Category: Food

Low Carb Diets and Microwaves

Emma3 Comments
We treated ourselves to a new cat bed, I mean microwave, in the January sales.
We bought a new cat bed, I mean microwave, in the January sales.

We treated ourselves to a new microwave recently – spending a whole £50 on one from Wilko.

Microwaves are great when it comes to low-carb diets and cutting down time in the kitchen. You can cook fish fillets in minutes in a microwave. Just remember to cover them up properly or you’ll find it difficult to get rid of the smell. Microwave half a lemon on high for a minute and this will help clean the microwave and banish fishy smells.

You can also poach eggs in a microwave. Crack an egg onto a greased saucer, prick the yolk a couple of times with a fork and cook at about 80 percent in three to four 20-second bursts, leaving the egg to rest for 20 seconds or so in between. It’s really important to prick the yolk and cook the egg in short bursts to stop it exploding…

Cook omelettes the same way. Beat up two to three eggs with a little milk or cream and pour onto a greased side or dinner plate. Cook in 20 and 30-second bursts until cooked.

You can also make scrambled eggs, again cooking the eggs in bursts and mixing well in between to break up the big ‘curds’ that develop. Cook them in a greased bowl, for easier cleaning.

Another trick is to use the microwave to soften avocados – you know, those ones you bought from the supermarket that promised you they were ready to eat?! Prick the skin all over and microwave on a medium or low setting in 30-second bursts. It should feel softer – if not, give it one more 30-second blast until it is.

The microwave can cook you a cupcake – a literal cupcake that it. We’ve got a low-carb recipe for a chocolate version here. And if you want to make our low-carb chocolate fudge, you can soften the ingredients in the microwave for mixing together.

For more low-carb microwave ideas, try the Spark People website for meatloaf, bread meatballs, egg custard and more.

Do you have any low-carb tips for microwaves? Please feel free to share them here.

 

 

 

Creamy Leeks & The Moggie Sous Chef

Emma4 Comments

wp-image-1732445482jpg.jpgI’ll ‘fess up. The real reason I wanted to do this blog was so I could post a cute picture of my cat acting as the sous chef.

As cat owners will know, moggies love supervising in the kitchen. They get to sit up high with a bird’s eye view of everything, it’s nice and warm and there’s always the chance their owner might not pay full attention, allowing for the stealth theft of meat or cheese.

Non-cat owners might balk. This doesn’t look hygienic, I grant you. But pets are brilliant for your immune system as it gets to practise fighting germs on a small scale and makes it better prepared for bigger assaults.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

The recipe is for creamy baked leeks, based on a Jamie Oliver recipe I adapted. It goes well with a roast chicken leg or on top of a steak.

Creamy Baked Leeks

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

  • 1 large leek, washed and sliced
  • 1 onion, finely sliced
  • 1tbsp butter
  • 1tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 150ml double cream
  • 100g extra mature cheddar, grated
  • Salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a large frying pan and add the onions and leeks. Turn down the heat and cook gently, stirring from time to time, for seven minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another couple of minutes.

Tip the lot into a bowl and add the grated cheese, cream and some salt and pepper. You won’t need much salt as the cheese is salty.

Pop in a shallow, oven-proof dish and cook in a pre-heated oven (180 degrees C) for 20 minutes.

Recipe contains about 10g net carbs per serving for three.

 

 

Clean Food for Thought: Shrimp with Avocado Salsa

kaitiscotland6 Comments

 

maxresdefault (3)Shrimp  with Avocado Salsa | Food For Thought
https://s0.wp.com/wp-content/themes/pub/blissful-blog/js/html5.js

Shrimp  with Avocado Salsa

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Avocado Salsa

  • 2 ripe avocado, diced
  • ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
  • ½ jalapeno, seeded and diced
  • 3 tbsp cilantro, minced
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp fresh lime juice
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the Shrimp

  • 24 medium shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp fresh lime juice
  • Optional Toppings: red cabbage

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix the shrimp, 1 tbsp olive oil, chili powder, cumin, salt and lime juice. Let sit in the fridge for 5-10 minutes before cooking.
  2. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the salsa. Set aside.
  3. Heat a small to medium skillet on medium with the rest of the olive oil. Once hot, add in the marinated shrimp. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the shrimp is not opaque.
  4. Put some chopped cabbage on a plate, put6 warm shrimps  on top with the salsa on top of this.

Enjoy!

(originally published on cleanfoodforthought and reproduced by kind permission)

 

 

Low Carbing at Christmas

Emma6 Comments
Low-carb chocolate fudge
Low-carb chocolate fudge

Are you low-carbing for Christmas? A lot of traditional Christmas food fits well with a low-carb diet and, with the addition of a few good substitutes, you don’t need to feel you are missing out on anything.

Crisps and dips. Most dips – guacamole, blue cheese dip etc – are low-carb. For dipping, use raw vegetables instead of crisps.

Starters. Pates can be served without toast or oatcakes and prawn cocktail without the bread. The latter is a nice light starter. Serve the prawns and sauce in Little Germ lettuce leaves. To make cocktail sauce to dress 200g prawns, mix four tablespoons of mayonnaise with one of tomato puree. Add a teaspoon of brandy and a few drops of Tabasco. Or try this broccoli and Stilton soup for green-y goodness.

Turkey, ham and sausages are all obvious. Help yourself! Remember, that a meal such as this will be heavy in protein. People on insulin need to take this into account. Our book The Diabetes Diet highlights what you do to cover protein, but see this post too for further clarification.

Gravy does have carbs because it is usually thickened with flour. However, this isn’t significant so don’t worry about it unless you are on a gluten-free diet. Cornflour is suitable for gluten-free diets and this can be used instead.

The classic stuffing uses sausage meat and bread crumbs, both of which have carbs. If you want some, keep it to a small amount.

SONY DSCBread sauce, roast and mashed potatoes all have carbs, but there are low-carb equivalents you can make. Pureed cauliflower can be substituted for mashed potatoes and braised celeriac are another delicious substitution for potatoes in general. My sister served up cauliflower cheese for Christmas dinner a couple of years ago – and I’d rather have that than potatoes or bread sauce any day. You can also try these delicious Parmesan-crusted cauliflower steaks from Nourished Peach.

Cranberry sauce. Most commercial sauces are packed with sugar. You can make a version with cranberries and sweetener instead which will still have some carbs but not as many.

Christmas cakes, pudding and mince pies. There aren’t really substitutes for these things because they depend so heavily on dried fruit, flour and sugar. Christmas pudding and cake isn’t a winner with everyone anyway because of its heavy fruit content. When you’ve eaten low carb for a while, you often find you lose your sweet tooth , so having a pudding at the end of a meal is no longer as appealing. However, if you do want something sweet, may we suggest Tiramisu and Key Lime Pie.

Dig in - it's good for you.
Dig in – it’s good for you.

Another idea is the cheese course – much better than pudding! You don’t need the biscuits. Celery sticks or carrot sticks will give you some crunch, as will walnuts or apple slices. A good cheese board has roughly four cheeses – a Farmhouse cheddar, a blue such as Stilton or Roquefort, a soft one (Brie or Camembert) and AN Other. Goat’s cheese is my preference.

Chocolate. It’s hard to escape chocolate at Christmas. From the special offer wraps piled up at the front of supermarkets, to the yule logs, chocolate Santas and stockings, the stuff is everywhere. If you love chocolate, a few squares of good quality dark chocolate do not contain many carbohydrates. Treat yourself to a good quality bar to make the occasion. You could also make this chocolate peanut fudge, which is easy to make and very low-carb.

Finally, the trick to remember with Christmas is that it is one day of the year. When it comes to low-carbing consistency is the key. If you’re low-carb most of the time but for one or two days you decide to dig in, do so guilt-free. Do this mindfully, enjoying everything but keeping an eye on portions. This is especially important if you are on insulin as you will need to know how much to take to cover what you are eating.

Happy Christmas all!

Jovina cooks Italian: Fresh tomato sauce

kaitiscotland4 Comments

Summer Tomatoes | jovinacooksitalian

Fresh Tomato SauceIMG_0009

Ingredients

  • 4-5 pounds of fresh Roma tomatoes, quartered and seeded retaining as much pulp as possible
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 large sweet onion, finely diced
  • 2 celery stalks, finely diced
  • 1 carrot, finely diced
  • 2 large cloves of fresh garlic, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (chili)
  • 1-2 teaspoons honey, if needed

Herbs

Place the following  herbs in a piece of cheesecloth and tie the cheesecloth closed.

  • 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1 sprig of fresh thyme
  • 1 sprig of fresh oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 sprigs of parsley

Directions

Pour the olive oil into a large stockpot over medium heat.

Add the onions, celery, garlic and carrots.

Saute for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Add the tomatoes and sea salt.

IMG_0008

Simmer on low heat, covered, for about an hour until the tomatoes cook down.

Remove the pot from the heat and using an immersion blender, process the mixture until smooth.

Return the pot to the heat and add the herb cheesecloth package.

Taste the sauce to see if the tomatoes were too bitter. Add the honey, if needed.

Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook  until reduced and thick, an hour to an hour and a half more. Remove the cheesecloth package and discard.

IMG_0011

Pour the sauce into a refrigerator container and store the sauce up to 1 week, or freeze in batches.

This sauce can be used with courgette or squash spiralised  “spaghetti” or with chicken and pork.

Low carb store: Moussaka

kaitiscotland2 Comments

low-carb pizza

 

 Moussaka for two
  • 150g lamb mince
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 100g tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 tsp oregano, cinnamon,thyme
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 aubergine, sliced
  • 1 mozzarella ball, sliced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

 

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan and add the garlic and shallot. Lightly fry until they are soft.Add the lamb mince and cook until brown. Add in the oregano, thyme, cinnamon and tomatoes and stir through. Leave to one side. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and add the aubergine slices cooking until softened on both sides.Take an oven proof dish, layer half the aubergine slices on the bottom of the dish and add half the lamb mixture.Top with mozzarella slices and repeat, layering the same ingredients again. Bake in the oven at 180oC for 30 minutes. Serve with a green salad dressed in olive oil.

Jovina cooks Italian: Swordfish Messina Style

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swordfish messina.pngPesce Spada alla Messinese (Swordfish Messina style)

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 lb (600 gr) swordfish cut into palm-sized pieces slices
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
20 capers (if salted, rinse well first)
10 black olives, chopped
4 anchovy fillets
1 cup white wine
2 cups tomato passata (sauce)
15 oz can chopped tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
A pinch of crushed dried chili pepper
Parsley, chopped

Directions

Brush the swordfish slices with olive oil and set aside.

In a skillet heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Add the spring onions, garlic, capers, olives, chili pepper and anchovy fillets and cook until the anchovies melt into the oil and the onion is soft.

Put the slices of swordfish in the skillet and add the white wine. Burn off the alcohol and then add the tomatoes. Mix well, cover and cook for 30 minutes on very low heat.

When ready to serve, sprinkle with parsley.

Public Health Collaboration: Free booklets

kaitiscotlandLeave a comment

 

LA2-vx06-konsthallen-skulpturThis is the link to the Public Health Collaboration site where you can download for free or order print versions, at a modest cost, of illustrated health booklets that will help you:

 

know what to eat for a wide variety of good health outcomes

plan your meals

count your carbohydrates

lose fat

https://www.PHCuk.org/booklets/

 

Hopefully you will end up somewhere between the extremes of our sisters up there!

Jovina cooks Italian: Summer eating

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Jovina cooks Italian: Neapolitan Ragu

kaitiscotland2 Comments

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Neapolitan ragù is one of the two most famous varieties of Italian meat sauces called ragù. It is a specialty of Naples, as its name indicates. The other variety originated in Bologna.

The Neapolitan type is made with onions, meat and tomato sauce. A major difference is how the meat is used, as well as the amount of tomato in the sauce. Bolognese versions use very finely chopped meat, while the Neapolitan versions use large pieces of meat, taking it from the pot when cooked and served it as a second course. Ingredients also differ.

In Naples, white wine is replaced by red wine, butter is replaced with olive oil and lots of basil leaves are added. Bolognese ragù has no herbs. Milk or cream are not used in Naples. Neapolitan ragù is very similar to and may be ancestral to the Italian-American “Sunday Gravy”; the primary difference being the addition of a greater variety of meat in the American version, including meatballs, sausage and pork chops.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound rump roast
  • 1 large slice of brisket (not too thick)
  • 1 pound veal stew meat
  • 1 pound pork ribs
  • 2 large onions, sliced
  • 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup of red wine
  • 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, pureed
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh basil leaves

Directions

Season the meat with salt and pepper. Tie the large pieces with cooking twine to help them keep their shape. In a large pot heat the oil and butter. Add the sliced onions and the meat at the same time.

On medium heat let the meat brown and the onion soften. During this first step you must be vigilant, don’t let the onion dry, stir with a wooden spoon and start adding wine if necessary to keep them moist.

Once the meat has browned, add the tomato paste and a little wine to dissolve it. Stir and combine the ingredients. Let cook slowly for 10 minutes.

Add the pureed tomatoes, season with salt and black pepper and stir. Cover the pot but leave the lid ajar. (You can place a wooden spoon under the lid.)

The sauce must cook very slowly for at least 3-4 hours. After 2 hours add few leaves of basil and continue cooking.

During these 3-4 hours you must keep tending to the ragú, stirring once in a while and making sure that it doesn’t stick to the bottom. Serve with your favorite pasta.