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Substitutions

woollygal

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,485
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Coffee diabetes
I’ve got this recipe from the blood sugar diet. I love it but it’s 10g carbs. Assuming it’s the cornflour and wine. I know I can use the arrow root and the cornflour. Actually could also be the 10 shallots so I’ll reduce them as well

But how do I sub the red wine? The taste is very rich which I’m assuming is the wine so I’m a bit wary of removing it because I like the taste. But 10g seems a lot fir a meal especially if you fancy seconds lol
It won’t let me load picture which is annoying. Keep saying too big but it’s inky a photo.

It’s the coq au vin
 
Last edited:
Ordinary red wines, not fortified wines like port and sherry, are virtually carb free so you need to look elsewhere.
 
Hi woollygal,
There are 2 reasons for a diabetic to be careful about wine:
1. The Carbs
2. The Alcohol

As far as carbs is concerned. we have to guess based upon the sweetness of the wine. Red wines tend to be less sweet than a sweet white wine - but some are still too sweet.

So far as alcohol is concerned, alcohol tends to be processed first so it may well delay or postpone any BG spike - though this may not reduce it in size! However in most cooking with wine almost all the alcohol is evaporated at during cooking because of the temperature the dish is cooked at since alcohol evaporates at a much lower temperature than water.

I hope this helps

P.S. The only alcohols I now drink are red Wine, Spirits with low carb mixers, possibly low car beer - but haven't tried one yet.
 

Tests showed that the belief that alcohol evaporates is only partly true - you would have to cook something for a very long time. This article has some suggestions for substitutes:
https://www.finedininglovers.com/article/food-mythbusters-does-alcohol-cook-out
 
Its probably the carrots which are adding to the carb count. 6gms in one carrot. I haven't tried the recipe but in the "Keto all day cookbook" by Martina Slajerova, there is also a recipe for Coq au Vin, this is total carbs 6.4gms. They include red wine or as an alternative, bone broth with 2-3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. No carrots, they use celery stalks 2.97 per 100gms. Rest of recipe probably much the same, baby onions instead of shallots, sliced mushrooms etc. If you want the recipe let me know. You might want to google Keto Coq au Vin, the first recipe which turned up was only 5 gms of carbs per portion.
 
Portion size is a very vague measure. If you are comparing recipes you need to estimate how much of the finished dish you are really going to eat.
 


Hi TriciaWs,
The article you linked seems quite convincing until it comes to the last part. Then I get sceptical. Surely in cooking, alcohol is alcohol no matter what elements of flavour it holds from the way it is produced.
But it claims that whisky evaporates faster than other forms of alcohol - I may be mistaken, but I find this very hard to believe !
 

Hi ryhopian,
Since I have not seen either the OP's recipe or the one you quote from it is impossible for me to give an opinion on relative carbs or how to reduce them.
However I personally have no tolerance of the carbs in carrots (not even small pieces or raw carrot never mind cooked) and little tolerance of the carbs in onions or shallots.
But I know that T2D's have no problem with them.
 
If it’s 10 for an entire recipe that serves more than 1 that’s pretty good. Or is it your portion size carbs? Even so for your main meal it’s only half your daily allowance. Caution elsewhere means it should fit fairly easily.

Instead of cornflour I use xanthum gum if i really need a thickener. Check any veg in the recipe.

You’ll need to look each item up separately to work out how much each bit is and decide where you want to make cuts from otherwise.
 
I have summarized the main ingredients below can post actual if required.
Coq au Vin main ingredients: @woollygal recipe
olive oil
chicken legs
shallots
pancetta or smoked bacon
garlic
chestnut mushrooms
1 tbsp. cornflour
400 ml red wine
chicken stock
1 carrot
plus parsley, bouquet garni, thyme. 4 servings at 10gm carbs per serving.

The recipe I was looking at includes:
bacon
chicken
ghee or duck fat
baby onions
celery stalks
garlic
mushrooms
750 ml dry red wine or bone broth plus 3-6 tbs red wine vinegar
chicken stock
tomato paste
herbs. 6 servings at 6.4gms per serving.

But as I said, there are many variations out there for @wooleygal to try which are lower than 10gms carb.

Would agree with you about the carrot, usually avoid them or if I do have will only have a very small inch size baton. Find I can eat swede though so would use this as substitute. As we know everyone is different.
​
 
I’d love the recipe please.
 
I believe it’s 10g per portion.
 
woollygal said:
I believe it’s 10g per portion.
Click to expand...
Hi woollygal,
If the ingredients make 4 portions and use 400ml of red wine as ryhopian believes, then
there is over 3/4 of a glass of wine per portion. Interestingly the recipe that ryhopian suggests contains a whole glass of red wine per portion if you go with that alternative, though it does specify 'dry red wine'

If we take the original recipe and the carbs in a glass of dry red wine as the average of 3.8 that helensaramay quotes from Google, we get a total of 2.85 grams of carbs (out of a total of 10grams of carbs) just from the wine alone. Here is a link to a list of wine varieties and their Carb count per glass, though it is unlikely that you would use any named variety wine in a Coq Au Vin since they are usually more expensive than blended wines. https://wine.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Carbs_in_Wine

So all in all, I suggest that the contribution of carbs from a dry red wine may be something you still want to consider.
 
The coq au Vin (cooking wise) was a success. Made in my IP. Another 90 mins to wait to see how sugars react.

For some reason felt sick while eating and still feel sick. No idea why, very odd. Quite tasty (although should have seasoned, forgot salt and pepper). Just feel sick

Still won’t let me post a picture
 

Sorry about the queasiness I get that sometimes.

I think my Instant Pot is one of the best things I have bought for the kitchen ever.

Have you checked the size of the picture file if not right or wrong format I open mine in paint resize and save in a better format.
 
Doesn’t give an option. I choose load file and choose pic from camera but then just says too big
 
You will need to download the pic to a computer/laptop and then do as @JohnEGreen suggests, open in Paint or use a different photo editing software and resize, I used to use Irfanview (free software) as it allows you to create thumbnail versions. When you come to save the file, remember to save it as a jpeg.

Did you use wine or wine vinegar in your stew?
 
Red wine. But 200 not 400ml. Didn’t add cornflour but chucked in some arrow root. Only 3 echelon shallots (figures they are huge compared to shallots) but did add more carrot. Either way my body is happy (apart from queasy)
Very successful. Started at 6.3 after 2 hours st 7.9. Be even more successful if I still didn’t feel queasy!! Off to have hot chocolate and see if that settles me.

It used to let me post pictures. Don’t really use laptop.
 


Oooh. I didn't realise you are a Potter. How long have you had yours?
 
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