Monthly Archives: March 2013

Spanish Influenced 5:2 Meal Plan for week 10

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I have a lot of cookery books and browsing through them is one of my pleasures. Sitting with a pile of them beside my and thinking of a trip to Spain – I passed my book of Tapas, the little dishes of Spain, by Penelope Casas over to my husband, who marked a few selections for us to try (I have the original paperback version of the book, I bet the new one is lovely with more recipes and more photos). Small dishes of wonderful ingredients, prepared to delight the palate, sounds just right when you only have a few calories to play with. Let’s see what I can do with them this week.

Seasonal food: I have glorious forced rhubarb about ready to pick. Other desserts will depend on what looks good in the market. I’m hoping to find more asparagus, despite the very chilly weather we have had the last few days. I’ll be adding some soups in too, again depending on the seasonal choices on offer. Plus I have my own quince preserve to use.

I am feeling better I think from eating less refined flour so I’m going to try making my pizza dough with wholewheat flour this week.

This meal plan will work with our intermittent fasting lifestyle and support our weight loss targets, helping us to keep to around 1200/1800 calories on a normal day and 500/600 calories on a fast day.

PizzaSaturday:

  • wholewheat Pizza with chorizo, mozzarella and sundried tomatoes; rocket salad
  • Tapas: Manchego Cheese and Membrillo (quince paste), Serrano Ham, Chorizo, Olives, Anchovies,
    Vegetable Stuffed Canelones (Crepes)
    Baklava and Ice Cream

_MG_0374Sunday:

  • Chicken in Garlic sauce, Asparagus salad; 
    Rhubarb Meringue Pots (adaptation of BBC Good Food recipe)
  • Albondigas (meat balls); Patatas Bravas  (spicy oven baked potatoes with tomato sauce) and Aioli (garlic mayonnaise), Cabbage, Green Pepper and Raisin salad

Watercress SaladMonday ~ Fast Day

  • Egg with Tomato and Bacon (thinking of Huevos Rancheros now…)
  • Celeriac, Saffron and Orange Soup
    Trout with Bayonne Ham and Garlic, Cumin-flavoured Carrot salad

 

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Tuesday

  • Smoked Fish on Avocado
    Pork Ribs in Garlic sauce, Cauliflower Salad
  • Wholewheat Pasta with Meatballs and Tomato sauce

 

 

_MG_3307Wednesday

  • Quinoa with Asparagus and Walnuts;
    sliced Oranges
  • Chickpeas and Spinach;
    Tomato, Tuna and Egg salad

 

_MG_0386Thursday – fast day

  • Porridge with Berries
  • Fish in a Saffron sauce, seasonal Vegetables

 

 

_MG_0567Friday

  • Sausages with sweet and sour Figs, White Bean salad
  • French Onion Soup
    then there’s bound to be leftovers to use up…..

Recipes and calories counts will come later, when done!

Please see my other meal plans and recipes, also my list of what we have been eating on Fast Days.

I hope to inspire you to eat well and enjoy every day, fasting or otherwise! 

Hot and Sour Soup

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_MG_0572

I had forgotten how great this soup tastes! Spicy, slightly sweet, sour, bitter, salty – it has that umami savoury satisfaction factor.

Especially with home made chicken stock…  but you can use Marigold bouillon or even plain water and it is still yummy.

Hot and Sour Prawn Soup

 

You may know it as Tom Yam Gung – Prawn, or Tom Yam Gai – chicken. The fish sauce is an essential part of the flavour combination, so this won’t work for strict vegetarians, but you could try using soy sauce and a little sugar instead and some cubes of tofu.

I buy lime leaves and lemongrass from time to time at an Asian store in Toulouse, and freeze them.

Hot and Sour Soup
Serves 4
Deliciously light and spicy soup which can be made with prawns or chicken
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
20 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 litre chicken stock (I use home-made, or marigold bouillon)
  2. 1 tsp Thai Red Curry Paste
  3. 1 tbslp Thai fish sauce (Nam Pla)
  4. 1/2 lemon or lime, juice only
  5. 2 lime leaves, finely sliced
  6. 5cm of lemon grass stalk, finely sliced
  7. 100g mushrooms (chestnut or canned straw mushrooms), sliced
  8. 1 spring onion, sliced
For garnish
  1. a few coriander leaves
  2. a few birds eye chillies
Optional
  1. 200g of peeled and deveined prawns or shredded chicken
Instructions
  1. Heat the stock in a saucepan and add the curry paste, fish sauce, lime leaves, lemon grass, lemon juice and chillies.
  2. Taste and add more curry paste if necessary.
  3. Bring to the boil and simmer for a couple of minutes.
  4. Add the mushrooms, the prawns or chicken and the spring onion and simmer for a further 2-3 minutes until the prawns are cooked or the chicken heated through.
  5. Serve decorated with coriander leaves and a couple of birds eye chillies.
Notes
  1. According to MyFitnessPal, the broth comes to about 50 calories per serving without the chicken or prawns.
  2. The Thai red curry paste that I have is furiously hot, so 1 tsp is enough - you may need up to 1 tblsp if yours is mild.
Adapted from The Taste of Thailand, by Vatcharin Bhumichitr
Adapted from The Taste of Thailand, by Vatcharin Bhumichitr
Focus on Flavour http://www.focusonflavour.com/

If you want to see my meal plans for the week, please go to  Meal Plans – you’ll find my outline plan for the current week, and more detailed calorie counted plans for previous weeks.

 

Pear with Amaretti Crumble <100 calories

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Mmm, soft pear topped with a creamy, crunchy topping, and under 100 calories a serving! 

Pear with Amaretti Crumble

There are still some lovely European-grown pears to choose from – these are small Williams pears. 

Pear with Amaretti Crumble
Serves 2
A low fat, low-calorie dessert of soft pear with a crunchy topping
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
25 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 small ripe Pears (about 100g each)
  2. 2 tblsp low-fat Fromage Blanc or Fromage Frais
  3. 2 tsp Honey
  4. 2 small Amaretti Cookies
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 180c
  2. Cut the pears in half and scoop out the cores with a spoon, leaving a nice smooth hollow.
  3. Put the pears in an ovenproof dish.
  4. Fill the hollows with fromage blanc and drizzle with half the honey.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes, then crumble the amaretti cookies over the top.
  6. Bake for a further 10 minutes.
  7. Serve with the remaining honey drizzled over or around.
Notes
  1. Sometimes I add a little water to the dish before baking, to make a light sauce (could use masala wine for a treat day).
  2. 100 calories per serving, if you use small pears (if they are large ones, have just half a one each).
Adapted from BBC Good Food
Adapted from BBC Good Food
Focus on Flavour http://www.focusonflavour.com/
 _MG_0557

Amazing low calorie desserts!!!

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Just for fun really, I thought I would see what is possible…. what kind of lovely dessert could I create with less than 100 calories?

Raspberry Cinnamon Meringue

 

This is based on Nigel Slater’s Raspberry Cinnamon Meringue recipe on the BBC Good Food website

I used 2 egg whites and only 30g golden sugar, making 4 sticky meringues (I don’t think you can make a crisp meringue with so little sugar). I followed Nigel’s method for making the meringues. Topped with fromage frais and defrosted raspberries and sprinkled with grated chocolate. ONLY 75 calories each!!!  Yummy.

or how about this, a recipe I found in Australian Women’s Weekly Healthy Heart cookbook :-  Mini Eclairs with Vanilla Cream

Mini Eclairs with Vanilla Cream

Basically a very light choux pastry, filled with low-fat vanilla flavoured yogurt that has been thickened up using gelatine.  Dusted with icing sugar. Less than 50 calories each!  (You would want to eat at least 2….).

So you really can eat dessert completely guilt-free! 

Mini Eclairs with Vanilla Cream
Yields 12
Light and delightful puffs filled with vanilla yogurt
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Prep Time
2 hr
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
2 hr
Prep Time
2 hr
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
2 hr
For the eclairs
  1. 5g unsalted butter
  2. 125ml water
  3. 50g self-raising flour
  4. 2 egg whites
  5. 1 tblsp icing sugar
For the Vanilla Cream
  1. 200g low-fat plain yogurt
  2. 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
  3. 3 tsp light brown sugar
  4. 2 leaves gelatine
  5. 2 tsp water
For the Eclairs
  1. Heat oven to 180c.
  2. Put the butter and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
  3. Add the sifted flour all at once and stir vigorously until smooth.
  4. Transfer to a mixing bowl and leave to cool for a few minutes.
  5. Gradually beat in the egg whites and beat until it holds together.
  6. Spoon into a piping bag with a plain 1cm nozzle and pipe lengths of about 5cm onto a non-stick baking tray, making 12 in all.
  7. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 160c and cook for a further 15 minutes, until nicely browned.
  8. Allow to cool, then just before serving, cut in half and fill with the vanilla cream.
  9. Dust with icing sugar.
For the Vanilla Cream
  1. Put the gelatine leaves to soak in a bowl of cold water.
  2. Mix the vanilla essence and sugar with the yogurt (or use ready made vanilla yogurt) in a bowl.
  3. Put 2 teaspoons of boiling water in a small jug and add the drained gelatine, stirring well to dissolve, then pour in to the yogurt.
  4. Mix well, then refrigerate for an hour or so until set.
Notes
  1. Serve with fresh mixed berries. Unfilled eclairs may be frozen.
Adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly Healthy Heart Cookbook
Adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly Healthy Heart Cookbook
Focus on Flavour http://www.focusonflavour.com/

5:2 My Flavourful Meal Plan for week 9

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This week I went to the market in Montaigu-de-Quercy. Lots of lovely fresh seasonal local produce to choose from!

 Montaigu de Quercy _MG_0370 

_MG_0399

I came home with my bags laden :-

lettuces, endive, bean shoots, swiss chard, leeks, brown mushrooms, young turnips, carrots, jerusalem artichokes, watercress, beetroot, radishes, goats cheese, pears, apples and satsumas – and the first asparagus (from Spain).

 

Each week I am trying to feature seasonal produce, but I’m also trying to use up food that I have stored in my freezer, much of which is home-grown.

So my actual plan for the week, updated with calorie counts, designed with flavour in mind for healthy, satisfying  well-balanced meals, which will work for an intermittent fasting and weight loss lifestyle. I’m not showing cups of tea or my standard breakfast, but numbers are included in the daily totala:-

_MG_0375 Sunday ~ 1300 kcals 

  • lunch: leftovers – Pizza and Spanakopitta, Veg Stir Fry with Satay sauce (370); satsuma (30)
  • dinner: Herby Roast Chicken (Alain Ducasse) with Roasted Roots, Braised Turnips and Peas (410);
    Raspberry Cinnamon Meringue (75)
    + 200 kcal of treats (wine and chocolate)!

 

_MG_0368 Monday ~ Fast Day 490 kcals

  • breakfast: Scrambled Egg with Smoked Trout – (140)
  • dinner: Watercress Soup (60); Tuna Steak with ginger and garlic, steamed Asparagus, Beanshoot, Mushroom and Radish Salad (200)
    Baked Pear with Amaretti (100)

 

_MG_0386

Tuesday ~ 1185 kcals

  • lunch: Watercress Soup (60) with cracker (30); 2 Chipolata Sausages with Cauliflower Mash and leftover braised vegetables (360); Satsuma (30)
  • supper: Asparagus Filo Pastries (150); Coronation Chicken Salad (260); Roquefort and digestive biscuit (150); Raspberry Cinnamon Meringue (75)

 

_MG_0387 Wednesday ~ 1275 kcals

 

 

_MG_0388 Thursday ~ Fast Day – 500 kcal

 

 

_MG_0381 Friday: tbd!

    

I’ve updated last week’s meal plan with what we actually ate and the calorie counts. You’ll find my recipes here

I hope you find some of my ideas inspirational and useful.

As always, if you have any questions, please ask. 

Spanakopitta – Spinach and Feta Filo Pastries

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These spinach and feta pastries are a delicious treat for any day of the week!

Spanakopitta is a Greek name for spinach and cheese pastries.

Spanakopitta and Salad

Because filo pastry is fat free, you can get the lovely crispness of pastry without loads of calories.

Spanakopitta

They are not difficult to make as individual triangles, but if you prefer you could make one large pie using the four sheets of pastry overlapping each other.

_MG_0317_MG_0306_MG_0331_MG_0332 _MG_0335 _MG_0336 

Spanakopitta - Spinach and Feta Filo Pastries
Serves 4
Filo triangles stuffed with spinach and feta cheese
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
40 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
40 min
Ingredients
  1. 4 sheets filo pastry
  2. 2 cups spinach leaves
  3. 2 shallots or 1 small onion, finely chopped
  4. 100g feta cheese, chopped or crumbled
  5. 1 tblsp coriander leaves, chopped
  6. 1 egg, beaten
  7. Pinch of nutmeg
  8. Freshly ground black pepper
  9. 1 tblsp olive oil
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 200c.
  2. Heat 1/2 tblsp oil in a frying pan and gently sauté the shallots or onion until softened but not coloured.
  3. Wash the spinach well and put into a saucepan with the water that clings to it.
  4. Cover and cook gently until tender.
  5. Strain through a sieve, pressing out all the liquid, then turn out onto a board and chop roughly.
  6. Add the shallots, feta cheese, beaten egg, coriander leaves, freshly grated nutmeg and black pepper and mix well.
  7. Work with one single sheet of filo pastry at a time, keeping the remainder wrapped up.
  8. Cut the sheet of pastry into 4 equal strips.
  9. Add a spoonful of spinach mixture at one end and turn into triangles.
  10. Put onto a lightly oiled baking sheet.
  11. Continue until the mixture is used up - should make 16.
  12. Brush the outside of the pastries very lightly with olive oil.
  13. Bake for about 10 minutes until golden.
Notes
  1. Serve with a mixed salad with black olives.
  2. Each Spanakopitta is 50 calories (kcals). A serving of 4 with mixed salad and a balsamic dressing would be under 250 kcals.
Focus on Flavour http://www.focusonflavour.com/

 

Mixed Salad with Olives

Made with Love Mondays, hosted by Javelin Warrior

5:2 Fast Day Dinner – Vegetable Soup, Smoked Haddock, Mocha Dessert

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Smoked Haddock with Poached Egg and wilted Spinach

I just recently noticed that the fish counter in a local supermarket had smoked haddock. Something of a treat for us here in South West France!
Mocha Dessert
It makes a very satisfying evening meal on a fast day.  We started with Simple Vegetable Soup then Smoked Haddock with Poached Egg and wilted Spinach, and finished up with Mocha Fromage Blanc. Total for dinner 385 ~woman or 465 ~man Calories (kcals). Very filling and tasty. 

Here’s how:

Simple Vegetable Soup
Serves 1
Quick and easy, using frozen prepared vegetables and bouillon powder
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
20 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
20 min
Per person
  1. 100g frozen mixed vegetables
  2. 1 tsp marigold bouillon powder
  3. 250ml water
Instructions
  1. Put the veg in a saucepan and add the water and bouillon powder.
  2. Bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. Whizz with a stick blender to desired texture, or leave as a broth with veggie pieces.
Notes
  1. Per serving: 70 Calories (kcals)
Focus on Flavour http://www.focusonflavour.com/
Smoked Haddock with Poached Egg and Wilted Spinach
Serves 1
an easy and quick to prepare, protein-rich, fast day main course.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
3 min
Total Time
13 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
3 min
Total Time
13 min
Ingredients
  1. 100g smoked haddock fillet
  2. 1 egg
  3. 1 cup spinach leaves
  4. pinch grated nutmeg
  5. freshly ground black pepper
For the spinach
  1. Wash the spinach and put into a saucepan with the water that clings to it.
  2. Season with grated nutmeg and black pepper.
  3. Cook gently over a low heat until wilted.
For the smoked haddock
  1. Remove the skin from the fish, if necessary.
  2. Put enough water to cover the fish into a pan and bring to the boil.
  3. Add the fish and cook at a gentle simmer for 3-4 minutes, depending on thickness of the fillet.
  4. Meanwhile, poach your egg.
Notes
  1. Per serving: 210 Calories (kcals) with 1 egg, 285 Calories (kcals) with 2 eggs
Focus on Flavour http://www.focusonflavour.com/
 

Mocha Fromage Blanc
Serves 1
A quick and tasty dessert to round off your meal, with a hit of coffee and a dusting of grated chocolate to satisfy your cravings
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Prep Time
5 min
Total Time
5 min
Prep Time
5 min
Total Time
5 min
Ingredients
  1. 100g fromage blanc or fromage frais
  2. 1 tsp instant coffee granules
  3. 1 tsp water
  4. 1 tsp acacia honey
  5. 1 tsp grated 100% pure chocolate
Instructions
  1. Mix the coffee with a little water to dissolve, then add to the fromage blanc.
  2. Stir in the honey and mix well.
  3. Spoon into a serving dish and grate over some chocolate.
Notes
  1. I use a solid block of 100% Venezuelan Cocoa, if you can't get that use the highest percentage chocolate you can find.
  2. Per serving: 105 Calories (kcals)
Focus on Flavour http://www.focusonflavour.com/

I hope you enjoy something similar!  

Guacamole

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Ooh I’m excited about my new recipe cards, this is my first one to try it out!

Here’s my recipe for Guacamole, which I prepared as part of a group of accompaniments for my Turkey Chilli

Turkey Chilli

Guacamole
Serves 2
Essential Avocado dip or addition for chilli, tacos or tortillas
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Ingredients
  1. 1 small avocado
  2. 1 lemon, juiced
  3. 1 tblsp coriander leaves, chopped
  4. 1 clove garlic, crushed
  5. 1/2 tsp Maldon Sea Salt
Instructions
  1. Mash the garlic with the sea salt and coriander leaves, ideally in a pestle and mortar (alternatively, blitz everything together).
  2. Add the lemon juice.
  3. Cut the avocado in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.
  4. Mix all together.
Notes
  1. Optional: you can add skinned chopped tomato, or a spoonful of salsa for variation
Focus on Flavour http://www.focusonflavour.com/

How to calculate your BMI

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How do you know what a healthy weight is for you? Well apart from your own sense of what weight you should be to look good and feel good, you can use a BMI (Body Mass Index) calculator. Given your sex, age, height and weight, this will give you an estimate of your current body mass. BMI will only give you a range of healthy weights for your age and height, it’s up to you to decide where you need to be in that range for your body frame.

You can check your BMI here:-

BMI healthy weight calculator

Go to NHS Choices homepage

Watercress Soup – only 60 calories

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I just love the big bunches of watercress that you can buy in French markets. Watercress is rich in vitamins A and C, calcium, iron and folic acid. A bunch like this makes an easy and delicious soup in under 30 minutes. Just the thing to break your fast with.

watercress

Watercress Soup

Serves 4, only 60 kcals per serving

  • I large bunch watercress (450g)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 10g unsalted butter
  • 1 litre of vegetable stock, made with 10g Marigold Bouillon powder
  • 10g potato flakes
  • a grating of nutmeg

_MG_3264Discard any really coarse stalks from the watercress, as they can be too peppery.

Wash, drain and chop the remainder of the bunch, reserving a few tips for decoration.

Heat the butter in a large pan and gently sauté the onions, stirring from time to time, until softened but not coloured.

Add the chopped watercress, stock, nutmeg and the potato flakes, then simmer gently for about 10 minutes.

Blend until smooth.

Serve with a garnish of watercress leaves, or a swirl of crème fraîche.

Watercress is rich in vitamin C, calcium, iron and folic acid.