Greek Meatball Salad ... with lemon, oregano and chives

Meatballs can make the perfect between-the-season supper; when it’s too cold to be outside grilling on the barbecue but you’re not ready for sweaters, heavy stews and roasts! Brimming with fresh flavours, these lemon and oregano Greek meatballs are served atop a leafy green salad. Made in just 25 minutes, this recipe can make a great midweek meal. Hey Jan, I hear you say … 'why not serve it on a Saturday' … now there's a thought! 

Ingredients:

Serves Four

400g turkey breast mince
1 tsp dried oregano
1 lemon, zested and juiced
100g (3 1/2oz) Greek-style 0% fat natural yogurt
50g (1 3/4oz) Greek-style salad cheese, crumbled
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp olive oil
1 round lettuce, split into leaves
10g (approx.) chives, snipped

Optional - 4 wholemeal pitta breads, toasted, to serve

Method:

1. Mix the mince with the oregano and lemon zest. Shape into 20 meatballs and put on a plate. Chill in the fridge for 10 mins.

2. In a food processor, blitz 1 tbsp. of the lemon juice with the yogurt and cheese until smooth; set aside. Soak the red onion slices in the remaining lemon juice.
3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan set over a medium heat and add the meatballs. Cook for 10-12 mins, turning regularly, until golden and cooked through.

4. Place the lettuce leaves in a large serving bowl. Scatter over the meatballs and drained onion slices then drizzle over the dressing. Finish with the chives.

Optional - serve the pitta breads alongside, if you like.

Nutritional Details Per Serving:

Carbohydrate 3.4g Protein 26.2g Fat 6g

Taken From:

an idea here 

Turkey is one of those tasty meats that is positively good for you. It has essential nutrients that are good for the whole family. It contains: 

Protein, which nourishes every cell of your body. Protein helps build muscles and bones, so is essential for childhood development. But you may not be aware that it’s also needed to stop muscle wasting, so is crucial as you get older too.

B Vitamins, which help to unlock the energy from foods. Turkey breast is a source of vitamin B6, which helps keep your red blood cells healthy and reduce tiredness and fatigue.

Selenium, which helps keep your hair and nails healthy, it is also needed to keep your immunity topped up, and is also vital as a protection against damage to your cells and tissues.

Phosphorus, is needed for normal growth and development of bones, it also helps to release the energy from food.

A variety of recipe ideas/articles 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

Lamb Rump with Rosemary Cauliflower Mash ... lower carb dish

One of our sons favourite meals is lamb … and I'm sure he would eat this lovely dish almost every day of the week, if he could! Lamb can be expensive, and when shopping I do look for any special offers. So next time lamb rump is a good price - you can guess what I'm going to buy!

This recipe suggestion, from Madeleine Shaw, is for delicious lamb rump with a rosemary cauliflower mash -  a tasty lower carb dish. Lamb rump can make a juicy alternative to steak.

Ingredients:
Serves Two
2 lamb rumps
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp coconut oil or butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp chilli flakes
For the cauliflower
1 cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 tbsp. coconut oil or butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp. dried rosemary 

Method: 
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5. Trim off any excess fat on the lamb and score the top with a sharp knife. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the rosemary.

2. Heat a pan with the oil or butter and cook the lamb fat side down for four minutes, turning it over every minute until browned. Pop it in the oven for 15 minutes then leave it to rest for five minutes.
3. To make the cauliflower mash, cook the cauliflower in a pan of boiling water for 7-10 minutes until it is cooked through, then drain. Meanwhile, heat the oil or butter in a frying pan and throw in the onion. Sauté for three minutes, then throw in the garlic, rosemary and a big pinch of salt. Cook for another 3 minutes then leave to cool slightly. Mash the onion mix with the cauliflower, scraping out all the spices and oil from the pan.

4. Serve the mash and lamb together with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of chilli flakes. 

Cauliflower - a low carbers friend - see more here 

You will find a variety of articles, studies etc. plus recent news/views and recipe ideas within 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

How Safe and Effective Are Your Medicines? You Might Be Surprised!

As regular readers know, this blog brings a variety of articles, studies, news, recipes etc. It is presented in a magazine style - we hope something for everyone. Our main focus is about the Low Carb Higher (Healthy) Fat lifestyle, LCHF for short, more about that here

But I thought our readers may find this an interesting article, it's taken from "The People’s Pharmacy … for more than four decades, Joe and Terry Graedon have been teaching, writing, and broadcasting information to help people make informed decisions about their health.

Joe Graedon August 13, 2018 Cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia)

Most people assume their medicine is safe and effective. The FDA says a drug can be "safe" even if it can cause cancer, heart attacks or death. How effective are statins at prolonging life?

Before a physician prescribes a medication, she should know exactly how safe and effective it is. And before a patient swallows any pill he should also know precisely how safe and effective it is. You don’t get any more basic than that. Before many people buy a car, a TV or an appliance, they do their homework. They may check Consumer Reports, or get a mechanic to inspect a used car to make sure they aren’t buying a lemon. When it comes to medicine, however, there is no easy way to determine how safe and effective a drug will be for you. This reader asked what on the surface seemed like a simple question. What Does Safe and Effective Really Mean?

A reader recently asked us a very basic question:

“Is there any place a consumer can go to find the effectiveness of a drug that has been prescribed? And along the same lines, how can he/she determine the frequency and severity of that drug’s side effects?”

This is the homework anyone would want to do before taking a new medicine. In fact, any physician prescribing drugs should be able to find such information easily. In truth, these essential data are more difficult to locate than they should be.
The FDA Has Unique Definitions for “Safe” and “Effective”

The FDA has two criteria for approving a new medicine. It has to be effective and it must be safe. Sadly, though, the definitions of effective and safe are hard to pin down.

How does the FDA determine that a drug works? It requires the manufacturer to demonstrate that the medication is better than an inactive placebo. It doesn’t have to be a lot better; it only has to demonstrate statistical significance.

The FDA also relies on something called surrogate endpoints. In other words, if a drug lowers blood sugar, that is good enough for the agency to grant approval. The drug doesn’t have to prove that it reduces bad outcomes from diabetes or prolongs life. As long as the needle moves on some lab test, that is often good enough.

As for safety, all you have to do is turn on your television to realize that many FDA-approved drugs can cause serious or even life-threatening side effects. The FDA considers a drug safe even if it causes heart attacks, strokes, liver failure, kidney disease, cancer or death in some patients. We don’t know about you, but that doesn’t seem very safe to us.

What About Atorvastatin (Lipitor)?

For example, atorvastatin (Lipitor) is the most frequently prescribed cholesterol-lowering drug. Many doctors think of it as a life saver. And in fact, during a clinical trial fewer people taking the statin died of a heart attack (1.9 percent) than those taking placebo (3 percent).

This means that roughly one person out of 100 people taking Lipitor escaped a fatal heart attack. That is statistically significant, but it also means that 99 people taking the drug did not get that benefit.
Death, The Ultimate Statistic!

When measuring the effectiveness of any drug you have to ask a fundamental question. Effective for what? If you have a bad headache, you would determine the effectiveness of Advil, aspirin or Tylenol by how fast the headache completely goes away.

When it comes to statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs, the most important metric is mortality. Did the drug prolong life? Yes, avoiding a heart attack is important. Ultimately, though, people want to know if their medicine will extend their lives.

It comes as a great shock to many physicians to learn that many randomized clinical trials of statins did not lead to a mortality benefit. 

Here are some examples:

TNT:

In 2005 the TNT (Treating to New Targets) study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine (April 7, 2005). Over 10,000 patients with coronary heart disease were randomized to either 10 mg of atorvastatin or 80 mg of atorvastatin. There was a 2.2% reduction in major cardiovascular events in the intensive treatment group, but:

“There was no difference between the two treatment groups in overall mortality.”

In theory, the people getting 80 mg of atorvastatin should have done far better than those on 10 mg. Hmmm, what went wrong?

IDEAL:

The IDEAL study involved 8,888 patients who had already had a heart attack (JAMA, Dec. 28, 2005). Half got 20 mg of simvastatin and the other half got 80 mg of atorvastatin. The expectation was that the intensive atorvastatin treatment would produce dramatic results. The conclusions:

“In this study of patients with previous MI [myocardial infarction or heart attack], intensive lowering of LDL-C did not result in a significant reduction in the primary outcome of major coronary events…There were no differences in cardiovascular or all-cause mortality.”

ASPEN:

You might argue that the TNT and IDEAL study were not a comparison of statin to placebo. You would be right. They compared aggressive statin therapy that really lowered LDL cholesterol dramatically, to much more modest treatment. One might suggest that any statin treatment (low or high dose) produces substantial benefit. That’s why the ASPEN trials is so important.

ASPEN stands for Atorvastatin Study for Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease Endpoints (Diabetes Care, July, 2006). The investigators selected 2,410 subjects with type 2 diabetes. These people are like canaries in the coal mines. They are highly susceptible to heart attacks and early death from cardiovascular disease.

In this study patients received either 10 mg of atorvastatin or placebo. LDL cholesterol was lowered 29% in the statin group. After four years, however, there was no statistical difference in outcomes between the patients on atorvastatin and placebo. In other words, there were no meaningful reductions in heart attacks, strokes, bypass surgery or heart symptoms in the group on statins. Most important, there was no mortality benefit.

Putting Effectiveness into Perspective:

It’s not that statins are ineffective. There are other clinical trials that show a reduction in heart attacks and strokes and a mortality benefit.

How much of a mortality benefit? One of the most famous statin studies was called 4S. After almost six years of simvastatin use, the survival gain was less than a month (27 days to be precise)(BMJ Open, Sept. 24, 2015). These were very high-risk patients. They had either experienced a heart attack or were having serious symptoms of heart disease.

The trouble is that randomized clinical trials have produced contradictory and confusing results. It becomes very hard to say how effective statins are in preventing any given individual from experiencing a heart attack, a stroke or extending life.

How To Discover How Safe and Effective Your Drug Is:

Where do you find this information? For many drugs, the best place is DailyMed. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/ This online resource contains the information that FDA and the drug companies think is essential for doctors as well as patients. Section 14 on Clinical Studies describes the results from the trials presented to support the drug’s approval. Trying to make sense of the statistics can be challenging, but that is one of the few places to check actual effectiveness.

What About Safety?

Assessing safety can be even more daunting. DailyMed also has the official prescribing information in its adverse reactions section (Number 6 Adverse Reactions). Here too the drug is compared to placebo.

If you look up the weight loss drug Contrave (naltrexone and bupropion), you will discover a black box warning. This is the closest thing the FDA has to waving a red flag to signal serious danger.

In the case of Contrave, the warning reads:

“In patients of all ages who are started on CONTRAVE, monitor closely for worsening, and for the emergence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.”

In addition, Contrave causes nausea in about one third of patients. That compares to seven percent of those on placebo. Constipation, headache, vomiting and dizziness are also significant side effects along with insomnia, dry mouth and diarrhea.

The official prescribing information is a good first step but it does not always represent the final word on effectiveness or safety. Important adverse reactions are often discovered many years after the drug was approved.

One place to look for such information is PubMed.

This service of the US National Library of Medicine gives everyone access to brief summaries published in medical journals. Learning to use these resources is the first step to understanding how safe and effective your medicine may be."

My thanks to 'Yoly' for this post...

All the best Jan

Lemon Chicken Piccata : Low Carb

Lemon Chicken Piccata cooking in the skillet/pan 

A delicious low carb lemon chicken piccata! The chicken is coated with almond flour and Parmesan Cheese. The sauce is light and tasty made from white wine*, lemon, capers, shallots and garlic. It's perfect for any night but also great for a dinner party too!

Ingredients
Serves Four
4 boneless chicken cutlets, 4 ounces each
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 teaspoons olive oil
4 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, peeled and finely diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
3/4 cup white wine or chicken stock - *use stock if you do not cook with alcohol
1 large lemon, juiced about 1/4 cup juice

1/4 cup capers, drained

Instructions
In a large plate, mix almond flour, Parmesan Cheese, salt and black pepper. Rinse the chicken in cold water and dredge in the almond flour mixture. Coat chicken well in the flour mixture. Set aside until all chicken dredged in flour.

Pre-heat a skillet (frying pan) over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons each of olive oil and unsalted butter, butter should sizzle. Add the chicken pieces to the skillet. Make sure chicken is not overlapping. Let chicken brown about 3-4 minutes. Flip chicken to complete cooking another 3-4 minutes. Once cooked, set chicken aside.

To the skillet, add the remaining olive oil and butter. Add in the chopped shallots and garlic. Sauté for about 3 minutes. Add in white wine or chicken stock, lemon juice, and capers. Let simmer to reduce by about half, approximately 5 minutes.

Recipe Notes
If making ahead, you can get the dish ready and just reheat on the stovetop for a few minutes with a pot cover. Can be reheated in oven at 250 degrees for about 10 minutes.

If using chicken stock instead of wine, use low-sodium, fat-free broth.

From an original idea with helpful step-by-step instructions here

Need help with measurement, weight conversion - see here

A variety of 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

Lemon-Lime Poppy Seed Cheesecakes : Low Carb

Fancy trying something a little different? How about these tasty mini cheesecake pots! They are cooked in the oven and allowed to cool! I'm sure you will enjoy the fresh taste of lemon and lime and the creamy topping garnished with raspberries, poppy seeds and a sprig of mint ...

Ingredients

Serves Four
7g carb per serving
10 oz. (275g) cream cheese
½ cup (125ml) crème fraîche or sour cream
2 eggs
2 tbsp. erythritol
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ lemon, grated zest and juice
½ lime, grated zest and juice
2 tsp poppy seeds
Topping
1⁄3 cup (75ml) crème fraîche or sour cream
¼ tsp vanilla extract
½ tbsp. (5g) erythritol, preferably powdered
1⁄3 cup (75ml) fresh raspberries (optional)

½ tbsp. poppy seeds

Instructions

see here

Did you know, Raspberries, are a member of the rose family, and have a wonderfully intense, sweet taste, and many consider them to be the finest flavoured of all the berries.

Raspberries grow well in cool, damp climates, and the red varieties, such as Heritage and Malling Jewel, are the most commonly sold, though you can also find black, yellow and golden types.

They are an essential ingredient in the classic English dessert, Summer pudding, and their flavour combines well with that of other berries.

Availability:
Late June to early September. If you've got a garden or allotment, raspberries are quite easy to grow.

Choose the best:
Look for bright, evenly coloured and plump berries, with no mushy or mouldy examples. If you're buying a punnet, check that the underside isn't stained - that means the lower level of berries has been crushed.

Avoid raspberries with their hulls still attached; that indicates that they were picked before they were ripe, so their flavour will be tart.

Prepare it:
As raspberries are very delicate, try not to wash them unless absolutely necessary. Just pick off any bits of stalk or leaf. If they must be washed don't put them directly under the flow of the tap, as they'll disintegrate. Gently pat them dry with kitchen paper.

Store it:

Arrange them on a layer of kitchen paper on a plate, so that they don't crush each other, and store them in the fridge. Take them out of the fridge an hour before eating, so that they're at room temperature. They are best eaten on the same day they were bought or picked.

A variety of recipe ideas are within this blog, 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

Why Won't We Tell Diabetics the Truth?

It was Graham that first spotted this article, written by Diana Rodgers, RD, LDN, NTP, and it's certainly one to share! Diana is a real food nutritionist living on a working organic farm. She's the author of The Homegrown Paleo Cookbook and produces the Sustainable Dish Podcast.

The following is a snippet from an article written by her:

Why Won’t We Tell Diabetics the Truth?
I’m appalled constantly at the misinformation we nutrition experts are telling folks with diabetes. It’s all over the place. The “everything in moderation” mantra, and how we need to eat less meat, less fat, and more whole grains, is a pervasive theme drilled into young dietitians, and spread to the public through our dietary guidelines. This information is making people sick.

How Many Carbs Do We Really Need?
The short answer: ZERO.

What are the Dangers of Overeating Carbohydrates?
Answer: DIABETES (but they won’t actually say this)

So, How Many Carbs are We Telling Diabetics to Eat?
Answer: TOO MUCH

We’re Completely Failing Diabetics.
We nutrition experts are miserably failing at preventing and treating folks with diabetes. According to the CDC, 12.6% of Americans have diabetes, costing us $245 billion dollars in direct and indirect medical expenses. I’ve seen the incredible damage diabetes can do to people and it’s pretty ugly. It’s listed as the 7th leading cause of death, but because people don’t really die of “diabetes” but rather die of complications due to diabetes, like kidney failure and cardiovascular disease, the number is likely much higher. The rate is only increasing, especially in countries newly adopting our “heart-healthy” standard American diet. All over the world, people are giving up their healthy traditional diets and are drinking soda instead of water, using canola oil instead of traditional fats, and eating more refined junk foods – oh and it’s not only unhealthy but more expensive to eat this way too.

Why can’t we tell folks who have diabetes the truth: that eating an “everything in moderation,” high carb, low fat and low protein diet will increase your chances of a completely preventable disease (in the case of type 2) that can lead to a very uncomfortable death?

As a dietitian with some sense, when I see a patient with blood sugar issues, I recommend a low-carb diet, adding more protein and healthy fats as the very first step. There are a handful of people who get it. In this literature review, researchers looked at 12 studies all showing the success of a low-carbohydrate diet had on reducing or eliminating the need for medication in type 2 diabetics.

“The inability of current recommendations to control the epidemic of diabetes, the specific failure of the prevailing low-fat diets to improve obesity, cardiovascular risk, or general health and the persistent reports of some serious side effects of commonly prescribed diabetic medications, in combination with the continued success of low-carbohydrate diets in the treatment of diabetes and metabolic syndrome without significant side effects, point to the need for a reappraisal of dietary guidelines. The benefits of carbohydrate restriction in diabetes are immediate and well documented.”

Why Won’t We Tell Diabetics the Truth?
Answer: The real truth is that sugar, junk food and insulin sells.

Sugar is sexy. Brownies sell magazines and gets clicks on Facebook. Scrambled eggs, plain roasted chicken, or sautéed swiss chard does not. There’s a ton of bias against low carb diets, and a lot of financial interests pushing pharmaceutical intervention instead of a dietary change, and the people who are behind the dietary guidelines are also the ones charged with promoting commodity agriculture (wheat, corn and soy.)

It’s time to admit that we’re failing diabetics.

We can do better. They deserve the truth.

“I use the ‘cigarette’ analogy. We know it is bad to smoke, so we tell patients not to smoke. Why don’t we do the same thing with sugar and processed starches? The excuse I hear is that ‘people won’t stop eating sugar and starches.’ However, by the same analogy, we could have thrown up our hands and said, ‘people can’t give up smoking.'” – University of Alabama at Birmingham Professor of Nutrition Barbara Gower, Ph.D. (one of the authors of the paper quoted above)

Here’s my unsexy truth:

Please read Diana's article in full here

All the best Jan … and Graham

Hanne Boel ~ Can`t run from yourself

It's music night, tonight a bluesy number from another singer that's new to me,enjoy !
Graham

La Bamba Playing For Change

Saturday night again and music night on this blog. Once again we see people of all colours from all around the world, working together with a common purpose, to create great music. The world works great, until politicians get involved. Eddie

Impressive Health Benefits of Watercress

Watercress is an often overlooked leafy green that packs a powerful nutrient punch. Its small, round leaves and edible stems have a peppery, slightly spicy flavour. It is part of the Brassicaceae family of vegetables, which also includes kale, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. Once considered a weed, it was first cultivated in the UK in the early 1800s but is now grown in watery beds throughout the world.

Here are ten impressive health benefits of watercress.

1. Packed with Nutrients, Particularly Vitamin K

Watercress boasts many important vitamins and minerals, including over 100% of the RDI for vitamin K.

2. High Antioxidant Content May Lower Your Risk of Chronic Diseases

Watercress is extremely high in antioxidants, which may help prevent chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

3. Contains Compounds That May Prevent Certain Types of Cancer

Watercress contains potent anticancer compounds called isothiocyanates that have been shown to ward off several types of cancer.

4. Beneficial for Heart Health in Many Impressive Ways

Watercress has many potential benefits for heart health, including lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Diets high in cruciferous vegetables are linked to a lower risk of heart disease.

5. Mineral and Vitamin K Contents Protect Against Osteoporosis

Watercress contains many nutrients important for bone health, including over 100% of the RDI for vitamin K.

6. Boosts Immune Function Thanks to High Vitamin C Levels

Watercress is a good source of vitamin C, which promotes a healthy immune system and reduces your risk of infection.

7. Nutrient Density May Aid Weight Loss

Watercress is a highly nutritious vegetable that can help fill you up for very few calories, which may aid weight loss.

8. Dietary Nitrates May Enhance Athletic Performance

Watercress is a source of dietary nitrates, which have been linked to improved athletic performance. However, there are currently no studies on watercress that confirm these beneficial effects.

9. Rich in Carotenoids and Vitamin C, Which May Protect Eye Health

Watercress contains the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which are essential for eye health. Watercress is also a good source of vitamin C, which may protect against cataracts.

10. Versatile Addition to Any Meal
Here are some easy ways to add watercress to your diet:
Sprinkle it on your salad.
Stir it into your soup near the end of cooking.
Use it to replace lettuce in a sandwich.
Turn it into pesto by blending it with garlic and olive oil.
Serve it with eggs.

Use it to top any dish.

Watercress is a versatile addition to your meal routine. Eat it in a salad, soup or sandwich or use it to garnish any dish.

The Bottom Line

Watercress is a powerhouse vegetable that packs several important nutrients but is extremely low in calories. It contains a plethora of antioxidants, which may lower your risk of heart disease and several types of cancer. It’s also a good source of minerals that protect your bones. Additionally, watercress makes a delicious addition to any meal and is a nice change from the usual lettuce or spinach. Though watercress is hardly one of the most popular vegetables, its nutrition profile makes it a stellar addition to your diet. 

The above words and picture taken from an article written by Melissa Groves RD.

Please see it in full with all relevant links here

Do you like watercress - do you use it in your recipes? 
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

It's Chicken Supreme !

Food does not have to be complicated …

Take this quick and simple recipe, from Matt Dawson, for cooking chicken breast and wing.

Did you know that Matt Dawson is a retired English rugby union player and won MasterChef in 2006 !

For two people here are the ingredients:

2 supreme of chicken

splash olive oil

Some tips and suggestions:
Supreme of chicken refers to a deboned breast with the wing bone and skin on

Method:
1. Season the supreme of chicken well on the skin side with salt and pepper.

2. Heat a little olive oil in an oven-proof pan and sear the chicken, skin side down until it appears golden brown and crisped. Turn the chicken over and sear on the flesh side until slightly golden. Put in an oven preheated to 175C/155C fan/gas 3 for 12 minutes or until cooked through. 
3. Serve, eat and enjoy with vegetables of your choice.

From an original idea here

Chicken has many plus points … its versatility, as well as the ease and speed with which it can be cooked make it one of the most popular meats around. It has a high level of good quality protein, as well as B vitamins, iron, copper and selenium. Chicken certainly appears in my LCHF menu plans … do you feature chicken supreme (or other chicken recipes) in your menu plans?

Please note:

A variety of recipes/meal suggestions 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

Swede/Rutabaga Mash-Pot with Greens, Mushrooms and Tempeh : Low Carb Vegan

As regular readers know, this blog brings a variety of articles, studies, thoughts, music and recipes! It is presented in a magazine style - we hope something for everyone. Our main focus is about the Low Carb Higher (Healthy) Fat lifestyle, LCHF for short, and you can read/find out more about that here

In recent months we have seen that more and more we have regular readers, and followers, who choose to eat vegetarian or vegan. With that in mind I am passing on this recipe suggestion from Martine at Low Carb Vegan Blog.

Ingredients:

Serves 2-3

300-400 gram swede/rutabaga or cauliflower, chopped
a few tablespoons of unsweetened plant milk or cooking cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons oil, separated
1 leek, in half rings (you can substitute onion or spring onion)
250 gram button mushrooms, sliced
300 gram raw escarole or lettuce (or boiled kale), shredded
200 gram tempeh, cubed small
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Method: 

1. Bring water to a boil in a pot and cook the rutabaga until very tender, about 10-15 minutes. Mash into a puree using a potato masher, large fork or food processor. Add a few tablespoons of plant milk or cooking cream to make it nicely smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

2. In the mean time, sauté the leek and mushrooms in the first tablespoon of oil until slightly browned and tender. Mix the cooked vegetables into the mash and also mix in the raw escarole or lettuce so they wilt a little. Keep everything warm in very low heat while you prepare the tempeh. 

3. Heat the second tablespoon of oil and fry the tempeh until nicely browned. Mix in the soy sauce and smoked paprika and cook for one minute more. 

4. Scoop the mash-pot onto plates and sprinkle with the tempeh.

From an original recipe idea here

Some readers may like to try this recipe suggestion which also uses swede/rutabaga …  it's Sweet and sour swede (rutabaga) with bacon, see here 

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

Low-carb bread ... in a mug !

This recipe has been circulating the internet for a while now … many may call it a low carb classic! It's low-carb bread in a mug - or 'Muffin in a Mug'. Freshly baked bread in 5 minutes... yes, it's true … it's crispy and low carb … you may wish to try it. 

Ingredients

One Serving

3g carbs

1 tsp butter
1 tbsp. almond flour
1 tbsp. coconut flour
¾ tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 egg
1 tbsp. heavy (double) whipping cream

½ tsp poppy seeds (optional)

Flavouring

For additional flavour, season the bread with onion or garlic powder, plus herbs or spices like ground fennel and cumin. It's also lovely with poppy or sesame seeds. Use about 1⁄2 teaspoon of seasoning for each piece.

Microwave or Oven Cook

Most will microwave this … if you wish to bake, try placing in 325-350°F oven and bake until it tests done (check every 3-5 minutes)

Instructions for this recipe 

see here

Poppy seeds are the tiny, edible blue-grey or ivory-coloured seeds of the poppy flower. The former are more common in European cookery; and the latter in Indian cuisine. Although the poppy is the source of opium, its seeds lose their narcotic characteristics as they ripen.

Buyer's guide:
White poppy seeds are not widely available, but you will find them in Indian grocers.

Storage:
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator to prevent them from becoming rancid.

Preparation:
Because they’re so small and have a tendency to stick together, poppy seeds are often dry-roasted, or soaked and ground before use to make them easier to handle. In Central and Eastern Europe, they are sprinkled onto cakes, breads, biscuits and bagels, and added to potato, egg, pasta, cream and cheese dishes. In India, they are used as a spice or as a thickener in curries. 

We bring a variety of recipe ideas to 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

Signs You’re Not Getting Enough Magnesium !

James Colquhoun writes:
7 Signs You’re Not Getting Enough Magnesium

Have you got cravings for chocolate so intense that you can’t think about anything else? What about those muscle cramps that keep you up at night? Or your trips to the bathroom are a bit of a struggle? Chances are you’re deficient in magnesium!
Magnesium is essential for over 300 different enzymatic processes to help your body function properly. It’s a common mineral to be deficient in, yet most people have no idea they’re lacking this vital nutrient!

Here are seven key signs that you may be deficient without even realizing:

1. Chocolate Cravings
Your body knows best. When you truly listen closely to your body, it will tell you what it needs. Dark chocolate is actually a good source of magnesium, containing 24% of your daily needs in just one square. If your body is desperately calling out for a chocolate fix, it may be just what you need!

2. Muscle Cramps
Involuntary muscle spasms can be incredibly painful! Magnesium helps to relax your muscles, so when you’re running low on this mineral, you’re likely to find your muscles contracting involuntarily, causing you painful spasms!

3. Anxiety
Feeling anxious? A deficiency in magnesium can have your central nervous system sending you early warning signs by increased anxiety. Supplementation with 200mg of magnesium may help keep your adrenal hormones under control when anxiety kicks in.

4. High Blood Pressure

Have you been eating well and exercising regularly yet still getting high blood pressure? It could be a lack of magnesium and electrolytes. Magnesium helps to dilate and relax your blood vessels, so when you’re low on this critical mineral, your blood vessels tend to constrict more, resulting in higher blood pressure. When your electrolyte levels are also unbalanced due to a lack of magnesium, this can create high blood pressure too! 

5. Constipation

If your digestive system isn’t quite working as well as usual it may be because of magnesium. Your intestines tend to contract more when you’re low in magnesium, making it harder for waste to pass through. Ensuring you have enough magnesium is important for your bowels for two key reasons. One, it helps to relax your bowels, and two, it pulls water into your bowels creating an osmotic effect that makes passing waste easier.

6. Sleep Troubles

Did you know magnesium levels drop in your body at night? That means if you’re low in magnesium you may have trouble sleeping! So many of us have difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep. A deficiency in magnesium may be a contributing factor as it plays such a key role in the function of your central nervous system.

7. Irregular Heartbeat
If you have a magnesium deficiency, the muscles in your body can’t function optimally. Your heart is also a muscle! Without adequate magnesium it may struggle to contract properly with low levels of magnesium, leading to irregular heartbeats.

If you’ve got one or more of the symptoms listed then you may like to try increasing your magnesium intake.

What Zaps My Magnesium Levels?
These factors are key influencers on your magnesium levels:
Food and drink high in salt, sugar, caffeine and alcohol should be limited.
Stress also plays a role, so try implementing relaxation techniques such as meditation and yoga as much as possible.

Check with your doctor to see if your medication is causing magnesium loss - many high blood pressure medications may be contributing to your problems rather than helping!

How Can I Get More Magnesium?
Foods that are high in magnesium include:
Avocado
Leafy greens
Beans and lentils
Nuts and seeds
Quinoa and other unrefined grains

Dark chocolate (min 70% cocoa)

Try consuming more of these foods to help reduce symptoms of magnesium deficiency. You may be surprised to find out that it’s all you needed to feel better!

You can find these words, picture, and more - including all related research links in an article here

We bring a variety of articles, studies, recipes etc. 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

Waffles with Blueberry Butter : Keto / Low Carb

If you are looking for a low carb recipe alternative, so you can enjoy waffles, you may like to give this one a try! "These fluffy keto/low carb waffles come with a satisfying crisp crust and a scoop of creamy blueberry butter. Gluten-free by nature and making it dairy-free* is not a problem either."

Ingredients:
Four Servings
3g carb per serving
5 oz. (150g) melted butter
8 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp (10g) baking powder
1⁄3 cup (40g) coconut flour
Blueberry Butter:
3 oz. (75g) butter

1 oz. (30g) fresh blueberries

Tip:

No time to whip up blueberry butter? Then why not serve the waffles with butter and cinnamon? 
Dairy-free: 

Go dairy-free* and replace butter with coconut oil in the batter.

Instructions: 
Can be found here

Blueberries, in the popular press, blueberries have reached superstar status in terms of their unique health benefits, and with flavours that range from mildly sweet (cultivated) to tart and tangy (wild), blueberries are nutritional stars bursting with nutrition and flavour while being very low in calories. Fresh berries are very fragile and should be washed briefly and carefully and then gently patted dry if they are not organic. Wash berries just prior to use to not prematurely remove the protective bloom that resides on the skin's surface. If you know the source of either wild or organic berries try not to wash them at all. 

You will find a variety of 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

Prince Royce - Stand By Me

It's music night and tonight a cover version of Ben E Kings sixties classic 

Graham

Aubergine / Eggplant, Pepper and Feta Parcels : Barbeque or Griddle !

Why not "try these mouth-watering aubergine (eggplant) and red pepper parcels for a barbecue recipe with a difference. Sure to delight vegetarians and meat eaters alike, these tasty parcels feature slices of charred aubergine wrapped around slivers of fresh tomato, roasted red pepper and creamy feta cheese. 

Ingredients:

Makes 12

4 aubergines (eggplants)
olive oil
5 tbsp. Mediterranean herb paste
1 lemon, juiced
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely grated
250g (8oz) feta
3 large tomatoes, sliced

12 pieces roasted red pepper from a jar

Method:

1. Cut the top off each aubergine (eggplant), and slice lengthways into 6 thin pieces, taking the rounded edge off the first and last pieces. Pre-heat a barbecue or griddle pan until hot. Brush the aubergine slices with oil and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until there are char marks on each side and the aubergine has softened.

2. Mix together the herb paste, lemon juice, chilli and garlic. Cut the feta in half horizontally and then into 12 pieces.
3. Once cooked, brush the aubergines (eggplants) on each side with some of the herb mixture and add a little seasoning.
4. Brush both sides of the cooked aubergine slices with a little of the herb paste. Place two together lengthways with the ends overlapping, pin together with a cocktail stick. Pop a piece of tomato on top of this overlapping section, then top with cheese and a piece of pepper. Wrap the aubergine over the top and secure with another cocktail stick. Repeat with the remaining pieces of aubergine. Do this with the remaining slices of aubergine and fillings to make 12 parcels. Brush the tops with a little more of the herb sauce.
5. Return the parcels to the barbecue and cover with a lid for 5-10 minutes, until the cheese has softened. If you don't have a lid, wrap the aubergines (eggplants), in groups of 3, in foil and place on the barbecue for 10 minutes.

Each serving:

Carbohydrate 3.8g Protein 4.5g Fat 10.0g"

From an original idea here

Feta is the most well-known cheese in Greece. It is a soft, white, brined cheese that is very nutritious and is an excellent source of calcium.
As part of Mediterranean cuisine, this cheese is used in all sorts of dishes — from appetizers to desserts — because it can enhance the taste of foods.

Everything you need to know about feta cheese... read more here 

Regular readers will know, 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

Crabs : Delicious Stuffed with Tomatoes, Basil and Hazelnuts

This is a challenging recipe suggestion from Pascal Naessens' (about one hour to prepare) but if you love crab … so worthwhile! If you are up for the challenge read on ... 

World-class crabs stuffed with tomatoes, basil and hazelnuts. Such a unique mix of flavours, and those delicious toasted hazelnuts really bring all the different elements together. Wow!

Maybe you have a special celebration coming up, this recipe suggestion could fit the bill!

Ingredients:

Serves Two

11 carbs per serving

2 Dungeness crabs or canned crab meat
5 oz. (150g) shrimp, cooked and peeled
1¼ cups (300ml) fresh basil
2 scallions (spring onions)
2 tomatoes
¾ cup (175ml) hazelnuts, toasted
¼ cup (60ml) hazelnut oil
sea salt

pepper, to taste

Pascales' Tip:

In addition to the white crabmeat, females contain roe, also known as red coral. Not everyone is wild about the roe, but it is actually delicious, if a bit rich. You can add this to the crab mixture, or you could serve it on the side by mixing it with mayonnaise to create a dressing. 

You will never get enough meat from a crab to completely fill the shell; therefore, I add shrimp. This way, you won't have to worry about not having a generously filled crab. 

Removing crabmeat is a lot of work. After a meal, I clean the crab shells so I can re-use them. Then, for a quick meal, I make the filling with canned crabmeat or fresh lump crabmeat and the entire dish is ready in 15 minutes.

Full recipe instructions:

Can be found here

Crabs:

Did you know "there are more than 4000 species crab, a crustacean notable for its sideways walk, claws and armoured shell. Crab claws yield sweet, dense white meat similar to lobster meat, while the flesh from under the hard upper shell is soft, rich and brown. Crab liver is considered a delicacy. Male crabs tend to have larger claws and more white meat. However, the females sometimes contain coral - a flavoursome red roe. The main types of crab available are:

European Brown crab - popular all over Europe, this crab is available all year round. It reaches 20-25cm/8-10in across and has heavy front claws with almost-black pincers, a rusty-red or brown shell, and red hairy legs mottled with white.

Atlantic Blue crab - this crab has a blue-brown shell and can grow to 20cm/8in, but is usually sold smaller. When newly 'moulted' (crabs regularly shed their hard shells), the crabs are caught with soft-shells and deep-fried for eating whole. The Blue crab is popular along the Eastern seaboard of the United States.

Dungeness crab - this can reach up to 20cm/8in and has plenty of delicious white, dense sweet meat. The meat in the shell, notably different for its pale greyish-green colour, also has a great flavour. It is popular along the Pacific seaboard of the United States

Spider crabs - popular in France and Spain, this sweet-flavoured crab has no large claws and, indeed, resembles a big spider."

Details taken from here

You will find 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

Oh dear!

Eddie

Mushroom and Sausage Classic Casserole

This quick, surprisingly easy dish is classic British comfort food but seriously nutrient-dense too. The mushrooms are a natural source of vitamin B5, which helps reduce tiredness and fatigue. 

Ingredients:

Serves Four

2 tablespoons oil.
500g closed cup mushrooms, halved or quartered.
250g onions (2 medium), thickly sliced.
8 good quality thick pork sausages, cut in half, (at least 90% meat).
6 rashers streaky bacon, chopped.
250g carrots (2 large), peeled and cut into large chunks.
350g swede (rutabaga), peeled and cut into large chunks.
2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme.
300ml vegetable stock.
salt & freshly ground black pepper.

Method:
1) Heat half the oil in a large frying pan and fry the mushrooms on a high heat for about 5 minutes until golden. Season well with salt & pepper and transfer them to a large dish and set aside.
2) Add the remaining oil to the pan along with the onions, sausages and bacon and fry for about 6-8 minutes until the meat is browned but not cooked through.
3) Tuck the vegetable chunks around the sausages and onions, sprinkle over half the thyme and season well. Pour in the stock and cover the pan with a tightly fitting lid or a large piece of foil.
4) Cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes, then stir in the mushrooms, recover the pan and continue cooking for a further 10 minutes or until the veg is tender and the sausages have cooked through and almost all the liquid has evaporated.

5) Stir gently to mix everything and serve sprinkled with the remaining fresh thyme and some green vegetables of your choice.

From an original idea here

The picture above shows what Americans know as "rutabaga". The Scottish call it "neeps" and serve it with haggis. I know it as swede, a fairly recent root vegetable, which is thought to have originated around the 17th century in Bohemia. In 1620 a Swiss botanist described the root vegetable, believed to be a hybrid of the cabbage and the turnip. By 1664 it was growing in England. It's a good source of Vitamin C, fibre, folate and potassium. It's low in calories, and you can find out more about swede here

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

Dangerous People Are Teaching Your Kids.

Eddie

Kippers ... Kipper ... Kip-perh !

Kipper
Pronounce it: kip-perh

A kipper should be a seasonally fat herring that has been split through the back, gutted, opened flat, salted or brined to reduce its water content and then cold-smoked, that is without any effect from the heat of the fire creating the smoke. Traditionally made and smoked kippers are a gorgeous, pale-golden colour but modern commercial practice artificially colours them and might even add the smoke as a ‘flavouring’ as well as producing ‘kippers’ from herrings that are lean, possibly because they have recently spawned.

Availability

Freshly made kippers from British waters are best from May to September. At other times of the year they will be frozen in their prime, available vacuum packed or made from herrings from other seas. The prime British manufacturers will send you kippers by post. Sources are easily discovered online but it’s only worth doing this to buy naturally smoked and coloured kippers.

Choose the best
The balance of the oily herring flavour, salt and smoke is undoubtedly best in freshly made kippers from one of the few remaining centres of excellence – from the Isle of Man or Craster particularly. Provided the herrings have been naturally smoked and are a pale colour they can be excellent at other times of the year if frozen or vacuum-packed in season.

Kippers which have a black lining to the stomach cavity are likely to have been made out of prime season, as this effect usually indicates they have recently spawned and thus will be in lean condition.

Store it

Fresh kippers that have been chilled are best eaten within a week, less if they have not been so stored; you can of course seal and freeze them yourself for future pleasure. Vacuum-packing greatly extends their life safely and also avoids the problem of them tainting everything else in your refrigerator.

Cook it
First check your ventilation. If yours is not super-efficient forget any idea of grilling your kippers as you will live with the smell for the rest of the day – or more. Grilling must be done to the second or you'll dry the succulent flesh by losing the essential oils. You will also concentrate the flavour, which is not to everyone’s taste.

Kippers need very little cooking and their moisture content is best preserved by gently poaching for not more than a few minutes and then letting them sit off the heat but in the water until needed. The method that creates the least invasive smells is to boil a large frying pan of water, remove it from the heat, add the kippers and then leave for five or more minutes, drain and serve. If there are just a few of you, jugging is the most impressive way. For this you pour boiling or very hot water into a suitable deep jug and then add the kippers head down. Take this to the table and after ten minutes or so, withdraw them, drain on a warm plate and then serve.

Soft, creamy and very buttery scrambled eggs make a great accompaniment, but so do softly poached eggs, especially if cooked in the kipper water.

To avoid constant mouthfuls of irritating small bones (some people eat these), start eating at the tail end and pull each forkful of flesh slightly towards you, which should release the flesh but leave the bones behind.

Words and picture above from article here

Nutritional Value of Kippers
Each ounce of kippers provide an average of 62 calories, 7 grams of protein, 3.5 grams of fat and no carbohydrate. The size of a kipper can vary between 0.7 ounces for a small one, 1.3 ounces for a medium one and just over 2 ounces for a large one. Eating two to eight kippers, depending on their size, or about 3 to 6 ounces, is sufficient to meet your protein requirements for a meal.

If you would like to know about the nutritional value of kippers, please see this article here

You will find a variety of articles/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