lower carb

brussels sprouts with chestnuts

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Boiled brussels sprouts are a bit boring and are a hundred times nicer fried or roasted. I have served these to people who don’t even like brussels and they were converted into sprout fans. This might be a good way to get kids to eat them too. They are a really healthy part of any meal, as they contain astonishing levels of Vitamin C. Perfect with Thanksgiving or Christmas fare, but also really delish as a side dish to dinner anytime and of course they are an essential ingredient to the Boxing Day bubble and squeak.

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melanzane parmigiana

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I have never met anyone that doesn’t love Melanzane Parmigiana. This is pretty much the recipe my Italian grandmother passed on to her children and with nearly all of my recipes I look at loads of versions of them and take the best bits from each one to create what I think is the perfect hybrid, and that’s what I’ve done with this Sicilian recipe. I really love aubergine and this version of melanzane parmigiana that I have created is great because it’s spot on in the flavour department. It’s low carb and great with meat and/or salad because its really satisfying as well as delicious. You could also serve it with pasta. Tonight, I’m testing it on friends (cooked the night before and reheated in their oven) I’ll get back to you on what they think.
Yes! They really really loved it……

Serves 6 (but you can halve the ingredients)

Ingredients:
4 aubergines sliced into thinish slices , approx one pound coin thick which can be lengthwise or in discs
2 tablespoons of olive oil plus more for the aubergines
1 red onion finely sliced
2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
2 400g tins of plum tomatoes
a sprig of oregano or a teaspoon of dried
3 cloves of minced garlic
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
200g of thinly sliced mozzarella
100g of freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper

How:
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Oil a baking tray, place the slices of aubergine on the tray in a single layer and make sure the upper side of the aubergine is sprayed or brushed with oil too.
Bake for 20-30 minutes until brown, you may have to do this in batches. Then set aside.
In a large saucepan, fry the onion gently in the olive oil for about five minutes.
Add the tomatoes, garlic, basil, oregano, maple syrup and red wine vinegar.
Gently bring to the boil and let it gently bubble for about 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Like a lasagna, in a deepish baking dish layer the aubergine in a single layer first and then sprinkle with some Parmesan and slices of mozzarella then a layer of tomato sauce, repeat until all the ingredients are used up.
To get a crispy top, finish with a layer of the aubergine topped with the Parmesan, bake at 180°C for 40-50 minutes or until getting brown, you might want to put tin foil over the top for the first 20 minutes if you don’t want it too crispy, however I like it a bit burnt as the cheese goes a bit Welsh rarebity. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: if you want it a bit less oily, you can boil the aubergines whole for 20 minutes, allow to cool and then slice and put them in the recipe.

 

gado gado snacks

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Don’t you love a snack? I love them and I’d be happy to live on them for the rest of my life. These are a lower carb version of a Gado Gado salad, but in a small snack form. So if you are on a lower carb regime they are perfect. Great as a canapé or starter, or just in front of Netflix with your favourite box set. They are crunchy, creamy and sweet and sour, which is, if you read this blog, my favourite  combo… blinking delish.

Serves 3-4.

Ingredients:
12 Quails eggs (£2.60 doz from Sainsbury’s)  or 4 normal size eggs
1 red pepper very finely chopped
1 head of chicory or a lettuce
1 small cucumber, julienned(I use a julienne peeler)
A handful of crispy onions (supermarket)
A small sprig of fresh coriander

The sauce:
1 clove of chopped garlic
3 tablespoons of maple syrup
5 tablespoons of peanut butter
Juice of 2 limes
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon of soya sauce
1 tablespoon of tamarind paste
Chilli sauce to taste (optional)

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pink pickled onions

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These pink pickled onions really are this colour when you make them. They are so pretty and will look beautiful adorning anything with their pinkness. I first had these in a Mexican restaurant with refried beans on corn tortillas and they were delicious in a sort of burger relish kind of way. They are crunchy, tangy and delicious, perfect as a kind of low calorie relish. They are amazing on salads, on a chilli,  in a burrito, with any fish or meat or even in a toasted cheese sarnie. They are the easiest thing to make and great to have in the fridge. Continue reading →

caramelised fennel salad

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This salad is surprisingly delicious. Most salads have raw fennel in them, but roasting fennel makes it lose its liquoricey taste and it becomes a different but delicious salad ingredient, also it brings out the sweetness and it becomes quite tender and a bit crispy all at the same time. Great on its own (I like it with chips) and you can also serve it with fish, chicken or meat and you have a fab low carb meal. My friends really love it and make this a lot, plus it’s pretty healthy.

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gremolata

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This genius Italian condiment of parsley, lemon zest and garlic is sprinkled on meat, traditionally Osso Buco, fish and vegetables after they have been cooked. It can turn even bland food into a thing of wonder. You can even scatter it over pasta, with olive oil and Parmesan or chuck it over a salad. Great if you are cutting back on salt too.

Makes half a cup.

Ingredients:
1 small bunch of flat leaf parsley, washed and dried
Zest of 2 lemons
1-2 cloves of garlic

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venetian sardines

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This recipe was discovered by two pescatarian friends of mine on visits to Venice, and they have cooked it ever since. It’s really delicious despite the ingredients being an unlikely combo of sweet and sour. It’s real name is Sarde in Saor and it is served in most eateries in Venice. Try it for yourself and you will be pleasantly surprised. It also works well with mackerel too.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup raisins
800g of sardine fillets, also works well with mackerel too
3/4 cup olive oil
3 shallots very finely sliced (I use a mandolin)
1/3 cup of white wine vinegar
1/4 cup of pine nuts
salt and pepper to taste
finely chopped parsley

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caponata

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Like pesto, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven when I first tried caponata. It’s the most delicious Italian aubergine stew that’s served at room temperature. It’s great with antipasti, on bread or as part of a salad. You could even leave it hot and serve it on pasta with lots of Parmesan. Even nicer the next day after its cooked.

Serves 2-3.

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons maple syrup or sugar
5 tablespoons olive oil
A few aubergines cut into 1 inch chunks
1 medium onion finely cubed
4 garlic cloves minced
1 400g tin of chopped plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
2 tablespoons of baby capers
A handful of pine nuts
A handful of chopped basil

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asian sea bass

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Asian flavours are always a winner in my book. This recipe is really easy and tastes sublime. Perfect for dinner for two.

Serves 2.

Ingredients:
2 sea bass
1 tablespoon mirin
20g of finely grated ginger
20g of ginger cut into match sticks and fried till crispy
5 spring onions cut in half
4 tablespoons of light olive oil
3 tablespoons of light gluten-free soya sauce
A sprinkling of roasted sesame seeds (optional)

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japanese fine beans

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These delicious peanutty fine beans were part of a sushi meal I had at a Japanese restaurant in Spitalfields. They went so well with the sushi and were the highlight of the meal, so I have try to guess what the sauce was, and after a few attempts I think I’ve nailed it and think it’s just as delicious. It’s an easy recipe and the sweet and savoury sauce is sublime…and makes an excellent side dish..do try it.

Serves 2-3.

Ingredients:
200g approx of fine beans topped and tailed
1 heaped tablespoon of peanut butter
1 teaspoon of soya sauce
1 teaspoon of maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil
1/4 garlic clove chopped
1/4 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger

japanesefinebeans_ingredients
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