My favourite thing about the internet is food blogs: People almost never leave nasty comments and if they are negative in tone, they’re helpfully negative. I like to know when a recipe doesn’t work or if more than one person doesn’t like it. Food blogs are better than books and recipes written by famous chefs/cooks — they’re written by real people with normal kitchens who shop at regular supermarkets. Like me. You can find a recipe for any combination of food you can conceive of online. For someone who likes variety in her meals, it’s…heaven.
OK, I’m kind of obsessed with food. I admit it. I like to think about food, prepare food, and most importantly, eat food. I don’t like the term “foodie” but I am one. I talked about orange bell peppers at length with someone once.
The thing is, I’ve never wanted to start a food blog as much as I enjoy them. I like food but I didn’t want to write about it. Until now. It’s a slow idea week.
I avoid diet trends, but I happen to be on a low carb, gluten-free, paleo-like diet without all the dogma. It’s mostly a low sugar diet — anything that my body sees as sugar I avoid…except fruit. I gotta live, don’t I? This eliminates a lot of stuff but I’ve found great alternatives. Where else but online?
Warning: I will be recommending recipes that feature bacon, butter, cheese, and cream. If you do not like these things, do not keep reading.
Basically, I’ve replaced starchy carbohydrates in my diet with vegetables. Instead of pasta, like spaghetti, I roast spaghetti squash. Actually, the best vegetable to use that mimics the taste of carbohydrates is cauliflower.
Mashed cauliflower (with butter and cream cheese) is a great substitute for mashed potatoes. But, roasted and chopped cauliflower, “cauliflower rice”, is my favourite way to use the vegetable. Try “Fried cauliflower rice” if you enjoy Fried rice. It tastes the same as traditional fried rice, you can eat as much as you want and do it without guilt. I would provide a picture but it would make it less appealing. Try it anyway if you haven’t already.
I love lasagna and I found a low carb alternative I actually like better — kale lasagna. No noodles. Just kale, meat sauce, and cheese. Plenty of cheese. Try smoked mozzarella or provolone if you can find it.
Do you like bacon? (who doesn’t?) Do you like BLTs? What about Salmon BLT? It’s easy, delicious and no bun/bread. Roasted salmon on a bed of arugula and topped (or bottomed) by tomato, crispy bacon and a tangy caper and lemon dressing. I thought I wasn’t a fan of arugula until I ate it in this combination. Arugula is a slightly bitter, peppery green but the caper and lemon dressing cuts the bitterness and complements it well. Use baby arugula.
I don’t eat sugar but I like to eat dessert. I found a recipe that is decadent but sugar-free. If you like ice cream, chocolate mousse is a great substitute. It’s 6 ingredients: cream, vanilla extract, gelatin, unsweetened chocolate, and my sugar-free substitute of choice: xylitol. It’s the sweetener that tastes the most like sugar (in my opinion) without that odd, manufactured aftertaste. I posted the recipe I came up with on someone else’s website.
I know most people take their own pictures of what they’re eating but I refuse to do that. I’m too busy eating.
I was going to mention pork rind crusted shrimp, but instead of writing about it, I think I’ll have that for dinner tonight.
Enjoy! (Optional)
MM
SENSITIVE NEW WORLD 
They look tasty! I am always looking for different ways to use veggies, so I am very interested in the cauliflower “rice” – how small do you have to cut it, and do you just roast it?
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I roughly chop the cauliflower, toss it with oil, salt and pepper, roast it until browned, then chop it until it resembles grains of rice in a food processor. You don’t have to roast the cauliflower. I just like the taste. If you do try it, let me know what you think.
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I have never roasted cauliflower – I have also seen it cooked in the oven whole, and wondered what it was like. My favourite is cauliflower cheese! I will definitely try it!
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Thanks for these ideas, I am always wanting to try alternative health foods that are good substitutes for the “bad” ones.
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At first I thought “how could kale lasagna be better than the traditional kind?” but it really is. I’m a quantity girl and these recipes allow you to have as much as you want without feeling like you’re committing some crime. I never overdo it because of the amount of fat. You get satiated very easily.
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