beef casserole and alcohol

[Waterbabe_Helena]

I'm told that my beef casseroles would be improved no end by the addition of a bottle of Guinness or wine.

I am assuming that I am not permitted to add either of these to such a casserole while on Atkins.

Is this true?

What about marinading the meat overnight in Guinness or wine then throwing the beer or wine away?

Helena

[sallyseachange]

Re: beef casserole and alcohol

Technically you can't add alcohol until you reach the alcohol rung of OWL. But I know some people bend this rule saying that the alcohol gets evaporated. Actually, it does evaporate, but only in part, and the carbs stay put.
I cook with wine alot and used this trick until I reached the alcohol rung: I'd water down wine vinegar until it tasted like a very dry wine then add that, keeping tally of the carbs. Somehow it works better doing it this way than just adding a teaspoon or so of undiluted vinegar.
How you'd substiture beer is beyond me though...

[Chasin2Kids]

Re: beef casserole and alcohol

I don't have an answer for you, but just had to add I MISS GUINNESS!!!

I hope you can figure the answer out and have a great casserole!

[Lady_Hawke]

Re: beef casserole and alcohol

Yum. reading beef casseroles just sounds so good right now!

[julirama723]

Re: beef casserole and alcohol

I don't know either, but like C2K, I miss Guinness like CRAZY! My boyfriend drinks it all the time in front of me...

All I've got to say is that beef casserole is d@mn lucky.

[HeidiE]

Re: beef casserole and alcohol

post the recipe if you want and we can help figure this out?

besides I have no idea what a beef casserole is and now I want to see what it is!!!

I used alcohol in cooking... as a "spice"......even on induction...(only about 1/2 cup of beer or wine 1/4 cup hard booze per four person recipe) ... but then I have broken one or two rules in my time

the thing of it is is . I believe the whole idea of doing things the way Dr Atkins intended was to prepare yourself and eat.. a huge variety of wonderful food and feel satisfied doing so..

..if a little wine or beer in cooking (and I mean a little) adds enough flavor to your dishes to make them lavish enough to satisfy you..why the heck not?

but then what do I know?

[not2late]

Re: beef casserole and alcohol

Beef cooked in beer. That's a recipe called "boeuf a la Flamande".

Anyhow, I find that small amounts of alcohol add flavor to stews and sautees. I use about 1 fluid ounce for sautees and about 3 fluid ounces for stews. I tend to use fortified wines because they give the most consistent flavor. Beer is good too.

As for alcohol "cooking out", that depends on alot of factors. They actually did experiments on it to see if alcohol does "cook out". Typically, it doesn't.
http://www.ochef.com/165.htm

[angelstar]

Re: beef casserole and alcohol

How do you make an Atkins friendly cassarole anyway? I didnt think we were allowed gravy.

[not2late]

Re: beef casserole and alcohol

ooops! That should be "carbonnade a la Flamande", not boeuf a la Flamande.

Here's a pretty standard recipe for it:
http://foodgeeks.com/recipes/recipe/...flamande.phtml

To alter the above recipe, ditch the bread. Cook the onions as directed, but before serving puree the onions and the cooking liquid to form a gravy. Or use a gum thickener thing---if you don't mind the slimy texture.

[MaggieBE]

Re: beef casserole and alcohol

I am making scampi's in garlic butter and didn't realize until now that the recipe calls for 1/4 or 1/3 cup wine(forget right now). I am still planning to make this because IMO it isn't a big deal. BTW the recipe makes three servings. Even though I am not on the alcohol rung I still thing using a little wine in cooking is less of a cheat then say drinking a bottle of wine, etc. Though, heck I'll probably change my mind and in the morning will be running to the store to buy ingredients to make a more "legal" scampi dish.

I used to pour red wine over my roasts before putting them in oven. It does bring a wonderful flavor!

[julirama723]

Re: beef casserole and alcohol

Yes, I've used a marinade from red wine for beef dishes--smells wonderful and tastes delish.

[not2late]

Re: beef casserole and alcohol

For scampi without the alcohol, I make a broth from the shrimp shells, by putting the shells in a saucepan, toasting them over medium heat then adding 1/4-1/2 cup water (or whatever the amount of alcohol used in the recipe). I let that simmer for about 10 minutes, strain out the shells and I have a very intensely flavored shrimp broth. It gives the seafood dishes a more seafoody taste. The broth freezes well too.


If I don't have broth, I use bottled clam juice. Again, it gives a nice seafood taste to the dish without the tannic aftertaste some wines have.

[MaggieBE]

Re: beef casserole and alcohol

I made the scampi with the wine. By mistake(store was really busy and I was with two children) I bought the kind that do not have shells/tails. However I ended up not eating much of the sauce. I had 6 scampi's. Next time I will buy the ones with the shells and make is your way not2late.

It is almost midnight here! 2.5 year old child is still awake! She didn't nap all day long either. She was very active with her sister today also. She eats healthy. I have no idea how to "fix her". Ahhhh need a vaction without children!

Did I post this in cooking chat? Oops!

[boonie stomper]

Re: beef casserole and alcohol

I'm told that my beef casseroles would be improved no end by the addition of a bottle of Guinness or wine.

I am assuming that I am not permitted to add either of these to such a casserole while on Atkins.

Is this true?

What about marinading the meat overnight in Guinness or wine then throwing the beer or wine away?

Helena

KEY POINT maybe has been overlooked in responses thus far: "while on Atkins".

Induction does not allow alcohol; Atkins DOES, once you reach the alcohol rung of OWL.

In induction phase, you could theoretically (and I've an Iron Cheff Boot Camp recipe to prove it!) add a zero carb alcohol to a dish and flambe it, thus removing the alcohol, leaving flavor with no additional carbs. With wine or guiness, you could theoretically remove the alcohol, but you'd still have a carb content to count. Vinegar is what's left when wine ferments too long, and has no carbs, but lots of flavor. Low-carb beer can be used IMHO, but cout the carbs per volume in the end product, as you would for salad dressing, during industion. In OWL, youcould be a lot more liberal in your choices.