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  #16   ^
Old Wed, Jan-26-22, 19:15
Bonnie OFS Bonnie OFS is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,573
 
Plan: Dr. Bernstein
Stats: 188/150/135 Female 5 ft 4 inches
BF:
Progress: 72%
Location: NE WA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GRB5111
Learning to cook and prepare simple, healthy, whole foods is not difficult.


THIS! Any recipe that has a long list of ingredients, needs different ingredients cooked different ways, uses multiple bowls or pans, or would make me stay in the kitchen for more than an hour is not one I'm interested in. Unless it's REALLY good.

One thing that helps is having decent tools: sharp knives, instant thermometer, good quality pans. Another is an organized home-made cookbook. I have 3-ring binders that I picked up super cheap at the thrift store. I have them color-coded for meat, eggs, vegetables, desserts (lc of course!), and miscellaneous snacks, sauces, and dips. If I get too many notes on a recipe I just edit the original and print. And of course, many dishes don't need a recipe - I make chef salads & stir fries with whatever leftovers I have in the fridge.

But some newbie cooks could really use a mentor. Years ago the Oregonian ran a series of articles called (iIrc) Sam Can Cook. Sam didn't know how to cook real food at first, but he learned. He also got more than a few marriage proposals.

They could also use easy-to-understand recipes. When I was writing a recipe column for the local paper (unfortunately not lc as I hadn't discovered it yet) I would have my non-cook husband read the recipes. If he didn't understand something I would change it to something he could understand.
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  #17   ^
Old Wed, Jan-26-22, 21:18
Bonnie OFS Bonnie OFS is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,573
 
Plan: Dr. Bernstein
Stats: 188/150/135 Female 5 ft 4 inches
BF:
Progress: 72%
Location: NE WA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bkloots
For anyone hanging out at this thread, I confess my latest gadget adventure:

Chaffle Mini-Waffle Maker

There's a long thread about this elsewhere.


I got one & I'm sorry I did. I used it a few times & it was such a hassle to clean (batter always dripped on the outside) that I gave up on it. I've got it stashed somewhere - probably should dig it out & give it away. When I get a hankering for something bread-like, I make cream cheese/egg crepes. Much easier.
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  #18   ^
Old Thu, Jan-27-22, 02:14
Kristine's Avatar
Kristine Kristine is offline
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25,581
 
Plan: Primal/P:E
Stats: 171/146/150 Female 5'7"
BF:
Progress: 119%
Location: Southern Ontario, Canada
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Quote:
Originally Posted by deirdra
The daunting part for some is the thought that they'll need to prepare & cook 7-21 meals a week.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bonnie OFS
THIS! Any recipe that has a long list of ingredients, needs different ingredients cooked different ways, uses multiple bowls or pans, or would make me stay in the kitchen for more than an hour is not one I'm interested in.
Hear, hear. Sometimes, I'd jump on recipe sites or even the Diet Doctor site, and feel like I was being inundated with recipes and meal plans. I wish I could see it through a newbie's eyes, but daunting is the exact word that comes to mind. (It seems the main DD page now has simple "meal ideas" at the top of the home page... good on 'em. ) I scoff at meal plans. I would definitely be meal planning if I had to feed a family, say I'm a SAHM who's used to preparing family meals that are going to be eaten up every night, but a lot of us are single, too busy, disabled, financially strapped... and that doesn't really work as well. I'm more of single-serving gal and I like having a choice and having what I'm in the mood for, hence lots of simple things like eggs and my freezer stash that sounds like Deirdra's. I do meal plans in reverse: I find dishes I can make from the groceries on hand, not buying groceries for planned meals. My groceries are generally staples + what's in season and/or what's on sale.

Last edited by Kristine : Thu, Jan-27-22 at 02:20.
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  #19   ^
Old Thu, Jan-27-22, 02:36
Ms Arielle's Avatar
Ms Arielle Ms Arielle is online now
Senior Member
Posts: 19,177
 
Plan: atkins, carnivore 2023
Stats: 200/211/163 Female 5'8"
BF:
Progress: -30%
Location: Massachusetts
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bkloots
Ms. Arielle, what is this “pasta” you speak of?? 😂


Our first efforts were real egg and all purpose flour, now we roll out a low carb version we all love.

See first page of my journal, about post 4, maybe 5. Only 'weird' ingredient is xantham gum which is easy to find. Roll between two sheets of parchment, pull off top sheet and cut strips to suit. Pizza cutter is fastest. Pull up each strop and drop in boiling salty water. Its el dente quickly. Thicker than an egg noodle, more body. Tasty.

Im eager to try wider cuts for a lasagne.
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  #20   ^
Old Thu, Jan-27-22, 03:07
Ms Arielle's Avatar
Ms Arielle Ms Arielle is online now
Senior Member
Posts: 19,177
 
Plan: atkins, carnivore 2023
Stats: 200/211/163 Female 5'8"
BF:
Progress: -30%
Location: Massachusetts
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My kids dont eat 21 meals a week. Two times a day, sometimes one. They eat when hungry.

Lately I experimented with using a variety of hummuses as a sauce for veggies. Different. Tasty. Just scoop out enough to liberally cover veg. Making a low carb peanut sauce( just changed sugar to AS) for sauted green beans gave me the idea.

Have used hot and spicy salsa to flavor up most any sauteed veg, too.

Mu son made a tex mex dish. Sauted ground beef and afded canned black beans, diced yellow pepper and a can of diced tomatoes. Not sure on spices. It was tasty.


I often look for a recipe based on the veg I have on hand, like recipe zucchini onions to find new options.

I love cooking shows but traditional ones like Cooks Country pulls me to high carb again. Cooking keto with Kristy led me to the low carb youtubers. Many great recipes to trial. For non low carb I like kenjie. He's a real chef and while food is not always low carb, its real whole food , quick recipes he whips up.

At school, my son eats from the salad bar as I dont allow him to eat school junk food. Of course, he could be eating that crap and lying to me. 😂 Due to covid money, school lunches are free for all students.
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  #21   ^
Old Thu, Jan-27-22, 03:19
Ms Arielle's Avatar
Ms Arielle Ms Arielle is online now
Senior Member
Posts: 19,177
 
Plan: atkins, carnivore 2023
Stats: 200/211/163 Female 5'8"
BF:
Progress: -30%
Location: Massachusetts
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Quote:
They could also use easy-to-understand recipes. When I was writing a recipe column for the local paper (unfortunately not lc as I hadn't discovered it yet) I would have my non-cook husband read the recipes. If he didn't understand something I would change it to something he could understand.


Yup. Fine dice vs big dice. And show how to do it on an onion.

Show how to use a grater.... Grate mozzarella. We dont buy grated as an antibiotic is added. Then try vegetables. Grated carrots and raisins are the start of a nice salad.

All sorts of egg, fried, scrabbled, over easy, boiled, take practice. One son likes his eggs cooked thru, I like over eady with a runny yolk.

Other son is making fried rice. Makes rice in instapot. Transfers to big fry pan and adds tons of veg, eggs and soy sauce. My older son micowaves his rice!! Lol

My boys are very lean and can eat potatoes and rice occasionally.
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  #22   ^
Old Thu, Jan-27-22, 08:35
bkloots's Avatar
bkloots bkloots is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 10,147
 
Plan: LC--Atkins
Stats: 195/162/150 Female 62in
BF:
Progress: 73%
Location: Kansas City, MO
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Thanks for all the conversation, my friends. We've all arrived at our custom solutions for cookery. And that's what any LC newbie must do.

As Kristine pointed out, the farther down the path LC advisors go, the more overwhelming the information becomes. I love DietDoctor, but the mass of "meal plans" and other recipe suggestions is...daunting.

I cook for two, and leftovers are always in play. I try hard never to waste food, but balancing shopping and meal planning can be tricky. That's when a backlog of tried-and-true recipes comes in handy.

Bonnie, I already know what you mean about the chaffle maker. In my case, it's more about cheese oil than batter, but it can be messy. I saw one of these at Walmart yesterday for nine bucks. That's about as much as I'd invest in a new gadget because I have an idea what will become of it: along with the spiralizer, the mandoline (too expensive!) and, by the way, whatever happened to the slow cooker?? I need to dig out that thing.

The gadget I DO use is the stick blender, along with its small chopping attachment. So much easier than dragging out the Ninja.

Come to think of it, there's a lot to learn. No wonder newbies feel intimidated. Let's go back to meat + leafy veggies and call it a day.
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  #23   ^
Old Thu, Jan-27-22, 09:11
cotonpal's Avatar
cotonpal cotonpal is online now
Senior Member
Posts: 5,283
 
Plan: very low carb real food
Stats: 245/125/135 Female 62
BF:
Progress: 109%
Location: Vermont
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bkloots

Come to think of it, there's a lot to learn. No wonder newbies feel intimidated. Let's go back to meat + leafy veggies and call it a day.


That's pretty much what I do. No need for recipes or fancy gadgets. I do use my slow cooker for bone broth.
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  #24   ^
Old Thu, Jan-27-22, 12:49
deirdra's Avatar
deirdra deirdra is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 4,324
 
Plan: vLC/GF,CF,SF
Stats: 197/136/150 Female 66 inches
BF:
Progress: 130%
Location: Alberta
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bkloots
I love DietDoctor, but the mass of "meal plans" and other recipe suggestions is...daunting.
I hate anything with "meal plans" and prefer simple principles that fit on one piece of paper, like Atkins '72. Saving the other half of the lemon from Tuesday's lunch for Thursday's dinner was always a pain in the neck, especially if you have roommates.

Nowadays I only look at recipes for ideas or herb/spice combos & proportions, not to follow to the letter. And my Mother's 1940s version of the Joy of Cooking, before frankenfoods were invented, is great for how to cook real foods.

Last edited by deirdra : Thu, Jan-27-22 at 12:54.
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  #25   ^
Old Thu, Jan-27-22, 14:00
WereBear's Avatar
WereBear WereBear is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 14,606
 
Plan: EpiPaleo/Primal/LowOx
Stats: 220/125/150 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 136%
Location: USA
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I love my stick blender. I use it in a mason jar for smoothies to eat with a spoon.
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  #26   ^
Old Thu, Jan-27-22, 18:14
doreen T's Avatar
doreen T doreen T is offline
Forum Founder
Posts: 37,201
 
Plan: LC paleo/ancestral
Stats: 241/188/140 Female 165 cm
BF:
Progress: 52%
Location: Eastern ON, Canada
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WereBear
I love my stick blender. I use it in a mason jar for smoothies to eat with a spoon.
I use my stick blender + mason jar to make mayonnaise (my favorite recipe here .. note, I use a Canadian brand "no name" light tasting olive oil).

A stick blender is indespensible for making smooth, lump-free gravy, whether you're low-carb or otherwise. If you pot-roast beef or chicken or any meat surrounded by large chunks of lc veggies .. cauliflower, onions etc .. remove the meat when done (ideally placed on a rack before roasting, for easy removal). Remove 3/4 of the roasted vegetables to a serving dish; cover and keep warm. Use your stick blender to purée the remaining veg and juices to make a smooth gravy .. might need to add a little broth or bouillon. Taste and adjust seasoning as preferred.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Although I just posted a "recipe" ... most of the time, I go by the premise that "sometimes the best recipe is no recipe at all". As others have noted, a simply seasoned piece of meat or other protein, grilled, pan-fried or sautéed, roasted or steamed, served with some fat (a pat of butter or drizzle of olive oil, etc) plus a modest portion of lc vegetable(s). There you go .. a meal. Or make a salad of lettuce or other greens, plus other "salad veg" such as cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, green onions, etc .. fresh herbs such as dill weed or basil leaves. Top with diced avocado and diced/chopped leftover meat, chicken, fish or whatever. Add sugar-free dressing of choice, or make a dressing or vinaigrette of your own with allowed ingredients. No recipe, just use what you have on hand.



Doreen, who used to hate cooking, now enjoy .. but still prefer simplicity
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