Blogging the Lowlife way

Goodbye for now

2007-11-23T00:46:00.004Z

I am off to "the youngest country in Earth" until late December, so farewell for now.

Dinner Thursday 22 November - Mashed Potato & Swede Colcannon with Cheese Sauce

2007-11-22T22:08:00.002Z

Well, my last dinner in the UK until after Christmas. Not much left in the fridge, but had one potato, half a swede, some Brussels sprouts and the last of the Frico reduced fat Edam to get used up, so used up they got.

Mashed Potato & Swede Colcannon with Cheese Sauce
200g potato
200g swede
200g Brussels sprouts

I just boiled the spuds & swedes together and steamed the shredded Brussels over the top. Then combined the Brussels with the mashed potato & swede, seasoned liberally with salt & pepper and poured cheese sauce over it.

Surprisingly tasty!

Veloute Sauce with Edam
200ml vegetable stock
1 tablespoon flour
30ml extra thick single cream
50g reduced fat Edam cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Nutrition Summary
Calories (kcal) 490.6
Protein (g) 31.6
Carbohydrate (g) 61.1
Fat (g) 14.2
Fibre (g) 11.7

Forgot to take a picture, but here is where I am off to:

See you on 28 December.

Lunch Thursday 22 November- Swordfish Udon

2007-11-22T16:06:00.001Z

Swordfish Udon

This is another stir steam variation (and a chance to use up a piece of frozen swordfish)

1 portion Stir Steam Sauce
100g each broccoli
100g baby corn
1 pack udon noodles (230g)
120g swordfish, cut into cubes

The fish was poached in the sauce before it was thickened. And the noodles were cooked in the sauce. And the veggies were steamed over the sauce while the fish & noodles were cooking.

Oh hell - it's the same damn thing I eat all the time.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 600.6
Carbohydrate (g) 74.1
Protein (g) 42.7
Fat (g) 9.7
Fibre (g) 4.3

Breakfast Thursday 22 November - Ryvita & pate

2007-11-22T10:05:00.000Z

OK, well all the potato bread is gone (just as well as I am flying out tomorrow), so I had one serving of mushroom pate on three Ryvitas. That leaves me one final portion for tomorrow's breakfast, so perfect!

I also ate 150g of fat free yoghurt & some coffee.

Dinner Wednesday 21 November 2007 - Spring Rolls

2007-11-21T22:03:00.002Z

Well, as I am getting ready to head off for 5 weeks, I am trying not to buy any food. Just working through what's in the cupboard and freezer and not bringing anything new in. I wish I could clear the freezer out completely, as I don't have a lot of faith the my fridge will survive into next year, but there is too much in it for that, so I will just do my best.

So, expect some unusual combinations, I guess.

Spring Rolls
5 SeAroy Thai Fish cakes, shredded
2 garlic, crushed
1 thumb ginger
3 chillies, sliced
2 small carrots, julienned (about 75g)
handful Savoy cabbage in julienne (about 90g)
4 spring onions, shredded
¼ red pepper, julienned (about 40g)
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1 tablespoon Thai Green Curry Paste
1 teaspoon sugar
8 large spring roll wrappers

Combine all the filling ingredients and divide into 8 even portions. Wrap each portion in a spring roll wrapper and arrange on a non-stick baking sheet. Spritz with a little flavourless oil and bake in a hot oven/Gas 7 for about 20 minutes until browned.

I had these with some of the Ilawara Plum Sauce.

Makes 8 rolls

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 681.6
Carbohydrate (g) 138.9
Protein (g) 19.9
Fat (g) 4.4
Fibre (g) 7.4

Lunch Wednesday 21 November 2007 - Failed omelette

2007-11-21T16:02:00.001Z

I made a pepper omelette for lunch, but I did not really enjoy the eggs. I don't know why, I just didn't feel like eating them, so in the end I just ate the filling (red & green peppers, onions, garlic and half fat Edam).

Those pinky slabs on the side are the Realeat Veggie Bacon which I do NOT recommend.

Wish I could still get Morningstar Farms Vegetarian Bacon...

Breakfast Wednesday 21 November 2007 - You guessed it...

2007-11-21T09:00:00.000Z

- potato bread, mushroom pate & coffee.

Dinner Tuesday 20 November 2007 - Fettuccine sorta Carbonara

2007-11-20T15:58:00.001Z

Fettuccine sorta Carbonara
2 rashers veggie bacon (I had the Realeat ones - not so hot)
1 clove garlic, crushed
125g quark
1 egg yolk
20g light Edam cheese, grated
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
90g fettuccine, cooked

Cut the veggie bacon into strips and fry with the garlic in a non-stick skillet sprayed with a little olive oil.

Beat together the egg yolk & quark. Season with a little salt & some fresh pepper.

Add the hot, cooked pasta and parsley to the skillet and toss together. Add the quark mixture & cheese and toss/stir everything together, working quickly so as not to overcook the quark and make it separate. The idea is just to warm it though with the heat of the other ingredients.

Turn out on a plate and grind some more fresh pepper on top. Garnish with a few gratings of cheese.

I had this with a big herb salad.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 575.8
Carbohydrate (g) 68.5
Protein (g) 47.7
Fat (g) 12.7
Fibre (g) 4.1

Lunch Tuesday 20 November 2007 - Quorn Chili Burgers

2007-11-20T15:55:00.002Z

Getting down to the wire now... leaving the country in a couple days, so strictly all about using stuff up, eating out of the freezer and cupboards etc.

2 Quorn Chilli burgers
Lean & Perrins Worcester Table Sauce
120g each peas & carrots

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 408.6
Carbohydrate (g) 31.0
Protein (g) 32.8
Fat (g) 17.2
Fibre (g) 9.9

...

Breakfast Tuesday 20 November 2007 - Yet more bread & pate

2007-11-20T09:55:00.000Z

Just another slice of potato bread, some mushroom pate & coffee.

Dinner Monday 19 November 2007 - Pizza on Upper Street

2007-11-19T23:49:00.000Z

Met Marcel & Kate for dinner. Started off in the Piano & Pitcher for a few drinks, then decided to try a new pizza place on Upper Street after having a free sample on the pavement!

So, we had dinner at Regina Margharita, which specializes in something the call "pizzametro", literally meaning ‘pizza-metre’. They are on a wooden board, and covered with sections of different toppings. They come ½ metre or whole metre sizes.

We had some olives while we pondered the menu. I had some Quattro Formaggio (mozzarella, Gorgonzola, emmenthal & Parmesan) and some Romano, which was mozzarella, tomato sauce anchovy, black olives & capers.

It was decent pizza, but the pizzametro thing seemed a little gimmicky and it was sort of awkward as they served the boards on these funky sort of stands.

Regina Margharita
57 Upper Street
London
N1 0NY
020 7704 8882

Lunch Monday 19 November 2007 - Quorn Meatballs with Onion Gravy

2007-11-19T15:47:00.001Z

Quorn Meatballs in Onion Gravy
½ pack Quorn Swedish "meatballs"
10ml macadamia nut oil (or any good quality oil)
1 onion, sliced finely (180g)
200ml vegetable stock
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon mustard powder

200g potatoes mashed with milk & 1 tablespoon fresh dill
200g Brussels sprouts
100g carrots

Saute the onions in the oil until softened and lightly browned. Cover the onions with the stock and simmer, covered, over low heat until the onions are very tender, about 20 minutes.

Add the Worcestershire sauce & mustard powder along with the cornflour slaked with a little cold water.

Simmer until thickened and season to taste with salt & pepper. Add the Quorn meatballs and cook over low heat until piping hot.

Had these with the mashed potatoes and steamed veggies.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 627.0
Carbohydrate (g) 83.9
Protein (g) 39.9
Fat (g) 16.2
Fibre (g) 16.0

Breakfast Monday 19 November 2007 - Bread & Pate

2007-11-19T08:46:00.000Z

Breakfast was a slice of potato bread, toasted, with some mushroom pate and coffee.

Lunch Sunday 18 November 2007 - Quorn Meatballs Marinara

2007-11-18T15:42:00.000Z

Quorn Meatballs Marinara

½ pack Quorn Swedish Style Meatballs
1 portion Marinara Sauce
90g pappardelle

Well, more Quorn. This is the first time I have tried these meatballs, and yes, they were on special offer. I am such a sucker.

Anyway, I just heated them up in the marinara sauce and had them with some pappardelle and a bug herb salad.

They were OK, but nothing special.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 571.0
Carbohydrate (g) 81.7
Protein (g) 40.4
Fat (g) 9.4
Fibre (g) 7.2

Breakfast Sunday 18 November 2007 - Potato bread & pate

2007-11-18T09:37:00.000Z

Breakfast was potato bread and mushroom pate with coffee.

Dinner Saturday 17 November 2007 - Composed Salad Plate

2007-11-17T21:54:00.002Z

Composed Salad Plate
4 quails eggs
125g beet root
125g fine beans
1 tablespoon Honey & Mustard Dressing (see 14 November)
200g cherry tomatoes
125g reduced fat halloumi cheese, grilled

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 491.9
Carbohydrate (g) 26.3
Protein (g) 47.5
Fat (g) 22.1
Fibre (g) 7.3 Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 491.9
Carbohydrate (g) 26.3
Protein (g) 47.5
Fat (g) 22.1
Fibre (g) 7.3

Lunch Saturday 17 November - Butternut Squash Soup

2007-11-17T14:52:00.000Z

Butternut Squash Soup
1 onion, chopped (about 150g)
3 ribs celery, chopped (about 120g)
700g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks
500ml vegetable stock
1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce

Well, I had the leftover butternut squash from yesterday, so I decided to make a simple soup.

Bung to onion, celery & squash in a pot & cover with the stock. Cook until tender, then whizz up in a blender and add the chilli sauce.

Season to taste and consume!

Makes one enormous serving

Nutrition Data per serving
Calories (kcal) 386.0
Carbohydrate (g) 74.6
Protein (g) 10.8
Fat (g) 4.9
Fibre (g) 15.5

Had this with a salad of cucumber in fat-free yoghurt with chopped mint, coriander & parsley.

Breakfast Saturday 17 November 2007 - Toast & Mushroom Pate

2007-11-17T10:50:00.000Z

Breakfast was one slice of potato bread with some Mushroom Pate and coffee

Lunch Friday 16 November 2007 - Middle Eastern Vegetable Parcels & Butternut, Halloumi & Prawn Roast

2007-11-16T20:21:00.002Z

Middle Eastern Vegetable Parcels
½ red pepper, chopped (about 75g)
½ green pepper, chopped (about 75g)
½ orange pepper, chopped (about 75g)
1 large onion, chopped (about 140g)
3 cloves garlic. chopped
1 carrot, chopped (about 75g)
2 ribs celery, chopped (about 100g)
3 green chillies, chopped
10 ml macadamia nut oil (or any good quality oil)

50g shelled pumpkin seeds
handful coriander leaves
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground sumac
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
7 large spring roll wrappers (about 125g)

The veggies all need to be finely diced for this recipe.

Saute the red, green & orange peppers, onion, garlic, carrot, celery & chillies in the vegetable oil until softened.

Stir in the pumpkin seeds, coriander leaves and spices and combine well. Divide into 14 portions.

Cut the spring roll pastry (or you could use filo) in half so you have 14 rectangles.

Place one portion of the filling mixture one the end of each strip and then fold the strip over to form a triangle and enclose the filling. Keep folding the parcel over itself, like folding a flag. Seal the ends by brush the pastry with a little water on the last fold.

Spray a non-stick baking sheet with a little olive oil and arrange the parcels on the sheet give each parcel a little spritz with oil, too and then bake in a hot oven, Gas 7 for about 15 minutes until browned.

Makes 14 parcels

Nutrition Data per serving
Calories (kcal) 65.2
Carbohydrate (g) 9.5
Protein (g) 1.3
Fat (g) 2.5
Fibre (g) 0.9

Butternut, Halloumi & Prawn Roast
1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil (or any good quality oil)
1 large onion, cut into eighths
6 cloves garlic
½ small butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks (about 150g)
1 block of reduced fat halloumi cheese, cut into 2cm cubes (225g)
200g raw prawns
salt, pepper & chilli flakes to taste
small handful fresh oregano or marjoram
1 preserved lemon, chopped finely

In a heavy roasting tray, toss the onion, garlic, squash and halloumi in the oil. Season well with salt & pepper and roast in a hot oven, Gas 8, until tender and well coloured, about 20-30 minutes. Check the tray every 5 minutes or so and give it a good shake to keep the mixture well distributed.

When the veggies are cooked, add the raw prawns and chopped, preserved lemon to the tray. Return the tray to the oven for a further 5 minutes, until the prawns are cooked through.

Sprinkle over the marjoram and some chilli flakes and serve at once.

Makes 2 servings
Nutrition Data per serving
Calories (kcal) 500.6
Carbohydrate (g) 17.2
Protein (g) 50.0
Fat (g) 25.9
Fibre (g) 5.2

These were both really tasty, if I do say so myself. I had my friend Lisa around and we started off with some anchovy stuffed olives, then had the parcels and a starter and the roast as a main. Also managed to work our way through a bottle of prosecco, a bottle of rose and a bottle of Chardonnay.

A nice lunch, but I forgot to take pictures! Oh, well.

Dinner Friday 16 November 2007 - St Agur & apple

2007-11-15T23:26:00.000Z

Not really much appetite after such a large lunch , so just had some St Agur cheese and a Granny Smith for dinner.

Wonder who Saint Agur was?

Dinner Thursday 15 November 2007 - Kale Stew

2007-11-15T20:42:00.002Z

Kale Stew
115g onion, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons macadamia nut oil (or any good oil)
1 pint vegetable stock
1 Quorn fillet, chopped (or another meat substitute - about 50g)
50g pasta shapes (I used up some various odds and ends I had left)
1 fat tomato, chopped
100g baby kale
chilli flakes to taste

Saute the onion & garlic in the oil until soft and golden. Add the Quorn fillet, vegetable stock and pasta and simmer until the pasta is cooked, about 10-12 minutes.

Add the baby kale leaves and chopped tomato and bring back to the boil.

Check the seasoning and add salt & chilli flakes to taste.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 443.1
Carbohydrate (g) 61.2
Protein (g) 20.8
Fat (g) 12.9
Fibre (g) 12.0

Lunch Thursday 15 November 2007 - Baked Asparagus Risotto

2007-11-15T14:40:00.001Z

Baked Asparagus Risotto
15g onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 glug of sherry
70ml asparagus stock
½ can Campbell's Condensed Cream of Asparagus Soup
75g arborio rice
50g reduced fat Edam cheese, grated
150g asparagus, steamed

Spray a non-stick skillet with a little olive oil and fry the onion and garlic over low heat until softened.

Add the sherry, asparagus stock & soup and bring to a simmer. Stir in the rice, then pour the mixture into an over-proof casserole dish. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, check the rice to see if it is cooked. It should be ready after 30 minutes, but check before adding the cooked asparagus as garnish.

Once the dish is garnished, return it to the oven for 5-10 minutes to heat the asparagus and let it colour a little, then serve.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 538.2
Carbohydrate (g) 82.7
Protein (g) 22.8
Fat (g) 13.3
Fibre (g) 5.4

Breakfast Friday 16 November 2007 - Er, nothing?

2007-11-15T09:46:00.002Z

Skipped breakfast today - naughty! Most important meal of the day and all that stuff, but I am having a friend around for lunch and was busy, plus I knew I would eat a large lunch, so that's my excuse!

Just coffee today.

Breakfast Thursday 15 November 2007 - Mushroom Pate

2007-11-15T09:11:00.000Z

Had one slice of potato bread with Mushroom Pate for breakfast, along with
some coffee.

Mushroom Pate
550g mushrooms, chopped fine
50g shallots, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
250ml vegetable stock
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon pepper
300g tub light Philadelphia Cream Cheese

Cook the mushrooms, shallots and garlic in the vegetable stock over a low heat. Keep the pan covered at first, then when the mushrooms has released their water, remove the cover and leave it to cook until the water and stock have pretty much evaporated & the vegetables are soft and well cooked. The mixture should be dry.

Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, pepper and combine. Finally, stir in the cream cream and beat well to evenly distribute the mushroom mixture into the cream cheese.

Makes 8 servings
Nutrition Data per serving
Calories (kcal) 83.1
Carbohydrate (g) 3.5
Protein (g) 5.6
Fat (g) 5.2
Fibre (g) 0.8

Dinner Wednesday 14 November 2007 - Quorn Escalope and Veggies

2007-11-14T21:09:00.000Z

Quorn Escalope and Veggies
1 Quorn Spinach & Soft Cheese Escalope
125g broccoli
150 carrots
150g asparagus

More Quorn bought on special offer. Need to start resisting this stuff again and remember I am trying to USE up my stockpile, not BUILD it up.

Anyway, just had one of these escalopes with a bunch of steamed veggies. It was OK, but I am not a huge fan of these (must remember than next time I am tempted by special offers).

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 386.1
Carbohydrate (g) 38.6
Protein (g) 21.7
Fat (g) 16.4
Fibre (g) 13.7

Lunch Wednesday 14 November 2007 - Composed Salad Plate

2007-11-14T14:07:00.001Z

Composed Salad Plate
150g Anya potatoes, cooked
2 tablespoon Honey & Mustard Dressing
½ pack Quorn "ham" slices
100g fine beans, steamed
3 quails eggs, hard boiled
125g cooked beet root

I just combined the cooked potatoes with the honey & mustard dressing and left them to cool. Then arranged everything on a plate and Robert is your mother's brother.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 473.7
Carbohydrate (g) 64.1
Protein (g) 29.5
Fat (g) 12.3
Fibre (g) 12.5

Using up some of the condiment hoard by making some dressing with a mustard I bought up in the Lake District.

Honey Mustard Dressing
85g honey
115ml lemon juice
30ml macadamia nut oil
55g whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Shake everything together in a jar and store in the fridge. Makes about 20 tablespoons.

Breakfast Wednesday 14 November 2007 - Toast & grapefruit

2007-11-14T09:06:00.000Z

Breakfasted on two slices of potato bread, toasted, with Marmite, a grapefruit and some coffee.

Dinner Tuesday 13 November 2007 - Tofu Red Curry

2007-11-13T20:50:00.000Z

Tofu Red Curry
1 small onion (about 115g)
1 heaped tablespoon Red Curry Paste
25g creamed coconut block
200ml water
100g fried tofu
100g baby corn
100g sugar snap peas
1 tsp sugar
1 tablespoon Thai Fish Sauce (Nuoc Mam)
40g spring onions, slivered
handful fresh coriander leaves
50g rice noodles, cooked

Spray a non-stick wok with a little flavourless oil and stir fry the onion until soft. Add the red curry paste and fry for another 30 seconds or so, until fragrant. Add the water and coconut cream and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then add the tofu, and baby corn and cook for 3 or 4 minutes.

Next add the sugar snap peas, sugar & fish sauce. Cook until the sugar snaps are just done (they only take a minute or so), then add the spring onions & coriander and serve over the cooked rice noodles.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 662.9
Carbohydrate (g) 74.9
Protein (g) 29.4
Fat (g) 27.6
Fibre (g) 15.5

If I am going to add tofu to a stir fry or curry and I want it to maintain its shape, I wrap it up in paper towels, put it between two plates and weight it with a can or two to squeeze out the excess water.

Then I fry it in a non-stick pan with a spritz of flavourless oil. Fry on either side until lightly browned then cool and cut into cubes.

Getting a lot of the water out of it by draining and slow frying it gives it a whole different texture.

Also handy to do it this way when you want to marinate it - it helps it keep its shape without adding the extra calories of deep frying.

Deep freezing it and then defrosting it before use also changes the texture and makes it firmer.

Lunch Tuesday 13 November 2007 - Penne with Asparagus Sauce

2007-11-13T14:48:00.001Z

Penne with Asparagus Sauce
90g (dry weight) penne, cooked
70ml well reduced asparagus stock
½ can Campbell's Condensed Cream of Asparagus Soup
150g asparagus, steamed
50g reduced fat Edam cheese

Well, back to trying to use up some of the items in my store cupboard hoard, so I set upon this can of soup. I used to make casseroles with Campbell's Condensed soups all the time, but they tended to be sort of bloated affairs with lots of pasta and cheese etc. This is sort of a mini-version, hopefully with less bloat.

No real recipe to speak of, I just heated the soup with the asparagus stock and added the cooked fresh asparagus and cooked pasta, then topped it with a bit of grated cheese and lots of black pepper.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 597.6
Carbohydrate (g) 80.0
Protein (g) 33.9
Fat (g) 28.2
Fibre (g) 5.1

Breakfast Tuesday 13 November 2007 - Potato Bread & coffee

2007-11-13T08:47:00.000Z

Breakfast was two slices of potato bread & coffee.

Dinner Monday 12 November 2007 - Spring Rolls

2007-11-12T20:19:00.002Z

Spring Rolls
3 kaffir lime leaves, shredded finely
1 stalk lemon grass, shredded finely
5g galangal, finely chopped
15g coriander leaves
20ml fish sauce
10g sugar
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 chillis, chopped
30g cabbage, very finely shredded
1/4 pack tofu
50g carrot, shredded
50g spring onion, shredded
8 ready made spring roll wrappers

These are sort of Thai style - at least, they have Thai flavourings!

Wrap the tofu in several thicknesses of paper towel and cover with a plate. Weight the plate with a couple of cans and leave the tofu to stand for 30 mins or so, to press as much water from it as possible.

Spray a non-stick skillet with a little flavourless oil and fry the tofu on either side until browned. Cut into julienne.

Combine all ingredients and divide into 8 portions.

Wrap each portion in a spring roll wrapper and make sure they are well sealed.

Arrange the rolls on a greased baking sheet and bake in a hot oven until crisp and browned, about 15 minutes.

Serve with chilli dipping sauce.

Nutrition Summary per roll
Per Serving
Calories (kcal) 79.7
Protein (g) 2.1
Carbohydrate (g) 15.8
Fat (g) 0.8
Fibre(g) 0.5

Lunch Monday 12 November 2007 - Stuffed Mushrooms Provencale

2007-11-12T13:16:00.001Z

Stuffed Mushrooms Provencale
50g shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
½ Herbs du Provance
10g capers
70g brie, cut into small cubes
1 small tomato, diced (abut 115g)
handful fresh snipped chives
1 tablespoon sherry
4 large, flat mushrooms (Portobello are nice)

Spray a non0stick skillet with a little olive oil and saute the shallots and garlic until softened.

Remove from the heat and add the anchovy, herbs, capers, brie, tomato, chives and sherry. Stir well to combine and divide evenly between the four mushrooms.

Bake in a moderate oven until the mushrooms are cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Makes 1 serving
Nutrition Data per serving
Calories (kcal) 348.0
Carbohydrate (g) 8.5
Protein (g) 22.7
Fat (g) 23.3
Fibre (g) 4.0

Served with 100g Savoy cabbage sauteed with 85g chestnut pieces.

Nutrition Data for full meal

Calories (kcal) 475.9

Carbohydrate (g) 34.6

Protein (g) 26.7

Fat (g) 40.9

Fibre (g) 12.0

Breakfast Monday 12 November 2007 - Bread & grapefruit

2007-11-12T08:24:00.000Z

Breakfast was two slices on Experimental Potato Bread with Marmite, a red grapefruit and some coffee.

Dinner Sunday 11 November 2007 - Sweet & Sour Tofu

2007-11-11T23:23:00.000Z

Sweet & Sour Tofu
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 chillis, sliced
1 onion, sliced (about 115g)
10ml macadamia oil
70g each red & green pepper, cut into squares
1/4 pack tofu

100ml pineapple juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
35g sweet chili sauce
10g tomato puree
25g sugar
1 thumb ginger, grated
35ml white vinegar
10g cornflour

75g pineapple chunks

Wrap the tofu in several thicknesses of paper towel and cover with a plate. Weight the plate with a couple of cans and leave the tofu to stand for 30 mins or so, to press as much water from it as possible.

Spray a non-stick skillet with a little flavourless oil and fry the tofu on either side until browned. Cut into cubes and reserve.

Saute the garlic, chillis and onions in oil until softened. Add the peppers and cook until the peppers are starting to soften. Add the tofu and stir to combine.

Mix together the juice, soy sauce, chilli sauce, tomato puree, sugar, ginger, vinegar and cornflour. Beat well to get rid of any lumps and pour the sauce mixture into the pan with the veggies and tofu.

Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Stir in the pineapple chunks and serve.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 538.0
Carbohydrate (g) 81.9
Protein (g) 19.4
Fat (g) 15.6
Fibre (g) 6.5

Lunch Sunday 11 November 2007 - Quorn burger & veggies

2007-11-11T14:18:00.000Z

Lured again by the BOGOF, I have a freezer full of Quorn in various permutations. So, for lunch I had:

1 Quorn Chili Beef Style burgers
110g carrots, steamed
110g sugar snaps, steamed
2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

No recipe, just steamed the veggies and had the burgers with the chilli sauce & steamed veg.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 464.4
Carbohydrate (g) 38.3
Protein (g) 37.2
Fat (g) 18.2
Fibre (g) 11.0

Breakfast Sunday 11 November 2007 - Bread & fruit

2007-11-11T11:11:00.000Z

Breakfast was two slices of Experimental Potato Bread with Marmite, plus some canned pineapple, fresh blueberries and coffee.

Experimental Potato Bread
200ml water
55g malt extract
10g yeast
90g potato cooking water
260g potato flour
1 duck egg
250g wholemeal flour
35g linseeds

This was basically a way to use up the rest of the potato flour I had bought when I was trying to copy-cat Krispy Kreme doughnuts (I had read somewhere that their texture was partly due to using potato flour and wheat flour).

Anyway, I started as usual by mixing the yeast with the water and malt extract and leaving it to bloom.

I added some salted potato cooking water to the mixture because I have some vague recolection of reading somewhere that it made a good addition to bread due to the starch in it. Not sure where I read it or if it is true!

Add the potato flour and egg and mix to a batter. Leave to rise until doubled and then beat down.
Add the wholemeal flour and linseeds and knead well. Leave to rise, knock back, knead and rise again.

Form into a loaf and allow to rise until doubled and then bake in a hot oven until the bottom sound hollow when tapped, about 20-25 minutes.

Nutrition Summary
Per 100g
Calories (kcal) 255.3
Protein (g) 7.3
Carbohydrate (g) 53.6
Fat (g) 3.7
Fibre(g) 3.1

This was pretty decent bread, but not obviously any different than "normal" bread.

Dinner Saturday 10 November 2007 - Veggie Dogs & Kraut

2007-11-10T21:09:00.000Z

Dinner was a repeat of Monday's dinner - roasted potatoes, veggie hot dogs, sauerkraut with caraway and fine beans.

Lunch Saturday 10 November 2007 - Greek Salad

2007-11-10T14:07:00.001Z

Greek Salad

Dressing
juice 1 lime
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 anchovy fillets, chopped finely
good pinch of oregano
good pinch of dried mint
salt & pepper to taste

Salad

100g green pepper, chopped
100g radishes, chopped
100g feta, crumbled
35g spring onions, sliced
100g cucumber, cut in dice
200g tomatoes, choppped
handful fresh parsley
handful fresh mint

3 Cos lettuce leaves

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Add the peppers, radishes, feta, spring onions, cucumber, tomatoes and frehs herbs to combine well until everything is coated in the dressing.

Line a plate with the lettuce leaves and mound the salad on top.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 531.9
Carbohydrate (g) 17.4
Protein (g) 25.0
Fat (g) 40.7
Fibre (g) 6.1

Breakfast Saturday 10 November 2007 - Last of the muesli

2007-11-10T10:06:00.000Z

Finished off the muesli for breakfast, along with coffee & some raspberries.

Dinner Friday 9 November 2007 - Langoustine Pappardelle

2007-11-09T21:04:00.000Z

Langoustine Pappardelle
2 cloves garlic
2 shallots
1 pat Herb Butter
100ml langoustine stock
50ml dry sherry
1 teaspoon cornflour
90g langoustine tails
2 tablespoons extra thick single cream
1 small handful chopped parsley

70g (dry weight) pappardelle
190g asparagus

Melt the herb butter in a small pan. Add the shallots and garlic and saute over very low heat until softened but not browned.

Mix the cold stock with the sherry and cornflour and add to the pan. Cook over low heat until reduced and thickened, about 10-15 minutes.
Add the langoustine in the last 5 minutes and allow them to cook in the sauce.

Stir in the cream and parsley and serve on the cooked pasta, accompanied by the asparagus.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 596.3
Carbohydrate (g) 54.8
Protein (g) 35.7
Fat (g) 19.5
Fibre (g) 5.8

Lunch Friday 9 November 2007 - Leftover Tomato Pasta Bake

2007-11-09T15:02:00.000Z

I finished off the other potion of the Tomato Pasta Bake with a serving of peas.

Breakfast Friday 9 November 2007 - Muesli (again)

2007-11-09T11:01:00.000Z

Well, another portion of muesli down. One more to go, I reckon.

Dinner Thursday 8 November 2007 - Scallops in Herb Butter, Rice and Fennel au Gratin

2007-11-08T21:55:00.002Z

Scallops in Herb Butter, Rice and Fennel au Gratin
100g scallops
1 pat Herb Butter
90g rice

Fennel Au Gratin
65g shallots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bulb fennel, quartered (about 190g)
300ml vegetable stock
1 tablespoon cornflour
zest 1 lemon
salt & pepper
20g grated Parmesan cheese

Place the shallots, garlic & fennel in a saucepan and cover with the vegetable stock. Simmer, covered until just tender.

Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon ands arrange in an oven-proof casserole dish. Slake the cornflour with a little bit of cold water and add to the stock. Cook over low heat until thickened, then stir in the lemon zest and correct the seasoning with salt & pepper. Pour the sauce over the vegetables in the casserole dish ans top with the Parmesan.

Bake in a moderate oven until the top is browned and golden.

Sear the scallops in a hot pan with a little olive oil. When they are cooked through, add the herb butter, toss to coat and serve with the rice and fennel.

Nutrition Data for meal
Calories (kcal) 638.6
Carbohydrate (g) 85.0
Protein (g) 32.9
Fat (g) 18.9
Fibre (g) 7.0

Lunch Thursday 8 November 2007 - Carrot & Ginger Soup

2007-11-08T14:48:00.004Z

I appear to have forgotten to take a picture (not like me), so you will have to make do with the cute little fellow.

Carrot & Ginger Soup
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
140g onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
100g celery, chopped
525g carrots, chopped
25g ginger, grated
1 pint vegetable stock
handful fresh coriander leaves
handful fresh parsley

Saute the onions and garlic in the oil unti softened & translucent. Add the celery, carrots & ginger and cover with the vegetable stock. Simmer until all the vegetables are tender, then puree in a blender.

Stir in the fresh herbs and serve.

Makes 1 Serving

Nutrition Data per serving
Calories (kcal) 349.1
Carbohydrate (g) 57.3
Protein (g) 9.3
Fat (g) 16.1
Fibre (g) 17.7

Breakfast Thursday 8 November 2007 - More muesli

2007-11-08T10:47:00.001Z

Breakfast was more muesli and coffee - nearly finished the muesli now!

Dinner Wednesday 7 November 2007 - Quorn Fillets in Tarragon Veloute

2007-11-07T20:22:00.001Z

Quorn Fillets in Tarragon Veloute
200ml vegetable stock
1 tablespoons cornflour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons extra thick single cream
salt & pepper to taste
2 Quorn fillets
100g sugar snap peas, cut into julienne
100g carrots, cut into julienne
200g potatoes, mashed

Combine the cold vegetable stock with the cornflour and cream. Bring to a simmer and add the Quorn fillets. Cook over low heat until the surface is thickened and the fillets are heated through. Stir in the tarragon and check the seasoning.

Serve with the steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 450.7
Carbohydrate (g) 71.9
Protein (g) 22.2
Fat (g) 10.0
Fibre (g) 12.0

Lunch Wednesday 7 November 2007 - Tomato Pasta Bake

2007-11-07T14:20:00.001Z

Tomato Pasta Bake
1 large onion, chopped (170g)
1/2 yellow pepper (about 80g)
1 red pepper (about 140g)
1/2 can Baktat Fried Aubergine in Tomato Sauce
1 teaspoon marjoram
120g (dry weight) macaroni, cooked
1 can Campbell's condensed Cream of Tomato soup
100g cherry tomatoes, halved
60g half fat Cheddar, grated

Spray a non-stick skillet with a little olive oil and saute the onions and peppers until soft.

Combine the cooked vegetables, with the canned aubergine, marjoram, cooked macaroni, soup (as is, do not dilute) and cherry tomatoes.

Pour into an oven proof casserole and top with the grated cheese. Bake in a moderate oven until the cheese is melted and the dish is browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes.

Nutrition Data per serving
Calories (kcal) 756.3
Carbohydrate (g) 89.7
Protein (g) 23.0
Fat (g) 34.1
Fibre (g) 6.5

Breakfast Wednesday 7 November 2007 - Muesli & pineapple

2007-11-07T08:18:00.000Z

Breakfast was more muesli with 125g canned pineapple pieces and coffee.

Dinner Tuesday 6 November 2007 - Stir Steam with Tofu

2007-11-06T20:14:00.003Z

Dinner was another Stir Steam. Today's selection:
1 carrot
8 baby corn
150g broccoli
75g fresh shiitake mushrooms
150g tofu
60g (dry weight) Chinese style medium egg noodles

1 portion stir steam sauce

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 527.8
Carbohydrate (g) 71.9
Protein (g) 35.0
Fat (g) 11.5
Fibre (g) 10.9

Lunch Tuesday 6 November 2007 - Brie and Cranberry Quesadilla with Carrot Salad

2007-11-06T15:12:00.001Z

Brie and Cranberry Quesadilla with Carrot Salad
2 flour tortillas
70g brie
2 tablespoons cranberry jelly

80g spinach
1 grated carrot
1/2 lime
1 thumb grated ginger
2 teaspoons sweet chilli sauce

Sandwich the brie and cranberry jelly between the two tortillas. Fry the quesadilla on a non-stick skillet sprayed with a little oil until browned and crisp in either side.

Line a plate with the spinach leaves. Combine the carrot, lime juice, ginger & chilli sauce and mound on top of the leaves. Serve with the quesadilla.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 840.6
Carbohydrate (g) 104.4
Protein (g) 25.4
Fat (g) 36.1
Fibre (g) 4.0

Breakfast Tuesday 6 November 2007 - Muesli

2007-11-06T08:11:00.002Z

Breakfast was more muesli and coffee.

Breakfast Tuesday 6 November 2007 - Muesli

2007-11-06T08:11:00.001Z

Breakfast was more muesli and coffee.

Dinner Monday 5 November 2007 - Veggie Hot Dogs & Sauerkraut

2007-11-05T20:09:00.001Z

Veggie Hot Dogs & Sauerkraut
4 veggie hot dogs
1/2 jar sauerkraut (340g)
1 tsp caraway seeds
195g Anya potatoes, parboiled and split lengthwise
100g fine beans

Spray the parboiled potatoes with a little olive oil and roast in a hot oven until cooked through and browned. about 20 minutes. Add the veggie hot dogs to the roasting tray for the last 10 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, steam the beans and heat the sauerkraut with the caraway seeds.

Serve it up!

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 554.7
Carbohydrate (g) 54.8
Protein (g) 30.9
Fat (g) 20.2
Fibre (g) 13.0

Lunch Monday 5 November 2007 - Carrot Confetti Soup

2007-11-05T14:08:00.000Z

Finished off the other two portions of Carrot Confetti Soup with a few pumpkin seeds scattered on top.

Breakfast Monday 5 November 2007 - More muesli

2007-11-05T08:07:00.000Z

Still working on the muesli, so had another portion for breakfast with some coffee.

Dinner Sunday 4 November 2007 - Stir Steam with Quorn

2007-11-04T20:02:00.003Z

Well, here's another stir steam. Today's selection:

60g (dry weight) Chinese style medium egg noodles
1 carrot
8 baby corn
125g broccoli
1 Quorn fillet, sliced
75g fresh shiitake mushrooms
2 spring onions
1 portion Stir Steam Sauce

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 466.4
Carbohydrate (g) 74.2
Protein (g) 28.2
Fat (g) 6.6
Fibre (g) 11.0

Lunch Sunday 4 November 2007 - Pasta with Aubergine & Sausages

2007-11-04T15:00:00.003Z

Pasta with Aubergine & Sausages
50g (dry weight) pasta shapes, cooked according to package instructions
2 veggie sausages
2 tomatoes, peeled, deseeded & chopped
1/2 can Baktat fried aubergines in tomato sauce
chilli flakes

Slice the veggie sausages into disks. Spray a non-stick skillet with a little olive oil and fry the sausage slices until browned on either side. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes until they are softened.

Stir in the canned aubergine and the cooked pasta shapes. Season to taste with chilli flakes and salt if required.

I love shopping in little "ethnic" shops and there is a nice Turkish shop in Chapel Market called Besiktas. I bought these frilly little pasta shapes in there and also bought the Baktat canned vegetables - giant white beans, fried aubergines and okra in tomato sauce.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 736.4
Carbohydrate (g) 63.5
Protein (g) 17.5
Fat (g) 45.7
Fibre (g) 9.6

Besiktas Food & Wine
82 Chapel Market
Islington
N1 9EZ
Tel: 020 7833 4599

Breakfast Sunday 4 November 2007- Muesli & dragon fruit

2007-11-04T08:59:00.000Z

Breakfast was muesli and a dragon fruit with some coffee.

Dinner Saturday 3 November 2007 - Can of soup

2007-11-03T20:51:00.001Z

Not terribly hungry this evening, so I just decided to use of a can of soup in the cupboard hoard. I had Heinz Broccoli and Watercress soup, a herb salad and one tortilla with a little cheese.

The soup was not very nice, but at least it is another item out of the cupboard!

Lunch Saturday 3 November 2007 - Pappardelle with Broccoli & Stilton

2007-11-03T15:50:00.000Z

Pappardelle with Broccoli & Stilton
2 shallots, chopped
1 garlic, crushed
1 pint vegetable stock
2 tablespoons reduced fat cream
75g Stilton
80g broccoli florets, steamed
70g pappardelle, cooked

Cook the shallots and garlic in the stock until they are very soft and the stock is well reduced down to only a few tablespoons. Then stir in the cream and bring to a simmer.

Crumble in the Stilton and and the broccoli & pasta. Toss well to combine and season to taste with plenty of black pepper and salt, if required.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 607.8
Carbohydrate (g) 54.0
Protein (g) 28.5
Fat (g) 30.8
Fibre (g) 4.4

Breakfast Saturday 3 November 2007 - Breakfast Quesadilla

2007-11-03T09:48:00.001Z

Breakfast was an egg and cheese quesadilla.

Breakfast Quesadilla
1 flour tortilla
1 egg
1 egg white
25g half-fat Cheddar, grated
chilli flakes
handful snipped chives
2 tomatoes, grilled

Scramble the egg in a non-stick skillet. Remove from the pan and reserve.

Spray the skillet with a little olive oil. Place a tortilla in the skillet and sprinkle the grated cheese, chili flakes & chives across the surface. Spread the scrambled egg on the tortilla and fold over in the pan.

Cook on the first side until golden brown and crisp, then carefully flip over and brown the other side.

Serve with grilled tomatoes.

Calories (kcal) 398.0
Carbohydrate (g) 37.1
Protein (g) 23.8
Fat (g) 17.3
Fibre (g) 2.1

Dinner Friday 2 November 2007 - Quorn & Pasta Stew with Baby Kale

2007-11-02T14:47:00.000Z

Quorn & Pasta Stew with Baby Kale
10ml macadamia nut oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic, crushed
1 pint vegetable stock
1 Quorn fillet, chopped
120g baby kale
1 fat vine tomato, chopped
50g pasta shapes

Saute the garlic and onions in the oil until soft. Add the vegetable stock and Quorn fillet and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and simmer until pasta is just al dente, then add the tomato and baby kale and simmer for another 1 or 2 minutes, until everything is hot and the kale is wilted.

Season to taste with salt & pepper and serve.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 443.1
Carbohydrate (g) 61.2
Protein (g) 20.8
Fat (g) 12.9
Fibre (g) 12.0

Lunch Friday 2 November 2007 - Carrot Confetti Soup

2007-11-02T14:46:00.000Z

I finished off the rest of the Carrot Confetti Soup for lunch, along with some wasabi broad beans.

Breakfast Friday 2 November 2007 - Banana & muesli

2007-11-02T09:45:00.000Z

Breakfast was a small banana, muesli and coffee.

Dinner Thursday 1 November 2007 - Carrot Confetti Soup

2007-11-01T20:44:00.000Z

Carrot Confetti Soup
20 ml sunflower oil
2 large onions, chopped (about 430g)
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 kilo carrots, chopped
150g celery, chopped
150g potatoes, chopped and chopped
1 litre vegetable stock
2 tsp curry powder
½ - 1 tsp dried chilli flakes

½ yellow pepper, chopped finely (about 50g)
½ red pepper, chopped finely (about 50g)
1 small green pepper, chopped finely (about 100g)

In a large pot, saute the onions, garlic in the vegetable oil until beginning to soften. Add carrots, celery & potatoes and cover with the stock. Simmer until everything is tender, then add the curry powder and chili flakes to taste. Season with salt & pepper and whizz in a blender until smooth (or use a stick blender).

Add the finely diced peppers (the "confetti") and cook for a further 5 -10 minutes, until the peppers are lightly cooked.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition Data per serving
Calories (kcal) 225.8
Carbohydrate (g) 40.2
Protein (g) 5.0
Fat (g) 8.3

Lunch Thursday 1 November 2007- Stilton & Mango Chutney Quesadilla

2007-11-01T15:42:00.000Z

Stilton & Mango Chutney Quesadilla
1 flour tortillas
75g Stilton cheese
30g mango chutney

Spray a non-stick skillet with a little olive oil. Place a tortilla in the skillet and sprinkle the crumble Stilton across the surface. Spread the chutney on the other tortilla and sandwich it on top of the one in the pan. chutney side down.

Cook on the first side until golden brown and crisp, then carefully flip over and brown the other side.

Serve with:

Tomato Salad
2 fat vine tomatoes, chopped
2 spring onions, sliced
pinch of sugar
handful coriander leaves

Toss everything together and season to taste with salt, if needed.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 778.6
Carbohydrate (g) 84.5
Protein (g) 27.3
Fat (g) 37.1
Fibre (g) 4.0

Breakfast Thursday 1 Novemeber 2007 - Nanner and muesli

2007-11-01T08:41:00.002Z

Breakfast was a small banana, some museli and coffee.

Breakfast Thursday 1 Novemeber 2007 - Nanner and muesli

2007-11-01T08:41:00.000Z

Breakfast was a small banana, some museli and coffee.

Dinner Wednesday 31 October 2007 - Edamame Fritters

2007-10-31T20:02:00.000Z

Edamame Fritters
1 carrot, shredded
80g edamame soy beans, cooked
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 tablespoon mirin
1 teaspoon 7 spice pepper
1 small egg yolk
100ml carbonated water
100g potato flour
½ tsp salt

Marinate the carrot, edamame & spring onions in the mirin & 7 spice for at least an hour.

Make a batter by combining the egg yolk, water, potato flour and salt. Add the vegetables to the batter and combine.

Spray a non-stick skillet with a little oil and place over medium heat. When the skillet if hot (a drop of water skitters across it when dropped), add the batter to the pan in small ladelfuls. Fry on one side until crisp and browned, about 5 minutes, then flip over and cook on other side.

Served with a sauce comprising 1 tablespoon each of mirin and soy sauce. plus some wasabi on the side.

These were OK - I was trying to recreate a sort of a deep-fried fritter feel without deep frying (and use up some potato flour I bought when i was trying to copy-cat Krispy Kreme).

Lunch Wednesday 31 October 2007 - Leftover Mushroom Pasta Bake

2007-10-31T16:00:00.000Z

Lunch was the other portion of Mushroom Pasta Bake and a herb salad.

Breakfast Wednesday 31 October 2007 - Bananas & coffe

2007-10-31T08:40:00.000Z

Well, breakfast was - you guessed it - three small bananas.

Happy Halloween!

Dinner Tuesday 30 October - Stir Steam with Veggies & Noodles

2007-10-30T22:37:00.001Z

Stir Steam with Veggies & Noodles
55g dry Chinese egg noodles
100g broccoli
100g beansprouts
55g red pointed pepper
3 spring onions
35g mushrooms
1 portion stir steam sauce
few sprigs coriander

Yes. It is true. I could more or less live on Stir Steams.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 374.8
Carbohydrate (g) 64.2
Protein (g) 20.2
Fat (g) 5.0
Fibre (g) 6.9

Lunch Tuesday 30 October - Penne with Eggplant Sauce

2007-10-30T14:34:00.000Z

Penne with Eggplant Sauce
90p (dry weight) penne pasta
1 portion Eggplant Sauce
85g Quorn "beef" style mince
1 tomato, chopped
few basil leaves, slivered
20g Parmesan cheese

I just added a bit of extra fresh tomato & some Quorn "beef" mince to a portion of Eggplant Sauce from the freezer and had it with some penne and Parmesan.

Quick & easy.

Nutrition Summary
Calories (kcal) 501.5
Protein (g) 30.9
Carbohydrate (g) 63.8
Fat (g) 14.1
Fibre (g) 10.3

Breakfast Tuesday 30 October 2007 - Bananas & coffee

2007-10-30T09:33:00.000Z

Three more little bananas for breakfast, along with some coffee.

Dinner Monday 29 October 2007 - Mushroom Pasta Bake

2007-10-29T22:31:00.000Z

Well, back to working on the store cupboard hoard. I always seem to have tins of Campbell's soup around; I think it is a throw back to my Mom using them as sauces in various casserole dishes, so here is a tribute to Mom.

Mushroom Pasta Bake
1 can Campbell's condensed cream of mushroom soup
200ml vegetable stock
250g mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, chopped (about 180g)
100g celery, chopped
50g mature half-fat Cheddar cheese, grated
120g elbow macaroni (dry weight), cooked

Spray a non-stick skillet with a little oil and saute the onion until starting to go translucent. Add the mushrooms and celery and cook, covered, until the vegetables are just tender. Continue to cook uncovered until the stock if reduced to virtually nothing.

Add the condensed soup and cooked macaroni to the the vegetables and combine well. Turn into a casserole dish and top with the grated cheese.

Bake in a moderate oven until browned and bubbling, about 20-30 minutes.

Makes 2 servings.
Nutrition Data per serving
Calories (kcal) 504.6
Carbohydrate (g) 61.8
Protein (g) 22.4
Fat (g) 18.7

Lucnh Monday 29 October 2007 - Veggie Sausages and Beans

2007-10-29T14:30:00.000Z

Veggie Sausages and Beans
½ Baktat giant white beans in tomato sauce
2 vegetarian Cumberland sausages
1 tomato
60g baby kale

I love these beans but they are VERY calorific. Must be the oil, cause the rest of the ingredients are OK.

Anyway, just had the other half a can with some blanched baby kale, a tomato and a couple of veggie sausages.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 685.7
Carbohydrate (g) 81.9
Protein (g) 32.6
Fat (g) 25.4
Fibre (g) 7.3

Breakfast Monday 29 October 2007 - Bananas & coffee

2007-10-29T09:27:00.000Z

Noshed my way through three more small bananas, 100g dates and coffee.

Dinner Sunday 28 October 2007 - Stir Steamed Vegetables with Udon

2007-10-28T21:25:00.000Z

Stir Steamed Vegetables with Udon
125g broccoli
100g bean sprouts
10g baby corn
1 carrot
1 pointed red pepper
30g shiitake mushroms
100g prawns
200g udon cooked noodles
handful fresh coriander
1 portion Stir Steam sauce

Just another Stir Steam

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 639.0
Carbohydrate (g) 103.5
Protein (g) 41.3
Fat (g) 6.9
Fibre (g) 11.8

Lunch Sunday 28 October 2007 - Aspargus Papparedelle

2007-10-28T14:23:00.001Z

Aspargus Papparedelle
90g pappardelle
75g asparagus, cut into bite sized pieces
1 cloves garlic, crushed
100ml well reduced asparagus stock
125g quark
20g grated parmesan cheese

Put the pappardell on to cook, and when there are about fives cooking time left for it, start the sauce.

Simmer the garlic and asparagus in the asparagus stock until tender, about 5 minutes. Turnoff the heat and stir in the quark and well drained, cooked pasta.

Toss well to combine, season with salt (if needed) and plenty of fresh black pepper and serve garnished with the parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 519.3
Carbohydrate (g) 71.5
Protein (g) 38.3
Fat (g) 9.0
Fibre (g) 4.2

Dinner Saturday 27 October 2007 - Prawn Egg Fu Yung with Asparagus

2007-10-27T22:20:00.001Z

Prawn Egg Fu Yung with Asparagus
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 thumb ginger, grated
100g bean sprouts, blanched
3 spring onions, finely sliced
handful coriander
10 prawns (about 100g)
2 large, free-range organic eggs
½ teaspoon sesame oil

Beat the eggs with the sesame oil and leave to one side.

Spray a small non stick skillet with a little flavourless oil and fry the ginger & garlic for a minute or so, until fragrant but not browned.

Arrange the prawns evenly around the bottom of the pan, then covered them with the blanched bean sprouts tossed with the coriander leaves.

Pour over the eggs & sesame oil and cook, covered, over low heat until the eggs are set (about 5 minutes).

Garnish with the asparagus and serve with:

Fu Yung Sauce
1 cloves garlic, crushed
1 thumb ginger, grated
2-3 chillis
200ml vegetable stock
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon corn flour
Simmer the garlic, ginger & chillis in the stock & soy sauce for about 5 minutes, then add the cornflour slaked with a little cold water. Cook over low heat for a further 5 minutes and serving with the fu yung.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 421.6
Carbohydrate (g) 25.4
Protein (g) 39.1
Fat (g) 19.3
Fibre (g) 6.2

Lunch Saturday 27 October 2007 - Leftover Pasta Bake

2007-10-27T14:19:00.000Z

Lunch was the other portion of Pasta Bake from yesterday and a salad of tomatoes, coriander, spring onions and balsamic vinegar on shredded lettuce.

Breakfast Saturday 27 October 2007 - Dragon Fruit & Banana

2007-10-27T09:16:00.001Z

Breakfast was a dragon fruit, a small banana and coffee. Got a bumper bag of cute little 'nanners in Chapel Market for £1, so there will be many bananas in days to come...

Dinner Friday 26 October 2007 - Pasta & Vegetable Bake

2007-10-26T21:14:00.000Z

Pasta & Vegetable Bake
½ red pepper (about 80g)
½ yellow pepper (about 80g)
1 onion, chopped
½ quantity (2 servings) Eggplant Sauce
120g (dry weight) macaroni, cooked
1 pack of mozzarella cheese (125g)

Spray a non-stick skillet with some olive oil and saute the onion and peppers until soft.

Add the eggplant sauce and simmer for 10-15 minutes, then stir in the cooked pasta.

Turn the mixture out into a small casserole dish, top with the mozzarella and bake in a moderate oven until cheese is melted, browned and bubbling, about 20 minutes.

Makes 2 portions
Nutrition Data per serving
Calories (kcal) 423.4
Carbohydrate (g) 61.0
Protein (g) 23.5
Fat (g) 9.8
Fibre (g) 4.9

Lunch Friday 26 October 2007 - Brazilian Fish Stew

2007-10-26T14:12:00.000Z

Finished off the Brazilian Fish Stew for lunch.

Breakfast Friday 26 October 2007 - Rye bread & coffee

2007-10-26T08:11:00.000Z

Breakfast was two slices of October Rye and coffee.

Dinner Thursday 25 October 2007 - Penne with Creamy Tomato Sauce

2007-10-25T21:08:00.000Z

Penne with Creamy Tomato Sauce
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 fat vine tomatoes, peeled, de-seeded & chopped
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 teaspoon sugar
pinch of marjoram
a few fresh basil leaves
125g quark
80g penne (dry weight)
20g Parmesan cheese, grated

To make the sauce, cook the garlic in the olive oil for a few seconds, then add the tomatoes, tomato puree, sugar and herbs. Cover and cook over low heat until tomatoes have broken down in to a pulp, about 15 minutes.

While the sauce is cooking, get your pasta on because it will take fairly close to the same time to cook.

To serve, add the quark and hot, well drained pasta to the tomato sauce and toss well to combine. Be careful not to over heat the quark or it will split. Garnish with the Parmesan and a few shreds of fresh basil and serve.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 514.0
Carbohydrate (g) 76.8
Protein (g) 35.3
Fat (g) 7.8
Fibre (g) 2.5

Lunch Thursday 25 October 2007 - Egg Mayonnaise on Rye Toast

2007-10-25T14:05:00.001Z

Egg Mayonnaise on Rye Toast & salads
2 slices October rye
1 duck egg
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
handful fresh chives
a couple Romaine laves
250g cooked beetroot, julienned
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 vine tomatoes
handful pepperoncini

Just mash the hard boiled duck egg with the mayonnaise and chives, season with salt & lots of black pepper and serve on the rye bread, garnished with a few more chives and some lettuce.

On the side I had the beetroot tossed with balsamic vinegar, sliced tomatoes and pepperoncini.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 496.5
Carbohydrate (g) 79.8
Protein (g) 21.4
Fat (g) 11.5
Fibre (g) 12.6

Breakfast Thursday 25 October 2007 - Muesli & Coffee

2007-10-25T08:03:00.000Z

Breakfast was more Quaker muesli and coffee

Dinner Wednesday 24 October 2007 - Veggie Sausages & Mash

2007-10-24T21:07:00.000Z

Veggie Sausages & Mash

2 vegetarian Cuumberland sausages
130g Jersey Royal new poatoes
125g swede
1 portion Mushroom Gravy
90g broad beans, steamed
1 carrot, steamed

This is more a less a re-run of yesterday's lunch - veggies sausages with mashed potato & swede, gravy and veg.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 404.6
Carbohydrate (g) 53.4
Protein (g) 19.4
Fat (g) 13.7
Fibre (g) 16.0

Lunch Wednesday 24 October 2007 - Composed Salad

2007-10-24T13:04:00.000Z

Composed Salad
1 Romaine lettuce leaves
2 beetroot, cooked and julienned (about 170g)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
200g small potatoes, quarted or halved & boiled (I used Anya)
1 clove garlic, crushed
juice 1 lemon
handful fresh dill
1 tsp olive oil
1 duck egg, hard boiled
1 bunch cherry tomatoes (160g)

No real recipes here, either. I just tossed the beetroot julienne with the balsamic vinegar, tossed the (hot) potatoes with the garlic, lemon, dill & oil, then lined a plate with the lettuce and arranged everything on top.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 411.0
Carbohydrate (g) 59.8
Protein (g) 16.9
Fat (g) 13.5
Fibre (g) 7.4

Breakfast Wednesday 24 October 2007 - Toast & grapes

2007-10-24T09:02:00.000Z

Broke myfast with two slices October Rye bread, Better Butter, grapes & coffee.

Dinner Tuesday 23 October 2007

2007-10-23T21:53:00.000Z

Brazilian Fish Stew
1 large onion chopped
3 clove garlic
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 fat vine tomatoes peeled and chopped (about 580g)
1 plantain, cut into chunks (about 150g)
1 tsp salt

100g swordfish steak, cut in 1" cubes
180g raw king prawns
juice of 1 lime
big handful fresh coriander
big handful parsley

Saute the onion & garlic in the oil until beginning to soften. Add the pepper and chilli flakes at cook for a few minute more, until the peppers are softening. Add the chopped tomatoes, plantain & salt, then add enough water to just cover the vegetables Cover the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add the swordfish & prawns and simmer, covered, for another 5 minutes until the fish is cooked.

Stir in the lemon juice and herbs, correct the seasoning and serve.

Makes 2 servings
Nutrition Data per serving
Calories (kcal) 433.3
Carbohydrate (g) 37.4
Protein (g) 30.3
Fat (g) 19.0
Fibre (g) 8.5

Lunch Tuesday 23 October 2007 - Veggie Sausages with Mash

2007-10-23T14:51:00.000Z

100g swede
125g potato
2 vegetarian Cumberland sausages
1 serving Mushroom Gravy
125g broccoli
1 ear sugar pearl corn

No recipe - I just mashed the swede and potatoe together and had with the

veggies sausages, gravy and vegetables.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 549.2
Carbohydrate (g) 76.6
Protein (g) 25.2
Fat (g) 17.4
Fibre (g) 13.8

Breakfast Tuesday 23 October 2007 - Muesli

2007-10-23T08:50:00.000Z

Breakfast was another bit of the Quaker muesli, coffee

Dinner Monday 22 October 2007 - Thai Square Restaurant

2007-10-22T23:41:00.001Z

Met Marcel for drinks and then had dinner at Thai Square on Upper Street.

We shared :
- Poh Tak Soup (for 2 people) - Traditional hot and sour mixed seafood soup with lemon grass, lime leaves, holy basil leaves and fresh leaves
- Goong Gratiam Krop - pan fried Thai river king prawn with garlic and pepper sauce (4 very large ones)
- Hoi Shell Nor Mai Farang (scallops with asparagus and roasted garlic)
- Sauteed spinach with ginger & garlic
- Pad Mee Leung (stir fried plain egg noodles with beansprout, spring onion & soy sauce)
- Egg Fried Rice (for Marcel - I am a noodle person)

This place seems to have gone down hill. It used to be pretty good, but lately the service seems sort of gruff and the food is indifferent. Total with a bottle of Chenin Blanc was £59.85.

There is better Thai to be had on Upper Street at Rabieng Thai!

Thai Square
347-349 Upper Street
Islington
N1 0PD
Tel: 020 7704 2000

Thai Square

Lunch Monday 22 October 2007 - Veggie Sausages and Giant White Beans

2007-10-22T13:24:00.000Z

2 vegetarian Cumberland sausages
5 cherry tomatoes
½ can Baktat giant white beans

Salad of
10g honey
10g mustard
5 ml macadamia nut oil
juice ½ lemon
50g spring onions, sliced
75g celery, sliced
125g radishes, sliced

Nutrition Summary
Calories (kcal) 775.0
Protein (g) 32.8
Carbohydrate (g) 92.2
Fat (g) 30.9
Fibre (g) 8.5

Breakfast Monday 22 October - Yet more new cereal

2007-10-22T08:20:00.001Z

Breakfast was some Quaker Harvest Fruit Muesli, grapes & coffee.

I know I am supposed to be working down the cereal hoard, but I had a coupon...

Dinner Sunday 21 October 2007 - Chinese Style Prawns and Mushrooms

2007-10-21T22:17:00.000Z

Chinese Style Prawns and Mushrooms
75g buna shimeji mushrooms
10 g 1 thumb ginger grated
2 cloves garlic grated
2-3 chilli peppers, sliced
400mls vegetable stock (I used Lee’s Won Ton Soup Mix Base)
100g prawns
1 head pak choi
3 spring onions sliced
1 tablespoon cornflour

Simmer the garlic, chillies, ginger & mushrooms in the stock for 10 minutes. Add the pak choi and prawns and simmer for a further 2-3 minutes. Finally, add the cornflour slaked with a little water and cook until slightly thickened, another 2 minutes. Garnish with the spring onions and serve.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 196.7
Carbohydrate (g) 21.3
Protein (g) 23.5
Fat (g) 2.1
Fibre (g) 4.3

Lunch Sunday 21 October 2007 - Composed Salad

2007-10-21T14:13:00.001Z

Composed Salad
1 lemon
1 garlic
handful coriander
3 spring onions
1 small avocado (about 100g)
10 cherry tomatoes (about 100g)
120g beetroot
50g rocket leaves
30g pepperoncini
2 vegetarian Cumberland sausages

I had a couple leftover veggie sausages, so decided to add them to a salad plate.

Combine the lemon (juice & flesh), garlic, coriander, spring onions, avocado and cherry tomatoes. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Line a plate with the rocket and the arrange the avocado salad, pepperoncini, beetroot and sausage on the leaves,

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 442.8
Carbohydrate (g) 31.1
Protein (g) 14.8
Fat (g) 28.9
Fibre (g) 11.1

Breakfast Sunday 21 October 2007 - Rye Toast & coffee

2007-10-21T08:10:00.000Z

Breakfast was two slices October Rye bread, Better Butter, coffee