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Old December 15th, 2011, 04:30 PM posted to alt.support.diet.low-carb
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Default Substitute for breadcrumbs in NO CARB fishcakes and meatballs

On Dec 14, 5:22*pm, "FOB" wrote:
I use TVP in meatloaf but some people have an aversion to soy products.
Actually, fish cakes don't need anything. *I make salmon patties with canned
salmon, chopped celery and onion, and eggs. *I flavor mine with curry
powder. *Two eggs to each small can of salmon. *The eggs hold it together.
You can eat pork, chicken, any kind of fresh fish as long as it's not
battered.


The key thing breadcrumbs add is that they make the meatballs
softer. You could leave them out, just use egg as a binder and
the meatballs will just come out firmer, which may be an acceptable
solution. The other big advantage, particularly for commercial
producers is that it extends the product at very little cost compared
to beef. If making them without breadcrumbs, I'd make sure to
use a mix that has a decent fat content, as that is another way
to keep them soft. You don't want the 90%
lean mix. Best choice may be meatloaf mix which is usually
beef, pork, veal. And don't overcook them, which again will
make them harder.

Like Susan, I've also used TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein),
which is a soy
product that is granular. I rehydrate it in hot veg broth before
mixiing
it in. I also use more onion, as that will also increase the moisture
content. Of the things discussed that can be added, the TVP is
probably the best for induction as it's lowest in carbs. You can
find it in many supermarkets where they sell the specialty flour
and grain type products. Also health food stores have it.

I haven't made fishcakes in a while, but I don't think I added
any filler type product to them at all. Just tuna, sauted peppers,
onions, egg and seasonings. The commercial versions of
these sadly are mostly all bad. Far too much temptation to
use less fish, more filler. Crab cakes are the worst example.
The best ones have very little filler, just some saltines and
you could leave those out too.

And when I make any of the above
I don't use a recipe, so they can vary, but they've always come
out quite tasty. Don't be afraid to experiment. With meatballs
for example you can put the core stuff into the whole thing,
then divide it into 3, trying differenct ingredients on them.
As long as you don't do something really crazy, they should
all be at least OK.