Breakfast Friday 20 July - Special K & Apricots

Breakfast was Special K, Milk & coffee, 4 apricots

Breakfast Friday 20 July - Special K & Apricots

Breakfast was Special K, Milk & coffee, 4 apricots

Dinner Thursday 19 July - White Radish Cake Salad

1 portion White Radish Cake
1 green pepper (about 180g)
2 ribs celery

1 clove garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar

handful fresh coriander leaves
1 bag mixed leaves (120g)
25g roasted peanuts, crushed

Make a dressing on the garlic, sesame oil, sugar, soy sauce & rice vinegar. Add the slivered green peppers and celery and leave to stand for 30 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, cut the white radish cake into cubes and fry in a non-stick skillet sprayed with a little oil until brown and crisp around the edges.

Combine the coriander with the bag of mixed leaves and line a plate with the mixture. Toss the white radish cake cubes with the veggies and dressing and mound on top of the prepared leaves. Garnish with the crushed peanuts.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 408.3
Carbohydrate (g) 46.5
Protein (g) 16.3
Fat (g) 17.7
Fibre (g) 7.0

I had this with a grilled ear of corn.

Lunch Thursday 19 July - Broad Bean Salad

Broad Bean Salad
40g Manuka honey
juice one lemon
20g mustard
1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 red onion, sliced fine (about 180g)
240g broad beans, cooked
150g fine beans, cooked
½ can butter beans (120g)

Make a dressing of the honey, lemon, mustard, oil & garlic. Season with salt & plenty of black pepper.
Combine the sliced red onion, fine beans, broad beans and butter beans. Pour over the dressing, toss well and serve.

Makes 2 servings
Nutrition Data per serving
Calories (kcal) 327.7
Carbohydrate (g) 46.2
Protein (g) 14.6
Fat (g) 10.1
Fibre (g) 13.5

I had one portion with:
100g Romaine lettuce
100g Santini tomatoes
100g asparagus

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 381.9
Carbohydrate (g) 52.7
Protein (g) 19.1
Fat (g) 11.6
Fibre (g) 17.4

Breakfast Thursday 19 July - Special K & Strawberries

Brekkie was Special K milk, coffee & 400g strawberries

Dinner Wednesday 18 July - Fettuccine with Creamy Oyster Mushroom Sauce

Fettuccine with Creamy Oyster Mushroom Sauce
250g oyster mushrooms
4 shallots, sliced finely (about 125g)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 pat Herb Butter
70g fettuccine
125g quark
1 tablespoon concentrated vegetable stock (I used Knorr Touch of Taste)
small handful fresh parsley
15g shaved Parmesan cheese

Saute the oyster mushrooms, shallots and garlic in the herb butter until the shallots are translucent & the mushrooms are well cooked.

Add the hot, cooked pasta, the quark, the concentrated stock (along with a couple of tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to loosen the quark) and the parsley. Stir through over very low heat; do not overheat or boil or the quark may split (mine did, unfortunately - it still tasted OK, just does not look so great!)

Turn out onto a serving plate & sprinkle over the shaved Parmesan.

Nutrition Summary
Calories (kcal) 510.4
Protein (g) 34.6
Carbohydrate (g) 60.9
Fat (g) 14.7
Fibre (g) 6.1

Lunch Wednesday 18 July - Greek Style Spinach Soup

Greek Style Spinach Soup
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ onion, chopped (about 90g)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 ribs celery, sliced
½ can butter beans (120g)
1 pint vegetable stock
50g raw spinach, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
25g orzo pasta
handful fresh parsley
handful fresh mint

Saute the garlic & onion in the oil until softened. Add the celery, butter beans, stock, spinach, tomato and orzo and simmer until the orzo is cooked, about 15-20 minutes. Season with plenty of fresh black pepper and some salt, if needed. Stir in the parsley & mint, and serve.

Makes one large serving (two bowls)

Nutrition Data per serving
Calories (kcal) 424.9
Carbohydrate (g) 63.0
Protein (g) 17.3
Fat (g) 11.4
Fibre (g) 12.9

Breakfast Wednesday 18 July - Special K & blueberries

Special K, milk, coffee, 300g blueberries

Dinner Tuesday 17 July - White Radish Cake Satay

White Radish Cake Satay
3 Romaine leaves
handful coriander
handful mint
3 spring onions

1 portion White Radish Cake
1 medium yellow pepper (about 120g)
3 small onions (pickling size)
½ pack ready made Satay Sauce

1 ear corn, grilled
100g fine beans, steamed

Well, another "I had a coupon...." scenario. I can't recall if if was money off or a freebie, but something induced me to buy a pack of Amoy Satay Sauce, so it needed using up!

Cut the white radish cake into cubes. Quarter the onions and cut the yellow pepper into chunks about 1" square. Thread the white radish cake, pepper and onion chunks onto soaked skewers and spray with a little oil.

Grill, along with the corn on the cob, until the veggies are cooked and the radish cake is browned and hot.

Combine the shredded Romaine, mint & coriander and use to line a plate. Serve the steamed fine beans, white radish cake skewers and grilled corn on the bed of greens. Top the skewers with ½ the pack f Satay sauce (I heated the sachet up in some boiling water to avoid having to wash up after it!)

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 552.1
Carbohydrate (g) 79.5
Protein (g) 19.7
Fat (g) 17.8
Fibre (g) 9.7

Lunch Tuesday 17 July - Aubergine Pepperonata

Aubergine Pepperonata
1 small aubergine (about 250g)
1 serving Pepperonata
50g half fat cheese
small handful shredded basil

Slice the aubergine into steaks. Sprinkle with salt and leave to stand for 30 minutes. Squeeze excess moisture from the steaks and saute in a non-stick pan sprayed with olive oil.

Layer the aubergine into a small casserole dish with the pepperonata. Top with grated cheese and bake in a moderate oven until lightly browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes.

Top with the shredded basil and serve.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 273.4
Carbohydrate (g) 16.7
Protein (g) 21.4
Fat (g) 14.1
Fibre (g) 8.7

Breakfast Tuesday 17 July - Special K and coffee

I will get through this box of Special K..... if it weren't for the excessive packaging, I would consider buying cereal variety packs!

Anyway, more Special K with coffee.

Dinner Monday 16 July - - White Radish Cake with Oriental Vegetables

1 portion White Radish Cake
1 clove garlic
2-3 chillis
3 tsp sugar
juice 1 lime
3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
200ml vegetable or fish stock
1 tablespoon cornflour

200g bean sprouts, blanched
100g sugar snap peas, sliced & blanched
½ yellow pepper, sliced thinly
4 spring onions, sliced thinly

Cut the radish cake into cubes and pan fry until golden brown in a non stick skillet sprayed with a little oil.

Combine the garlic, chillis, sugar, fish sauce, stock & cornflour and simmer over low heat until thickened. Add salt & pepper if you think it needs it.

Combine blanched vegetables and mound on a serving plate. Turn the fried white radish cake in the sauce to coat and add to the plate, drizzling any extra sauce over the veggies. Serve garnished with a few slivers of spring onions and extra chillies, if liked.


Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 457.6
Carbohydrate (g) 86.6
Protein (g) 19.4
Fat (g) 5.5
Fibre (g) 8.3

Lunch Monday 16 July - Hake with vegetables

Hake with Vegetables

Well, this was another exercise in using up stuff in the freezer. I had some Young's Breaded Hake Fillets in the freezer, so decided the give them a go.

Baked them according to pack instructions and had them with

• 185g Vivaldi salad potatoes, steamed
• 1 carrot, steamed
• 125g broccoli, steamed
• 80g broad beans, steamed
• 1 tomato, halved & grilled

Got to say, the fish was NOT very nice - I ended up throwing it away and the texture was awful; dry & chewy.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 511.8
Carbohydrate (g) 72.9
Protein (g) 32.6
Fat (g) 11.7
Fibre (g) 16.2

Breakfast Monday 16 July - Special K and Peaches

Started the day off with a bowl of Special K, coffee and three peaches.

Dinner Sunday 15 July - Chips & Beans!

OK, so I was a bit newt-like on the way home and made less than great food choices. I had some French fries at the Burger King in London Bridge Station on the way home. And when I got in, I ate a tin of Heinz Baked Beans.

At least I did not attempt to cook while intoxicated and end up torching myself or the flat.

Lunch Sunday 15 July - Blackheath Tapas Bar

Well, Lisa and I walked Race for Life in Blackheath. We made pretty good time, and after a pint at the The Hare and Billet, went on for lunch at El Pirata Tapas Bar, 15-16 Royal Parade.

We shared a jug or two of sangria and had some (largely pretty indifferent) tapas. The restaurant was SWELTERINGLY hot.

Anyway, we tried
Mushrooms in Tomato Sauce
Monkfish in Tomato Sauce
Patatas Bravas
Tortilla
Prawns in Garlic Oil
Russian Salad
Grilled Halloumi

We then moved on to the same wine bar we went to last year (Cave Austin, 7-9 Montpelier Vale) and consumed a bottle of rose & a bottle of white wine.

Oh dear, rather pished...

Breakfast Sunday 15 July - Cereal & Peaches and Race for Life!

Started off the day with Special K (again), coffee and a couple of peaches before heading out the Blackheath for my third annual Race for Life.

Dinner Saturday 14 July - Thai Style Marinated Prawn Skewers with Salad

Asian Style Marinated Prawn Skewers with Salad
170g raw prawns
handful fresh coriander
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 stem lemon grass, finely shredded
2-3 green chillies, sliced
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce


3 tablespoon Thai oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
juice ½ lime
1 teaspoon sugar

200g bean sprouts, blanched
½ sweet red pepper, cut into thin strips (about 40g)
¼ yellow pepper, cut into thin strips (about 40g)
100g sugar snap peas, blanched & sliced
50g baby corn, blanched & sliced into strips
4 spring onions, sliced


Make a marinade for the prawns by pounding together the coriander, garlic, lemon grass, chillis, shallot and fish sauce. I use a mortar and pestle, but you could also use a blender or food processor.

Add the prawns and massage the marinade into them with your fingers. Leave to marinate for an hour or more while you soak some bamboo skewers in water (to prevent them burning).

While the prawns are marinating and the skewers are soaking, make the salad.

Make a dressing by combining the oyster sauce, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Add the prepared vegetables and toss well to combine.

Thread the marinated prawns on skewers and grill until cooked. serve with the salad.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 392.2
Carbohydrate (g) 53.2
Protein (g) 42.7
Fat (g) 2.8
Fibre (g) 9.7

Lunch Saturday 14 July - Prawn and Vegetable Egg Drop Soup

Prawn and Vegetable Egg Drop Soup
3 tablespoons shao shing
1 tablespoon soy sauce
400ml vegetable stock
1 teaspoon sugar
chilli flakes, to taste
100g enoki mushrooms
1 carrot, sliced thinly
50g mange tout, halved lengthwise
100g cooked prawns
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 free range, organic egg
2 spring onions
handful fresh coriander

Simmer together the stock, sugar, soy, chilli and Shao Shing for 5 minutes. Add the prepared vegetables and simmer until tender, about another 2-3 minutes.

Add the prawns and bring back to a simmer. Beat together the egg and the sesame oil. Drizzle the egg into the soup, cover and turn off the heat. Leave to stand for 2-3 minutes, until the egg has set into "flowers". Stir in the coriander leaves and serve.

Nutrition Data
Calories (kcal) 306.7
Carbohydrate (g) 23.3
Protein (g) 30.5
Fat (g) 10.2
Fibre (g) 5.8

Happy One Year Anniversary to my Blog

"Good Spirits" by John Lund

Well it has been one year ago today since I started keeping what is arguably the most boring blog on Blogger.

So,

On July 14, 1789, during the French Revolution, citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille .

On July 14, 1798, the American Congress passed the Sedition Act, making it a federal crime to publish false, scandalous or malicious writing about the United States government.

On July 14 1881, outlaw William H. Bonney Jr., alias "Billy the Kid," was shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett in Fort Sumner, N.M.

On July 14 1933, all German political parties, except the Nazi Party, were outlawed.

On July 14 1965, the American space probe Mariner 4 flew by Mars, sending back photographs of the Red Planet.

On July 14 1966, eight student nurses were murdered by Richard Speck in a Chicago dormitory.

On July 14 2007, I had Special K, Blueberries and coffee for breakfast ( does not seem quite so momentous).

Today's Birthdays:
Ingmar Bergman
Harry Dean Stanton
William Hanna (of Hanna Barbera)
Woody Guthrie
SpongeBob SquarePants
My Blog