Blue Gartr Meal Time: Bacon optional? Bacon required.

[Kalmado]

So my mother in law has gotten through to my wife regarding our eating. Since mom only comes usually once a year to stay with us we ate for taste and cravings instead of health but that ends tomorrow. Mom mostly ate only veggies and protein and my wife saw how much weight mom has lost and I think it's gotten through. She's bought into going full veggie, less rice, and more healthy proteins. Getting her to give up pork steak is like pulling teeth.

That pork loin I made on the 4th, I ate almost the entire thing over the last week. Made a sandwich using seared bread, this thousand island dressing, American cheese, grilled onions, and sliced pork loin. Extremely satisfying. I've been trying to do caramelized onions, but I never get them just right. It's like they go from grilled to burned. Lower heat?

Boyiee, no love for adobo or kaldereta leftovers? I think 2nd day is better than the 1st on those.

[Tokitoki]

I've been trying to do caramelized onions, but I never get them just right. It's like they go from grilled to burned. Lower heat?

Low heat for a long, long time. You don't ever want them to sizzle, really, you just want them to slowly become nothing in your pan.

[Salodin]

I do my onions low-med until not raw, then crank up heat for like 15 to 30seconds before removing from the pan. Comes out the way I like em /shrug

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[Zetanio]

if you want good caramelized onions, it takes timeeeeeeeee. Also use a monstrous amount of onions because as Toki said, there's a lot of shrinkage.

I put my burner on medium/low and just stir and stir and stir for the first bit. You can add water and leave it be at certain points.

Just follow this.

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/caramelized-onions

[Tokitoki]

That's fine if you're just cooking down some onions. If we're talking truly caramelized onions you want it a low heat for 20-30 minutes.

[Zetanio]

I do my onions low-med until not raw, then crank up heat for like 15 to 30seconds before removing from the pan. Comes out the way I like em /shrug

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These aren't caramelized onions, just pan roasted.

[Salodin]

Well fuck you then. I'm going home and making real caramelized onions and gonna talk a big game about them tonight but not post a picture.

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[Tokitoki]

Don't you dare!

[Zetanio]

YOU WOULD NEVER

[Kalmado]

I've been doing them at a more medium heat so I'll go on the low side of med/low. I really wish we would've converted to gas when we bought the house. Oh well. This isn't our forever house. We only use extra virgin olive oil for everything. Not sure if it would make a difference using a different oil.

Yesterday for lunch/dinner we went to our favorite sushi place in Lansing called AI Fusion. Monday is 25% off the entire menu. For $30.80 before tip we got:

2x California Tempura roll
2x Spicy Yellowtail roll
2x Salmon roll
Chicken Curry entree
Teriyaki Salmon bento box

[Zetanio]

Stop cooking with extra virgin and get regular olive oil. Use that in place of the extra virgin.

Otherwise, use canola or other neutral oils for anything but Mediterranean cooking.

[Boyiee]

So my mother in law has gotten through to my wife regarding our eating. Since mom only comes usually once a year to stay with us we ate for taste and cravings instead of health but that ends tomorrow. Mom mostly ate only veggies and protein and my wife saw how much weight mom has lost and I think it's gotten through. She's bought into going full veggie, less rice, and more healthy proteins. Getting her to give up pork steak is like pulling teeth.

That pork loin I made on the 4th, I ate almost the entire thing over the last week. Made a sandwich using seared bread, this thousand island dressing, American cheese, grilled onions, and sliced pork loin. Extremely satisfying. I've been trying to do caramelized onions, but I never get them just right. It's like they go from grilled to burned. Lower heat?

Boyiee, no love for adobo or kaldereta leftovers? I think 2nd day is better than the 1st on those.

There's definitely exceptions.

Like, my mom's stuffed cabbage is always better the next day(s) but damn that shit sucks to make.

[dasva]

Low heat for a long, long time. You don't ever want them to sizzle, really, you just want them to slowly become nothing in your pan.

This is key. Also ignore 90% of the recipes out there. Goddamn can't tell you how many times I've seen ones that say oh yeah definitely be done in 5-10 minutes

[Kalmado]

There's definitely exceptions.

Like, my mom's stuffed cabbage is always better the next day(s) but damn that shit sucks to make.

I can't recall the last time I've had stuffed cabbage. I apologize if this sounds gross but I love how 2nd day adobo or when I make schezuan chicken the sauce kinda turns to gelatin and you kinda glaze rice with it and then heat it up. Fricking love that.

I think what I'm going to do is tell my wife we can do meals together but if she's not going to keep up with little rice and no more noodles and shit I'm just going to do my own thing and basically do a ton of protein with a ton of veggies for meals. What about quinoa? Is that on the safe list for BG? She hates it but I don't mind it. Seems like a good alternative to rice.

[Tokitoki]

Quinoa is fine I think. Farro is also good I believe.

[Zetanio]

Dude, there's no fucking safe list. You can eat anything you want to. Just do it IN MODERATION. Count calories, win.

[Kalmado]

I'm just thinking less carbs with the quinoa. I love my carbs so I need/want fillers. I think over the weekend I'm going to buy a strip loin. $3.79/lb currently. I want to smoke it.

[dasva]

I'm just thinking less carbs with the quinoa. I love my carbs so I need/want fillers. I think over the weekend I'm going to buy a strip loin. $3.79/lb currently. I want to smoke it.

Quinoa is still largely carbs. Mostly starches similar to rice. It's slightly less percentage wise but meh. It's mostly just a grain (well not really but is referred to as such and resembles it in alot of ways) that can be used similarly that has higher micronutrients per calorie... and even then that's mostly just compared to regular white rice. Brown and parboiled/enriched are fairly similar or higher in some nutrients

If you want carbs without the effects of carbs look into higher fiber and resistant starches. Most "low carb" bread alternatives basically just swap whatever others carbs it had with more fiber. There is also just getting much less calorie dense alternatives... for example most veggies are super low calorie density and as such make pretty good filler. Cauliflower can be made into something resembling the texture and fillerness of rice

[Kalmado]

Quinoa is still largely carbs. Mostly starches similar to rice. It's slightly less percentage wise but meh. It's mostly just a grain (well not really but is referred to as such and resembles it in alot of ways) that can be used similarly that has higher micronutrients per calorie... and even then that's mostly just compared to regular white rice. Brown and parboiled/enriched are fairly similar or higher in some nutrients

If you want carbs without the effects of carbs look into higher fiber and resistant starches. Most "low carb" bread alternatives basically just swap whatever others carbs it had with more fiber. There is also just getting much less calorie dense alternatives... for example most veggies are super low calorie density and as such make pretty good filler. Cauliflower can be made into something resembling the texture and fillerness of rice

I just learned about riced cauliflower so that's on the to do list. I believe Ezekiel bread is supposed to be a pretty great alternative to reg carb bread. I wonder too if it would be helpful if I started drinking Metimucil on a regular basis. It would definitely help me in other ways.

[Zetanio]

Riced cauliflower is OK.

It's a mild approximation at best and you need to SQUEEZE the water out of it before cooking otherwise, it's mushhhhhh