Need New Food Inspiration Please!

[Michelleburleson82]

Hi All, I’ll be cooking dinner for my boyfriend several times a week now that he moved to the same city. I really would love some new recipe suggestions for busy week nights. He tends to stick to low carb, and only fish, shellfish, chicken, and turkey . I would like to stay at a budget of around $15-20 for dinner. Any input would be so appreciated, as I don’t want to do the typical boring baked fish, salad and brussels we tend to do a lot!

 

[barkley]

look up south beach diet recipes on line. we've substituted chicken for beef in several items, you can substitute ground turkey for ground beef in them and their orange roughly recipe is the bomb!

 

[TwoMisfits]

Hi All, I’ll be cooking dinner for my boyfriend several times a week now that he moved to the same city. I really would love some new recipe suggestions for busy week nights. He tends to stick to low carb, and only fish, shellfish, chicken, and turkey . I would like to stay at a budget of around $15-20 for dinner. Any input would be so appreciated, as I don’t want to do the typical boring baked fish, salad and brussels we tend to do a lot!

If you want both fast and low carb and chicken/fish...

Fajita bowls would work - carmelize onions, peppers, and zucchini for the base with fajita seasoning (packets work fine for cheap and fast) - then saute chicken strips and/or shrimp (and add a little more seasoning - you can split 1 packet for 2). Serve the veg on the bottom, protein on top, and then add whatever toppings you love - I like diced avocado, lettuce, salsa, and/or "fake" sour cream (I can't have dairy, so I don't do cheese).

Eggplant stacks might also be fun - you can do a keto version (with pork rinds and parm as the breading...or just stick to an all parm breading) - https://www.lowcarbmaven.com/keto-eggplant-parmesan/

And if you want to keep the sauce component low, a nice green Thai curry with shrimp or chicken, bell pepper, onion, carrot, green bean, and (optional) pineapple would be good. Keep the "sauce" low, so you don't feel like it needs rice. (Or keep the sauce high and make cauliflower rice - your choice). You can use the paste and barely dilute with coconut milk til you have your "edible as is" version. It's like making a Chinese stir fry (which would also work if you keep your "sauce" low sugar) but in Thai version.

EDIT TO ADD: And I used to love buffalo chicken salad - plain baked chicken, chopped and doused in hot wing sauce over spinach, romaine, and green leaf lettuce, grated carrot and celery, blue cheese crumbles, and either ranch or blue cheese dressing. It's like having hot wings in salad form...if you don't mind a touch of carb, fried onions make a killer extra topping...

 

[HeatherC]

Fish tacos
Ciopinno
Shrimp Scampi over pasta
Roast turkey breast
Turkey Chili
Chicken Parmesan
Stir fry with any protein
Buffalo Chicken

 

[lisam427]

What kind of low carb plan is he on? here are some good websites.

Www.jenniferbanz.com
Www.skinnytaste.com
Www.kaylinskitchen.com

 

[Hiitsme]

How about he cook for you?
You can get some ideas by watching what and how he feeds you as well as himself.

 

[QueenIsabella]

My DD25 and her boyfriend do the pre-planned meals a couple times a month. You know--Blue Apron and so forth. DD is a pescatarian, and likes to eat very healthy. They like to eat the meals, and also use them as ideas/suggestions. You can find coupons to keep the cost down. Some grocery stores offer similar type meals, where they sell you the whole kit, then you prepare it. They have a date night where they prepare the meals together.

You can use ground turkey in virtually any ground beef recipe, like chili or tacos or spaghetti sauce. I like shrimp because it cooks so quickly. Salads are an easy go-to, as are stir-fries. And curries--you can throw anything in there! Soups, too, are a good way to use up leftovers.

Don't be afraid to ask him to cook (or cook with you), so you can see what items he picks for himself.

 

[Marionnette]

I agree with @QueenIsabella . Do a trial subscription at one of the meal programs. Don’t cancel at the end of the trial. Put the deliveries on hold. This allows you access to their menus and, best of all, their recipes! HelloFresh even gives you the step by step prep with photos. Decide what you want to try from each week’s offerings and then do your own grocery shopping. You can even repeat meals that you found especially appealing. Since we became empty nesters and my semi-retired husband is now home at dinner time most nights, I’ve found this option to be the best of both worlds for us. Added bonus: Now, when he asks me “What’s for dinner?” at 9:00 AM, I just point to this week’s stack of menu cards and tell him to pick something!

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Go to All Recipes.com and Taste of Home.com websites. Very popular recipe sites and lots and lots to choose from.

 

[MrsPete]

Sheet pan meals are great for low-carb meals and are weeknight easy. You can find lots of them on Pinterest -- they work well with chicken, Polish sausage, and seafood (but not beef).

Stir-fries are another good low-carb choice.

Instead of Chicken Alfredo, serve the chicken and sauce over broccoli.
Try spaghetti squash with marinara meat sauce.
Oh, and try lettuce wraps -- whether you go with chicken or tofu, they're super easy and delicious.

$15-20 should get you several meals ... and leftovers for lunch.