Summer and Winter Soups

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere you may like this summer soup

It's just right for warmer days, with a combination of

avocado, cucumber and green onion, your soup bowl will be packed full of good nutrients

Avocado and Cucumber Soup

Ingredients

Serves Four

12 oz. (English) cucumber, peeled, cut into 4 pieces

2 Fresh California / Hass Avocados, peeled, seeded, quartered

(Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages 8 ounces.

If using smaller or larger avocados, adjust the quantity accordingly.)

1 oz. green onion, cut into large pieces

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 Tbsp. cilantro leaves, plus extra for garnish

4 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 cup plain yogurt, plus extra for garnish

1 cup cold water or cold vegetable stock

1 cup ice cubes

Recipe instructions can be seen here

For those who live in the Southern Hemisphere you may like this winter soup.

It's just right for the cooler winter months, so lovely and warming

Parsnip and Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients

Serves Four

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 leek, sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp ground cumin

2 parsnips, chopped

1-2 cups vegetable stock/broth

1 medium or ½ large cauliflower head

For the Roasted Parsnip Toppers

1-2 parsnips, thinly sliced

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Recipe instructions can be seen here

We bring a variety of recipe ideas to this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

Have a Happy Monday

Well the weekend came ... and zoom ... it went!

It was very wet in my part of the world.

Thank goodness for umbrella's!

Now it's Monday again, and the last Monday of June 2021.

Can the days go any faster!

They simply zoom by - or so it seems to me.

Whatever you are doing, wherever you are, I hope you have a happy Monday.

Do find time to sit down and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee.

I know, why not enjoy a cup with a slice of ...

Pea, mint and cheddar frittata

it's so tasty

see recipe details here

will you have tea or coffee?

You will find a variety of recipe ideas within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues please take these into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

Kale : Five Health Benefits

image from here

Tess Patrick writes:

"For years, we’ve been told to eat our kale. I’m not sure about you, but until recently, I thought kale was hugely overrated. Its leathery texture, its green-ness - it was all a turn-off. In fact, the only kale I could stand was crispy kale chips. And it’s just as good as other salad greens, like baby spinach or arugula, right?

It turns out I was wrong. There’s a reason why every healthy foodie craves the leafy greens; they’re packed with so much nutritious goodness it would be a crime not to include them in your salad. If you need a little more convincing to pick up a bunch this week, I’ve uncovered some amazing health benefits of kale, so be sure to give them a try.

1. More Calcium-Dense Than Milk
We all know that we need milk to build strong bones, or so we’ve been told. But what if that’s not necessarily the case? While 100g of traditional milk offers approximately 110mg of calcium, 100g of kale offers more than twice that amount - at 250mg. Sure, 100g of kale is comparatively a lot more in volume than 100g of milk, but this framework will allow you to switch our mainstream sources for healthier alternatives in the long run.

2. Rich In Nutrients, Low In Calories
This is the number one reason why superfoods get the name they do - they’re able to offer concentrated widespread macro and micronutrients, with very little in the way of calories. One cup of kale, for instance, contains 684% of the Vitamin K RDI, 134% of the Vitamin C RDI, and 206% of the Vitamin A RDI< plus iron, folate, omega-3s, magnesium, calcium, iron, fibre, and 2 grams of protein - with only 33 calories!

3. Rich In Phytonutrients - Everyone’s Favourite Antioxidants
By now we all know about antioxidants’ ability to fight free radicals off, which supports the body through all manner of sins. But what foods should we reach for when we need an antioxidant top-up? Kale contains essential phytonutrients, which ease inflammation, improve the liver’s detox ability, and can even protect brain cells from stress. This is thanks to beta-carotene and vitamin C, as well as various flavonoids and polyphenols, such as quercetin and kaempferol.

4. Easy To Grow, Meaning Regenerative Agriculture
For the amount of kale required for healthy nutrients, the growing process is incredibly easy. A full bunch will grow from seed in as little as two months (when planted at the right time) and requires a relatively small area of land for growth. Sustainable agriculture is currently one of the major shifts needed to support a healthy, thriving planet and counteract climate change, which in turn impacts the overall health of the humans on it. In short, kale is a win for the climate - and it’s even better if you can grow it at home!

5. Kale Can Support Healthy Weight Loss
There’s a reason why kale has developed the reputation it has; kale smoothies and massaged salads support healthy weight loss for those struggling with excess weight. This is in part because it is low in calories, but rich in bulk and water content - making you feel fuller for longer. As it also contains protein and fibre, two essential nutrients for weight loss, it is considered to be a superfood in that respect. Some theories also suggest that including more kale in the diet is often adopted alongside other healthy dietary or lifestyle habits, which may influence weight loss further.

So for whatever reason you’re working on your health, be it chronic illness and weight loss, or simply meeting your daily requirement of greens, I hope these health benefits are enough to convince you start massaging your kale (it releases the oils that help with the texture), and hide it through your next salad today."

Above words taken from article here

Benefits of Massaging Kale
It softens and tenderizes kale leaves by breaking down tough fibres.
It reduces the bitterness of raw kale and brings out great natural flavours.

Read more about this, and how to do it here

Not everyone likes Kale, do you? There maybe another leafy green vegetable you prefer, do please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Regular readers will know … there is a variety of articles and recipe ideas within this blog, but please note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

Like cheese - then you may like these three recipe suggestions

"Cheese is an incredible tasting food that offers a wealth of health benefits. It is high in essential nutrients and also helps reduce the risk of a variety of health conditions. As with most natural products, don’t fear the fat content — naturally occurring fat is no problem. In short, dairy fat is not bad for you — and cheese is good for you."

Cheese, eggs and spinach vegetarian breakfast

it's high in protein and low carb too

Ingredients

Serves One

½ tbsp butter or olive oil

3 eggs (you may prefer just two!)

15g ( ½ cup ) baby spinach

salt and pepper, to taste

28 g (1 oz.) cheddar cheese, sliced

Original Recipe and Instructions

can be seen here

Three Cheese Frittata

keto/low carb

with creamy soft cheese inside, and crispy bacon on top

Ingredients

Serves Four

1 tbsp ghee or melted butter

8 eggs

180 ml heavy (double) whipping cream

250 g ricotta cheese

110 g shredded (grated) cheddar cheese

55 g feta cheese

350 g bacon, fried and chopped into small bits

15 g fresh spinach, thinly sliced

Original Recipe and Instructions

can be seen here

Cauliflower Broccoli 'Macaroni' and Cheese

This healthy low carb cauliflower broccoli 'macaroni 'and cheese dish can stand alone as a main dish,

or be served along-side your favourite protein.

Ingredients

2 pints of heavy (double) whipping cream

½ stick of unsalted butter ¼ cup

8 ounces of cream cheese

2 cups of shredded /grated sharp (mature) cheddar cheese (reserve ½ cup for topping

5 ounces of fresh shredded / grated parmesan cheese (reserve 2 ounces for topping)

1 medium head of broccoli (florets about 2 cups)

1 medium head of cauliflower (florets about 3 cups)

1 teaspoon of sea salt

1/2 teaspoon of black pepper or to taste

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or to taste

Recipe Instructions, more details

can be seen here

Related Article You May Like To Read

Cheese Is Good For You, some reasons why - see it here

You will find a variety of posts/articles and recipe ideas within this blog. Please note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

Oh No! I Missed National Pink Day - did you?

If you are a regular reader here you will know that pink is my favourite colour, so perhaps I should have known that 23rd June was 'National Pink Day' but I didn't! I looked further into this day and, "as is the case with a number of digital-age holidays, the exact origins and celebrations of National Pink Day have been lost in time. Apparently 'National Pink Day' is celebrated on June 23 every year. As you might imagine, it’s a day to celebrate the meaning, history, and beauty of the pale shade of red. Surveys in both the United States and Europe found pink to be most commonly associated with femininity, sensitivity and tenderness." Read more about this day here

So in honour of the colour pink, I share a few photographs,

all were taken a while ago

my pink coat keeps me warm in cooler days

looking back at summer fun,

 alas even my pink trainers didn't bring a hole in one at dinosaur golf! LOL!

Salmon in a creamy rosé sauce with tarragon and pink peppercorns

makes an enjoyable low carb meal

see details here

can I pour you a refreshing glass of Rose wine?

Did you know that National Rosé Wine Day

is held every year on the second Saturday in June,

I missed that too! Oh dear!

read more here

Did you know about these two days?

Perhaps your favourite colour has a special day! 

A variety of posts/articles and recipe ideas are within this blog. Please note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

Courgette / Zucchini Gratin : A tasty low carb light meal or side dish

This is a lovely recipe from 'The Hairy Bikers'. If you haven't heard of  The Hairy Bikers they are "David Myers and Simon King, two northern blokes with a passion for cooking and food." This simple gratin makes a great side dish as it’s creamy and flavoursome without being too rich - or why not serve with a salad for a light supper!

Ingredients
Serves Four

2 tbsp. olive oil
800g/1lb 12oz courgettes (zucchini), sliced into 5mm/¼in rounds
few sprigs thyme
few basil leaves
100ml/3½fl oz. crème fraîche
50ml/2fl oz. milk
1 tsp plain flour
75g/2½oz gruyère or similar cheese, grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6
2. Put the olive oil in a large, lidded frying pan. Add the courgettes and herbs and season with salt and pepper.
3. Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring every so often, until the courgettes have softened slightly but are still al dente. The oil should have taken on a deep, rich green colour from the courgettes.
4. Transfer to an oven dish. Whisk the crème fraîche, milk and flour together in a bowl and season with salt. Pour this mixture over the courgettes – it will not be enough to completely cover the courgettes, but this is fine – it will bubble up when cooking.
5. Sprinkle over the cheese. Bake in the oven for around 25 minutes, or until brown and bubbling.

Nutrition each serving
10g protein, 5.5g carbohydrate, 23g fat, 2g fibre, 0.7g salt.
Recipe from here

Read more about Gruyère cheese in this post here

Dear reader you will find a variety of articles/recipe ideas within this blog. Please note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

Moussaka-stuffed aubergines / eggplants : Tasty mid-week meal

What a tasty plate this looks, and I love food simply served with a salad too! Purely optional is a nice glass of red wine to go in the dish, and also to accompany it!

Ingredients
Serves Four
3 small aubergines/eggplant
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
olive oil
300g lamb mince
1tsp cinnamon
1tsp dried oregano
50ml red wine (optional)
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
75g feta cheese
100ml (low-fat) Greek yogurt
green salad

Method
Preheat the oven to Gas 4, 180°C, fan160°C. Halve the aubergines (eggplants) lengthways and scoop out the flesh. Chop the flesh into small (1cm) pieces. Gently fry the onions (finely chopped), garlic (crushed) and aubergine pieces in a splash of the oil, until softened but without colour.

Heat up a little oil in a separate frying pan, then season and brown the lamb in batches. Combine the lamb with the onion mixture. Add the cinnamon, oregano and red wine and cook for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes and a cup of water or stock. Bring to the boil and turn down to a simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Meanwhile, place the aubergine skins on a baking tray, season, drizzle with oil and roast for 20 minutes, then take out but leave the oven on.

When the lamb is cooked, spoon into the aubergine skins. Crumble the feta, mix with the Greek yogurt and spoon on top. Sprinkle with extra oregano and oven cook for 20 minutes. Serve with a green salad.

Nutrition Per Serving
Carbohydrate 11g Protein 22.9g Fibre 5.8g Fat 15g Salt 0.9g
From an original recipe idea here

Suggestion
Why not make the meat filling earlier in the day and roast the aubergine skins, then all you have to do is put in the oven for 30 minutes or so later in the evening, and dinner is done! Also the meat then has had time to take on the flavours... delicious

You can also ring the changes by making a veggie filling, perhaps Quorn instead of minced lamb.

sharing some lovely summer colours

A variety of articles and recipe ideas are within this blog. Please note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

Ways to get rid of house flies in your home

Well, you can't say there isn't variety on this blog. Whether it be articles and studies about diabetes and living the low carb lifestyle, to a wide variety of recipe suggestions, and even wildlife photography - there is variety - and they do say 'variety is the spice of life'.

But how about this one?

Are you wondering how to get rid of house flies in your home?

The common pests — with a single pair of wings and compound red eyes — are known for breeding in kitchen bins, faeces, or on piles of spoiled food. To help you prevent house flies, this article has rounded up the best advice and natural methods to try.

While house flies might be frustratingly difficult to get rid of, there are some natural ways to keep them out of your home. 

image from here

How to get rid of a house fly infestation
"Prevention is better than cure. The best way to keep flies away is to limit a fly's access to food and water – particularly in your kitchen," Natalie Bungay, Technical Officer, at the British Pest Control Association says.

House flies have a short lifespan, but they can reproduce quickly and in large numbers. If you are worried about an infestation of flies in your home, it is advised you call the professionals. Professionals will be able to safely and effectively deal with the pests, so it's always worth asking for help if you are unsure.

"The best way to deal with a fly problem is to prevent an infestation from forming in the first place. There are some easy and practical steps you can take to help deter flies from your home.

Ways to keep flies away include
Make sure all food waste is correctly disposed of in a bin with a lid.
Keep outside bins secure with sealed lids and away from windows and doors.
Clean up food and water spills as soon as they occur.
Keep your food covered to stop flies landing and subsequently feeding off your plate.
Keep windows and doors closed or install fly screens to keep out home-invaders.
Deny flies access by keeping doors closed after dark, or block out the light with curtains.
Clean up after your pets, as faeces is the perfect breeding place for flies.
Remove any dead flies, as these can be a food source for other pests such as carpet beetles.

Homemade remedies to help get rid of house flies
Homemade remedies can also be a great way to naturally keep house flies out of the home — and brilliantly, too, they are incredibly easy to make yourself.

You can try to
Put a few drops of eucalyptus oil onto a cloth and hang them near doors or windows.
Place mint on kitchen window sills — this will also keep them away.
Cut up fresh orange peel and place onto a plate.
Citronella candles can help to keep flies away, especially in the garden.

Are house flies dangerous?
"Keeping flies away from your food is vital for protecting your health. The adage 'if you followed a fly for a day, you wouldn’t eat for a week' is entirely accurate," 
"Flies feed by vomiting saliva onto your food, stamping their dirty legs up and down in the sick, and then sucking up the resulting liquid. The bacteria from its gut can transmit everything from food poisoning to cholera."

What do house flies look like?
House flies have
Six legs
A small, oval body
Antennas
They are usually grey in appearance and display four black stripes on their chest
Adult house flies are about 4 to 7.5mm long
Female house flies are usually larger than males

What do I do if I have a lot of flies in my house?
Most often, if you find you have a lot of flies in your house, they are entering through small cracks in walls or doors. House flies can often be more of a problem during the summer months, especially as the weather gets warmer. As well as this, they also breed in filth (such as bins, rotting food and dirt), so one of the ways to keep them at bay is to ensure your house is clean. Seal any bins, keep surfaces sanitised and don't leave food out on the counter.

Don't forget to
Check for any food waste which could be attracting flies
Empty your bins regularly
Clean under and around your appliances

What attracts flies in your house?
"Spotting a few flies buzzing around does not necessarily mean you have a serious fly problem, although you should probably start keeping an eye out for other tell-tale signs, such as small dark clusters of spots in light areas and the presence of maggots." Common house flies are attracted to rotten items such as faeces, pet waste and rotting meat, whereas fruit flies are more likely to seek sugary substances such as overripe fruit, spilled fizzy drinks, and alcohol.

House flies are drawn to
Dirty conditions
Spilt food
Sticky surfaces from drink spillages
Scum at the bottom of drains
Faeces and pet waste
Alcohol

Where do flies lay their eggs in a house?
House flies will commonly lay their eggs in any warm, moist material. When the weather is warm, eggs will hatch in around 12 to 24 hours.

Some places flies might lay their eggs include
Piles of rubbish and waste
Decaying material such as grass clippings
Faeces

Are houseflies harmful?
Houseflies aren't harmful, but are just a nuisance. One thing to note is that they do carry bacteria and germs, so be careful if they land on your food before eating. 

Some of the diseases they carry include
Food poisoning
Cholera
Eye infections
E. coli
Typhoid fever
Dysentery
Tuberculosis

How to keep flies away outside
It's not only in the home that the flying creatures buzz around in, they regularly fly around our garden spaces (particularly if there's food involved). If you're looking for clever ways to keep flies at bay, one of the key ways of outdoor fly prevention is knowing what they don't like.

image from here

Natural ways to keep them away outside includes
Placing whole cloves into a ripe apple or a piece of citrus and placing it onto a plate.
Growing lavender is also a natural way to keep flies away as they don't like the smell.
Place citrus fruits and skins in a muslin cloth bag outside.
Flies also don't like basil, so these are brilliant to have growing outside.
Nasturtiums planted in the garden will also keep the flies away.
Above words, and more, can be seen at article here

Did you know, that as well as having Nasturtiums planted in the garden to help keep the flies away, nasturtiums, also called Indian Cress, are a wonderful addition to livening up your herb garden, because this bushy plant's edible flowers and leaves are high in vitamin C and add a spicy, peppery flavour to salads and stir-fries. Pickled nasturtium seed pods even make a wonderful culinary substitute for capers. Nasturtiums are easy to grow in a wide range of soil conditions. Read more here

You will find a variety of articles and recipe ideas within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

Mangetout : What Is It

Mangetout are young, tender garden peas. Find out when mangetout are in season, how to buy the best, and tips for storing and cooking this green vegetable by reading this article.

What is mangetout?
The French name tells you everything; it means ‘eat it all’. Mangetout properly means a type of garden pea picked very young, so young that the pod is still flat and the peas have barely developed. Also known as snow pea or sugar pea. A sugar snap pea is more fully developed and rounder, but the pod can still be eaten.

How to cook mangetout
Ideally, mangetouts can be cooked just as they are and great care must be taken to serve them crisp and brightly coloured.

Unfortunately, the variety sold and the time of the year means you always have to check for strings. Pull back the stalk end to see if the string is developed and if so, you must string every one, both sides. If the strings are minor, you may eat them as they are.

They are an excellent ingredient to use in stir-fries when they can be cut in half diagonally, both for looks and for faster cooking. Otherwise, the microwave is by far the best way to enhance and enjoy their green, garden flavour. Cook covered with no added water other than any left after rinsing and shaking dry. Steaming quickly reduces their flavour and colour; boiling does the same, faster.

The sweetness of lightly cooked mangetout peas is especially good with all seafood (even in cocktails) and with fish, hot or cold. They make an interesting ingredient in salads, too. Find more mangetout cooking ideas here

How to store mangetout
Best eaten quickly. The ideal way to keep them crisp and fresh is to store them in the refrigerator in a roomy bag or box into which you have sprinkled a little water, which will then keep them in very good condition for days.

When is mangetout in season?
The UK season is June to September, but supplies from other countries appear throughout much of the year. Frozen mangetout can be found but, like all such vegetables, they will have been blanched and so need less cooking than fresh ones.

Choose the best mangetout
Being so young, the pods deteriorate very quickly. They should be green, rather than yellow, and not in the least flabby – they should break crisply and look moist. Also check for strings on either side; if these are prominent or seem tough, the pods have dried out.

Words above taken from article here

You may like to try this recipe

Lamb chops with courgette, mangetout and feta cheese salad

Ingredients

Serves Two

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp chopped thyme leaves

4 lamb chops

2 small courgettes (zucchini), sliced into 1cm-thick rounds

200g mangetout

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

½ tsp Dijon mustard

¼ tsp chilli flakes (optional)

small handful mint leaves, roughly chopped

small handful basil leaves, roughly chopped

25g feta, crumbled

Nutrition Per Serving

Fat 31g Protein 47g Carbs 6g

Recipe Instructions

can be seen here

Dear reader, you will find a variety of articles and recipe ideas within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

Father's Day - How About A Roast Beef Dinner

Here in the UK, and many other countries, today is Father's Day, so I send my good wishes to Father's everywhere and wish you an enjoyable day.

With Covid restrictions still in place it may not be possible to get-together as in previous years, but for those of you who can, how about a Roast Beef Dinner!

I don't think there is a better known British meal than Roast Beef. I think you could perhaps call it the national dish of Great Britain and loved by almost everyone. But is there a good or better way to cook the perfect roast beef. It is actually very easy as you can see with these handy tips below.

1. Choosing the Beef:

The best joints for roast beef are either a Rib of Beef, a Sirloin or a Fillet. Rib works well as usually it will be cooked on the bone as keeping the bone in makes for a tastier piece of beef when cooked but both Sirloin and Fillet are also very good.

The beef should be:
Dark in colour - meaning it has been hung well and is mature.
A thick covering of fat which adds flavour and prevents the joint from drying out during cooking. This layer can be removed, if required, before serving so no need to worry too much about excess fat.

Marbling: Marbling is small slivers of fat running through the flesh which again adds flavour and prevents drying out during cooking.

2. How Much to Buy:
5½ lb/2.5kg bone in will feed 6
3 lb/1.5kg boned will feed 6

Don't worry about buying too much as cold roast beef can be added to a plate of cold cuts with a salad.

3. Cooking Temperature:
There are varying opinions about what the perfect temperature to cook a roast beef but you may find that starting the beef in a very hot oven 425F/220C/Gas 7 for the first 30 mins then lower the temperature to 375F/190C/Gas 5 for the remaining cooking time then ... how long to cook beef depends on your preference for how 'pink' or not you like to eat beef.

Calculate:
Rare - 11 mins per lb/450g
Medium - 14 mins per lb/450g
Well done - 16 mins per lb/450g

These times are based on a normal convection oven, you may want to adjust for a fan oven according to the manufacturers instructions. Another way to work out the cooking time is to use a meat thermometer pushed into the thickest part of the beef.

60°C/140°F - rare
70°C/160°F- medium
80°C/175°F - well done

4. How to Cook:
The beef should be at room temperature. Stand the beef joint in a roasting tin then cook to the temperature and time as above.

5. Rest, Rest, Rest:
An important part of cooking any meat is once it is removed from the oven the meat must rest. Wrap the meat loosely in aluminium foil and put to one side.

The fibres in meat tighten up during cooking and resting allows the fibres to relax, release some of the meat juices (great for the gravy) and results in a soft tender piece of meat. 20 minutes should be long enough but up to an hour won't do any harm. The joint is then ready to carve.
Tips taken from original article here

We bring a variety of recipe ideas and articles to this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

Brain Boosting Foods

If you’re feeling like your brain is foggy, slow and you’re finding it hard to remember things and generally keep on top of your day-to-day life, you might need to add more of these brain-boosting foods to your diet.

1. Water
Your body is 70% water, your brain is 70% water and you want to be able to hydrate that. Your brain is only about 2% of your body mass but it requires 20% of the nutrients so keep that water up!

2. Avocados
Containing good, healthy fats, avocados increase a number of different feel-good chemicals in the brain. Avocados are also a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids that assist with brain function, mood regulation, and emotions.

3. Blueberries
These 'brain berries' are full of anthocyanins. Blueberries provide anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects which help combat brain aging and neurodegenerative diseases and also supports improved communication between brain cells.

4. Broccoli
Your mum was right! Broccoli is good for your health and for your brain because it is high in antioxidants as well as Vitamin K so it helps protect the brain against damage and helps with better memory function.

5. Coconut Oil
The fatty acids in coconut oil are good for your brain and have even been linked to supporting people with Alzheimer’s Disease.

6. Eggs
There are a number of reasons why eggs are great for the brain, with essential fatty acids, Vitamins B6 and B12, folate and choline, which help to regulate mood, memory and cognitive function.

7. Green Leafy Vegetables
Containing large amounts of folate, green leafy vegetables and spinach, in particular, can help reduce symptoms of depression and are very neuroprotective.

8. Wild Salmon
The Omega-3 fatty acids in wild salmon (and sardines) are good for the brain. If you’re not getting enough of this essential fatty acid you may notice a cognitive decline, emotional imbalances and mood issues.

9. Turmeric
Turmeric, extremely good for the brain with great anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric helps to improve memory, ease depression and help new brain cells grow.

10. Walnuts
Nuts, and in particular Walnuts improve cognition and memory and slow mental decline. Even if you notice, we look at a walnut, it looks like what? It looks like the human brain. Walnuts also contain Omega-3 fatty acids so there’s double the reason to enjoy these nuts for brain health.

11. Dark Chocolate
Saving the best for last, eat dark chocolate for your brain (and your taste buds!). Dark chocolate boosts concentration, mood and actually improves blood flow to the brain. The darker the chocolate, the better!

Words and picture above taken from article, with all related research links, here

You will find a variety of articles and recipe ideas within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

Happy Friday Wishes ... enjoy a slice of low carb ginger cake

Happy Friday and weekend wishes to you

I hope you like these flowers ...

image from here

… as it's Friday

why not treat yourself to a slice of

Low-carb, ginger cake that is light in texture and flavoured with warm spices

and goes very well with a cup of tea or coffee

see recipe details here

sit down and enjoy a slice

A variety of recipe ideas are within this blog, but please note, not all may be suitable for you.

If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

Salisbury Steak ... the low carb way

Well I had heard of Salisbury a beautiful cathedral city in Wiltshire, England. I've heard of steak so nice when grilled, but I'd not come across a meal called Salisbury Steak until quite recently.

Of course many readers may know the dish well but for those who don't I give a few more details about this interesting dish that originated in the United States and the first known use of the name was in 1897.

Salisbury steak is a dish, originating in the United States, made from a blend of ground beef and other ingredients and usually served with gravy or brown sauce. It is a version of Hamburg steak.

Hamburg was a common embarkation point for transatlantic voyages during the first half of the 19th century and New York City was the most common destination. Various New York restaurants offered Hamburg-style American fillet, or even beefsteak à Hambourgeoise. Early American preparations of minced beef were therefore made to fit the tastes of European immigrants.

Coming from this history of ground meat dishes is the Salisbury steak. James Salisbury (1823–1905) was an American physician and chemist known for his advocacy of a meat-centred diet to promote health, and the term Salisbury steak for a ground beef patty served as an entrée has been used in the United States since 1897.

Fast forward to 2021 and a low carb version of Salisbury Steak has been spotted, and of course I thought I'd share the idea with you!

Low-carb Salisbury steak with quick mash

Salisbury steak may not be "real" steak, but it’s easy to make and so delicious. 

Served with cauliflower mash and a gluten-free onion gravy,

this is low-carb comfort food at its best!

(8g net carbs per serving)

Ingredients

Serves Four

Cauliflower mash

450 g cauliflower, cut into florets

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

Salisbury steak

650 g ground (minced) beef

2 tsp onion powder

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp coconut flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp ghee or butter

Onion gravy

2 tbsp ghee or butter

1 (110 g) yellow onion, roughly chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp coconut aminos

240 ml beef broth or chicken stock

Recipe instructions

can be seen here

Salisbury Cathedral

West Front View

We bring a variety of articles, studies etc. plus recent news/views and recipe ideas to this blog, we hope something for everyone to read and enjoy. Please note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

'Should You Reduce Your Aspirin Dose?'

"Comparative Effectiveness of Aspirin Dosing in Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract

BACKGROUND
The appropriate dose of aspirin to lower the risk of death, myocardial infarction, and stroke and to minimize major bleeding in patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is a subject of controversy.

METHODS

 Using an open-label, pragmatic design, we randomly assigned patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease to a strategy of 81 mg or 325 mg of aspirin per day. The primary effectiveness outcome was a composite of death from any cause, hospitalization for myocardial infarction, or hospitalization for stroke, assessed in a time-to-event analysis. The primary safety outcome was hospitalization for major bleeding, also assessed in a time-to-event analysis.

RESULTS
A total of 15,076 patients were followed for a median of 26.2 months (interquartile range [IQR], 19.0 to 34.9). Before randomization, 13,537 (96.0% of those with available information on previous aspirin use) were already taking aspirin, and 85.3% of these patients were previously taking 81 mg of daily aspirin. Death, hospitalization for myocardial infarction, or hospitalization for stroke occurred in 590 patients (estimated percentage, 7.28%) in the 81-mg group and 569 patients (estimated percentage, 7.51%) in the 325-mg group (hazard ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.91 to 1.14). Hospitalization for major bleeding occurred in 53 patients (estimated percentage, 0.63%) in the 81-mg group and 44 patients (estimated percentage, 0.60%) in the 325-mg group (hazard ratio, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.79 to 1.77). Patients assigned to 325 mg had a higher incidence of dose switching than those assigned to 81 mg (41.6% vs. 7.1%) and fewer median days of exposure to the assigned dose (434 days [IQR, 139 to 737] vs. 650 days [IQR, 415 to 922]).

CONCLUSIONS
In this pragmatic trial involving patients with established cardiovascular disease, there was substantial dose switching to 81 mg of daily aspirin and no significant differences in cardiovascular events or major bleeding between patients assigned to 81 mg and those assigned to 325 mg of aspirin daily."

The above words taken from The New England Journal of Medicine here

h/t Steve Parker M.D. Diabetic Mediterranean Blog here 

IMPORTANT

DO NOT make changes in your medication regimen without consulting your personal physician.

All the best Jan

We love chicken skin in our house : Chicken skin is good for you

I'm re-posting this post from 2017, just in case you haven't read it!

Chicken Skin Is Good For You !

Don't know about you, but we love chicken skin in our house ...

This article was written by Michelle Leotta who is 'certified as a health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and the American Association of Drugless Practitioners', and 'tries to get delicious, real food on the table every night.'

I thought it a good one to share.

She wrote ... " At a recent presentation, I made my audience gasp when I suggested they stop peeling the skin off chicken. And for heavens sake, stop paying top dollar for boneless, skinless breasts.

After all …chicken is a whole food. Until you start taking things away.

Ever really think about that?

When we talk about whole foods, we mean food that is minimally processed. A product of nature – in its natural form. Eating a whole food means eating all the edible parts. For instance, the fat found naturally in milk. The stem on kale. The skin on apples and potatoes and…yes, chicken.

But we’ve been told that chicken skin is terrible for us. Unlike beef, which is marbled with fat, the fat on chicken lies just below the skin. We strip it away and breed our chickens to be less and less fatty.

This quest for a low fat diet…ummm…it hasn’t exactly worked. Just look around.

Right.

So let me suggest that we stop manipulating food and allow our complex bodies, with systems scientists can barely wrap their heads around, eat food as nature provides it. We are not smarter than nature.

If this theory of whole food eating is still sinking in, here are 6 straightforward reasons why eating chicken skin is actually good for you.

I definitely recommend eating the highest quality animal products you can get your hands on. That means being picky about your source. If you don’t live near a trusted farm, you can order free-range poultry here

1. Let’s talk about the kind of fat you’ll find in chicken skin. It’s mainly monounsaturated, in the form of oleic acid. Oleic acid, also found in olive oil, is known for beneficial effects on cholesterol.

2. Of course there are also saturated fats in chicken skin. This is no accident. Nature provides what the body needs. The body does not need soda. The body does not need cotton candy. Or Gatorade. The body does, in fact, need some saturated fat. So eat it.

3. If you’re in the calorie-counting camp, there’s roughly a 50 calorie difference between chicken with or without skin. Seems a small price to pay for a huge increase in flavour and satisfaction.

4. Did I mention flavour and satisfaction? When your food satisfies your taste buds and body’s cravings, you don’t need to eat as much or as often. Sugar cravings subside and you can go back to loving food instead of fearing it. That’s huge, people.

5. Fat doesn’t make you fat. If it did, the low-fat/non-fat craze would have given us a country of slender people. Instead, we have an obesity epidemic. It just doesn’t add up. Here’s a thought. Eat the skin that occurs naturally on chicken. Don’t eat I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, Power Bars, Eggo Waffles or other foodstuffs made in lab. See what happens.

6. Forget marinades, seasonings and complicated recipes! Naturally occurring fats make chicken delicious, as-is. Cooking is easy.

Go forth and actually enjoy your food."
Michelle's article and recipe suggestion is here

Do you like chicken skin?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Dear reader, you will find a variety of articles and recipe ideas within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

Ricotta Almond Cake : Low In Carbs

I first discovered this lovely recipe for a low carb ricotta almond cake back in 2016 and the picture and words are by Ewelina who introduced me to the recipe. She describes it as "something between cheesecake and regular cake. It's quite heavy but velvety and smooth inside with a gentle hint of lemon zest. If you like marzipan you will enjoy that this aromatic cake is packed with the sweet flavour of almonds. It is extremely easy to make with a short list of ingredients, and it doesn't take much time to bake. The cake is very moist and tastes much better the next day."

Here are the ingredients you will need:
240 g ground almonds
250 g ricotta cheese
170 g xylitol, powdered (or any other sweetener of your choice which is equivalent of 170g of sugar)
4 eggs
Zest from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
60g almond flakes

Here is what you do:
1. Preheat oven to 160 C / 375 F / Gas Mark 5.
2. Line a 20 cm loose bottom cake tin with baking paper
3. Using electric mixer beat egg yolks with xylitol, add ricotta, vanilla extract, lemon zest and ground almond and briefly mix to combine the mixture.
4. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into ricotta mixture to loosen and then fold in the rest.
5. Spread the mixture in the tin, sprinkle the almond flakes on the top and bake for about 50 minutes.
6. Cool it down and refrigerate it overnight. Dust with powdered xylitol before serving.

In case you'd like to know:
Whole Cake has 67g carbohydrate
One slice 1/12th of cake is 5.6g carbohydrate

If you should need help with weight/measurement conversion:
See here

don't forget your cup and plate, enjoy!

You will find a variety of recipe ideas within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

Sunday : Why Not Start The Day With ...

... a Herb omelette, which is simply delicious! So quick and easy and with several variations. Ready in 7 minutes. Cooking time 5 minutes. Prep time 2 minutes.

Ingredients
Serves 1
3 medium free-range eggs
1 tsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (such as fresh chives, dill and flat-leaf parsley)

Method
1. Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk together until the yolks and whites are well combined.
2. Set a 20cm non-stick frying pan over a high heat. When the pan is hot, add the butter. As it begins to sizzle, pour in the egg mixture. Using a spatula, stir slowly for 15-20 seconds, as if you were making scrambled eggs.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and place your herbs (or choice of fillings) around the centre of the omelette.
4. As soon as the egg begins to set on the bottom (about 1 minute), fold a third of the omelette towards the middle of the pan, enclosing the filling.
5. To remove the omelette from the pan and create the classic two-fold rolled effect, tilt the pan, slide the omelette out and use your spatula to create the final fold.

Omelettes really are such a great way to start the day, or enjoy for lunch or even a light supper.

Nutrition Per Serving

0.8g carbohydrate 0.8g fibre 21.7g protein 18.9g fat 0.6g salt
From original idea here

Related Post

Health Benefits of Eating Eggs - read it here

Dear reader; a variety of articles and recipe ideas are found within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan