The Pre-summer low-carb Bootcamp questions thread

[BIWI]

Ask anything you want here!

Hopefully between me and some of the other experienced Bootcampers we can answer your questions.

I was still posting and confused as to why I could. Strawberryleaf posted for me that you can still post on the phone app.

Veryflummoxed Ah I see, thanks that makes sense.

Quick question about halloumi, for those of you who cook it. Do you grill or fry? In a biggish slice or in small cubes? Thanks, will check back later. Thinking of trying this with a salad for lunch.

I use a ridged cast iron pan, get it really, really hot, add some olive oil so that the 'bars' of the pan are covered, and then cook the Halloumi in slices It only takes a minute on each side, so as soon as it's nicely browned on one side, flip it over and do the other.

Then I serve it sometimes with a vinaigrette dressing, sometimes just with lemon quarters, sometimes just on its own.

It's fabulous on the barbecue, although you have to be very careful not to let the Halloumi slip through the bars on to the charcoal!

There's also a lovely-sounding recipe in today's Observer food monthly magazine for making burgers with Halloumi - you grate 200g Halloumi with a small courgette and a large carrot (a bit too carby for Bootcamp, but you could do it with less carrot and more courgette I suppose!), and some mint, and then shape into 6 patties.

www.mygreekdish.com/recipe/grilled-halloumi-salad-roasted-vegetables/

This is another really delicious recipe with Halloumi. It's one I've used several times even before I was Low Carbing. You can use shallots instead of the red onion to reduce the carb count, and don't overdo the peppers. The dressing is really yummy!

That does sound lovely! I wonder if I've got any in the fridge ...

Oh, and the dressing for the barbecued Halloumi is:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon English mustard powder
1 small clove garlic, crushed or very finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped, fresh coriander
lots of fresh ground black pepper
(no salt though, as Halloumi is already salty enough)

I turned sideways this morning and caught site of myself in the mirror and my little baby overhang is going!

I went to the Carvery yesterday and had veggies (except peas and sweet corn) and meat, I didn't miss potatoes or yorkshires at all and even DP said that he'd not been feeling hungry even though he's eating a lot less, this is from the man that would polish off a loaf of bread and peanut butter for an evening snack when he was peckish, I call that a win for LC.

I'm going to celebrate the end of 2 weeks strict boot camp by making a LC coconut cheese cake pie I saw on a LC page I follow on Facebook, it uses ground almonds and stevia which I know aren't great to have a lot of but I want to signal how well DP and I have done so although it won't be a regular thing I hope it will be a nice treat for us.

Roast again today, I'm craving crackling and they'd run out at the Carvery yesterday, I shall have it with broccoli, sprouts and a couple of carrots, I might do some celeriac I mash to go with it too.
What's the deal with gravy? Is the granules out the tub a no no? I normally make my own but thicken it with flour.

Shame I can't have any myself, as I'm trying not to eat dairy!

Titsalina - gravy granules or flour really aren't OK on Bootcamp.

For example, a 50ml serving of Bisto gravy granules (red tub) will add 2g carbs to your meal. I know that doesn't sound very much - but actually 50ml isn't much either, if you're a gravy fiend!

More pertinently though, these are the ingredients:

Potato Starch, Maltodextrin, Palm Oil, Salt, Wheat Flour (with added Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Colour (E150c), Sugar, Flavourings (contain Barley), Flavour Enhancers (E621, E635), Emulsifier (E322) (contains Soya)

Not exactly fresh, natural or unprocessed - which is what we're aiming for on Bootcamp.

Best bet is to make your own. Have it unthickened, or add some veg to the roasting tin when you're roasting your meat and then mash the veg into the liquid to thicken it.

With gravy, I have been using the meat juices, then adding vegetable stock using Marigold bouillon powder. The pot says it's 2.6g carbs per 5g powder, but I am using less than 1g of powder, added to hot water.

The ingredients are all natural, although it does contain rice flour.

Then I just reduce the gravy by simmering it, to avoid adding flour.

Would this be ok do you think?

Sounds OK - but if you're adding so little, what's the actual point?

We have a roast chicken about once a fortnight, and I always make stock from the carcass. Then I bag it up and freeze it. Generally I use it for making soup, but you could always bag it up in smaller quantities and use that for gravies.

I've always liked my stock quite weak, but it seems to taste better than just adding water!

I don't often cook a whole roast chicken (although if I do, I do make stock from the carcass). But I have noticed that Sainsbury's fresh chicken stock is less than 0.5g carbs per 100ml, so maybe I will buy some, and freeze it in small portions (I'm only cooking for two of us, myself and ds, so don't need vats of gravy!)

Thanks for all the halloumi recipes. Here's my fried halloumi with olives and a mixed salad. My food rarely looks good enough to photograph, but this looked as good as it tasted.

That looks lovely!

I have a question about oil. I'm using olive oil/mayonnaise for salad dressing, and olive oil/butter for sautéing/shallow frying, but what would be the best oil to use for a stir fry, where the temperature would be hotter?

Coconut oil is lovely for stir frying - you can get some that tastes quite coconutty or some that is a blander taste. Generally the latter tends to be cheaper, for some reason! In Sainsbury's don't get the coconut oil from the oil shelf - it's really expensive there - but go to the world foods aisle, and you'll find it there. I think the brand is KTC or HTC. Much cheaper.

Can you get coconut oil that doesn't taste at all of coconut? Sorry, but coconut is the work of the devil, and even the smell of it makes me feel queasy!

If not, what would be the next best choice?

Sorry to be fussy!

Made a lovely tea this evening. Lamb cutlets in an garlic, salt and oil marinade, oven cooked for about 30 minutes until fat all crispy. Served with griddled asparagus (oil dressing) and feta cheese, cucumber and mint all mixed in with yogurt. In the past I would have eaten loads of meat, but this evening I was full after two.

Not sure how I feel about weigh in tomorrow. I've bought some new scales and tomorrow will be first day of using them. In my mind I'm thinking that tomorrow should almost be a fresh start as I can't really compare any loss between scales - especially as my other ones were so crazy with its 4lb fluctuations within seconds!

Whoops, wrong thread - meant to be on the general boot camp one!

Does anyone know how to search the recipe thread from the iPhone app?

I thought I could just google specifically mums net bootcamp then korma for example but it automatically opens the app as well.

I don't think you can strawberry.
I'm going to a workshop next week, with a catered lunch. If they ask me about any dietary requirements, what do people usually say? Or don't you and just make the best out of what is there?
I wouldn't bother with a work one (NHS) as I know it'd be either limp veggie or meaty sandwiches, with crudités, if you are lucky.

Strawberry, not sure about searching for recipes on the app, but you can do it easily in Safari from your iPhone or iPad…

Open recipe thread in Safari. Click on ‘view 1,000 messages’ (in drop down menu on iPhone, but I think just at top of page on iPad).

Type search term in bar at top of page, eg ‘curry.

You will get list of websites/suggestions and if you scroll down to last one in list it should say ‘On this page (?? Matches)’.

Then click on bit below where it says ‘find curry’ and it will allow you to scroll through all instances of the chosen word so you should be able to find the one you are looking for.

I've got a quick question about dark chocolate...I know it's off limits in Bootcamp but once you reach maintenance and are able to up carbs a little, is it allowed then? I like a couple of squares occasionally and was wondering when I can buy some to celebrate feeling a whole lot better.

Boldly it is allowed in small quantities on BC lite. I tend to have 85% or 90% as you don't need anything any sweeter after BCing. Lovely with a coffee.