Week 5 - Low Carb Bootcamp '22 - we're half way through!

[BIWI]

Morning all

So this marks the half way point.

Hopefully by now you're adjusting to a low carb WOE. I hope, very much, that you're enjoying your food and you're not feeling deprived in any way.

Carb flu should be way behind us.

And now, now that we've got past the infamous weeks 3 & 4, weight loss should continue, in a slow and steady way.

This week's challenge

We have four weeks left, and the key to success is not only KOKO but also enjoying our food. So this week's challenge is to post a low carb recipe that you think that others will really enjoy

Good luck to us all

Afternoon all, hope everyone is staying safe.

Just back from walking the dog and toddler in a rare brief window of sunshine mixed with icy gusts, toddler refusing to wear gloves and insisting on splashing in every. single. puddle.

Having this tonight: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/smoked-salmon-celeriac-dauphinoise

Will put the potatoes in DH’s end and serve with braised fennel. Hopefully rib-sticking enough for this weather!

@ShangPie ooh that looks really good! Will you just swap the potato for more celeriac?

@ShangPie sorry duh you said in the post!

Place marking as need to catch up - fallen off wagon feeling annoyed with myself but hey ho. I lose when I stick to the rules.
Amazing Valentine meals @prettybird and @venusandmars Need to try that celeriac rosti. Will come back when read the FT.

@Jezzballs2000 what a gorgeous little guy! Makes me miss those toddler days! Such a special time and over before you know it.

I'm a bit meh today, not really in the mood for cooking so picking at cheese and olives. At least its not chips and cake!

Evening all. Hope you’re all safe and warm. Weather hasn’t been too dramatic here so hopefully we’ve missed the worst of it.

Debating expanding our kitchen gadget collection so looking for opinions please…

Air fryer or deep fryer?

I’ve never owned or used either, but would love to get veggies a bit more crispy than we are currently managing with the oven. I’m thinking celeriac chips, courgette crisps etc.

Which option is best? I know air fryers are usually considered good because of the lack of fat (which isn’t what we’re aiming for in this instance), but do deep fryers smell? And do you end up using up (and disposing of) loads and loads of oil?

Big fan of what when I bought it was called a halogen oven but o think would now be called an air fryer.

Brilliant for roast veg, done with crispy black edges in record time, less than 20 mins, compared to the oven.

Been tempted by a deep fat fryer, though DH uses a wok to deep fry. I hate disposing if the oil and how messy it makes the surfaces from air bound particles of air.

Would a derp fat fryer be less messy?

Oh I love this thread! It is good to hear about people losing weight and people losing inches, and people giving themselves a slap and getting back on it again.

But most of all I love the foodie love. "we've a few aubergines that need using up" mention of "shallots, feta, smpoked paprika" " ground almonds to thicken" "a squeeze of lemon and a few snips of parsley". It's my food-heaven. Thank you everyone

@Jezzballs2000 oh what a gorgeous picture. Even my dgc are well past the toddler age come on dc2, I need more babies in my life

@AThroneOfLies you ask about the best time to eat dessert (or something like that) I think that in terms of insulin spikes you'd be better eating something with sugar after a meal with plenty of veg. Avoid a sugary dessert after a period of not eating. However I'm also cautious about not eating high fat and high carb/sugar close together.

So, if I'm having (on maintenance) some lentils or kidney beans, I would reduce the fat that I also had that day, I'd have chicken with the lentils rather than pork belly.

If I was planning a rhubarb crumble (made with almond flour and no sugar) I'd have it after a prawn and veg stir fry.

The challenge with many traditional desserts is that they are the combination of sugar and fat - cheesecake with a sweet biscuit base, a rich fatty cheese middle, a sweetened fruit topping. Sticky toffee pudding - flour, dates, sugar, butter, milk, eggs, treacle - bloody nightmare!

So what kind of dessert are you thinking of?

I have totally lost my sweet tooth, so maybe rather than look at food combos or timing, look at how much pudding you actually want. ime one teaspoon is enough, and even then I'm struggling to get the sweetness off my tongue.

@BaconOmelette I have an air fryer and a deep fat fryer and the air fryer is by far the better option. It's so versatile. It's great for meat; it's the only way I cook sausages now as they come out perfect with zero effort - just lob 'em in and 20 minutes later they're done. It's also perfect for pork escalopes which come out browned but still juicy and tender. Air fried chicken legs are also amazing. It makes lovely roast vegetables, I sometimes use it to roast broccoli or cauliflower if the oven's already full my wretched children still demand roast potatoes and yorkies with a roast dinner. If you're snacking you can throw in some chicken wings. I have the Tefal ActiFry which stirs as it cooks so you can also use it to make curries and stir fries but on the other hand it means it isn't as good for cooking things like steak, burgers and pork chops because they get rolled up. I do still use it for pork escalopes but the other foods I have to fry instead. If I was buying again I would probably go for one of the Ninja machines. The deep fat fryer is really good for carby fried foods but there isn't as much scope with low carb foods. I've tried chicken wings in both and the air fryer is actually better. Pretty much the only thing I use it for apart from chips for the kids is celeriac fries.

@FinallyHere I have the Delonghi FS6055 deep fryer which costs about £79. It has a filter in the lid so the oil doesn't get all over the place when cooking. I use it on the worktop next to the hob so the extractor can still work on it in the brief time it's open during cooking. It has a rubber tube in the front for draining the oil out. I use a filter and funnel to strain the oil as it comes out of the fryer. The deep fryer has a concealed element at the bottom so you can use it with solid fats such as dripping or lard. The instructions say not to but I haven't had any issues. The lard sets into a solid lump in the fridge anyway so I have to melt it enough to get it out of the storage container before using it. I usually melt it in the microwave on a low setting. I also use rapeseed oil for making chips for the kids. Not ideal from an omega-6 point of view but it's much less faff working with a liquid cooking oil.

I have a deep fat fryer @baconomlette and I use beef dripping. I realise now that I may be a slattern as I don't empty it between each use, I just sort of wiggle the chips (it is mainly used for chips or battered fish). As a child this is how it worked in our home and it didn't occur to me to do anything else. The fat is changed every few months and when it is cool between uses I can use a spoon to scrape off any crumbs that were floating when the fat cooled. I hate frying anything breaded though as there are loads of crumbs and the fat needs changed frequently whereas with chipped potatoes it stays pretty clean.

I don't think I would have it in the kitchen because of the fat droplets, I use it in the utility room next to a big open window. The way @stunnun uses it with the extractor sounds good though.

I like the sound of an air fryer, I hadn't realised they were so versatile.

Thank you @StuntNun knowledgable as always. Thanks really helpful to know. Much as DH would love a deep fat fryer, I'll stick with the air fryer. If it's mostly carbs treats it's prob better just not to have them in the house.

@venusandmars I agree, it's such a good thread! i'm really enjoying reading about deep fat fryers. I've been toying with getting an air fryer for ages and think I'll set my husband on the hunt for one on FB Marketplace as he loves a bargain and seems to love buying kitchen appliances.

I am going out for brunch today and think i should be fairly safe, I'm gearing up for asking for eggs etc without the sourdough bread that comes with it. Maybe they'll replace it with bacon?!

I have the Ladies Lunch at the Rugby Club today so I doubt that there will be low carb options nor the ability to ask for alternatives I'll just have to not eat the potatoes and if there's a cheese option for dessert, choose that.

I'm driving though (dh is off up to Aberdeen if the game isn't cancelled to watch ds, who is starting for the 1st time for the Aberdeen Grammar 1st team) so it means I won't be tempted to drink more than a glass. I could organise a lift but it suits me not to - especially as I'll be picking up dh at about 11 tonight.

Theme is "Bling it up for the Beatson" (Glasgow's cancer treatment centre), so yellow and black and lots of "bling". I can't find my single yellow summer top but I've found a gold sequiny top which I'll wear with my black trousers (which are not too tight ) and high gold mules which I can barely walk in . I've just remembered I have some yellow nail varnish provided I can get the top off so I'll put some on.

what do people reckon I should go for?! The halloumi burger minus the bun is sounding appealing and I can offload the chips on my husband.

Either the halloumi burger or if your dh would like it, one of the sharing platters and he gets all the focaccia

@Jezzballs2000 the halloumi burger will probably have breadcrumbs on though.

I'd go for the eggs and hollandaise, extra salmon, and salad instead of sourdough...

@Baystard

I'd go for the eggs and hollandaise, extra salmon, and salad instead of sourdough...

Ditto.

Scales are not moving today but I have another cm off my waist - 4 in total since New Year's Day. I've been trying on my clothes to bring on holiday and it's not a complete disaster

All dressed up

Witwoo @prettybird

Fabulous @prettybird

Looking good @prettybird, very glam

Oooh @prettybird you are indeed a pretty bird!

@venusandmars no particular desert in mind, I don’t go out very often so the occasion may not even present itself but I just want to be prepared if it does
Is there any science behind not eating high fat & high carb/sugar together?
Makes note to self to never eat the cheesecake!