Jan '23 Low Carb Bootcamp - welcome to week 5

[BIWI]

Evening/morning (depending on when you read this!)

Here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

So now we're in the second half of Bootcamp. Hopefully we've successfully navigated the doldrums of weeks 3 & 4, and the scales should be a bit kinder to us all. But bear in mind that weekly losses are now going to be smaller than in the first couple of weeks. This is entirely normal.

By now everyone should be feeling more confident about low carbing/Bootcamp, and how this can become a longer term WOE. Of all the diets I have ever done (and I'm guessing that like many of you, there have been plenty along the way), this is the only one that has ever felt like it can become a genuine WOL - way of life - as well as WOE.

The thing that always marks these threads out to me, compared with any of the threads about weight loss that you might read on Mumsnet, is just how much they're about good, tasty food. Not deprivation or compromise. And I think that's why it's easier to stick to.

So in the spirit of foodiness, it seems appropriate to issue a Bootcamp food challenge! Like many, I'm very much aware of the cost of food right now - try as I might, the cost of my weekly shop seems to go up and up. I wish I could say it was because of all the fillet steak and lobster I'm buying, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

One of the things I've been trying to do, to keep the weekly bills down, is to add in at least one more vegetarian meal per week. So my challenge to you all is to post a recipe for a killer vegetarian meal - obviously one that also fits with Bootcamp - that is perfectly suited to weekday, family eating.

Look forward to reading all the suggestions

I've been trying to come up with a vegetarian recipe and it's made me realize what a carnivore I am!
I'm putting my thinking cap on as I'm determined to think of something and introduce a meat free day this week...

I've been stealthily playing along from the sidelines since the start, but am now breaking cover. Last bootcamp I joined you at the beginning, but retired hurt due to what a veggie Henry III might have called a surfeit of brassicas and accompanying gastric distress. This time I am varying my menu more successfully, and hope to make the full bootcamp.

My veggie suggestion has already been posted. So here is the lazy woman's late home from work version of broccoli and cauli cheese. Microwave broccoli and cauli florets in an ovenproof bowl with a splash of water until tender. Add some soft cheese and cream and microwave for a minute more, while preheating the grill. Sprinkle with chilli flakes and cheese and brown under grill until toasty.

Ooo loving the idea of this challenge @BIWI my absolute favourite veggie meal is pasta based but I wonder if between us we could adapt to use the sauce on something else - its so simple, from the veggie roasting tin book and is as follows;

1 Aubergiene cubed
1 courgette cubed - into a roasting tin with olive oil and sea salt and roast for 15 mins while macaroni cooks.
drain pasta and mix with the veg and a tin of tomatoes, top with a crumbled boursin and breadcrumbs and bake until bubbling.

Is there anything veggie and BC friendly I could replace the pasta with? a Large mushroom maybe?

Both of those recipes sound lovely - however, beware that chickpeas aren't allowed on Bootcamp. (Along with any other pulse/legume) - Sorry, @BIWI slipped my mind about the chickpeas, the first I've had all bootcamp.

Another thing I've been doing is using the oil from sundried tomatoes on everything, really tasty and better than plain olive oil.

Nice big salad for lunch which I can't say I fancied as while sunny it's really cold (5 weeks until the ineffectual boiler gets replaced). However, tuna mayo on spinach with plenty of oil, little bits of pepper, cucumber, green and black olives and some tomatoes has hit the spot!

Vegetarian Low Carb Recipes http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/lowcarbb_bootcamp/3146576-Vegetarian-Low-Carb-Recipes

Don't forget lots on here for the challenge if you haven't browsed the recipe threads for a while!

One of my favourite veggie dishes is a warming, comforting asian inspired soup - it tastes kind of like a bowl of penang laksa. In fact I sometime make this base then add extras: cooked green beans, beansprouts, chopped corriander, shredded chicken

Fry 2 stems of whole lemongrass, chopped garlic, shredded ginger, red chilli in coconut oil for about 5-10 minutes. Stir in tsp turmeric and add a can of coconut milk and a similar volume of vegetable stock. Simmer for a couple of minutes. Add 250g quartered cherry tomatoes and 100g chopped macademia nuts. Don't boil the tomatoes, just heat them. Remove the big chunks of lemon grass and stir in tbsp soy sauce or tamari. Grate some lime zest over the top and add a squeeze of fresh lime.

It's delicious!

In previous bootcamps someone recommended adding grated hard boiled egg if the consistency is too thin. Do this before adding the nuts and tomatoes.

@CrepuscularCritter Welcome and congratulations on breaking cover

Re the microwaving of the cauliflower and broccoli - you don't need to add a splash of water if you start the microwaving with a slab of some butter It provides the necessary moisture and has the added advantage(s) of adding to the fat content and tastiness

@QforCucumber - replace the pasta with slices of cabbage that you've microwaved for a short period in butter of course ? I've had good success with sliced cabbage (either white cabbage or Savoy cabbage - whatever I have available) when making "spaghetti" for dh and ds carbonara. I actually prefer the cabbage to the ribbons of courgette fried in butter that I used to use.

@Rayna37 - do you add oil to the tuna mayo? or to the salad? Olive oil? I've never considered doing that!

@prettybird / anyone else who has tried, can you use the butter on top of veggies with no water if the veg is frozen? I've done that with veg that is diced up small, but never with frozen broccoli/cauliflower florets - I always add water and end up with a slightly soggy mess :)

Not really a recipe as such, because I've no actual idea what I'll be doing with it. But I've got halloumi in the fridge and two bags of frozen stir fry vegetables that were a random substitution for two internet orders in a row (they also subbed them again in the third order, but I sent them back!). I've got soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar that I'm intending to muddle together with some garlic.
Hopefully it'll be edible!!

I've microwaved both frozen chopped spinach and frozen whole spinach bought by accident (to make spanakopita) without any butter or added water. They always seem to have enough water "in" them anyway.

The butter itself adds liquid, so that I don't see adding water as necessary if you're microwaving brassicas. They release water anyway as they're cooking. So I'm not surprised you've ended up with soggy veg.

I always put the water on the top of the veg anyway - so I don't know if that helps. I shoogle have way through too.

That's a good call on the butter, @prettybird. TBH I think I did add some, but not sure at what stage in the process. It was definitely filling and delicious. And on your previous bootcamp recommendation, my sprouts are always shoogled!

And another veggie recipe.

Hot Peanut Slaw

Chop cabbage (I like savoy and sweetheart mixed), celery and pak choi, plus some peppers. Fry in the wok with butter until everything wilts to about half the size, adding garlic, ginger if you have it, chilli, five spice powder and soy sauce. Serve with mayo and wasabi, sprinkling the top with a few peanuts.

@CrepuscularCritter that sounds delicious, will be going on next weeks meal plan

I hope you love it too; I eat it most weeks. It also works well with minced turkey if you want a non veggie option at some stage.

@pinknsparkly I use a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in place of salad dressing. I pretty much always use baby spinach as my salad leaf. I can make perfectly good vinaigrette but I went off it when I was pregnant and never really recovered- plain oil as long as it's the good stuff works for me!

Happy week 5 everyone! Some great progress being made. I'm feeling pleased with myself coz this is the longest I've ever stuck to low carbing. In the past, I've never made it past day 9, which was too soon to feel any of the benefits. I think what's helped this time is that I'm seeing it as a permanent lifestyle change rather than a temporary means to lose weight.
I haven't really got any contributions to the veggie recipes as I don't do a lot of real cooking. Normally I'll just steam veg and then add butter. I did enjoy my halloumi kebabs the other night though. Just chucked some peppers, courgette, little bit of red onion and some cherry tomatoes in a roasting tin with plenty of olive oil and some sliced garlic. Then I cut some halloumi into large cubes and browned in a pan with a splash of oil. Once it was all done, I threaded onto metal skewers. They go nice with salad, mayo and a yogurt and mint dip (I use shop bought😬). Or on a bed of cauliflower rice(fried in butter).
Nigella Lawson I ain't

@Rayna37 Poor you, I can feel the cold just thinking about you sitting there eating salad! Have you got anything you can make a broth with? I find that if I need more warmth/satisfaction than a cold meal brings, a mug or bowl of broth really helps and it feels a bit more substantial than a tea or coffee too.

@venusandmars That soup sounds perfect and I have a sachet of coconut milk left over from a curry kit, and cherry tomatoes coming tomorrow, so I'm definitely going to have that for lunch one day this week! Just need to pick up some lemongrass.

@CrepuscularCritter that slaw sounds great too! I'll give that a go for lunch as well sometime.

@QforCucumber I think I'd just add a lot less of the chopped tomato, then add to small gratin dish, cook as per recipe and eat as is. Not sure you need anything else! But yes, you could add mushrooms. You could stuff big mushrooms with the sauce and top with the cheese. Or you could top with an egg for a variation on shakshuka.

Definitely feeling the harissa at the moment, will pick up a jar next time I do a big shop.

Just place marking.

BIWI thanks for that. I love cheese so will do something with the feta in my fridge or get some halloumi that I love.
The aubergine recipe sounds lush, as do so many. I’m off to check out the veggie thread link

Both Feta and Halloumi are great because they have a long shelf life- a useful standby from the back of your fridge, to use in place of meat.

Tonight's veggie offering is a version of one of my favourites from the Green Roasting Tin: roasted cauliflower with spring greens lemon and tahini. I leave out the chickpeas when I'm actively "bootcamping" but can tolerate them fairly well otherwise. Lots of spices on the cauli, cabbage (I used a pointed one tonight) and red onion then after 30 mins in the oven, cover with a lemon, tahini and oil dressing. It's addictive. I it send frozen cauli tonight and it was fine. Leftovers for lunch!

Today I hit fat saturation point! Had one bite too many of pork belly and suddenly felt so sick! Will keep things a bit lighter for the next few days, I think. Also being restrained with cream in drinks as I had quite a few last week - will keep it to one a day for now. Drinking more water as the days go on and relying less on tea (although no probs with tea - just the milk of which I don’t have much). Need to up veg and take protein down just a little.

Lunch: 2 egg omelette with cheese, slow roasted tomatoes with garlic and thyme.

Snack: some leftover chicken

Dinner: pork belly, braised red cabbage from the freezer as I need to make some room (I know what’s in it as I made it myself), sprouts and a little bit of carrot.

We went on a lovely long walk today. We’ve got fairly nice weather atm which we never take for granted as it can be pretty grim a lot of the time.

I ordered the book I’d had my eye on (did I already say 🤔) — From Gujarat with Love, it’s called. Looking forward to trying some new veggie/vegan recipes. Hopefully I’ll come upon a great one for BC!

Hope you all had a good day. Don’t be discouraged if it wasn’t evident on the scale today - good things are happening inside your body!

I’m going to follow @prettybird’s example and set myself a little goal:

Would be nice to reach 70kg (12.6) by the end of BC.

Oh @Rayna37 that sounds delicious. I love a tahini dressing!

Got my kg to stone conversion wrong!

70kg (11 stone)! by end of BC.

Should be doable taking it slow and steady over the next few weeks.

Wow you are all so inspiring. Iv followed from week one but I really haven't got my act together till this week but iv followed the thread. 7lbs this week I'm so happy inwards and downwards the recipes are fabulous

@stayathomegardener - I've emailed you my recipe for my sourdough bread. Hope it works!