weight loss, a slimming Christmas

 

WEIGHT LOSS - 80.6kg - see diary of a food addict 

 

 

 

 

HAVE YOURSELF A VERY HEALTHY CHRISTMAS AND A GUILT FREE NEW YEAR

 

Has your brain turned to mush and your digestive system to slush?  Do you feel you have just been through a tumble drier?  Is your greatest desire to just lie around like a beached whale watching the cricket? Do you find yourself taking naps in the afternoon? 

 

Have your eyes deteriorated so much that you have trouble reading the scales – your weight couldn’t have gone up that much?  Is your fridge full of left-overs you feel obliged to eat?  Is your laundry full of empties and your garbage bin overflowing?  Does the thought of eating another piece of chocolate make you want to throw up? 

 

Then you have chrismasitis – a common complaint at this time of year.  You have overindulged in sweet, fatty food and alcohol.  

 

You have suffered a health set-back, every part of your body is suffering.  It will take time and a lot of effort to recover but hopefully you will avoid the onset of diabetes, heart disease, obesity and depression that can sometimes accompany this condition. 

 

Tips for avoiding christmasitis and having a healthy Christmas and guilt free New Year next year are given below.

 

SNACKING

Avoid snacking as much as possible because high fat, high sugar snack foods can do much more damage to your aim for a healthy holiday period that your actual Christmas dinner itself.  Banish chips and sweets and the like from your house and instead enjoy healthy dips (hummus, beetroot and low fat sour cream, low-fat yoghurt, cucumber and dill, purred beans and spices) with vegetable sticks instead of crackers.  Try Japanese crackers and wasabi peas instead of the normal snack food.  Nuts, while fattening in large quantities, have lots of health benefits, especially if you buy whole nuts which are not salted and take time to crack open.  For a sweet snack try dates, dried fruit, strawberries dipped in dark chocolate, and fruit of all kinds.  Cherries are great at this time of year.

 

DRINKING

Alcohol packs a punch in more ways than one.  Do yourself a favour and only drink moderately over Christmas.  For every glass of alcohol you drink try drinking a glass of water, soda water, mineral water or low-joule soft drink in between.  Try out wine and champagne that has had the alcohol removed but still tastes like a real drink.

 

TAKE THE LOW-JOULE OPTION

Often the main components of a Christmas meal are not particularly fattening if eaten in moderation – turkey and ham are not particularly high in joules if you avoid eating their fat, roast vegetables are not that bad for you if not saturated in fat, salads should be good for you if not wallowing in high fat dressings.   So reduce the fat and sugar load on your body by taking advantage on lower joule options such as reduced fat mayonnaise, dressing, yoghurts, cream, sour cream, cream cheese, cheese, custards, ice creams etc.  Instead of a full-blown seafood sauce try a low joule one or skip it altogether and just have a squeeze of lemon or lime.

 

SWAP TRADITIONAL FOR SEAFOOD

Seafood is a wonderful luxury to indulge in at Christmas time and it comes pre-cooked so that you don’t have to sweat over a hot stove when it is over 30°C outside.  It is good for you too providing you don’t swamp it with high-joule sauces and butter.  Just serve with a twist of citrus and a light dressing if needs be.  Try poaching a fish or serving prawns in an ice bowl so they stay fresh and sweet. 

 

MAKE VEGETABLES THE HERO OF THE MEAL

At Christmas we tend to buy mountains of protein which is fine if you are spending summer in Antarctica but we don’t need to eat a whole turkey or ham to get us through the winter.  Buy a smaller sized ham and turkey than you think you will need – then you won’t be feeding prime cuts of meat to the dog or feeding king prawns to the cat.  Dried up turkey breast is pretty unappealing on Boxing Day and after a week of eating ham you never want to touch it again.  Even Bridget Jones turned her nose up at curried turkey.  Try making vegetables a real feature of your meal.  But don’t load them down with fattening sauces.  Try parboiling your roast vegetables then crisping them up in a hot pan with just a little oil in the bottom.  Drain the on paper towel before serving.   Use an oil spray to get good coverage without saturating the food with fat.  Try the following ratio – three vegetables (including salads) to two starchy foods (potatoes, rice, pasta etc) to one protein (eg. roasts, fish, seafood, ham).  For desserts try three fruit to two of dessert (eg pudding) to one indulgence (eg. cream, chocolate etc).

 

SPREAD IT OUT

Instead of eating all your favourite foods on Christmas Day, and stuffing yourselves silly, indulge in them moderately over three or four days of celebrating. It will reduce your stress levels for one thing because your cooking and serving will be simplified and it will also be much easier on your digestive system.   For example, have a roast turkey by itself for one meal with a few roast vegetables.  You will appreciate its flavour a lot more.  Have a baked ham and salad another day, and seafood on yet another day.

 

GO EASY ON HIGH-JOULE INDULGENCES

Desserts, cheeses, chocolates and other treats are usually high energy foods which can quickly pack on the kilograms.  Try to reduce their impact by only eating small amounts of them.  Reduce the impact of desserts on your waistline and digestive health by substituting lower-joule options.  For example, use a low-joule sugar substitute when making desserts including cakes and puddings, use lower fat creams, use low-joule yoghurt and low-joule custards instead of cream, try low-joule jellies with luscious fruit.  Use lots of natural fruit in your desserts and only a serve a small portion of the indulgent component of the dessert course.  Fill up the cheese platter with lots of nuts, dried and fresh fruit rather than a pile of cheese.  Lower-fat cheeses are now available and try substituting a hard cheese with a herbed ricotta.  For sweet things that go with coffee try using indulgences that really pack a punch for their size because they are packed with flavour (for example chocolate coated coffee beans, very dark chocolate, strawberries dipped in dark chocolate, glacé fruit cut up into cubes, use diabetic sweets instead of ones loaded with sugar).

 

GO FOR A WALK

After every meal go for a walk it is pleasantly relaxing and gets rid of some of the kilojoules gained by over-indulging.   Try some more vigorous exercise to burn off unwanted kilojoules – cricket,   badminton, throwing frizzbies, swimming, volleyball, etc will help a great deal and are great fun.  Build them into your Christmas entertainment program.

 

Give your body a present next Christmas – eat well, play well.



snowflakes and icicles Christmas theme

Snowflakes and icicles

make a good theme for Christmas celebrations - see the tab Special Occasions for more details

Weight loss - 81.0kg this week - See Diary of a Food Addict

rhubarb, weight loss

Weight loss - 81.7kg - See diaryof a food addict

weight loss

Weight loss - 81.2kg and still going down.
See Dairy of a Food Addict Tab for more


Weight Loss Tip

Going for a walk on an empty stomach will help you lose weight more effectively than if you eat your breakfast and then go for a walk.  But make sure you have a cup of coffee (preferrably black) before you set out as it increases the effectiveness of exercise in burning up the kilojoules.

cold soups, weight loss, weight loss tip,

Weight Loss - 81.7kg - see diary of a food addict

 

Weight Loss Tip - When eating at restaurants or with friends you need to steer a fine line between overindulging and being a kill-joy.  Here are some tips. 

• If nibbles are served before a meal don't have any - no one will notice. 
• Order smaller portions or serve yourself small portions if you can. 
• Leave fattening food on your plate eg. if cake is served with cream, eat a sliver of cake and leave the cream. 
• Don't eat everything on your plate - it is not compulsory. 
• When eating in a restaurant try out the healthy vegetarian options. 
• After dinner give the cheese and chocolate a miss remember - it is an optional extra.

 

TRY COLD SOUPS AS A COOL STARTER 

 

 

;">Try cold soups for a stunning starter

 

 

 

Are you starting to think about what to serve at Christmas lunch?  Sometimes in Australia it is just too hot to even think about cooking.  Don’t worry as cold soups are an ideal way to tempt the palate.  They are refreshing and tasty, use fresh summer vegetables and can be made in a flash.  The texture, colour and garnishing of cold soups is very important to make the dish appetizing.  Here are some suggestions.

Gazpacho

This is a traditional cold salad soup from Spain.

 

Coarsely chop a couple of Lebanese cucumbers; about six lovely ripe red tomatoes (that have been skinned by pouring boiling water over them and then leaving them for a minute before peeling); a large red onion; and medium-sized green capsicum.  Place in a large bowl with a couple of crushed garlic cloves and about 200g of torn up Italian or French bread with crusts removed. 

 

Add about a litre of water (vary the amount to get the thickness you like) and half a cup of some good quality red wine or sherry vinegar, a dash of Tabasco sauce and a pinch of salt.  Mix thoroughly and then blend in a food processor until the soup still has a coarse texture but is not lumpy. 

Refrigerate overnight if possible to allow the flavours to mingle.  Before serving whisk in up to half a cup of extra virgin or light olive oil (for a milder flavor) until the soup is still piquant but not too harsh.  For a stronger tomato flavour just stir in a couple of teaspoons of tomato paste.

 

Serve with a garnish of bread cubes fried in olive oil, finely chopped onions, cucumber and green capsicum, or drizzle with pesto, or add a dob of sour cream and shredded basil.

 

Cacik

This is a cold yoghurt and cucumber soup from Turkey but is so refreshing that versions of it appear in lots of other places.

Grate 2 or 3 Lebanese cucumbers or 1 or 2 long cucumbers that have been peeled and seeded.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and leave for an hour, then rinse and squeeze gently to get rid of the excess moisture.  You can leave this step out if you don’t mind a slightly more watery soup.

 

Whisk one litre of Greek style yoghurt until smooth then gently stir in the cucumber and 1 ½ teaspoons of good quality white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of extra virgin oil, 1½ teaspoons of finely chopped fresh mint and ½ teaspoon of finely cut fresh dill and a pinch of salt. 

 

To try a Bulgarian variation, called Tarator, leave out the mint and blend a couple of garlic cloves and a cup of walnuts in a food processor and add it to the soup.  Adjust the seasoning of the soup to taste and refrigerate until cold.

Cold Borscht

Borscht is a hot soup favourite from Northern Europe.  It is even better cold.

For a really quick version simply drain a tin of shredded beetroot (keep the juice) or julienne sliced canned beetroot.  Add it to a packet or tin of beef or chicken consommé or good stock, add some of the juice from the can to ensure that the soup has some piquancy but is not too harsh. Add water if the soup is too thick.  Season and chill in the refrigerator.  Garnish with a dob of sour cream and chopped chives or dill.

Alternatively, bring about 500g of peeled, grated fresh beetroot to a boil in a litre of cold water and boil for 10 minutes.  Add 1½ tablespoons of good red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and a flat teaspoon of sugar, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.  Allow to cool.  Taste for seasoning and then add a little lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and sugar to suit your taste.  If too sweet add some Worcestershire sauce or Tabasco. Stir in some sour cream or leave it for diners to add their own.

 

Offer bowls of garnishes to go with the soup such as: chopped hard boiled eggs, cubes of cooked potato, sliced radishes, cubes of cucumber, thin slices of lemon, chopped cooked prawns or sliced dill pickles.

Vichyssoise

This French cold potato and leek soup is rich and delicious.

Gently sweat 4 sliced leeks, a sliced stick of celery and 2 cloves of garlic in some light olive oil in a heavy based casserole dish until the leek is transparent.  Do not let the mixture brown in anyway.  Add four peeled and cubed medium-sized potatoes (use varieties that mash well such as desiree) and stir for a few minutes.  Barely cover with water, add seasonings and a bay leaf and a sprig of thyme if you wish.  Simmer until the potato is soft.  Allow to cool a bit, remove herbs and puree in the food processor.  If you like really smooth vichyssoise than press the potato mixture through a sieve or food mill.  Refrigerator the soup until it is very cold.  Stir in up to a cup of cream for a really rich soup, adjust seasoning and thickness, and garnish with some fresh chives, or strips of roasted red pepper.

 

Hideg Meggyleves

This 17^th century Hungarian soup is a delicious way to start a meal to celebrate a special occasion. 

Bring about 800ml of water to boil in a medium sized saucepan with up to a cup of sugar, and a stick of cinnamon.  Add about 2 cups of stoned sour cherries or canned sour cherries (if the cherries are sweetened you might like to reduce the amount of sugar you add to the water).  Partially cover the saucepan and simmer the contents for around 30 – 40 minutes if fresh and 10 minutes if canned.

Remove the cinnamon stick.  Mix 1 tablespoon of arrowroot with 2 tablespoons of water to give a smooth paste and beat into the cherry soup and cook without boiling until the soup thickens.
 

Refrigerate until cold and just before serving stir in up to a cup of dry red wine or a cup of reisling with a dash of brandy.  Then stir in thick cream or sour cream to taste, garnish with grated lemon rind and serve.

Enjoy these refreshing dishes on a hot day or any day for that matter.

weight loss and tips

Weight loss - today I weighed 82.4kg  which is up a little on two weeks ago but a lot better than 83.7kg I was last week after holidaying in tropical Queensland and eating whatever I liked.  (see Diary of a Food Addict tab for more confessions)

Weight loss tip 1 - don't think of weight loss as going on a diet, instead think of it as eating in a healthy and sustainable way and to exercise to feel energised.  Something that you will want to do for the rest of your life despite the occasional blip.

Weight loss tip 2 - start off slow and gradually increase the amount of exercise you do as you lose weight.  It takes a while for your body to get use to a new way of eating and exercising.  Give yourself time - lots of it.  Just by eating a bit better and exercising a bit more you  have achieved a lot.

Weight loss tip 3 - Don't expect your weight loss to be smooth.  There are a whole lot of factors that affect your weight besides eating and exercise.  For example fluid retention can make a big difference.  Your weight will oscilliate even when you have been very very good.  Try upping the ante with a bit more activity.

spring quiches, weight loss,

Spring Quiches - see Spring 3 tab for how to make quiches using a variety of ingredients.
Weight loss - 82.1kg but I did make it below 82kg this week so I am happy.

Waste Not Tip, weight loss

Waste Not Tip
See Pantry Spring Cleaning under NO WASTE TAB

Weight Loss - 82.2kg  See Diary of a Food Addict

Cream puff pastry, weight loss, waste not tip, ethical eating tip

Weight loss - 82.3kg  900g loss in one week - see diary of a food addict tab

Waste not tip - if you need lemons or oranges for juice don't throw away the skins.  There are a number of things you can do with them.  Zest the skins before you cut the fruit, put the zest in a snap lock bag and freeze it.  It can be add to all sorts of dishes and used as a garnish.  Remove the pith from the rind and slice the rind into thin slices and cook it slowly in syrup to give you crystalised peel that can be used in many different ways.  Freeze halves of oranges and lemons after removing their flesh and use them to hold sorbet or icecream for a nicely presented dessert.

LINKS
The Good Taste magazine has some interesting online articles on more taste, less waste at
http://www.taste.com.au/good+taste/article/good+life/more+taste+less+waste,430

Ethical eating tip - become a vegivore.  A vegivore is someone who eats meat occasionally but does not see it as central or even essential to a meal.  They enjoy eating lots of other things as well
such as grains, fruit and vegetables.  I have become one without even realising it.  See Food Philosopy tab for more details on this very healthy and ethical approach to eating.

All puffed up and delicious
See Spring 2 tab for more on cream puff pastry or pate a choux

raised vegetable beds, weight loss

Lost one kilogram - now 83.7kg

Home made dog food

 

 

Make your own pet food

 

Cooking for your pets has a number of benefits.  You can feed them nutritious food that they love to eat, you know exactly what they are eating, you save money and you can package up meal portions and freeze them.  Both my dog and cat love the recipe given below.  I also give them chicken necks for calcium and some good quality dog and cat biscuits to make sure they get everything they need.

 

Most dogs are quite happy to eat vegetables but they should be cooked to make them digestible.  Despite the fact that dogs like scavenging and eat all sorts of things including cow manure, they are essential carnivores so don’t give them too much carbohydrate.   Although occasional treats of human food such as cheese or boiled eggs are enjoyed by dogs some foods we eat quite happily can make dogs quite ill.  Avoid feeding your dog chocolate, anything that contains caffeine, onions and garlic, grapes and raisins, macadamia nuts and walnuts, fruit pips and seeds, because they can contain toxins. 

 

Be careful not to feed your dog too much fatty, oily or sugary food, spicy leftovers, cooked bones and watch out for raw bones that tend to splinter.  I give my dog an occasional raw egg yolk and use the white for something else as too many raw whites are not good for dogs.

If you only feed your dog home-cooked food like the recipe I have given you may need to add calcium and other supplements.  It is a good idea to talk to your vet about the best diet for your dog.  But I know that both my dog and cat prefer the pet food I make to the stuff that comes in tins. You can vary it by using what is at hand and it is better than giving them your leftovers that may contain ingredients that are not good for them.

 

Check out http://www.kidspot.com.au/myspot-home-10-people-foods-you-should-never-feed-your-dog+3919+173+article.htm

http://www.savingsguide.com.au/save-money-making-your-own-dog-food/

 Weight loss - 84.7kg

 

extending your harvest, weight loss, ethical eating tips, waste tips

Weight loss - only 100g loss this week, still better than gaining weight - see diary of a food addict tab.


Ethical Eating Tip - Olive oil is a tasty, versatile and healthy oil for culinary purposes. Use locally produced olive oil if you can because it is transported a shorter distance and so has less impact on the environment. 

Australia now produces excellent olive oils and there is a wide range to choose from. 

You can produce your own olive oil if you plant a a grove of oil producing olive trees but you do need access to an oil press. I know Italian friends who produce all their own oil and preserved olives.

No Waste Tip - What do you with left over olive oil, or any other oil, once you have finished with it for cooking.  There is no easy solution but here are some ideas.

1.  Reduce your use of oils by using non-stick pans.  While olive oil is a healthy alternative to saturated fats it still contains a lot of kilojoules.
2. Once it is cool filter it through coffee filters or    cheesecloth and re-use.  You can do this several times.
3. Let it soak into newspaper and mix it with other waste and put it in your compost.  Wipe out oily pans with paper towel and put it ithe compost.
4. take it to your garbage depot and see it they have a recycling centre for oils, they are now being used in car fuels.
5. See if a local restaurant recyles its oils and will take your contribution.
6. If it is a small amount you can put it on a slice of bread and break it up to feed birds or your pets - but only occasionally.
7. put it in a break-proof container and put it in the rubbish if you have no other choice - don't put it down the sink.

Egg pasta, growing tomatoes, weight loss, ethical eating tips

Waste Not Tip

If you have some spare eggs use them to make pasta and then freeze it. You can make pasta by adding 1 egg to 100g of Italian '00' flour and a small pinch of salt.  You need to have 66ml of liquid for each 100g of flour so if your egg is small add a little water.  To make your pasta particularly rich and lucious use two egg yolks instead of one egg.  Save the egg whites and freeze them separately.  Double the quantity of ingredients for two people and so on. 

Mix the ingredients together to form a dough, knead for around 6 minutes until the dough is elastic and smooth and springs back when you touch it  Wrap in cling wrap and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.  Take out and put the dough through a pasta machine until it reaches the desired thickness. 

Cut it up into lasagne sized sheets.  Place in a container with pieces of freezer wrap separating the sheets and freeze.  That way you can take what you need without having to defrost the lot.  When you defrost the sheets you can use them as fresh lasagne, or you can use them to make ravioli, or cut into strips or cut into squares and squeeze into bow shapes.

Ethical Eating Tip
Laucke flour gets the tick from the Ethical Consumer Guide.  It is a 100% Australian owned company that the Laucke family started in the Barossa Valley in 1899.  See laucke.com.au

Weight Loss
84.8kg - a gain of 400g rather than a loss this week.  No doubt aided by eating out five times in a row.  See diary of a food addict.

Growing Tomatoes
Plant a few pots of tomatoes in a glasshouse or warm spot to ripen before Christmas – the tiny salad varieties will ripen first.  See the growing tab for how to have tomatoes for food all year round.

Risotto, weight loss

Weight loss
End this week weighing 84.4kg. I started dieting 7 weeks ago weighing so that is a weight loss of 500g a week which surprising was my aim.  See the tab dairy of a food addict on overeating as an addiction.

Risotto- a perfect spring dish
There is a feeling of change in the air. The first buds are beginning to spring forth but there still are some cold days ahead. What better time of year for eating risotto? All the comforts of winter in the warm creamy rice with the promise of spring in the tender young vegetables added at the last moment to retain their goodness. You can use whatever you have on hand to flavour risotto. See tab Spring 2 for a lot more on risottos.

Waste not tip
Never waste left over risotto. Make risotto cakes or arancini see risotto under Spring 2 tab for further details. Add leftover risotto to soups or use it to top a tuna bake or similar dish. Just sprinkle the risotto topping with cheese and brown in the oven or under a grill. Use left over risotto to stuff tomatoes or capsicums and bake in the oven.

Ethical Eating tip
Sunrice has a big tick in the Ethical Consumer Guide. It is an Australian company owned by local rice growers.  In 2011 it rejected a takeover bid from a Spanish company.  It sells rice under the Koala, Mahatma, Premier, Rivana, and Sunrice (which includes some certified organic products) brands.

tips, weight loss, pumpkin soup, beetroot, ethical food shopping and eating out issues

Waste Not Tip:  Don't waste small amounts of stock, sauce, tomato puree or paste put them into ice cube trays and freeze.  Once frozen, pack into vacuum seal bags, label and keep in freezer to add to casseroles, soups etc for extra flavour.

Ethical Eating tip: Check out www.powersuperfoods.com.au to purchase certified organic pure raw chocolate powder.  This cacao powder has not been'dutched' during production and therefore has a very high level of antioxidants and the company abides by fair trade principles.

Weight Loss - 85.7kg - a loss of 900g despite the temptation to follow the suggestion of giving up dieting, staying fat and enjoying life without any guilt about what you eat - see diary of a food addict.

Beetroot Beauties - see the winter tab for how to use these versatile root vegetables for every course of your meal.

Ethical Eating - Do you base your food shopping on ethical considerations as well as cost and convenience?  Check out why ethics are important under the philosophy tab.

free-for-all frittatas, weight loss

• Weight Loss - 86.6 kg.  A slight weight gain this week - too many meals at MacDonalds on the road.

 

Frittata

·        A free-for-all frittata can make a quick and delicious meal of what you have in your fridge and pantry. It is a great way to use leftover cooked vegetables and meat.  Here is a basic method of preparing a frittata for 4-6 people.

1. PRECOOKED INGREDIENTS

·        Leftovers can add substance to your frittata especially a cup or two of cooked pasta, boiled or roasted potatoes, pumpkin, or sweet potato.  You can also add 1 - 2 cups of other cooked vegetables such as peas, beans, asparagus, artichokes, broad beans, spinach, silver beet, carrots, corn and zucchinis.  If your vegetables are not pre-cooked steam or boil them and allow them to cool a bit so they do not curdle the eggs when added to them.  You can also add about ½ cup of sliced meat such as cooked sausages, shredded roasted chicken, ham and salami.

2. SAUTE BASIC FLAVOURINGS AND AROMATICS

·        Gently fry your choice of sliced or chopped onions, shallots, spring onions, leeks in olive oil or olive and butter, until tender but not browned.  Leeks might take 30 minutes to cook thoroughly.  You might like to add some chopped bacon and celery or sliced capsicum for more flavour.  Add aromatics such as crushed garlic and minced chilli and any spices and hard herbs such as thyme, and sauté over medium heat for a minute. Allow the ingredients to cool down a little.

3. ADDING THE EGG MIXTURE

·        Lightly beat 6 eggs together and season with salt and pepper.   Add chopped soft herbs such as parsley, dill, fennel, basil.  Add the precooked ingredients and basic flavourings and aromatics. Stir together.  Heat a large heavy based pan on high heat and add the egg mixture.  Allow the bottom to brown for a minute and then turn the heat down.   You can make the frittata as thick or thin as you like by your choice of pan but remember the thicker the frittata the lower the heat you should use and the longer you should cook it to make sure that the bottom doesn’t burn while the middle is raw. It could take between 15-25 minutes to cook, meanwhile heat the grill or oven up to brown the top of the frittata.

·         

4. FINNISHING OFF THE FRITTATA

·        When the top of the frittata is still moist but with only a little runny egg mix on top sprinkle it with about ½ cup of grated cheese of your choice and put the pan under a hot grill for about 30 seconds or in a hot oven to quickly brown the surface (don’t leave it too long or it will be dry and tough).  The frittata should have a golden crust but still be creamy inside.  It is lovely served warm with a salad.

Some good combinations for frittatas

1.       broad beans, artichokes, spring onions, anchovies, parsley, percorino cheese.

2.       asparagus, peas, chives, bacon, capers, parmesan cheese.

3.       Leeks, mushrooms, ham, spinach, nutmeg,

4.       Peas, chorizo sausage, onion, red and green capsicum, a little smoked paprika

5.       zucchinis, red capsicum, onion, salami, basil, parmesan

6.       pasta, silver beet, chives, parsley, ham, anchovies, fetta

7.       French beans, garlic, potatoes, dill, parmesan

8.       Carrots, garlic, bacon, cumin, coriander

9.       sweet potatoes, sausage, onions, broccoli, chillies, garlic, ginger

10.   Fennel, zucchini, leek, smoked salmon, camembert,

11.   A variety of mushrooms, artichokes, bacon, chives, goats cheese,

12.   Pumpkin, blue cheese, bacon

13.   pumpkin, sausage, broccoli, blue cheese, coriander, parsley

14.   Potato, speck, garlic, cabbage, fennel seeds,

15.   Beetroot, onion, feta, dill

16.   Chinese greens, Asian noodles, onion, ginger, garlic

Tasty Vegetables and Weight Loss

I have placed an article on how to make vegetables more tasty and delicious under the Winter tab.

I have also added a brief entry in the Journal of a Food Addict

Weight 86 kg and dropping

stirfries, leftovers and weight loss

I have placed an article on stirfries on the page about quick food

Also check out the diary of a food addict for my latest progress - 88.6kg - still and long way to go

See the no waste tab for ideas for using up savoury mince or bolognaise sauce

Week 3 weight loss

Weight went up this week to 89.4kg - see diary of food addict for the explanation

Broad Beans

Broad Beans

·       Broad beans (or fava beans) are tough characters.  They are one of the few vegetables that grow over winter and flower before the aphids swarm around in late spring.  They were about the only edible beans in Europe until beans such as ‘French’ beans and scarlet runner beans were brought over from the New World. 

·       They can be eaten whole as pods when very young and dried to provide beans during winter.  Try to pick the broad beans before they get too old and develop a brown or worse, a black streak separating the two halves of the beans. Cook the beans until tender, the older the longer.  Not everyone likes broad beans but you can make them far more appetizing by removing their tough outer coat which goes rather grey when cooked.  Although fiddly, it is worth the effort as you will get bright green succulent morsels that will entice anyone to eat them.  It is possible to find double peeled frozen broad beans in some delicatessens and Asian stores, but if you have a glut of broad beans don’t let them age on the plants, pick them and double peel them and freeze them yourself.

·       Broad beans go well with pan fried bacon, pancetta and chorizo sausages and cheeses with verve such as marinated feta, pecorino and parmesan, as well as lemon juice, lemon zest, preserved lemons, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, French and seed mustard, garlic, red onions, pesto, and herbs such as mint, coriander, flat-leaf parsley, dill, basil, savory or even a little sage or rosemary and other beans, peas, asparagus, artichokes and zucchini. 

·       Pan fried

·       Sauté some aromatics such as garlic and onion in some olive oil then add chopped or sliced bacon, pancetta, chorizo or even ham.  Add cooked and double peeled beans.  You can also add some other green cooked vegetable if you like.  Add some chopped herbs and a slurp of olive oil and squeeze of lemon juice.

·       Salads

·       Place a generous amount of cooked double peeled broad beans in a basin. Add some finely chopped red onion and garlic if you like.  Toss in chopped herbs.  Add some dressing, and shaved or grated parmesan or pecorino, or crumbled feta.  Garnish with crispy bacon or pancetta if you like or cubes of bread fried in olive oil.  Try adding baby spinach, beetroot or rocket leaves to the salad or even watercress.  Sliced pear would also go well with the broad beans and you could add some blue vein cheese for a taste sensation.  You can top the salad with slices lamb, rare beef or chicken.

·       Pasta and Grains

·       Briefly sauté, cooked double peeled broad beans and crushed garlic in olive oil or butter, add some cooked pasta or gnocchi, sour cream and flaked cooked salmon, garnish with chopped dill.  You can add broad beans to your favourite tomato pasta sauce, use lots of garlic and onion for flavour, stir in the pasta and garnish with crumbled crispy bacon or pancetta.  Broad beans go well with grains in dishes such as rice paella, barley and rice pilafs, risottos, or with couscous.  Because of their fairly robust flavour they go well with pumpkin and sweet potato and spices in casseroles or tagines

·       Broad bean puree

·       Broad beans can be pureed to make dips or to serve as beds or toppings for other ingredients.  You simply put the cooked beans in a food processor with a little olive oil and lemon juice and puree.  Some good ingredients to go into the mix are: garlic, yoghurt, sour cream, ricotta, feta, finely grated parmesan cheese.  You can also make your own falafels and even freeze the mixture for later use.  Puree cooked broad beans with half their volume of chick peas (ones from a can are good), spices such as cumin and paprika and herbs such as coriander and parsley, with finely chopped onion or crushed garlic.  Add some baking powder, about dessertspoon per cup of beans, and season with salt and pepper.  Blend in food processor, but not too much, as the mixture should have the texture of crunchy peanut butter and be quite stiff.  Shallow fry in a little oil; use a poaching ring to make a pattie shape.  Serve with labna made by mixing yoghurt with has been drained in a sieve for a few hours or overnight, with parsley or finely chopped coriander and the zest of lime or lemon, and salt and pepper.

• LINKS
• Persian broad beans with dill, feta and fried eggs - great vegetarian meal
• http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/28679/persian+broad+beans+with+dill+feta+fried+eggs

·       A tasty broad bean dip.  You can use frozen beans or freshly cooked beans.  Drain off the water from the cooked beans and onions before adding the other ingredients and processing.

• http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/23868/broad+bean+dip

·       A delicious risotto using broad beans and chorizo – a great flavor combination.  You can use fresh, blanched broad beans with their outer skins removed.

• http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/22970/broad+bean+and+chorizo+risotto

·       Fish, thyme and broad bean pies are easy to make.  Spice them up a little by seasoning with salt and pepper, adding a little chilli or a dash of mustard.

• http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/13648/fish+thyme+and+broad+bean+pies

·    This dish is unusual combination of broad beans, barley and sweet potato.  You can use fresh broad beans.  To speed up the cooking process cook the broad beans in boiling water until just tender and microwave or steam the sweet potato until it is just tender then add to the barley and cook until soft.  For extra flavor add some cheese at the end.  Parmesan, grated cheddar or feta would work well.

• http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/11157/barley+sweet+potato+and+broad+bean+pilaf

·       This is a recipe for an Egyptian style falafel.  You can use your own dried broad beans – but before you dry them blanch them for a couple of minutes and remove their tough outer skins.

• http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/11157/barley+sweet+potato+and+broad+bean+pilaf

·       Jamie Oliver has a great broad bean recipe and gives a few hints on preparing broad beans.

• http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/11157/barley+sweet+potato+and+broad+bean+pilaf