Hi all, not weighed in today so hoping for good numbers in the morning! Ive had a Bovril and a Miso soup packet today and headaches much better, and less cramping as I was suffering with that too! Finding ‘diet’ part hardest later at night after dinner has gone down, we still have all the chocolates, cracker and biscuits left over from Christmas and present still sat in the living room under the tree and my OH is a slim bean, last night he sat and ate a chewy sweet pizza he had as a pressy next to me! He wasn’t mean about it and it was not too hard to resist as I’m not a huge sweet person. I have managed to resist completely on all those all week but have just nibbled on a small chunk of Mexican Hot Cheese! (we still have a whole eaten cheese board in the fridge!) any ideas for satisfying snacks? I’m also packing up all the carby snacks tomorrow when I take the trimming down and hiding them in the spare room – I hope to be enjoying them in moderation in 8 weeks – lol!

Congrats to the hubby Willothewisp!

Hi Melliedaffoldils, first up, huge congrats for your stunning success so far! I reckon the first week is the toughest, carb and sugar withdrawals, the stress of wondering whether you are going to be able to do it, new style of meals to come to grips with.

For some people, the withdrawal from carbs (remembering they trigger your dopamine pleasure systems) can include a bit of teariness. It doesn’t necessarily mean you are a comfort eater with otherwise disguised unhappiness, it is probably just your body doing what you want it to do. And it will most likely pass quite quickly. Even the new way of eating will start to feel familiar and much easier to manage.

Anyway, congrats on just about completing week 1!

Thanks for the tips! I can also get a chopped salad at Subway. I just remembered, there is a Chick-fil-a near me and a Chipotle. Those would be good to create an on-plan meal.

Judy, just weighing in as another US BSDer….I’m the one who has NOT made goal yet. Have lost 40+ lbs and have just under 60 to go.

Re fast food…..Allie is right that there is not a lot. McDonalds has decent salads with poached chicken. My go to is to run into one of the places offering rotisserie chicken and have that and a salad….or two (if they offer two sides I just get two salads). Boston Market has great salads with chicken.

Thai places offer a lot of stir fries without heavy sauces….just pass on the rice.

Japanese sushi restaurants offer sashimi (fish minus the rice) which I love, and come with a salad and miso soup. Or get some sashimi and a great seaweed salad (lots of fiber and I am addicted to them).

If I am doing errands sometimes I plan a lunch around just popping in and have a seaweed salad and a bowl of miso soup. Acutally very happy with that per your hunger just about disappears on the BSD diet after a while. A relaxing zen cup of tea afterward is good for your soul.

I have even will have a lunch of a just a meatball side and a big salad at an Italian restaurant. Full and happy afterwards. And while the 1-2 meatballs may have a few carbs in it, I make allowances for it in my overall daily count.

There is a website called Netrition https://www.netrition.com that is a favorite of some of us on BSD. They carry several good food lines that have low carb pita bread (Josephs), tortillas (Mama Lupes) and bagels (Great Low Carb Bread Company). The Joseph’s low carb pita are handy to take along in a purse….can pop into Subway and get a ham or turkey sub and load it up with every salad ingredient they offer….and just swap out the bread.

But: Sitting down and mindfully enjoying your food will help you in the long run. Grab and gulp is not good for your diet or your stress level. You deserve better.

Good luck to you!

Just popped on to say

Jules – Hurray, hurray, hurray – if I knew how to insert emojis I would, but I don’t, so I won’t.
Quite right – do nothing, weigh nothing until Tuesday.

Topcac – I agree with SueBlue and Natalie – think that’s brilliant !

Haha, yeah.. 8/17 – 1!17 is only 5 months! I didn’t think that could be correct..

Hi Judy – sorry, I’m not from the US, but the other side of the pond, but wanted to welcome you aboard. Like my good friends Allie and Essie, I too am in maintenance (8 months and counting) and just wanted to offer my support. You can, and will, do anything you set your mind to – and we are all here to cheer you on, congratulate your successes and commiserate when things don’t go entirely to plan.

Good luck, and shout if you need help.

Ecstatic this morning to see 9st 13 on the scales – I’ve made it into the 9’s!!! I won’t dare weigh myself again in case I’ve slipped out. That’s the first of my goals for this challenge met, will try on my goal trousers tomorrow and see if the other is reached.

You are fretting for your previous life as this is such a big thing. Some people feel deprived and get angry some get weepy. It will pass in a couple of days.

Hi WilLuck, I have just one meal a day most days, occasionally two. I find it works beautifully for me as I get a lovely substantial meal plus all the benefits of intermittent fasting. I don’t like breakfast so just gradually pushed my lunch later and later until it became dinner. This along with keeping carbs under 20g and cals around 800 has helped me lose weight easier than ever before. Well done surviving the Friday night clock off!

Hi everyone I’m on day 5 and just getting used to all this. I’m not in a place I expected to be in that I’m finding it ok actually sticking to it and this is probably the first time in my 49 years that I’ve gone this long without carbs or any sugar. I’m a busy working mum and it’s the having to think what I’m going to eat which is hard so I’m trying to plan ahead as best as I can. But I’m very emotional quite tearful in evenings which is so unlike my usual self but this gets better, yes? I have no particular major emotional issues but am thinking maybe I’m a comfort eater and taking away the food particularly the sweet stuff is leaving me vulnerable?. Any advice gratefully received thanks xx

I’ve just stumbled across this thread and it’s very timely.
I’ve been re-reading the BSD bible and noticed the part on 3 positive things. One of my Christmas presents was a Mindfulness colouring-in diary (from my daughters) and I decided to use it for the “3 positives” so have been doing this each day since NY day. I must admit some days it’s easy to find 3 and other days quite hard to find even 1! But it reminds me of my grandmother telling me to “count my blessings”.
I don’t have 3 to post today as the day is just beginning here, but will do so later 🙂

Ha! You see, Judy? We’ve all been through the wringer together so much we can copy edit each other’s life stories. 😀

Topcac that is great! It inspires me to suggest something like this at our next team meeting. I work in a small team of 7 (organisation has about 1000 employees) and each week people bring in cakes & lollies and leave them on the communal table in the lunch/meeting room. It would be lovely to not have them staring me in the face when I’m eating my salads 🙂
We did have boot camp at work a few years ago, I really enjoyed it. It was at lunchtimes though so a bit of a manic rush to get to the training location, change, work out, shower & change and get back to work all within an hour! It was especially challenging when I had meetings straight after lunch, and I’d arrive red-faced from the exertion and hungry as there was no time to eat!
But well done on suggesting this to your company and them adopting it 👍

We should! I’m desperate for a steady supply of Theodora’s beautiful, sustainably caught local fish! I live in Canberra an inland city so reliable supplies of sustainable, healthy fish are a bit tricky. It all comes from the Sydney markets and Australia allows a lot of dodgy seafood in from trading partners. Tasty but not always healthy or good for the ocean.

Great to hear people staying positive even when they are finding it challenging. Well done Natalie love a muppet dance!

I’ve been dreading the weekend as it’s always the hardest time. But I’m through the Friday night clock off which is my biggest trigger for a tipple.

I had the salmon 3 ways from the cook book, the dill crusted one which was great. I’m lucky my other half is at home and a whiz in the kitchen.

I’ve been skipping breakfast as I always have and just having miso soup for lunch with plenty of water during the day. Then having a full meal in the evening from the recipe book. I am just curious if anyone else does that, have just one meal in the day, and has it worked for you?

Topcac that is fantastic! So good for you and for everyone else you work with too. Well done. Work can be a really challenging environment when it’s full of cakes and junk. I used to the the perpetrator (20 years ago) as head of the social club in a big office. Birthday morning teas at least twice a week and always rubbish available for purchase – next to my desk! – to raise money for our Christmas party. No wonder I gradually gained weight. Probably a lot of my co-workers did too.

Hey there Dipgal, I had 3 stone to lose with insulin resistance and found the carb figure (below 20g for me) more important than the calories (though found I can’t ignore calories when I want to lose weight at reasonable pace). Also not eating for a decent 15 hours a day (can’t manage 16).

As I read MM he’s saying low carb (though he doesn’t specify an ideal carb intake) will work to reduce weight over time, but if you need to lose it quickly for health reasons go down to 800 cals to get it off ASAP. I have to confess my 800 phase was high fat, high protein and very low carb, which worked but is probably not healthy long term, so I’m doing loads more veg (and therefore carbs) in maintenance. It’s a bit of a balancing act and I’m waiting to see how it’s affected my blood sugar (blood test results next week) but life is a lot less stressful now and I’ve settled at a healthy weight and a very acceptable dress size.

I think I’ve just answered something you talked about on another thread, but you get the gist!

After a slow start to the week and two days in a row of small gains, I dropped a kg overnight so yay! Fist pump. Muppet dance. This is the lightest I’ve been for many years.

Doodledootoo I’m glad your headache has gone. Hopefully you’re past any carb flu now, as long as you keep your water levels up.

Well done Margaret. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻Well I’ve had a little hiccup as I forgot I am away for a couple of days next week and staying in a hotel. I won’t put myself under pressure to BSD while away but will get right back on it next week. I was out with friends for lunch today and ate a go naked GBK burger..( burger without the bun ) with coleslaw and small salad and a glass of red wine.. I remembered why I love this way of eating has I didn’t feel bloated after eating today. I just felt satisfied.
I will check in again at the end of next week.

MIss ZIggy

Very disappointed with myself following a blow out day yesterday.I had started on Tuesday full of beans but last night gave into temptation and blew out my 800 calories for the day following my dinner. I was good during the day and even managed to walk 17kms during the course of the day ( 18 holes of golf in the morning and mowed lawns in afternoon). Following dinner I had a craving for Nutswhich I had followed by frozen berries and finally some small bits of chocolate. All the hard work out the window due to some poor decisions. Oh well saddle up again this morning and see what today brings and try and be more diligent

Judy, now you know what I mean by POWERFUL! Esnecca is a role model
here, and she literally knows anything and everything about this WOL to
the max! She meant say that her journey began in Aug. 2016, not 2017.
Just a typo! (Hi Essie! 🙂

Hi (again) Allie.. I’m s orta stalking you – in a good way – to read your wisdom-filled posts and get a better idea of how success is achieved. Some commentary about Gary Taubes and the keto WOE.. I’ve read his and so many more books on the subject. I’ve done plain low carb, keto stix.. the whole nine yards – on and off. I”ve followed keto pioneers like Jimmy Moore gain back weight a couple of times without ever straying from the diet. I’ve read studies about the difficulty at sticking with it long term… And, I’ve read that it can mess with your metabolism if done long term (hence Jimmy’s weight gain).. BUT, the reason I think this is different and can and will work long term – is because there are so many alternative tools and sub-plans within the system.

What I mean is – there are so many tweaks.. alternating 800 Cal days with more normal days, while staying LC-Mediterranean style can help us prevent that “failure” mentality which easily leads to totally falling off the wagon. Going on a vacation? Indulge a bit and get back at it immediately.. the extra calories may help nudge a plateau. Or, incorporate the 5:2 method one week and only eat 500 calories on 2 or 3 fasting days and normal LC-Mediterranean on non-fasting days. Take a week or two off the severe restriction and then go back at it..

I also like how members talk about “rounds”.. It’s a great idea to try to maintain a loss for awhile and let the body adjust. And then go to round 2, 3, etc. depending on how much a person has to lose.

I’m rambling now.. but, has anyone out there had success using a combination of the alternative methods?

Hi all
So my headache disappeared this morning. All good there. 2 litres of water today so very happy with that. No brekkie just coffee. Had omelette made in the microwave at work today. It was OK. Dinner was chicken stirfry.
I too often find weekends tough but my tactic to replace Friday night glass of wine is to drink a sparkling water out of my favourite wine glass. Also whilst I manage without breakfast Mon-Fri I find weekends harder. My tactic is brunch around 12. Dinner around 5. I also enjoy cooking at the weekend to be prepared for during the week. I have made a concious effort to be less sociable during January. Saying no when I may have said yes in the past. I have a busy February but January I hope to have laid down a routine to carry me forward.
Thanks for all the posts.

Bless your antipodean upside-down seasons. We should get a supply chain going where we send each other fresh produce whenever they’re in season. Customs might have a wee bit of a problem with it, but that’s what fake declaration forms are for. 😀

The 50 gram figure comes from the ketogenic dieters. They found that quantity is a sweet spot to keep your body in the fat-burning state of ketosis. More than that and it’ll try to stick with burning carbs for fuel because it’s easy. If you’re concerned about rate of loss and staying motivated for the long haul, the lower your carb intake the better. I eat more than 800 calories a day now that I’m at goal, but I’ve been at less than 20 grams a day often less than 10, for 16 months and that’s how it going to stay. I have a motto that I cleave to: not one step backwards. I paid too steep a price for too long to ever get back in the same vicious carb->insulin spike cycle that made the BSD necessary.

Jackie, the idea of our own play group sends a happy little jolt through
my spirit, too! How annoying that the only thing standing in the way is
the minor inconvenience of the Atlantic ocean 🙂 I think acquiring an
iphone will be the first of my New Years resolutions! It would be wonderful
to share the fruit of my busy hands with all my friends here. Going to work
on it!!!

Have a great evening, everyone.

Allie

Hi Judy! Another countrywoman here. Like you, my weight loss goals were ambitious and the BSD was more than up for the challenge. Since August 2017 I have lost more than 200 pounds and at 116.3 LB now weigh less than I did in middle school. I know very, very well the constant agony of knee and pain back, how it glues you to the couch until your back hurts too much and you have to rig up a fort of pillows to find a single comfortable position. It was a big day for me when, after losing 60 or so pounds, I walked up and down a staircase one foot after the other for the first time in a decade at least. It was so momentous I had to call my mom to tell her. 😀

I started exercising with resistance bands because my knees were so unreliable. I got winded and had to take two or three breaks just walking around the block. When I started losing and felt slightly less terrible, I moved on to chair aerobics. Just 10 minutes a day and very low impact, it’s designed for people with mobility challenges and won’t strain your joints the way jump around aerobics do. That’s just FYI. You don’t have to dive into exercise of any kind so early in the process. You might want to stand up once every half hour for your circulatory system’s sake.

Your shopping list looks excellent. The only thing I’d change is the delicious but high-sugar beets, alas. MM uses them but in very small, measured quantities. I’m stricter about carb intake than he is, though. You’ve clearly given your approach much thought and designed something that will work for you. Well done. One small caveat, though. Don’t get stuck in the mindset that “I know me, ergo x.” Cutting the bad carbs and counting the rest can upend more things about you than you dreamed of, from overall mental outlook to palate to skin to the shape and quality of your toenails. By all means, tailor things to you as you are in the present, but keep a sharp out for the changes coming and adjust your plan accordingly. The person who has 100 pounds to lose is not going to be the same when they put down that extra person they’re carrying.

Good luck!

WOW – Allie! 147 pounds! WTG!!! What an incredible success story! Thanks for the support!

Dipgal I’ve read the book many times and I’m pretty certain that there is no suggested daily carb grams from Dr Mosley. This question often gets asked in the Facebook 8week BSD group I’m in, and as one member always answers “there’s no need to count carbs, if you stick to 800 calories that’s all you need to do”.
However, there have been lots of members on these forum pages who have found they get better results when they limit their carbs to 50g per day, or even 20g per day, this seems to work for those with T2 or insulin resistance especially.
Personally I don’t as it’s hard enough keeping track of calories! However I do glance at the macros in My Fitness Pal and try to keep my carb intake a lot lower than protein and fats.

I’m getting close to the end of 8 weeks, so most days recently all my positives have been centred around how wonderful I feel about staying true to this course, so it’s definitely time to try to be a bit more expansive –

1. It is going to be stinking hot here today but right now, it is a delicious fresh 14 degrees, perfect for a long dog walk
2. Lovely strong fit healthy bodies. I’m 60 but feel the most comfortable in this skin for many years
3. Lovely home grown summer vegetables

Allie – I would so join that play group. I had such sweet visions of busywork with my daughter when she was about 2. Just led to arguments tho …. she is not a maker apart from baking, she’s amazing at that.

I must be the only mum who enjoys making the costumes for World Book day (come as your favourite character to school). Highlights are a dictionary cover and Gulliver with little men made from dolly pegs. It’s all very slapdash but I enjoy it immensely.

I would love to see your cards I bet they are amazing! And I want Liz’s job, only without the actual skill to make it happen! Maybe I just need to invest in a few pieces from your website, Liz!

Hi Judy! Yes, you have countrymen (women) here..There are 4 of us, we’re
small in number for a country the size of this one, but we’re POWERFUL,
3 of us are in maintenance, and our other sister is well on her way. Happy
to see you here, and welcome! 🙂 I’ve been in maintenance for 8 months,
after losing 147lbs. Anything is possible after transitioning to this WOE
(way of eating). I don’t eat any fast food, just clean, whole food, mostly
organic and locally sourced when I can get it. But, I do have reliable,
staple on- the- go foods, hard boiled eggs, and a small bag of almonds
(8-10) that have seen me through any and all unforseen changes in the
days routine. I’m sure that with a little thought to your own preferences
you will come up with an emergency kit of your own.
Best of luck to you on this life changing journey. This is a very supportive
and caring community, so make your self at home, and ask anything and
everything, we’re always happy to help 🙂

Allie

Hi WillotheWisp. Re your leg cramps if they are during the night sunshine girl has posted that a small piece of soap in the bed alleviates it. It’s one of those “strange but true” things.

Hey Marie, it occurred to me that less of the chia nd more of the mixed seeds would lower the carbs and the cals? Am currently obsessed with fibre, thus the extra chia for me. Fingers crossed you like them xx

Hi, I missed it in the book where Dr. M gave us a specific net carb gram daily max goal.. Can you point me to what chapter it’s in? I have the kindle version, so page # might not work. Thanks!..

Hello BSD friends! Today is Day #1 of a tweaked BSD program. I’ve decided to do 800 calories every other day – or 3 times a week at minimum. The rest of the time, keeping to the Low Carb Mediterranean under 1,600 calories. I’ll probably do a bit of intermittent fasting, too – only eating between 12 and 7 each day. I’m not sure whether I’ll do the IF each day, or only on lower calorie days.. I’ll see how I feel.
I just know me – and if I commit to 800 calories daily, I’ll feel deprived and will fall off the wagon within days (if not hours)..

I am 100+ overweight and at least want to get to a place where I can move better. My bad knees and bad back, as well as terrible stamina are keeping me from fully enjoying my life. I don’t have diabetes.. YET..

I’ve loaded up with a ton of different veggies.. Mostly easy to prepare packages that are pre-cut or pre-roasted (beets and brussel sprouts or riced cauliflower and riced broccoli).. or slaws or shredded – just add dressing.. Because everything hurts when I stand right now, EASY is the way I have to go at the beginning.

So, anyone in the U.S.? If yes, have you found any good fast food restaurants that make it easy to stay on plan? What kind of on-the-go foods do you keep with you so that you don’t have to stop at a restaurant? Thanks in advance for any advice!

Judy (Dipgal – I used to have a homemade party dip mix business)..

Theo, we’re generally weird in ALL ways, not just our spelling and general
butchery of the English language 🙂 The blizzard is past, sun is shining
today, but the college is closed until tomorrow. Consequently, O/H is
hanging about, interrupting me constantly from the far more serious task
of talking incessantly to my soul sisters…How can he be so inconsiderate??
Doesn’t he know that this occupation is critical to my continuing mental
health? Glad to hear that the civility of having your own bathroom looms
large on the horizon! 🙂 🙂 🙂

XOXO
Allie

Blimey, Essie and Allie – just watching on the news the conditions in New York, Boston and the Eastern Seaboard. No wonder you’re craving fats, Essie, and praying for a thaw, Allie. 😱

Stay safe and warm if you have conditions anywhere near approaching those. Well, stay warm and safe anyway. Xxx

Liz – That’s good to hear about the weight loss. I’ve started to up the calories, but only by 50 cals per week and intend to go up to 1000 to begin with. I’ll be happy if I keep losing – don’t mind if it’s less quickly. Will see how it goes.

The only thing I know about hair loss is I remember my Mum’s GP telling my Mum to have a square of jelly every day when she suffered hair loss. She swore it helped her hair recover, but don’t suppose it’s very blood-sugar friendly. Not sure what was in it that was helpful, if anything.

I did watch Tom Kerridge and had hoped he was going to cover more about his lower carb approach, specifically. I was bought his Dopamine recipe book for Christmas and while the recipes sound delicious there’s a lot that I can’t use as they are (they’re too high carb for me – I stay <20 g at the moment) but I’m going to pick out the one’s I can have a go at to begin with. Yes, I’m definitely going to try the roasting mince suggestion.

It was definitely a mixed message he was giving out, and it does irritate me if I think people/the public are being underestimated, but I did like the fact that it’s people from his local community that he is helping. I’ll see how it goes next week.

OK – I’ve just been told dinner’s ready – OH cooking tonight.

Allie and Kazz – will catch up with you soon.

Jackie – brilliant you’ve posted your recipe – will make them this weekend and catch up with you next week to let you know the result !

Well, actually to o/h’s wallet – it was his credit card I used🤦🏼

But thank you.

Oh dear, poor you Allie. I hope you get a thaw soon – don’t think we have any snow forecast, and this far SW, with our maritime climate, it tends to fall as sleet or rain anyway – hence the appalling mud we have at the moment.

BTW, I obviously meant that I hadn’t had a menstrual cycle in almost 20 years. It’s been even longer since I had a roommate😉Not a female one, anyway – that was way back in college🤓

PS – think it’s spelled with a “ph” – at least on this side of the pond. Over there, you seem to have all sorts of weird spellings, so who knows?😜

CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH HAZELNUTS AND BACON

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/cauliflower-soup-with-hazelnuts-and-bacon

6 servings

Creamy puréed soups always benefit from having crunchy things sprinkled on top. This recipe is from Waterfront Wines, in Kelowna, British Columbia.

INGREDIENTS

½ cup blanched hazelnuts
1 medium head of cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into small florets
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
4 slices thick-cut bacon (about 4 ounces)
1 small fennel bulb, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
⅓ cup dry white wine/vermouth or water
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
¾ cup heavy cream
2 bay leaves

RECIPE PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350°.

Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 10–12 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.

While the nuts are cooling, increase oven to 400°. Toss cauliflower and 2 Tbsp. oil on another baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until florets are browned all over and tender, 30–35 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut bacon crosswise into ½” pieces. Heat a heavy pot over medium and cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to paper towels.

Cook fennel, onion, and garlic in drippings in pot, stirring occasionally, until onion and fennel are very soft, 8–10 minutes. Add wine and cook until mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add roasted cauliflower, broth, cream, and bay leaves; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until cauliflower is very tender, 20–25
minutes. Pluck out bay leaves; discard. Let mixture cool slightly.

Working in batches, purée cauliflower mixture until very smooth. Strain back into pot; season with salt and pepper.

Just before serving, ladle soup into bowls; top with bacon and nuts and drizzle with oil.

Do Ahead: Soup can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill soup and bacon separately.

Great idea, Allie, particularly as most youngsters love to cook.

Both my sons are excellent cooks and have been since they were in their teens. In fact my youngest, when he finished Uni and before he started his “proper job”, was offered 6 month summer job as first mate aboard a luxury 70ft charter yacht in the Med, only 2 crew but chartered out to 10 guests at a time. His job, as well as sailing, included cooking fairly gourmet food for the guests, so he came home an even better cook. He still loves his mum’s roast dinners though😊

So Sarah, give your daughter her head and let her learn to cook, she may just surprise you and really enjoy it (and take a load of the work off your shoulders as well) I’ve never yet met a youngster who wouldn’t eat what they have prepared themselves!

Brief summary of today – lost more weight, been walking, eaten clean – managed to convince the Board to do a ‘Clean 18’ campaign for healthy eating and fitness across the company and I’m in charge! That means no more having to endure cakes and sweets outside my office, extra time allowed for walking at lunchtime, in-house boot camp once a week (not sure about that) and weekly weigh-ins for those that want to.

Bring it!

Simple Veg Quiche with Kabocha Squash “Crust”

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/simple-quiche-with-a-sweet-potato-crust

3 RATINGS 4.67 out of 5

8 servings

The Topanga Living Cafe in Topanga, CA, inspired this gluten-free quiche that uses caramelized sweet potato or kabocha squash instead of dough.

INGREDIENTS

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for pan
1½ pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 small), peeled, cut into ½-inch or smaller pieces, OR can use kabocha squash for lower carbs
Kosher salt
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 small bunch curly kale, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces
12 large eggs
4 ounces / 115 gm sharp cheddar, grated (about 1 cup)
1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
Freshly ground black pepper

A 9-inch springform pan

RECIPE PREPARATION

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add sweet potatoes or kabocha, season with salt, and cook, tossing occasionally, until well browned around the edges and just slightly undercooked, 10–12 minutes. Transfer potatoes/kabocha to springform pan and let cool; reserve skillet.

Lightly coat sides of pan with oil. Flatten potatoes/squash slightly with the back of a spoon, packing into the seam where 2 parts of springform pan meet.

Preheat oven to 300°.F or 150°C

Heat remaining 3 Tbsp. oil in reserved skillet over medium. Cook onion, tossing occasionally, until softened but not browned, 8–10 minutes. Add kale a handful at a time and cook, stirring, until just softened but not limp, 5–6 minutes. Season with salt. Let cool slightly.

Whisk eggs, cheese, and yogurt in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Set springform pan on a parchment- or foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Top “crust” with half of kale and onions, then pour in egg mixture. Gently press remaining kale and onions into surface of egg mixture.

Bake quiche until edges have puffed up slightly and top is just set with no liquid egg remaining, 55–75 minutes. Let cool before slicing.

Haha, Essie and Theo! Feramones (sp?) in synch??? I had that self same
experience in college, when my room mate and I were constantly together
apart from the time we spent in classes. This winter is chilling me to the
bone! Digging out again after 8-10″ of snow yesterday…Is there any prospect
for a Jan. thaw so that I can abandon this self imposed lockdown? It feels
like “house arrest”!

Black and white is always snazzy, Essie. It’s not happy, but it’s dashing and dynamic and I’m all for it. Also you can never have too many jackets, and the moto style that’s so trendy right now rocks. I can’t believe the bargain you got! You really had no choice but to buy it, Theo. Your hands were tied (to your wallet). 😀

Funnily enough, Essie, I nearly wrote exactly that in my previous post, about roommates and menstrual cycles, but sadly I haven’t had one of those in almost 20 years😄

And you may well be right, about it being the cold – we don’t have snow and ice here atm like you do, but the temperature has dropped quite dramatically over the last 36 hours, and is set to continue that way for the weekend. Oh, dear, I may have to have a bit more cheese (and I do have some very nice stilton left from Christmas)😜

Thank you LTC – and yes, harmony is a beautiful thing.

It is interesting that your bodies are telling you “fat” is what you need. I do find that when I am especially hungry that I often post a nice weight loss the next day or two….so I have come to almost look at it as both a challenge and a positive sign.

I think it is wonderful that you both now feel you and your body are in sync and working together versus at odds as many of us have felt in prior diets when despite our best efforts our bodies refused to give up the extra weight.

Harmony is such a beautiful thing.