Food questions? Ask me anything

Nefetete

Any recipes for homemade protein bars that hold their shape and don’t need to be refrigerated.

bodyrollin

Everyday I am going over on my sodium and fat (but staying with in my calories) I was looking for a low in fat and sodium recipe for sauce to put on pasta.. I am open to anything preferably home made and not out of a can

Any fresh prepped sauce can be low in sodium, red sauce has nearly zero fat, and is relatively easy to execute...my red sauce (which I must say I'm quite partial to) is just one chopped red onion, a whole head of chopped fresh garlic (at least 8 cloves) just enough oil to sauté in a large pot, sauté until onions clear, and garlic just starts to carmelize. Add in 3 lbs of diced fresh Roma tomatoes, and 2 bunches (about half a cup) of fresh chopped basil...stir together and simmer for about half an hour, if it gets too thick/dry, thin it with beer...after that half hour stir in one of the small cans of tomato paste, and add about a tablespoon of fresh chopped oregano, simmer for another ten minutes...season to taste (I usually salt until just a tiny bit too salty which usually is about 2 tablespoons of kosher salt, and then ad just a little sugar, like less than a teaspoon usually, to both balance and add depth of flavor...i use words like usually, and about, because seasoning will vary depending on the quality of ingredients you use) 2 tablespoons of kosher salt is not too bad for the gallon or so of sauce you'll make...

babyangel6806

I am getting ready to start using the Vanilla flavored whey protein and need shake ideas. I am very sensitive to taste so I am looking form something sweet (preferably fruity), smooth, and not chalky. Currently in the house I have kiwi, frozen blueberries, frozen strawberry/Mango/Peach mixed bag, 1 naked smoothie Mango flavor, whole milk.....any ideas what I could do with this??

Yum! I have smoothies all the time. Are you trying to keep calories under a particular #?
I try to keep the calories low in my smoothies, so based on what you have here's what I would do...
measure about 4oz(1/2 cup) of the Naked Smoothie, add about 1/2 cup of water, put it in your blender with the protein powder and about 1/2 cup of the mixed fruit, 1 kiwi with skin off and blend til smooth. yum, tropical goodness. Whole milk doesn't fit my nutritional needs so I don't use it.

I just wanted to check back in and let you know that I tried this recipe this morning and LOVED IT!! I could barley taste a hint of the vanilla which actually gave it a real smooth taste (almost like orange julius).

sting5

definitely a bump!

AnjaZ89

i would love to know how to make a gravy that is not as high fat as the standard ones.. any advice?

TeenaMarina

I'm looking for a low calorie biscotti recipe. I LOVE these biscottis I buy at Whole Foods from Irene's Gourmet Bakery, but they're damn expensive and I'm trying to make my own. Theirs are airy and light and crisp, use egg whites only (as opposed to the whole egg) and only 20 - 25 cals each! I've tried a couple times and mine just aren't as finely textured or as low calorie. Help!

jmzz1

hi.... do u know any protein shake recipe that does not include protein powder and greek yoghurt..........
wanted to get an idea of protein rich food other than egg, chicken , mutton, fish, soya, dairy products , lentils and nuts

bodyrollin

i would love to know how to make a gravy that is not as high fat as the standard ones.. any advice?

brown or cream?

bodyrollin

hi.... do u know any protein shake recipe that does not include protein powder and greek yoghurt..........
wanted to get an idea of protein rich food other than egg, chicken , mutton, fish, soya, dairy products , lentils and nuts

ounce for ounce spinach is one of the most protein rich ingredients on earth...toss a handful in with just about anything.

bodyrollin

I'm looking for a low calorie biscotti recipe. I LOVE these biscottis I buy at Whole Foods from Irene's Gourmet Bakery, but they're damn expensive and I'm trying to make my own. Theirs are airy and light and crisp, use egg whites only (as opposed to the whole egg) and only 20 - 25 cals each! I've tried a couple times and mine just aren't as finely textured or as low calorie. Help!

I'll preface this with saying that I'm no pastry chef, so this is just someone else's recipe, although it is good, and only about 100 calories per biscuit, less than 3 grams of fat, and only about 18 grams of carbs
1-2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
3/4 cup superfine sugar (you can put sugar in food processor)
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
2 large eggs
1 large egg white

Preheat oven to 375°. Line two baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add chocolate chips and mix. Gradually add eggs and egg whites to the mixture and combine to make a dough. (If dough is too dry add one more egg white)

Divide the dough into two or three loafs. Place on the lined baking sheets and bake 20 minutes. (If the dough is too sticky to form with your hands, you can use a wooden spatula to transfer it onto the baking sheets)

ketchup38

bump

laurenz2501

Baked Sweet Potato Fries: I can't get my knife through the rock hard sweet potatoes, and when I eventually do (by literally hacking them apart), they aren't cut evenly, and therefore don't cook evenly.

AnjaZ89

i would love to know how to make a gravy that is not as high fat as the standard ones.. any advice?

brown or cream?

would be brown. thank you so much for your effort I think everybody loves yur thread!

MikeyD1280

how come we are taught to never play with our food but we can carve pumpkins and all that? I don't even eat pumpkins..

PuggleMama33

Should I weigh my meat frozen or cooked on my scale to obtain the correct calorie count? I have researched this topic, however I keep getting opposite opinions. I dont eat red meat much, but I am especially concerned with the correct calorie count on red meat. Thanks for your help!

bodyrollin

Baked Sweet Potato Fries: I can't get my knife through the rock hard sweet potatoes, and when I eventually do (by literally hacking them apart), they aren't cut evenly, and therefore don't cook evenly.

I don't eat sweet potatoes so I dont have a whole lot of experience with them, however two things I'd try are first off make sure the knife you're using is as thin as possible...blade width is determined by the back or spine of the blade (non cutting edge) the thicker the blade the harder to cut dense things like your sweet potato, no matter how sharp...for example I have a razor sharp high carbon stainless expensive French chefs knife which I love cutting large chunks of meat with, or chopping with, but to cut a potato I'd rather use a twelve dollar farberware French chefs knife from Walmart just because it has a thinner blade and gets through it easier...if you have a good filet knife that would be ideal. Personally I use my misono UX10 for just about everything lol. If that still doesn't work you may want to consider microwaving it for a couple minutes just to help soften some of the bonds for (hopefully) easier slicing.

bodyrollin

i would love to know how to make a gravy that is not as high fat as the standard ones.. any advice?

brown or cream?

would be brown. thank you so much for your effort I think everybody loves yur thread!

I make my brown gravy with relatively little fat at all...first off make sure that whatever meat you're cooking gets cooked in a not nonstick pan (no Teflon, or ceramic) cook it normally and when you take it out of the pan there should be all the little crusty awesome bits at the bottom...take about 1/2C of bourbon, or cognac and deglaze the pan (still hot, and watch for flare up when alcohol evaporates, and don't panic when/if it does) use a spoon to scrape up all the solids off of the bottom
Of the pan, and simmer the liquid until reduced by half add in 2.75 cups of the appropriate low/no sodium stock (chicken or veggie if you're cooking chicken or pork, and beef stock for beef) take another quarter cup of stock and make a slurry with cornstarch and slowly stir it in, simmer until thick, and season to taste.

missdibs1

i need healthy dinner recipies

my husband is a picky eater and tends to over eat.

i am looking for flavorful and filling

hopefully low carb

lenahowell83

Thank you for offering this service to others. I am having a hard time trying to find exactly which foods I can eat and what I can not eat. I am trying to do a 2200 calories a day diet (pre-diabetic)...but since I started it...I have ate far less than that and run the risk of being in starvation mode. With the holidays coming up I would love to find some recipes for low calorie pumpkin pie and other goodies that are normally eaten during this time of year, that won't totally destroy everything I am trying to do. I don't want to feel that I am depriving myself ; or this will never work, for me.

Thanks again.

Lena Howell
Stuart, VA

bodyrollin

How would i bake with coarse oats/steel cut oats, as i know this is different from regular oats.. its tougher...

Also do you have any recipe ideas?

From way back on pg 2 but I finally picked some up and tried this recipe and it came out nicely.


Steel Cut Oats with Blackberry Orange Sauce
 

Print
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
35 mins
Total time
40 mins
 
Easy, creamy steel cut oats with a hint of orange topped with a fresh and tart blackberry orange sauce.
Author: Gina Matsoukas
Recipe type: breakfast
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Steel Cut Oats
1 cup steel cut oats
1 tablespoon coconut oil
3 cups water
½ cup coconut milk
½ cup 2% milk
¼ teaspoon salt
zest of 1 orange
juice of 1 orange
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Blackberry Orange Sauce
1¼ cup blackberries
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon honey (or agave)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
Steel Cut Oats
In a skillet over medium heat, toast oats in coconut oil for 3-5 minutes, until fragrant. Set aside.
In a medium sauce pan, bring water and milk to a boil.
Add toasted oats, reduce heat to low and cover for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
After 25 minutes, mixture should be considerably thicker. Add salt, orange juice, zest, vanilla and cinnamon.
Cook and stir frequently for another 5-10 minutes until creamy.
Remove from heat and serve.
Blackberry Orange Sauce
In a small sauce pan over medium heat, combine all ingredients and simmer.
Stir frequently until blackberries are broken down and mixture thickens to desired consistency, about 8-10 minutes.
Stir into oatmeal.
 

bodyrollin

i need healthy dinner recipies

my husband is a picky eater and tends to over eat.

i am looking for flavorful and filling

hopefully low carb

soups and stews are great ways to do that one of the easiest ways to get that full feeling is to drink milk...I drink almond milk, but regular is fine especially if you're not on a big time weight loss diet. If you can give me an idea of what he won't eat then I can give you a recipe or two.

girlykate143

When food gets reheated in a microwave and is covered with plastic wrap, what happens to the food? Does the plastic leach into it?
i'm in a discussion with the boyfriend about this. I never cover my food with plastic, he always does. Wraps it like it's a bleeding wound.
What's your overall theory on cooking in microwaves?

I want to be right.

bodyrollin

how come we are taught to never play with our food but we can carve pumpkins and all that? I don't even eat pumpkins..

an excellent question lol...I'd say most of the pumpkin consumed is from pie pumpkins, which are drastically different from carving pumpkins, so I guess technically its not playing with your food since people don't eat carving pumpkins.

bodyrollin

When food gets reheated in a microwave and is covered with plastic wrap, what happens to the food? Does the plastic leach into it?
i'm in a discussion with the boyfriend about this. I never cover my food with plastic, he always does. Wraps it like it's a bleeding wound.
What's your overall theory on cooking in microwaves?

I want to be right.

leaving it open can lead to drying out, so I certainly don't recommend that, and while I'd love to tell you that plastic wrap is bad too, the fact is that if you eat out at chain restaurants you've probably eaten a microwaved side with plastic wrap cover lol...sad but true, especially if you're a consumer of the infamous "mixed veg" side. So sadly I have to say he's correct (although my personal reheatings in the microwave I just use a hard plastic plate dome to avoid doing either lol.

bodyrollin

Thank you for offering this service to others. I am having a hard time trying to find exactly which foods I can eat and what I can not eat. I am trying to do a 2200 calories a day diet (pre-diabetic)...but since I started it...I have ate far less than that and run the risk of being in starvation mode. With the holidays coming up I would love to find some recipes for low calorie pumpkin pie and other goodies that are normally eaten during this time of year, that won't totally destroy everything I am trying to do. I don't want to feel that I am depriving myself ; or this will never work, for me.

Thanks again.

Lena Howell
Stuart, VA

What is your lifestyle like? Stay at home? Work? Part time? Full time? Excessive time? How active? Etc...

Kitty_Kat_meow

Hello , you might be just the person I need

I recently had amazing carrot and coriander soup at a resturant, went to asda bought their good for you version and it was sickeningly bitter from the lemon they'd put in it so now I want to make my own. Could you give me a good recipe with some amounts and any hints to make it tasty please.

Many thanks

bodyrollin

Should I weigh my meat frozen or cooked on my scale to obtain the correct calorie count? I have researched this topic, however I keep getting opposite opinions. I dont eat red meat much, but I am especially concerned with the correct calorie count on red meat. Thanks for your help!

well since you aren't going to cook your meat from frozen (you aren't right? Lol) I'd thaw it, then pat it dry with a paper towel and weigh it that way...I'm pretty sure that's what they're doing in the measurements on here, and because if im wrong at worst you're overestimating your calories and thus you're less than you think...

ihave42cats

not about food but about cooking....

i got some calphalon stainless steel cookware as a gift. and althoyugh it boils water beautifully, i can't get it to stop sticking! seems like no matter what i cook. it sticks! sometimes it loosens up, othertimes it acts like it burns.

bodyrollin

Hello , you might be just the person I need

I recently had amazing carrot and coriander soup at a resturant, went to asda bought their good for you version and it was sickeningly bitter from the lemon they'd put in it so now I want to make my own. Could you give me a good recipe with some amounts and any hints to make it tasty please.

Many thanks

Not my recipe but by far my favorite.
Ingredients
knob of butter
drizzle of rapeseed oil/olive oil
1 onion, sliced
450g/1lb carrots, sliced
1 potato, sliced
1 tsp ground coriander
1 litres/2 pints vegetable stock
50mls cream
large bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper


Method
Heat the butter and oil in a large pan and add the onions, potato and the carrots. Cook for 3-4 minutes until starting to soften.
Stir in the ground coriander and season well. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Simmer until the vegetables are tender.
Whizz with a hand blender or in a blender until smooth.Add the cream. Reheat in a clean pan, stir in the fresh coriander and serve.

bodyrollin

not about food but about cooking....

i got some calphalon stainless steel cookware as a gift. and althoyugh it boils water beautifully, i can't get it to stop sticking! seems like no matter what i cook. it sticks! sometimes it loosens up, othertimes it acts like it burns.

Ah ha! I was wondering when I'd get this lol...it's VERY common question, and there are a few things that I personally do to deal with this. First off get some "bartenders friend" it's a fine abrasive cleaner specifically designed to clean stainless, and you can get it at any mega mart...use as instructed, it helps keep the surface smooth...secondly be sure to preheat your pan (not over heat) the surface of the pan has tiny pores and when you add butter/oil to a cold pan it keeps those pores slightly open, as the pan heats the pores close and THEN add your oil/butter. Don't move it in the pan too much, if it needs a flip, flip it once...if you're tossing to sauté there should be enough oil for it to not stick. Lastly is don't cook too hot...stuff will stick to Teflon when it's too hot so needless to say it will do the same on stainless.