Quick low-carb dishes

[snowgrouse]

First post, hope I'm doing it right:). I've got ridiculous insulin levels and various associated illnesses, so I've got to keep my carbs in check. But sometimes it's just too much effort to even fry stuff. I can always grab veggies from the fridge, but the meat is a bit trickier if I don't want to live on just slices of ham. So the microwave is a faster option. Here's a list of a couple of microwaved or otherwise fast proteiny things I've tried with my veggies with a fair amount of success.


-Microwave omelette. This is as easy as pie. You break however many eggs you want into a deep dish/bowl, mix them with a fork for a bit, and microwave 'em for 1-3 minutes, depending on how many eggs you've put in and how hardcore your microwave is. You can also throw some frozen veg in with the eggs, in which case the cooking takes a bit longer, but you can get a pretty good omelette going with this method. You can also throw in some cheese and whatever. And best of all, these omelettes don't stick, so you don't have to worry about scrubbing a frying pan clean afterwards--the omelette peels off the dish easily.

-Meatballs. Pat a lump of mince into a ball a little smaller than your fist and slap it on a ceramic plate. Microwave for about four minutes and drizzle with soy sauce and cream and whatever seasonings you wish.

-Egg butter. This is basically like a Finnish version of egg mayonnaise, but without the mayo. You only need to boil a couple of eggs and then mash in some butter with a fork, and you've got a very energy-dense mash that can keep you going for hours and hours. As for the butter, shaving some off with a Scandinavian-style cheese cutter makes butter a lot easier to handle if you don't have strong or steady hands.

-Microwaved bacon. Slap strips of bacon on a ceramic plate and nuke for 2 minutes or so. This will obviously drizzle everywhere, so remember to use a cover. Tastes just great with microwaved egg;).

-Greek yogurt and almonds and/or sunflower seeds are another great protein-rich alternative to muesli, and are quick and nummy.

I'll add more when I can remember them. Hope these will come in handy for someone at least:)

Comments

[rydra_wong]

For the egg butter, do you hard-boil the eggs?

(Mmmm, Greek yoghurt.)

[snowgrouse]

Hard-boiling works well for me, yeah. I'm sure it'd work with slightly wobblier eggs, too. This is a Finnish paste that we put on certain types of pasties and rye bread, but it's pretty nourishing on its own as well:).

[amadi]

I very rarely eat actual eggs but when I've microwaved them, I have always found that they stick. I tend to mix them up in one bowl, then transfer them to another that I've sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

But microwaving actual food, rather than frozen food, is such a nice thing when it works, and can go a long way for those of us who have to watch carbs/fats/other things and especially since frozen prepared foods are often very very heavy with salt. Excellent offerings, thank you!

[snowgrouse]

Huh, I've never had them stick! I guess it depends on the sort of bowl you make them in or something. Adding fat probably helps with the non-stickiness, yeah.

And actual food>>>frozen food. I'd eat just ready meals if it was possible, especially on really bad days, but the buggers are so full of salt and trans fats and flour that it's not a very sensible option.

[somewhatbent]

A straight-sided bowl makes a huge difference in how quickly and evenly they'll cook. Adding about a teaspoon of water per egg will also lighten the 'fluff' of the omelette by steaming.

Roast chicken or turkey bits (the small bites from cleaning off a carcass) get frozen into ~2 oz portions and get added 1:1 with eggs.

Variation of the egg butter; mash in soft cheese or smoked fish -- salmon is the local favorite.

On a "plenty of spoons" day I will pre-brown chicken or beef strips and package in single portions to freeze. Makes all the difference for the times when I'm not doing well.

[supermouse]

Noted and useful to me, so thanks.

[snowgrouse]

Woop, glad to be of service!

[kindjourneys]

Ooh, yay! These look very tasty and useful, especially the microwaveable omelette.

Thank you!

[snowgrouse]

I actually prefer the microwaveable sort now! Much less washing up afterwards, and no scrubbing:). It becomes kind of spongy, which is also pretty cool.

[ingo]

Microwave omelettes! That would never have occurred to me, but anything that cuts down on the horrendous mess I usually make when doing omelettes = a win.