Yum! I've been sick for a few days, and if I'm honest I've been relishing all the pampering! But enough is enough! I decided to get my body back in order with this Super Bowl. Chopped coconut, blueberries, watermelon, kiwi and satsuma segments. Delish! Watermelon and kiwi are A-MAZ-ING together, I'd happily eat them all day! I had this with celery and cottage cheese on crackers for the friendly bacteria and a kick of protein. It was detox central today, so I should be better in no time!
Brussel sprouts are the highlight of every Christmas for me! Yes, they even trump presents (no pun intended). So I was naturally horrified when the Gentleman referred to them as "the devil's testicales." Whaaaaat?! How dare he insult these shrivelled globes of glory. I promptly set about changing his mind, this is the recipe that won him round.
Chop your sprouts in half, keeping any of the outer leaves that fall off. In a pan warm some coconut oil over a low heat, you'll need enough to well cover your sprouts. To the pan add 2tbs of grated ginger, 1 crushed garlic clove and 0.5tsp of ground coriander. Heat it nice and gently for about 5 minutes. Taste it and decide if its tangy enough, keep in mind that sprouts are strong little blighters so you might need more ginger and coriander (depending on how much you want to camouflage them!) Toss your sprouts into the pan and let them soak up the mixture. Transfer the whole lot to a baking tray and roast them on a high heat for 15-20 minutes, leave them alone except for a rattle halfway through. I like to sprinkle over the loose leaves 5 minutes before they're ready, they crisp up wonderfully!
Successfully disguised sprouts!
If I'm being honest, being unemployed has been pretty hard. I went from having a stressful job, filled with challenges, deadlines and an endless list of tasks marked urgent, to having entire days yawning in front of me with absoloutely nothing to fill them with. At first I tried to adopt the attitude that "finding a job was my new job", unsurprisingly that endured for the first three days by which time I'd applied for every job I wanted and many, many more that I definietly did not want! Hours swelled and my sense of dejection and failure ballooned.
One day I woke up and was convinced that I'd never get a job. EVER. Because I was crap and everyone knew it. It was all rather illogical and utterly unacceptable. Thankfully, soon after this black morning I stumbled upon an old copy of Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson. Hallelujah! This book is marvellous; hilariously refreshing, thought provoking in its bizarreness and (it's most invigorating glory) related by a woman uncompromising in her loyalty to herself.
Just when I needed to I heard...
Ah beetroot! Definitely one of the glories of our summer veg patch, mostly because they are CRAZY easy to grow! Yet sadly, for most people, the word beetroot conjures images of crinkle-cut slices of vinegar soaked, soggy islands, marooned in a seeping pink tide. My grandmother ruined many an afternoon tea by loading my plate with these putrid entities and rendering everything (my face, hands and tshirt included) scarlet. But no more! Beetroot has a really long season (meaning they're cheap and tasty for ages) and are at their best right now! Grate 'em, roast 'em, crisp 'em. Just don't bloody pickle 'em! Here's why...
1. They will fight cancer like mo'fo
These knobbly little roots are also filled with antioxidants all of which do a pretty good job of getting toxins the hell out of your lovely little body! Betacyanin, in which beetroot is especially high, is particularly important in this process. So important that it has been known to shrink tumour size, trials are underway in the US.
2. They're bloody good for you
Thanks to their nitrates they lower your blood pressure and yes, you should be concerned about your blood pressure, even you skinny young man! Although maybe you'd be more interesed in the other benefits associated with improving a man's circulation? Uh-huh, thought so, tuck in gents. Continuing the sex theme, it is packed with boron - something guys and gals both need in order to produce sex hormones.
3. They're dementia's nemesis
By helping to keep your blood flowing it keeps your brain fed with oxygen, which helps keep it in tip-top condition. Beetroot have been proven to stave off dementia in older people. Perfect snack before the pub quiz then!
4. They're woman's best friend
Beetroot is filled with folic acid which is essential during pregnancy. Oh you're not pregnant? Hush and eat your beetroot, you need to build up your store of FA in the years pre-pregnancy. Oh you don't plan on ever being pregnant? Hush and eat your beetroot, they are also packed with silica which your body needs to process calcium which in turn will make your bones strong and prevent osteoporosis. It's like a lovely circle of health really. Lastly they are a wonderful source of iron and are even used in the treatment of anaemia.
5. Their anti-inflammatory properties
These foods are deflators! Great for those who suffer from/are at risk of artheritis since it causes swelling (resulting in pain) around the joints. If you live here in Ireland you've probably been in this demographic since you were a fetus, thanks to our not-so-tropical climate, so go feast!
So maybe I lied and there are more than five reasons but the moral of the story remains the same EAT THE BEETROOT. In fact eat their leaves too because they've just been found to be about the most nutritious thing on the planet!
This is very similar to my Spicy Steak...for a reason! It's delicious, oh so nutritious and even quicker!
In a small bowl, mix 3tbs soy sauce, 2tbs each of sesame oil and white wine vinegar, 1 crushed garlic clove and 1/2tsp each of ground ginger and ground coriander. Pour it over your cubed chicken fillets and let it marinate for a few minutes.
When you can't wait any longer (I'm not the only one who cooks like this?) fry your chicken. Its nice to add 1tsp of marinated ginger now. After about 5 minutes add the broccoli florets, when they're bright green it's time for the shredded pok choi and chopped coriander. Scatter with sesame seeds just before you serve.
See, told you it was quick! I didn't even get to finish my rosé! Packed with lean protein thanks to chicken, carbs and fibre from the greens and the anitoxidants in the coriander this is the ultimate dish for banishing the last of the weekend bulge.
Despite the sentiments of the rest of the world I actually love a good Monday! Fill a week with them and I'd be the most productive, motivated and healthiest person on the planet! I try to start every week like I mean to go on (clean, lean and green), sadly these idealist intentions waver and weather over the course of the week so that by 7pm Sunday I'll be at the cheese counter with a basket full of wine and deli meats! But oh well! For now, for Monday (if not forever) I'm eating clean, training lean and feeling great! Happy Monday everyone!
1. Chop as many tomatoes as you like into quarters, toss them with sliced red onion, drained olives, thinly sliced fennel, fresh rocket leaves and a few sprigs of mint. (You'd be amazed how much you love the collision of liqorice scented fennel with tangy fresh mint.) Top with a small amount of balsamic vinegar and lemon juice. A Greek Salad, that is not a Greek salad and is twice as delicious! Added nutrition bonus from the rocket and fennel; two powerhouses for your body. House points also available for adding quinoa and avocado! Yay for protein and fat!!!
2. Make this Tomato Jam. Put it on EVERYTHING
3. Put your oven as low as it can go, cut your tomatoes in half and lay them on a baking tray. Season well with ground sea salt and roast for several hours until they look 'sun dried', these make divine snack vessels, eat them as crudites with guacamole, top them with mozerella and basil or (my fav) sprinkle a salmon fillet with chopped walnuts, lay the tomatoes ontop, drizzle with olive oil, then wrap and bake. YUM!
These recipes were born from neccesity. The Gentleman has a Grandfather who I often imagine drifted out of the Tyrone mist one morning, silver hair slicked back, suit jacket unbuttoned and a clucking chicken at his heels, solely to occupy the void that modernity is creating. He has the calm stillness and wealth of knowledge that only a rural upbringing and a lifetime of observation can bestow. Ask him about bee keeping, constellations, that day's racing (!) I guarantee he'll know! For as long as most remember he has coaxed deliciousness from the ground in his charmingly decrepit, cobweb strewn, dew glistening mini farm. There are rows and rows of potatoes, beans, carrots and onions, forests of berry stalks, coops of strutting cockrels and the sweetest smelling orchard this side of Armagh. Our own vegetable plot owes much to the Gentle Grandfather. That being said, ours does lack the sophistication of his polytunnel which (quite literally) bursts with tomato vines. Every summer the Gentle Grandfather gifts all who cross his path with sacks of these sweet fruits. (And yes they are fruits, though I didn't understand this until I tried his!) Some are big, some are small, some are split, some are spotted. All are delicious.
It has become something of a challenge in the Happy House to use these tomatoes while they are at their best. Yes we make soups and sauces for freezing over the winter, but I somehow feel it's an assault to cook these delicacies, especially the tiny adorable ones. So, we use them as raw as we can without dying of boredom!
This is a perfect salad for a quick packed lunch. The ingredients hold really well and taste better with time!
Start by rinsing a half can of puy lentils. Next chop up the tomatoes, some yellow pepper, a few baby corns (real name anyone?), a good chunk of cucumber, some feta cheese, half an avocado and a small amount of red onion. Toss this with your greens (your choice but something neutral like spinach or beets lets the other flavours out). You need a good bunch or parsley in here too; adds a surprising bite.
Now drizzle on the dressing, a basic one like equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar is perfect. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and maybe some salt.
I love the balance of protein, fats and vegetables in this recipe, it really fills you up for the afternoon! Enjoy!
Riiiiiight, a bit of trolling which targetted my weight, diet and right to post means a disclaimer is in order. I'm not fat. I am skinny. I do not have an eating disorder. I have not been bullied into my size. What I do have is a desire to be strong and healthy for as long as I possibly can, and THAT is what has launched me on this eating clean journey. Not cheap mimicry of Miranda Kerr. Not pressure from patriarchal society. Not jealousy of others; health. Funnily enough, that doesn't seem to be an option since people are quick to assume that health promotion is an attempt at fat shaming. What?!
In spite of my natural shape, brought about by a natural diet, I have frequently been the object of unwanted attention regarding my size. When I was a waitress a customer asked which dessert I would recommend, before looking up and saying "Never mind, you look like you don't eat." If I was fat would it have been ok to say "Never mind you've probably eaten them"? When I worked in high fashion a client walked into the store and exclaimed "My God! You're tiny! What size are you?" If I was fat would it have been ok to say "My God! You're huge! What size are you?" When I was out with friends an acquaintance moaned "I feel so flabby, hanging out with this skinny bitch doesn't help." If I'd been fat would it have been ok to say "I feel so flabby, hanging out with this fat cow helps though." The answer to all these questions is no, that would not have been ok, yet because I was skinny these unsolicited judgements and insults were almost attempts at compliments. On each occasion I was upset and horribly offended, yet expected to say nothing because 'being skinny is great!" Skinny shaming exists, and most if the time we say it's ok!
The new wave of aggresive, vagina weilding feminist have some responsibility (thank you Caitlin Moran). It seems today that a 'real' feminist must adopt a sneering, cynical view of anything other than hairy legs and muffin tops. I'm intimidated by it and feel horribly unrepresented by it, which is odd as I do consider myself a feminist. A recent viral video depicted a beautiful women in her underwear, pointing to all the parts of her body that she loved and was proud of, it was great and I'm sure for her and her peers it felt empowering. Unfortunately, the woman based her (fragile) self love (loathing?) on the fact that she wasn't thin and ended with a call to all "my curvy, gorgeous, REAL women to give skinny bitches the finger." Lovely! I wonder how viral the video would have been if the sizes were reversed! Am I not allowed to be a real woman because genetically I have small hips and tiny boobs? Can't I be proud that I look after myself without having people of a different shape roll their eyes and call me a skinny bitch? Do I have to silently kowtow to PC norms which demand fat people's feelings get precedent?
My blog is not about me advocating dieting and not about encouraging thinspiration, which are dangerous trends. It's not about declaring an ideal shape. Its about food I like to eat. Be fat, be thin, whatever! But keep your opinions to yourself! When it comes to our bodies I am mine, and you are yours. End of!
Yummy! Spicy steak with enough greens to fill a garden! Not only that. It's delicious and ready in minutes.
Start by cutting your sirloin steaks into strips. Then leave them to marinate in toasted sesame oil, soy sauce (2:1), spring onions (4) and dried chilli flakes (1tsp), the longer the better obviously, but 15mins is plenty if you're rushing. In the meantime, chop your broccoli and top/tail your beans (mangetout/sugarsnap peas/runners) and blanch them. While that's going on rinse and chop your greens (spinach/pok choi/beet/kale).
You're on the last leg now. Fry up your steak, adding your broccolli and beans just before it's done and your greens a few seconds before you take it off the heat.
Yummy! As always the quantities are vague, so taste as you go and mix it up!
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| Nom nom nom |
Hmm, maybe cooks is a bit of an over statment? Moslty it was chopping and mixing...all the better! Anywho, recipe for you...
Toast a good handful of cashew nuts. While they're toasting, grate one large carrot and two radishes. Now take the cashews off the heat. Chop up cherry tomatoes, a few spring onions, a red pepper and an avocado, open a can of chopped pineapple. Toss all these together and voila...salad.
Now on to the dressing. Mix together a good dollop of peanut butter and grated ginger (about 2tbs each), grate in a chilli, squeeze in a lime, add a little oil and red wine vinegar to loosen it up. Voila...dressing
Mix the whole lot together and let it flavour up (30 mins)!
As with all my recipes, the quantities are vague, so taste as you go and decide what you like. For added protein toss it with quinoa, lentils or beans. Or if your Gentleman, is like mine and doesn't consider dinner a meal unless their is flesh on his plate this is gorgeous with baked white fish, or griddled chicken that's been marinated in soy sauce and chilli.
Phew! After the craziness of work, holidays and birthdays I was feeling a little...burnt out? If 'ugh' was a real word that encapsulated a real emotion then that was what I was feeling; all the time! Sleepy, spotty, squishy, soggy, and slow. It was like my body had been invaded by the dark alter egos of the seven dwarves!
It all came to a head when, mid way through preparing for a party, my dress split at the seams. "Dam careless dry cleaners!" I sighed and sneaked upstairs to change. Hmmm, problem! The zip on this fresh dress seems to be stuck? No time, guests are arriving! Next dress...how odd, the buttons are gapping on this one. Screw it, (what's happening?) try something else. Holy crap, the fasteners won't clip??! oh my GOD! In short, NOTHING FITTED ME! I ended up safety pinning myself into the 'best' fit and feeling like a whale all evening.
So time for a change was nigh! I've always been a big believer in eating real food. By which I mean food that looks like food, food that my great granny could recognise as ingredients, food that didn't come in a package. I'm looking at you vegetables, and you fresh cuts of meat. Yet somewhere in my unemployed anguish and vactioning revellry I had forgotten this, gorged on cheese, chorizo and wine and brought myself to the brink of gout.
And thus, my journey started with a realisation. Firstly that I couldn't afford to replace my entire wardrobe. Secondly that unless I changed my ways I'd end up like the rest of the population; overweight, out of breath, brushing diabetes and flirting with cancer. My first step towards clean eating and practical working out was painless, practical and calming. Bye bye sloth-like self, hello svelth and happy self!
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