What happened to you this Christmas?

Totally out of character for us, we all ate and drank too much over Christmas and Bill stopped ignoring his feline and canine side. He's travelling off to Argentina, woofing all the way. (Working on organic farms.)
Polly and Alex flew through the storms and gales to be here, narrowly missing our back fence as it waved us all goodbye.
Harry and Bill helped me clear out nearly 25 years of brewery life in Lewes. hrscreative.com will continue to thrive whilst I become Brighton's first DIY personal fitness trainer.

The family are not so sure this is a good plan.


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It's already chaos, not Christmas

I've got 'White Christmas' on repeat and it's official, do not travel anywhere today. Gales, Floods, Falling trees, Hurricanes, Typhoons. Must be winter in England. We are having an open house this Christmas, all the trellis in the back garden is currently blowing away and I just saved the pyracantha from going the same way whilst catching the recycling bins as they tried to re-enact the beginning of the Wizard of Oz. There is 'no place like home'. Not now anyway.


The old man has cycled to the supermarket and met older son to battle their way through the shoppers to buy the last pack of puff pastry on the planet. Younger son is 'busy' making a film. Bloody creatives...

To get into the Christmas spirit, Bill has announced that the Christmas drink will be egg nog.


Eggnog Recipe
Yield: Makes 1 quart. Serves 4-6.

INGREDIENTS
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups milk
2 whole cloves
Pinch of cinnamon
1 cup cream
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tbsp each of bourbon and rum or brandy, or to taste (can omit for kid-friendly eggnog)
*4 egg whites (optional)
METHOD
1 In a large bowl, use a whisk or an electric mixer to beat egg yolks until they become somewhat lighter in color. Slowly add the sugar, beating after each addition, whisking until fluffy.

2 Combine the milk, cloves, and cinnamon in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Slowly heat on medium heat until the milk mixture is steamy hot, but not boiling.

3 Temper the eggs by slowly adding half of the hot milk mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly while you add the hot mixture. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.

4 Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture begins to thicken slightly, and coats the back of the spoon. It helps to have a candy thermometer, but not necessary; if you have one, cook until the mixture reaches 160°F. Do not allow the mixture to boil, or it will curdle. (If the mixture does curdle you may be able to save it by running it through a blender.) Remove from heat and stir in the cream. Strain the mixture through a mesh strainer to remove the cloves. Let cool for one hour.

5 Mix in vanilla extract, nutmeg, and bourbon/rum and brandy (feel free to omit for kid-friendly eggnog). Chill.

*Optional: Beat egg whites until they reach soft peaks. Add a teaspoon of sugar and continue to beat until they reach stiff peaks. Gently fold into eggnog. Note, because of the salmonella risk from raw eggs, it is recommended that children, elderly, and people with compromised immune systems refrain from eating raw eggs such as the optional whipped egg whites in this recipe, unless you use pasteurized eggs.



Sounds disgusting, I'd rather have a glass of cava with Noggin the Nog and salmon is much better than salmonella.


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The gasman cometh

http://youtu.be/zyeMFSzPgGc

A couple of months ago I thought we should start to prepare for Christmas by treating ourselves to having the oven cleaned.

So the oven cleaner person visited and in a matter of moments had turned our grungy oven into an 'as good as new' oven. Until we tried to use the grill. It used to work, it didn't now. And we were desperate for bacon sandwiches.

So the oven cleaner person returned and said 'ahhh, you need a new thingamybob but you'll need the cooker installer person for that'.

So we got the new thingamybob online, got it delivered and then found the cooker installer person. We probably could have bought a brand new cooker by now.

So anyway we got the cooker installer person 'round and after a few toooshs he said 'I can't do that, the hose isn't long enough'. You need the gasman.

So we got the gas man around with a longer hose and as he leant over the cooker, he set himself on fire. After I had put him out, he was obviously so 'put out' that he asked to check our gas meter.

So I explained this involved pulling up the carpet, then the floorboards as the meter was underground and don't worry, I'll find the mirror... Why a mirror? The meter can only be read by descending the mirror underground and reading the numbers with the mirror then re-arrange the figures as they are back to front and upside down. And had been this way since before we moved in 24 years ago.

So then the gasman announced the set up was totally illegal but surprise, surprise he could fix it and it would only take two hours and he could just fit us in before Christmas. The barbeque was looking like a cheaper alternative and we'd waited months for those bacon sandwiches.

So with our longer hose installed and the new thingamybob installed by the cooker installer thingamybob person we had it sorted.

So everything's done now and it all works, only problem is the oven now needs cleaning...

http://youtu.be/CTNyt6PxvJU

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And finally, the last fast until Excess

It was the Dolphins Christmas lunch yesterday and the old mans birthday so what to do? Combine the two. All 92 of us had a fine time in the Hotel Metropole. We all ate and drank too much which would have been OK, but when we got home we just continued eating and drinking.

I gave the old man the night off and promised everyone that I wouldn't cook, so we had the most fattening Indian takeaway... It was delicious. If you have already had to eat a few too many sausage rolls and, oh alright then, it would be rude not to, eaten yet another mince pie, this salad is something you can crunch your way through most piously.

Just remember to be as smug as possible during this moment of self righteousness because this time next week you will be singing carols at the radio whilst making yet more sausage rolls with one hand and wrapping all the last minute presents with the other.


Raw vegetable salad with a zingy, spicy dressing

It’s good for us to eat lots of raw vegetables, so salads should be a big feature in our diet. This salad combines different textures with an Asian-inspired spicy dressing. It is so easy to vary according to the different seasons and works either on its own, or with fish, chicken, tofu or eggs. Other veggies you could use include bean shoots, finely sliced spring onions, raw beetroot strips, courgette ribbons, cauliflower florets or shredded cabbage. If you have well-flavoured food, it is easy to be satisfied with a small amount.’
SERVES 2
Calories per serving: 88 with dressing; 53 without
Preparation time: 15 minutes

handful rocket leaves 5 cals
50g celeriac, peeled and grated or cut into strips 15 cals
1⁄2 sweet red pepper, deseeded and cut into strips 15 cals
25g cauliflower and broccoli florets 8 cals
1⁄2 red onion thinly sliced 10 cals
1⁄4 cucumber, sliced diagonally 7 cals
1 celery stick, sliced diagonally 6 cals
1⁄2 carrot, peeled and sliced into ribbons 17 cals
1 tsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted 32 cals
fresh Thai basil or coriander leaves, to garnish

FOR THE ZINGY, SPICY DRESSING
grated zest and juice of 1⁄2 lime 10 cals
6-8 drops sesame oil (less than 1 tsp) 45 cals
1⁄2 tsp Thai fish sauce 2 cals
1⁄2 tsp tamari or light soy sauce 2 cals
1 tsp sweet chilli dipping sauce 11 cals

● Arrange the prepared vegetables in individual piles on a serving platter or tumble them together. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scatter over the basil or coriander leaves to garnish.
● Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Transfer to a dipping bowl and serve alongside the vegetables.

Two fasting days until Christmas and purple pussywillow

Above is another of my classic Christmas wreaths. The horrid Brussel sprouts have been replaced with purple, yes purple, pussywillow.

Friday 13th December? it must be the 26th hrscreative's Christmas Party. Just spent about three hours getting ready and the old man's gone out. Story of my life.
One of the most memorable hrs Christmas party's was held in the old library of a posh hotel and we were asked to sing more quietly as we were shaking the chandeliers and frightening the guests downstairs.

A long, long time ago, in foggy London Town, I started Hill Rae Smith Associates Limited (snappy title) in 1987, in Chelsea with Lynne Hill. Then we moved to uber trendy (it wasn't then) Borough Market and decided to let people know what we did. So we traded as HRS graphics. We were both new mums with young babies running a very busy Design Group and the exhausting commute for Lynne plus me being burgled, again, and again meant we decided to leave the Hop Exchange in London and move into the Star Brewery in Lewes. And that's where we stayed until only the spirit was willing...To be continued.


I hope you'll be able to skip to the Christmas Ball by now? Here's a better option before you start hitting those sausage rolls.

Spicy Mexican bean burgers

These cheesy, beany, spicy burgers might not be quite what you’d find on the streets of Acapulco, but they’re so tasty you can forgive them a certain lack of authenticity. You can either enjoy them with all the trimmings, or just with the halloumi for a lower calorie count. The ingredients list is quite long, but they freeze well and are really handy to have on standby for a veggie dinner.

SERVES 4
Calories per serving: 244 with halloumi;
459 with burger bun, halloumi, guacamole and salad
Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus chilling
Cooking time: 20 minutes

1-cal cooking spray
1/2 red onion, peeled and finely chopped 19 cals
4 spring onions, finely sliced 6 cals
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 8 cals
1 large red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 5-10 cals
2 tsp Mexican or Cajun spice mix 10 cals
1 1⁄2 x 400g tins mixed beans, drained and rinsed 360 cals
1 medium egg, beaten 78 cals
50g fresh breadcrumbs 134 cals
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves 10 cals
juice of 1⁄2 lime 6 cals
75g low-fat feta cheese, crumbled 135 cals
80g reduced-fat halloumi cheese 204 cals

OPTIONAL EXTRAS PER BURGER
1 toasted seeded granary burger bun 180 cals per bun
1 tbsp low-fat guacamole 17 cals
10g rocket leaves 2 cals
1 tomato, sliced 16 cals

● Spray a nonstick frying pan with a little 1-cal cooking spray. Add the onion and spring onions, season with salt and pepper and fry over a low heat for about 5 minutes, until softened but not coloured.
● Add the garlic, chilli and Cajun spice, then fry for 2-3 minutes. Tip into a bowl, add the beans and roughly mash.
● Leave to cool slightly, then add the egg, breadcrumbs, coriander and lime juice. Season well, then mix to combine. Gently stir in the crumbled feta.
● Wet your hands lightly, then shape the mixture into 4 large patties. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up.
● Preheat the grill to medium. Spray a little more cooking spray in a grill-proof frying pan and heat over a medium heat. Add the burgers and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Top each burger with a slice of halloumi, then cook under the grill for 3-4 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and melted.
● Serve in toasted buns topped with guacamole, rocket leaves and sliced tomato, if desired.

How to freeze
Place the uncooked burgers on a baking sheet lined with nonstick baking paper. Freeze until they are solid, then pack into a freezer-proof plastic container and freeze for up to 3 months. You can cook the burgers from frozen; preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6 and preheat a baking sheet. Place the burgers on the hot baking sheet and spray with 1-cal cooking spray on both sides. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway through. Preheat the grill to medium. Remove the foil, cover each burger with a slice of cheese and grill for 3-4 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.




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Three fasting days until Christmas, bling, bling, bling

Reward your weight loss with some bilingual earrings. ??? !!! stupid predictive text... These sparklers are from River Island. Multicoloured gem stone embellished drop earrings with stud fastening, drop 9.5cm. Sorry I always assume my followers are female, but hey, I am in Brighton.

Go on, break the piggy bank, £12.00 and they are both yours.



Spaghetti bolognese and Courgette 'pasta'

This is quite high in calories when served with wholewheat pasta, but the wine-enriched sauce is so worth it. Alternatively, this could be the ideal sauce to try with courgette ‘pasta’. The sauce freezes very well. Leave it to cool completely, spoon into a freezer-proof dish and freeze for up to three months. Defrost completely before heating through until piping hot.
SERVES 4
Calories per serving: 211 without spaghetti or Parmesan, but with wine; 397 with spaghetti, Parmesan and wine
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes

1-cal cooking spray
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped 38 cals
2 sticks celery, finely chopped 12 cals
1 leek or courgette, finely chopped 40 cals
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 8 cals
400g extra-lean minced beef 480 cals
2 tbsp tomato purée 10-28 cals
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated 68 cals
150ml red wine or beef stock 90 cals or
8-15 cals for stock
400g tin chopped tomatoes 72 cals
1 fresh bay leaf
500ml hot beef stock 25 cals
200g wholewheat spaghetti 660 cals
20g Parmesan cheese, grated (optional) 84 cals

● Spray a medium nonstick saucepan with 1-cal cooking spray. Add the onion, celery and leek or courgette, season well and fry over a gentle heat for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
● Add the beef and fry for 5-6 minutes, until golden brown. Add the tomato purée and grated carrots and cook for 2-3 minutes.
● Pour in the wine (if using), turn up the heat and let the sauce bubble for 3-4 minutes.
Then add the tomatoes, bay leaf and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced and the sauce has thickened.
● Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions, drain and then divide among serving plates. Top with the bolognese sauce.
If you can ‘spare’ the calories, a little grated Parmesan is a great extra.

Courgette ‘pasta’
Making a pasta substitute from courgettes might seem eccentric, but on fast days, when every calorie counts, this is a way to make a filling side dish that can carry a sauce and increase your vegetable count. It’s one of those dishes where having a little hand-held mandoline can really speed things up. Or use a Y-shaped peeler. You can slice wide flat ribbons (like pappardelle) or skinnier strips, as in the picture. A medium courgette will serve 2 as a side dish or 1 as a main dish with sauce. The count of 34 cals compares to 180 cals for a small 100g portion of fresh egg tagliatelle.
SERVES 1 AS A MAIN DISH
Calories per serving: 34 (about 37 if you use the frying method)
Preparation time: 3 minutes
Cooking time: 1-2 minutes

1 courgette (170g) 34 cals
salt and pepper
● Wash the courgette and cut off the stem and base. If you have a mandoline, set it to a medium setting, to end up with strips around 2mm-3mm deep. Or use a normal peeler, pressing hard so you end up with thicker slices than you would if you were simply peeling the veg. It can take a bit of practice but it is very satisfying. Cut strips running the entire length of the courgette, and move the vegetable as you slice, so that most pieces have a nice green strip on the edges.
● Bring a small pan of salted water to a rolling boil, drop the ribbons into the water and boil for 45 seconds-1 minute, depending on how thinly they’re sliced. Drain very well, and return to the pan to season before serving. Or you could fry the courgette strips in a nonstick frying pan. Spray the pan with 1-cal cooking spray and heat. Toss the ribbons in the pan and make sure they’re spread across the base. Cover the pan with a lid, turn down the heat and let them cook for 1 minute before turning the ribbons over and cooking for a further minute on the other side. Remove from the heat, season to taste and serve.

Serving ideas
Add the juice and zest of half a lemon (10 cals), a few basil leaves and 20g crumbled low-fat feta cheese (36 cals) and lots of pepper. This is also nice with a mushroom stroganoff. It’s so low in calories that you could use your own favourite pasta sauce (make sure you count the calories). Serve at room temperature with thin slices of fennel or red onion: a mix of yellow and green courgettes as in the picture makes this a very pretty dish.

This recipe is from The Ultimate 5:2 Recipe Book by Kate Harrison




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Four fasting days until Christmas and knitting shoulder

To add to all the stress of Christmas, I am now suffering from 'knitting shoulder.' I am trying to revive knittygritty as a new year plan but I have fallen at the first stitch, with an aching shoulder. I think I'll have to think this out again. Most just have 'tennis elbow' but the swimming helps. I am also trying to learn how to swim underwater without disturbing the sleeping lifeguards with all that splashing.



Quiet old day in Brighton this morning, no idea where the sea ends and the sky begins. Totally becalmed sea and a bit of fairy liquid where the waves should be.



The best vegetarian cottage pie

Comfort food isn’t only for meat-eaters. And veggie food isn’t only for vegetarians. This has all the flavour to convert carnivores: the super-tasty mash topping and rich filling make it the kind of dish you’ll cook over and over again. If you have them, add 15g dried, pre-soaked porcini mushrooms (39 cals) to the other mushrooms to add even more savoury, earthy tastes.

SERVES 4
Calories per serving: 272
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
1-cal cooking spray
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped 38 cals
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped 68 cals
2 sticks celery, finely chopped 12 cals
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 8 cals
200g chestnut mushrooms, sliced 26 cals
3 sprigs fresh thyme,
2 fresh bay leaves
300g pre-cooked or tinned green or Puy lentils 200 cals
200ml hot vegetable stock 8 cals
200g baby spinach leaves, chopped 50 cals
2 tsp mushroom ketchup 15 cals

FOR THE TOPPING
650g peeled floury potatoes, chopped into
even-sized pieces 552 cals
2 tbsp half-fat crème fraîche 52 cals
1 tsp Dijon mustard 5-10 cals
2 tbsp semi-skimmed milk 14 cals
1 leek, finely sliced 40 cals

● Spray a large nonstick saucepan with 1-cal cooking spray. Add the onion, carrots and celery, season with salt and pepper and fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add a splash of water to help them steam.
● Stir in the garlic and mushrooms, turn up the heat and cook for about 4 minutes.
● Add the thyme, bay leaves, lentils and stock and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the spinach and mushroom ketchup and leave for 2 minutes, until wilted.
● While the lentils are cooking, tip the potatoes for the topping into a pan of salted water and boil for about 15 minutes until tender. Drain well, then mash with the crème fraîche, mustard and milk, and season well.
● Steam the leek over a pan of boiling water for 3-4 minutes until tender and then stir into the mash.
● Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. To assemble the pie, spoon the lentil mixture into a 1-litre ovenproof dish and top with the mash. Bake for 30 minutes, until piping hot throughout and the topping is golden brown.




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Five fasting days until Christmas but no gold rings, yet.

Chocolate truffles (fatten up your friends)

Here's a bit of fun for Christmas and a lot cheaper to make than buying them. You could even add chopped chilli to the chocolate and it would stop you doing too much 'testing'.

Ingredients

280g good-quality dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids
284ml pot double cream
50g unsalted butter

Method

Chop the chocolate and tip into a large bowl. Put the cream and butter into a saucepan and heat gently until the butter melts and the cream reaches simmering point. Remove from heat, then pour over the chocolate. Stir the chocolate and cream together until you have a smooth mixture. Add any flavourings to the truffle mix at this stage (divide the mixture between bowls and mix in liqueurs or other flavourings, a tsp at a time, to taste. Try rum, Grand Marnier, coconut or the zest and juice of an orange), or leave plain. Cool and chill for at least 4 hrs.

To shape the truffles, dip a melon baller in hot water and scoop up balls of the mixture, then drop the truffles onto greaseproof paper. Or lightly coat your hands in flavourless oil (such as sunflower) and roll the truffles between your palms. You could also use a piping bag to pipe rounds onto greaseproof paper.

Coat your truffles immediately after shaping. Tip toppings into a bowl and gently roll the truffles until evenly coated, then chill on greaseproof paper. Try: crushed, shelled pistachio nuts; lightly toasted desiccated coconut; or roll a truffle flavoured with orange zest and juice in cocoa powder. To coat in chocolate, line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Melt 100g milk, dark or white chocolate for 10 truffles. Allow chocolate to cool slightly. With a fork, pick up one truffle at a time and hold over the bowl of melted chocolate. Spoon the chocolate over the truffle until well-coated. Place on the baking tray, then chill.

Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days, or freeze for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge overnight. To give as presents, place 8-10 truffles in individual foil or paper cases inside small, lined boxes tied with ribbon. Keep in the fridge until you’re ready to give them.

And this is what you have to look forward to. At least it makes a lot of noise.


Skinny spanner

Sometimes on fast days you need the kind of crunch you get from toast, a roast potato or a pie. With a good helping of creaminess and a huge herb hit into the bargain. Be generous with your handful of parsley, mint or chives. The filling is based on the spinach and 'salad' Greek cheese (low fat feta, but they are not allowed to call it that.) filling you find in Greek spanakopita pies. Wrapping the filling in pastry just adds calories, and it’s hard to avoid soggy filo on the bottoms without loads of fat. So in this recipe you get all the flavour and crunch, without the soggy bottoms. You can either make them in individual ramekins – for mini pies – or in a bigger soufflé dish for a family meal. So pretty and fresh; no one will realise they’re sharing a fast dish!

SERVES 4
Calories per serving: 199
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 26 minutes

100g baby spinach leaves or 110g frozen leaf spinach 25 cals
250g low-fat feta cheese, crumbled 300 cals
handful mixed fresh herbs, eg parsley, mint, coriander, rocket, chives, dill, chopped 5 cals
2 eggs, beaten 156 cals
4-5 spring onions, finely chopped 6 cals
grated nutmeg, to taste
salt and pepper
2 sheets filo pastry 88 cals
1-cal cooking spray

● Preheat oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Blanch the spinach in boiling water for 45 seconds (or in the microwave for the same time). Drain away as much water as possible, squeeze dry and then chop finely. If you’re using frozen spinach, cook and drain thoroughly according to packet instructions. Allow the spinach to cool.
● Mix the cheese, cooled spinach, chopped herbs, eggs and spring onions together in a bowl. Grate over the nutmeg then season with a little more salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into a dish or individual ramekins and cook in the oven for 10 minutes.
● Take a filo sheet, tear it in half and scrunch it lightly, like tissue paper. Pop it on top of the pie dish so it fills roughly one quarter of the space. Repeat with the other half and then the other sheet of filo. Spray the top with 1-cal cooking spray (use 3 or 4 sprays to give a light covering). If you’re using individual ramekins, use half a sheet for each ramekin to cover the filling.
● Bake for 10-15 minutes until brown (keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn). This is so good served with steamed broccoli or sugar snap peas, and/or a fresh tomato salad.

Variations
The filling is also fantastic with grilled peppers. You can use the same crunchy filo idea for other ‘pies’; For a pie in red and green, make the egg, cheese and onion mix in a bowl, then add 50g spinach (13 cals) and a handful of herbs to one half, and a tablespoon of sun-dried tomato purée (10-15 cals) and 5 finely chopped black olives (25 cals) to the other half, mixing well. Put the red layer into the dish first, then the green layer and cook in the oven as above. The two layers may mix a little but it won’t affect the taste.



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Six fasting days until Christmas and loads of presents to present

Once all the Christmas shinnanigans are over, I'll tell you about how to do a homemade Christmas which doesn't smell of goats and involve hessian. I got all the inspiration from a trip around the North Laine in Brighton with Ruth. At the moment I'm surrounded by almost fantastic presents and a good sign is that I don't really want to give them away, but don't worry! I will.

In the meantime, how is the shrinking going? don't worry if you miss the planned day to fast, you can do it the next day or today? that's the good thing about the 5:2 diet. And in case your thinking 'this woman's obsessed' or 'she must be on commission', or both, I'm not. This is the first diet in thirty years that has worked.


Thai-green-red-yellow-curry

Reduced-fat coconut milk helps, but it is not as rich, so you need to use more spices to compensate. You can buy frozen Thai herbs, or jars containing blends of lemon grass, garlic, chilli and basil if you don’t have time to chop and grate. And don’t stress too much if you’re missing an ingredient. The method below is for a veggie version made with tofu, but the variations at the end of the recipe for prawns (as in the picture) and chicken also work brilliantly. Experiment with your favourite veg and aim for a mix of colours and textures. I cook and chop at the same time, adding the densest vegetable first (broccoli or cauliflower) and tipping more veg into the pan when it’s ready. Keep any leftover curry covered in the fridge overnight to eat the next day.

SERVES 3 GENEROUSLY
Calories per serving: 170 for the basic recipe
Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus marinating
Cooking time: 18 minutes

200g king prawns170-370 cals
1 tsp light soy sauce (or fish sauce for non-veggies) 3 cals
1 lime 20 cals
2 tsp grated fresh root ginger 5 cals
2 kaffir lime leaves
1⁄2 stick lemon grass, bashed
2 tsp Thai curry paste (choose from green, red or massaman; check the label for fish sauce if you’re vegetarian and you can have tofu) ( I'd not bother, just have more veg.) about 16 cals
1 red chilli, 1⁄2 finely chopped, 1⁄2 sliced into rounds 4-8 cals
1-cal cooking spray
5 spring onions, sliced 6 cals
2 cloves garlic, crushed 8 cals
125g broccoli, broken into florets 40 cals
1 yellow or red pepper, deseeded and sliced 30 cals
1 courgette, sliced on the diagonal 34 cals
75g shiitake mushrooms, any larger ones sliced in half 19 cals
200ml reduced-fat coconut milk (check the label) about 150 cals
small handful fresh basil or coriander leaves, torn or roughly chopped 5 cals

● In a shallow bowl, mix together the soy or fish sauce, the juice from half the lime (save the other half for serving), the ginger, lime leaves, lemon grass, curry paste and the finely chopped chilli. Add the prawns and toss lightly to coat in the marinade. Leave in the fridge for an hour, or overnight, for the flavours to develop.
● Heat a few sprays of 1-cal cooking spray in a large nonstick saucepan (or you can use half a teaspoon of coconut oil, which will add 21 cals but goes well with the spices). Fry the spring onions
over a medium-high heat for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat, add the garlic and fry for a further minute. Add the tofu and marinade to the pan and fry for 2 minutes.
● Add the veg. Fry for 1-2 minutes to coat the veg in the marinade.
● Pour in the coconut milk and mix gently. Simmer for 10-12 minutes, until the vegetables are tender (you may prefer to cook them for a little longer, depending on how crunchy you like your veg). Remove the lime leaves and lemon grass.
● Serve the curry with the remaining lime half cut into wedges. Sprinkle with the remaining chilli slices and garnish with a little basil or coriander.

Variations
Replace the prawns with small chunks of chicken breast (240 cals). Prepare and cook as above, but fry the chicken for 4-5 minutes before adding the vegetables, and make sure it’s cooked through before serving.





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Seven fasting days until Christmas and I'm surrounded by assassins

Bennisimo and Javier are at it again and I'm trying to Fast...

Bennisimo has been experimenting, all weekend, on creating the best chocolate ice cream whilst Javier has made the most delicious chocolate brownies. (Thanks for the recipe Chitra). And the plan is to combine the ice cream and brownies to make the most fantastic ice cream. And I have to come out of retirement to think of a better name than 'brown icecream'.



To keep on the brown theme (and chocolate for that matter, if you know your Mexican recipes), here's the seventh Fast day which is timed to perfection, given that snow is forecast. Go crazy, and chuck another chilli in.


It’s no wonder this Mexican dish is so popular, it’s perfect for wintry evenings – and this skinny version means you really don’t have to miss out on Fast days.

Weirdly though, Mexicans have overtaken Americans as being the most obese in the world. Must be all those fajitas and fries.

You can freeze individual portions of the following recipe for up to three months so this is a great dish for batch Fast cooking.

Skinny chilli con carne

SERVES 4
Calories per serving: 246
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes
1-cal cooking spray
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped 38 cals
2 sticks celery, finely chopped 12 cals
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped 34 cals
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 8 cals
2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped 8-16 cals
400g extra-lean minced beef 480 cals
1 tsp ground cumin 5 cals
2 tsp sweet paprika 10 cals
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped 32 cals
400g tin chopped tomatoes 72 cals
1 tbsp tomato purée 4 cals
200ml boiling water
1 cinnamon stick
1 fresh bay leaf
300g tinned kidney beans, drained and rinsed 280 cals

FOR THE GARNISH (OPTIONAL)
chopped fresh coriander leaves and low-fat soured cream or half-fat crème fraîche (a tablespoon of the soured cream will add 15 cals and crème fraîche 26).

● Spray a nonstick saucepan with a little 1-cal cooking spray. Add the onion, celery and carrot and season well. Add a splash of water to help the vegetables steam and cook over a low heat for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chillies and cook for another minute.
● Add the beef, mix together gently and fry for 5-6 minutes, or until golden brown. Add the spices and fry for a further minute.
● Stir in the fresh and tinned tomatoes and leave to cook down for about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée.
● Pour over the boiling water and add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is beginning to thicken.
● Add the kidney beans and cook for 5-10 minutes to allow the beans to soak up the flavours.
● Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf and serve scattered with chopped coriander and a dollop of soured cream or crème fraîche, if using, on the side.







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Eight fasting days until Christmas and mind the Gravity

Wow, yes it's got George Clooney in it, in 3D and yes it's Orange Wednesday and yes the credits last half an hour even though the film only has two actors in it.

But what you have to know is Sandra Bullock is fantastic and so is her body and SHE IS 49! So carry on with the diet and you too could have a body... worth maintaining. The old man took me out to see George, how kind is that? My body is nothing like Sandra's but I have lost a stone in weight and today's another fast day so...

And if we can't have the stars and you want a bit of inspiration to keep on keeping on the fast, try buying a rainbow of vegetables, that way you will be getting all the vitamins you require. This recipe has a lot of colours in it!

One-tray baked cod provençal

SERVES 2
Calories per serving: 247
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into wedges 30 cals
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into wedges 30 cals
1 courgette, thickly sliced 34 cals
1 red onion, peeled and sliced 38 cals
1-cal cooking spray
salt and pepper
2 x 150g cod fillets, skin removed 288 cals
100g cherry tomatoes 20 cals
30g drained and rinsed pitted black olives 40 cals
zest and juice of 1⁄2 lemon 9 cals
1 tbsp fresh oregano or thyme leaves 5 cals

● Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Place the chopped peppers, courgette and onion in a shallow baking dish. Spray with a little 1-cal cooking spray, season well with salt and pepper and roast for 10 minutes.
● Place the cod fillets on top (halve them if you wish), season and spray with 1-cal cooking spray.
● Scatter the tomatoes, olives and lemon zest around the fish, and squeeze over the lemon juice. Sprinkle with the herbs, season again, and bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cod has just turned a denser white colour (this shows it’s cooked). Serve immediately.




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Nine fasting days until Christmas

Hopefully your clothes are feeling a bit looser? To be honest, I enjoyed a few too many roast potatoes yesterday so maybe I'll have to fast three times this week... This stew is a good recipe for this cold, wet weather.

Greek lamb stew


This dish this is still a great, low-calorie family meal. The secret is in the long, slow cooking, so that the lamb and vegetables melt in the mouth!

SERVES 4 (so you can freeze some if you want).
Calories per serving: 239 (don’t forget to add calories for any rice, couscous or green vegetables to serve)
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 40 minutes

2 small aubergines, cut into 2cm cubes 24 cals
1-cal cooking spray
salt and pepper
400g lamb shoulder, cut into 3cm cubes, seasoned well with salt and pepper 720 cals
2 red onions, peeled and finely sliced 76 cals
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 8 cals
2 tsp ground cumin 10 cals
400g tin chopped tomatoes 72 cals
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 tsp balsamic vinegar 3-10 cals
4 tbsp fat-free natural
yoghurt 32 cals
2 tbsp finely shredded fresh
mint 10 cals
rice, couscous or steamed green vegetables, to serve (optional)

● Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Scatter the aubergine cubes in a shallow roasting tray, spray with a little 1-cal cooking spray and season well with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown all over. Remove from the oven and set aside.
● Meanwhile, spray a little cooking spray in a large heavy-bottomed flameproof casserole pan (with a lid). Heat over a medium heat and fry the lamb cubes in batches for 4-5 minutes, until golden all over. Remove from the pan and set aside.
● Spray the pan with a little more cooking spray and then add the onions, season with salt and pepper and fry for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cumin and fry for a further minute.
● Return the cooked lamb to the pan with the tomatoes, rosemary and vinegar. Bring to the boil, then cover with the lid and simmer in the oven for 1 hour. Top up with a little water if necessary; don’t let the pan go dry.
● Stir in the cooked aubergine, cover with the lid again and cook for another 30 minutes in the oven.
● In a small bowl, mix together the yoghurt and mint and season with salt and pepper.
● To serve, divide the stew among bowls and serve with rice, couscous or steamed green vegetables and a dollop of the minty yoghurt.




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Testing times

Along with all this fasting lark, last week I had a neurological assessment. For two hours. Try reading the above aloud as quickly as possible, but say the actual colours, not the word.

And that was one of the easy exercises. The rest was something between an English A level and double maths. I had to remember phone numbers which were spoken to me and I had to repeat them, but backwards. Aaagggghhhh!

Although I have to wait for my exam results, the neurologist highlighted my problems with planning, organising and assembling. Yup, the old man could have told them that. I am untidy. At least now I can say it's not untidy, just cognitive impairment.

The solution, I have to 'work through a step-by-step problem-solving strategy.' So crosswords it is then. However, I like the idea that it's my 'executive junctions' which have gone off the rails.



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Ten Fasting days until Christmas

Butternut squash soup with chilli & crème fraîche

Sorry, but its just too cold for salad, so heres an alternative which will warm your cockles as well.

See, on my diets you can cheat and lose weight!

At 264 calories a pop you could have two bowls, I won't tell.

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, about 1kg, peeled and deseeded
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 2 mild red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
• 850ml hot vegetable stock
• 4 tbsp crème fraîche, plus more to serve

Method

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut the squash into large cubes, about 4cm/1½in across, then toss in a large roasting tin with half the olive oil. Roast for 30 mins, turning once during cooking, until golden and soft.

While the squash cooks, melt the butter with the remaining oil in a large saucepan, then add the onions, garlic and ¾ of the chilli. Cover and cook on a very low heat for 15-20 mins until the onions are completely soft.

Tip the squash into the pan, add the stock and the crème fraîche, then whizz with a stick blender until smooth. For a really silky soup, put the soup into a liquidiser and blitz it in batches. Return to the pan, gently reheat, then season to taste. Serve the soup in bowls with swirls of crème fraîche and a scattering of the remaining chopped chilli.

Eleven Fasting days until Christmas

Smoked chicken and mango salad

This mango and chicken dish is an inspired combination. The sweet, luscious mango and herbs really complement the smoked chicken, while the toasted sesame seeds add texture and a nutty flavour.





SERVES 2
Calories per serving: 237
Preparation time: 15 minutes




Finely grated zest and juice of 1⁄2 lime 10 cals
1⁄2 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 2-4 cals
2 tsp toasted sesame oil 90 cals
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves 10 cals
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves 10 cals
1 tsp clear honey 20 cals
salt and pepper
1 large little gem or small romaine lettuce, leaves separated 15-25 cals
1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped or sliced
(about 200g flesh) 120 cals
150g smoked chicken, thickly sliced 165 cals
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds 32 cals

● To make the dressing, whisk together the lime zest and juice with the chilli, sesame oil, basil, mint and honey, then season well with salt and pepper.
● Place the lettuce leaves in a large bowl, add the chopped mango and sliced chicken, pour over the dressing and toss well to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

There's soup next time, cos you can make a whole heap and freeze some if you want and it is good for inclement weather.





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Twelve (Fasting) Days until Christmas!

Start your fast today, and by Christmas Day you will have lost half a stone! Just two days fasting a week and five 'normal' days. I fast on a Monday and Friday which is easy, infact hardly noticeable. If you want to change a day, no problem but it's easier not to fast on consecutive days.













Hot smoked salmon and watercress linguine

A really luxurious treat for one if you’ve fasted all day and want to savour your calories in a single fast day dinner!


SERVES 1
Calories per serving: 464
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

90g linguine 317 cals
50g watercress 13 cals
grated zest of 1⁄2 lemon and a squeeze of juice 4 cals
2 tbsp natural virtually fat-free fromage frais 15 cals
salt and pepper
50g hot smoked salmon flakes 115 cals

● Cook the linguine in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Drain (reserving a cupful of the cooking water), return to the pan and set aside.
● Place half the watercress, the lemon zest and a squeeze of juice, and the fromage frais in a small blender. Season with salt and pepper and blend together until smooth.
● Stir the watercress sauce through the cooked linguine, adding a little of the reserved cooking water, as needed,to loosen the sauce. Gently mix in the reserved watercress and the smoked salmon flakes.

This way, you can enjoy Christmas, look and feel better.



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Location:

The Choccywoccydoodah story

Or how my son-in-law's bum ended up in our kitchen in Brighton.
Polly and I have always loved men's bums. So my challenge for their wedding was to give the bride and groom a cake they would always remember, it had to be from Brighton, with a Spanish twist, a bit of humour, include chocolate, be partially gluten free and show a bum...

There was only one place which could help and in Brighton too! Choccywoccydoodah. The best chocolate shop in the world. The plan was hatched just before Christmas with a rough by Dave, the master Choccy chocolatier.
After a tasting meeting with Henry in what can only be described as Willy Wonka's Wedding parlour, surrounded by splendid wedding cakes we agreed on the flavours; Three layers of chocolate sponge, chocolate ganache filling and loads of Belgian chocolate Spanish roses, a beautiful Señorita and a fantastic Matador later, we had us a cunning plan.
It had to be kept a secret, so we even made up a fake cake maker. We told Pol that unfortunately we couldn't afford Choccywoccydoodah. Which was true but hey, how often do you commission this kind of cake? so we had a quiet, inexpensive Christmas, and New Year and Easter, no family holiday...

Even Choccywoccydoodah were great when they knew the cake was a secret apart from when Henry rang and Polly answered the 'phone. I think I told her he was my lover which was fine with her. Not sure Henry would be as convinced... Anyway they arranged delivery to the reception when the happy couple were not around.

To give them their due, Polly and Alex were brilliant about their surprise wedding cake. Given that everything else had been planned, discussed, rowed over, changed, re-arranged, cried about and nearly thrown out of the window, they trusted us magnificently. The mad fools.
And they liked it, they really did. The wedding cake was surrounded by photos of all the grandparents at their weddings which was lovely.

Once the cake was devoured, no one could bring themselves to eat either Polly or Alex which is how come they both ended up in our kitchen. And they are very happy, even if they are on the shelf.



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Pumpkins squashed by the weather

Slindon Pumpkin Festival
It was too soggy today but next week we are visiting the pumpkin farm, even without children, it is a very important tradition.

Every year in the month of October, the sleepy West Sussex village of Slindon holds a seasonal display of hundreds of pumpkins, squashes and gourds. Now in its 44th straight year, the display attracts tourists from as far as Germany, Japan and Australia.

The tradition began in 1968 when Ralph Upton placed his yearly crop of pumpkins on his shed to ripen. The display attracted the eyeballs of the village folk. The next year he tried again, using the roof of his wooden shed as a canvas on which he created a mural with his harvest. Since then the display has been growing larger and more complicated. Each year there is new theme - the Universe, the Pyramids and the Rialto Bridge in Venice. Using helpers Ralph Upton used pumpkins to create boats, butterflies, witches, Noah's Ark and even dinosaurs.

"I can't paint pictures, but I can paint with pumpkins," says Upton. "Originally, we began lining pumpkins along the roof to cure the skins because they don't keep unless they're exposed to the sun. Gradually we worked out patterns and people have come to expect it."

Since the 1950s until his death in 2009, Ralph Upton was growing pumpkins, squashes and gourds in his six-acre plot and planted a staggering 15,000 to 20,000 seeds each spring to produce an organic harvest of more than 50 varieties. He was once nick-named The Pumpkin King - a title he truly deserved.

A beet of greet

If you haven't got a friendly doctor on hand then there is an alternative.

It costs nothing, as long as you give it back to the owner. And I haven't gone loopy! honest.

What you need to do is borrow a gold ring. Rub the ring on your CLOSED eye and the cure is instant.

I haven't a clue why it works but it does.


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Pig, it's a stye

It only hurts when I blink.


The only treatment for a stye is application of warm compresses apparently according to three pharmacists. I thought I had left my teenage years long ago. (You did. Ed) So this is self-care at home, you cleanse the affected eyelid with tap water or with a mild, non-irritating soap or shampoo (such as baby shampoo) to help clean crusted discharge. Cleansing must be done gently and while the eyes are closed to prevent eye injuries. Why do I never read the whole thing? I've just burnt my eye ball. And here's the good news, if a stye bursts, care must be taken to cleanse the wound to prevent reinfection.

You are highly advised not to lance the stye, as serious infection can occur as a result. The infection could spread to the surrounding tissues and areas.

So I'll put away the lance.

Eye stye sufferers should avoid eye makeup (e.g., eyeliner), lotions, and wearing contact lenses, since these can aggravate and spread the infection (sometimes to the cornea).

I've got to throw away all my eye makeup. And I'm ignoring the next paragraph.

Surgery is the last resort in stye treatment. Styes that do not respond to any type of therapies are usually surgically removed. Stye surgery is performed by an ophthalmologist and generally under local anaesthesia. The procedure consists of making a small incision on the inner or outer surface of the eyelid, depending if the stye is pointing externally or not. After the incision is made, the pus is drained out of the gland, and very small and unnoticeable sutures are used to close the lesion. It is common for the removed stye to be sent for histopathological examination to rule out the possibility of skin cancer.

Who knew?




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£188.23

and the winner of the Macmillan great British bake off was Joy with her Nigella buns.

How appropriate.


Trevor and Alexa were just too busy eating...


Joy's Nigella buns on the left. And this was the calm before the noshing.


And Glynn was gambling his beans away just before he and Alexa fell out of the photo. We all had a great time and are now thinking of the next fundraiser.

Many thanks to all who came along, ate, drank and were merry and helped fund good old Macmillan.

9lbs lost so far.

Sometimes it seems like all good authors come from Brighton, they may well do, and here's another one, Mimi Spencer.

When Dr Michael Mosley (an overweight diabetic) filmed his ideas and experiences about fasting last year there was little idea about the impact the film would have. When I featured his findings on my blog, it turned out to be the most popular blog I had ever written. I promised myself I would try the fast diet but didn't. It was only when a very good (skinny) friend dropped his book through my letterbox a couple of months ago that I ran out of excuses.

I have unfortunately been mostly inactive for the last two years and as a result the weight has piled on, about a stone a year. It made no sense for my health or happiness to continue in this way. Cancer likes fat, MS likes fat, DVT's like fat and coating my internal organs with it also makes no sense. Although I swim twice a week and exercise as well, it's not enough to shift the pounds.

Then a couple of months ago I saw 'the fast diet recipe book' at my skinny friends house. It's a great book for the two days a week when you fast. You obviously can still eat something on those days (about 500 calories) it's just important to have nutritious food which is well balanced and the book includes recipes which are delicious. The old man took some convincing but when he could see that the weight loss was making me feel and look better, he started to look at the recipes and stopped scoffing.

Today is fast day and I'm having chicken Puttanesca for my supper.





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