It was so lovely and sunny today that I decided to make us a salad for our supper. I loosely based the flavours on a traditional Nicoise Salad (which uses Tuna), but used chicken instead and added some potatoes for my Carb Loving husband!
My version was low carb, which meant no potatoes. Instead I had some leftover steamed asparagus that I used and some sliced cooked beetroot. In all truth I could not finish it, and it was delicious!
I have only recently discovered that you can roast frozen beans on a baking tray at the same time you roast other things like potatoes or meat. They come out beautifully. A bit caramelised on the edges, perfectly cooked, and the flavour is fantastic!
To be honest I have never been overly fond of frozen beans, but this way I love them. We are funny in our family, we like tinned beans . . . that's what we were brought up on.
I had some leftover Rotisserie Chicken from one we had bought at Costco. This is the chicken I used. You could could a couple of chicken breasts if you don't have any leftover. But the Rotisserie Chicken is lovely.
Roasted fingerling potatoes . . . just tossed with a bit of olive oil and seasoning and roasted along with the beans. Perfect.
Ideally you should use Nicoise Olives, but I didn't have any. I did have a mix of Kalamata and Green with small cubes of feta cheese. This is what I used. Yum!
Hard boiled eggs . . . I always use free-range eggs. Its the least I can do. I refuse to support an industry that is inhumane, and if I can find them I use RS PCB approved. Then I know for sure that they are really produced humanely. Want to know my secret to perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs. Its a electric egg boiler just like this one. They turn out perfectly no matter the degree of doneness you wish, every single time.
The dressing is a very simple one. Just lemon juice, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil, seasonings and fresh herbs. A simple vinaigrette. The original used 1 tsp of granulated sugar, which if you are not bothered you can use. I am bothered so I used a tsp of sugar substitute. Without it, the dressing would be very tart.
Yield: 2
Chicken Nicoise Salad Platter
I have two ways of doing this. One is full carb and one is low carb. Both are delicious. Simple, easy and very pretty on a plate.
prep time: cook time: total time:
ingredients:
You will need:
- Leftover Roast chicken
- 2 hard boiled free range eggs
- 1/2 (4 serving size) bag of haricots verts (I used yellow wax)
- 5 or 6 fingerling salad potatoes, washed and halved or quartered lengthwise (use only half the potatoes or leave out altogether if you are doing low carb)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- olive oil to drizzle
- a mix of nicoise olives and feta cheese (or kalamata) (about 1/4 cup)
- about 6 cherry tomatoes, halved (I forgot these)
For the dressing:
- 3 TBS fresh lemon juice
- 3 TBS white wine vinegar
- 3 TBS finely chopped herbs (I used parsley and dill)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sweetener or granulated sugar
- 1 TBS Dijon mustard
- salt and black pepper to taste
instructions:
How to cook Chicken Nicoise Salad Platter
- Preheat your oven to 230*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with foil. Place the frozen beans on one side of the baking tray and the potatoes on the other side. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with some salt and black pepper. Toss each to coat. Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or so, until the potatoes are golden and the beans are beginning to caramelise just a bit. Remove and set aside.
- Have ready two large dinner plates. Slice some roast chicken and put a portion on each plate. Peel and halve the eggs. Place two halves on each plate. Divide the potatoes between the two plates (Not if you are doing a low carb plate, then just put half the potatoes on one). Divide the beans between each plate also, as well as the olives, cheese and the tomatoes.
- Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing. (You will have plenty. You can store any leftovers for a few days in the refrigerator for another time.) Drizzle some of the dressing over each and serve immediately.
- If you are doing low carb, leave off the potatoes and replace with something else. Today I sliced myself up some cooked beetroot and had some leftover chilled asparagus. In all honesty I couldn't finish it all.
NOTES:
If you haven't got any leftover roast chicken (I used the breast meat of a Rotisserie Chicken), then you can always cook two chicken breasts to use in its place.
I hope you are enjoying these new recipes I am sharing. I would really love your feedback. I promise you there will be something deliciously sweet tomorrow. I am trying to stay away from those things as much as possible, but its not fair to punish Todd for my sinful ways.
This is another quick and simple supper we enjoyed recently that is low in fat, carbs and sugars. That's because I make the fajita seasoning from scratch . . . not from packet.
It is quite surprising the amount of sugar that will be in a ready-prep seasoning packet!! Or maybe not. We have been conditioned through the years to eat sugar in just about everything without even knowing it.
Its only been in recent years that healthy studies have confirmed that it really isn't fat that is our enemy, but sugar. There are several generations of people who have been sadly misinformed about that, and I am one of them.
For years I have been buying and eating low fat this and low fat that, only to keep getting, well . . . fatter. When you take the fat out of things you take out a lot of the flavour and sadly the need to put the flavour back in has resulted in gross amounts of sugar being added to things in on form or another.
This recipe uses full fat Greek Yogurt as a garnish to the finished fajitas. It is rich and creamy and a little bit goes a long way. I add some green Tabasco sauce to it to give it some spark!
Ideally you should use iceberg lettuce to hold the fajitas, as it forms a bit of a cupping shape, but I didn't have any, so used Cos (Romaine) lettuce on this occasion. I just dolloped the fajita filling and the sour cream on top, and ate it like a salad.
If you are not bothered by carbs, by all means enjoy the filling in some warmed soft tortillas . . . Todd did. He still eats them with a knife and a fork however. He thinks that eating with ones hands is a bit barbaric.
I've been following this low carb, low sugar, low calorie diet for about a week or so now, and nothing had budged. *Sniff*sniff*
I am trying very hard not to get discouraged. In that week I have sniffed but not eaten . . . fresh strawberry pie . . .
Just for-going the pastry was torture for me. Pastry is my favourite thing. Our whole family loves pastry. If it is in pastry, we are all over it like a rash. Sweet or savoury. It doesn't matter.
I shall keep slogging along. After all I didn't gain the weight in a week and I won't lose it in a week. I just hope I start to see some progress soon. Its so easy to be discouraged!
Yield: 4
Turkey Fajitas
Spicy and yes, delicious. I am sure you get tired of that word. Quick and easy as well. If you are not watching the carbs or calories, you can have this with some salsa and warmed tortillas. Maybe even some Guacamole. What's good about this dish is there is no sugar in it. You won't miss it. I promise.
ingredients:
For the turkey:
- 1 TBS rapeseed oil
- 400g turkey breast steaks, cut into thin strips (about 1 pound)
- 1 medium red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
- 1 red pepper trimmed, de-seeded and cut into thin strips
- 1 yellow or green pepper trimmed, de-seeded and cut into thin strips
- 1 tsp hot smoked paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- salt and black pepper to taste
To serve:
- 8 ice berg lettuce leaves (cup shaped)
- a handful of fresh coriander leaf, coarsely chopped (cilantro)
- 100g full fat Greek Yogurt (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 tsp green Tabasco sauce
- lime wedges
instructions:
How to cook Turkey Fajitas
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey, onion and peppers. Cook, stirring and tossing together, until the turkey is cooked through and the peppers and onions are crispy tender. Add all of the spices, and salt and black pepper to taste. Cook for another minute or two. Scatter the coriander leaf over top and serve immediately.
- Stir the Tabasco sauce into the Greek yogurt, just to marble it. Spoon the turkey mixture into lettuce leaves to serve. Top with a dollop of yogurt and pass the lime wedges.
There are less than 200 calories in this tasty dish, which is in fitting with the 800 Fast diet. If you are only low carbing it, you could certainly have some cheese on top, or even if you are not on a fast day a bit of cheese would be okay. I don't think, on a non-fast day, a small tortilla would even be out of line, but I am holding to the less carbs the better school!! Interestingly I haven't felt like I was starving. Oh, I have had cravings for sure . . . but that's all they were.
I received a beautiful box of fish the other day from Seafresh Quality Foods. I had been contacted by them and asked I would like to try some of their products and review their service, etc.
I am wanting to eat more fish at the moment, so I said sure.
Seafresh is an online fish monger, which sells quality fish, seafood, poultry and meat. They have access to some of the best quality products from Britain and around the world.
This is largely due to the good relationships they have fostered with their suppliers since 1996, when they began with the very simple concept of selling high quality frozen foods to their customers right in the comfort of their own homes.
I have to say right from the outset I have been extremely impressed with their customer service.
Rhoda their Customer Service Rep was in touch with me through the whole process of ordering and delivery, and checked back afterwards to make sure that it got to me in a timely manner and was up to standard.
I was given a one hour delivery slot (delivery is by DPD) and it arrived bang on time, and was really packaged well.
I was really impressed with the packaging all together. Not only was it in a very sturdy box, but inside it was packed inside a woolcool bag which is completely reusable and recyclable.
Woolcool is made from excess sheep wool and it can go straight into the compost bin or if even better it can be re-used for things like hanging baskets, potted plants, insulating, even cushion fillers! It was also packed with dry ice, which was clearly labelled for safety.
There were cooked Shrimps, raw King Prawns, Undyed Smoked Haddock, Cod Loins, Haddock Loins and Salmon Fillets. I was so impressed with the packaging of everything. All arrived frozen solid and ready to pop into the freezer. Each fish package was double bagged as well, and perfectly labelled not only with the contents, but also with basic cooking instructions!
I am really impressed. This is a quality product, responsibly & sustainably resourced, and it shows.
There is more to fish than most people know like the cut, portion size,
the glaze on the fish ( amount of water glaze added), how it’s frozen. Their fish is all individually quick frozen, right at sea. Air Blast frozen within four hours.
The amount of time it takes to freeze fish can really affect the taste, with some places taking up to 48 hours before it is frozen at the docks. Being quick frozen means that this fish tastes really fresh, and I can say that it is fabulously tasty fish!
I also really love that each piece is individually frozen so that I can take out only as much as I need at any one time.
Today I wanted to cook Low Carb Fish Pies for us. One each and so I only needed small portions of fish as altogether it comes to a lot of protein. I used one smoked haddock fillet, one each cod and haddock loin and one salmon fillet.
Then for my husband I added some King Prawns. The fish loins are perfectly sized and meaty, as is the salmon.
I cooked each piece according to the package directions. My husband was really excited about the King Prawns, as it is not something we have very often in our home.
This fish pie recipe is quick and easy. You cook all of the fish first and then break it up into individual casserole dishes.
I did only two servings, but you can easily double everything up to serve more people.
The sauce is a simple one, requiring only minimal cooking. It is basically just cream, cream cheese, half an egg yolk, Dijon mustard and some seasonings.
This cooks quickly in less than 2 minutes in the microwave.
This gets poured over the fish in the casseroles . . . you might not think it is much, but trust me when I tell you it is ample.
Most low carb fish pies will use cauliflower mash for the topping, but I didn't want to do that.
I wanted something crunchy and so I used filo pastry.
I brushed it with an egg wash (using the other half of the egg yolk) and scrunched it up, putting one scrunched up sheet on top of each casserole.
I lightly dusted it with some Parmigiana Reggiano Cheese which gives you a lot of flavour from only a tiny bit.
10 to 15 minutes is all the time you need to cook it, in a hot oven, which crisps up that filo pastry really well and gets the sauce bubbling.
Because it is such a short time, the fish doesn't over-cook. It is in short . . . perfect!
Perfectly delicious! I served it with a mix of steamed vegetables . . .
Asparagus and broccoli . . . both of which go really well with fish. I added some boiled new potatoes for my husband because he isn't on any kind of diet and loves his potatoes!
Just look at how perfectly that fish is cooked . . . not dry in the least.
And that sauce is amazing. Just the right amount of flavour without taking anything away from that beautiful fish!
Yield: Serves 2 generously
Low Carb Fish Pies
Delicious, low carb and easily doubled to feed more people. Quick and easy as well.
ingredients:
For the fish:
- 1 piece of smoked haddock (6 ounces)
- 1 cod loin (5 ounces)
- 1 haddock loin (5 ounces)
- 1 skinless salmon fillet (5 ounces)
- several king prawns (optional)
For the Sauce:
- 60g full fat cream cheese (1/4 cup)
- 60ml double cream (1/4 cup)
- 2 TBS water
- 1 large free range egg, beaten and divided in half
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
To finish:
- 2 sheets filo pastry
- finely grated Parmigiana Reggiano cheese
instructions:
How to cook Low Carb Fish Pies
- First prepare the fish. Simmer the smoked haddock in some water for about 5 minutes until done. Remove and set aside to cool. Poach the remaining fish fillets in a clean pot of water until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Add the prawns(If using) to the water and cook until pink. Scoop out and set aside to cool.
- Have ready two buttered individual casserole dishes. Remove the skin from the smoked haddock and discard. Break the haddock into the buttered dishes, dividing it between the two. Likewise, break the remaining cooked fish into large bits and divide between the casseroles. Top with prawns if using.
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.
- To make the sauce, put the cream cheese, double cream and water into a measuring beaker. Warm in the microwave on high for 30 seconds to melt the cheese. Remove and whisk. Add half of the beaten egg yolk, tempering it with a bit of the warm mixture if necessary. Return to the microwave and cook on high for 30 second intervals, whisking well after each, until smooth and thickened. Whisk in the Dijon mustard, onion powder and salt and black pepper to taste. Divide between the two casserole dishes, pouring half over each to cover the fish. Press lightly so that it reaches the bottom.
- Unroll two sheets of filo pastry. Beat a bit of water with the remaining egg yolk and brush over each sheet. Crumble the sheets and place one on top of each casserole dish. Grate a bit of the cheese on top and place the casseroles onto a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden brown and the pies are heated through. Serve hot.
I worked out the calorie count for the 800 fast diet. It comes in at 487cal per serving, which means I was bang on eating only half the serving myself. (approx 245cal) The carb count per full serving 10.37g. All told (for a full serving) it was 64% Protein and 5 % Carb. So not too bad. And it was delicious!
Overall I am very impressed with Seafresh. Their products and service are outstanding. I would highly recommend them to anyone. I see a Kedgeree in our future with some of that smoked Haddock, which is something I haven't done on here yet, but have always wanted to. Watch this space. There is still a whole lot of goodness to come!
A few things about Seafresh:
- Same Day dispatch on orders received before 1 PM.
- All packages are carefully hand packed.
- Free delivery on orders above £50, £8 on orders below that amount.
- Responsibly and sustainably sourced.
- Air Blast Frozen at source within 4 hours of being caught.
- Wide variety to choose from.
Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Note - Although I was gifted with product free of charge for the purposes of review, I was not required to write a positive review in exchange, nor would my integrity allow me to recommend anything if I did not truly like it. Any and all my opinions are my own entirely.
This is a fabulously tasty granola that is high in protein and low in sugars. I have adapted it from the Fast 800 diet, which is a food plan in which participants follow a low carb, Mediterranean style of eating. It also encompasses intermittent fasting. So most days you follow a low carb, low calorie diet, and two days or so a week, you follow an 800 calorie a day diet. Whew! That's pretty low, but it is thought to be quite effective in weight loss and good for people trying to reverse Type 2 Diabetes.
I was keen to try this granola out (from the book The Fast 800 Recipe Book) as I have always been a person who eats granola for breakfast.
I have been making my own granola since the early 1980's. It was my good friend Mabel who got me turned onto Granola. I was a child who grew up with Kellogg's for breakfast. Usually cornflakes, or rice crispies, sometimes cheerios. My brother favoured Shreddies. My mom always made sure she had a box of Shreddies in the cupboard for him when he came home to visit.
We used to sprinkle sugar all over our cereal. I know! Not a practise I have followed for many years now. Can you imagine a bowl of already sweet cereal with sugar sprinkled on top? Its no wonder we are sugar addicts! Sometimes if my mom ran out of cereal before pay day, she would give us buttered bread with sugar sprinkled on top and milk. We loved it!
You will be happy to know that this Granola only has 1 TBS of Maple Syrup in it, so its sweetened naturally with something which comes from nature and hasn't been uber-processed . . .
Its half old fashioned large flaked oatmeal and nuts, each in equal weights. Old Fashioned Oatmeal is low GI, which means it is slowly digested, and causing a lower rise in blood glucose and insulin levels. Its also high in fibre and good for your heart. Likewise nuts, whilst higher in fat (but good fats), are also filled with fibre and low GI. So together a great combination.
The chocolate comes from the use of cocoa powder. I used this one, which can also be used to make hot chocolate.
Dairy, sugar and gluten free, it is infused with cinnamon, which is also very good for you and for your heart! It also helps to lower your blood sugar levels. There is nothing bad about that!
That doesn't mean you should fill up on cinnamon rolls and cinnamon toast however . . . there's too much sugar and other stuff in those for them to do your body much good, other than being a once in a blue moon treat . . .
Oh boy . . . . now why on earth did I have to think about cinnamon rolls? ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ I'm not doing myself any good.
When my children were growing up I often made them Mom's Quick Cinnamon Rolls for a bedtime snack. They loved them. So did my husband, and I confess, I did also. The best thing about them was they were not great keepers so you really needed to eat them on the day!
I have been enjoying this granola in a small serving each morning along with some Greek Yogurt and fresh berries. Raspberries and Blueberries at the moment . . . so good.
There is the option of going uber-indulgent with this, but not over the top. Simply grate dark some chocolate over it before you finish baking it and pop it back in the oven until it melts. Then you just let it sit and cool.
That does sound really scrummy. Maybe next time.
Yield: 8
Chocolate Cinnamon Granola
A filling, fibre filled breakfast alternative that is low in sugars and deliciously high in protein and flavour.
prep time: cook time: total time:
ingredients:
- 4 TBS Coconut oil
- 1 TBS cinnamon cocoa powder
- 1 TBS pure Maple syrup
- 200g jumbo rolled oats (2 1/2 cups)
- 100g mixed nuts (2/3 cup)
instructions:
How to cook Chocolate Cinnamon Granola
- Preheat the oven to 170*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Have a medium baking tray ready.
- Roughly chop the nuts. Set aside.
- Heat together the coconut oil, cocoa powder (I like to sift it into the oil) and maple syrup, stirring until well amalgamated the the coconut oil has melted thoroughly.
- Measure the oats into a bowl. Add the cocoa mixture. Combine well and then spread out onto the baking sheet evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir and add the chopped nuts. Stir to combine. Return to the oven.
- Bake for a further 15 minutes. Leave to cool and crisp. Then store in an airtight container.
NOTES:
For a more luxurious version you can add up to 100g (1 cup) grated dark chocolate to the granola for the last five minutes or so of cook time. Don't stir it. Let it cool and harden for several hours prior to putting into the jar to store.
I've been following this food plan for about a week now. I am afraid to get on the scales. If I haven't lost any weight, I might be really discouraged. So I am waiting until I am a few weeks in before I check. Fingers crossed. I just keep telling myself, its not forever. Once I get back down to a reasonable weight, I can treat myself again, once in a while. MY problem is I have been treating myself far too much!
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