Virtually calorie free.....

Khannie

So tonight I had home made carbonarra. It was savage. Instead of the pasta though, I had cauliflower rice, which was brilliant because it was really filling and virtually calorie free (I mean, we're talking 50 or so "good" calories for the cauli versus 200 or more "crap" calories for the equivalent volume of pasta).

After dinner I had sugar free jelly which I had blended cottage cheese into before it set. Sounds rank but actually it's lovely. Again, very low in calories and filling.

I am proper stuffed for well under 600 calories (and that included some garlic bread).

So...what cool things do you eat that are low in calories but nice and filling (and / or satisfying)?

columok

So basically you've found a way for me and my gf to have low carb carbonara... LEGEND!!!

Have been struggling trying to find spaghetti squash to no avail. Will have to try this at the weekend!!!

corkcomp

cauliflower is one of the most under rated veg imo.. it only takes a little of anything (salt, cheese, sauce) to make it very nice:D

Sapsorrow

Oh my mum just dropped me off a tray of spagetti squash plants she started off for me in her greenhouse very excited! I'm going to give them a whole polytunnel to themselves just to make sure they don't die on me! :pac:

Red Cortina

Right so, defo going to try cauliflower rice this week. How long did you cook it for in the microwave?

El_Dangeroso

This is not so much a recipe as a tip, if you blend an onion and add it into a recipe with ground beef such as meatballs or shepherds pie it releases all the oligofructose and makes the dish uber filling. Like literally cannot eat more than a very small bit filling. Plus it's a prebiotic for all your friendly bacteria, win/win.

Though you do have to like the taste of onions, which I love, but the OH wasn't too keen.:P

El_Dangeroso

Sapsorrow wrote: »

Oh my mum just dropped me off a tray of spagetti squash plants she started off for me in her greenhouse very excited! I'm going to give them a whole polytunnel to themselves just to make sure they don't die on me! :pac:

Ooh jealous, have been wanting one of these since I read of them in a lc cookbook, they don't sell them anywhere! Though does it taste anything like butternut squash? If so I can live without thanks!

Lornen

I can't say I eat anything in particular that I can claim to be a virtually calorie free meal, but I do love stuffing whole blueberries into the mid-section of whole raspberries and eating them at room temp when they warm up a bit. Nice low calorie snack!
Also, I have never heard of cauliflower rice, where can you purchase it?

Khannie

Red Cortina wrote: »

Right so, defo going to try cauliflower rice this week. How long did you cook it for in the microwave?

Not that long. Maybe 2 - 3 minutes. I think the recipe calls for longer, but I was slightly rushed.

Lornen wrote: »

I can't say I eat anything in particular that I can claim to be a virtually calorie free meal, but I do love stuffing whole blueberries into the mid-section of whole raspberries and eating them at room temp when they warm up a bit. Nice low calorie snack!

That's the kind of thing I'm talking about. That sounds animal. Thanks.

Lornen wrote: »

Also, I have never heard of cauliflower rice, where can you purchase it?

It's just cauliflower + grater + microwave.

Lornen

How dense do I feel right now! Do you grate the caulflower raw and then just blast it in the microwave? Would you use any other form of heating the cauliflower like steaming it or anything?


EDIT: And about the Raspberry thing, if you are a bit of a grazer you should try freezing some seedless green/red grapes for about 20 minutes before eating them. They are a lovely snack on warm days. We've been promised a few this week.

EileenG

Being lazy, I cook the cauliflower as normal, mash it well, press out any excess liquid and bung it into a warm oven for a few minutes to dry out more.

I've seen recipes where cauliflower was pressed hard and baked a bit longer, then used as a pizza base.

Mellor

EileenG wrote: »

I've seen recipes where cauliflower was pressed hard and baked a bit longer, then used as a pizza base.

I've done that and I'm pretty sure it was from here. Maybe you.

Khannie, I must admit, you really got my hopes up with the title.
I seen the rice trick, was like ye know that one, read the post twice before I copped on that there was no low cal version of the sauce. Was expecting egg whites, fat free milk and boil it


Anyway, my dinner last night was pretty low cal.

I've replaced statchy veg with steam fresh bags from birds eye. 200g of cauli, broco and stringbeans at 50 cals

Kangaroo steak instead of beef. This has about the same cals per 100g as turkey. 200g piece

I used a ready mix gravy over the veg (3 serves per pack, 17cals per serve)

Some beetroot and onions on the side.

All in about 300 cals

ya-what-now?

Ooh am gonna give this a go this evening. Would really like to cut down on my carbs, especially in the evening, so if this is a go-er I would love to give it a shot!

Might make a big batch of chicken curry / korma something similar tonight and try it out with the cauliflower rice!

Sapsorrow

Coming from someone who's not a big cauliflower fan I think it would be much improved if after steaming or whatever you fried it in some finely chopped browned onion and if you're making it for an indian add in some ground tumeric, mustard seeds and maybe some cumin seeds too.

rubadub

Mellor wrote: »

I've done that and I'm pretty sure it was from here. Maybe you.

Dolorous posted one http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=61412115&postcount=96

Khannie

rubadub wrote: »

Dolorous posted one http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=61412115&postcount=96

She did and I tried it for the pizza base before but I steamed it (which with hindsight I think was a mistake). I remembered it yesterday and was very excited when I did. The recipe I linked says just to micro it because the cauli absorbs a lot of water if you give it the chance to. I remember my pizza base being a bit soft after steaming etc. but I may try it again with micro'd cauli.

terlywerly

Khannie wrote: »

So tonight I had home made carbonarra. It was savage. Instead of the pasta though, I had cauliflower rice, which was brilliant because it was really filling and virtually calorie free (I mean, we're talking 50 or so "good" calories for the cauli versus 200 or more "crap" calories for the equivalent volume of pasta).

Wow that's really low in comparison to regular rice. Have to say I'm quite partial to rice and since I've started eating more healthily and watching my weight I've only had it once
Definitely gonna try the cauliflower rice, I'd say it'd be lovely in a stir fry or with some homemade curry sauce
Can larger quantities of it be frozen and used again successfully?

And thanks again, never heard of cauli rice till this thread. Thank you, OP!

FunkZ

I can have carbonara on a LC diet? Even though it's what has me with a large waist at the moment?

IOU fellatio.

Sapsorrow

I'm confued I don't think I've ever had carbonara so I looked it up there on wiki, how can this work with cauliflower? Surely it's very different from the pasta version? Am I right in thinking its basically bacon, eggs and cheese mixed into pasta?

Khannie

Sapsorrow wrote: »

I'm confued I don't think I've ever had carbonara so I looked it up there on wiki, how can this work with cauliflower? Surely it's very different from the pasta version? Am I right in thinking its basically bacon, eggs and cheese mixed into pasta?

It's part sauce, part pasta. We have ours separately. I just removed the pasta and put in "rice" instead. Worked out really well.

FunkZ wrote: »

IOU fellatio.

*Screenshot*

Lornen wrote: »

Do you grate the caulflower raw and then just blast it in the microwave? Would you use any other form of heating the cauliflower like steaming it or anything?

Yep. Grate + blast.

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbsidedishes/r/caulirice.htm

Mellor

rubadub wrote: »

Dolorous posted one http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=61412115&postcount=96

And if I remember correct, your low carb base was oats and low fat beef mince
(sorry guys, but that one isn't a calorie free version )

Sapsorrow wrote: »

I'm confued I don't think I've ever had carbonara so I looked it up there on wiki, how can this work with cauliflower? Surely it's very different from the pasta version? Am I right in thinking its basically bacon, eggs and cheese mixed into pasta?

Not really.
It uses olive oil and sometimes cream. It emulsifies and is very much a sauce.

duckworth

Not really.
It uses olive oil and sometimes cream. It emulsifies and is very much a sauce.[/QUOTE]


Traditional Carbonara has 5 ingredients - pasta, eggs, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, bacon (traditionally guanciale, but its almost impossible to get in ireland)

Olive oil is only used in frying the bacon. If there is cream or peas or mushrooms (other things people sometimes throw in), then it is something else and not carbonara.

Usually the egg/cheese/bacon mix is cooked in the hot pasta, so I don't know how it would work with the cauliflower rice, and to be honest, doesn't sound very appetising.

If I was looking to make a low-cal sauce, I'd try something else - probably tomato based.

FunkZ

Just cooked this and it's amazing.

I grated the cauliflower, and fried it. Fried the bacon and made the sauce the way I always do. Two eggs, two egg yolks, permesan and a bit of cream. Topped the dish with a bit more permesan then. It took about about twenty minutes to prepare and cook!

Khannie, you're a legend for this!

Edit: And holy fcuk I am full now!

Sapsorrow

Hey is it just me or does this sound very like cauliflower cheese with bacon? I'm gonna try this as a treat in the next few days with some fakin' bacon!

El_Dangeroso

Sapsorrow wrote: »

Hey is it just me or does this sound very like cauliflower cheese with bacon? I'm gonna try this as a treat in the next few days with some fakin' bacon!

Best ever cheese sauce:

100g port salut cheese (they sell this in dunnes)

Pop in a bain marie and add splash of water, melt, stir and try not to drink straight.

Bake in the box Camembert works really well too..mmm cheese.

olaola

I've seen courgettes peeled into long strips to 'make' tagliatelle pasta. Just use a vegetable peeler and lash away!

Sometimes I'll use an aubergine, spinach, or even wide strips of courgette in a lasagna instead of pasta. Use turkey mince and for the bechamel get fat free fromage frais - mix in 1 egg and some mustard powder.

jam_mac_jam

Mellor wrote: »

And if I remember correct, your low carb base was oats and low fat beef mince
(sorry guys, but that one isn't a calorie free version )



Not really.
It uses olive oil and sometimes cream. It emulsifies and is very much a sauce.

You do not use olive oil or cream. Cream in Carbonara is an abomination, never ever should be used. Egg and cheese and bacon.

Getwellsoon

I tried cauliflower rice a few weeks ago, a friend recommended it to me as a rice substitute. I LOVE cauliflower but to be honest I didn't really think much of the cauliflower rice. I grated a whole head of it, and it didn't really give much of a portion of rice and I didn't find it very filling. I'd rather have just eaten a whole head of steamed cauliflower!

Mellor

duckworth wrote: »

Traditional Carbonara has 5 ingredients - pasta, eggs, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, bacon (traditionally guanciale, but its almost impossible to get in ireland)

Olive oil is only used in frying the bacon. If there is cream or peas or mushrooms (other things people sometimes throw in), then it is something else and not carbonara.

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

You do not use olive oil or cream. Cream in Carbonara is an abomination, never ever should be used. Egg and cheese and bacon.

I don't use cream, and I agree that its not traditional. But a lot of places do. Which is why I said sometimes it contains cream.

As for olive oil. I disagree. It'd used to fry the bacon. And is also added into the pasta with the cheese and egg. Butter is often used instead. Every recipie i've seen included oil or butter added.


As the the above recipe with cauli, there is no reason you can make the sauce on the side and then add it to plate beside the calui.
Khannie, you prob did it this way.

Khannie

Mellor wrote: »

As the the above recipe with cauli, there is no reason you can make the sauce on the side and then add it to plate beside the calui.
Khannie, you prob did it this way.

I did indeed.

Khannie

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

You do not use olive oil or cream. Cream in Carbonara is an abomination, never ever should be used. Egg and cheese and bacon.

My wife makes the best carbonarra in the universe and she uses cream. It is *awesome* gear.

El_Dangeroso

I went to Bologna and had spagetti bolognese expecting the best version of it possible, there's no tomato in the 'original' version apparently and it wasn't nice at all!

Sometimes recipes improve as they travel. I put cream in my carbonara too.

brianthebard

Temple_Grandin wrote: »

I went to Bologna and had spagetti bolognese expecting the best version of it possible, there's no tomato in the 'original' version apparently and it wasn't nice at all!

Sometimes recipes improve as they travel. I put cream in my carbonara too.

That's a bit like going to India and hoping to get chicken tikka masala; its not an indian dish, the same way spag bol isn't really an italian dish.

El_Dangeroso

brianthebard wrote: »

That's a bit like going to India and hoping to get chicken tikka masala; its not an indian dish, the same way spag bol isn't really an italian dish.

Yeah, but my point was sometimes local tweaks make a dish nicer. No point being a slave to authenticity.

Beetlebum

brianthebard wrote: »

That's a bit like going to India and hoping to get chicken tikka masala; its not an indian dish, the same way spag bol isn't really an italian dish.

Spag Bol originates from Bologna, Italy so it is an Italian dish!

What you've said is it's a bit like going into a bar and asking for a pint or a bit like going to Ireland and asking for bacon and potatoes!

Tikka Masala is traditionally an Indian dish too!!

Get it right boy!

brianthebard

Beetlebum wrote: »

Spag Bol originates from Bologna, Italy so it is an Italian dish!

What you've said is it's a bit like going into a bar and asking for a pint or a bit like going to Ireland and asking for bacon and potatoes!

Tikka Masala is traditionally an Indian dish too!!

Get it right boy!

bolognese is not referred to as such in Italy. Chicken tikka masala supposedly originated in Britain. It is certainly not 'traditionally an Indian dish' in the way we know it. Get it right boy. :rolleyes:

Beetlebum

brianthebard wrote: »

bolognese is not referred to as such in Italy. Chicken tikka masala supposedly originated in Britain. It is certainly not 'traditionally an Indian dish' in the way we know it. Get it right boy. :rolleyes:

Now now..no need to be so tetchy on a Friday afternoon..

It's actually not known where tikka masala hails from, some say Glasgow and some say India.

Bolognese is referred to as bolognese in parts of Italy. I'm mates with an Italian guy and visited him last year and I had bolognese....traditional Italain bolognese made with tomatoe paste. Bellisimo!

I'm a girl btw

Zamboni

Khannie you're a legend.
I just had an awesome Laksa chicken curry with cauliflower rice.
Around 350calories and after a mug of tea, I'm stuffed.

FunkZ

Temple_Grandin wrote: »

I went to Bologna and had spagetti bolognese expecting the best version of it possible

The Italians let you down so much! I was over a few weeks ago and though carbonara was good, but not half as good as my girlfriends! She uses cream too, tis amazing.

The pizza over there was terrible too, they have good ideas but it looks like other countries improve them!

Though I got a mean steak straight after I had my carbonara :pac:

Mellor

Beetlebum wrote: »

It's actually not known where tikka masala hails from, some say Glasgow and some say India.

Bolognese is referred to as bolognese in parts of Italy. I'm mates with an Italian guy and visited him last year and I had bolognese....traditional Italain bolognese made with tomatoe paste. Bellisimo!

Sorry, but you're are wrong on the tikka and your point on bolognese is irrelevant.

Tikka Masala come from glascow. it's an india dish mixed with european flavours, notable tomato. India based, originated in scotland.

Traditional bolognese was a tiny amount of tomato paste. Not tomato sauce as it is made almost everywhere today. Even in parts of italy, the exception being traditional dishes. The original point was that Bolognese is not the tomato sauce dish we know today, its was a meat based sauce

Khannie

FunkZ wrote: »

The pizza over there was terrible too

You ate in the wrong place. Best pizza I ever had was in Italy.

jam_mac_jam

Mellor wrote: »

I don't use cream, and I agree that its not traditional. But a lot of places do. Which is why I said sometimes it contains cream.

As for olive oil. I disagree. It'd used to fry the bacon. And is also added into the pasta with the cheese and egg. Butter is often used instead. Every recipie i've seen included oil or butter added.


As the the above recipe with cauli, there is no reason you can make the sauce on the side and then add it to plate beside the calui.
Khannie, you prob did it this way.

I have never seen oil used at the end. I just dont like cream, sorry just being dramatic.

FunkZ

Khannie wrote: »

You ate in the wrong place. Best pizza I ever had was in Italy.

Maybe we have different tastes. My Godparents are Italian and they always bring me to places they think is going to impress when I visit, and they haven't so far!

FunkZ

FunkZ wrote: »

Maybe we have different tastes. My Godparents are Italian and they always bring me to places they think is going to impress when I visit, and they haven't so far!

You sure they dont bring you somewhere bland to suit your Irish tastes?
Even airport food tastes fantastic in Italy. Well imo

FunkZ

The forced octypuss down my throat so I doubt it!

Khannie

It is official: Funkz is broken.

Lornen

FunkZ wrote: »

Maybe we have different tastes. My Godparents are Italian and they always bring me to places they think is going to impress when I visit, and they haven't so far!

Authentic Italian pizza tasting bad is impossible..
I mean it's actually impossible. I lived in Italy for 5 years and I have yet to come across a pizza anywhere near as amazing as the ones from the pizzaria I had right beside my house. Maybe you've been exposed to some hideous additive bombarded American take on the real deal and prefer it, but I doubt you'll find many if even one more person to agree with you on that one!


Back on topic though,
Cream in a Carbonara sauce sounded pretty normal to me. I personally just use eggs, bacon and parmesan, but aslong as it's not being dumped out of a plastic packet sporting tiny pink squares posing as the bacon, it's all good! Bit of an oxymoron having "healthy" carbonara though no?