Bootcamp Recipe Thread

[BIWI]

Asparagus Frittata (serves 2)

250g/9oz asparagus, trimmed and cut into 5cm/2in pieces
4 eggs
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
225g/8oz spring onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil

• Cook asparagus in boiling water until tender (7-10 minutes)
• Whisk the eggs and add the cheese and the spring onions
• Pre-heat the grill
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan that can go under the grill
• Put in the asparagus; stir-fry for a minute, then pour in the eaten eggs, moving the asparagus around gently to make sure the egg mixture gets right through, and that the grated cheese is well distributed
• Let the frittata cook over a moderate heat for a few minutes until the underside is cooked and lightly browned, then put the pan under a hot grill for a minute or two until the top is set and golden brown

5.5g carbs per serving

Recipe from Rose Elliot's "The Vegetarian Low-Carb Diet Book"

Thai-Style Meatballs with Peanut Sauce (serves 4)

This is another one from the IPD recipe book:

1 small onion (I used 2 echalion/banana shallots instead)
1 clove of garlic crushed (I used 2 - I like my garlic!)
1 fat fresh red chilli
1 stick of lemongrass
stalks from a bunch of fresh coriander (I just used half of a packet - leaves and all)
juice of 1 lime
500g pork mince
1 rounded tablespoon peanut butter
1 heaped teaspoon unsweetened desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons tamari soy sauce
groundnut oil for frying

• put the peeled onion, garlic, chilli, lemongrass, coriander and half the lime juice into a food processor and blitz to a paste
• add the mince and process again till it's all amalgamated
• leave in the fridge for a couple of hours (if you haven't got this time, leave it at room temperature for around 30 minutes)

• make the peanut sauce by mixing the peanut butter, remaining lime juice, coconut, fish sauce and tamari.
• add sufficient boiling water (about a tablespoon) to make a runny consistency
• leave to stand until the mince is ready to cook, then stir and add a little more water (it will thicken on standing)

(I like to heat this sauce, which will thicken it as well)

• make walnut-sized balls out of the mince mixture and then fry till browned and cooked through. (This will take around 10 minutes)

Thai spiced cauliflower and coconut soup

The spices are rough amounts - just add until you're happy with the flavour

700g cauliflower (use frozen - it's much cheaper than fresh)
1 can of coconut milk
1 can's worth of hot water
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1-2 tsp chilli flakes
2 tbsp thai fish sauce
2-4 cloves of garlic (or one chunk of frozen garlic from the ethnic freezer section)
thumb sized piece of ginger grated (or one chunk of frozen ginger as above)
some lemongrass if you have it handy or some lime juice

1. Chuck everything in the pot and simmer until the cauliflower is cooked
2. Blend it in a blender
3. Taste it and put in more spices if desired - I kept putting in a tiny bit more of everything until I couldn't taste the cauliflower because my DP doesn't like it (I never told him there was cauliflower it in and I just asked him and he hadn't noticed it was in there)

Morning everyone, I'm looking for a low carb version of cocktail sauce to have with prawns. Have checked out the Hellmans jars but they seem a bit high.

Any good recipes? Trying to avoid artificial sweetners though so may prove nigh on impossible!

In the first line of your post that is showing when I go to Threads I'm on, it says:

"Morning everyone, I'm looking for a low carb version of cock" ...

There are some mayonnaises that you can buy that are zero carb (although they tend to be expensive). Sainsbury sell one, in a little, squat jar.

Or you could make your own? If you have a blender it's really easy.

Or otherwise, make it with yoghurt. Chuck in a bit of tomato puree and some fresh lime juice.

Thanks BIWI - well you never know, we might attract more users to this thread yet!

Better not tell DH that cock is low carb too - I'll never hear the bloody end of it

Betty - I just made Marie Rose sauce with full fat helmans, a tiny bit of tomato puree, a dash of wocester sauce and some lemon juice. Was lush.

Thanks catinboots that is brilliant

Low carb blueberry muffins
I made them today and they were lovely. My variation of a couple of recipes I found on the net:

A cup of soy flour
2TB flaxseed
1 ts baking powder
1 ts baking soda
Half a cup splenda
Ts cinnamon

Mix all dry ingredients, then add:
2 eggs
Small pot of double cream
I added a couple of tablespoons of coconut milk, only because i had some
Sme vanilla essence

Fold in blueberries

Fill muffin cases, bake 20 mins or so in 200 degree, or so ;)
Makes 10 normal size.

Id love a tried and tested cookie recipe, i am seriously missing "treats" at the moment.

Have just discovered this thread and am very inspired - I'm veggie and there are some fab ideas here. I have been reducing carbs gently to use up the fridge contents and have been stocking up with eggs, cauliflower, different cheeses, veggie sausages, tofu, salads, milled flaxseed, greek yoghurt etc. Ground almonds, celeriac, aubergine and soya flour are on the shopping list after reading the above recipes .

I made Oopsie rolls this morning! Weird, but okay actually. With a tonne of butter they taste like an airy bread roll.

Am going to try and make a bacon roll with them tomorrow

Marinated courgette with mozzarella

spicy pork on little gems

There is 1 tsp sugar in the recipe which I left out - still yum - but you could use splenda for the sweet and sour tinge.

Ooh yum, the courgette and also the spicy pork recipe both sound rather scrummy! Thanks!

I've c+p the recipes so that it's a bit easier to reference:

Marinated Courgette with Mozzarella

4 medium courgettes (about 500g)
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive or rapeseed oil
1 large clove garlic, finely slivered
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus a little juice
A handful of mint or basil, roughly torn
1 ball of buffalo mozzarella (about 125g), or other mild, soft cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Top and tail the courgettes, then cut them lengthways into thin slices, 1?2mm thick. Put them in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of the oil and use a pastry brush to get them all lightly coated.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a fairly high heat. Working in batches, sear the courgette slices for about 2 minutes on each side until tender and golden. Transfer them to a shallow dish.

Take the frying pan off the heat and let it cool down a bit. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, the garlic and lemon zest. Heat very gently for a few minutes ? the residual heat in the pan may be enough ? you just want to take the raw edge off the garlic and infuse the flavours into the oil.
Pour the infused oil over the courgettes. Add some salt and pepper, a little squeeze of lemon juice and the mint or basil. Toss together, cover and leave for 1 hour at room temperature.

Serve with the torn mozzarella scattered over it.

(A River Cafe recipe)

Spicy pork on little gem

My* take on the lovely Thai combo of highly seasoned pork with lettuce leaves. Use the freshest, sweetest, crispest lettuce leaves you can find. Serves four as a light meal or starter.

1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
300g minced pork
2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated
½ thumb-sized piece ginger (or galangal), peeled and grated
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lime
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 little gem lettuce, leaves separated
1 small bunch coriander, picked
About 50g plain, unsalted peanuts, lightly toasted

Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a medium heat, and fry the shallots gently for five minutes. Add the pork, turn up the heat and cook for five to 10 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spatula. Stop when the pork is cooked and taking on some colour, and any liquid it releases has been driven off.

Turn down the heat a little and add the garlic, ginger, chilli, lime zest, fish sauce and sugar. Cook, stirring, for two to three minutes, take off the heat and add a good squeeze of lime juice. Taste and add more fish sauce or lime juice if you like. Tip the pork into a bowl and take it (hot or at room temperature) to the table with the lettuce, coriander and peanuts alongside. To eat, spoon some pork on to a lettuce leaf, scatter with a few peanuts and coriander leaves, roll up and tuck in.

*Another Hugh F-W recipe

Sorry - the courgette recipe is a River Cottage recipe, not a River Cafe one

Thanks for the BIWI. I'm embarrassed that I couldn't make it C and P. How did you do it ?

Affectionately,

Luddite of SE London

Um. I just put the cursor over the text, highlighted it, copied and pasted it!

Damn, why doesn't it work when I do it? I suspect user error.....

A few more recipes I have tried the last few days ... click the links if you would like to see photos

creamy garlic mushrooms

Serves 2

3 crushed garlic cloves
12 mushrooms chopped (I used chestnut, you could use any though)
Knob of butter
Splash of sherry (or white wine)
Half a carton of double cream
Parsley, to serve

Melt the butter in a pan, and add the garlic. Cook for a minute or 2, letting it cook but not colour. Add the mushrooms and stif fry for about 5 minutes. Add the sherry and let it simmer & reduce down. Add the cream, and let it warm through, stirring to mix all the flavours. Sprinkle with parsley & serve.

marinated cucumber

1 medium cucumber
Tablespoon bunch fresh mint
Tablespoon olive oil
Teaspoon cider vinegar
Salt & pepper to season

Top & tail the cucumber, then peel. Chop in half, then slice those into halves lengthways. Chop into chunky half-moons. Mix the olive oil, vinegar & mint, and add the cucumber. Thoroughly mix, season & leave to marinate for 30 minutes. Stir again then serve.

Obvioulsy serve this without the rice, which is what I did for my portion.

pork stroganoff

2 tbsp vegetable oil
200 g trimmed pork cut into strips
1 bay leaf
30 g butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
100 g button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
100 ml soured cream
1 lemon, juice only
1 tbsp chopped parsley
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed non-stick frying pan until smoking. Season the meat and place in the pan, along with a bay leaf.

1. Fry quickly, stirring briskly until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate and set aside.

1. Add half the butter to the pan and soften the onion on a low heat - about 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining butter to the pan and, when it has melted, add the mushrooms and paprika and fry for a further 2 minutes, until softened. Remove from the pan and add to the pork.

1. Spoon the soured cream into the frying pan and warm through. Tip the pork, onions and mushrooms back into the pan, bring the mixture to a simmer, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until creamy. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley, and season to taste.