Saved the best for last...Coconut Panna Cotta

This is a yummy dessert.  Especially if you or your dining companion is not into chocolate....few and far between I know!
Panna Cotta means cooked milk and that's what it basically is.
I stole this recipe from BBC Good Food but had to give it the RD touch....don't need all those calories, even for valentine's day.  I couldn't do full fat milk per the original recipe and the sugar content was too high.
Here's the lightened version...enough for 4 small ramekins or 2 large ones!

Coconut Panna Cotta

Split a vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds into a saucepan.  Add the empty pod along with 1 can coconut milk and 1/2 can (use empty can to measure) low fat milk plus 1/4 cup sugar (I used raw bit use what you have on hand...it's V Day for goodness sake!)
Heat the mixture stirring until warm then whisk in 1 envelope powdered gelatins or add 3 sheets soaked gelatins leaves and stir.  DO NOT BOIL!  Once lump free add to your ramekins and place in fridge until set...about 2 hours.
To serve run a knife around the edge and invert onto a serving plate.  Decorate with choccie sauce or fresh berries and mint leaves or a pineapple salsa with chillies...the options are endless!

Soy and garlic pork tenderloin

Marinate 2 small tenderloins overnight with 2 tsps crushed garlic and 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, turning once in a while.
When ready to cook heat barbecue or pan and add pork and colour on all sides then reduce heat and cook until thermometer reads 150 F.  Let rest for 15 minutes then slice on the diagonal and serve with the reduction.

Cherry Balsamic Reduction

Mix liquid from can or jar or sour cherries with 1 tbsp cornflour and bring to the boil along with 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar.  Whisk and boil until thickens then add 1/2 jar or can sour cherries.  Add more vinegar to taste.

Serve with pork sliced and sauce drizzled around along with asparagus.

Desert recipe to follow

Valentine's Menu

Prawn Cocktail
Garlic Soy Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Balsamic Reduction
Steamed Asparagus
Coconut Lanna Cotta with fresh fruit

Prawn cocktail is traditionally served at xmas in the UK.  It (along with the rest of this menu) is super easy and quick to prepare).  First, defrost some ready cooked prawns then add to a bed of shredded romaine lettuce.  Then make up some Rose Marie or prawn cocktail sauce.

Prawn Cocktail sauce

1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup mayo
2 tbsp chilli sauce
Squeeze lemon juice
Cayenne or paprika to taste

See photo for assembly ideas.

Yummy Brussels Sprouts! Ha Ha!

Now, I know that many people would not dream of putting the word "yummy" in association with that dreaded smelly, greyish coloured cruciferous vegetable that is the sprout.  However, never fear, the Dietitian is here to change all that!

I was given the job of  vegetable making for Thanksgiving and wanted to do Brussels sprouts that were tasty yet healthy.  So, this is what I came up with.


Yummy Brussels Sprouts  (Serves 4-6)


1 1/2 lbs (ish) Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthways
3 rashers smoked bacon (or pancetta, or Canadian bacon, or no bacon for vegetarians)
1 large onion thinly sliced
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
3 tbsps fresh parmesan 
1 tsp balsamic vinegar


Begin by blanching the sprouts in boiling water for about 3 minutes then remove them with a slotted spoon to an ice water bath to "shock" them and retain their bright green colour.  Drain into an oven proof dish.
Cut the bacon into small strips and pan fry until crisp.  Remove and drain.
Fry the onion in the same pan, using the remaining bacon fat, until soft and brown and sticky.  A pinch of salt will help with this process.  Towards the end of the cooking time add the balsamic vinegar.
Scatter the now caramelised onions around the sprouts then sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and parmesan and brown under a hot grill until crispy.
Before serving scatter with the crispy bacon.


This dish can be made in advance without the topping and heated in a 350 F oven with foil until sprouts are hot.  Then brown under the grill as before.


Makes a great side dish for Christmas too!  Some dried cranberries and/or chestnuts would also be a festive addition.

BTW.....cruciferous vegetables are thought to have anti cancerous properties....they contain the antioxidant group isothiocyanates....

End of Summer Salad

Here is another of my non-recipe recipes! Since we are fast sliding into fall weather here in Ca I decided to use the last of my ripe produce and some great leafy greens to make a healthy and tasty salad.
I've long been a fan of fruit in salad (no, not the stuff your grandmother used to make with Jello and canned fruit..yuk!) ....real fruit with dark greens for vitamins and minerals. So, I often just use what I have on hand.

This is what I had on hand for this salad...

Arugula
Baby spinach
Chopped ripe mango (peach or nectarine would work well here too)
Parmesan cheese (the real stuff.....shards of it)
Diced white onion
Toasted walnuts

Quantities to your liking, of course!

I then whipped up some simple dressing using dijon mustard, lemon olive oil, white wine vinegar, pinch of sugar and some white pepper et voila!

Try it, you'll like it!

Chilled Oatmeal Recipe

I hang out once in a while at the Corner Bakery Cafe. They have a pretty good chilled oatmeal that I like but feel is a little calorie laden and could do with the RD touch.
So, I browsed a few online recipes then came up with my own.
I made it last weekend and there was a LOT! So, depending on how many you want to feed and how many days you can face eating it, portion accordingly.

Recipe (Serves about 8 1 cup portions)

3 cups rolled oats (not quick cook)
2 cups almond, soy, fat free evaporated or non fat milk
1/2 cup water
2 6 oz cartons fat free or light vanilla yogurt
1 tsp vanilla and/or almond extract
sprinkling of cinnamon or nutmeg or both!!
Splenda or honey or agave syrup to sweeten as necessary
1/2 cup assorted dried fruit (I did apricots, golden raisins and dried cherries, all chopped up small)
Grated or chopped green apple and sliced toasted almonds to serve


This is easy peasy. Stir together oats, milk, water, essences, yogurt, spices and dried fruits. Cover and chill in the fridge for about 2 hours to let flavours develop. You may need to add more liquid depending on your preference. Taste and sweeten as desired then portion into bowls with apple and almonds. As you can see from the pictures, I also added berries. You can also add wheat bran and/or ground flax if you like.......

A great brunch treat and stress free!

Citrus Almond Olive Oil Cake

It's been a while since I've clacked away on the old keyboard, at least on my blog. However, I've been keeping very busy on the healthy eating front and have made so many great recipes that I haven't had the time to ph0tograph and blog about them!!

Anyway, I did manage to take a picture of my cake....after most of it was devoured. It really is very good, in spite of the somewhat strange ingredient list and it uses heart healthy olive oil and alm0nds and a good blast of lemon juice for much needed Vitamin C in these cold and flu ridden times!

Take a look at the recipe and then go and make it!!

Citrus Almond Olive Oil Cake

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour plus 2 tbsps flour for dusting
3/4 cup ground almonds or hazelnuts or walnuts
4 eggs
1 cup sugar (i used raw sugar as that's what I had, not brown though)
zest of 2 lemons (preferably Meyer...more orange/lemon flavour)
juice 1 1/2 lemons
2 tbsps orange blossom water (look for this at middle eastern markets)
3/4 cup nice green extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup milk
1 tbsp baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Put some olive oil on a paper towel and use it to grease an angel food cake pan or bundt pan. Then dust the inside with the flour to coat the surfaces of the pan. Tip out excess.

2. In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat sugar and eggs until pale yellow and a bit foamy.....about 1 minute.

3. Add all other ingredients, except the baking powder, and stir until mixed with a wooden spoon. When well combined add the baking powder and stir again until mixed.

4. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes or until brown on top and a skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out clean.

5. Cool on a wire rack in the pan until it shrinks away from the sides then tip upside down to remove.

Can be served as is or with ice cream (orange blossom water or honey ice cream would be good....no time to make!!)...we ate it with a cup of tea and it was delicious!
Rose water or coconut flavouring could be substituted for the orange blossom water or even coconut milk instead of the milk and lemongrass instead of the lemon zest.......
The possibilities are endless!!

Enjoy!!