Goodbye for now

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

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

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

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

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

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...

- potato bread, mushroom pate & coffee.

Dinner Tuesday 20 November 2007 - Fettuccine sorta Carbonara

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

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

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

Dinner Monday 19 November 2007 - Pizza on Upper Street

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

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

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

Lunch Sunday 18 November 2007 - Quorn Meatballs Marinara

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

Breakfast was potato bread and mushroom pate with coffee.

Dinner Saturday 17 November 2007 - Composed Salad Plate

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

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

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