Help a clueless cook!!

celestial

Hi guys,

So, you might have seen my thread over on fitness announcing my high-protein, low carb diet. Now, I've bought a load of chicken and pork fillets, but I am fairly clueless when it comes to actually coming up with something that isn't pasta+chicken+sauce. I cooked two fillets in the oven last night, glazed with olive oil and sprinkled coriander and a little minced garlic over them. Had them with some lettuce. Fairly dry and tasteless though!!

Can you expert folks recommend some simple, quick to make meat dishes please? I'm looking for maybe 5-10 simple, low or no carb dishes I can make fairly easily - simple as in only a few ingredients. I have spices such as ginger, minced garlic, basil and a fair few others I have forgotten..

Also, any recommendations on low-carb sauces? Seems to be hard to find low-carb ones in the likes of Spar?

Thanks

lindak

Hey celestial , seems to be a lot of us from the fitness forum over here now , I suppose its all linked

When I am cooking chicken I usually make sitr fry veg with some low salt soy sauce its really tasty. I also love extra lean mince & steak they are also both good sources of protein along with fish.

celestial

Thanks Linda Anyone else guys? You must have a tonne of easy recipes up your sleeves?

EileenG

If you have a non-stick frying pan with a lid (glass is handy), then you can cook a lot of things every easily. Almost any sort of fillet or steak can be cooked with a little olive oil and seasoning to taste in about ten minutes over a moderate heat. You can also add a lot of veg like mushrooms, chopped celery, spring onions etc at the same time. Cook something like spinach in the same pan as soon as you take off your meat/chicken/fish.

If baking in the oven, about 15 minutes at moderate heat is plenty (less if it's a thin piece). Things like chicken breast need some added fat for oven cooking. Wrap the breast in foil with some olive oil or butter and seasoning to improve the taste. Salmon can be cooked bare, but the foil and seasoning adds flavour.

Very easy low carb sauce: Cook your meat in the pan, take it off and put on a hot plate. Pour in some cream, stir to mix with the meat juices. As soon as it is hot, add some crumbled blue cheese and stir till it is smooth. Pour over your meat. Takes about 30 seconds.

mags16

I've posted this recipe before but it is so good, it deserves a second outing.

Take your chicken fillets and put a few deep cuts into each of them.
Put them into a bowl with salt pepper lemon juice olive oil and ground coriander. Cover and leave to marinade for 30 mins.
Put the fillets onto a oven proof dish and cook in a hot oven for 20 - 30 mins. They won't be dry if you marinade the chicken and don't over cook them.

I serve the fillets on puy lentils. You just boil the lentils for 30 mins, drain and add a glug of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and salt and pepper.

menoscemo

For a quick and simple dish, just gash your chicken fillets with a knife on each side coat (season) in whatever herbs and spices you like- (I have a jar of great spice mix I picked up in Lidl). Now wrap each fillet with two bacon rashers so as to completely cover them- this keeps the spices in and the juices of the rashers will flow into the fillets while cooking.
Throw it in the oven for about 20 mins at 200 celcius and hey presto -delish.

mags16

Ooh I just thought of a good pork recipe. I got this from Nigel Slater's book, Apetite. Crush some garlic and mix with chopped fresh rosemary (or thyme), salt, pepper and a glug of olive oil. Smear this mixture on both sides of pork chops. Leave to marinade or you can cook immediately. I fry them on a griddle pan or you can fry them in an ordinary pan. Before serving, squeeze some lemon juice over them if you like.

The_boat

Try using http://www.videojug.com/

they have loads of recipies with onien instructions. I usually make up a big meal for 6-8 and et it for the week. This suits my work schedule and to be honest i dont get that bord of eating the same meal 3/4 days ina row.

tinned tomatoes and a full spice rack are essential for cooking.

this weeks meal is Spag Bol

2 tins of whole tomatoes
500g lean mince (i ask the butcher to mince a round steak for me and to trim the fat off)
one onion
3 cloves of garlic
sprinkle of parsley, spicy italian mix and basil

i make fresh pasta to add to the meal each time i ix up the pasta somedays i use fussili others spageti and others shells
takes about 20 mins but its as quick to make loads as it is to make enough for one

jdivision

Cook chicken breast in half. Buy peri peri herbs etc, add lemon and some olive oil and marinade. Cook on a hot skillet.
I like pork in a stir fry with veg. NO rice and noodles.

LorDar

I cover chicken breasts with pesto sauce from a jar & bake in the oven for 20 mins or so.
Very easy, quick & tasty! I love pesto though & would eat it all day!

Sincho

I flatten down a chicken breast (ie put clingfilm over it and beat it with a heavy pan or something till its flat). then spread it with a bit of garlic and herb soft cheese, put either spinach or asparagus on and roll it up, securing with coctail sticks. Then I roast with whole peeled garlic cloves and small whole onions.If you have this with lots of steamed veggies it should keep you nice and full and is very tasty! Best of luck x

aare

Ok,

A few tips from my long term low carbing and my new found celiac status:

• I got a little bottle of "Kania" "greek style seasoning" from either Aldi or LIDL...it is amazing to just sprinkle...I haven't seen it since, but there must be other brands and varieties and it DOES make a simple difference
• Invest in a really good garlic press, I wasted a lot of money on generic "bargains" before I bought a really good branded model. Single bulb garlic from LIDL is only brilliant.
• The George Foreman grill is my best friend. It really doesn't seem to dry stuff out the same way, and is a lot easier to keep clean by sitting on my drainer (luckily I have a socket in range)
• Olives, anchovies and parmesan are seasonings you can use as often as garlic if you like them, and they can taste very different as PART of something to the way they taste by themselves - experiment, when you are in the mood to play "Hell's Kitchen" it can be great fun.
• Where is it written that an omelette can only be savoury? You can make gorgeous sweet omelettes with vanilla, or citrus peel and juice and sweetener...and if you need a treat a little cream won't kill you.
• Think outside the box when you are out and about and cannot cook or eat properly. Brie and camembert are acceptable low carb emergency "lunches" (if fatty), ham or cooked chicken is PERFECT...