Traditional English Christmas Cake

OK, I admit...this is not the most dietetic food out there....fruitcake laced with brandy, homemade almond paste (marzipan), and sickly sweet fondant icing but it's a Christmas tradition for us Brits and I feel that the labor intensity of making it burns enough calories to at least allow me a thin sliver of it, or a large one! lol!

In the good old days when I had more time on my hands I would make this cake a month before Xmas (stir up Sunday is the traditional day to make Christmas goodies) but time is a huge factor now, so I was overjoyed to find this simple fruit cake recipe on the BBC food website (www.bbcgoodfood.com)....it doesn't require overnight soaking of the fruit and has no suet (animal fat...yuk) in it unlike other, more traditional recipes.

Simmer and Stir Xmas Cake....you will need scales for weighing...baking really requires more precision than volume measurements.....try an online kitchen store or a large kitchen supplier.

Ingredients

175 gm butter, chopped
200 gm dark brown sugar
750 gm mixed fruits (glace cherries, mixed peel, raisins etc)
finely grated zest & juice of 1 orange
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
3.5 fl oz brandy plus more for pouring over
85 gm macadamia nuts
3 large eggs, beaten
85 gm ground almonds (I did this in the food processor)
200 gm all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 330 F.

Put the brandy, butter, sugar, fruit, zests, juice and 3.5 fl oz brandy in a large pan.
Bring slowly to the boil, stirring until the butter has melted then reduce the heat and let bubble for 10 minutes. Stir once in a while. Then let cool for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, line your 20 cm/8 inch cake pan (high sided) with parchment paper inside on the bottom and at the sides. (See www.bbcgoodfood.com for instructions on how to do this).

Toast the nuts in a dry frying pan (don't let them burn)and when they are cool, give them a rough chop.
Stir the eggs, nuts, and ground almonds into the fruit mixture in the pan and mix well. Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into the pan too. Stir gently until there are no traces of flour left.

Spoon the mixture into the cake pan and smooth it down evenly (use the back of a metal spoon dipped into hot water).

Bake for 45 minutes then turn down the heat to 310 F and cook for another hour to 1 1/4 hours until the cake is dark golden colored. Cover the cake with foil if it gets too dark. The cake is done when a fine skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Take the cake out of the oven and poke holes in it with a fine skewer. Leaving the cake in the pan, pour over about another 4 tbsps brandy and let it soak in. When the cake is cold, remove it from the pan taking off the parchment paper. Wrap the cake in clean baking parchment then in foil.

This cake should not be refrigerated (it's full of booze and sugar)..and it will keep in the pantry for about 3 months.

Will post the marzipan recipe next.......

Healthy, easy dinner...the power of the egg

 

Look at that picture! If that doesn't add color to your day then I don't know what will.....

This is just a quick, healthy dinner. You can either use whole eggs, egg whites, egg substitute or a mixture of any of them for the omelette base. There's been a lot of controversy over egg yolks and their high levels of cholesterol but I am here to tell you fear no more.....current research (and I agree with this) points to the high bioavailability of the protein from eggs as well as their abundance of vitamin E. However, the most important message is that it is saturated fat and your genetic make up that contributes to high LDL (bad) cholesterol, so go ahead and enjoy your eggs but remember the Dietitian's favorite phrase.....everything in moderation! Oh, BTW, watch the sodium content in egg substitute.....it can be high, especially if you are salt sensitive or have high blood pressure....

So, back to the food........feel free to vary your fillings for your omelette.
Some suggestions: tomato, shredded sharp cheese, roasted red peppers, diced ham, leftover cooked diced chicken or turkey, green onions, leftover roasted vegetables, cooked potato, olives, jalapeno peppers, cooked peas, mushrooms, low fat cottage cheese...........phew, that's quite a list!

Anyway, just add a healthy, brightly colored salad and you're ready to go!

Enjoy......


 

Creative ideas for leftovers

Are you sick of turkey yet? I know I am since I cooked a 12 pounder for just 2 of us......

So, I just made a vat load of turkey and rice soup from the turkey carcass......takes a bit of time to boil the bones etc and reduce the stock, but the flavor is well worth it! Before boiling the carcass with the veggies strip the meat into shreds and add it to the soup at the end of cooking.

Here goes:

Turkey Rice Soup
Stock:

Turkey carcass (skin and fat removed)
couple of celery stalks
2-3 carrots broken in half
1 onion (unpeeled) and cut in half
few black peppercorns
couple of dried bay leaves
parsley stalks
any other herbs you may have lurking in the frige post Thanskgiving
enough water to cover the carcass by about an inch

Place all of the above in a large stockpot. Allow to boil then turn the heat down to gently simmer it for about 2-3 hours or until the liquid is reduced by half.
Allow to cool a little bit by placing in a sink full of ice water then strain the liquid into a clean pan, discarding the solids. If you have time at this point, refrigerate the stock overnight and remove the fat that hardens on top before proceeding with the recipe below.

For the soup:

Finely chop an onion and sweat (cook without coloring) in about 1 tsp oil.
Then add about 3 diced carrots and 3 stalks diced celery and continue to cook for about 2 minutes.
Add dried bay leaves, plenty of dried thyme, and your strained turkey stock from step 1.
Hat to a roiling boil then add either 3/4 cup of rice of broken up spaghetti or small noodles and cook until tender.
Then add your shredded turkey meat, salt, pepper and chopped fresh parsey to taste and serve (see picture).

Definitely a good choice to keep in the fridge for a quick, warming meal (add bread and a salad) after a hard day's work.....

Light Pumpkin Pie Recipe

In honor of Turkey Day here is a slightly healthier Pumpkin Pie recipe......

Pumpkin is a great source of beta-carotene and has fiber too! It has some sugar in it but less than other recipes.....


Best Light Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients:

16 ginger snap cookies
16 oz can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup egg whites or egg white substitute
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups evaporated skim milk
2 tsps pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup Splenda

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F (325F if fan/convection.
Grind ginger snaps in a food processor or in a plasic bag with a rolling pin to fine crumbs.
Spray a glass pie plate with cooking spray and pat crumbs into the bottom of the pan.
Mix the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and pour into the crust.
Bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean (about 45 mins).

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice into 8 wedges and serve with low fat cool whip.

BTW.....this comes in at 151 calories per slice and nearly 3 grams of fiber. 1.6 grams of fat. Compare that to regular pumpkin pie (250 calories, 1 gram fiber, 24 grams of fat).

Enjoy!

Chicken with pomegranate and walnut sauce - easy!

This sweet and sour chicken recipe is courtesy of my friend Layla who made it for me a while back and it was excellent!
Unfortunately, I couldn't find pomegranate molasses near me, so I purchased 100% pomegranate juice and boiled it down to give a sticky syrupy sauce.

The picture is not mine, but one I found online. My camera battery died...so apologies....BTW, mine looked much nicer than the one pictured! (such modesty!)

Here's the recipe:-

Chicken with pomegranate and walnut sauce

Serves 4

4 chicken breasts (cut into 1" wide strips)
3 cups unsweetenend 100% pomegranate juice
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
2-3 packets Splenda


Rapidly boil the juice in a small pan until reduced to about 1.5 cups.
Meanwhile, gently poach the chicken in just enough water to cover until almost cooked.
Skim off any foam that forms.
Add the walnuts to the pan with the chicken and continue to cook for
about 5 minutes.
Add the reduced pomegranate juice to make the quantity of sauce you need/want.
Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

Serve with Crispy rice (thanks Layla!)

If you have leftover steamed rice (or cook it then use it) you can add a tsp or 2 of oil to a good non-stick high sided saucepan (not a skillet) and then add the rice to the hot oil. Reduce the heat and cover with a tea-towel wrapped lid (to absorb the steam) for about 10 minutes.
Place a dish or plate over the pan and invert it to serve...crispy side up!

Quick & Easy Mushroom Soup

After a long and smoke filled drive home last night due to the fires that are raging around SoCal I really didn't feel up to a lot of cooking but was starving (as usual)!

Decided to make a quick Mushroom Soup....it's incredibly easy and very yummy!

Quick Mushroom Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 oz mushrooms chopped finely (white, cremini - doesn't matter)
2 tbsps flour
2 tbsps light margarine or canola oil
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (low sodium)
1 cup fat free half and half or 1% milk (use the half & half for a richer soup)
squeeze of lemon juice
chopped parsley, croutons for garnish

Throw all the ingredients except the lemon juice and parsley into a saucepan. Bring to a slow boil stirring continuously. Then simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. Add lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste.

Serve garnished with parsley and croutons.

Yum!

Healthy mac n cheese...

Last Friday was a bit gloomy in the weather department so I decided to make macaroni and cheese for dinner. Of course, my recipe is slightly healthy (but yummy) but you can add extra cheese if you feel it's a bit too low in saturated fat! It's important to use extra sharp cheddar cheese for this dish so you can use less cheese.

Here's the recipe: (Serves 3-4)

1/2 box Barilla Plus Pasta (elbows)....I like this one, it has fiber and omega 3's.
2 cups 1% milk
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp dried mustard powder or ready made hot mustard
sprinkle freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper (white pepper if possible)
1 slice stale bread made into crumbs (whole wheat or white)
sliced tomatoes or cooked sliced zucchini (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than stated on the box (about 8 minutes).
Drain and set aside.
Heat the milk (minus 1/4 cup) in a saucepan until bubbles form.
Mix the cornstarch with the reserved milk to make a slurry then add to the warmed milk. Stir constantly until thickened.
Then add the mustard or mustard powder, grated nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste to the sauce. Stir to evenly distribute.
Add half the grated cheese to the sauce.
Tip the cooked pasta into the sauce and stir to evenly coat the pasta with sauce, then pour into a shallow oven proof dish.
Whizz the bread in a food processor or blender to make crumbs then mix with the remainder of the cheese and some extra nutmeg and pepper.

To make this extra healthy cook sliced zucchini until golden brown in frying pan with some cooking spray then arrange on top of the mac and cheese before adding the breadcrumb mixture. The tomatoes can be used raw (just pat them with a paper towel to remove extra moisture) in the same way.
Once the breadcrumb mixture is on top of the pasta and sauce place in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until the top is golden brown and the cheese melted.

Serve with a green salad on the side.

Finally! Pictures of NKB from my own kitchen.

Well, here it is! This was my first batch of No Knead Bread (NKB) and it was great! Had a crispy crust, a chewy texture inside, and a yeasty flavor! Excellent!
I have made it about 3 times since and I currently have a batch fermenting away on the countertop in the kitchen.
I cannot recommend that you try this recipe enough....best bread ever and all it takes is flour, water, yeast, and a bit of forward planning!
Thanks for the recipe Mark Bittman!

No Knead Bread

I found this recipe on the Steamy Kitchen blog. It was first printed in the New York Times a while ago but it sounds easy and the bread looks much more European style than the bakery bread I see around me. Another plus is that it doesn't cost a small fortune either!

This recipe takes a bit of time so try and get it started the night before you plan to eat it.

The photo is from the Steamy Kitchen blog but I am going to try it this weekend (if the temperature in SoCal drops below 100 F) and will post my pictures when I have them.






Here's the recipe:

No Knead Bread
adapted from Mark Bittman of NY Times who got it from Sullivan Street Bakery

Yield: one 1½ lb loaf
3 cups bread flour (or 1/2 cup whole wheat and 2 1/2 bread flour...extra fiber!)
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
3/4 tablespoon kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)
1 1/2 cups warm water
Covered pot (five-quart or larger cast iron, Pyrex, ceramic, enamel…something that can go into a 450F oven.) I have a Le Creuset dutch oven that should work well.

1. Mix dough: The night before, combine all ingredients in a big bowl with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together. It will be a shaggy, doughy mess. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 12-20 hours on countertop.

2. Shape & preheat: The dough will now be wet, sticky and bubbly. With a wet spatula, dump the dough on a floured surface. Fold ends of dough over a few times with the spatula and nudge it into a ball shape. You can use your hands if you like, just keep your hands wet so that the dough does not stick. Generously dust a cotton towel (not terrycloth) with flour. Set dough seam side down on top of towel. Fold towel over the dough. Let it nap for 2 hours. When you’ve got about a half hour left, slip your covered pot into the oven and preheat to 450F.

3. Bake: Your dough should have doubled in size. Remove pot from oven. Holding towel, dump wobbly dough into pot. Doesn’t matter which way it lands. Shake to even dough out. Cover. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover, bake another 15-20 minutes or until the crust is beautifully golden and middle of loaf is 210F. Remove and let cool on wired rack. If not eating right away, you can re-crisp crust in 350F oven for 10 minutes.

Best way to eat it? Smear a warm slice with some good butter (Kerrygold and Lurpac are both found in your grocery stores, usually on top shelf)

See....even Dietitians eat carbs! Especially when they taste this good!

Feel free to post pictures of your beautiful bread too!

Healthy burgers! Not an oxymoron...

Is there such a thing? Well, if you read general fast food restaurant nutritional analyses then the answer is a resounding "no"!
Most small hamburgers run around 400 to 500 calories and 15-40 grams of fat, most of it of the heart-clogging saturated kind and that's without the obligatory slice of processed cheese!

Well, fret no more because there is hope for finding a healthy burger and it exists in two forms:-

1. Buy a healthy frozen variety: turkey patties, Boca, Morningstar Farms, chicken and lime burgers from Trader Joe's.

2. Make your own from the leanest meat you can cope with. Even I have to admit (shock, horror!) that a small amount of fat is needed to keep the burgers moist but you can buy lean meat and moisten with a small amount of canola oil to make it more heart healthy. You can buy ready ground meat or purchase and grind it yourself if you have a grinder or a food processor that is up to the job. Meats can be beef, lamb, pork, chicken, or turkey or even veal, buffalo or bison.

If making burgers I always like to serve them on a whole wheat bun (around 200 calories but most have 5-9 grams of fiber of the 25-35 grams we should be eating daily) and add lots of veggies...spinach or lettuce, sliced onions and tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, and sometimes even shredded carrots or cabbage.

Burger ideas

Mix your ground meat of choice with the following:

A handful of flavorings....try mint with lamb, oregano or thyme with beef, cilantro and lime juice with chicken, cranberry sauce/cranberries with turkey, pesto and/or pine nuts with chicken, curry powder or paste and cumin with beef, lamb or ground poultry...the list is endless!

Then you can also add some extras such as:-

Roasted red peppers (fresh or jarred) cut into small dice.
Cubes of feta cheese.
Cooked onions.
Sauteed mushrooms.
Dried fruits.
Smoked chipotle chillis in adobo sauce.


Bind the meat with a beaten egg and some breadcrumbs if you like, season with salt and pepper and shape into patties using moistened hands. I like to refrigerate my meat for about 20 minutes before cooking to prevent the burgers from falling apart on the grill.
Grill until cooked to your liking (165 F for poultry) then toast the buns and serve with as many veggies as possible and some complimentary condiments....mustard, mayo (light), ketchup, thousand island (light), blue cheese dressing (light), cranberry sauce, hot sauce, peanut sauce, barbeque sauce etc......

Here's my latest creation....a chicken burger on a toasted whole wheat bun with lots of lettuce and tomato and some heart healthy fat from avocado. I made spicy lime mayo by mixing a small amount (1/4 tsp) of adobo sauce from the canned chipotle chillis with about a tsp of lime juice and a couple of blobs of light mayo....it came out nice and spicy!




If anyone out there in cyberspace has any other weird and wonderful burger ideas feel free to post them......I'm working on a Thai one with peanut sauce...watch this space!

Heart healthy fish....yum!

We all know that we don't eat enough fish and especially the oily kind that contains those heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids (they are called essential fatty acids because we have to ingest them, the body cannot make them) and omega 3's are thought to be helpful in lowering inflammation in the body which can't be a bad thing.....

Of course, you can always pop a pill...but why not branch out a bit and try my heart healthy sesame ginger salmon with baby bok choy recipe. It's quick, easy, and healthy and your heart will thank you!



Sesame ginger salmon with baby bok choy




Ingredients

1 3-4 oz salmon (pref wild) fillet per person.
Light sesame ginger salad dressing (I used Newman's Own).
Squeeze of lime juice.
Extra grated ginger if you like the kick.
Baby bok choy.
Garlic (crushed).
Low sodium soy sauce.
Sesame oil & sesame seeds (toasted) (optional).

Place the salmon and about 2 tbsps dressing in a Ziploc bag
Add the extra ginger and some crushed garlic if using along with a squeeze of lime juice.

Leave to marinate for about 30 mins.

Preheat a grill pan (or the barbeque) and sear the fish skin side down so you get some nice grill marks. Turn the fish over and cook only for a few minutes on the other side (we are aiming for moist, not dry fish).
Meanwhile wash the baby bok choy and saute in a little sesame oil along with some crushed garlic until crisp/tender then dress with a few dashes of low sodium soy sauce.

To serve: place the salmon on a bed of bok choy and sprinkle with a few drops to sesame oil and a teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds if you feel the need!

Carb Heaven!

Just to prove that I don't live on lettuce alone (I think my picture proves that too!!) here's a classic British recipe for those days when a) you really don't feel like cooking and b)you really need some gooey cheese and some fluffy baked potato.
As usual, it's a quick & easy dish and really has no recipe.



Baked Spud (Potato) with Beans & Cheese

1 large baking spud per person washed and wrapped in a paper towel
Baked beans (I like Heinz vegetarian ones)
Grated sharp cheddar

Bung the spud(s) in the microwave for about 10-15 minutes until they yield when squished.
Then throw in the toaster oven/oven at 375F until the skin crips up.

Then, nuke some beans.

Assemble thus so: place spud on plate, cut a cross in the top and open up.
Add some light butter or margarine if you feel it necessary (I did)!
Fill with beans then top with grated cheese.
Broil or nuke again until cheese melts.........

Sit down and enjoy.....
(If you eat the skin too, you get extra fiber in addition to that from the beans).

Serve with a side salad if you are feeling particularly healthy.....

Fiesta Chicken.......

After finding a half used bottle of salsa in the fridge that had already begun to ferment I decided I needed a recipe to use it up before it got into that sorry state, so Fiesta Chicken was born!

This recipe is quick, healthy, and the bashing of the chicken is very therapeutic....

Fiesta Chicken
Chicken breasts pounded to 1/2" thickness (1 per person)..I like to use a Ziploc bag and a rolling pin to bash them (makes less mess!)
Chipotle seasoning (I used Mrs Dash Southwest Chipotle)
Salt/pepper to taste
Canned chiles (green)
Black beans
Grated cheese (Pepper jack or Mexican blend is good)
Salsa
Sour cream (lite)
Avocado sliced or guacamole
Lime juice

Heat the barbie. Sprinkle your flattened chicken with salt, pepper and your choice of seasoning on both sides.
Sear on the grill to get cross hatched grill marks on one side only (2-4 minutes) then turn over and reduce the heat on the barbeque. The object is to cook the other side but without coloring it...want the chicken to be juicy, not like shoe leather!

Then pick up the chicken and place colored side down on a piece of foil on the barbie. Add green chiles, black beans, cheese and fold up the sides and top of the foil to make a parcel.
Cook on low heat until cheese melts and chicken reads 165F on a thermometer.

When ready, remove from foil if you want or serve it in the foil packet topped with salsa, sour cream, lime juice, and avocado/guacamole.

You could also sprinkle with some crushed tortilla chips, add shredded lettuce and/or corn...........

It was yummy!!! Def. will make again!

Forgot to add the picture for the last post! oops!

 

Hot weather approaching...cool salad recipe

Greetings!

It's getting hot out here in SoCal so after an hour or so's commute back from work in the High Desert, coupled with an a/c malfunction at work all I wanted was a nice cold fizzy glass of.......water and a healthy, cool salad.

This salad is WONDERFUL and was inspired by the classic prawn (shrimp) cocktail of ye olde Europe! lol! Actually, prawn cocktail is eaten with a mayonnaise/ketchup based sauce (often called Marie Rose sauce) in many other parts of the world which is totally different to the red horseradish sauce more traditionally seen here in the USA..........try it, you may like it...

Here's the recipe.

Suzanne's Prawn Cocktail Salad

Serves 1
1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 cup romaine (dark leaves only)
shredded carrot
shredded red cabbage
grape or cherry tomatoes halved
3 oz shrimp (about 9 medium) cooked tails on or off

Sauce
1/4 cup low fat mayo or Miracle Whip (I prefer MW)
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp mustard
lemon/lime juice to taste and to thin consistency so it's semi-drizzle-able (is that a word??)
white pepper

Pile salad stuff and shrimp onto a plate. Mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle over the top of the salad and sprinkle with a little paprika for a bit of colour.
Tuck in and enjoy!

Feel free to add hard boiled egg, cress, sprouts, beets or any other salad stuff to this.....even a few beans wouldn't go amiss. Even some cubed mango or peaches would give it a different twist.....

This is traditionally served with thinly sliced brown bread and butter.......a slice of whole grain bread and a bit of Smart Balance light spread is a healthy alternative tho'.........

Enjoy!

AWOL....Missing in the land of fish and chips!

One more apology.......this healthy eater has been missing across the pond on an impromptu family visit. However, the healthy eating title is somewhat of a misnomer when in the United Kingdom since I ate my way through plenty of pork pies, ruby murrays (curries to you non-Brits), yogurts containing more calories than a large Coldstone, and strange flavoured crisps (chips).....how does pickled onion flavour sound?



Anyway, now that I am returned to my rightful place I need to regain my healthy eating habits...so, if any of you cyber spacers need a few healthy recipes look no further than this blog.....it's belt tightening and gym going all round!

So, I know that woman cannot subsist on salads alone so here's a little impromptu soup recipe for you.......it's really tasty and easy and don't be put off by the grey-ish/green colour!! lol! As with all my recipes.........feel free to vary the quantities and vegetables as the whim takes you.

Faux cream of celery and parsnip soup

Ingredients
Onion...finely chopped
Potato...peeled and cut into small dice
Celery...one head cut up small
Parsnip.....peeled and cut into small cubes
Vegetable or chicken stock.....about 6 cups
Condiments to taste



Method
Sweat onion in a small amount of oil (olive or canola)until soft but not coloured.
Add stock, celery, parsnip, and potato....simmer until tender.
When cooked puree using a stick blender until smooth.
Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.



Serve with some croutons on top and a bit of chopped parsley.

BTW......studies suggest that eating soup before a meal fills you up and those in the study given the soup ingested less calories than those persons who did not eat soup. So, eat your soup!!

Easter delights!

Easter...time to eat chocolate eggs and things shaped like rabbits...

According to the BBC Food website, the Pennsylvania Dutch are said to have transported the traditions of the Easter egg and Easter bunny with them to the Americas. Their traditions also involved baking a large biscuit shaped to depict a rabbit in the act of laying an egg, but this cookie curiosity was gradually phased out due to persistant objections to the ambiguous imagery.

Anyway, since I try not to base my entire diet around chocolate I thought I would share a recipe with you that we traditionally ate at home on Good Friday.


Fish Pie



Ingredients (as usual, you can change the quantities, they're not set in stone)

12 oz white fish (skinless)
10 oz small to medium shrimp (raw or cooked)
6 oz salmon fillet (optional)
1 can tuna (optional)

1-1.5 pts (2-3 cups) low fat milk
1 small onion cut in quarters
4 cloves
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons flour
knob of butter
handful of fresh parsley (chopped)

handful of frozen peas (thawed)
3 hardboiled eggs
spinach chopped (optional)

mashed potato
shredded cheese (optional)


OK......first, put the fish in a pan and cover with the milk. Stick a clove in each onion quarter and add along with the bayleaf to the fish and milk. Bring to the boil (don't let it boil over) and simmer until the fish looks opaque. If you are using the salmon you can poach it at the same time.

When the fish is cooked, lift it out with a slotted spoon into the baking dish you are going to use and strain the milk through a sieve to be used to make the sauce.
Flake the fish in the dish, add the tuna if using and the thawed or raw prawns (they'll cook in the oven). Quarter the eggs and arrange in the dish with the fish, evenly spaced. If you are using the spinach also add it to the dish along with the peas. Now scatter around the chopped parsley in an artistic fashion...

Now for the scary bit..the sauce.....it's actually very easy...

Melt the butter in a non stick pan then add the flour and, stirring constantly, cook it for about 1 minute. Then gradually whisk in your reserved milk that you cooked the fish in. Boil the sauce, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Season with a bit of grated nutmeg if you like and some pepper (if you don't like black specks marring your pristine white sauce then use white pepper). Tada! White sauce!

Now just pour your sauce over the fish etc in the baking dish and then top with your mashed potato (for extra nutritional points you could use sweet potato or a mixture of the two). Use a fork to "rough up" the spud so it gets extra crispy in the oven.

Now, pop in a preheated oven @ 350 (325 fan assisted) for about 45 minutes adding the cheese to the top if desired about 10 minutes before the dish comes out of the oven. This is great served with some microwaved broccoli!

I'm back in the land of blogging!

Well, it's been so long I forgot how to access my blog! Spent nearly a month exploring the delights of South America and her culinary offerings. Such good steak and great wine....not too clever on the salad or vegetable front, but when in Rome...

Apart from the food, the scenery was amazing. I visted Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands. Even went around Cape Horn! The picture shows a strange ceremony that inducts those who sail around the Horn as true sailors. It involved the ship's captain and copious amounts of icy sea water! I was happy to be a passive observer.....brrrr!!

Anyway, expect a bit more activity in the near future.....please feel free to post if you have any recipe ideas or questions.....it's lonely blogging alone!

quick, easy, & healthy desserts!

 

I have to admit that I like desserts as much as the next toothless person, I just try and maximise the healthy parts and keep the fattening, suggary bits to a minimum......still has to taste good tho'.

The photo is fat free plain (natural) yogurt...I like Greek yogurt because it is really thick but you can use whatever yogurt you have on hand....drain it in some paper towel over the sink for an hour or 2 while you make dinner if you want a thicker consistency. To the yogurt I added sliced strawberries (fresh or frozen), pomegranate seeds (crunchy and juicy), some thinly sliced fresh mint, and....the piece de la resistance....warmed Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread). Just pop the jar in the microwave for 20-30 seconds so it goes a bit liquidy and then drizzle over your fruit/yogurt etc.

Alternatively, pop a couple of seedless clementines onto a square of foil...add liqueur (brandy, grand marnier, sherry), or apple/orange juice, some honey or brown sugar. Wrap up and bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes until softened.

 

Serve with frozen yogurt, low fat ice cream, or yogurt. As you can see from the photo, I added a drizzle of Nutella (I love the stuff...)and some crushed up rice cakes for crunch....
 

Yum! I know the Nutella looks a bit brown and clumpy in the photo but if you get it liquidy enough it will drizzle beautifully...I just didn't have the patience! A food stylist I am not!

Mouldy, wrinkly veggies!

1/21

I was rooting about in my salad drawer the other night and came across a couple of red peppers that were starting to look a little wrinkly around the edges...def. not salad material! So, I broiled them under the broiler and peeled off their skins then blitzed them up along with some other ingredients to make a Romesco sauce.....with some whole wheat spaghetti and a salad it was a dinner of champions......


Here's the recipe (unless I'm baking I quite like to wing quantities, but I'll do my best here to be fairly exact).....

Romesco sauce (quick and easy version)
2-3 roasted red peppers (you can use the jarred ones if you don't broil your own)
1 clove garlic, minced (feel free to use more garlic if you like it)
sliced almonds (1/4 cup)
1 slice toasted white bread, torn into pieces
olive oil (1/4 cup)
sherry vinegar (2 tbsps)...if you don't have sherry use whatever you have on hand
parmesan cheese to taste
pasta water or stock (chicken or vegetable) (1/4 cup)

Blitz all the ingredients in a food processor.......then heat gently in a large saute pan....then add the cooked pasta. Use extra pasta water to loosen the sauce as necessary and add extra parmesan to taste.

Serve with green leaf salad and crusty bread. You could also throw some peas into the pasta water for the last 1-2 minutes of cooking time for extra color and nutrition.....

The peppers in this recipe provide lycopene ....a potent antioxidant, both vitamin C & A. The almonds provide vitamin E,also an antioxidant. Garlic is part of the allium family and is thought to provide a protective effect against certain cancers.

Enjoy!

Eating out and its pitfalls!

1/12/07

I had the good fortune to be taken out for lunch on Wednesday to save my poor work worn fingers from having to go through another round of vegetable chopping...
As you are well aware, it's a minefield of unhealthy food out there, people! There's fat and sugar hidden in things you wouldn't believe....

I visited a Brazilian Churrasceria (that's barbeque to us) where they have the meat on the skewers and bring it around to your table! Yum! This particular restaurant had some turkey and chicken but it was mostly red meat......however, do not despair, all foods can fit into a healthy eating plan and red meat is a good source of protein as well as heme-iron. As you can see from my plate, even Dietitian's eat red meat!
Of course, being the healthy eater that I am I also loaded up on salad and got stuck into that before I started on the meat-fest. However, all was not totally healthy...they do a great desert of a banana rolled in cinnamon sugar and cooked. I say cooked because I am am hoping it was baked but it was probably fried! But, back to my theory about all foods fitting into a healthy diet....I only ate 1/2 of one! Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of it...just gives me an excuse to go back there!


So, after a big lunch I just wanted something light for dinner, so made one of my signature salads. I really like fruit in my salad and try and mix up different combinations...some work really well and some don't do so well together. Here are some that work really well:

Spinach, fat free crumbled feta, mandarin oranges (canned in juice) or fresh, home made light candied walnuts, and a raspberry or light honey mustard dressing.

Chopped flat leaf parsley (not the curly kind) used like lettuce..so plenty of it, shredded carrots, chopped pear, dried cherries, and a lemon juice/light olive oil dressing.

Romaine lettuce, diced apple, celery, raisins or dried cranberries, cooked chicken breast, with balsamic vinegar & lemon olive oil. Or you can make it more of a Waldorf salad and thin out some light mayo for a creamier dressing.

Spinach, pomegranate seeds, chopped mint leaves, mango slices, and cooked diced chicken breast with pomegranate vinegar and olive oil dressing. Throw on a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts and enjoy!

The picture shows below shows my last creation......very tasty and healthy too!


Anyway, enough for now.....off to the gym. Look for a recipe for healthy candied nuts in the next few days......

Healthy dinner...easy soup recipe

Here goes the first recipe of many, I hope!

It's a mild curry flavored soup made with red lentils, which you can get from Asian/Arabic markets or health food stores (Clarks Nutrition in Loma Linda for sure) or you can use small white beans instead. Either way, both are full of fiber (not more fiber, you groan) and curry has been suggested to have anti infective and anti cancerous properties. Either way, it's really tasty......have a look at the picture...I garnished it with lime slices, a bit of natural yogurt and some fresh mint leaves and served it with some naan bread (an Indian bread...available fresh or frozen from Trader Joe's).


Curried lentil soup (inspired by a recipe from BBC Food)

Ingredients

1 tbsp curry paste (you can use curry powder if you don't have paste, just add 1 tbsp canola oil when you fry the onion etc)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1.5 in piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds (cumin powder is ok if you don't have seeds to hand)
2 cups red lentils or canned white beans (rinsed)
2 1/2 pints chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup golden raisins (regular raisins can be substituted if nec.)
1 lime, grated rind and juice
salt and pepper
fat free natural yogurt, chopped fresh mint, pita or naan bread to serve

Method

Put curry paste or powder and oil along with onion, garlic, cumin & ginger in a large stock pot and cook gently for about 4 minutes, stirring.

Add lentils or beans and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add golden raisins to the pot and cook gently for another 10 minutes. Then add the lime rind and juice, salt and pepper as necessary (or as your diet allows!)

Ladle into bowls and dollop with yogurt and mint. Serve with warm pitas or naans.

Serves about 4.

Breakfast of champions!

1/9/07

Here it is! Breakfast of champions.......McCann's Oat Bran made with half water, half 1% Sunmilk, sweetened with Splenda and topped with blueberries (the frozen ones.....they're just as good as fresh, unsweetened) and a sprinkling of bran for extra fiber. It's quick and easy.....mix the cereal with the liquid, microwave for 1 1/2 minutes, stir and eat!
The Oat Bran has 4 gm fiber per serving and the blueberries around the same. So, I've just ingested about 1/3 of my day's fiber needs in my first meal! Not bad, eh? BTW...daily fiber requirements are between 25-35 gm per day. This may be a healthy breakfast, but it also tastes great, which is a requirement for me. I like to eat well but it has to taste good and fill me up!

Look out for a nice easy, healthy soup recipe later.

January...time for some inspiration.

1/8/07

It's that time of the year again.......after the gluttony of the holidays comes the need for some healthy eating and the removal of the spare tire that has somehow attached itself around the waistband of your jeans.

You've read the magazines, seen the celebrity shows, and lived off cabbage soup for 4 weeks at a time (ok, with the odd trip to Burger King while, ahem, "sleeping"). So, aren't you just a little bit sick of being told what you should be eating when you know those doing the preaching are not living on lettuce leaves and iced water? If that's the case then this blog is for you!

Come and live the life of a dietitian vicariously. See what we actually eat when we are not preaching the gospel according to 5-a-day.

It will be real....pictures and recipes will abound, but fear no more the wrath of those who preach....for you will be in the inner sanctum, warts and all! There will be plenty of veggies but you may see the odd fried Milky Way recipe (NOT)!

Come on in, the veggies are crunchy!