Dinner: Simple Chilli - low and slow carb evening meal

I was a touch ill yesterday, so I wanted something really easy for dinner, and really just fancied something like baked beans and cheese (I don't know why, I was about 12 last time I had that!) but looking at the baked beans in the cupboard (my other half's) I remembered just how high carb they are, even if they do use the super low carb harricot bean.

So I threw together a really fast chilli version:

1 tin kidney beans, rinsed
1 table spoon of red pepper paste (note! This isn't a hot paste, more like paprika paste)
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 chopped roast red pepper (from a jar)
2 teaspoons green chilli sauce (I love this as it's just literally shredded green chillies and vinegar - nothing else!)

Then threw it all in a sauce pan and brought to a simmer (adding water as needed). Left it to cook for 7 minutes (the kidney beans needed it) and then served with grated cheese.

Great meal to build you back up, and if you don't eat the whole meal in one go it stores well, and it great cold or reheated.

Dinner: Chinese stir-fry with Asparagus

Super low carb dinner tonight - going to be away from home for a couple of days and pretty sure it's going to be tough keeping low low carb and high protein while I am away (we'll see!)

So tonight was a really fast stir-fry with asparagus.

I love cooking asparagus like this:

Cut the woody stems off the asparagus, but try to leave the stems as long as possible. Rinse then throw into a large heavy frying pan with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and then turn the heat up high. Let the asparagus fry on one side then turn and leave for another 30 seconds. Then /carefully/ pour on 1 tablespoon of water (it might spit!) and place a lid on. Let simmer for 30 seconds then remove lid and allow water to evaporate. You can add soy sauce or salt and pepper now.

Along side this I quickly pan fried a store bought bag of mixed stir-fry vegetables, and added garlic and soy sauce.

I then served it all with hot chilli sauce and a splash more soy.

Really tasty, filling (there was LOADS) and ZERO carb dinner!

Dinner - NO CARB Indian Lamb Burgers, plus chickpea veg curry and salad

I LOVE lamb, and it was a lovely day so I fancied a BBQ.

Sadly by the time I'd got everything together it was going to be too slow before it go dark, but never mind, was still a lovely summer meal.

Chickpea Veg curry:

In a saucepan throw:

1 chopped onion
3 copped garlic
1 chopped courgette
1 tin of chickpeas (drained)
1 teaspoon of my friends curry power
1 teaspoon of tomato paste
3 teaspoons of red pepper paste
splash of water

Turn on the heat and let it simmer while you get on with the lamb burgers

450g of lamb mince
1 teaspoon of gram-masala
1 teaspoon of course mustard
1 finely chopped onion
2 closes of chopped garlic
1 teaspoon of paprika

Mix together with hands and makes about 6 burgers - place in frying pan and fry WITHOUT oil, there will be enough fat in the lamb. Frying these burgers is OK - lamb fat is good for you, but frying them helps release the fat from the meat - drain off to lower the fat content if you are watching fat too - but I'm not worrying to much about fat and am loosing plenty of weight. Cook until just brown.

Salad:

1 carrot chopped into thin slices using a vegetable peeler
1 red bell pepper thinly chopped (I used a roasted and pickled one)
1/4 thinly sliced cucumber
1 tablespoon of yoghurt
1 teaspoon of mint sause

Mix well! Can add a squeeze of lemon or lime if you want it tarter.

There you go, a really filling protein heavy dinner, that's pretty fast (sub 30 mins) that is very low carb.

If you want me to add the carb, protein and fat details for these or any of the recipes please just comment below.