Your basic ingredients, mixes and preparations Going LCHF means that you're giving up some essentials - some that up to now you probably regarded as basic kitchen cooking ingredients. No more flour made from wheat, much less flour from other gluten-containing ingredients and a big reduction in all other carbohydrates and sugar. This means re-learning some basic recipes, so in this section, we start the re-learning process and show some short cuts on the way to a new tasty set of home-made delicacies.
Roux/Hollandaise Sauce - thicken with coconut flour and butter or thicken, a puree of white beans or blend these with a little arrowroot Ragout/Ragu - use as a base for bolognaise, shepherd's pie/cottage pie, stuffed vegetables, moussaka, even Chili con Carne Muesli/Granola - enjoy with Greek yogurt but also... grind it up, add some butter and use as a base for cheesecake (low-carb version of course) Cauliflower - use as an alternative to mashed potato and a surprisingly good alternative to rice Mashed potato - try mixing in some pureed cauliflower in various proportions and be surprised how much you, your friends and family will like it. One quarter potato to three-quarters of the cauliflower reduces the carbs by two thirds Courgettes/Zucchini - a very good ersatz for spaghetti when combined with a strong tasting sauce such as a pesto of a carbonara (ever thought of buying a spiraliser?) Chicken stock - No compromises needed! OK, you can buy good organic, gluten free chicken stock at supermarkets now (I recommend Kallo), but nothing beats home-made stock. It uses your left over chicken bones and oozes with health when added to sauces and stews. Why not start with a basic roux, made in a low-carb way of course. |
When you pause to think about it, a simple mix of farming convenience, combined with some accidents and some discoveries has got us where we are in the kitchen today. We don't need to take it for granted that we must thicken a sauce with wheat flour or that we need the sticky, glutinous texture of freshly baked bread. There are useful alternatives but some re-education is needed!
Fish, fat-rich veg and nuts make great snacks or light meals.
Going low-carb can be done in easy stages. Remember - just reducing your total daily amount of carbs is a big step forward in terms of weight control and improved health. First; try a shepherd's pie made with 50% mashed cauliflower and 50% potato and be surprised how good it tastes. Then go 100% cauliflower! |