Potato salad is not something I think to make very often. But I think I must have been inspired by Jenny’s recent post on the German style sausage with potato salad, because when I saw that I had half a bag of new potatoes leftover in the bottom of the fridge I developed something of a craving. One swift adjustment of the meal plan later, potato salad and smoked sausage was on the weekly menu.
Now in the past, I would have just gone down the route of combining potatoes with some mayonnaise (probably extra light – for shame!) some chopped veggies, seasoning, nice enough but nothing particularly exciting. But a couple of tweaks later, inspired by a recipe I found online of Diana Henry’s (a cookery writer who earned my enduring adoration with her fabulous Gastropub cookbook) it was elevated several notches. The notion of soaking the potatoes in stock beforehand is genius, as is the combination of mayonnaise and crème fraiche.
I have used full fat mayo here, and half fat crème fraiche. This latter ingredient is fast becoming a staple in my fridge – I often use it in place of cream and absolutely adore it – it is rich, creamy with a slight edge of sour and significantly lower in points than cream.
Hopefully, the summer will continue in a similar vein to the amazing week we have just had and then this salad can make its barbecue debut! As one of several side dishes, this would comfortably serve four. Oh, and it would probably work very well with some fresh herbs added to the dressing – I wondered about mint while I think Diana suggested chervil and parsley.
Ingredients
400g new potatoes
50ml good vegetable or chicken stock
30g mayonnaise (be a divil and go full fat)
40g half fat crème fraiche (Yeo Valley is an excellent brand)
Squeeze of lemon juice
Small bunch of spring onions, chopped
Seasoning
Serves 2 (as a generous main course), 8 pro points per portion
Put the potatoes in a pan, cover with salted water and bring to the boil. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until tender.
Meanwhile, chop the spring onions and combine with the mayonnaise, crème fraiche, lemon juice and seasoning to taste.
When the potatoes are cooked, slice and, while still warm, pour over the stock. Part cover and leave to stand for about 10 minutes to allow the potatoes to absorb it.
While the potatoes are still warm, mix through the dressing. This can be served chilled but is probably best slightly warm or, at least, at room temperature.
Thursday, 29 March 2012
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Recipe Corner - Winter Minestrone soup (just in time for spring...)
Providing a soup recipe always feels like a bit of a cop out. I mean, the basic premise of soup is: cook ingredients, blitz, consume. But a hearty, tasty soup is the dieter’s friend. Soup is, apparently, more filling than consuming food and water separately. It said so on the BBC website. But I could have told you that from anecdotal evidence; I NEVER have soup as a starter when I go out to eat because I never fancy a full meal afterwards.
This soup is particularly robust, and you get a generous portion for the points. I do recommend blitzing some of it, which is not usual with any sort of minestrone, because the whizzed up potatoes and beans provide an almost creamy texture which makes the soup feel more luxurious than otherwise.
If you have the points the pesto croutons are a lovely addition.
Ingredients
For the soup:
Tbsp olive oil
90g (approx 3 rashers) back bacon, chopped
200g (approx 1 medium) potato, peeled and diced
1 tin (200g drained weight) of haricot beans (drained and rinsed)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
Onion, peeled and chopped
2 sticks of celery, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tin of tomatoes
750ml chicken stock
2 tsp dried sage
40g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
For the croutons:
4 slices of bread from a medium white loaf, cut into squares
Tbsp olive oil
40g pesto sauce
Serves 4, 5 pro points per portion for the soup with an additional 5 pro points per portion for the pesto croutons
Chop your vegetables as desired – I prefer a fine dice for this sort of soup.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the bacon and onion for about five minutes. Keep the heat quite low so that the fat renders from the bacon and the onion turns golden brown.
Now add the carrot, celery and potato dice and the crushed garlic and cook for a few more minutes.
Next go in the tomatoes, stock and sage, plus seasoning as required (remember the stock and the bacon will be quite salty), bring to the boil and then reduce and simmer for around 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, drain and rinse the beans and prepare your croutons. Slice the bread into squares, mix the oil and the pesto and toss the bread in the mixture. Season. Preheat the oven to 180.
After 30 minutes, add the beans to the pan and continue to simmer. Place the croutons in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. Grate the Parmesan.
Just prior to removing the croutons from the oven, take about a third of the soup (ensuring you have a good range of the diced ingredients) and whizz up in a blender until smooth. Return to the pan. Check the seasoning, adding more salt, pepper or sage as necessary.
Serve, sprinkled with Parmesan and the pesto croutons (or not, if you’re feeling virtuous).
This soup is particularly robust, and you get a generous portion for the points. I do recommend blitzing some of it, which is not usual with any sort of minestrone, because the whizzed up potatoes and beans provide an almost creamy texture which makes the soup feel more luxurious than otherwise.
If you have the points the pesto croutons are a lovely addition.
Ingredients
For the soup:
Tbsp olive oil
90g (approx 3 rashers) back bacon, chopped
200g (approx 1 medium) potato, peeled and diced
1 tin (200g drained weight) of haricot beans (drained and rinsed)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
Onion, peeled and chopped
2 sticks of celery, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tin of tomatoes
750ml chicken stock
2 tsp dried sage
40g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
For the croutons:
4 slices of bread from a medium white loaf, cut into squares
Tbsp olive oil
40g pesto sauce
Serves 4, 5 pro points per portion for the soup with an additional 5 pro points per portion for the pesto croutons
Chop your vegetables as desired – I prefer a fine dice for this sort of soup.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the bacon and onion for about five minutes. Keep the heat quite low so that the fat renders from the bacon and the onion turns golden brown.
Now add the carrot, celery and potato dice and the crushed garlic and cook for a few more minutes.
Next go in the tomatoes, stock and sage, plus seasoning as required (remember the stock and the bacon will be quite salty), bring to the boil and then reduce and simmer for around 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, drain and rinse the beans and prepare your croutons. Slice the bread into squares, mix the oil and the pesto and toss the bread in the mixture. Season. Preheat the oven to 180.
After 30 minutes, add the beans to the pan and continue to simmer. Place the croutons in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. Grate the Parmesan.
Just prior to removing the croutons from the oven, take about a third of the soup (ensuring you have a good range of the diced ingredients) and whizz up in a blender until smooth. Return to the pan. Check the seasoning, adding more salt, pepper or sage as necessary.
Serve, sprinkled with Parmesan and the pesto croutons (or not, if you’re feeling virtuous).
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
So what’s new with you?
Or, the Foodie tries so you don’t have to…
So, firstly, let’s talk chocolate cheese. Cadburys Philadelphia Light. This particular product has the Weight Watchers messageboards aflame (in so far as an internet messageboard can ever said to be aflame…) and, frankly, with good reason. If you like chocolate cheesecake then it is very important that you try some of this glorious stuff soon. The mini pots, or a 30g serving from a fullsize pot, are 2 pro points. You can smear it on toast, or cake, or biscuits, or fruit, or just eat it with a spoon. Luscious.
And next up on my product review list is an epic fail. Lurpak Lightest. I bought it out of interest because I like Lurpak and think the Lighter version is a pretty good ingredient to have in one’s fridge for cooking purposes (as opposed to smearing purposes – if you’re having butter on toast or crumpets etc. then it needs to be the proper stuff.) The Lightest is obviously a step too far. I had to melt it for use in a banana loaf – it looked like scary alien mucus and refused to cream properly with the sugar. I then (foolishly) attempted to use it as the basis for a white sauce. Terrible. I have never before had to sieve a white sauce, but the roux just would not cook out properly. And, it doesn’t taste nice. It may be low in points (1 pro point per 10g serving) but that is all that can be said for it.
So, firstly, let’s talk chocolate cheese. Cadburys Philadelphia Light. This particular product has the Weight Watchers messageboards aflame (in so far as an internet messageboard can ever said to be aflame…) and, frankly, with good reason. If you like chocolate cheesecake then it is very important that you try some of this glorious stuff soon. The mini pots, or a 30g serving from a fullsize pot, are 2 pro points. You can smear it on toast, or cake, or biscuits, or fruit, or just eat it with a spoon. Luscious.
 |
| Image from The Grocer website. May provoke attempts to break through computer screen with a spoon. |
Monday, 26 March 2012
Meal Planning Monday - 26th March 2012
With that in mind, what will we be eating chez nous?
Tonight we're having cheesy chicken and leek pie, with roasted broccoli on the side (D may get some mash but I'm abstaining - see what I mean about virtuous?)
For the rest of the week: the winter minestrone soup, which didn't get made last week is back on the menu despite the fact that it is no longer winter.
The broad beans are still propagating in my freezer - do the damn things breed in there??? So spaghetti with broad beans, peas and goats' cheese one night. D has requested chilli con carne - a favourite of his, so that's lined up - a good slow cooker dish for an evening where I feel like minimal effort.
Oh, and did you know it's bacon connoisseurs week? So the lovely Jenny tells me, and I'm always one to mark a Week...we've got some decent bacon and one night we're going to have good old bacon sarnies. I thought about doing something a little more adventurous, but really, you can't beat a bacon sandwich.
And that gets us to the weekend. There may well be another pie in our near future, as I have some game mix in the freezer and we're fast leaving pie weather behind us (we hope) but we'll see.
As always, head over to Mrs M's for more meal planning fun.
Friday, 23 March 2012
Steady as she goes
After a run of good results and general enthusiasm, I’ve had a bit of a slump this week. Not just with regards WW but eating in general, as evidenced by the fact that for the last two evenings I’ve had sandwiches for supper. Not that there is anything wrong with sandwiches for supper, I just recognise a touch of malaise about my person.
I’m not unduly worried. Since Christmas, I’ve been very busy, regularly away from home at least one night a week; looking back through my calendar I see I’ve only had one day off (which was the day after a job interview, and which I spent wandering around London feeling teary and pessimistic – not the most relaxing way to pass the time). What I’m trying to say is that I think a bit of malaise, weariness, whatever you wish to call it, is allowed. We’ve got a week in Scotland coming up over Easter which will be the perfect opportunity to do some recharging of batteries and get a good dose of fresh air and vim. And, hopefully, haggis.
So, I’m going to set myself a little mini goal which is to be a further two pounds down by two weeks today (Good Friday), the day before we head off. This will take me to a stone and a half loss since Christmas, which would be a lovely milestone to reach and if I manage it I’m going to pop into town and buy myself something nice to wear down to the local pub in Kilchoan. I’ll shift my normal Monday weigh in back a few days to accommodate. Hopefully aiming for this will give me that little bit of extra enthusiasm to carry me through this last pre-holiday stretch.
I’m not unduly worried. Since Christmas, I’ve been very busy, regularly away from home at least one night a week; looking back through my calendar I see I’ve only had one day off (which was the day after a job interview, and which I spent wandering around London feeling teary and pessimistic – not the most relaxing way to pass the time). What I’m trying to say is that I think a bit of malaise, weariness, whatever you wish to call it, is allowed. We’ve got a week in Scotland coming up over Easter which will be the perfect opportunity to do some recharging of batteries and get a good dose of fresh air and vim. And, hopefully, haggis.
So, I’m going to set myself a little mini goal which is to be a further two pounds down by two weeks today (Good Friday), the day before we head off. This will take me to a stone and a half loss since Christmas, which would be a lovely milestone to reach and if I manage it I’m going to pop into town and buy myself something nice to wear down to the local pub in Kilchoan. I’ll shift my normal Monday weigh in back a few days to accommodate. Hopefully aiming for this will give me that little bit of extra enthusiasm to carry me through this last pre-holiday stretch.
Monday, 19 March 2012
Meal planning Monday - 19th March 2012
Despite ending the week on minus fifteen points (which show up as red in the tracker to further highlight the shame) I lost three pounds this week, taking me to a total of nineteen since the beginning of January. I am (very tentatively) describing this as a roll. As for the minus points - I blame, in part, my discovery of salted caramel profiteroles on Saturday night. Yes, you heard, salted caramel profiteroles. Such deliciousness.
Anyway, on with the meal planning for this week.
- Tonight, we'll be having a "Sunday" roast. This is because I roasted a chicken and prepped some veg yesterday and we then decided to have sandwiches (although, note to self, roast chicken and home made sage and onion stuffing sandwiches are fantastic.)
- Tomorrow I'm away for the night, so D is fending for himself and I will be trying not to drink too much.
- Wednesday - I'll be travelling back from Liverpool and won't arrive till quite late, but I'm hoping D can be prevailed upon to put together a winter minestrone soup with pesto toasts. He's pretty nifty in the kitchen, I reckon he'll manage.
- Thursday - Salmon in a creamy mustard sauce with pasta. Salmon and mustard is a surprisingly lovely combination.
- Friday - Bacon wrapped pigeon breasts with a warm salad of Puy lentils, apple and walnuts.
- Saturday - D is out so I'm home alone. There may be cheesy chips involved.
- Sunday - The remainder of the roast chicken will be transformed into a cheesy chicken and leek pie with mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli.
Thursday, 15 March 2012
A dirty little habit…
This blog could quite well be called “The WW (sometimes) EatsPrettyMuchEverythingIndiscrimately-ie” because I am no longer allowed to call myself a foodie.
But I can’t help it people, sometimes I just have to give in to the dark side. For tea last night I had…
Can you see what they are? Well, I’ll tell you.
1 x box M&S “frites” (9 pro points) topped with grated cheese (2 pro points), low fat mayonnaise (1 pro point) and a good hefty pinch of sea salt. They are, my friends, cheeeeeezee chips.
I blame D – he introduced me to these one lunchtime at a Leeds hostelry, but to be honest, I’m surprised I didn’t discover the phenomenon sooner. I mean, I come from a family where we believe that pretty much any meal is improved by a layer of melted cheese. But actually, I’m not the world’s biggest chip fan – I’d nearly always rather have mash or roasties. So the notion of cheezee chips entirely passed me by. No more.
I’m now slightly obsessed. I’m already wondering when I can next indulge.
A few pointers if you wish to join my long, dark teatime of the soul – you don’t want your chips to be too thick or too crisp. Thinnish, but with a good amount of bend. Not too much cheese (only time you’ll ever hear that from me!). And cheap mayonnaise. The good stuff just won’t do – it has to have that tang of articifial preservatives.
Normal (cooking) service to be resumed shortly.
But I can’t help it people, sometimes I just have to give in to the dark side. For tea last night I had…
Can you see what they are? Well, I’ll tell you.
1 x box M&S “frites” (9 pro points) topped with grated cheese (2 pro points), low fat mayonnaise (1 pro point) and a good hefty pinch of sea salt. They are, my friends, cheeeeeezee chips.
I blame D – he introduced me to these one lunchtime at a Leeds hostelry, but to be honest, I’m surprised I didn’t discover the phenomenon sooner. I mean, I come from a family where we believe that pretty much any meal is improved by a layer of melted cheese. But actually, I’m not the world’s biggest chip fan – I’d nearly always rather have mash or roasties. So the notion of cheezee chips entirely passed me by. No more.
I’m now slightly obsessed. I’m already wondering when I can next indulge.
A few pointers if you wish to join my long, dark teatime of the soul – you don’t want your chips to be too thick or too crisp. Thinnish, but with a good amount of bend. Not too much cheese (only time you’ll ever hear that from me!). And cheap mayonnaise. The good stuff just won’t do – it has to have that tang of articifial preservatives.
Normal (cooking) service to be resumed shortly.
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
In which I distract myself on the journey home across the Pennines
I would like to offer a hypothesis that among those people (for sake of ease I'll use a feminine pronoun but it equally applies to men) who can be called "slim" (or perhaps, rather, average-ish of size) there are probably two distinct types.
Type A is your natural slim person. Your typical A has never been on a diet in her life and seldom weighs herself. She doesn't really need to because she naturally regulates herself. If she has a large slice of cake mid afternoon she might not have much for dinner. On the other hand, a hungry day is a hungry day - she'll eat if she needs to because she knows perfectly well she'll be less hungry (and eat less) tomorrow or the next day. Perhaps after Christmas, or a week away, her favourite jeans will feel a little tight so she'll cut out the mid morning biscuit for a while and fit in an extra swim. No big deal.
Type B, on the other hand, has probably been on some sort of diet for as long as she can remember. She tried out the Cabbage Soup one, and the weird one with the frankfurters and bananas and had a glorious few days on Atkins mainlining protein until she realised it WAS possible to get sick of cheese. She is slim now but the rituals: of weighing in, of self denial, of wondering if she is slim enough...they never leave her.
I have been wondering, you see, if it is ever possible to move from Type B to A (or, I suppose vice versa; although every child probably starts out fairly A-ish and then picks up habits and thought patterns elsewhere). This migration, it is what I aspire to (assuming I reach the Hallowed Halls of slim first - nothing like getting ahead of oneself!) Actually, I was thinking today it is one of the reasons that I like Weight Watchers as a diet plan. As you juggle your points and sacrifice a biscuit in the afternoon for a piece of naan bread with your curry, you are making the kind of decisions that your Type A makes naturally - without a tracker and a constant, twitchy desire to check up on the nutritional information. So do you, can you ever lose the tracker and the twitch?
And now I've just thought of a quote from Friends (there really is one for every occasion) when Monica says something like "I owe it to the fat girl inside me - I never let her eat!"
Do we EVER get to ditch the fat girl?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Type A is your natural slim person. Your typical A has never been on a diet in her life and seldom weighs herself. She doesn't really need to because she naturally regulates herself. If she has a large slice of cake mid afternoon she might not have much for dinner. On the other hand, a hungry day is a hungry day - she'll eat if she needs to because she knows perfectly well she'll be less hungry (and eat less) tomorrow or the next day. Perhaps after Christmas, or a week away, her favourite jeans will feel a little tight so she'll cut out the mid morning biscuit for a while and fit in an extra swim. No big deal.
Type B, on the other hand, has probably been on some sort of diet for as long as she can remember. She tried out the Cabbage Soup one, and the weird one with the frankfurters and bananas and had a glorious few days on Atkins mainlining protein until she realised it WAS possible to get sick of cheese. She is slim now but the rituals: of weighing in, of self denial, of wondering if she is slim enough...they never leave her.
I have been wondering, you see, if it is ever possible to move from Type B to A (or, I suppose vice versa; although every child probably starts out fairly A-ish and then picks up habits and thought patterns elsewhere). This migration, it is what I aspire to (assuming I reach the Hallowed Halls of slim first - nothing like getting ahead of oneself!) Actually, I was thinking today it is one of the reasons that I like Weight Watchers as a diet plan. As you juggle your points and sacrifice a biscuit in the afternoon for a piece of naan bread with your curry, you are making the kind of decisions that your Type A makes naturally - without a tracker and a constant, twitchy desire to check up on the nutritional information. So do you, can you ever lose the tracker and the twitch?
And now I've just thought of a quote from Friends (there really is one for every occasion) when Monica says something like "I owe it to the fat girl inside me - I never let her eat!"
Do we EVER get to ditch the fat girl?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, 12 March 2012
Meal Planning Monday - 12th March 2012
Greetings from not so sunny Manchester! I am writing this from a tram which is rather exciting - I haven't been on one for years.
I lost a pound on the scales this morning which I didn't really deserve. Towards the end of last week I was really struggling; resenting being away from home, resenting being slightly hungry all the time and just generally being rather grumpy.
Anyhoo, I was prepared to accept a gain and seeing a loss was like a gentle nudge to say you CAN do this which is exactly what I needed. It may yet catch up with me though, so best behaviour is required this week.
Onto meal planning - and the beginning of the week sees me roaming again (although home in the evenings) so simplicity is key. That's why Monday and Wednesday will probably be soup, eggs on toast or pasta pesto and Tuesday will see us enjoying the second half of the oxtail stew that we made a few weeks back.
On Thursday we will be having an old favourite - a Madhur Jaffrey prawn curry.
Friday - lime and pepper crusted tuna with cucumber spaghetti and crushed new potatoes.
No firm plans for the weekend as yet, but I am seeing a roast chicken in my future at some point; I still have Christmas sprouts in the freezer to use.
As always, head over to Mrs M's for more meal planning fun.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I lost a pound on the scales this morning which I didn't really deserve. Towards the end of last week I was really struggling; resenting being away from home, resenting being slightly hungry all the time and just generally being rather grumpy.
Anyhoo, I was prepared to accept a gain and seeing a loss was like a gentle nudge to say you CAN do this which is exactly what I needed. It may yet catch up with me though, so best behaviour is required this week.
Onto meal planning - and the beginning of the week sees me roaming again (although home in the evenings) so simplicity is key. That's why Monday and Wednesday will probably be soup, eggs on toast or pasta pesto and Tuesday will see us enjoying the second half of the oxtail stew that we made a few weeks back.
On Thursday we will be having an old favourite - a Madhur Jaffrey prawn curry.
Friday - lime and pepper crusted tuna with cucumber spaghetti and crushed new potatoes.
No firm plans for the weekend as yet, but I am seeing a roast chicken in my future at some point; I still have Christmas sprouts in the freezer to use.
As always, head over to Mrs M's for more meal planning fun.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
In which I miss my kitchen
This is the fourth week out of six I have been away from home and it is beginning to take its toll.
The weight loss has continued, slow but steady (a further pound off this week) but, oh, it is beginning to be a trial having to navigate mass catering for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Actually, I’ve given up on breakfast altogether (and yes, I know that is a terrible habit but I’ve got to create some room for manoeuvre somewhere and I’ve never been a fan of the Full English at half past seven in the morning – it is more of an eleven o clock meal to my mind).
I am proud of myself for conquering the chattering voice in my head that says if you can’t point properly then there is no need to point at all. I guestimate everything I eat, tending on the side of caution, and trying to stick to the simplest iteration of whatever is on offer. It is frustrating though, to fuel my days with mediocre food. I have realised how lucky I am to enjoy cooking and to enjoy the challenge of providing myself with meals that are not only WW friendly but good to eat as well.
Hopefully some more food (and less whinge) based posts will follow next week. In the meantime, hug your ovens people, and give your worktops a fond stroke. You’d miss them if they weren’t there.
The weight loss has continued, slow but steady (a further pound off this week) but, oh, it is beginning to be a trial having to navigate mass catering for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Actually, I’ve given up on breakfast altogether (and yes, I know that is a terrible habit but I’ve got to create some room for manoeuvre somewhere and I’ve never been a fan of the Full English at half past seven in the morning – it is more of an eleven o clock meal to my mind).
I am proud of myself for conquering the chattering voice in my head that says if you can’t point properly then there is no need to point at all. I guestimate everything I eat, tending on the side of caution, and trying to stick to the simplest iteration of whatever is on offer. It is frustrating though, to fuel my days with mediocre food. I have realised how lucky I am to enjoy cooking and to enjoy the challenge of providing myself with meals that are not only WW friendly but good to eat as well.
Hopefully some more food (and less whinge) based posts will follow next week. In the meantime, hug your ovens people, and give your worktops a fond stroke. You’d miss them if they weren’t there.
Thursday, 1 March 2012
Recipe Corner – Friday Night Fakeaway
D hates the phrase Fakeaway. He thinks that it sounds like something uttered by a maniacal WW leader trying to persuade people that chicken breast rolled in egg white and crushed cornflakes tastes better than a KFC (this has actually happened to me, and to be strictly fair, I’ve never tried cornflake crusted chicken so can’t confirm for sure whether or not it is preferable to a visit to the Colonel).
Anyway, I know what he means – the point about takeaway food is, sometimes, that it is just a little bit…well, dirty. There’s no other word for it. Takeaways should be an occasional pleasure that come tinged with a little bit of guilt.
Actually, I don’t advocate feeling guilty about any foodstuff, which is a breakthrough if ever I heard one. If you (and by you I mean me) are prepared to take the hit on it: be that a gain at the scales or several trips to the gym, or a day of fruit and salad and little else, then I say go for it. But I still think that to experience the full pleasures of a takeaway there should be a bit of mess, an avoidance of cutlery where possible, and a greasy chin.
This is not dirty; there will be no excess grease. It is very tasty though
Oh, and my top tip for the day. I always buy large pieces of root ginger and freeze them, then, when I need to use them for cooking, grate them straight from frozen. There is no need to peel, either before freezing or using, and they are far more amenable this way - not to mention they keep for a much longer period. Chillies freeze equally well.
Lamb seekh kebabs
Ingredients
180g lean lamb mince (16% fat or less)
3 fat garlic cloves, crushed
1-2cm fresh (or frozen) ginger, finely grated
Small handful of fresh mint, chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped and seeds removed
Tsp garam masala
½ tsp chilli powder
Small handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
10g butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
To serve: 2 pitta breads
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
Serves 2, 11 pro points per portion
These couldn’t be easier to make. In a large bowl, combine the lamb mince, garlic, ginger and other herbs and spices and a generous pinch or two of salt – the easiest way is to just get your hands in there and squish well (a technical term, I’m sure). Then form into four fat sausage shapes. You could mould them around skewers if you so desired, although I have to say that I didn’t bother. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow them to firm up.
In a moderate oven (180-200) bake the little kebabs for around 30 minutes.
Around halfway through the kebabs’ cooking time, melt the butter in a large pan and, over a very gentle heat, start to soften the onion. Add a generous pinch of salt to allow them to sweat without colouring.
Remove the kebabs from the oven, slice in half long ways and place, cut side down, in the onion pan for a minute or two. This will help them to form a pleasing crust. Meanwhile, toast and split the pitta breads.
To serve, spread the soft, buttery onions out over the pitta bread, top with the kebab meat (four pieces per person) and drizzle with sweet chilli sauce. I suggest serving with some sort of chipped potato - I made wedges which I tossed in some oil, paprika and dried chilli flakes before roasting for around 45 mins. They’re roasties by any other name but nice nonetheless. Oven chips would also work here. Remember to add on the points for any accompaniments.
Anyway, I know what he means – the point about takeaway food is, sometimes, that it is just a little bit…well, dirty. There’s no other word for it. Takeaways should be an occasional pleasure that come tinged with a little bit of guilt.
Actually, I don’t advocate feeling guilty about any foodstuff, which is a breakthrough if ever I heard one. If you (and by you I mean me) are prepared to take the hit on it: be that a gain at the scales or several trips to the gym, or a day of fruit and salad and little else, then I say go for it. But I still think that to experience the full pleasures of a takeaway there should be a bit of mess, an avoidance of cutlery where possible, and a greasy chin.
This is not dirty; there will be no excess grease. It is very tasty though
Oh, and my top tip for the day. I always buy large pieces of root ginger and freeze them, then, when I need to use them for cooking, grate them straight from frozen. There is no need to peel, either before freezing or using, and they are far more amenable this way - not to mention they keep for a much longer period. Chillies freeze equally well.
Lamb seekh kebabs
Ingredients
180g lean lamb mince (16% fat or less)
3 fat garlic cloves, crushed
1-2cm fresh (or frozen) ginger, finely grated
Small handful of fresh mint, chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped and seeds removed
Tsp garam masala
½ tsp chilli powder
Small handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
10g butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
To serve: 2 pitta breads
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
Serves 2, 11 pro points per portion
These couldn’t be easier to make. In a large bowl, combine the lamb mince, garlic, ginger and other herbs and spices and a generous pinch or two of salt – the easiest way is to just get your hands in there and squish well (a technical term, I’m sure). Then form into four fat sausage shapes. You could mould them around skewers if you so desired, although I have to say that I didn’t bother. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow them to firm up.
In a moderate oven (180-200) bake the little kebabs for around 30 minutes.
Around halfway through the kebabs’ cooking time, melt the butter in a large pan and, over a very gentle heat, start to soften the onion. Add a generous pinch of salt to allow them to sweat without colouring.
Remove the kebabs from the oven, slice in half long ways and place, cut side down, in the onion pan for a minute or two. This will help them to form a pleasing crust. Meanwhile, toast and split the pitta breads.
To serve, spread the soft, buttery onions out over the pitta bread, top with the kebab meat (four pieces per person) and drizzle with sweet chilli sauce. I suggest serving with some sort of chipped potato - I made wedges which I tossed in some oil, paprika and dried chilli flakes before roasting for around 45 mins. They’re roasties by any other name but nice nonetheless. Oven chips would also work here. Remember to add on the points for any accompaniments.
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Recipe corner: A thing of stew-ty
A fantastic recipe and an even better pun – what more could you ask for?
One of the very few plus points about growing older is the fact that I seem to be less hungry all the time. I was going to say that I seem to be losing my appetite, but that is probably stretching the point; I still require regular feeding or else I start to droop and sulk. But I don’t require the volume of food that once I did which means I can make my points work harder in terms of quality rather than quantity. This is good, because many of my very favourite things in the world are point heavy, as I suspect this is the situation whatever measure (points, calories, syns…) that you are using.
The recipe below is a case in point. 16 pro points per portion is pretty hefty. Factor in a couple of accompaniments (last Saturday we had this with mashed potato and broad beans tossed in butter, garlic and Iberico ham) and you’ve got nearly an entire day’s consumption in a single meal. It was worth the hit, believe me, but some austerity throughout the rest of the day was required – not to mention a trip to the gym.
Oxtail is not an easy cut to come by – we ordered ours from an online butcher, and I can’t think why it is not more popular because it produces the most fabulous stew. It breaks down into tender beefy shreds and gives the surrounding gravy an incredible unctuous quality. Of course, this is partly because it has an incredibly high fat content, but it does ease one’s conscience a little bit when the cooled fat is removed on the second day (this and the shredding of the meat are messy jobs – I would advocate getting a nearby husband to get his hands dirty while you direct operations from a safe distance).
The original recipe, by Sam and Sam Clarke of Moro, was to be found on the BBC website, although it now appears to have vanished. I have tweaked it very slightly by reducing the amount of oil required – I also used my slow cooker for the first stage although you could just as easily do it in the hob. Don’t be put off by the fact that this is prepared across two days – it is pretty straightforward to make and tastes just…fantastic.
Oxtail with Rioja and Chorizo
Ingredients
1.5 kg Oxtail (weight including bone), in chunks
1 carrot, quartered
1 onion, quartered
1 celery stick, quartered
Tsp black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
Large sprig of fresh thyme
Tsp cloves
2 garlic cloves, peeled and slightly squished
1 bottle of Rioja
Large sprig of fresh parsley, leaves stripped
Salt and pepper
Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
120g chorizo, sliced into rounds
2 tbsp flour,
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
½ tsp fennel seeds
Tbsp tomato puree
Salt and pepper
Serves 4, 16 pro points a portion
The day before serving, season and then brown the oxtail in a large pan. I found that you did not need to add any oil at this stage – the oxtail’s own fat will be render out sufficiently. NB: depending upon the size of your pan, you may need to do this in batches. Remove from the pan (transfer to slow cooker if using).
Add the carrot, onion and celery to the pan and cook for about five minutes, tossing regularly to ensure that it browns on every side. Then add the peppercorns, bay, thyme, cloves and garlic and cook for a further couple of minutes. Again, transfer to the slow cooker if using, or return the oxtail to the pan.
Add the parsley and rioja, season well and top up with water if required to cover (in the slow cooker, no additional liquid will be necessary even if the meat is not fully submerged). Cook for around 5 hours on High (or simmer gently for around 2 hours) until the meat can be pulled from the bone easily. At this stage, transfer the oxtail to a large bowl and strain the juices over it. Allow to cool and then refrigerate over night.
On the day of eating, remove as much of the solid fat as possible from the cooled stew. At this point, you should also shred the meat from the bones. This is a fairly easy, albeit messy job.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sweat off the onion and carrot for about 10 minutes – add a good pinch of salt to allow them to soften without colouring. Add the chorizo and cook for a few more minutes. Then, stir in the flour and cook off for a couple of minutes before tipping in the paprika, fennel seeds and tomato puree. Ensure everything is fully coated in the beautiful orangey paste.
Now you can bring the shredded oxtail and stock to the pan. Season again to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15-20 mins, allowing the gravy to reduce slightly and thicken.
Serve with accompaniments of your choice (although I think it would be wrong not to have it with mashed potato…)
One of the very few plus points about growing older is the fact that I seem to be less hungry all the time. I was going to say that I seem to be losing my appetite, but that is probably stretching the point; I still require regular feeding or else I start to droop and sulk. But I don’t require the volume of food that once I did which means I can make my points work harder in terms of quality rather than quantity. This is good, because many of my very favourite things in the world are point heavy, as I suspect this is the situation whatever measure (points, calories, syns…) that you are using.
The recipe below is a case in point. 16 pro points per portion is pretty hefty. Factor in a couple of accompaniments (last Saturday we had this with mashed potato and broad beans tossed in butter, garlic and Iberico ham) and you’ve got nearly an entire day’s consumption in a single meal. It was worth the hit, believe me, but some austerity throughout the rest of the day was required – not to mention a trip to the gym.
Oxtail is not an easy cut to come by – we ordered ours from an online butcher, and I can’t think why it is not more popular because it produces the most fabulous stew. It breaks down into tender beefy shreds and gives the surrounding gravy an incredible unctuous quality. Of course, this is partly because it has an incredibly high fat content, but it does ease one’s conscience a little bit when the cooled fat is removed on the second day (this and the shredding of the meat are messy jobs – I would advocate getting a nearby husband to get his hands dirty while you direct operations from a safe distance).
The original recipe, by Sam and Sam Clarke of Moro, was to be found on the BBC website, although it now appears to have vanished. I have tweaked it very slightly by reducing the amount of oil required – I also used my slow cooker for the first stage although you could just as easily do it in the hob. Don’t be put off by the fact that this is prepared across two days – it is pretty straightforward to make and tastes just…fantastic.
Oxtail with Rioja and Chorizo
Ingredients
1.5 kg Oxtail (weight including bone), in chunks
1 carrot, quartered
1 onion, quartered
1 celery stick, quartered
Tsp black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
Large sprig of fresh thyme
Tsp cloves
2 garlic cloves, peeled and slightly squished
1 bottle of Rioja
Large sprig of fresh parsley, leaves stripped
Salt and pepper
Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
120g chorizo, sliced into rounds
2 tbsp flour,
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
½ tsp fennel seeds
Tbsp tomato puree
Salt and pepper
Serves 4, 16 pro points a portion
The day before serving, season and then brown the oxtail in a large pan. I found that you did not need to add any oil at this stage – the oxtail’s own fat will be render out sufficiently. NB: depending upon the size of your pan, you may need to do this in batches. Remove from the pan (transfer to slow cooker if using).
Add the carrot, onion and celery to the pan and cook for about five minutes, tossing regularly to ensure that it browns on every side. Then add the peppercorns, bay, thyme, cloves and garlic and cook for a further couple of minutes. Again, transfer to the slow cooker if using, or return the oxtail to the pan.
Add the parsley and rioja, season well and top up with water if required to cover (in the slow cooker, no additional liquid will be necessary even if the meat is not fully submerged). Cook for around 5 hours on High (or simmer gently for around 2 hours) until the meat can be pulled from the bone easily. At this stage, transfer the oxtail to a large bowl and strain the juices over it. Allow to cool and then refrigerate over night.
On the day of eating, remove as much of the solid fat as possible from the cooled stew. At this point, you should also shred the meat from the bones. This is a fairly easy, albeit messy job.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sweat off the onion and carrot for about 10 minutes – add a good pinch of salt to allow them to soften without colouring. Add the chorizo and cook for a few more minutes. Then, stir in the flour and cook off for a couple of minutes before tipping in the paprika, fennel seeds and tomato puree. Ensure everything is fully coated in the beautiful orangey paste.
Now you can bring the shredded oxtail and stock to the pan. Season again to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15-20 mins, allowing the gravy to reduce slightly and thicken.
Serve with accompaniments of your choice (although I think it would be wrong not to have it with mashed potato…)
Monday, 27 February 2012
Monday morning, 6am
Two pounds off this morning ladies and gentlemen, which takes me to the magic stone mark since my refocus (I hesitate to call it a restart) at the beginning of January.
Although I am determined not to put pressure on myself - and avoid deadlines at all costs - I was super keen to hit that milestone (so witty...) this morning - psychologically, it feels like a huge boost.
The next two weeks I'm off delivering training, so potentially tricky on the weight loss side of things (and no meal planning!) But I feel in a good place to face these challenges with, if not a song in my heart then, at the very least, a grit-teeth smile.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Although I am determined not to put pressure on myself - and avoid deadlines at all costs - I was super keen to hit that milestone (so witty...) this morning - psychologically, it feels like a huge boost.
The next two weeks I'm off delivering training, so potentially tricky on the weight loss side of things (and no meal planning!) But I feel in a good place to face these challenges with, if not a song in my heart then, at the very least, a grit-teeth smile.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Sunday night sarnies
Look at these beauties...
I have rediscovered an old friend tonight. You are looking at a toastie consisting of:
2 x slices from a medium white loaf (5pps) with
10g butter smeared on the outside (2pps) and
60g smoked salmon trimmings (2pps) combined with 50g light cream cheese (2pps) and a good scrunching of black pepper packed inside...
Then toasted in my faithful Breville for 4 minutes and garnished with salad.
A delicious, luxuriant tea with the added bonus (from my point of view) of being a nostalgic delight; I used to eat these on a regular basis as during my student days.
Happy Sunday!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I have rediscovered an old friend tonight. You are looking at a toastie consisting of:
2 x slices from a medium white loaf (5pps) with
10g butter smeared on the outside (2pps) and
60g smoked salmon trimmings (2pps) combined with 50g light cream cheese (2pps) and a good scrunching of black pepper packed inside...
Then toasted in my faithful Breville for 4 minutes and garnished with salad.
A delicious, luxuriant tea with the added bonus (from my point of view) of being a nostalgic delight; I used to eat these on a regular basis as during my student days.
Happy Sunday!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
A little stumble (but not a full on fall)
So, as you may remember, last Monday, in a fit of something in between enthusiasm and smugness, I told you all about how I had dragged myself out of bed in order to swim at the ungodly hour of six thirty. As Lesley quite rightly pointed out, this is probably not deserving of too much kudos until it has become a regular occurrence. Well, I am pleased to say that I repeated the same feat on Thursday morning too. Early exercising is not set to become a regular fixture in our routine but we have both agreed that in order to hit the requisite (although required by whom I don’t know) number of workouts per week, they may sometimes be necessary and I’m proud that I proved I can do it…even if I don’t much like it.
As it is, the last few days have been a bit pear shaped and yet I still managed a half pound loss yesterday morning – I like to think that Karma gave me a little reward for fighting against every instinct of my inherently lazy nature not once but twice.
Back to this latest slip up, and it’s the same old chestnut with me; stress = poor choices. I had to travel to London for a job interview last Thursday and despite the fact that I had planned out my strategy with regards food and drink I still faltered, especially when the interview didn’t go as well as I had hoped. And then, having faltered, I didn’t pull myself up straightaway; I sulked on Saturday afternoon, refusing to go to the gym and having a nap instead, and then wasn’t as stringent as I could have been on Sunday (although it turns out fish finger sandwiches are not so pointy as you might expect). Little things but….meh. I hate the fact that I’m such a Pavlov’s dog about it all. I read the blog posts that I write when everything is going well and that person sounds so happy and sorted and healthy – in fact, that person is so happy and sorted and healthy, and yet the sulky, sleepy, cheese-on-toast eating, gym spurning alter ego is still around and closer to the surface than I would like.
Still, for all that, the scales continue to creep downwards – I’ve lost 12 pounds since the turn of the year and I’m going to go all guns blazing for a decent loss this week that will take me up to the 1 stone mark. Onwards!
As it is, the last few days have been a bit pear shaped and yet I still managed a half pound loss yesterday morning – I like to think that Karma gave me a little reward for fighting against every instinct of my inherently lazy nature not once but twice.
Back to this latest slip up, and it’s the same old chestnut with me; stress = poor choices. I had to travel to London for a job interview last Thursday and despite the fact that I had planned out my strategy with regards food and drink I still faltered, especially when the interview didn’t go as well as I had hoped. And then, having faltered, I didn’t pull myself up straightaway; I sulked on Saturday afternoon, refusing to go to the gym and having a nap instead, and then wasn’t as stringent as I could have been on Sunday (although it turns out fish finger sandwiches are not so pointy as you might expect). Little things but….meh. I hate the fact that I’m such a Pavlov’s dog about it all. I read the blog posts that I write when everything is going well and that person sounds so happy and sorted and healthy – in fact, that person is so happy and sorted and healthy, and yet the sulky, sleepy, cheese-on-toast eating, gym spurning alter ego is still around and closer to the surface than I would like.
Still, for all that, the scales continue to creep downwards – I’ve lost 12 pounds since the turn of the year and I’m going to go all guns blazing for a decent loss this week that will take me up to the 1 stone mark. Onwards!
Monday, 20 February 2012
Meal planning Monday - 20th February 2012
I’ll be away Tuesday night and home late on Wednesday night, so only five household meals to be accounted for this week. We’re still on freezer clearing duty: you’ll notice broad beans to make a sneaky late appearance – I swear that the bag doesn’t appear to be going down at all!
- Tonight – leek and goats’ cheese tart (using pastry from the freezer and goats’ cheese that is currently making the fridge smell a wee bit suspicious)
- Thursday then becomes a belated Shrove Tuesday! Yes, we’re having pancakes for tea. The sensible option would be to cook something light and nutritious and then follow it up with a couple of pancakes; I’m not sensible so I’m going to just eat pancakes. With lemon juice and sugar. Mmmmmm.
- Friday – it’s Fakeaway night! Lamb seekh kebabs in pitta bread, probably with some kind of chilli condiment, and spiced potato wedges.
- On Saturday we’ll be having a stew of oxtail with chorizo and rioja. We’ve made this recipe before and it is absolutely wonderful, so I’ll probably blog about this one separately. At the moment, the plan is to serve it with mashed potato and broad beans with serrano ham. Gorgeous.
- Finally, Sunday, and I’m going to be digging out my beloved Breville to make an old favourite of mine from my university days – smoked salmon and cream cheese toasties.
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Recipe Corner - Broad bean and bacon salad with goats' cheese croutons
Being on a diet and saying “I like salad” is a bit like those very slender celebrities who claim to be “stuffed” after a small piece of steamed fish and some broccoli – it sounds like there is some serious self delusion going on. But I am going to stick my neck out here – people, I like salad, I really do. Admittedly, I like to put stuff on my salad, but I genuinely enjoy crunching through a pile of lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes et al.
I’ve always been slightly wary of serving up a main meal salad, assuming that D was not a fan. But it turns out I have been wrong on this score, he, like me, is quite happy to eat it as long as it is a vehicle for Other Things. Were he to be presented with a plate of naked iceberg adorned with nothing more than a few palely bland chunks of tomato, it might be quite another matter.
This particular salad was borne from necessity – I am still trying to come up with fifty different ways to serve broad beans, plus we had some bacon and some goats’ cheese in the fridge that needed using up. But it was absolutely delicious and perfect light but tasty fare for a Sunday (oh-bugger-its-weigh-in-tomorrow) evening.
Ingredients
For the green salad:
Mixed leaves, shredded
¼ cucumber, chopped or sliced
Tbsp olive oil
½ tbsp white wine vinegar
Tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
For the broad beans:
100g frozen broad beans
2 rashers of back bacon, fat trimmed, and chopped
4-5 spring onions, finely sliced
Tsp butter
2 tbsp half fat crème fraiche
Tsp fresh mint, finely chopped
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper
For the croutons:
4 thin slices of French baguette (approx 20g each)
60g soft goats’ cheese
Serves 2, 12 pro points per portion
Tip the broad beans into a saucepan of simmering salted water and boil for around five minutes until tender.
Meanwhile, heat the grill and toast one side of the baguette slices for a few minutes. When lightly toasted, remove, and smear the goats’ cheese on the other side. Have these on a baking sheet ready to go back under. Whisk the oil, vinegar, mustard and seasoning to make the vinaigrette.
Melt the butter in a non stick pan and fry the bacon. After a couple of minutes add in the spring onions and toss well to coat in the delicious rendering bacon fat. Soften for a further two to three minutes.
Now, place the goats’ cheese croutons back under the grill for around five minutes until beginning to brown. While they’re under, add the broad beans to the bacon pan and combine well before adding the crème fraiche, lemon, mint and seasoning. Allow to bubble gently and remove from the heat – you want them to be warm but not blisteringly hot when they hit the salad.
Toss the leaves and cucumber with the vinaigrette. Top with the broad bean and bacon mixture, and finally the goats’ cheese croutons.
I’ve always been slightly wary of serving up a main meal salad, assuming that D was not a fan. But it turns out I have been wrong on this score, he, like me, is quite happy to eat it as long as it is a vehicle for Other Things. Were he to be presented with a plate of naked iceberg adorned with nothing more than a few palely bland chunks of tomato, it might be quite another matter.
 |
Ingredients
Mixed leaves, shredded
¼ cucumber, chopped or sliced
Tbsp olive oil
½ tbsp white wine vinegar
Tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
For the broad beans:
100g frozen broad beans
2 rashers of back bacon, fat trimmed, and chopped
4-5 spring onions, finely sliced
Tsp butter
2 tbsp half fat crème fraiche
Tsp fresh mint, finely chopped
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper
For the croutons:
4 thin slices of French baguette (approx 20g each)
60g soft goats’ cheese
Serves 2, 12 pro points per portion
Tip the broad beans into a saucepan of simmering salted water and boil for around five minutes until tender.
Meanwhile, heat the grill and toast one side of the baguette slices for a few minutes. When lightly toasted, remove, and smear the goats’ cheese on the other side. Have these on a baking sheet ready to go back under. Whisk the oil, vinegar, mustard and seasoning to make the vinaigrette.
Melt the butter in a non stick pan and fry the bacon. After a couple of minutes add in the spring onions and toss well to coat in the delicious rendering bacon fat. Soften for a further two to three minutes.
Now, place the goats’ cheese croutons back under the grill for around five minutes until beginning to brown. While they’re under, add the broad beans to the bacon pan and combine well before adding the crème fraiche, lemon, mint and seasoning. Allow to bubble gently and remove from the heat – you want them to be warm but not blisteringly hot when they hit the salad.
Toss the leaves and cucumber with the vinaigrette. Top with the broad bean and bacon mixture, and finally the goats’ cheese croutons.
Monday, 13 February 2012
I’ve turned into one of those people…
Guess where I was at twenty past six this morning. Go on, guess.
Twenty past six saw me sitting outside of the gym, waiting for it to open.
We decided not to actually join the queue of keen beans that were waiting for the turnstiles to be unlocked and instead lurked in the car until half past. Nevertheless, I was in the pool at twenty five to seven and, as I swam up and down and watched the clouds begin to blush pink with sunrise through the glass roof, I thought to myself “Who are you?"
Twenty past six saw me sitting outside of the gym, waiting for it to open.
We decided not to actually join the queue of keen beans that were waiting for the turnstiles to be unlocked and instead lurked in the car until half past. Nevertheless, I was in the pool at twenty five to seven and, as I swam up and down and watched the clouds begin to blush pink with sunrise through the glass roof, I thought to myself “Who are you?"
Meal planning Monday - 13th February 2012
- And speaking of eggs on toast, tonight we’ll be having Eggs Benedict for a light yet indulgent supper. I must confess, the Hollandaise is out of a jar. Housekeeping fail.
- Tuesday – Valentine’s Day! As you may remember, I am a big fan of this most overblown of fake Hallmark occasions. We’ll be having a steak supper and a bottle of red wine and I’ll spend a couple of minutes trying to make romantic small talk before we revert to normality and start squabbling over my inability to load the dishwasher properly.
- Wednesday – Chicken and chickpea “stuff” leftovers. In last week’s meal plan it was referred to as a curry, but it turned out more like a stew with a vague hint of chilli. This was a most disappointing recipe so I won’t bother to link or share it - I hate wasting points on boring food. I plan to make it slightly more exciting second time around by bunging a load of sliced jalapenos and some crème fraiche (in place of sour cream) on top.
As always, head over to Mrs M’s for more meal planning fun.
Friday, 10 February 2012
Long overdue...
Way back in the mists of January the lovely Lauren nominated me for “The Versatile Blogger” award and it has taken me all this time to get round to writing about it. I blame Work for making me be away from home for long swathes of time and Karma for not allowing me to win the lottery and thus spend all my time not working.
But there is it, in all its glory – isn’t it pretty?
When I first started blogging, nearly two (two!!) years ago it was really just to amuse myself. I like food, I like writing about food, but I also had come to appreciate reading about all those women out there who, like myself, struggled with achieving a healthy body and a healthy lifestyle. I have always believed that it is possible to lose weight (or, indeed, maintain a healthy body weight) while eating nice food. I continue to believe that – even though I don’t always manage it.
It was always my intention that this blog be both a celebration of food and a meditation on why it is so many of us struggle with our weight. If you reject, as I do competely, the idea that you only get fat because you are stupid and lazy, then what does that mean (answers on a postcard please...)? I continue to tussle with the emotional side of weight loss and gain (that will be those navel gazing posts that I still inflict upon you from time to time). I also continue to work on eating as much tasty food as I possibly can. I am not sure if that makes me Versatile so much as vaguely Confused. Either way, I am very grateful to Lauren for thinking of me, and to everyone who stops by and reads this blog from time to time.
Now, I believe that I am supposed to nominate ten other people for this award, paying the love forward. I’ve picked five of the many wonderful blogs that I follow – so each of them can regard themselves as been twice blessed.
Peridot : I lurked on Peridot’s blog for a long time before plucking up the nerve to comment. She writes so beautifully and so truthfully about her weight loss and she has more willpower than anyone I have ever “met”. More than any other blogger I follow I want to give her a big hug. And then take her for a drink. Although since she is low carbing at the moment it would probably have to be a slimline tonic water.
Lesley : again, a really truthful blog. And with regards versatility, not only does she write incredibly well, but she takes the most amazing photographs. I’ve so enjoyed her recent posts where she takes her camera along with her when she goes out running, that I’ve almost, almost, convinced myself to try some outdoor runs when the weather improves a bit.
Linz has a social life that puts me to absolute shame; where she gets the energy to balance that, her crazy work schedule and personal training sessions is beyond me who spends most of her weekends lounging on the sofa like a Victorian maiden aunt.
Starfish : a fellow WWer who has lost a stunning amount of weight and does crazy things like surfing and riding bikes down very steep hills. I admire her bravery tremendously (again, from the refuge of my sofa).
And finally Jenny : this a food-ey blog rather than a diet-ey one. Check out the recipe index on this site, I promise you, you will want to cook practically all of them. She seems to be able to turn her hand to any sort of cuisine while catering for a family on a budget. I try and never read her posts while hungry.
But there is it, in all its glory – isn’t it pretty?
When I first started blogging, nearly two (two!!) years ago it was really just to amuse myself. I like food, I like writing about food, but I also had come to appreciate reading about all those women out there who, like myself, struggled with achieving a healthy body and a healthy lifestyle. I have always believed that it is possible to lose weight (or, indeed, maintain a healthy body weight) while eating nice food. I continue to believe that – even though I don’t always manage it.
It was always my intention that this blog be both a celebration of food and a meditation on why it is so many of us struggle with our weight. If you reject, as I do competely, the idea that you only get fat because you are stupid and lazy, then what does that mean (answers on a postcard please...)? I continue to tussle with the emotional side of weight loss and gain (that will be those navel gazing posts that I still inflict upon you from time to time). I also continue to work on eating as much tasty food as I possibly can. I am not sure if that makes me Versatile so much as vaguely Confused. Either way, I am very grateful to Lauren for thinking of me, and to everyone who stops by and reads this blog from time to time.
Now, I believe that I am supposed to nominate ten other people for this award, paying the love forward. I’ve picked five of the many wonderful blogs that I follow – so each of them can regard themselves as been twice blessed.
Peridot : I lurked on Peridot’s blog for a long time before plucking up the nerve to comment. She writes so beautifully and so truthfully about her weight loss and she has more willpower than anyone I have ever “met”. More than any other blogger I follow I want to give her a big hug. And then take her for a drink. Although since she is low carbing at the moment it would probably have to be a slimline tonic water.
Lesley : again, a really truthful blog. And with regards versatility, not only does she write incredibly well, but she takes the most amazing photographs. I’ve so enjoyed her recent posts where she takes her camera along with her when she goes out running, that I’ve almost, almost, convinced myself to try some outdoor runs when the weather improves a bit.
Linz has a social life that puts me to absolute shame; where she gets the energy to balance that, her crazy work schedule and personal training sessions is beyond me who spends most of her weekends lounging on the sofa like a Victorian maiden aunt.
Starfish : a fellow WWer who has lost a stunning amount of weight and does crazy things like surfing and riding bikes down very steep hills. I admire her bravery tremendously (again, from the refuge of my sofa).
And finally Jenny : this a food-ey blog rather than a diet-ey one. Check out the recipe index on this site, I promise you, you will want to cook practically all of them. She seems to be able to turn her hand to any sort of cuisine while catering for a family on a budget. I try and never read her posts while hungry.
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
Meal planning Monday - 6th February 2012
In weight loss news: I’m very pleased that I’ve managed to lose weight across both the weeks that I’ve been working away from home. Admittedly only half a pound this week, but considering I had very little control over my weekly meals, was out for dinner on Saturday night (sister in law’s 30 tenth birthday) and accidentally fell face down into a large bag of crisps on Sunday (I blame the weather), I’ll take it very gratefully. I’ve talked before about really struggling with “all or nothing” mentality when it comes to eating plans. These last two weeks have proved to me that if I stay focussed and make good decisions where possible I can still achieve some measure of success. And hurrah for that.
Now, what are we eating this week?
Well, we’re still trying to clear the freezer. The problem I have is that in order to use up one ingredient (say, a bag of frozen broad beans) I need to buy several other ingredients, some of which will probably end up in the freezer. I feel a bit like Sisyphus. I am determined that I will get it defrosted by the end of this month, so expect to see a lot of broad bean related meals over the next couple of weeks…
- Last night it was risotto – pancetta, pea and (yep) broad bean.
- Tonight – Cumin crusted tuna steaks with (you guessed it) broad bean and dill pilaf.
- Tomorrow – not a broad bean in sight! Salmon and pesto fishcakes, salad with a basil vinaigrette.
- Thursday – I’m not going to be home from work until quite late, so I’m dusting off the slow cooker and putting together a chicken and chickpea curry to be served with basmati rice and/or pitta bread.
- Friday – Not sure if D is in or out, but if he is in then I quite fancy some end of week indulgence with a spaghetti carbonara
- Saturday – Slow roasted spiced lamb, couscous with feta and mint and a spiced aubergine puree
- Sunday – Going to keep this quite light and serve a broad bean (they’re back!), mint and goats’ cheese bruschetta, possibly with some roasted tomatoes on the side.
As always, head over to Mrs M for more meal planning fun.
Saturday, 4 February 2012
Recipe Corner: Chunky pea and ham soup
One of D's 2012 resolutions was to get more vegetables into his diet. I know this partly because he has written it next to the pea soup recipe in February's Good Food magazine.
This suits me down to the ground because, as fellow devotees of Weight Watchers will know, most vegetables contain zero points and therefore can be consumed with impunity.
It turns out that we are not in any danger of becoming full blown vegetarians just yet though, as we seem to have a tendency to insert some sort of pig into every recipe we come across. Very few savoury dishes are not improved by the addition of bacon. Thus the "and ham" of the title.
This soup is scrumptious and despite it's healthsome contents doesn't feel too virtuous. Don't forget the basil - it works brilliantly with the peas here.
Ingredients
Tbsp olive oil
5 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 celery heart, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
5 leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced
200g frozen peas
850ml veg, chicken or ham stock
3 large handfuls fresh basil
150g cooked ham or gammon, shredded
Serves 4, 4 pro points per portion
Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the shallots and celery and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Next in are the leeks and garlic - allow them to soften for a further 5 minutes. Finally go the peas. Stir through the other veg then pour over the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the peas are cooked.
Transfer half of the soup into a blender with the basil and whizz into purée. Return it to the pan along with the shredded meat and stir through. Check for seasoning before serving.
The original recipe suggests garlic bread as a good side dish for this - we concur.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
January round up
Greeting from the wilds of Lincolnshire! And what a beautiful day it is too.
Hard to believe that the first month of the year is already behind us. How was it for you? January chez moi was rather quiet which actually worked out quite well as I was able to get my 2012 off to a healthy and relaxed start; I'm 9lbs lighter now then I was at the beginning of the year after another stellar (albeit rather unexpected) loss last week.
As someone who has been dieting on and off for most of their adult life, with varying degrees of success, I am very wary of ever saying "This time is different." So I won't. What I will say is that I feel extraordinarily relaxed. I think it's partly the fact that I'm not working towards a deadline (I WILL lose two stone by the summer / my wedding / my 30th birthday). And partly down to the fact as I get older I stop demanding 100% perfection from myself - one, two, three, a thousand slip ups - it's all good as long as you pick yourself up afterwards and continue forward with a cheerful step.
I think it also helps that we've eaten very well this month. I promise to share with you in very short order D's fantastic chunky pea and ham soup and also the delicious leek fritters that he made last Friday which came served with the brightest of green sauces. We had a belated Burns night supper at the weekend, which was lovely, and discovered that leftover haggis makes a fantastic toastie filling if chopped up and moistened with a touch of mayonnaise. I've rediscovered the joy of mackerel and made a mental note to have it on the shopping list more regularly. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've bought lunch rather than making use of my cute little lunch bag. And my wasabi pea addiction continues to rage, checked only by the fact I can't always get to M&S.
Here's to a fantastic February for us all.
Hard to believe that the first month of the year is already behind us. How was it for you? January chez moi was rather quiet which actually worked out quite well as I was able to get my 2012 off to a healthy and relaxed start; I'm 9lbs lighter now then I was at the beginning of the year after another stellar (albeit rather unexpected) loss last week.
As someone who has been dieting on and off for most of their adult life, with varying degrees of success, I am very wary of ever saying "This time is different." So I won't. What I will say is that I feel extraordinarily relaxed. I think it's partly the fact that I'm not working towards a deadline (I WILL lose two stone by the summer / my wedding / my 30th birthday). And partly down to the fact as I get older I stop demanding 100% perfection from myself - one, two, three, a thousand slip ups - it's all good as long as you pick yourself up afterwards and continue forward with a cheerful step.
I think it also helps that we've eaten very well this month. I promise to share with you in very short order D's fantastic chunky pea and ham soup and also the delicious leek fritters that he made last Friday which came served with the brightest of green sauces. We had a belated Burns night supper at the weekend, which was lovely, and discovered that leftover haggis makes a fantastic toastie filling if chopped up and moistened with a touch of mayonnaise. I've rediscovered the joy of mackerel and made a mental note to have it on the shopping list more regularly. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've bought lunch rather than making use of my cute little lunch bag. And my wasabi pea addiction continues to rage, checked only by the fact I can't always get to M&S.
Here's to a fantastic February for us all.
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Oh, frabjous day!
aka why you gotta keep the faith (as Bon Jovi so rightly said)
So, you may remember that this time last week I wrote a post all about how I was completely ok with the fact that, despite my bestest efforts, the scales were being a little bit stubborn about moving. And I wrote how I was being totally Zen (man) and that I trusted in the fact that if I kept on keeping on all would be well.
I am SO glad that I can report this week that I was right in every particular, because I don't know how long I would have been able to sustain that oh-so-sensible outlook. This week I lost three and three quarter pounds, bringing my total for January up to four. Which, at a rate of between one and one and a half pounds per week is absolutely perfect. I am very happy.
I am not just very happy because I have lost some weight. I am happy because I have done it with relatively little pain. I look back at what I have been consuming over the last couple of weeks and can honestly say that it has been tasty, enjoyable and it is a way of eating to which I am happy to adhere. That's the key, isn't it? Whether you want to lose weight or maintain weight, you can only do it in the longterm if you eat in a way that you enjoy and that fits in with your lifestyle. Hopefully when I'm back at home, I'll have time to blog a few more recipes - they have been a bit thin on the ground recently and I've got some dishes that I would really love to share with you.
So this week and next week, being away from home Monday to Friday, are going to be a little trickier. I am estimating points for everything I eat and hoping to fit a few swims in, and we'll see what happens. I know from experience that I can quite easily maintain when I'm out of my home environment and I'm hoping that by being extra vigilant and trying to cut down on a few extras that sneak in (like biscuits with afternoon coffee and wine with dinner) I can manage a small downwards drift. We'll see. It's all good (man).
So, you may remember that this time last week I wrote a post all about how I was completely ok with the fact that, despite my bestest efforts, the scales were being a little bit stubborn about moving. And I wrote how I was being totally Zen (man) and that I trusted in the fact that if I kept on keeping on all would be well.
I am SO glad that I can report this week that I was right in every particular, because I don't know how long I would have been able to sustain that oh-so-sensible outlook. This week I lost three and three quarter pounds, bringing my total for January up to four. Which, at a rate of between one and one and a half pounds per week is absolutely perfect. I am very happy.
I am not just very happy because I have lost some weight. I am happy because I have done it with relatively little pain. I look back at what I have been consuming over the last couple of weeks and can honestly say that it has been tasty, enjoyable and it is a way of eating to which I am happy to adhere. That's the key, isn't it? Whether you want to lose weight or maintain weight, you can only do it in the longterm if you eat in a way that you enjoy and that fits in with your lifestyle. Hopefully when I'm back at home, I'll have time to blog a few more recipes - they have been a bit thin on the ground recently and I've got some dishes that I would really love to share with you.
So this week and next week, being away from home Monday to Friday, are going to be a little trickier. I am estimating points for everything I eat and hoping to fit a few swims in, and we'll see what happens. I know from experience that I can quite easily maintain when I'm out of my home environment and I'm hoping that by being extra vigilant and trying to cut down on a few extras that sneak in (like biscuits with afternoon coffee and wine with dinner) I can manage a small downwards drift. We'll see. It's all good (man).
Monday, 23 January 2012
Meal planning Monday - 23rd January 2012
Really, there is very little meal planning going on this week. The reason? Once again, I’m abroad – by which I mean away from home rather than in an exotic location, teaching people how to be analysts. After two weeks which were successful in both a meal planning and a weight loss sense (more of that to follow in a later post) it is rather a blow to once again be in an environment where I have little control over what I eat. Poor D is left to keep the home fires burning with a fridge full of fresh soup, roast chicken leftover from yesterday’s fabulous Sunday dinner (if I do say so myself, I do a very good roast) and Christmas ham.
But there are still three dinners to be eaten at home.
- Friday – I am hoping to be presented with a chicken and bacon salad with crispy leek fritters. However, D may well be out gallivanting, in which case this will get bumped (possibly to Sunday?) and I’ll have something gloriously simple like a poached egg on toast – which believe me, I’ll need after a week of institutionalised force feeding.
- Saturday – I’m doing a belated Burns’ Night supper – haggis, neeps and tatties and a whisky cream sauce (probably made with half fat crème fraiche in an attempt to make it slightly more WW friendly).
- Sunday – Not sure here: could be bumped salad, or we could end up with leftover haggis: I quite fancy it pan fried and piled into soft white rolls with spicy chutney.
As always, head over to Mrs M’s for more meal planning fun.
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