Replacements for Pasta and Rice ......

[Taffyboyslim]

I have been delighted to find that bolognaise ....pasta ......chilli con carne .....rice .....and other favourite foods of mine are fine if plenty of lean meat , mushrooms , onions etc are used

But of course pasta and rice can now only be an occasional treat

Apart from cauliflower rice .....which I don't really like and low GI pasta ......do people just eat their pasta or chilli with say spinach or another above ground veg instead of the starch ?

 

[freesia]

Cabbage is nice with bolognaise. I cut it into strips and either stir fry it or put it in the microwave with a drop of water and seasoning, covered with cling film. It only takes a few minutes.

I also found a recipe for Yuk Sung which is really easy to make (i think it was a DUK one, i can't remember without looking. Anyway, you use lettuce to wrap it in. Its really tasty.

 

[Kernow-Debra]

I cannot abide cauliflower rice but am chuffed to discover Pearl barley as an alternative.
75g cooked makes a jolly good portion and is around 16 carbs.
Smothered with a prawn curry sauce it hits the spot.

Pasta I also miss terribly, so I tried the Lupin flour recipe.
Makes a lovely fettuccini with too much fuss. Carbonara is back on the menu! Texture is very very close to wholewheat pasta.
I even managed to make a decent lasagne with it too

 

[AndBreathe]

@Taffyboyslim , if I can't be bothered to prep cauliflower, more often than not, I just have more of the main event - the curry, chilli, bolognaise or whatever. To me, the rice element was really just a carrier for the good stuff.

As for cauli; have you tried seasoning it well? Like using the pilau seasoning for curry accompaniments, and I particularly like the mild curry seasonings for pretendy Kedgeree. Oh, and Pretendy Paella.

Once it is seasoned up, like the rice would be for the rice based variant, it tastes just the same.

 

[OhJoy]

Konjac pasta and noodles are almost no calories or carbs and are a very convincing substitute in my mind. There is a rice which is OK but I don’t like it so much as the texture is wrong and a pizza base which is a bit like tissue paper but does the job of holding the topping together . Available in health food shops and on line.

 

[OhJoy]

I just have more of the main event - the curry, chilli, bolognaise or whatever. To me, the rice element was really just a carrier

I agree a spoon is a very good substitute for rice or pasta

 

[Taffyboyslim]

Cabbage is nice with bolognaise. I cut it into strips and either stir fry it or put it in the microwave with a drop of water and seasoning, covered with cling film. It only takes a few minutes.

I also found a recipe for Yuk Sung which is really easy to make (i think it was a DUK one, i can't remember without looking. Anyway, you use lettuce to wrap it in. Its really tasty.

Lovely ....what seasoning would you use for the cabbage .....just salt n pepper or some mixed herbs?

 

[Taffyboyslim]

@Taffyboyslim , if I can't be bothered to prep cauliflower, more often than not, I just have more of the main event - the curry, chilli, bolognaise or whatever. To me, the rice element was really just a carrier for the good stuff.

As for cauli; have you tried seasoning it well? Like using the pilau seasoning for curry accompaniments, and I particularly like the mild curry seasonings for pretendy Kedgeree. Oh, and Pretendy Paella.

Once it is seasoned up, like the rice would be for the rice based variant, it tastes just the same.

I thought of fortifying my chilli , bolognaise with extra tomatoes , extra mushrooms and even peas and do what you do ....treat it like a meal itself without the need for colly or rice etc ?

 

[Taffyboyslim]

Konjac pasta and noodles are almost no calories or carbs and are a very convincing substitute in my mind. There is a rice which is OK but I don’t like it so much as the texture is wrong and a pizza base which is a bit like tissue paper but does the job of holding the topping together . Available in health food shops and on line.

That sounds great thank you

 

[grovesy]

I just eat without the Pasta or rice.

 

[Lucyr]

I have been delighted to find that bolognaise ....pasta ......chilli con carne .....rice .....and other favourite foods of mine are fine if plenty of lean meat , mushrooms , onions etc are used

But of course pasta and rice can now only be an occasional treat

Apart from cauliflower rice .....which I don't really like and low GI pasta ......do people just eat their pasta or chilli with say spinach or another above ground veg instead of the starch ?

Smaller portion of pasta, normal portion of protein, extra veg or salad on the side

 

[Taffyboyslim]

Konjac pasta and noodles are almost no calories or carbs and are a very convincing substitute in my mind. There is a rice which is OK but I don’t like it so much as the texture is wrong and a pizza base which is a bit like tissue paper but does the job of holding the topping together . Available in health food shops and on line.

Eat Water Slim Spaghetti | Holland & Barrett

Shop Eat Water Slim Spaghetti at Holland & Barrett. Slim Pasta Spaghetti is a Zero Carbohydrate and organic alternative to regular pasta.

www.hollandandbarrett.com

This one for spag bol ?

 

[Taffyboyslim]

I just eat without the Pasta or rice.

I am going to be doing some of that .....adding extra mushrooms , Tom's and onions to my chilli and spaghetti bolognaise and eating them as a soup ?

 

[freesia]

Lovely ....what seasoning would you use for the cabbage .....just salt n pepper or some mixed herbs?

I like lots of black pepper and a bit of salt but you could use anything really.

 

[AndBreathe]

I thought of fortifying my chilli , bolognaise with extra tomatoes , extra mushrooms and even peas and do what you do ....treat it like a meal itself without the need for colly or rice etc ?

Yes. I just get on with it. Sometimes a spoon is helpful, but not always required.

In terms of fortifying a chilli or whatever, personally, I’d likely fortify with extra meat. My OH, whois the main cook in the house doesn’t eat mushrooms in any form, so they only appear if I’m on my own.

 

[Taffyboyslim]

Yes. I just get on with it. Sometimes a spoon is helpful, but not always required.

In terms of fortifying a chilli or whatever, personally, I’d likely fortify with extra meat. My OH, whois the main cook in the house doesn’t eat mushrooms in any form, so they only appear if I’m on my own.

Kick you OH out and get those mushrooms down ya !

 

[AndBreathe]

Kick you OH out and get those mushrooms down ya !

No chance. He’s an excellent cook!

He‘s also a competitive golfer, who 0lays in competitions regularly, taking him away from home for a few days at a time. I have plenty of mushroom and fish (he is very allergic to fish) opportunities.

 

[Taffyboyslim]

No chance. He’s an excellent cook!

He‘s also a competitive golfer, who 0lays in competitions regularly, taking him away from home for a few days at a time. I have plenty of mushroom and fish (he is very allergic to fish) opportunities.

Sounds an excellent arrangement!

 

[wantonnoodle]

I would suggest looking into the diabetes books by Kate and Giancarlo Caldesi. They look at alternatives to pasta and pizza. They have recipes using green beans and cabbage to replace pasta and using spinach instead of pizza bases and lasagne sheets. They even have a recipe to make gnocchi from cheese rather than potatoes.

Alternatively, you could get a spiralizer and make courgetti or carrot spaghetti.

I'm not a fan of cauli rice, so I'm persevering with real rice at the moment. I like brown basmati, so it's at least better than white long-grain, and I find that a small portion washed 3 times in clean water before cooking doesn't spike my sugars too much.

I'm not focussing on a specific low-carb diet so much at the moment, as much as trying to cut down on UPFs and monitoring portion sizes. I have a weakness for those sort of things which probably got me where I am now.

 

[Taffyboyslim]

I would suggest looking into the diabetes books by Kate and Giancarlo Caldesi. They look at alternatives to pasta and pizza. They have recipes using green beans and cabbage to replace pasta and using spinach instead of pizza bases and lasagne sheets. They even have a recipe to make gnocchi from cheese rather than potatoes.

Alternatively, you could get a spiralizer and make courgetti or carrot spaghetti.

I'm not a fan of cauli rice, so I'm persevering with real rice at the moment. I like brown basmati, so it's at least better than white long-grain, and I find that a small portion washed 3 times in clean water before cooking doesn't spike my sugars too much.

I'm not focussing on a specific low-carb diet so much at the moment, as much as trying to cut down on UPFs and monitoring portion sizes. I have a weakness for those sort of things which probably got me where I am now.

What's upfs?