the same recipe or try a different recipe that uses cream cheese instead of sour cream. 

 

I haven't used it. 

 

http://hanoverfoods.com/products/

 

Bird's Eye also had various riced cauliflower items.  I bought one bag of the plain riced to try it out. 

 

Some of these things are rather expensive.  Although everything is freaking expensive.  It cost me $1.88 for one red bell pepper yesterday.  Not $1.88 per pound.  Per pepper!  Crazy, but I really wanted it.  I'm making sausage and peppers tonight. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Sparkly, how was the frozen mashed cauliflower you found?  And if you liked it, what was the brand?

 

The recipe I used last night was ok -- really good in terms of flavor but lacking in terms of body/texture -- we all felt it was too thin/soft.  I think I will either try fiddling with the ratios of ingredients in the same recipe or try a different recipe that uses cream cheese instead of sour cream. 

 

If you beat an egg and then beat that into the mashed cauliflower after you add your cream or whatever and then bake it, it gives it a firmer and less wet texture.  It's an extra step of course, but it holds up reheated so you can make it ahead.

[amsunshine]

Thanks!  Should we start a social group, or is there a social group for this kind of thing?  Sharing recipes for low carb peeps?

[SparklyUnicorn]

Sounds good to me!

 

 

[KrissiK]

I second the taco salad idea. When we make taco meat, I always chop up some romaine, tomatoes and avocado and put the taco meat over that, while the rest of the family uses tortillas. Sometimes I use a cilantro dressing, and sometimes, I just use salsa fresca on the salad in place of a dressing.

I make taco salad and for dressing I take some homemade ranch dressing, put some salsa (jarred, not fresh) and a couple sprinkles of taco seasoning in it. It's really good.

[amsunshine]

Ok, I just started a new group called Low Carbers.  It's public, but I'll send out invites to those on this thread.  It might be nice to have a place where we can keep a catalog of tips and recipes.  I'm especially anxious about the holidays coming....

[amsunshine]

Does anyone know if I can move this thread to the Low Carbers social group?  Or should I just start a new thread and add recipes and links?

[SparklyUnicorn]

Does anyone know if I can move this thread to the Low Carbers social group?  Or should I just start a new thread and add recipes and links?

 

No clue about that.  I think it would be fine to just start a new one though.