A new low-carb support thread for 2016

I do his aubergine cheesecake too....
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/mar/06/aubergine-cheesecake-vegetarian-recipe-ottolenghi

Thanks Lazigirl, I looked up that name and found this selection of recipes www.ottolenghi.co.uk/recipes/vegetarian

Some look delicious and different. I would substitute their flour for chick pea four.

Also this cauliflower cake looks yummy, again change the flour, and reading the reviews, very adaptable. Not sure how many carbs.

I would love to go to his London cafe.

There was a supplement in yesterday's Guardian "Easy Ottolenghi" which had some useful recipes for low carbers, some of which were veggie or could be adapted seacliff. For example roast leeks and soya beans with buffalo mozzarella, or fried broccoli and kale with garlic, cumin and lime. Sorry can't really help with veggie gravy as I'm no cook but what about veg water with yeast extract?

Anya and Rowantree - thanks for the veggie chilli idea. I'm going to make and freeze some today, and possibly take to work to heat in microwave.

Yesterday I made a mistake, and ate too many carbs without realising. I log everything on My Fitness Pal, but often not till evening (mistake!). I had remainder of brocolli and lentil soup for lunch, then tried some chickpea and lentil burgers for dinner. Too many pulses for one day! I had thought they were healthy, but only in moderation!

A few days ago I went to a restaurant, where I normally have a veggie burger and chips. Instead amazingly I chose Shepherdess Pie which was green lentils, carrot swede, black beans in tomato garlic and tamari gravy topped with creamy cauliflower and potato mash, and cheese, with brocolli and cabbage! It was absolutely gorgeous.

I would love to recreate that pie with just cauliflower mash and no potato as it was so tasty. I'm searching for recipes.

One quick simple meal I have is 2 Linda McCartney sausages with loads of good veg. I want to find a tasty gravy to put with this, ordinary stock cubes not great. The tamari mentioned above is apparently a non wheat soya sauce, so may try that.
Does anyone have suggestion for tasty veggie gravy please?

Rowan, I have taking to making my own crisp bread ( crackers) to have with a home made smoked mackerel pate etc There are several very good recipes on various websites. These use mainly seeds of various sorts, eggs and some have cheese in, and psyllium to bind everything. The best ones are those that you roll out between two sheets of parchment paper to get them really thin. I vary the types of seeds and cheese I add to vary the taste. I do leave them in the oven longer than most recipes say to make sure they are really crisp. I make a batch on a Sunday and these usually last me a week, less if DH takes a fancy to having some.

Thanks Mamie , I'll do that

We have a lovely day too apart from the massive hailstorms that keep rattling through!
Managed to push a few loads of rubble uphill from the barn, but back inside for the next downpour now (phew).
I think the Mumsnet low-carb bootcamp response to stalling would be more fat, even fewer carbs and drink lots of water. Worth having a look at the bootcamp threads over there.

Egg and bacon day here too Mamie. Beautiful today if a little chilly. DH and me went for a 1 and a1/2 hour walk before breakfast. No one much about except the birds. Really enjoyed my breakfast
Lost the first stone easily. Now a bit stuck still. Help!

Eggs of all sorts. Full-fat yoghurt and red fruit. Smoked fish.
Egg and bacon day here.

I use Quorn mince a lot to make chilli and bolognese-type sauces for lasagnes and moussaka. It's low-fat too.

Tending to have ricotta cheese, red fruits and mixed seeds for breakfast. Any other ideas for something quick and low-carb?

Cooked up a great chilli last night, with plenty of veg (onions, tomatoes, mushrooms) 'inside' the chilli, and added a small tin of kidney beans of course. Served with a nice crispy side salad.

Friends called in unexpectedly and it transpired they hadn't eaten yet, so dished up a plate each of the leftover chilli.

Still thinking of our veggie posters - is this something you could make with veggie/Quorn mince perhaps?

We soon discovered that the way to beat boredom was to cook more varieties of veg, and present them in different ways. Tonight we had big haddock fillets, served with garlicky spinach that had a few sesame seeds in it and some spices,, then baby leeks and spring onions and asparagus spears in a hollandaise sauce. We don't eat like that every night, only when the weather is bad and I can't get outside to garden, and I have found that some nights we both want different things so we both cook what we want. That never happened on the 'normal' diet. Last night I had poached chicken and lots of salad that included cold cooked veg, DBH cooked himself sausages, eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms and topped it with sautéed cabbage and spring onions that I had made for him earlier in the day. Anything goes, really. We don't have things like spag bol or shepherd's pie anymore, we don't miss them, I never thought that would happen.

DS still can't get over being served spaghetti squash with a mixed squash sauce/topping. However, he is very health-conscious for a just-21-yr-old, and lives on chicken or fish stir-fries, with one pizza a week.

I do miss cheese, but I just think of being dairy-free as yet another diet aid. I'm in no hurry to lose weight fast, last time I did that my face looked haggard. However - MiL has been on this diet very strictly for a year now because she has diabetes, and she has dropped from a 20 to a 14. She is barely recognisable.

Well done, seacliff - 3.5 pounds in 4 days is brilliant.

I weigh myself every morning before eating, if only to track my weight pattern and take the average over a week.

I could do with losing the same amount as seacliff, but would be happy with 3 stone. Would take me to an OK weight, if not as low as when I was young.

Great to be able to encourage each other. Some great recipes and ideas too.

Bbevan cream cheese and hummus with celery.....D'ohhh. Obvious combo, perhaps but I didn't think of it, even though we have celery and I eat the stuff raw! Thank you

The pork cheeks, leek and onion casserole was good - cooked it in red wine, had it with lentils and I had a small portion of those. Followed with natural organic yoghurt. Must try the lamb tagine whitewave describes.

I'm actually looking forward to the challenge!

Of course! There are quite a few veggies now and I am sure one of them will be along soon. Are you there Wilma ?
The weight loss sounds very good so far.

Hi do you mind if I join you ? I'm veggie and have a lot of weight to lose - at least 4 stone. I tried low carb once before but although it worked, I couldn't stay on it as I got bored eating the same old foods, omlettes etc. The spinach fritters sound good, must try them.

Now I desperately need to lose for health reasons. I've been trying the Fast Blood Sugar Diet by Michael Moseley, which is low carb and higher fat, max 800 cals per day for 8 weeks. I have been making an effort to cook and try lots of new foods.I didn't weigh myself at the beginning, so I only know I lost 3.5 pounds in last 4 days.I

Amazingly I don't feel hungry. I'm just hoping I can stick to this long term.

OH is much more carb sensitive than I am and often has to cut right back on fruit. Keeping him out of pre-diabetes is what drives us on.
Have to say that the last time I was a size 10 I was 8 stone and now I am 9 stone. Vanity sizing?

Rowan I eat hummus and cream cheese with celery usually at lunchtime.Sometimes add a small oat cracker.
We had Hairy Bikers diet Coconut Prawn curry this evening. DH had rice but not me.
Enjoy your Turkish meal * Rowan*

It took a year and a bit and have been maintaining for a year. My weight is very stable and varies by a pound or so. If it goes up, I cut portion size and try to do some high-intensity exercise.

Yes we are the same and blimey life is for living!

I don't think many of us can keep up a strict regime for too long but as with any diet it does take some self-discipline, but low-carb is easy to follow once you get the hang of it.

Tonight I'm going out to dinner as a guest so will eat whatever the host serves, endeavour to eat minimal carbs as is polite to do so and enjoy the food, wine and company. Just hope there's not toasted sourdough bread on offer!

Dead easy recipe row an.

Brown diced lamb - remove
Add onions dried apricots carrots ground cinnamon, smoked paprika and cumin.
Lamb stock plus white wine
Bung back the lamb and half tin chick peas s+p
Low heat
At end mash up other half of chickpeas bung in casserole and serve.

And me rowantree I think that patience and determination is the key. At the moment -well this morning I weighed in at 12 9and3/4. I am about 5 6 or 5 7. and a large 18. I actually don't think I have ever been a size 10 in my life. Size 16 would suit me quite well I think. I have one summer dress that I adore and it would look so much better if I was about 12 stone. I know I won't get to that by the summer but hopefully I will lose a bit more.

Yummy sounding casserole. whitewave. Much experimenting is needed by me!

Impressed by mamie's weight loss but how I dream of being a size 16 - sadly, I'm a Michelin Woman size 18/20 and even size 16 seems a dream away. I'd be delighted to lose that much - though I need to get down far, far lower before I'm a healthy weight.

I can't keep up a strict regime, that I do know - so the loss is going to be more gradual, but as long as there IS steady loss then I will be happy.

Incidentally, Mamie, how long did it take you?

Just finished a lamb casserole flavoured with tagine spices and thickened with puréed/mashed chickpeas. Cabbage and French beans on side. Not bad at all and enough left for another meal