Support and ideas for those on low-carb diet

Well - that's nice too!

I had burger with melted cheese on salad with avocado pear. It was very filling. Stewed rhubarb and cream later if I can find a space in my tummy.

Fallen off the wagon recently. Nothing to do with the diet/eating plan, because that is so easy to follow.

No, it's just that I'very got lazy about planning ahead. Nothing planned for lunches in particular and to a lesser extent for dinner, though I can usually cobble something together. But that's not really good enough.

So today I'm going to make time and plan a week's menus in advance. It won't be set in stone but eating on this, or any other 'diet' does need planning IMO.

We were out all yesterday afternoon so I left a beef casserole in the slow cooker as I knew we'd all be hungry when we got back. I do miss the days of just shoving some sausages and chips in the oven though.

DH always offers to do the veg prep now which is good because there's usually a lot of it. I bet he doesn't miss peeling potatoes!

I've had a few lapses too Anya due to lack of planning but new week, new beginning!

In my new slow-cooker I've put frozen meatballs, green & yellow pepper, tinned chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, red onions & garlic, spices & seasoning. All in one method, no saute-ing.

Will serve with roasted celeriac.

We had lamb shanks yesterday, and I served this with them

www.npr.org/2014/10/19/356947700/chef-ottolenghi-makes-the-case-for-plenty-more-vegetables

Basically, peas with sorrel and spring onions, but in a mustard and greek yoghourt sauce. It was really nice, I omitted the sugar. I grow quite a lot of sorrel, but you could use spinach and add lemon juice instead.

I have got Plenty and Plenty More. I think they are turning into books where I say regularly, "I really must cook something from that...." Not sure why.
Yesterday we had roast duck and cabbage tossed in lemon oil with a couple of new potatoes. Agreed that potatoes don't really do it for us any more (although we have planted four beds of them).

I was thinking of getting the books mamie. Would you say they weren't worth bothering with, then?

I deliberately didn't plant any potatoes this year, we just don't bother very often now that DS isn't at home as much. If he comes back after Uni, I can always start up again. DBH is more than happy to join in on this diet, apart from the odd sausage butty!

There is some nice stuff in Plenty More and DD did a lovely red Thai soup for me, but it seems to be just the odd recipe that I really want to do. He always seems to go a couple of ingredients too far imo and it doesn't help that there is quite a lot of stuff we can't get here.
The potato crop will last us most of the year (stored in the cellar out of the reach of mice) but we may cut it down again next year.

We've only planted one bed of potatoes this year, and half of those are first and second earlies, so we'll just have the odd one and givr mist away.

I've found a Weekly Planner (Mary Berry Collection) that I bought ages ago and I've set out all my lunches and dinner for the week... how sad is that?

Inspiration needed! We bought a duck in the market on Saturday (comes out of cold box kept under the counter, complete with head!). We roasted it yesterday and are having cold duck with ratatouille tonight. There is loads left which is too much for just salad lunches. What can I make tomorrow? It is beautiful, tasty, tender meat so a curry would be a bit of a shame. I am wondering about a pearl barley risotto.....

How about duck wraps, but using steamed cabbage leaves or (better still) nice crispy Cos or Iceberg lettuce leaves? A little hoisin sauce, spring onion and maybe cucumber...

Duck satsay?

Satay!

Think we might do a stir fry and use up a bit more asparagus...

I need to pull my finger out and get on with it

Got the spiraliser, cook books etc so running out of excuses!

Lunch

Asparagus (home grown) wrapped in Parma ham, topped with poached egg yolks (home laid) and a small grating of Parmesan.

TDF

Sounds delicious! We had duck Waldorf salad for lunch and will have duck stir fry for dinner.

Just a cheese salad for me today as DH is out. I made far too much beef casserole on Sunday so we're having it again tonight with some red wine added to the gravy. I'll steam some cabbage and beans to go with it.

Cranks' (ISBN 0-586-06090-1) Cream of Watercress Soup with added v thick cream and bacon bits is lurvly.

Not that I'm on a low carb diet but I think the above version is better than with thick buttered toast which I had yesterday.

TDF? too damned fat?

Sorry! (I'm dieting too)

To Die For

That sounds Very Lurvly Indeed Bags

I have never been on a diet before that has so suited me: I'm never hungry, never have snack cravings, my blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose levels are amazingly low - and the icing on the cake is that I'm wearing size 14!

That is brilliant news GA!
The thing I love is the fact that I can eat my favourite things - our stir fry was delicious (leftover duck, ginger, garlic, chilli, peas, asparagus, courgetti, mushrooms and spring onions) and because we were still a bit hungry at the end we had a piece of gorgonzola each.