Posts Tagged ‘Recipes’

Buttered Bacon Brussel Sprouts

Posted: January 5, 2015 in American, English, Recipes
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buttered bacon brussel sprouts

The idea behind this recipe was inspired from my meal at Swine & Co, in Sydney and my visit to the US. They do a lot of deep fried brussel sprouts there! I wanted to do something similar for Christmas but it had to be quick and easy. I didn’t do a test run before Christmas, all I knew is that I wanted the brussel sprouts to be cooked in butter and bacon fat until the sprouts was blistered and brown. I wanted to create the illusion that they were deep fried by cooking the sprouts in bacon fat and butter. Then I wanted to top it off with crunchy bits of bacon to have the texture of crackling. This turned out really well and it was such a delicious way to enjoy brussel sprouts that I had to share!

Enjoy! x

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5:2 diet – The Beginning

Posted: May 4, 2014 in 5:2 diet recipes, Food for Thought
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I’ve started on the 5:2 diet and I have been sharing on my instagram @foodpornnation what I eat on feast days and 5:2 diet recipes on my fast days. Essentially you consume a quarter of your calorie intake to receive the benefits of fasting rather than actually having to fast (no eating). On the upside, you get to have your cake and eat it too!

Scientific trials of intermittent fasting showed that the benefits include lowering  your risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, alzheimer’s/dementia & what we all love to hear, WEIGHT LOSS!

For ladies, this means consuming 500 calories and for gents 600 calories for two non-consecutive days. On other days, there is no calorie restrictions. You can eat your ice cream, burgers and cheese and enjoy all these health benefits as long as you do not overindulge too much, which is ideal for a foodie like me. It sounds a little crazy but when you watch the documentary, Eat, Fast and Live Longer you will be pleasantly surprised – click here to watch. Dr Michael Moseley and Mimi Spencer, subsequently released The Fast Diet Book, which is also very compelling. It will change your life as it has changed mine. This is something I will adopt for the rest of my life, this I am certain of.

500 calories probably sounds a little steep, but I have found if you are smart and spend your calories wisely, it is very achievable. So far, I am really enjoying the challenge of coming up with recipes that are delicious and fit in with my fast days. All of which I will begin sharing with you.

Pictured from left to right – Zucchini Lasagne – recipe here (185 calories) & Zucchini Pesto Pasta – recipe to come (165 calories).

52 diet recipes

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Zucchini Lasagne with Beef & Eggplant, a Low Calorie, Gluten free & 5:2 Diet Recipe

Posted: April 23, 2014 in 5:2 diet recipes, Italian, Recipes
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fpn - lasagne

After a number of requests on my instagram account, I thought it was time I share my zucchini lasagne recipe with you! This has past the boy test, who is my biggest critic and also happens to hate zucchini. He loves it, I love it and I know you will love it too. What I love about this recipe is that it tastes exactly like a lasagne. I don’t feel like I am missing out. It is packed full of vegetables and nutrition, coming in with a total of 7 vegetables. The zucchini sheets taste and feel exactly like pasta. I can promise that you will not even notice the difference between zucchini lasagne sheets and proper pasta lasagne sheets. The béchamel sauce has been replaced with low fat ricotta and parmesan on top. Otherwise, you can make a cauliflower béchamel based sauce as a healthy alternative and layer that on top.

Check out – Teresa Cutter’s (The Healthy Chef) White Sauce, 10 ways

This zucchini lasagne is low calorie, low carb, gluten free and absolutely guilt free. Each slice is 185 calories. Perfect for 5:2 diet followers. Unless you would prefer a large slice, this still comes in at 250 calories. So women can have 2 large slices for lunch and dinner and there is your fast day done! Just divide the lasagne into 6 portions instead of the suggested 8. I threw in some eggplant as an experiment to increase my vegetable intake. The result was an even richer and meatier meat filling. It is so delicious I will never make it without eggplant again. If you want to go completely vegetarian just replace the meat with more eggplant or any other vegetables.

zuchinni pasta sheets - fpn What you will need:

  • Mandolin slicer
  • Kitchen towel/paper towel
  • Oven dish

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Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce Recipe

Posted: July 12, 2013 in British, Dessert, Recipes
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I am going to share with you a ridiculously easy sticky date pudding recipe that I have found and slightly adjusted. I tested it out on some dinner guests and they absolutely raved about it. It is perfect for the winter months and for a stress free dessert when you are having guests pop round. It is that easy! Batter and sauce can be prepared earlier and also be frozen for a later date. So you can still have that fresh baked feel and your guests will be none the wiser. The result is a deliciously moist pudding with a gloriously hot, sticky and buttery sauce. Go on and give it a whirl!

sticky date collage - fpn

sticky date

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Osso Bucco, Pressure Cooker Recipe

Posted: April 29, 2013 in Italian, Recipes
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osso bucco

I’ve never had osso bucco before. So, with a shiny new pressure cooker, I decided to give it a whirl and I was amazed at the results.

Now… I’m in love with my pressure cooker and with this recipe! Just perfect for the colder months.

The result is fork tender melt in your mouth meat served with a beautifully rich and flavoursome sauce.The best bit is all in that marrow – sucking out that rich gooey goodness. Delish.

If that’s too sickly for you, each mouthful will still bring warmth and comfort in every bite. This meal will not disappoint, I guarantee it. osso bucco collage - fpn

 

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Mud Crab with Ginger & Shallot Sauce

Posted: April 10, 2013 in Chinese, Recipes, Seafood
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mud crab

Ingredients:

1.5 kilo mud crab

400 g egg noodes

A knob of ginger (cut into shards)

6 cloves of garlic (crushed and roughly chopped)

5 stems of shallots (cut lengthways)

salt

white pepper (2 teaspoons)

brown sugar (2 teaspoons)

1 cup chicken stock

Chinese rice wine

1 cup warm water

1 heaped teaspoon of corn flour

soy sauce

peanut oil

How to prepare the crab:

The easiest way is to ask your fish monger to slice the crab into quarters for you, which is what I do. This totally beats having to do this yourself.  Also ask them to crack the claws. This ensures that the heat seeps through the claws to even out the cooking time. You will need to cut the the legs (little legs of four) on each side in half. This will ensure everything cooks consistently.

Remove the deadman’s fingers/gills and digestive tract. Or you can leave the mustards, if you prefer.

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