quick/tasty high carb meals?

Derek

looking for any quick to make,tasty meals either with pasta/rice potatoes....really any high carb/low fat little protein.

Most days eating pasta with tomatoe sauce,green/red peppers,basil and some chicken.Also eating some rice with lemon chicken/peppers mixed through.Also through the day having bagels etc.Just could do with a change for my pasta/rice dishes.something that doesnt take too long.cheers

Vo2

Derek, if you think that you are having little protein with your current meals, your'e mistaken. Chicken boasts some of the highest protein counts you will find in meat, almost as high as red meat. But hey, protein should be part of your daily meals anyway, so eat up!

Here are some ideas and recipies that I make at home. You can take it from there and add to your hearts content.

• Instead of using normal water to boil your pasta or rice in, boil it in chicken, beef or veggie stock flavoured water. Don't add too much stock tho. Half a cube is fine. Also remember that some stocks are saltier than others, so experiment first before adding extra salt to your water.
• Try some of the different flavoured rices out there with stirfry. My fav is Basmati rice. It's a long grained rice and has an awesome flavour. Stir fried chicken, julliene carrots, peppers, mushrooms, pineapple, garlic and beansprouts in soy sauce. Spice it up with a pinch of Turmeric or whatever spice you fancy. Just before serving, squeez some lemon juice over and serve with sweet and sour sauce. Gorgeous!
• Have you tried Sushi? It's easier to make than you think. You'll need the special Sushi rice tho, mixed with rice vinegar and sugar. You can make your own combinations and not use raw fish if you dislike it. I make it with different combinations of avo, cucumber, tuna, anchovies, fried peppers of which the skin has been removed, chicken etc. It's great fun to make and very filling. I even use biltong as a filling!
• Ever heard of couscous? It's coarsley ground semolina pasta and tastes great in salads. Add some couscous to your choice of stock water and watch it absorb every drop of it. Then add whatever you want and you have a great meal.
• Paella! Ah, the best thing to do with rice must be Paella. Here's a low-fat Paella recipe that serves 6:
  
  2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  1 cup chopped onion
  2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped (tinned toms also work)
  Some mussels, shrimps, deveined (cleaned) prawns and crabsticks (any seafood mixture really!)
  2 cups chicken stock water
  1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice, preferably short grain (soak your rice in cold water for about 10 minutes beforehand)
  1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or dried parsley)
  1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
  6 artichoke hearts, fresh or canned (if you don't like 'em, can 'em)
  1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon peri-peri sauce
  Seasoning to taste.
  
  1. Drizzle some olive oil in a pot or skillet.  Place the garlic and onion in the pot and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often so that the garlic doesn't burn.  Add  a few tablespoons of water for moisture if necessary.
  
  2.  Add the tomatoes, mussels, and 1/2 cup of the stock.  Cover and cook for 3 minutes.  Add the rest of the seafood mixture and cook for another 2 minutes.  (If you are using fresh mussels in shells, the shells should be open by now. If not, discard those that are still closed.
  
  3.  Add the rice, remaining stock, per-peri saice, parsley and oregano.  Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil.  Cover and reduce the heat to low.  Simmer the rice mixture on low for 20 minutes.  Stir once or twice near the end. Too much stirring will pulp the mixture.
  
  4.  Add the peas and artichoke hearts.  Cook, covered, for another 5 minutes.
  
  5.  Voila! Serve and enjoy!
• And here's my creamy low-fat pasta sauce:
  
  Some fat free cottage cheese (some cottage cheeses are flavoured, so experiment)
  1 clove garlic - peeled and finely chopped
  1-2 tablespoons of dried onion soup mix
  Seasoning to taste
  
  
  Blend all of this together in a food processor or blender and serve over your prepared pasta dish.

I'll think of more!

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Vo2

OK, this thread inspired me to go home tonite and do one of my pasta dishes. I wrote it down as I made it, so here it is, my first own recipe published on the web.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• Any type of pasta you like
• 1 Large ripe tomatoe - diced
• 1 clove of garlic - peeled & finely chopped
• 2 Chicken breast fillets - deboned, skin removed!, and cut into strips (there shouldn't be any visible fat on the meat)
• Handful of mushies (not the magic type) - diced
• Handful of baby spinach - roughly chopped
• ¼ glass el-cheapo white wine
• 1 small chilli - diced (cut chilli in half & remove seeds first)
• A sprinkling of rosemary (fresh or dried)
• Some parsley (preferably fresh, otherwise a sprinkling of dried parsley)
• Salt and pepper to taste

• Boil the pasta as per normal
• While the pasta cooks, heat a pan on medium heat and thro the garlic, chilli *and diced tomatoes in - stir continuously for 2 -3 minutes
• Add the wine and let the sauce simmer for another minute or so (the alcohol will evaporate - BE CAREFUL when adding the wine, it sometimes flames up!)
• Add the chicken and mushies and stir around until the chicken is cooked thro (the thinner you make the strips, the quicker they will cook)
• When the chicken is done, add the rosemary, parsley, spinach and salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
• By now the pasta should be done. Drain the water from the pasta and stir the pasta into the sauce. The heat from the pasta will wilt the spinach.
• If you don't mind a drop or two of oil, then add some olive oil to the pasta (half a teaspoon full is *enough to add flavour)
• Add to this my low fat creamy pasta sauce and you have a healthy, low fat, hi carb meal in no time!

Now, who says that low-fat doesn't taste great?

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Guest

well.. my personal favourite (not sure if it is available where you are) is Latina Fresh ravioli - I like the spinach and cheese one.. you buy a small tub of tomato based sauce to go with it. THe pasta takes 6 minutes to boil, and 3 mins in the microwave for the sacue.. i then put grated cheese on top.. its so nice.. and very very quick!
;D

Vo2

Sounds nice, ness. Whats the fat content?

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Guest

Anybody know if baked potatoes are as good as pasta?  They're one of my personal favourites and while they aren't quick, if you pre-boil them they only take 10 or 20 mins in the oven.  And anything that works with pasta works with a baked potatoe as well as simple things like low fat cottage cheese, humus etc.  Even nicer is to put some Red and Yellow peppers and mushrooms etc in with the potatoes and do a baked vegetable thing, really nice if done at high temp as the veggies get a little burnt as well.  

Of course I'm also a huge fan of beer and wine so I guess I'm hardly a cyclists model dietician...

Vo2

Yep, tatties are full of goodness. All the carbs you need. Only difference between them and pasta, is that pasta has a low GI (Glycaemic Index), whereas tatties have a medium to high GI.
Low GI means that carbs are converted to glucose and enters the bloodstream slower than high GI carbs do.

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Guest

Ahh yes, thus the reason I'm a moody grumpy bastard  >
I think I read on another thread somewhere in here that the baby potatoes have a lower GI?  Oh well, I appear to be addicted to the high GI carbs, breads, potatoes etc....

Does anyone here eat their main meal at lunch, its a habit I've been getting into and it seems to work wonders for the energy levels.  My only problem is that it then limits me to the healthiest choices from the office canteen, which are not known for their adherence to specific GI's, fat contents, taste, edibility....

Vo2

Our canteen grub floats in oil. I avoid it at all costs. I have sarmies thro-out the day and compliment it with fruits. At night I'll have low or no fat grub. Over weekends I usually indulge in a bumper breakfast. Nothing like a massive breakfast on a Sunday morn! Soft eggs, bangers, mushies...I'm hungry now!

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Guest

hmm fat content on the latina fresh pasta.. good question.. dont think its much.. and i use low fat tasty cheese.. I have a pretty low fat diet.. so figure even if it has any like over 6 or 7g.. wont matter.. but will check on that.. its so yummy though.. trust me!

oh another yummy protein and carb dish.. is chicken and potato bake - will post the recipie on here tonight when i dig it out of the cupboard.. it is very easy and really nice.. i want someone to promise to try it and tell me what you think! ;D

Vo2

Post the recipe, ness. I'll give it a try for sure. I'm always on the lookout for new ideas.

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Guest

Hardly correct under the heading of high carb but if you're tired of the fish and chicken cycle then one of the nicest low fat meats has to be ostrich, just be careful to NEVER overcook it or it comes out terribly.  From my Aussie cousins I've heard that the equivalent over there is Kangaroo, also extremely low fat.  Nice thing is that here in SA Ostrich is often a similar price to lamb or beef.  Hmm, Diet today so far (got a gummed up head so haven't trained), 4 slices toast with various toppings, fried sausages, fried egg, fish cake, energy bar (had to try a new one) and coffee.  Anyone got a similar tale of woe?  (I always find when I'm sick I allow myself to eat anything).  OH, and all of this by 11:30 am

Vo2

Here are some more recipes. I have modified it a bit to exclude the oil and butter:

Chicken Stroganoff

Preparation Time: 30mins.
Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients:

4 chicken breast fillets, skin removed!, all visible fat removed and cut into strips  
1 onion - diced  
2 cans sliced mushrooms - drained  
1 ½ cups chicken stock water  
2 garlic cloves - finely chopped  
½ tsp. salt  
¼ tsp. paprika  
pepper to taste  
2 tbsp. flour  
1 cup fat free cottage cheese
Some cooked pasta or noodles  
additional paprika, optional  


Directions:
Microwave the chicken on medium for about 2 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink. Don't overcook!
In a warm pan, add the cooked chicken, onion, mushrooms, chicken stock, garlic, salt, paprika and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 mins. Combine flour and cottage cheese till smooth, then add to the chicken mixtue. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 mins. or till thickened. Serve over the hot pasta or noodles.

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2LAP

TUNA SWEETCORN PASTA<br /><br />Enough said!!

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